Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1879-08-21
All About the Dog Days.

This uninterestlng spell OF
weather commenced the 25,h, and
continues until the 9Th of Septem.
Der. The dog-days are really upon
u.s.. and we must bear the bot,
sticky, murky, and dlsagfeeable
weather as best we can. During
their reign there is little lie in the
air, little exhilaration in the sun
light, and little elasticity in the
animal economy. "This is a regu-
lar dog day T. will be an oft-re-
peated remark during the forty
days to come. Every one will re-
cognize the kind of weather des-
cribed in the exclamation, though
every one will rot remember the
origin of the world which from long
usage is synonymous with it. Dog
days is a term fer which we are
indebted to the ancient Ihebans,
who first cultivated astronomy in
Egypt, and determined the length
of the year by the number OF ris-
ings of the dog star, or Sirius. At
the season of the year when this
brilliant star rose with the sun
their combined influence was sup
posed to be productive of pestiler-
tial heat and. all manner of bane-
ful influences. Therefore the Egyp-
tians watched the conjunction Of
Sirius and the sun with mingled
feelings of hope and fear, for it
foretold to them the rising of the
Nile, and was onainous of fruitful
crops or devastating droughts.
Their dog-days extended from the
4th of August to the 14th OF Sep
tember. The rising of Sirius, how
ever, has been SO accelerated by
the procession of the equinoxes
during the passage of more than
two thousand years that the cor
responding conditions for the au-
cient dog-days would iEclude them
within the 3d of July and the 1lth
of August. 1t will readily be seen
that our modern dog days have 30
connection with the rising of Sirius
or any other s'ar, because no per.
manert data can be based upor
stars whose positions are always
changed by the falling back of the
equinoctial points. The dog days
refer to q particular kind of wealth
er, which marks about forty day:
occurring month after the sum
mer solstice, and based entirely Oh
that epoch. They simply retain
an ancient name, as in many othe,
instances, without. retaining il.
significance. Il may seem strang,
! that Sirius, which is seen overhead
ID mid winter, should be associatec
with the heat of summer but i
must be remembered that this sta
!, is overhead IN midsummer in th
day time, though, like the othe
stars, Invisible on onaccount OF the sun
Fortunately for humanity, tht
dog days are not made up entirely
OF days wearing to the flesh ant
depressing TO the spirit. Some @
the moas delightful days of th
summer are interspersed with thos
that try mems souls, while in ur
many "a regular dog day encroache
upon a later and more enioyabl
portion of the year. This prove
that physical experience IS Tia
a counterpart of human experience
, Sunshine and serenity are followe
r by clouds and storms, just as til
) enjoyment of life is followed by il
4 crosses ard perplexit!es. Perfe'
S weather is as impossible under th
I physical laws that rule our plane
Y as perfect happiness is under IL
: laws that regulate our mental IN
! moral well being. The most con
= mendable philosophy is, therefor
: that which makes the best of e,
{ terDal conditions and fuds sourc,
for oontentment and improvemel
under the darker as well as I'll
: brighter influences that surroun6 u