Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-03-11

LEAP YEAR.-The following is said to be
the real origin of leap year: St. Patrick
having ''driven all the frogs out of the
hogs'' of Ireland, was walking along the
shores of Lough Neagh, when he was ac-
costed by ST. Bridget, in tears, and was
told that a mutiny had broken out in the
nunnery over which she presided-the
ladies claiming the right of popping the
question" ST. Patrick said he would
concede them the right every seventh
year, when St Bridget threw her arms
around his neck, and exclaimed, "Arrah,
Patrick, jewel, darn't go back to the
girls wild such proposal. Make it one
year in four ST. Patrick replied, "Brid-
get, acushla, squeeze me that way agin,
and I'll give We leap year, the Largest of
the lot" St. Bridget, upon this, popped
the question to St. Patrick himself, who
of course, could not marry, so he patched
up the difficulty as best he could-with
a kiss and a silk gown.
1t is related that twelve young men of
Selma ''swore off, drinking on New
Years day, 1871, and agreed to deposit
with one of their number on the first day
of each month SO each, the total to be
divided among the members of the asso-
citation who on the lst of January, 1872,
should prove to have been faithful to
their pledge. One by one the members
backslid and yielded to the liquid tempta-
ton, until only single individual was
left, who at noon on New Years day was
to receive $l400. This Abdiel, faithful
found among the faithless, proceeded to
the rendezvous at the appointed hour
He waited until ten minutes after noon,
and then thought he would run into the
saloon next door and get a nip. He
had just swallowed it when ten of the
other members entered to take their noon
day Angostura, and he found to his hor-
ror that his watch was twenty minutes
fast, and the money was lost The elev-
en-, therefore proceeded to the residence
of the treasurer and found that he had
lost all the money playing draw-poker
with one of the church trustees.
DECEIyING CHILDREN.-Is it any Won
der to an observant mind that so many
children grow up to be deceitful, when
the example is set them daily in the de-
ceptlons praeticed on them by parents
A doctor, who had been called to visit a
sick boy some few years old, was told by
the mother, as he entered the house. that
she could not get her boy to take any
medicine unless she deceived him: tc
which the doctor replied that she should
reason with him. Going to the boy. he
told him he was very i'll, and must take
seme medicine, which would taste badl,
and make him feel badly for litti,
while, and then it would make him fee
better. He then prepared the medicine
and the boy took it like man, withou
any resistance and he would take from
his mother anything that the physician
had prescribed, but would take nothin,
else from her. She had so often deceived
him and told him it was good, when sh,
gave him medicines, that he would no
trust to anything she said. Honest,
with children, as well as with all others
and in all circumstances, is the best pol
icy. A mothers feelings under such cir
cumstances must be anything but envi
able, and this incident should teach then
to avoid telling falsehoods to their chill
dren.