The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1907-02-14
ST. VALENTINES DAY.

Whatever be the origin of the custom
which has set apart the 18th OF February
as especially sacred to tender missives, all
true lovers will unite in regarding the good
saint who has lent his name to the day as
one who deserves peculiar reverence and
honor.
Bishop Valentine, as is we'll known, was
religious martyr who was beheaded IN
the third century, and the greater part of
whose remains were long preserved in the
Church Of ST. Praxedes at Rome. Anti
quarians have failed to trace any connec-
ton between him and the sentimental rites
which belong to the day, and have been
forced to deny the apostolic succession
between the early Christian Bishop and the
somewhat worldly and lively Cupids that
generally adorn the epistles to fair maidens
which are sent out under his seal every
year. For want of a better explanation
they go back to the Roman feasts OF the
Lupercalia, which were celebrated in
February, when, as Mr.. Deuce, in his
illustrations of Shakespeare tells us,
"amidst a variety of ceremonies, the
names of young women were put in box,
from which they were drawn by the men
as chance directed The pastors Of the
early church, who endeavored by every
possible means to eradicate the vestiges of
pagan superstitions, substitted the names
of particular saints instead of those of the
women, and as the festival of the Luper-
Gala had commenced about the middle Of
February, they appear to have chosen st.
Valentines Day for celebrating the new
feast because it occurred nearly at the
same time
1t was impossible, however, even for the
church, with all it's authority, to confine
the devout on this festival to the worship
only of departed saints. The saint of every
young mans idolatry was his best girl,
and the old custom speedily reasserted
itself under new auspices, and has contin-
ued to flourish with more or less vigor ever
since. Cynical writer's, evidently old
bachelors who could get no one to be their
valentines, have asserted that the connec-
ton between the day and the Bishop is
sufficiently obvious in the fact that the
Bishop lost his head, and that every man
sourer and more malicious, have limited
that the Roman method of drawing the
name OF a matrimonial partner from box
illustrated the lottery of married life, but
ybn. fo,. hot
say? St. Valentine laughs at these railers
at happiness and goes on bestowing his
benediction on loving couples without re-
gard to the wretched critics who would
but partial sway, but he is one whom all
Christians honor without regard to differ
ences of creed and at whose shrine rich and
poor meet in blessed equality. AS Lamb
says in his essay on this subject, there is
ssno other mitred father in the calendar that
compares with = him. He ''comes attended
with thousands and ten thousands of little
loves. and the air is brushed with the kiss
of rustling wings Singing Cupids are his
choristers and percentors, and instead of
the crozier, the mystical arrow is borne
before him. Good morrow to my Valen-
tine, sings poor Opheia, and no better
wish, but with better auspices, we wish to
all faithful lovers who are not too wise to
despise old legends, but are content to rank
themselves humble diocesans of old Bishop
Valentine and his true church,
Ha ic iy 70
but the supreme pontiff of hearts, ruling
from his sovereign throne the universal
race of men. Every period of the year
has its appropriate festival; this comes
just before Lent, not because it is Justly
followed by season of repentance, sack
cloth and ashes, but because men need
some special divinity to guard and guide
and help them to higher lives. Of all our
saints the world could least afford to lose
st. Valentine, the priest and prophet Of
that true love which never grows old.
Midway between May and December, he
blesses in the retrospect and fulfillment as
fully as in the promise, and is the CONSIDER
OF the winter of life no less than the har-
binger Of its spring. As long as this busy
earth revolves and men and women are the
inhabiters thereof he will continue to be.
under one name or another, the most potent
ruler it has ever known, king of kings and
queens as completely as of peasants, the
absolute potentate of the freest of republics
as well as of the most despotic of mon
arches.
T.,,.,