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Show VALENTINE DAY LONGjN FAVOR Centuries Have Failed to Dim the Memory of the Good Old Saint. DISPUTE AS TO HIS IDENTITY At Least Two Bishops of Ancient Times Have Been Credited With the Honor of Being the Founder Of the Day Conseerated to Cupid. ST. VALENTINE of blessetf memory, mem-ory, whose natal day falls upon the nth of February, seems to be the saint of this particular season. Ills customs, wbioh have survived sur-vived the lapse of centuries, are associated as-sociated In our minds with the sending send-ing of various antatory epistles, aod the rather more agreeable gifts and presents, which are occasionally sent In the shape of flowers and candles by the young men and maidens, one to another. New York and New Yorkers still re'cln memories of the saint, who seems to have been like bis associate, the good St. Nicholas, a patron saint of the Netherlands, and In this connection con-nection we, perhaps on account of our Dutch ancestry, celobrate his festival with a kettledrum, says the New York Times. Far back In the mists of antiquity an-tiquity lies the origin of the custom of sending letters, or valentines, on the ealnfs day, while the original St. Valentine would appear to be gifted , with aa many lives as th proverbial , cat, or reincarnations under the same i title, for we find two bishops of the name, a Virgin maxtyr. and a Tyrolean Tyro-lean saint, all of whom have authentic records of their lives snd deaths pre- served in history, snd none of whom J would seem to be In any way connected con-nected with the valentines of today. However, It Is always possible to reconcile the two or thsee, and there Is sufficient evidence to show that St. Valentine, a bishop of Rome, who died In 278 A. D.. was born on the Hth of February, and he la so set down In the Romsn and Anglican calendars. He wss a martyr to his faith, and when cast Into prison by his enemies je cured his keeper's daughter of blindness, for whloh Miracle he was beaten with clubs and then beheaded, md his remains repose In the Church 5L Praxsdes, at Rome, while a gate ow known as the Porto Popole was 'ormerly called by the Dime of St. kVentlne, or Torto Valentino. Another Valentine, also a Itlshop, lalms a share In the day, and bla lalm to aalntshlp rests upon the cure f tie son of Craton, the Rhetorician. Us death was caused by choking on i fishbone, whether of his own choos-ng choos-ng or administered by his enemies he legead does not state, but In Italy nd Creece they pray to this saint to ure them from epilepsy. The St. Valentine of Tyrol, who eems to have been born a little later, ot nd who died In the fourth century, dl aa a church ronecrated to bis mem- In ry In South Tyrol, at Meran. where n e Is supposed to have preached 11 j hristlanlty to the heathen Lombards, ot n the legend be appears as a beaut I- at il youth attired In the dress of a Ho- a isn soldier bearing a cross on his e sord hilt, snd coming over the moun- br ilns from Italy; entering Meran. In cm hat Is aow known as Tyrol, be en- hi ranters the heathen prlett of the tb mple, aad after a loag argument by lth hlsi. he calls upon bis gods to tb sstroy the tempi. eo Tb heathen aad the priest art all ho struck dumb by his threats, and when with one blow he pushes down tho plllara of the temple, llko Samson, they rush forth in horror, expecting him to bo destroyed under the falling fall-ing walla, instead of which St. Valentino Val-entino kneels unhurt, with a seraphic look upon his face, while tho wrath of their god Is not shown by the fierce wind and tempest which they expect, and quantities of doves and birds alight upon the neighboring trees in peaceful flocks. St. Valentino Valen-tino Immediately after this miracle marries the flsot heathen couple and performs the first marriage ceremony In Tyrol according to Christian rites, which would seem to associate lilm with at least two of the modern customs cus-toms as the saint of lovers, and with the emblem of his doves and birds. The Valentine. Next to our rejection of Santa Claus the worst thing that the sophistication sophistica-tion of time does for us Is to destroy de-stroy our Interest In the other best dates In the calendar. If some of us strove to keep that Interest alive we might know life better and live longer. One of these days Is St. Valentino's, now near at hand. There was a time In Ufa of most men and women of middle age today when the approach of February 14 meant a thrill. It was a day of sentiment and humor. To the very young It was an occasion for the exhibition of Irresponsible and fret euently cruel play In the dispatch of "comic" and mostly coarse varico-i tines. Old maids and bachelors and other grownups of well known weaknesses weak-nesses and tender sensibilities suffer ed most, but even these could afford to forgive and Ignere the thoughtless effrontery of children. The other and elaborate valentines, however, if sent anonymously, bore a mysterious, even celestial message. There are many thousands of women still llivng today to-day who have some of these lacy col 1 orful creations preserved in lavender. And why not? There Is all too little : of the tender and Innocent expression Df-a distant and respectful regard for 1 women to be noted among men Just 1 now, and altogether too much of a I bolder and degrading admiration. Philadelphia Press. THE VALENTINE BIRD Af1 : vl If i tl Old English Vslentine Custom. In the west of LY gland there was r ae ancient custom that was extraor- . Inarily singular. Early In the morn- g' g of St. Valentine s day young men, . icessarlly of the character that "dee-Ihta" "dee-Ihta" In tb strenuous life, started it together with a clap-net to Cartcb i and two sparrows In some 'Igbboring bam. If they were sue- '( ssfnl In catching the birds and y -ought them to the village Inn with- it Injury and before Ike women folk I id risen, they were rewarded with re pots of pari whatever that Is) g, the Inkeeper. They also enJoyd y privilege of demanding similar nslderatlon at the hands of every insebolder la the neighborhood. "J |