The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-02-21
FEBRUARY FOR LOVE
Customs That We Have Borrowed
from Heather Rome.
None of the Numerous Saints Named
Valentine, Says Senator Stew
art, Had Anything to Do
with Lovers.
Especial Washington letter.


NNOW is the time for the young
2N people to enjoy themselves, and
A for the more mature to make
fools of themselves. Children will
send valentines, and mask themselves
behind the missives, SO that the re-
ceivers can only guess who sent them.
This is all fun, and wholesome amuse-
ment.
The folks who are little older will
crafty their mean feelings and bitter
hatreds by sending valentines which
will wound and cause tears of sad
ness or of rage. They who send such
valentines are worse than mean, they
are cowardly. They are no more
brave than the boys who stand be-
at passing children; no more brave
than the sandbagger or thug.
The windows of our stationery
stores are filled with prints of all sorts;
just as they are in your vicinity. The
mails are filled with missives of this
valentiney character; even the po-
tent, grave and reverend seigniors,
commonly called statesmen, are re-
ceiving their share.
Senator Stewart, of Nevada, talks
very learnedly about this singular Gus
tom, saying: Just as there were eight
kings named Henry, and seven named
Edward, so there have been numerous
individuals in history named Valen-
tine, or Nalentinus. My recollection
is that there were SO saints named
Nalentinus; but there are not less
than three particularized in history.
The first was presbyter and martyr,
and, according to the Roman tradi-
tions, he lived during the third CEN
fury of this era. The emperor Clau-
dius Gothicus caused him to be chained
and tortured until reconverted to
idolatry. One of the daughters of his
Jailor was blind, and Saint Nalentinus
caused her sight to be miraculously
restored, whereupon the whole family
was converted to Christianity. An
other jailor, however, continued the
torture until finally the saint was be-
headed, on February Ia, A. d., 24O.
Special services are held in memory of
him in Catholic churches until this
day.
valentine the Second" continued
the senator, was also a martyr, and
was a bishop in the church. Some
time in the fourth century Valentine
restored to physical perfection the de-
formed son of GreeNscholastic, and
that miracle caused the coming of
many thousands into the Christian
fold When the church canonized him
the 18th day of February was set aside,
as in the former case.
''The third Valentine was an apostle
and late in life was bishop of Passau.
He was not a martyr, but was canon
lied because of the vastness of his
work as an apostle and the marvellous
successes which attended his efforts
in bringing the heather visited by him
into the church communion. Thus it
happened that not less than three
saints named Valentine have the 14th
day of February set aside for special
services in commemoration of their
memory"
Senator Stewart has been a men,
Der of the senate since 1868, whsn
Nevada was admitted to the union.
10 those who have had the delight
of his acquaintance for number. of
years he is one of the most genial and
interesting of gentlemen, but to the
younger generation of news-ga therers
he is scarcely known, except by sight.
He does not care to make new friends,