New-York tribune., 1898-01-30

OF THE GODS. THE DAY WAS AFTERwARD
CHOSEN BY THE CHRISTIANS TO con-
MEMORArE A MARTYRDoM
II there is person who more than another
can and does put heartfelt groan into her quota
tlon OF there is nothing new under the sun" that
detected person IS the hostess with reputation for
originality. II must be sustained at any cost, but
how?
The midwnter holiday. being past. the next e'-
FOR excitement is Valentines Day, ana
this ancient saint so long relegated 10 tho chill
dren is now allowed come forth into respecta-
BILE life again. Vivat st. Valentine
Having decided on the rehabilitation o, the erst-
while patron saint OF lovers. Princess Charming
is determined to make him feel at home by giving
him his accustomed surroundings To this end she
visits the Astor Library with vague idea that
somebody can tell her something about it there.
pile Of books is forthwith spread before her. and
she passes an hour in arranging games and select
ing promising possibilities from the maze of chron
cled Old World diversions for her st Valentines
party"
1t does not take Princess Charming long 10 decide
that her country house. never mind Just where, IL
an ideal place for the festival. February II comes
on Monday. Nothing could be better House
filed from Saturday night till Tuesday morning
Eighteen or twenty congenial spirits simply
loads Of fun soliloquizes the Princess raptur-
ously and some what slangy.
men. ST Valentine believes in the equality OF the
sexes as FAR as number is concerned. When sh
assembled, every woman writes her name on
slip Of paper and rolls It up tightly These
rames put into bowl. whore they are thor
oughly mixed; then every man draws a name. and
the name so drawn entities him 10 claim its fair
owner his valentine until the party breaks
up"
The valentines thus mated. every young woman
fastens some favor" upon the breast or sleeve or
her pro ,em. cavaer-a knot OF ribbon. a pretty
pin. a flower If the last. she must be sure that
she can renew It often necessary. as the
favor SO given must be until Valentines
pay is once more a thing OF the past for another
year. Tire young men besiow tokens on their
lady loves' TO be In like manner. Tho
thoughtful hostess will drop gentle hint anent
these favors to her guests when she sends her In
vltations.
Wher uaint old Pepys wrote his Diary ST Nalen-
,ine wa <t.ll "fashionable." and many genuine
love a~ tirs grew out OF the testing beginning,
while .r favors' frequently were splendid eN-
traytg e that would be frowned upon by the
,ast.e manners Of our day. The Duke OF York
u. III by the dear old gossip. gave rims
worth o. 70 his fortunate valentine. The same
WON. II re following year TO the LOT of Lord
Manic . whose token was diamond valued a.
$500
Prlree Charming naturally has more maids
and T.. eors" as Pepys puts IT. than husbands
b.
sunny bay leaves. procured from any druggist
and 5r u Valentines Eve gives some 20 every
guest bef retiring for the night The pay
leaves probably bear some distant relation 10 TIE
old rust fancy that Oh the day following inc
birds ch ose their mates. Five leaves are pinned
on the How. one on each corner and one In tho
riddle. assigning the name Of some friend Of The
onnosite sex TO every leaf. the one OF whom tns
sleeper dreams Is the destined wife or husband
For those who care To venture on more heroic
mode Of peeping behind futuritys dim veil frin-
cess Charming has caused a number Of eggs 70 p"
nrepared lust a. the country madens prepared
them three hundred years ago. The yolk- have
hean removed from the hard-boed eggs. and th~
hollow left Is filled with salt tbs - 10 o o,o'r.,
she'll and all. after getting into bed tns 'ntu'
must 90 TO seep without speaking OF driuhins II
she can. BY way 81 compensatrls9rn, - ber io,.
and sorrows Sha dreams that he bThtS h''
Variation In the manner OF choosing ones val
enfine NAV be found. II the hostess desires. Every
man write ne names o, o. seVT'a, T CLAW wo, ito ~,
,le pellets and diop them into water. The h'st
fp AZ least one OF the games Princess Charming
has arranged 10 be instructive a. well as anus
80 s,arfi.d by he own ignorance In the begin
nissg on the subject OF valentines. she means 20
nass on her newly acquired knowledge by game
Of Ssesta5n Soob Sr Se for the ' worst The question
run thus Who was ST Valentine, WheS, Wna.. Nts,..
OF her design all have an equal chance Tor re-
'ear,e a Gems rather an odd way OF commemoratns
a. tragic ar event as a martyrdom- with irivolty
nd nlrthyet that IL the basis OF the celebration
q, rsientine was one OF the thrd-century Chris-
,,an martyrs Al least, that II the pteteSt upon
rhIch Il was made a Christian festival ana IN the
ssriv days Il was a saints name ana ho'
v'Tan's that was drawn by the men as tne oole''
of the DAYS devotion. In point OF tact us ors,n
u u "a. hsck 10 Ancient Rome and the pagan ressts
~ ths Iupercalia The Christian priests a'ter me
1rst century two. shrewdly increased 'nsm on,a-
.nnrna Nth the masse. by adopting me popular
Sss,vsIs and mer,ly changing their charse'"
trlne. a., ..u ,o E.hruary and the
ohco.,ns by LOT OF a ladye-love for the season ~
III -. same manner that princess = hhtn,nN
ou,e w, 80 the first ceremony the astute thii-,
I'm sbepnerds resolved to make the tourt.sn,n
Eehruary which was the day oi % '"''
maT,yrdom a rival celebration, -. o.., o.. on.
The change TO saints instead OF n wom,n Iii ara
- phl~ ~ the old form came back to dr,t no, ,
ins.,w through the Dark and Middle Ages 'n'' o''
modern times