Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-12-01
REVOLVING STORIES.


No intelligent man now doubts the
C~opernician theory. We know that the
planets revolve around the sun, and that
Cvery satellite rcvOlves around its own
private planet. Still, mankind has been
c%uriously slow to perceive that the Lawn
upon which the COpernician theory Is
based is Of vastly wider application than
astronomers suppose. All things do not
literally r~evolve, but all things have
their periodic times.
The appearance in the Chicago Tribune
of the story of an alleged marriage cere'
mony which came to an abrupt end be-
u the bride and groom mutually ac'
cused each other of awkwardnesS,
furnishes a fitting occasion to call atten'
ton 10 the fact that all stories have
their periodic times. The story in ques'
ton was a popular n precisely twenty
six years ago, as will appear by an
examination of the comic almanacs OF
the year 1851, and its temperance at
this time shows that its periodic time
is in round numbers twenty.six years.
The Tribune, ignorant of this fact, sup
poses that the story is a new one, JUS
discovered by one of its reporters. All
comets and all stories have existed during
iucalculable ages, and their regular
Temperatures do not Justify us in as
Stunning that they are new.
There is a vast difference in the peri
ode time of different stories, and it is
| probable that some of them revisit the
| earth not oftener than once in many mil
lions of years. The one which appeared
in the Chicago Tribune will, of COURSE
il its time has been accurately computed
~--reappear in 1902, when it will sud
denly dawn upon a score of simultaneous
newspapers, all of which will hail it as a
genuine novelty. Vastly longer IS the
period of the story Of the man who, with
the aid of his father, a widow, and the
widows daughter, and an intricate sys.
TEN of inter marriage, became his own
grandfather. The first recorded appear
ance of this is in a Sanscrit work, trans
lated by Burton, the African explorer.
Its second appearance was in this city, in
1857, when it was told with much APP
plause at a negro minstrel entertainment.
Between these two appearances there
was an interval of not far from $500
years. We need, therefore, fear no re.
currence Of the story until about the
year $3.50; a fact upon which we
may fairly congratulate ourselves,
in view OF its almost unique
tediousness and intricaCy. In con
trast with the long cycle through which
the grandfather story sweeps, is the brieI
period OF the anecdote OF the Irishmar
who thought that he would never be able
to put On q pair of tight boots without
previously wearing them for a day OF
two. This rcappcars every two year
with unvarying regularity, and though
it has been slightly modified, since the
date when the sandal expanded into the
boot, it has maintained the same perioC
for at least three thousand years.
1t would be impossible, within The
limits of a newspaper, to discuss thu
causes which first set stories in motion
ard regulated them by law, Neither cal
the p%ertWbations and phrases which
certain stories manifest, or the disturbing
| influence which one sometimes exert
r upon another, be more than barely al
r luded to at this time, Very little obser
walton is, however, needed, to cstablisI
, the fact that every story has its period
time, and that its path and its speed ar
governed by natural and inAexible law,
IS truly as are the path and speed OF tn
2 moon.--N Y. TmeS.