Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-04
OUR LETTER-BOX.
ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS con-
CORNING CURIOUS QUESTIONS.
Matters Of General Observation-Disclosures
ing Statistics The Strange,
the Useful, the Old.

In this department we have condensed the letters
of correspondents into the smallest space possible
consistent with due preservation OF the inquiry.
Correspondents desired to mske their in
quiries as brief and direct as is possible.
White, Valleio-Where will / find a
work on this subject Benefits Derivable
from Disease q
Ansarer-Mr. Greg, the English essay
ist in his essays entitled 1.-The Enigmas
of Life" has a chapter devoted to that
subject. We know of no work on the
subject.
Eleanor, Marysville Please tell me the
date of the first appearance of the plague
My book OF reference says 767 B. G.
Ansacer-We have record of accounts
Of the plague as early as l49l B. c., in
Egypt.
April, Sacramento = Have any other
people custom like ours in the observance
of All Fools day
Ans,cer-Yes. The Hindeos, for in
stance, have their Hull, which terminates
with the 3lst of March. Similar customs
prevail in nearly all lands.
Junior, Chico-Be so kind as to give
boy information where to send to procure
information concerning the best methods of
scroll saving by amateurs.
Ans,cer Any firm dealing in woods for
amateur scroll saving, or IN scroll-saws,
can advise you. We cannot undertake to
name any one house In this column In pref
erence to another.
Wasatch, Salt Lake-Was there ST.
Richard? / can find no record of one.
Ansacer - Yes. He was an English
Bishop of the thirteenth century, supported
by the Pope, who compelled Henry LII. to
recognize Richard as Bishop.
Rath, Reno, Ney.-I wish to find out
through the Letter. Box who is the author
OF the lines beginning "We watch the
summer leaves and flowers decay"
Ans,cey-Peabody.
j. R. S-m, Sacramento-W What is the
Hegira? do not find it explained in any
books to which ! have access.
AnSwer-The Hegira is a Mohammedan
festival, being the beginning of the Mo-
hammedan era, and is celebrated by the
followers of the Prophet as their New
Years day. 1t occurs on the night before
the 10Th of July. the original event having
been on that date A. d. 622, when Mo.
manned fed from Mecca. The festival is
movable, so far as our calendar is con-
cerned.
Orion, Galt-We can explain but briefly.
The time given in the almanacs under the
| head .tsunsets," is always afternoon, and
"sunrises is always forenoon, of course.
In the columns of moons rising and set
ting, the time of only one of these events
is given for each day-that one which
occurs while the sun is down. When the
word rises " is found in the column, the
moon is at the full, and the figures follow.
ing that word are p NJ, or evening, until
| the word MORN" which means midnight.
From "morn" the figures are A. NJ, the
moon rising in the morning before the sun
is up. Then after the word "sets," the
time of setting is given. This grows later
and later, from early evening till early
morning, until the moon is again at the
| full.
A. S. RI, visalia-What Church is
it that is called the Church of God?'
Ansaoer-We presume you refer to a
sect of that name 1t is sometimes known
as the Winebrennsrians, from Rev. John
| Winebrenner, minister of the German
Reformed Church, who organized it at
Harrisburg, Pa, IN the year 1890. They
observe fast days and feet washing. They
especially condemn the use of ardent spir.
| it's.
Olive, Sierra City-Will the REcoRp-
UNION obhge me by informing me what is
the Interpretation in the Hebrew of
the name Rachel" which is one of my
names, and which l find differently inter
preted?
Ans,cer-In the Hebrew it means, say
the best authorities, "a lamb" therefore
you should be iamb-like, to make your
manner correspond with your name.
Composition, Woodland-We cannot
agree with you as to originality being suffi-
cent compensation. Simplicity of style
! does not exclude beauty or tasteful orna-
mentation, says Professor Mathews, and he
never wrote truer line. It makes no diff
ference how original your matter, how
| choice your materials, unless they are well
built together, and harmoniously arranged,
you cannot expect success as writer.
The world is becoming more and more crit
ical every day, and demanding, not SO
much elegance and elaborate finish, as it
does simplicity and purity of literary style.
A diamond shows to no advantage till it is
cut, and then the most gorgeous setting
will not lessen its spiendor by contrast !;
and yet it is just as brilliant, and to the
cultured taste, more SO in simple
setting We think the best style is that
which expresses the thought in logical Or
der, by the arrangement of words in the
choicest form, and that is, nine times out
of ten, the simplest form consistent with
the character of the subject being treated.
Style has been well defined as 90 an arts.
10 J,-, b
perpetuate the life of written thought"
And the same elegant writer says, better
than has been said before " Such bal
ance of clause and structural grace of SEN
tence as shall satisfy the sense of beauty ];
and, lastly, such propriety, economy and
elegance of expression as shall combine
businesslike breyity with artistic beauty"
Should like to go further with you on
this interesting subject, but cannot in this
column.
Zenobia-You have not seen fit to trust
us with your NAME as an evidence of your
sincerity in making the inquiry. AID We
cannot afford to answer you in Consequence.
Julia, Plymouth-Can the RECORD
UNION tell me the real name of Jennie
June, the letter-writer?
Answer-Her true name is Mrs. J. c.
Croly.
Mrs. N, Ione-Is it asking too
much to request the UNION to reprint, that
we may have it in that form, that literary
curiosity-the changes rung on the "plow-
MAI" line from Gray's Elegy?
Answer-No.
The plowman homeward plods his weary way.
The plowman homeward, weary, p!ods MS way.
The powman plods his HON awarda we ry way.
The powman plods his weary, homeward way.
The pownan, weary, hem ward lods his way.
The pillow man, weary, pods his homeward way.
The homeward plowman plods bis weary way.
The homewsrd powman, weary, plods his way.
The homeward, weary plowman plods his way
The weary homeward plowman plods his way.
The weary ptowman homeward plods his way.
The weary plowman plods his homew ,rd way.
H meward the welry plowman plods his way.
Homeward, weary, the plowman plods his way.
Homeward the plowman plods his weary way.
Homeward the plowman, weary. plods his way.
Weary. the homeward powman plods his way.
Weary, homeward, the powman p'ods his way.
Weary, tie piowman plods his homeward way.
Weary, the powman homeward plods his way.
CHRISTMAS IN PARIs.-The Paris CORE.
spondent of the RECORD UNION, in recent
letter, says: The chiliren in France do