Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-04-01
ALL FOOLS DAY.

Anril the first stands marked by customs rules,
A day OF being, and OF making, fools.
April first stands conspicuously for
ward on the calendar as being one OF the
few DAYS of the year set apart as belong
inc TO children. Not that it was origl-
nallv appointed for their special benefit
or enioved by them alone, but because
i'm our grave day of deep schemes and
lofty ambition, it is neglected by older
and more sober minds and lett to be-
come emphatically children's day.
That it should not be theirs exclusively
is self-evident fact, easily seen by
glance at the appellation OF the day, for
the kingdom OF fools is not confined by
age or size, but Is, as an orator OF the
| Legislature eXpressedit," asall-pervadlng
as the dawn, and as widespread as the
winds OF Heaven" Despite notifying
experience and the yearly recurrence OF
the dav, plenty are to be found who
/ are easily BETRAYED into 4 due Observ-
/ ance of its peculiarities, and the more
naturally grave and unsuspecting the
| victim. the more frivolous and NONSENSE
/ cal will be the joke. An editor sends
| the devil" for Il quart Of editorial, and
the bitter is bit upon the return OF the
messenger with q picture OF Jackass.
! Many am embryonic Webster has inno-
Gently applied 10 shoemaker for strap
oiP and receive il across the shoulders;
many a bachelors shriveled heart has
been warmed into life and emotion by a
dainty, perfumed bWet-famOlT with
an unknown signature; many
a pretty girl has been despatched
TO the druggist for essence OF 'two-llps,
70 box the handsome chemists ear Tor
attempting to give it to her; and many
a bashiul person desist from vain at
tempts TO pick up a coin glued to the
pavement, upon hearing the ill-sup-
pressed tittering from group across the
street Yes, many whimsical Joke
has been succ ssiully played on this
dny. whose Ofiensiveness has been for
given or silently sworn at. -,
The observance Of this day, originated
well. probably with the Pyramids, for
It's beginning is completely lost in the
foes OF antiquity, and Tor once nine
tecnth century investigating committee
would be baflled, if il attcmpted to locate
the time or place oi its birth. Since the
bcuinninr OF the sixteenth century the
LIST OF April has been designated as the day
but corresponding time has been OBJ
served since wears before the Christian
era. 1t is by some supposed the term
"au" is a corruption of 'auld" or "old, y
making il originally Gold Fools Day,
for in an Anticipated Roman calendar is
.ound the observation that "thc feast Of
old fools is removed to the first OF No
ycmJrr," but in the oldest almanacs eX-
tant it is called all, and not old, fools
day.
In France. that sunny landof brilliant
bon, ,pOiS. We find this custom in vogue
i'm the DAYS Of Rabelias, and mentioned
bv him as an ancient one. There the
Init upOn these occasions was styled
"un poisson P irrI'-literally, an April
fish. though it is more than likely that
the term has been derived from poison,
mischief. In the days OF Frances bril-
liancv the custom was at its
height, the Frenchman holding a
successful joke at his expense in greater
fear than Il sword, and it is probable
that our ancestors borrowed the custom
from them.
Without being on the same day, there
were. in various nations and times, 4
holiday set apart ior ridiculous sport.
The Hinduos observed a day oitoOlcricS,
the "Huli Fest" which was attended
/ with like species OF witticism. The
Romans held their "Saturnalia,' and the
early Christians found their labors in
England impcdcd by certain Druidical
rites. celebrated on the F,S''m FdidoTun,
or Fools Holiday, which is supposed To
hc our April lst. Even the stOlid Ger
mans had a corresponding day, frequent
/ mention oi which is made in the German
classics is .ipribu Narr, which is traced
hv some 10 the life uf Jesus, when he
was sent from PLATE to llcrod and back
/ again.
/ Butwhatcvcrmay havcbrcn the origin
/ and when its date, it is sufficient for
/ Young America to know that there Is
/ such day and custom, and into its
spirit he will enter with the zest and en-
ioyment peculiar to a child. But as his
/ Jokes are usually harmless and only
ridiculous. we Will refrain, for the pre-
sentat least. from the conclusion usually
/ arrived at, that It is custom "mOre
| honorcd in the breach than in the obscr-
vance.