ST. VALENTINE'S DAY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18943, 14 February 1925, Page 1 (Supplement)

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY.

CUPID'S FESTAL OCCASION.

BY MATA'XGA.

February 14, St. Valentine's Da v. Win' cares? Among English-speaking folk, not many. Yet there was a i.une—alaeK. how far awav, though only in the sunlit yesterday of youth to many lives now touched ■with grey!—when the day brought thrills of expectation and delight. The custom of sending sweet missives on love's errand on this day has sufteml sudden feebleness, and is marked lot' death. The infection of less romantic hibits is maybe to bo charged with this steep decline. Perhaps the improved facilities of post and telegraph, multiplyin" avenues of intercourse where once, it, needed a special occasion to 311st) Jy a message. Perhaps tho increase of freedom to woo and win, at least to strike up new friendships, in a world grown small and careless about garden walls. 'Jo the arising of democracy itself this charge may thus be attributed. At all events, the" restrictions of Victorian days, hampering the -avowals and enjoyments 01 lovers after the fashion of Htnemoa's trouble over Tutanekai, have gone into speedy disrepute. Once Edwin and Angelina, even when not bearing surnames like Montague and apulet, had barriers of convention to nass, and Cupid needed St. Valentine s aid ic carry him over. Hut Claude and Claribel are, now in 110 such case, to say nothing of 'Any and 'Arrict. The glad eye, the cabaret smile, the lending-library jostle, the queue apology, the picnic camaraderie and what not give openings undreamed in the manners of the crinoline years, and • so "good-bye" to the devices to which St. Valentine was patron saint of yore. Animate 'Valentines. Yes. yes, even then love sometimes laughed at fashion's locksmith and made mock of keepers of the keys. Does not Ophelia sing:— Good morrow, 'tis St. Valentine's Day, All in the morn botime. And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine. Forward hussy? Not necessarily. ')nly brave and resourceful, using with a difference that practice of a far-off festival which once a year gave lovers special license. Her notion is a variant of the way the day was used for a while 111 England. Then, to quote, an old book of travel, "an equal number of Maids and Bachelors get together, each writes their true or some feigned name upon separate billets, which they roll up and draw by way of lots, the Maids taking the Men's billets"—reads like a Labour trouble—"and the Men the Maids;" so that each of the young Men lights upon a Girl that lie calls his Valentine, and each of the Girls upon a young Man which she_ culls hers. By this means each has two Valentines" —not necessarily, as anybody mathematically inclined or romantically clairvoyant may protest —"but the man sticks faster to the Valentine that is fallen to him than to tho Valentino to whom he is fallen. Fortune having thus divided the company into so many couples, the Valentines give t>alls and treats to their mistresses, wear their billets several days upon their bosoms or sleeves, and-this little sport often ends in Love. This ceremony is practised differently in different Countries, and according t<> thefreedom or severity of Madame Valentine"—presumably a distant and disowned relative of Mrs. Grundy. Leaving Little to Chance. To continue this observant traveller s notes, for the sake of Ophelia's credit, " there is another kind of Valentine, which is tho first young Man or Woman chance throws in your way in the street, or elsewhere." So why should not Ophelia lend chance, often blunderingly blin?l, a little help? In Scotland, by the way, the Fair Maid of Perth profited by this last, selfsame custom, as readers of Sir Walter know. But the valentines of our yesteryear were on the more deliberate model of that much, earlier time of which John Lvdgate sings when praising Henry the Fifth's Catherine: Seynte Valentine of custonie yeere by yeere . ~ . Men have an usuancc. in this regioun, To loko and serche Cunidea kalendere. And chose tbeyre choyse oy giete affeccioun, „ ~ Such as ben move with Lupiaea mocioun, , ~ Takyng theyre choyse 33 theyre sort doth falle „ , „ But I love oon wbiche excelleth aiie. "Cupides Kalendere" is written on the impressionable tallies of the_ heart; and, reading there, a swain or maiden has been wont to leave little to chance, and, when opportunity of easy meeting failed to aid, to send some sagely and sweetly worded confession to "theyre choyse." So Ophelia chooses when she goes valentining. . _ , Dear old Pepvs —a sly dog and an artful, if ever there was one—reveals the valentine of modern type, a pretty bauble in device and ■colour, coming to be the card-, board ambassador of love. "This morning came up to my wife's bedroom little Will Mercer to be her Valentine, and brought her name writ upon blue paper, in gold letters, done by himself very pretty; and we were both well pleased with it." Under the same date—that was the February 14 of 1667—-is the diarist's comment on the use that courtesy was beginning to make of the artist. "1 do first observe tho drawing of mottoes as well as of names; so that Pierce, who drew my wife's, did draw also a motto. Her motto was 'mostcourteous and most fair,' which, as it may be used for an anagram upon each name, might be very pretty." Challenging Your Valentine. The opening line of Ophelia's song suggets another reference to Pepvs' private confessional. " Good morrow, 'tis St. Valentine's day" was a customary "challenging" phrase. Once upon a time, whoever said it first on meeting a person of the opposite sex was entitled to a present,. The old order was -afterwards gallantly changed by the gentlemen's growing insistence that, they alone should have the privilege of making the present, but only if they were first challenged, by the ladies. So Pepvs felt, according to his record, a quaint anxiety when, early 011 St. Valentine's day, lie called at Sir William Batten's. He says, "I would not go in till I asked what her they that opened the door was a man or a- woman, and Mingo, who was there, answered a woman, which with his tones made me laugh; so up I went- and took Mrs. Martha for my Valentino (which I do only for complacency); and Sir W. Batten, he go in the same manner to my wife, and so we were very merry." Thus was " choyse" given play. Indeed, it was seldom absent. Mrs. Pepvs was not above it. There was a St. Valentine's day, according to her busband's gossip, when one Will Bowvcr came to be her valentine, "she having (at which 1 made good sport to myself) held her hands all the morning, that she might not see, the painters that were at work gilding my chimney-piece and pictures in my dining-room." There was no commercial virtue in challenging a painter, but from the expected gentleman guest something worth while, might be wrung. That was a gay age. when Charles the Second put to flight the, shadows of the Protectorate; if these things seem frivolous, there should be recollection that gaiety over simple things is rather a good testimonial of character. From one frivolity of ffl. Valentine's day, however, the past was mercifully free. It remained for comparatively recent years to contrive- the so-called comic valentine. Reallv, it was not a valentine at, all, for it, frequently burlesqued tho sacred passion that has been St. Valentine's care. Probably it had a share in bringing about the downfall of what was a very pretty fashion and one by no means socially useless. It has taken its vulgarity awav, but with that has gone also the sprightliness that once made the day Cupid's annual carnival.