The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1902-02-14
WHO WIS ST. VALENTINE?
ss* somethtoa Of tbe cbristion Mortyr boy

tine as shown in this same diary, which
chronicles that the duke of York be.
ing her (Niss Stuart's) valentine. do
give her a jewel of about 500; and
my Lord Vaudeville, her valentine this
year, ring of about { 800.
Walsh, in his very interesting "Curi-
osities of Popular Customs" gives
what data he has been able to gather
in regard to this February festival.
He found that Bailey's, the first of the
great English dictionaries. SAYS in re
gard to the day: valentines Gin Eng
land). About this time Of the year
month of February-the birds choose
their mates. and probably thence came
the custom Of the young men and
maidens choosing valentines, or spe
clai loving friends. on that day" The
antiquary. Sir Francis Douce. suggest
that st. Valentines day is the Chris
TANNED form of that classic Luper-
Gala, which were feasts held in Rome
during the month Of February in hon
or of Pan and Juno. when among other
ceremonies il was customary to nut
the names Of young men in a box from
which they were drawn by the men
as chance directed. and that the Chris.
tian clergy, finding 1t difficult or i'm
possible to extirpate the pagan prac-
tee. gave il at least religious aspect
ny substituting the names of particu-
Tar saints for those Of the women
Not few of the clergy felt il a part
OF their work TO suppress the custom
that was spreading so fast. and in
the sixteenth century ST. Francis de
Sales severely forbade the custom OF
valentines. or giving boys in writing
the names of girls to be admired and
attended on by them; and. to abol-
ish it. he changed it into giving billets
with the names of certain saints for
them 10 honor and initiate in a par
tieular manner"
But. as you can easily believe. this
method of observing the day did not
appeal 10 the young gaIlants. much
more given TO meditating On maids
than monks.
IL would seem that the idea Of choos-
ing ones own valentine is a compara-
lively modern idea. although in those
old days the element of choice entered
somewhat. Pepys tells his wife kept
her eyes hid all morning SO she would
not look upon the masons that were
working next door. and tells how n
certain VIII Boyer. wishing TO be Mrs.
Pepys' valentine, came up in the morn
ing TO her bed chamber BE sure even
those old-fashioned youths and maid
ems. and also the elderly lovers, would
find out way.
The Puritans. who did not take kind
~ 10 the Christmas festivities Of the
old England they had left behind. hard
ly could have accepted with much an
prevail the frivolous observances %
Saint Valentines day \ picture has
been handed down of n cavalier. a III
tie the worse for wear. Offering a mo-
etc effusion TO Puritan maiden. Tn.
maiden seems not to be affected nv
the cavaliers Offering. appears proof |
against even his County manner and
speech. and inclines toward another
Presbyterian minister IN
black garb. II would seem the scarlet. |
coated cavalier must look elsewhere
'or his vaEStine. mayhap have to DC |
back to the home land. where such lev.
~ as May day and Valentine dav were
lot only tolerated but were mada |
nuch or KATHERINE POPE.