Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-14

the god, and. like him. inlm"F,'i-
Saint Valentines day has o"ini'o
and twisted and turned less ii'i''iS
than most Of the supple old hieh avs
and holidays. The softer so" - lil'-
February mas come to MS IN Hti'iSh'''
course from Il l.upercalian il''' - 'h'
days when Pan. the Natur" s"'' ana
Juno F"brunta. goddess Of marriage
had filched the little Woll-ch''"of
honUrs.
For Luper,us II has been written.
was but a COOLING. ana Olympus was
ever jealous; 50 the TING arrived Nhch
February fifteenth, not iorBetlih- we
shepherd idol. yet becam" IN" i'S'IFai
OF the quick-coming southern spring
of the sinking of the vol TO ms cen
unchaSed; Of prayers Tor IN" lc!tl4jy
OF flockS ana fields; Of the lhaiillS ~
birds and the new birth Of flowers. ana
in those days. in honor Of Pan ana Jun"
there arose. or there grew, IN" vogue
of this custom.
Writing or causing some scribe TO
write the naihes Of naidonS, ne
s"arthy. toga"d youths dropped 'H"lr
tablets into an url, and drew out a@alh
by lot each Tie name Of her WIN
whom in jest he was paired tIll IN"
next Lupcrcal. And sometimes IN"
jest was only jest. and sometimes II
ended in the Roman marriage lines.
'WhrreEci thou ant. taIu5 th"lr dri !.
Gaia. Mere Of the 10Y" lottery X" "i'"
has told us. but that oracl"s went with
il, and diyinatiuu5 All! '"a"y ways "I
for"casting the lot is certain.
Now. here are two stranE" things.
This drawing Tor SWroth"atlS. IN
changed. lasted in England tn RI"
present century. though tEr choosing
~ sWcrthcarts grew up h"sid" ID. ana
Saint Valentine had quit" as much 70
do with it all as Guy FaWk"s With
THANKSGIVING.
Who WAS this intrusive saint, who
wr-urhrd th-iI festival from Pan ami
juno "s they from thr litt'r wolf
CHASER Count il among lites irunire
that Valentine is patron SAINT 81
oinlcpti,s not Of lovers.
1t IS told III the cp,lcptic bishop That
H." was It gentle character, oharitAbl".
| hynissnant. and blessed with tongue
mnlrelousIy rlauaSiv" ~ converting
thu pagan His "eal met th" usual t@-
| Ia thr year "a. hy order uf the I'm
! p"rpr 'i2udius, II" Was beaten satin
| clubs .,nd heh"ad,d. III" martyr was
can"niz,d, and his remains af" l'rr-
| served ut Rom" IN the church N SAINT
| frdSSct".
But TIE I.uprIcdl ANA the l"N" lottery
| lived after him. rs they had lived he-
! Tor him. Every year. on IA" day l'i-
| lowing ms lnartN:tolH, tablets McI" IA
s"rihed and lots drawn ~ the name ~
the l.y'ian ran ana 81 Juno. III f'N
! N" lurercaliah games were l"rhidh'h
| hN Pup" frlaSius Wh" was rti"rihrf
| and forbade many Things ne '"u'h u"
NOR" control than n" could the ways "i
| }"unG men ana mald"hS.
OF nm they TOOK liti'e hetd. 'h"uFh
| ever III lhr eyes ~ tnr cnuith "" l"l-
| tcfy was nothing l"sS than S'ahdAl.
ana the day came when. WIN inc m
| genuity that often rounds out saiutll-
ness, the holy fathers shifted heir
| ground. adopting ami 'hrStlaniZinE
| the pagan practice. ~ setting bIrh
| thr lottery from February itt"rnth ~
/ tn" fourteenth. tbcy made II lall "i me
| r"ar"St SAINT day. the anniversary
~ inv itsii - i'u ''Aitl''''''' ''' ''''7''' ="
| thing as the accident oi dat" Trans
! formed the patron OF epilcpucS INTO
| Fila "Arch-famen OF HHmeh, m
/ mortal @o-bttWetn
Here mark second ms hitl"
| lfonieS. lot az thought OF Suth SAG
! rilege. the heads OF the fathers would
! have WaSgcd III horror IheN decreed
| that the names inscribed ON the tap!etS
| should no nor" ne those OF naldHhS.
| but of holy men. each youth taxing n
| his eNemplar SAINT whose name ne
| drew.
| Many followed the teaching. neins
| eXhorted thereto by good men Ike
| Saint Francis de Sales. but others heio
aioo, - i'-t
| De tfdt III inns, rs III ot.',i hid'tel n
| the English or forebearS We're stiff
,,,.t,.,d IA, vh;ta IA dra,vipg of
saints was long ago dropped and for
| .,, 49,, ,,,.n,,.;,,er -. ,.oIantinaS hac
| So''ei' NV "i "''9 Va
| gone merrlly forward IN tnSlanu' ana
| literature is full of the bishop. from
| I.,,,,,,,. .Io c,,Eannn nnseon da
| 'iduNei - -
| SCriheS the valentine lottery IN inc
| reign Of the first George as follows.
| INT, .., ,,, i, ,,fl ,cd
| MI 'Puii "'''''o' :"
| bachelors get together; each writes ms
on her true name or feigned name