The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-12-23
rFron the Evening Bullstia Of wednesday,. ]
The Winter Eolstiea.

This morning., the 31st. at II o'clock, the
winter solstice occurs, and we have the COM
forting assurance that thes sun will then turn
his face northward, for his journey southward
has reached It's extreme limit. 1t needs no sci
entiic knowledge to verify this fact; any OBJ
server can test it for himself Let him note
the point in the horizon where the sun nov
sets. In week or two he will find that the
sunset point has moved little farther north
and that this change Is more plainly percepti-
Bile as each successive day completes its course.
The observer will also note that the suns meri-
dian altitude or his height in the heavens as
MONDAY, increases as he moves farther north,
and that the days will lepgthen and the sun
will rise higher in his course at noon until the
summer solstice on the 21st of next June, when
he reaches his extreme northern point, as well
as his greatest height in the heavens, and the
process is reversed. Now this seeming move
ment of the sun is caused BY the real revolu-
ton of the earth in her orbit, just as the suns
seeming movement from rising to setting is
caused by the earth's real revolution on her
axis. AS the earth moves in her orbit her axis
is inclined, and this causes the changes of the
portions OF the earths surface under the direct
avs of the sun at different periods of the year.
Thus the south pole is now turned towards the
sun, and his rays fall directly upon the south
temperate zone, where it is midsummer and
the days are at their greatest length. The re-
verse OF the process is going on in the north
temperate zone. The north pole is turned
from the sun, and his arys fall obliquely on our
portion Of the globe 1t is the middle of the
six months night at the north pole, mid-winter
reigns in our quarters and the days are the
shortest possible.
1t is an interesting study to note the moving
of t.,e sunrise and sunset points northward and
southwark and the changing meridian altitude
of the sun, and to know that these changes are
produced by the simple movement of the earth
in the vast sweep she makes around the sun,
and that. instead of her axis being perpendicu-
lar, it is inclined or dipped down to her orbit.
The velocity of the earth in her orbit is con-
stantly varying, being greatest when the earth
is in perihelion, as at present, and least when
in aphelion. The aver age rate is about
nineteen miles second, and at this inconceiv-
able speed we are whirled through space DUR
during every second of time. 1t almost takes
ones breath away to think OF it, and yet no
human being has ever had the slightest con-
seriousness of the motion. The reason for this
is that we have never known any other condi-
ton, and that the whole globe and every
thing on and around it, even the atmos-
phere and the clouds, move in unison with
the planet as she plows her way in her
annual circuit. Another interesting fact in
the movement of the sun at the winter
solstice is that he seems to stand still in his
course for several days. He touches his
extreme southern limit, the tropio OF Capricorn,
and seems to pause before turning his face
northwards. The technical words tell the
whole story, for solstics is derived from two
Latin words meaning 1.-THE sun stands" and
tropic from Greek word meaning ito turn"
Thus, on the 10Th, the sun began to stand still
in his course, and the days dwindled to their
minimum length, nine hours and four minutes.
For ten days they will remain unchanged,
until the Doth, when one minute of blessed sum
light will be added to the day, and precious
minute will be won from the dominion of dark
ness. In a few days there will be visible proof
written on the sky that the change has taken
place, and that the sun has turned his smiling
face towards northern chimes
Ancient nations were close observers of ma
ture and to them this season of the year, the
commencement of the suns return, was honor
ed by every form of rejoicing their simple tastes
could invent, for to them the sun was the SYM
Dol of Almighty power. Nothing that has
come down from the past that is mors than the
Greek myth which throws the halo of poetry
around the serene and peaceful winter days
that usually divide sway with the dreary and
stormy one that mark the passage of the winter
selstice.~
Theold myth of the Haloyon Days has been
beautifully illustrated in some OF the days that
have just passed. The sun has shone from
cloudless sky serenely and softly tinted with
blue. The temperature has been more like the
mildness of autumn than the severity Of win
ter. Scarcely breath of air has stirred the
tree-branches, and through the delicious haze
that filled the atmosphere, every tone and tint
of the landscape has been softened into the
ETHEREAL and spiritual loneliness which the in
imitable pencil of nature lavishes upon this
season of the year. The lovely Halcyon Days
and their vicinity to Christmas-tide recall Mil
toms recognition of the Greek fable in his
"Hymn to the Nativity"
But peaceful was the night
Wherein the Prince of Light
His reign of peace upon the earth began;
The winds with wonder visit,
Smoothly the waters kist,
Whispering new joys to the mild ocean;
Who now hath quite forgot torave,
While birds of calm sit brooding on the charmed
wave.