Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1917-02-08

CT saucy documents. of lighter import. like the
s,lgary rhymes of our grandmothers' time nor the
MOWERS and gloves of today. Instead, they were
real human beings whom destiny paired for the
space Of a twelvemonth.
1t was the duty of the Roman youth on the day
of the feast of Lupercalia, which. according to
ancient chroniclcrs. comedies with our st. Vt.len.
tines day, to repair to the Sacred urn in search
az a sweetheart. In the urn were the names of
the maidens Of the neighborhood, written on slips
OF parchment. The Haman youth never thought
Ct shrinking from the ordeal. Any ATTEMPT on
LIS part to go around by the back streets on his way
70 business or to spend the day on the golf links
Instead Of doing his duty as a man and a citizen
sould have marked him out as n man with no
sporting blood In his veins. So. assuming an air
Of gay Indifference, he took his place in the line,
called upon the gods for succor and boldly
plunged his hand into the Sacred urn.
Then, Ike the historic Horner. he pulled out, let
IS hope. not n plum, but, in the modern language
IF admiration. a peach. If so. his face lighted de-
i~igltfully and he hurried out to buy m unusually
rich and varied assortment of sacrifices for the
altar of Venus. Cupid and the rest of the really
important diyinities. If, however. fate had gone
against him and he had drawn an undesirable
maiden from the bowl. striking his clenched fist
aercely upon his brow, he strobe in silence from
the place of doom.
But he never thought Of demanding a second
helping. No, the gods had willcd it. ard so It
was to be. He had acquired a sweetheart for a
year, and he stuck by. her until next ST. vaIen-
tines day gave him the opportunity to break the
engagement.
1t was in the year 400 that Pope Gelasius,
noting with pain the ancient method of observing
the feast Of f.npercalia, which took place on
February Il, decided that something would have
to be done about it. As the youths of the time
seemed to be strangely addicted to the practice
Of pulling the names of young women out Of the
Sacred urn. 1t was decided that it would not do
to deprive them altogether Of this playful diver
sion. Instead, they could he led by easy stages
away from the heathenish portent Of the game.
So the leaders of the reform movement hit upon
the scheme of permitting the Sacred urn to per-
form on its usual day. but the names Of saints and
martyrs We're substituted upon the papers which
the youths picked out Of this receptacle for those
Of matdens In the community. Then. reasoned the
reform lenders, the youths could consider that the
saints whose names they drew ont were their
patron saints and could pattern their lives by
those Of these worthy persons. This would be
quite as exciting as picking out the name Of ones
next seasons girl.
And to make the Transformation of this day OF
pagan rites into n Christian festival complete, II
!, was decided by the reform element that the day
, should henceforth be known as st. Valentines
!. day and that II should he set on February IA II
! honor Of the fact that In go A.. D. the good bishop
nfterwnrd st. Valentine, was bel,eaded by thu
prosecutors Of the early Christians because h
. had performed the remarkable miracle Of making
his jailer's blind daughter see.
!. The Day Of Lovers.
st. Valentines day February - indeed became
. but, alas for human frailty. although the name wa
4 changed. the spirit Of the day remained as before
Down to our own time II Is still the day Of lover
the world over. The names of the saints whicl
came out of the Sacred urn instead of those Of tn
pretty girls Of old Rome were powerlcss to tur1
!. the thoughts Of young men away from love nn
happiness toward scif.sacritcc and picty. Th
: ancient usagcs persisted, md thus originated til
!" homogeneous situation whereby an ecclesinstic q
ascetic life and pious history has given his nam
- for all time 10 a festival devoted to the impas
stoned sentiment Of lovers.
In later days, when valentines had come to b
delicate missivcs In which lovers expressed thc'
ordor In their own verses. the duke Of Orlenn
IN was one Of the mnny grent personages who though
o. the indlting Of valentine verses not too small
In goal for his poctical ambitions. " was aftt
Charles was taken prisoner at the brittle of Agii
court, In 141h. TINT hc did the greatest amount {
his, valentine ~poetizlng. He composed the mr.
In written valentine which now exists. = he wns
prisoner Of England for % yenrs, he Ind nlenty I
!" time to polish UP these dainty cpistlcs. md he le