Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-02-04
REMARKABLE DAYS IN FEBRUARY.

hEMdhhaOAE DAAS AN ICDASoAAs-
Short as the mouth of February is, it man
ages to draw within its compass days which ar
remarkable enough to minds OF many sorts
The sportsman, the religious man, the thought
less, the historian, the sclentinc man. Will al
and every one OF them nhd 10 IL oays VI a'eIs
marked character.
There is the first of the mouth, which closes
nartridpe and pheasant shooting, and opens
samon-fshing. There is the second, Chandle'
mas Day, which stands for the anniversary OF
the day when our Saviour was presented 10 the
Temple, and when the aged Simeon sang al
the sight of his Saviour, that cheerful evening
HYMN of lite's day, Lord, oow lettest Thou Thy
servant depart in peace, which the Church
has adopted into her evening service daily
throughout the year. There is Ash Wednes-
d,v (which almost always falls in February.
And there is ST. Matthias Day.
There is ST. Valentines Day, for those who
would make Joke of what is about the most
serious business in life-Love and Marriage. =.
There is the twenty sixth, on which was pro-
claimed before the Hotel de Vile in Paris the
shnrl-lyed Republic Of l84S, which dying like
moth as soon as it has laid it's eggs, left a
GOOD many germs to be hatched in process OF
time.
comes the twenty-Dinth, once every four years,
n redress the balance, as nearly as 1t can, be-
tween Gods ordinance and mans decimal sys-
,en,. and to suggest that man is not the meas
ur, of all things, but that there are incommen-
snrables beyond his calculus. although he
can yet as nearly as he needs tor this worlds
requirements.
WeI, we need not stop long over the first day
of the month; We have but TO congratulate the
pheasants and patridges on having got holl-
day, and the country 90 having got sensible
law on salmon6shing, which, in combination
with science may, IN process or time, aoo
largely to the food productions
Candemas Day carries 10 Its name Gu
rious reminisceuce OF the dark holes and COR
uers in which the prosecuted Chr lstians OF
the first ages we're driven to worship God.
For safetys sake they held their services BE-
fore DAYLIGHT, and 10 underground cellars; and
the woman who came to be "churched," as
We call it, would, for instance, bring her candle
with her. When persecution ceased the light
ed caudles were still retained, though no long
er necessary, and in some churches they are
used TO the present day; the Pope OF Rome,
for example on grand occasions, has an atten-
dant BY bis side with lighted candle, as If tor
the purpose of enabling him to read his book,
though it is broad daylight; and SO Candlemas
Day was in the Church Of England, before the
Reformation, celebrated by the bearing OF
candles 10 memory of what We may call the
''churchiDg, "lof the Virgin Mary.
Among the days which we have named, the
one that comes next 10 order Of time is ST.
Valentine Dsy-a great trial to the postmen,
who on that occasion have to deliver an enor-
nous number Of Valentines, nost of them
very stupid, and many much worse. Why the
good old bishop, St. Valentine, who suffered
uartyrdom l,6UO years ago, should have TO
stand godfather to all the Valentines which fly
over the country on bis day, is not very clear;
but it is said by some that it is because he was
a man Of a very afectonate disposition, and
that therefore this day was chosen'for the send
ing OF valentines, which should be letters or
gifts of kindly and affectionate character. So
much, however, is said and sung every year n
reference to St. Valentine, that we will leave
him, aud pass on to day of very different
stamp.
Ash Wednesday. which, this year, falls on
the 18th of February. The day on which it
falls varies from year to year, according to the
full moons, and is regulated by principle
which will be more easily explained 10 connec-
tou with Easter Day, upon which 1t depends.
But it may be mentioned here that the earliest
ruary, while the latest is the tenth OF March;
50 that we may say that more than seventy
times out of the hundred it falls in the month
ofFebruary, which may therefore fairly claim
it as one of It's days.
As to the meaning of the name, it comes
FROM the old custom of sprinkling ashes on peo-
pies heads upon that day. as sign OF mourn
ing, and TO remind them that they are but
dust and ashes.
st. Matthias Day is the next day which
claims atteotiou after Ash "Wednesday in
the calendar. We koow but little Of St.
Matthias beyond the important fact that 1t was
ne that was chosen to fill up the Apostleship
which was left vacant by the treacherous abdi-
cation of Judas Iscariot; yet what lesson do
We learn from that-how We must not pre-
sumo upon any gifts or graces, however great
they may be, but must learn by the fearful ex.
ample Of Judas Iscariot, one Of the chosen
Apostles of Jesus Christ, that he who thinketh
be staudeth must take heed lest he fall
Thus, then, February, short as it is, has gen
orally its full share Of days sacred to religious
Memories and prospect. But what remark
able day in the politics and history Of Europe,
not to say of the world, is the twenty-slxth OF
February, when the short-lived French Repub-
HoflS4S was proclaimed in Paris The French
bad had Republic once before, which culml-
mated lu military despotism; and when that be
came more than the rest of Europe, or France
lii>elf, could bear, it was overthrown, and the
Old Royal Family was restored. They did not
Know how to make good use of their re-
SS'y!ered position, and fell again, new King
beng put in their place. He governed for
eighteen years apparently to the general salts
action Of the French nation. But suddenly,
oGe short February day, he offended the people
VI y, Paris by refusing to allow a certain poiiti-
M al dlnuer party to take places: whereupon the
hpusce rose against, him, and vowed that be
ss.:ouId not be king any longer. He shaved of
bis bis Thiskers, escaped to England under the
asue of plain Mr. Smith, and "a Republic was
pOsa'med. Shortly after this Louis Napoleon.
stphew of the old Napoleon :(Old Boney as
We We used to call him), the deposed military des-
POI, pot, Was elected President Of the Republic,
Snieh he swore to maintain. But hardly had
Is found himself possessed ef power before he
hhaOcked h;N the Republic on the head, and made
San,e .mself tmperor-a position ghich he held till
sep'emoer, 1870, when he too was deposed,