Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-02-09
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A CHRISTIAN FESTIVAL.
Good Old ST. Valentine Was Not Apps
ciaied Until He Died.


st. Valentine was a good mar, who
lived in bad city-in cruel old
Rome. He was accordingly perse-
cuted, and in the reign of the Empe-
ror Aurelian the head which had
thought so many noble thoughts for
God and humanity was severed by
men who were not worthy to unloose
the latchets of their victims shoes.
As soon as Valentine was once
dead he began TO be appreciated.
All of us will amount to more in the
eyes of our fellows the day after we
breathe our last than at any time in
life. 1t was only short time before
he was made full fiedged saint and
given a place in the calender. This
was not far from 1000 years ago.
Now, the Romans, centuries and
centuries before the Christian era,
had feasts in the month of February
known as the feasts of the Lupercalia.
One of the customs peculiar to these
was the putting of the names of the
young women into box from which
they were drawn by the young men
as chance directed.
1t is supposed that this custom
originated from the habit of the
birds in choosing their mates atthat
season of the year, and that it was a
relic of the nature whorship com.
mon 10 the primeyal races of Europe.
There is nothing more tenacious
than the customs of people, moth
ing more defiant OF time, and even
after the foul mists of paganism had
begun to scatter before the morning
sun Of Christianity this old custom
drawing names was still dear to the
Roman people, and they ardently
chung to it.
But the early Christian fathers
were as diplomatic as they were de-
voted, and they had the good sense
to bend to their uses what they could
not extirpate. Finding it was all
out of the question to induce their
| converts to relinquish this favorite
custom, they just simply Christian
ICED il, as they did the heathenish
rites Of yuletide into Christmas.
They made it into festival of the
church and hit upon st. Valentine
as the proper person whom the Gus
tom should honor and the day cole-
brate.
In the provinces of Lorraine and
Maine, in France, and in portions of
England aud Scotland, within less
than century, on st. Valentines
eve, number of young people would
get together and write on bits OF
paper the names Of various young
ladies and gentlemen. These bits
would be thoroughly shaken, and
then each would draw his or her val
entine. A bachelor was bound to the
service of his valentine, like med
ieval knight to bis lady-love, for q
whole year. At one time it was
customary for both sexes to make
their valentines appropriate presents
Of.imes the outcome OF these amor
GUS SURFACES was the tying Of the
connubial knot.
The custom seems 10 have been
pretty well diluted by the time it
reached tue land OF the star spangled
banner. The Yankee has all the
voting he wants in politics without
exercising the franchise for amuse-
ment in midwinter. The day 10
celebrated IN America by tie send
ing Of prints by the lovers Of fun, by
the spiteiul and by the loyelorn.
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