River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-02-13
WHO WIS ST. VALENTINE?
ss Something Of tbe Cbnstion Martyr and the Day 1879

tine is shown in this same diary, which
chronicles that ''the duke of York be-
ing her Miss Stuart's) valentine, did
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 Tin 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-
cial loving friends, on that day" The
antiquary, Sir Francis Douce, suggests
that ST. Valentines day is the Chris
TANNED form of that classic Upper
Gala, which were feasts held in Rome
during the month of February in hon
or of Pan and Juno, when among other
ceremonies it was customary to put
the names of young men in box from
which they were drawn by the men
as chance directed, and that the Chris
tian clergy, finding it difficult or i'm
possible to eXtirpate the pagan prac-
tice, gave it at least a religious aspect
by substituting the names of particu-
lar saints for those of the women.
Not few of the clergy felt it 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 to honor and initiate in a par
ticular Manner
But, as you can easily believe, this
method of observing the day did not
appeal to the young gallants, much
more given to meditating on maids
than monks.
1t would seem that the idea of choos-
ing ones own valentine is a compare
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 a
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 a way.
The Puritans, who did not take kind
ly to the Christmas festivities of the
old England they had left behind, hard
w could have accepted with much ap-
proval the frivolous observances of
Saint Valentines day. A picture has
been handed down of cavalier, a lit
tie the worse for wear, Offering a 20
etc effusion to Puritan maiden. The
maiden seems not to be affected by
the cavaliers offering, appears proof
against even his courtly manner and
speech, and inclines toward another
companion, a Presbyterian minister in
black garb. Tt would seem the scarlet
coated cavalier must look elsewhere
for his valentine, mayhap have to 90
back to the home land. where such lev
ity as May day and Valentine day were
not only tolerated but were made
much of. KATHERINE POPE.
Good Advice