Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-12-27
(FoR THE STAR.
LADIES LAW OF LEAP YEAR.

prerogative OF men. To trace the origin, on
foundation Of this custom, Is a work OF no
small magnitude, every step Is beSet with diff
culttes formidable and seemingly insurmounta-
BILE days, weeks and months have been spent,
and very little gained to repay the expenditure.
Old musty and dust-laden tones have been pa
tiently examined In the effort to find something
upon which to base theory in the absence OF
any tangible fact, but without success. Those
who possess ever so little knowledge OF an
tiquity are aware that It's current of thought
differed very much from its tendency in our
own period. This instructive feeling Is by no
means without a basis, In fact. II 1t be true
that the same motives ruled men In all former
ages as at present, IL must still be allowed that
the sources OF their knowledge nave
been unknown to us, and that something
Infinitely more potent than imagtnation.has orr
ginated the traditions and monuments that
have come down to our time. Modern philOSo-
ply and all our habits OF thought suppoSeS the
progressive development of institutions, and
Herewith Of arts and sciences. At the same
time, however, 1t cannot be denied that certain
fountains of knowledge have heen allowed to
dry up, as the wells OF Abraham were filled with
dust. What these were are clearly Indicated by
the missing links in the chain OF events, which
alone can furnish information as to the origin
of many of our customs and traditions. After
all, 1t seems to have been one Of those mythical
legends, which after long years Is accepted as
fact, and that the ladies' have greater privi-
lege during the 366 days of leap year, than dur
Ing GQOSe THAI COuIdlu Ouly 800.
CHANGES IN THE CALENDAR.
The want Of uniformity In the calendar was
for long time source Of trouble to the earlier
astronomers. The Popes and Emperors were
continually issuing DEGREES in regard to 1t,
frightening the months; taking days from one
month and adding them to another; that 1t was
with great difficulty earlier historians were
able to agree as to the time an event took place;
but, thanks to that monument OF human pa
thence and labor, "LArt de tereHer les Dates"
we are able to bring order out of chaos, and fix
with reasonable certainty the date of early
transactions In early times the Roman POntinS
regulated the length OF the civil year SO tmper-
fectly that in the time OF julius Caesar the spring
occurred in what the calendar called summer.
Caesar, with the help of SosigeneS. reformed the
calendar, and introduced the present arrange
ment Of having three years OF 800 days, fol,
months nearly as at present. Previous to 1892,
the year in most countries commenced on the
25th OF December, but this was not uniform;
some had the 25th Of March and others Easter
day. In England, for long time they had two
different dates. The confusion which arose
from there being two modes OF computing dates
in one kingdom must be sufficiently apparent to
every one. Remarkable examples Of the confu-
sion produced by this practice are afforded by
two OF the most celebrated events In English
history. King Charles l. Is said by most author
tiles to have besn Deheaded on the 3Oth OF Janu-
airy, 1913; while Others with equal correctness
assign that event to the 30th of January, 1919.
throne Is stated to have taken place in Febru-
airy, 1855; BY some writers, February, 1859.
These discrepancies arise through some histo-
tember had 81 days, and August had only IS;
but the Emperor Augustus not liking
the Idea that Julius Caesars SIN monsh-1 Ivy
one from September, and to keep up the alter
nate character Of the months took one from
q dsns psS Of
proposed BY DtonysiuS ExlguuS, learned
monk, about the sixth century, and generally
adopted IN the eighth century Thus She calen;
that through errors In the Julian method 1t hid
gained ten days. To set this matter right,
Gregory XIII. ordered that october 5th, 1882, be
called the 18TH aud that all centurial years Tn 1t
are not multipleS of 400 should not be leap
years; thus the year 1900 was, 1000 will be, 1875
win be; but until 1904 there will not be anoth.,
OF emitting three leap years in every 40
years, reducing these to 146,09I days, gives 70
each civil year 1853 days, hours 4s min, 40 Sec;
which exceeds the solar year by 2s min. 80 see.
and amounts to the difference OF a day only
every 1896 years. This arrangement was n
PRODUCED into England by Lord Chesterfield, AID
great was the popular feeling On the Subject
that Hogarth In one Of his pictures has pla-
card inscribed, "Give us our eleven days"
LORD ha acc son years t after was op
had robbed the people OF eleven days. Russia
and the East sti1 retain the old style, conse-
guently there Is difference Of IL days between
thejr time and ours. In France during the Rev.
oluttOn they abolished the Gregor1an Calendar.
and ordered that the year begin on the ED OF
Sept, 1892 which they called the year I; 1898
being holiday, all religion was abolished The
year was divided into twelve months OF 80 days
each, the five additional at the end were dedica-
ted to Virtue, Genius, Labour, Opinion and Re-
wards. This absurd system lasted until 1885,
and was discontinued by Napoleon Bonaparte.
Since then nothing has been done with the Cal
endar, although q bill was introduced in the
last Congress looking to a change.
THB LEAP YEAR PRIVILEGE.
The privilege Of Ladies choosing their hu5-
bands is thus explained In Work entitled
"LOve, Courtship and Matrimonie. " London, 1906.
s.Albeit it Is move become a part OF the common
lave in regarde to social relations Of life that
often as every bissextile year dothe return the
ladyes have the sole privilege during the time it
cOntinueth or making love unto the men which
they doe either by words or loOkes as to them 1t
Seemeth proper; and moreover, no man will be
entitled 10 the benefit OF clergy who doethe in
any way treate her proposal with slight or con-
tumeiy." The above seems to establish beyond
cavi their right to reverse the accepted order OF
things. at least, once In four years. From time
1mmemorial there has existed legend TO the
effect that In leap year the customary regula-
tons or cOurtship may properly be reversed, and
offers OF marriage proceed from the
fair sex to the male objects OF their affection.
We do not read that this privilege has ever
been taken advantage OF to any great extent
by the ladies; but the tradition is as strong In
the minds of the people to-day as ever and it
bids fair to be transmitted in unimpaired fresh
ness and force to the latest generation. This
being the case 1t logically follows that there Is
q peculiar idea of the inherent fitness OF the
right, otherwise it would have died out ages
ago, II there were not deep down in the human
heart a conviction that the ladies have some
natural rights in regard to the choosing and
Mootng OF partner for life. Whether they
think best to exercise the privilege is altogether
foreign to the question Of right. Were 1t not
for this feeling this leap year tradition had long
since been forgotten. All nations have their
folk lore; persons and places are Invested
with powers which inspire the ignorant
peasantry with dread, and cause them to
shun those places. There Is a striking
similarity all the world over between
the popular legends and traditions of different
nations. They are reproduced with slight Diff
ference OF circumstance and place to suit the
different localities DR.. Mackenzie, who seems
TO have given considerable time to ferretiny out
the origin Of Legendary Lore" has very In
tereS1ng chapter on the subject In his ''Bits OF
Blarny." Washington Irving has localized sew
eral legends as American, but his "Trip Wan
Wrinkle" has long since been traced to German
origin. Some years ago supplement to the
Thousand and One Nights" containing an
Arabian tale called the Sage Heycar, was pub
nShed at Paris. The translator noted the
curious fact that this Oriental story contained
many incidents exactly similar to passages In
the life OF Aesop. Sixteen pages Of details Of a
word, with the account OF a like visit made by
IN fNfar, srkfc Irr,tn fnfy