The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-02-14
A VOICE FROM THE A Z. r.
II Society Editor, please tele-
phone Isl.

l
! Embracing What America Wants
Out of the War;
France may have Alsace-Lorraine;
Italy can grab her share:
Slip the British .TurkeySpain.
Or slice OF old Ukraine,
Africa, or anywhere;
But SO far as we're concerned,
Looking back across the foam,
With our faces westward turned,
!; All we ask is-"Send US Home"
Belgium has worthy claim
! On the war chest of the Hun;
Serbia may well exclaim
we were also in the game
When you scored the winning run. /"
But concerning just our stack.
Hiking through the muddy loan,
We have one request to make
All we ask is-"Send us Home"
Maybe we have done our part;
Anyway, we gave our best;
Though trifle slow to start
i We came through with willing heart
When we bumped against the test;
Now when all rewards are due,
Peering through the wintry gioam,
This is all we ask from you--
All we ask is-"Send US Home"
Lieut.. Grantland Rice, Third Army,
A, 70. F.
Who Was ST. Valentine?
st. Valentine, patron of lovers and
first aid to Cupid, was not regula.
ton saint OF the church at all!
Ills name got tangled up with the
celebration somewhat by accident. It
happened this way:
There were two Valentines In the
history OF the church, and the birth
day of one was celebrated February
IA. But the saint himself had no con-
nections with the doing of Cupid or
with the romances Of maids or men.
In his Lives of the Saints the
Rev. Alban Butler explains that early
christian leaders tried in every way
possible to stamp out the vesuges
of pagan superstition that fingered
among their people. Their idea was
to retain the popular ceremonies,
but to modify or change the meaning
of the ceremonies to agree with
christfan faiths. An old Roman fes-
tival, called Februata Juno, was cele-
brated in honor OF the pagan gods,
Juno and Pan. Among other GUS
toms Of that feast, the names OF
young women were written on slips
and dropped in box, from which
they were later drawn by young men.
Partners for the revels were SO
chosen. In their effort to give this
pagan custom a christian signifi-
canoe, the christian pastors substi-
tuted the drawing Of the names OF
saints from a box, instead OF the
names of maidens. The festival was
always held in February, and because
ST. Valentines birthday was cele-
brated on the fourteenth day of that
name were linked together for con-
tines days, the pastors wrote the
names of many saints on slips, the
congregation members each drew
one, and, during the following year.
each was supposed to initiate the
virtues and ask the special blessing
of his holy Valentine"
But the unregenerate youth of that
and following generations would not
quite accept the new order, and, In
spite of the disapproval Of pastors,
the custom Of choosing human rather
than sanity Valentines took hold In
both France and England
T raveI Club With Mrs. T. j. McGrath |
The Travel club will meet Satur
day afternoon with Mrs. T. ]. Nc |
Grath, with Miss Solomon as leader.
In Honor of Birthday Anniversary. |
Mrs. A. S. Foglesong and Mrs. |
Charles Miller entertained forty-five |
guests last night in honor of their |
sister, Birdie Shafer, the occasion
being her thirteenth birthday ami |.
Games were enjoyed and +
served during the even
ing. Miss Shafer received many
gifts as reminders of happy birth
lay.
Valentine Party for Boys Congress
The monthly social meeting Of the
toys Congress of Missions will take
he form of a valentine party this
vening in the Westminster Presby-
erian chapel There will he games, !
valentine box and refreshments with
story before the open fire at the
lose of the evening.
NCiass Party Postponed.
The Cleaners class party OF the
Iethodist Protestant church, previous
Y announced, has been postponed I'M
Il further notice.
l.
Quietly at Work.
United Press Leased Wire Service.l
r-sry I'll YTzH.