The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1884-03-27
A Crack at Leap Year.

Leap year is fraud. Save as chro
biological expedient, it is ghastly and
hollow fraud. There is silly old tradi.
tion to the effect that leap year has some
social and sentimental significance ; that
ladies put away the modes defensive and
assume the aggressive role Of the sterner
sex; that in this year the disappointed,
the unsought and the neglected have
their opportunity. For centuries this
monstrous fiction has been kept alive by
writer's of all degrees. For centuries the
wits have cracked their jokes, and the
granuies have mumbled their jaded tales.
For centuries credulous girls have be-
lieyed that special privileges would &C.
crue to them every fourth year, and
blighted spinsters have looked anxiously,
though in vain. for some one to set the
fashion. Timid bachelors and expert.
enced widowers have quadrienially shud-
dered and quaked in an apprehension OF
danger which they had feared all their
lives, but had so far escaped. Intrepid
youths, calm in the conviction Of being
able TO protect themselves, have wilfully
gone into the way of peril. But despite
all this blushiug and trembling and
staggering and signing, nothing has ever
come of leap year. 1t remains to-day
what it has been as far back as history
reaches, the most absurd and inexcusa
BILE humbug in the list.
The only feminine advantage taken of
the leap year privilege has been taken by
persons who are quite as willing to repeat
the performance in any other year. No.
thing is changed. The relations between
the sexes are not so much as stirred into
ripple. The world moves and society
floats down it's tranquil stream just as if
no such institution as leap year had ever
been mentioned. From time to time one
hears little weak minded talk concern
ing some projected leap year mauifesta-
ton, such as o German or soiree, where,
it is expected, the ladies will make the
overtures, ask for dances aud, generally,
to act part for which they are utterly
unfit by nature, by custom and by edu-
cation. But these feeble efforts to gal
vanize-not a corpse, for it never was
alive, but to galvanize chimera-these
efforts, we say, invariably dwindle away,
just rs mistaken smile fades upon the
face Of the suddenly enlightened. They
peter out. They are blown away with
the small outburst of simulated gayety
which prompted them. They are, in
fact, as idle and insincere as the tradi-
ton itself is fraudulent
No we'll regulated person has any se.
lief in or respect for the sentimental as
pect of leap year. No girl who is pretty
and attractive feels disposed to reverse
the natural order of things and to seek
instead Of being sought. No girl who is
pretty and attractive, and at the same
time judicious, is going to abdicate her
privileges and outrage her inclinations
merely in order to accommodate girls
who are not pretty and attractive. And
as for men, does any sane human being
suppose that they would countenance in
novation? Does any one suppose that q
desirable and ornamental society hack
would venture to an entertainment il he
knew that he might at any moment be
borne down upon by any sere and yellow
damsel who chose to mark him for her
prey ?-Meao Orleans Times Democrat.