The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1884-01-27

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newironde. The Egyptians fixed th,
common cement OF their year at tie
autumnal equinox, because that wa
the epoch when hey commenced
agricultural operations after the sub
sidenoe Of the waters OF the Nile.
| The most ancient King OF Italy
was Janus, who bestowed his name
on the month We are in; ct least he
WAS the earliest king about whom We
have glimpses of exact knowledge
he dourished / 400 years before oul
era, and N lust have reigned we'll, 81
be was made Q God after his death.
But be had peculiar claims for the
honor; he was double-iaced, like moi
Q few moderns. only his features rep
resented the pat and tie future
He WIS the Deity that presided over
Inventions; he made several himself
notably doors, which were called ate:
him the only patent laws then in
force. Just as the Roman cooks
when they invented new dish, they
named it after themselves. Janus IL
represented with keys in one hand
and rod in other; he was. as Ovid has
IL, "porter at the celestial court u
His fete day was kept on the let oil
January, alasl
Parisians, as descendants of the
Latins in part have kept up this time
honored festival; but Janus is not the
God that proves the fly in our pot oil
ointment. it is Strenu ;, the Goddess OF
"force," most fitting sobriquet. /.
is uncertain whether she belonged to
the category OF tia half. or quarter
Deitise; suffice it to say, she founded
and presided over the giving and re-
ceiving of presents on New Years
day, and which slasl has survived all
connections OF history. even the rev.
olution that claimed to abolish every
thing. Originally the presents or
etrennes were limited to honey, fruits
and soft sswder, save the porter class,
who expected only ths smallest coin
Of the realm.
But see what strides, or what deca-
dence. since Latin, the colleague of
Romulus, cut sticks in the wood sacred
to Strenua. A French lady ia i'm pla-
cable on the matter OF etrennes; offer
her a pot OF honey from Hymettus or
Narbonce; present your cerberus con.
cierge with pippins from Hesperiges
or oranges from Valence, and note
the Transformation scenes! No; q
lady will forgive you for all the year
round that yen may have appeared
before her, with soiled gloves, q
crumpled crsvas, or a coat kept to-
gether with tie strings of despair, but
deprive her of her blsck.mail, of her
scalp, on NsWYear's day, and she will
secure the gates of social lie 10 be for
ever closed agsinat you. No, better
pledge your BID ticket than be with
out funds to compliment a LADY with
100. GOO francs year, and wearied
with the receipts of customs. Cruel
Strenua, that causes poverty to ex-
haust itself for q cGdeaW not appreci-
ated, but whose non-offering would
provoke q revolt.
TIE be behind in your etrennes, On
the judgment day of the Let of Janu-
airy, condemns you as the last OF men.
Be immoral or vicious if you please,
but pay the poll tax. or you are a
man socially swamped and lost. Life
from this entrennes point OF view
may be divided into two epochs;
what will one give me; What must
it give" Thus it is all give. give like
the grave. The odd part of the insti.
tuition is, everybody suffers from il,
and everybody maintains it. Who
dare then say. the French are not a
conservative people.
The Chinese custom of sen ling
cards at New Years tide is hypoo-
risy on the decline; perhaps becoming
closer into relationship with the ce-
lestials, may galvanize the custom.
You can purchase 100 visiting cards,
at some Papa Gutenberg's" shop,
for II francs, to be struck of a Ia
one SOUS postage stamp on
3 threadbare envelope. and the re-
mainder arrives 10 friend or an &C.
quaintanoe. who curses you for send
ing such, and will caluminste you il
guilty of omission. It is prudent |
never to try to escape from q polite
ness which costs only three iarthings.
But the pleasantly might be better
Why not start a company
that would have ushers TO execute all |
The rounds OF visiting peculiar to the
season. for kissing uncles and aunts,
Town to godfathers and godmothers;
rom prosecuting the assurance OF
your esteem, to the homages OF duty?
In tact body of men trained to de.
ineate each shsde of relationship.
The Office ought to be thrown open
% women, es q concession to their
lights. We have sliding scale for
,urying the dead, an introducer of
and master of ceremo.
lies; why not the Republic have
lunkies to perform chamberlain
functions. You can hire plate, linen
lowers. comestibles net to be
counts and msrquesses to
Ieep the table IN war, ard why not
'isising delegates? The moment is