The Kenna record. (Kenna, Roosevelt County, N.M.) 190?-1924, 1913-02-14
CUPID'S ESPECIAL DAY.
IS THAT OF GOOD ST.
VALENTINE.

other authority known to man.
| ~ has decreed that on ST. Valen-
| tines day those of opposite sex
shall exchange missives and epistles.
either comic or sentimental, In which
the foibles of the receiver or the love
or the sender are set forth In prose,
In verse and in emblematic picture.
Now there is no custom without a
reason, but the reason for this can
not be found in the life of the good
saint who Is made to indorse this Gus
| tom with his name.
He wrote no love songl
mo one rises to accuse him of cast
ing sleeps eyes on any Roman
maiden. He was bishop or pope Of
Rome who stood steadfast to the
faith during the 'Claudian persecu-
tons, and for that faith was cast into
jail, where he cured his keepers
daughter of blindness. Honi soft qul
NAL pense! 1t is the pleasure of
Cupid. blind himself, to bring upon
his votaries a similar blindness, not to
cure It.
Nor was there anything comic or
sentimental in the fate of st. Valen-
tine when the miracle was made
known to the authorities. They first
beat him with clubs and then be-
headed him. What was left of him 10
preserved in the Church OF St
Praxedes at Rome. where gate. now
known as the Porta del PopoIo. was
formerly named in his honor Porta
Valentino, or Saint Valentines gate"
says William s. Walsh in his "Curiosi-
ties of Popular Customs"
Bailey's English Dictionary (1721).
under the subject of Valentines, says:
About this time OF the year-Febru-
ary-the birds choose their mates, and
probably thence came the custom of
the young men and maidens choosing
valentines for special loving friends
on that day"
Francis Douce (ls07). discussing
the same subject, says: ut was Gus
tomary to put the names of young
women into a box. from which they
were drawn by the men as chance d.
rected and the Christian clergy, find-
ing 1t dificult or impossible to ex-
tirpate. the pagan practice, gave It at
least a religious aspect by substitute
Ing the names Of particular saints for
those Of the women"
But see how strong is the old
Adam in the hearts of the unregen-
crate" comments Mr.. Walsh. Wan
ton youth was not satisfied to imi-
tate these holy fathers and ballot for
a ghostly partner in heaven It
longed for tangible flesh and blood
here on earth-flesh and blood OF that
delightful variety which has q spice
Of the devil in It and is known as
woman.
I'm the latter part OF the sixteenth
century" according to Rev. Albain
Butler) "the church, in the person of
St. Francis de Sales. once more
stepped in to sanctify the rites of St
Valentines day. st. Francis severely
forbade the custom of valentines or
giving boys In writing the name OF
girls to be admired and attended on
by them. and to abolish 1t he changed
It into giving billets with the names
OF certain saints for them to honor
and initiate In a particular manner"
But In the end the boys and the
girls triumphed over the saint. Nay,
the girls triumphed also over the
boys. Wrestling from them their ex-
elusive privilege Of choosing mates,
othelia sings;
Good morrow. tits St. valentine's day,
All in the morn betime,
And maid at your window
To be your Valentine.
Last year an irate old maid who
had been the recipient OF comic
valentine which had stung her to the
quick repaired to the factory, where
1t was made. with a rawhide and a
limb OF the law. She demanded the
name of the person who had sent her
the Objectionable missive In vain
she was assured that the factory was
the last place in the world to learn
the name Of the sender. When told
that the factory sold comics by the
hundred gross to jobbers who. In turn,
sold to wholesalers. and then supplied
the retailer dealer who vended to In
divldual customers. she swore round
ly.
Many clever young people In society
with artistic and literary ability write,
paint and otherwise decorate the val.
entines they send to favored ones. In
some instances a part OF the decora-
ton consists of jewels. diamonds,
pearls or other gems. and the In
trinsic value Of the bauble Is thus en-
HANGED.