The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-04-01
ALI1FOOLs' DAY.

ALI-FOOLS' DAY.
This being the first OF April, we intend
To launch out On our theme without
And An-Fools' Day to foolery being friend,
Really, the more absurd we are the
better,
The Muse upon hunt the Gowk wei
send Z.
To roam the world at large In short, we'll
let her
Tread where she lists the pastimes of the
season,
Smirk in her sleeve and crack her thumbs
at Reason.
Every laugh is said to draw q nail
out OF ones coffin. II this be true, the
genius who first instituted the April
Fools, Festival deserves to be immortal
lied, for he was surely bene'actor Of
his kind, since on no other day of the
year is laughter so prevalent. The
very air tingles with jests and jokes
and mad Folly, with her caps and bells
PLAYS her widest FRANKS nnrePrcssed'
and summons 10th the yourg and the
old, the grave ard the gay, to follow her
winged feet as she flies from one caprice
to another. In fact, the first day OF
April may well be callcl the birthday
Of Fun!
In ancient times this day was OBJ
served in Britain as general festival
throughout the land, forat that time the
sun entered the sign Aries, and the new
year commenced. The great antiquity
Of all Fools Festival, as well rs its
Asiatic origin, is proven by tie facts
of astronomy. Although the reiorma-
ton Of the year by the Julian Georgian
calendars, and the changes produced
during the long lapse Of years by the
procession OF the Eqninoxc-, have
made important alterations IN the
astronomy OF Asia, yet in both Asia
and Britain remarkable trace still
remain OF the mirth AID iollity which
reisncd at this time
The custom Of making April Fools is
said to have originated with the Per.
SLAMS, when they celebrated with fcstal
rites the beginning Of their new year,
or the period OF the Ecrna! Equinox.
The ancient Romans upon the LIST OF
April, ahstained from pleading causes,
and the Roman ladies were wont 10
perform additions under the myrtle
trees, to crown themselves with flowers,
and to offer sacrifices to Venus, the
Goddess OF Beauty and Of Love This
custom originated in a neurological
tale, which asserted that rs Venus was
once, upon this day, drying her yet
tressss upon the banks OF a river, she
was perceived by satyrs, whose curious
gaze confused her
"But seen with myrtlci she her beauties
yelled,
taild."
In Xvlander's pluiarch, there is Il
passage in Greek relating to the Feast
OF Fools" celebrated hv the Romana.
1t is to tilis effect:
"Why do they call the Quirimalia
the Feast Of Fools! Either because
they allowed this day Gas Juba te!ls us)
to those WHO could not ascertain their
proper tribes-or because they permit
ted those who had missed the iestal
Yomacala in their own tribes out of
negligence, absence or Ignorance, TO held
this festival on this day.
Thus early was recognized ihe nccvs-
sity of providing amusement Tor iun-
loving human nature. Tn" lIin.;O0s
have the their Hull Festival, which is q
grand holiday, on the SIS! O March.
They then amusc themselves by sending
persons on crranGs and expeditions
which are certain to end in disappoint-
ment, and to raise Z laugh at the expense
OF the messenger. Those OF high rank,
as well ae the lower classes, join in this
rcvclry, and the late Suraja Doulah was
said to be extremely tond Of making
fools, although he was q Mussulman Of
the highest rank.
In India, one Of their tavogite pract
cal jokes is to send letters making
appointments with persons who arc
known TO be absent from their homes.
In North Britain they send a person
from place to place on - FOOLS Grand
by means Of letter, which, somehow,
never reaches it's destination, for in it ia
written
"On the First day ofApTll hunt the gowk
another mile"
This Joke ia callel "IIunling the
Gowk," and the bearer an April
"Gowk.' Gowk signifies cuckoo, and
is here used in mctaphor:cal sense.
From tue Saxon word glac, a cuckoo, is
derived geek one easily imposed upon
Malvolio, who had been fooled 10y a
letter purporting 10 have been written
by Olivia, inquiries OF her:
"Why have You suffered me 20 be
made the most notorious geek and
gull that ever invention played AZ?
Olivia declares that the letter was
not written by her, and cyc!aims to
Malvolio:
"Alas. poor fool! how nave they blnled
ihee:"
Geek is also derived RON tht Fcm-
tonic geek jecus.
In every land beneath tie sun cap
ricious, tickle April seems to nave had
her votaries, for she always comes in
with laugh, 10 matter how many
tears she may shed afterwards. In
merry old England thus once sang the
Ettrick shepherd
"Hail, glorious dawning! hail suspicious
morn,
ApJilthc FU&! grand festival, all hail,
My soaring muse in gOose-quill pinion
born
From that wide limbo sung in Milton's |