The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-05-25


May. observes Hugo, is the month
of love: the month whose green robe
becomes every day more ample. The
origiI! of it's name ia manifold; some
claim, that it ia derived from Maia.
the mother OF Mercury, the goddess
of the earth which nourished man;
others, from mGveribus. signiiying
the growth of vegetable nature 80
rapid at this epoch. Again, Romu-
lus is credited with the origin, from
his having divided the population
into two classes. majors and juniors,
directing lees to be kept in honor oil
both. Polymnie relates, that the
name OF the present month comes
from Majesty, which was born On q
day to associate with Honor and Ben.
e6csnee. In the Catholic Church,
May is called the Month Of Mary; the
chspels are decorated with the choic-
let Of presentation howers it 10 the
% onth sacred to combinations. to in
nocence, purity, and youth.
May was placed under the protec-
ton Of Apollo, and personiied by the
figure OF man between two ages,
clothed with long robe and ample
sleeves, and carrying basket OF
flowers on his head; a peacock lay at
bis feet. with expanded tail, emblem
Of Furnishing nature. May has ever
been fertile in political crises. Cor
don and the Egyptian question, have
now arrived at explosion point. In
France the month has been evsr rich
in revolutionary movements from the
31st of May, 1898. the first day Of the
fret act, ia the great tragedy OF the
revolution. down to the 9th of May.
1873, when a parliamentary revolu-
ton expelled theirs from the Presl-
aency.
A wet May is reputed to fill barns
and cold one to empty them. The
gardeners have more than tradition
that itheir Idees are the "three Ice
Saints" Aamert, Pancrace and Ger
vsis, that present themselves during
the 18th, 18th. and 18th. OF the
month, under the form of q biting
frost which nips many hopes. Fred.
erick the Great disbelieved in the
traditions of the saints; notwiths!and-
ing the robust faith OF his gardener,
he directed the orange trees to be
planted out before the unlucky days.
and the result was, the shrubs were
destroyed. The three days in ques'
ton are due in Paris. between the
18th and 10Th. and at Lyons, from the
18th to the 20ih. It is the Psrthesn
arrow OF winter, and presumed to
arise from the melting of the SHOWS
in central Europe. In France, no
pereon would think OF changing CLOTH
ing till the saints have made their
visit.
May is month rich in festivals,
and it was go in the ancient world.
However, this is not strange, as all
our fetes are more or less the relics Of
Pagsnism, France has no institution
OF May>poles, but she dances round
mats de cocogue every 18th of July:
May day is no! appropriated to sweeps
either; that guild is presented with
the whole month Of September in
stead. 1t was formerly the custom,
now be pored more In the breach. in
France. to plant a tree called Hal on
the frst'of the month. That observ-
anoe is still obligatory at Chateau
neuf. On the frat OF May, too, the
forest guard of Feutainebleau re-
ceived on "the kings table"-a large
fat stone-his dues consisting OF
wines hams, and cakes. At the pre-
sent time, the artists generally hold
picnic on that mahogany, wind and /
weather permitting, to fete the OPEN
ing of the annual pictureshoW a!
Paris. And the corporation of gold.
smiths on same day, presented Notre
Dame cathedral with model of
SONS noted church. The gift now
takes the form OF q cash donation,
since revoluiionists display a weak.
ness 10 melt down all works of art in
precious metal. However, it is only
right to be Just. Under Louis XIV,
especially, who commenced his reign |
in abject poverty. aud ended all its
gloEies in profound niseTy, the court
and nobility melted down their beau
tifully artistic plate, to convert i! into
money. This explains the rarity OF
old French plate. During the siege
of 1901, and the commune. many
families we're forced to sell articles of
plate to the mint, in order to live.
May is still observed az ''gratuIa-
.ion OF SPRING" People make it &
point on the frs. OF toe month to go
to the country, to gather flowers IN !
the feds and cut green bougas: 1t is
8 favorite moment to present Old PEG
pie vita aoEers; iufants insist OF de-
co-atiug grandmothers' cops with
hiay bossoms; youngsters Il their
teens als1 exchange flowers trusting
tina, the language of a bouquet may
ind "a toaeue Is we'll IS a thought
Bat lie month Is -7iewed as fatal to
marriages.. Ovid warns widows and
virgins not to light tbe hyneneal
torch during Nav. because the Lem
uris lets cane OF. and such meant.