The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-01
UNIVERSAL REJOICING.
"0ld Janus Doth Appear, Peeping
Into the Future Year."
scoTLAND'S FLOWING BOWLS.
France Respondent Revealing in
Sweets and Presents Grand.
THE DAY AT HOME.

What is year? Its length Is strictly expressed by
the space OF tmc required for the revolution Of the
earth round the sun-namely, 365 days, hours. 4s
minutes, 40 seconds and 7-lGths OF second, Tor
to such nicely has this time been ascer,ained.
But for convenience in reckoning II was found neces
sary to mako the year terminate with day instead
OF fraction of one Jumping tho fractions together
as to make up a day among themselves. About
forty-nve years before Christ, julius Caesar, having.
by the help of soslgencs Alexandran philosopher,
tolerably clear understanding OF tho length
OF the year. decrced that every fourth year should be
held consist OF 500 days or tho purpose OF absorb
ing the odd hours The arrangement was rather
clumsy A day In February, tho sixth before the
calends OF March (sextiIs) was TO be repeated in
that fourth year; aud each fourth year was
thus to be bissextile IL II
TO reckon the 23l of February twice over. Seeing
that in reality day every fourth year 10 too much
by II minutes. l0seconds and 3loths Of second. It
inevitably followed that the beginning Of the year
moved onward ahead OF the point at which II was In
lhe days Of Cmssr in other words the naturaf time
Tell behind tbo+ecsollnie From the time OF the
Council G. SO, il a25, aaei sbe yeral equinox fell
correctly no 2lst OF March, vepe gregory found in
i5o2 Mat tnFe had Deen reckoning TO the
sxtert otc lays, end the ,ernal equinox fell on
the lith o. March, TO correct he past error he de-
crefc tan 10 Std u cc,ober s.at yenr should be
gccseoe NJ sth. anc 10 keep the yesi right In
iu;uas, u 3afpas being ls hodrs = inutes and
10 FicHls ss0 sinsury. he oraotfd iaat very cen.
iuel gis 'Ai stp. not DO divided by AGO. 1900.
1897 600, ~ saeald pot be bissexiue as It other
$3.50 woahsis a Ia short, dtoppinv he extra
DE-. s-lse .le4 osvsr 200 years.
gnB o d AND NEw STYLES.
The Gregoian lie, as II called readily OBJ
tanned swsy a Cath lie but not in Protestant coun.
Grics opted In Britain till the year 1861
hy ~hic, 8 the Iscrepancy between the Julian and
GfeeorLF teocs Mounted to eleven days. An act
o. Par swss assed debating that the Sd OF Sep
ienboi a ear hould be reckoned the 18th. and
that shsf9 s&vcr four of the centurial years should
~ ~ Pope Grsor arrangement. not DO bssextile
4. hi,fars laAs consequently arisen-1S00 not hav-
M Ssn o lsa'y THAT the new and old sly les now
~ " Il oicbs twelve days, our LIST Of January
aSeing e1usua the 18th, old style. In Russia
alone, Of All CHS an countries, is tho old style st,ll
rets.net wDerc It is necessary Tor any one writing
IA that eoaniTa any foreign correspondent 10 set
down ms d4te !: 18th C24th) March, or 25th Sep
tcnturUeh ~ rI, or, 1t may be, 2sth December,
lsl eli JAM ns7S) The old style is still retained
IL he oceouat The British Treasury.
~ AIMING MONTHS
nroitrat livision OF the year into twelve
months waalic took its origin in the natural d.
VISION do.ernlf by the moons revolutions rho
mont, of natq' or lunar revolution, Is strictly 20
zen IL hnugs A minutes and 3 seconds; but
- ~ ere rAttf less than eleven days over
% such periods In year. When julius
~usiar reformed the calendar his general idea was
tia, tho months should consist OF thrty-one and
thirty days alternately, and this effected the
bissextic or leap year, consisting. did twelve
times thirty, with six over. In ordinary years, con-
sislns of ono day less his arrangement gave twenty
nine days 10 February. Afterward his successor
Augustus had the eighth of tho series of months
(AugusU called after himself and, from vanity broke
up the regularity OF Cesars Arrangement by taxing
another day IRON February to add TO his own month
that 1t night not be shorter than July change which
led to shit OF October and December for September
and November months Of thirty-one days. In thi
arrangement the year has since stood in Christian
countries The Roman names OF the months as set
tied by Augustus, have also been used by all Chris
tan countries excepting Holland where the following
set OF names prevails. =
January. .Lauwmaand 80. Chilly month.
February..... Sprokcimaand. Vegetation month.
March ........ Lentmaand ..sprng month
April .Grasmaand.. 80. Grass month.
May. .Blowmaund %. Flower month
june. .Zomermaand.. :. Summer month.
July Hoov maand. 80. Hay month.
August $3.50. .Oostmaand. Harvest month.
Beptembc -. herstmaand.. -. Autumn month.
October. Wynmaand. Wine month.
November. .Slngtmaand .... slaughter month.
December ..Wintermaand.. Winter month.
Amid the heat OF tho Revolution the French Con-
venton, In October l793 adopted set Of names for
the months somewhat like that kept up in Holland,
thus:-
]. vondemaire.. Vintage. September 90
autumn. = Brumalrc. ..Fogey. October %
B. Frmaire. Frosty
slceiy. -. November Il.
T. Nvose. $3.50. SNOWY. December 81
Winter. o. Piuviose. Rainy -. January 20.
| D. ventose. 49,. Windy. -. February 49,
l. GerminaL ...Springing
or budding. March 81.
Spring.. s. Floreal...... Fowery ...Aprii 20
Prairia Hay harv't..May ~
H. Messidor. 80. corn harv't June 10.
Summer I H. ThermidoE =. Hot. July 10
IL Fruciidor Fruit August Is.
Five days at the end. corresponding to our 17th
18Th, 10Th, 2Jth and 2lst OF September supple
mcntary, and named cuiottides, honor oil the
hai-naked popuiacc who ragged during the Revolution
In the streets OF Paris. AT the time, extn-
gush all traces oil religion in the calendar, each month
was divided into three decade periods OF ten days.
whereof the last was 20 DO holiday. the OF the
days being merely expressive oil numbeIs--Primidi,
Duod, Tredi. &c-and this arrangement was actually
maintained Tor several years, with this peculiarly,
that many Of the people preferred holding tho Chris
tian sunday as weekly holiday, as, indeed, many OF
them do still
April, June and November;
al the rest have thirty .one,
Iut February twenty -oi .lt alone.
When February has rs more
RING OUT THE OLD, RING NEW.
So, according 10 tho invaluable formula lett US BY a
respectable poet OF the seventeenth century, runs
lhc Christian year. And, according 10 the inevitable
round, last midnight another battered old year was
kaocSed out OF time and another new one csme up
emIing amid the cangor OF bells.
Ring out wild bells, to the wild sky.
Tie hying c,oud. the frosty light,
The year Is dying In the uignl;
Ring out. WILD bells. let him do
Ring the old, ring In the new
King, happy bells. across the snow:
Tho year going, let him go
Ring out tho iaiso, ring In the true.
Here. then. comes old January.
whipped well
In many weeds. to keep the cold away
Yet did Ae quake and culver like to queil,
And blow his nayles TO wbm them II lao may;
For they numDed with holding oil the day
An hatcbet keen. with which "a telied wood
Aud from the did lop tho needesse spray;
Upon an huge great earth pot steane he stood,
"A From WHO'S wide mouth there flowed forth tho
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