The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-04-01
AprfI-AlI Fools, Day.

ION April, In Old KalenudIS, u QrdWH,
A gallant hawker, pacing on lawn,
Holding a bell'd and hooded fowl OF prey,
Ready to loose him in the airy way,
For daily, now descends the solar beam,
And the warm earth seems in waking
dream;
rise,
And birds enchant the woods and wing the
skies;
Each sentiment being q new sense receives,
And eloquently looks, TO each, 1t lives
1t is likely that the most of our read
ers are aware Of the fact that this is the
first day OF the fourth month, April.
With the Romans April was the Sec
ond month of the year. Julius Cesar
added the 30th day TO it. In the time
of Nero it was, called Neroneus. The
cyclopndias inform us that the name is
supposed 10 be derived from aperire, to
open, because the buds open themselves
at this period. Yet other writers affirm
that it is derived from a Greek word
signifying aphriRs, or descended from
Venus, or born of the scum Of the sea,
because Romulus dedicated the month
to Venus. This may be the real derl-
walton, though the former seems the
most natural. In the Athenian ca!en'
dar the latter portion Of Elaphebolion
and the greater part Of Munychion,
correspond to April Charlemarse' IN
his new calendar, called it grass month";
the name still given to it by the Dutch
On antique monuments Aprilis is rep
resented as a dancing youth with a rat
tie in his hand.
The first Of April is called i'll English
All Fools Day, but the custom of send
ing people on empty errandS and laugh
inc at them is common in every country
Of Europe, and wherever the European
races have scattered in this country.
Two accounts are given Of lis origin.
The oriental scholars say that it is de-
rived from the hui feast among the
Hindoos,. where similar custom pre-
walls The older opinion is that 1t
comes from celebration Of Christ
beiug sent about to and fro between
IIerod. PLATE and Caiphas. In France
the fooled man is called poisson darril,
easily caught. In Scotland be is called
gowk, which means cuckoo.
But Of all classes who en- JOY The
eports nt this day, devoted to fun, the
urchins in the street are the most thor
oughlv alive to its pleasures They are,
in fact, in an ecstacy of delight From
morning until night they are never done
with their FRANKS Madam, Your
dress is torn. "Where?' "No-whcre ,
April Fool sir, something is out OF
YOUR pocket" What? Your hand,
of course! April Fool Ms. -,
you are losing your waterfall! and as
the lady grasps the back OF her head.
there is an uproar oflaughter and April
Fool r greets her on every side. Small
parcels are dropped in the street, which
the finder hastily opens, +" discovers a
quantity Of sand or some other worth
less stuff. lie walks on briskly, think
inc to conceal his modification, but
Immediately his ears are filled with a
horrible din, and all the world is told to
look at the April Fool! Trains, not at
all courtly, are affixed to ladies dresses,
or to geutlemcns coat tails, and great
glee is expressed by the little army OF
invinciblc>. as the unsuspecting object
Of il all walks proudly on. If 10y
chance the unsightly rags are discov'
cred, ;hr angry looks or words which
are apt to follow are Of no avail, for the
urchin- seem all the merrier, and they
shout and laugh Ike veritable imps Of
fun. Graver heads should remember
that they, too, once were young, and
probably enjoyed the mad-cap tollies
of All.Fool's Day. as well as any one.
Laugh and grow fat, says the adage
and it is good one to follow, especially
after the parsimonious weeks OF Lent
1T is better to be laugh than be sigh
ing" says the poet, and so say we
therefore let the grim.visaged and sour
faced ones forgot their cares and griefs
for awhile, and
| Laugh dull care away
With merry All Fools Day.
We do not know that we can better
close our brief notice Of "the day VIZ
celebrate than by copying the follow
ing lines from an English almanac o.
the year 1860:
"The first Of April, some do say.
| Is set apart for All Fools Day;
! But why the people call II so,
| Nor |, nor they themselves, do know.
| But on this day are people sent
On purpose for pure merrilnent;
! And though the day Is known before,
Yet frequently there is great store
| OF these fOrgetfuls to be found,
| Who're sent To flancO Mol DiXonS round
| And having tried each shop and stall,
And disappointed ut them all,
| At last some tell them OF the cheat
| And then they hurry from the street,
And straightway home with shame they
run,
And others laugh ut what is done.
| But it's thing to he disputed,
! Which is the greatest fool reputed,
! The man that innocently went,