Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-13

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Va welcome to Valentines Day. "Hail to
thy returning festival, old Bishop Valentne!
Great is thy name in the rubric thou vener-
able Archfiamen of Hymen! Immortal Co
between who and what manner of person
art thou? Art thou but name, typifying
the restless principle which impels poor
humans to seek perfection in union? vert
thou indeed a mortal prelate, with thy tip
pet and thy rochet, thy apron on, and decent
lawn sleeves? Mysterious parsonage! like
unto thee, assuredy there Is no other mitred
father in the calendar. Thou comest
attended with thousands and ten thousands
OF little Loves, and the air Is
Brushed with the hiss OF rustling wings.
Singing Cupids are thy choristers and thy pre-
centors; and instead of the crosier, the mystical
arrow is borne before thee.
st. Valentine was Christian who was put
to death at Rome, February IA, 27O. There
has long been a popular superstition"-so
sayeth a plain account-"that on that day
of the year birds begin to mate. Hence, per-
haps, arose the custom of observing it by
sending missives containing professions of
love and affection" But for the Valentine
birds, go to the old poet Donne:
Chipping Choristers
Hail. Bishop Valentine! whose day this is:
All the air is thy diocese
And all the chirping chorsters
And other birds are thy parishioners;
Thou marryest every year
The lyric lark and the grave whispering dove;
The sparrow that neglects his life for love,
The household bird with the red stomacher;
Thou n1akst the blackbrd speed as soon
AS doth the goldfinch or the halcyon--
This day more cheerfully than ever shine,
This day which might inflame thyself, old
Valentine!
Some say that of late years the festival
has degenerated. Literature records that
married people used to participate in the
festival. That was in the time when the
chief ceremony consisted in the drawing OF
lots BY this custom names were written on
pieces OF paper the men drawing the
women's names and the women the mems.
Each recipient became by this method some
body's valentine, Presents were given, as
may be seen from the entry in Pepys' Diary
for Valentines Day 1867; "This morning
came up to my wife's bedside q being up
dressing MYSELF little Will Mercer to be her
valentine, and brought her name written
upon blue paper in gold letters done by him
self, very pretty; and we were both we'll
pleased with it, But am also this year my
wife's valentine, and it will cost me hve
pounds; but that must have laid out II we
had not been valentines"
Drawing Notices
Two days later: "I find that Mrs Pierce's
little girl is my valentine, she having drawn
me; which was not sorry for, II easing me
OF something more that 1 must have given
TO others. But here 1 do first observe the
fashion of drawing notices as well as
Names so that Pierce. who drew my wife, did
draw also a motto. and this girl drew another
for me. What mine was, I forget; but my
wife's was Most courteous and most fair
which. as 1t may be used, or an anagram
upon each name. might be very pretty"
1t seems as IL the custom must have re-
suited In considerable perplexity, or at least
considerable drain upon the poeketbook. How
long 1t continued is uncertain, but Lamb
describes a valentine which was a missive
and not person.
Like Some Fairy Present
He prefaces his story OF Il with the re-
mark that "All valentines are not foolish"
"E, b. lived opposite young maiden. whom
he had often seen, unseen, from his parlor
window in c--e street. She was all Joy
BUSINESS and innocence. and just OF an age 10
enjoy receiving valentine. and Just OF a
temper TO bear the disappointment OF miss
ing one with good humoF. %. B. is an artist
OF no common powersi in the fancy parts Of
designing, perhaps inferior to none; his
fame is known at the bottom Of many a Well
executed vignette in the way OF his profes-
sion, but no further; for II. B. Is modest.
and the world meets nobody halfway. E.
B. meditated how he could repay this young
maiden for many favor she had done him
unknown for when kindly face grests US.
though but passing BY. ana never knows us
again nor We it, We should feel II As An
obligation; and 3. 3. ala
This good artist SET himself Al work 10
pisase the dsmsel. II vas tust before Vaian-
tines Day three years sinee He wrought.
unseen ai,z psete1. Wondroas WaTk