The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-13
TOMORROW THE
DAY FOR LOVERS
BUT IT WASN'T ANY OF ST. VAL
ENTINE'S DOING.

BUT IT WASN'T ANY OF ST. VAIL.
ENTINE'S DOING.
He Was, Indeed, the Special Patron Of
Epileptics, but the Amorous Don't
Mind That-How the Custom of
Sending Anonymous Billet-Doux Orig
inated-A 1854 Observance.
Strange as it may seem-and doubt
less it seemeth passing strange to the
good old saint himself whenever Feb.
II rolls round-all these tender feelings
OF lovers signs and breaking hearts,
IN haloes of paper lace and roses and
rococo work and scrolls, have nothing
at all to do with St. Valentine, who.
was. alack, the special patron Of cpl
leptics
How panied and indignant would all
true lovers be to- whom these vague
hints, phrased in lyric tenderness and
served up with all the dainty splendor
OF the valentine, mean so much, if they
should learn that the saint whose day
they celebrate never felt the delicious
pangs of love, and who, indeed, was
so unfortunate as to be beaten with
clubs and beheaded. That's what hap
Moreover, there is historic evidence
that, while ST.. Valentine himself never
uttered protest (probably because he
dld not have a prophetic eye), those
who followed close upon him in those
Gays OF monks and mOnasteries strove
Val1antly to save his honored name from
the lgnominy of association with the
loveslck. But the protestants were SOL
emn ola friars, who, secluded from the
world and absorbed in. their prayers
and mellow wine, failed signally, and
lovers seized upon the day and saint
and claimed it for their own.
Custom Wouldn't Down.
80 1rreleyantly, do young. men and
nous declaration Of love and devotion.
me beginning is enveloped in a haze
as 1mpenetrable as the identity of the
sender OF each tender missive. In an
Gent Rome the month Of February was
SET apart as feeasting time to Pan and
Juno, and amid a variety of ceremo-
MES was the one of young men and wom-
en- drawing each others names from a.
| box. Pastors Of the early Christian
church, endeavoring to eradicate every
| vestilge of pagan superstition, substi-
! tuted the names of saints for those Of
young people, but the custom was so
well established that it was impossible
| to 90 away with it entirely, and grad
uaaly II came to have its present sig
nificance.
At an early date it found it's way to
England. The date was confused with
others, and finally it became identified
with what was known as "bird day''-
the day birds mate. The day of devo-
tlon to the memory Of st. Valentine
was near, and gradually they were
mergeu, anu the messages sent on that
The practice grew and fourished, not,
however, without some protests against
the saints degradation by popular asso-
citation, for Of St. Valentine Ben John
son says:
Lift up his example to do deed of charity,
10 feed the hungry, clothe the naked,
visit
The weak and sick, to entertain the poor,
And give the dead Christian funeral:
These were the works of piety he did
| practice,
And babe us initiate: not to look for lovers
Or handsome images to please our senses.
! The saint of lovers he was destined
to be, nevertheless, and to the custom
OF drawing names were added other
rites and charms. Young people fell
into the habit of sending presents and
verses to their chosen ones, and the
joys and privileges were shared by all
classes Of lovers. Men sent them to
their men, friends, expressing thankful.
ness for favors and good works. Per-
haps the first valentine sent, of which
there is record, was that received by
one Friar Thomas. Its verse is in the
quaint old English, as follows:
Thou it be ale other wyn,
Gody's blescyng have he and myn,
My none gently Volontyn
Good Thomas as the frere. "
In the nPrivy Purse Expenses of the
Princess Mary''-afterward called by
the dreadful name, "Bloody Mary''-
is found this entry in February, 1887.
Item, given to George Montejoy, draw
ing my lady's grace to his Valentine"
Amorous SWANS were wont to express
themselves thus:
Look now, my dear, the feathered kind,
! BY mutual caresses joined
| Bill and seem to teach us two
| What We to love and custom owe,
| Shall only you and forbear
| To meet and make happy pair,
| Shall we alone delay to live?
This day and age Of bliss may give.
How They Did It in 1854.
| Today the devices practiced bv young
women to learn their fate are many. but
in modernity there is nothing so Quaint
as the custom described in a diary of
1854:
Last Friday was Valentines day and
! the night before got five bay leaves and
| pinned four Of them to four corners OF
the pillow and the fifth to the middle
! and then if drempt Of my sweetheart
Betty said we should be married before
! the year was out. But to make more sure
I boiled an egg hard and took out the
yolk and filled it with salt and when
went back to bed I ate it shell and all
without speaking or drinking after it.
! We also wrote our lovers names upor
bits of paper and rolled them up in clay
and put In water, and the first that rose
up was to be our valentine. Would VOL
think it? Mr.. Blossom was my man,
lay abed and shut my eyes all the morn
ing till he came to our house, for I would
not have seen another man before him
for the world. Then I prayed cross.
legged to make for sure it would come
true, and that night looked at the moor
three minutes without looking away, say.
ing Blossom and never stopping, for Bios.
som is my valentine.
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