Show ORIGIN OF ST. ST VALENTINES VALENTINE'S DAY Florence Wilson in Ladies' Ladies Home Journal Among the many names of saints faints who have been canonized by the church in past ages two stand out prominently as having received the wider canonization of the heart heart St. St St. Nicholas the patron of childhood and St. St Valentine the patron of lovers Yet in the case of the latter it is difficult if not impossible to trace any connection connection connection con con- between the good bishop of the third century and the rites that have been so widely celebrated in his name St. St Valentine was an Italian priest who suf- suf martyrdom at Rome in or at Terni in Historians differ as to the date Legend amplifies by dwelling on the virtues of his life and the manner of his death and tells how he was brought before the emperor Claudius II who asked why he did not cultivate his friendship friendship friend friend- ship hip by honoring the gods As Valentine pleaded the cause of the one true God earnestly earnest earnest- ly ly the priest cried out that he was seducing the emperor whereupon he was sent to to be judged To him Valentine spoke of Christ the light of the world and said If He be the light of the world he will restore light to my daughter who has been blind for two years The maiden was brought and after Va Valentine entine prayed and laid hands on her she received her sight Then asked that he and his household might be baptised whereat the emperor being enraged caused all to be imprisoned and Valentine Valentine Valentine Val Val- entine to be beaten with clubs He He was beheaded beheaded beheaded be be- headed a year later at Rome on February 14 1870 History having little to tell concerning the theIlan theman theman man Ilan makes amends by dwelling at length on one the e ceremonies observed on his day They trace p e the origin of these to the Ro Roman an Luper- Luper calia alia celebrated d in n F February br ary at t which A h. h 1 one n nr r practice was to put th the that names of women in a box to be drawn by the men each being bound bound- to serve and honor the woman whom he had drawn The church tried to turn the existing customs to religious ends by substituting the I names of saints to whom a years year's devotion would be paid Possibly the change may have been instituted on the day made sacred by the martyrdom of the Roman saint hence his connection connection con con- with A ith these observances But changes come and dead saints were neglected for living sinners perhaps and the old Roman custom was somehow transplanted to Merrie England where lads and lassies met on the day diy of the Italian priests priest's martyrdom to choose their valentine valentine valentine val val- entine by lot or otherwise An old custom was to throw open the window early in the morning and the first person seen would be your valentine for the year The eager swain would insure the right man being in the right place on that morning But it is historically and physiologically true that the man clung more to the maid he had chosen than to her who ho had chosen him if the persons were not identical To ro meet this difficulty difficulty culty a gift canceled the obligation of personal service A modern legend tells that in this nineteenth century the good St. St Valentine with St. St Peters Peter's Peters Peter's Peters Peter's Pe Pe- ter's leave leav revisited the earth thinking to find youth and life and love the same as in days of yore But he found the girls too busy with it music and science and to re receive receive receive re- re him and he came to the conclusion that they were nothing if not pedantic and anything anything anything any thing but romantic Yet the spirit of St. St Valentine Valentine Valentine Val Val- Val Val- entine will linger for love is never out of date and his fidelity marks him as the fitting patron and pattern of lovers for all time |