The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-12
ST. valentine HYS DAY.
When the Little God of Love Reigns
Supreme.

supreme.
In these later times, when we have
got into a way of thinking the world
a prosaic and matter-of-fact sort of
place, st. Valentines Day comes as an
annual and rejuvenating surprise. Pro-
sale? Matter of-fact? Not if the little
god of love knows his business. The
very stationers' shops, Haunting their
love tokens in the face of the passerby,
are a delightful refutation of the Gym
icism. So are the blushing cheeks bend
ing over the counter, the boyish brows
puckered in difficult decision, the ilut-
tering heart one divines while the
choice is being made, the telltale
square, white envelope, held boldly in
one hand or showing a betraying cor
ner over the edge of a coat pocket as
the happy purchaser passes out. Truly,
one must be young, or very much in
love- to get the full glory out of VAL
entine's Day, and without one or both
of these blissful conditions what is life
worth? Prosaic and dull, indeed!
st. Valentines Day is a rechristened
and survival of an old Roman holiday
the Lupercalia-feasts of love and
purifica ton. Among other ceremonies
the boys used to draw the names of
girls in honor of their goddess, Febru-
alto Juno. This drawing always took
place on the eve of Feb. To- for in the
warm Italian climate this day could
readily be imagined as the mating-time
of birds.
Giving present is a revival of an old
English custom by which the famous
Miss Stuart of the court of Charles II.
|profited VIGOROUSLY When the Duke
of York was her valentine he gave her
a jewel Of about $500 value. and in
1867 Lord Vaudeville, being that lady's
Valentine presented her with ring
worth e3O0. Pepys in his diary makes
note of various Valentine Day observ-
ances. He gave his cousin, Miss Tur-
ner, who told him she had drawn him
for her valentine. a pair of fashionable
green silk stockings, and carriers and
shoestrings and two pairs of jessamy
gloves-all coming to % shillings. In
1867 he writes that taking his wife for
an honorary valentine will cost him
95, but he consoles himself by the
fact that he must have laid out as
much if they had not been valentines.
There seem to have been two ways
of selecting valentines. One was MAX
ling a valentine out of the first appro-
pirate person of the opposite sex en-
countered on the morning of Feb. II,
with which object in view gentlemen
sometimes made very early morning
calls. The other way was by draw
ing. Lists of names of the whole
sparty were prepared at social gath
erings and put into a hat or some
other receptacle and drawn out by
the guests. If the same combination
occurred in the drawing of the oppo-
site sexes the coincidence was consid-
cred to foretell an approaching we'd
ding.
In comparison with these old GUS
toms, the valentine of to-day, the per-
ishable lace-paper creation which
gray-haired folks are wont to say is
foolish and out of fashion, would seem,
instead, to be a modern device, and
young loves own invention for tell
ing sweet secrets. And what an OPP
portunity it gives to tongue-tied lads,
timid girls, acknowledged sweethearts,
alike! No wonder, though we grow
too old for it, it is still in favor, this
bit of paper with an edge of make-be-
lieve lace, gaudy nosegay, angel
faces, a bleeding heart, the tender
verse within that is the very core of
tn missive, and, over all, Cupid fam
boyant, with his bow and culver and
that charming indifference to dress
LOT WHICH ne mas always Deen con-
spicuous.
st. Valentines Day has frequently
been celebrated in verse, but never
better than by Dome in his epithala-
MUM in honor of the English Prin-
cess, Elizabeth, and the Count Pala-
tine, who were married on this happy
festival.
Hail, Bishop Valentine, whose day this
is.
All the air is thy diocese.
And all the chirping choristers
i And other birds are thy parishioners.
4 Thou marriest every year
The lyric lark and the grave whisper
ing dove:
The sparrow that neglects his life for
love,
1 The household bird, with the red stom-
acher
Thou mak'st the blackbird speed as
soon
AS doth the goldfnch or the halcyon;
a The husband cock looks out and
straight is sped.
And mates his wife, which brings her
feather bed.
This day more cheerfully than ever
shine,
This day which might in fame myself,
old Valentine.
A VALENTINE PARTY.
Among the affairs being planned &c