The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-02-13

year 0leu 81. NalsHlsiS
LIZ day comes around. there Is sure
N(O) 10 be found a trise announcement
In the newspapers to the effect
that the custom Of giving tokens
on that day Is dying out" But
every year valentines appear usual IN
the shop windows. and everyone know
that men do not continue to offer merchan-
dise for sale which has ceased TO be de-
maaaed. ono sort OF valentine Is dying
out II IL true-;he comic kind. Our high
or education has done thar much at least
for as.
In former times the communications adj
dressed by lovers to their mistresses were
the product of their own hand and brain.
But ths labor Involved was found IN most
cases to be far out of proportion TO The re-
suits arrived at. aud Il soon became the
common practice 10 substitute the vaien-
tine OF commerce FOR the home product.
The skin of the poet and painter was called
into requis!ton, and many very expensive
and elaborate valentines are the result.
The number OF these missivcs sent on each
18th of February In the United States must
amount 20 many hundreds Of thousands,
and the letter carriers and distributors re-
gard the approach of 81. Valentines day
with sentiments the reverse OF blissfui
The observance of st. Valentines day Is
q European custom. imported and, like
many other European customs. IL failed to
with sentiment and lacked the necessary
novelty. aud 80 Il Was distorted 20 what Il
Is new.
When the transition from the original to
the present custom occurred 1t would be
hard TO state.
The first ST. Valentines day was inaug-
nrated 10y the priests of the early Christian
chuFch as a substitute fer wha, was a pop
plsf Roman custom, the early fathers In
their wisdom deciding that gradual suhsf-
tntion. or taqering of. as Il might he CALI
ed was preferable TO the sudden steppsgs
Of $ long-standlng habit.
How this came about is told IN a general
ly accepted werk hy Douce. entitled III
lustra'ions by Shakespeare" In i he gives
the oris!n OF 81 Valentines day In the fell
lowing terms
1t was the practice Ia Ancient Rome
during great part Of the month 81 Feb
rnsry 70 celebrate F.upsrcaiia. which were
feasts IN honor OF Pan and Juno. whence
the latter deity WAS named Fehrusta Feb
ruslis ana Februala. On this occasion,
amid variety u ceremonies. the names
OF young women were put in a hex. from
which they were drawn by men as chance
directed. The pastors az the early Chris
nan church. who by every possible means
endsSVorcti Ia eradicate the VssgiEes OF
rassn superstition. and chiefly by some
sonmuiation ~ these forms. substituted
IN the present INSTANCE. the names 81 par
teular saints instead 81 these Of women,
and As the festival OF the Lupercala had
= sssnHenced about she middle Of February.
they appear to have chosen -. Valentine
asy for celebrating i've nsw feast because
IL occurred nearly at the sas1le time,
The custom Of drawing the names Of
saints. however. Was not vested with SUIT
hcssnt Hil'eriaAsm, and IN the days Of ro-
name ARA chiVslry the girls we're eonspic-
aoas Figures esatn IA the Observance Of the
DAY II those times the youths and the
na&ens We're drawn Tor by a0t- Each
youth = oula iascribe ais name az his SYM
Dol on piece % parchment and toss x
sssa a box, then the maidens woulG dc ta'
sane. Tao Youths Mould then draw
mSlden name f'nfa the box and she maid
en- IN turn draw she nsz1e of ycuth-
TAsu the adjustment would besln. The
seaihS w31l8 seek ous the uasIdeas whose
hATes they Rad drawn. ana she nsasGeus
Ire youths Tnas x weuid sensE8its hap
pSa ;hSt "a d man was seeking saa!d sa9
vas IN tgfn ~cuENt ley maiden - sas pet
asFsc.t sevklaE This latter maid mast
therefore be bought OK W1ta a stft iH
sesPsns siih the rank ef ths mar some
uaaes Il hap.eRed that tAe youth and re
a&ssIen drew each others ma mes 0Ut sal-
vas noi osfsr s. ben IL a.d occnr a mar
sosse
Tan th.S arszgiee - drawing ~ -
a. UuSiirs ts Acs eas slowly but s8Fety
ssIFiaotet '} thr practise * choosing the
sAseet2e, Each osing naaa wous5 up Nnd
@"sN htffg~ dsyHwht 10 p0sF aimseif ~
as aS-sy s lat--e. or even x possible. seal
.aso aer tssnsber - - 10 Ike tbe EFss aeV
" sAenld gsss gaen whea SIZE saaald
ssAe an =. ksleEE4ae's SaS. TasE for
.ae year ears rnse and rsRis were xAleu-
.sa<s sna hound q al a8nor 10 observe tae
- A. sh.s -Wss0sa @rvN. SO grsw ire
- ~ a
IVA % aVslHg sentiments ssresaiiy wrought