TO-DAY IS VALENTINE'S DAY

Evening Star, Issue 23500, 14 February 1940, Page 12

TO-DAY IS VALENTINE'S DAY

THE PATRON SAINT OF YOUNG LOVERS To-dav, February 14, is Valentine Day. Grood'old Saint Valentine would, no'doubt, be greatly surprised if he could return to earth and behold the revelries held in his honour, states a Canadian writer, Jean Graham. The legends associated with his venerable character are of doubtful authenticity, but have become a blend of sentimentality and benevolence. Saint Valentine was a friend to the poor, and was tlio patron of young lovers, who expected him to soften the hearts of stubborn parents and induce them to look kindly on their children's " affairs, of the heart." As the centuries went by Saint Valentino becamo less benevolent and more frivolous, j He was'less interested in the rheumatism of the elderly and more absorbed in the uusmooth course of true love. Naturally, the vagaries of young lovers are of more interest than the afflictions of the aged. The aged saint was supposed to take an especial interest in tbe missives which young lovers wrote to each other, expressive of their devotion. If they were in distress 'and forbidden to have anything to do with each other, St. Valentine was particularly kind, and went out of his way to make Juliet and Romeo or

Rosalind and Orlando quite happy and comfortable. What became of the stubborn parents we do not know; but no one is concerned about stubborn parents. They probably fell into a canal at Venice, or wore hopelessly lost in the Forest or Arden; and they were mourned by neither relatives nor friends. Then St. Valentine came to have a less pleasant association. In the Middle Ages people iiad enemies, as well as friends, and feuds between families lasted for many generations. In our day, when we all love one another, we can hardly understand such enmity as existed between the Montagues and Capulets in Verona. Yet we know that such warfare existed in various cities in Europe, and many young lives were sacrificed in order to appease ancient enmities. Then arose what was known as the condo Valentine—and a very unpleasant thing it was. It was great fun to hire a famous artist to paint a hideous caricature of your, enemy, depicting him as an ungainly fellow, with a red nose and a monstrous head. Then the art of printing became widely known, and the comic Valentine was produced by the thousand. ’ The beauty of it was that the name of the sender could not be discovered. In course of time the comic valentine sailed across the Atlantic to the New World .of America. Hero it thrived; and one story tolls us that Christopher Columbus scattered a few lurid valentines on the laud of San Salvador Sometimes tlio comic valentine may have been merely amusing, but it was usually malicious. But times change. Communities become kindlier in sentiment, and the comic valentine was regarded as vulgar in drawing and colouring, and degrading to the sender. As it was inartistic in design and crude in colour it was just as well that it disappeared. Then came tbo exquisite stationery, edged with silver, gold, or rose, on which wore inscribed the loving sentiments of .Romeo for his Juliet. Penmanship counted for a. good deal in those days, and the lover who wielded an awkward pen was at a disadvantage. In vain ho competed with the lover who had what was called “ flowing style.” He was hopelessly behind in the race, and usually fell back with as much grace as he could command. ,