Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-03-05
a Crack at leap Year.

Leap rear IS S fraud. Save rs chro
noloeical expedient, 1t is 4 ghastly and q
hollow fraud. There is silly old tradI-
tlon to the Effect that leap year hiss some
social and sentimental sigrlhcan6 e; that
ladies put away the modest defensive and
assume tie aggressive role OF the s,erner
SIX: that in this year The disappointed, the
unsouent snd the neglected have their op-
pofTunlty. Fer centuries this mon trous
fiction hes been kept alive by writers OF all
degTe s For centuries the wits have
cracked their jokes, and the grannies hsve
mumbled Their jaded tales.
For centuries credulous girls have be-
heved that special privileges would accrue
10 them every fourth year, and bllghted
spinsiers have looked anxiously, though in
vain, fer some one 10 set the fashion
Timld bachelors and exps Tienced widow
oTs have Qusdrennislly shuddered and
guaked IN an aprrehonsIon OF danger
which they had feared all Their lives. but
had so fai escaped. Intrepid youths calm
in the CONVICTION 0f being able 10 protect
Themselves, have wi'liully gone into the
way of peIil. But despite all this blushing
and trembling and swaggerIng and signing,
nothing has ever come OF leap year. II
remains 10 day, v hst II has been as far
beck as history REACHES, the most absurd
and inexcusable bunihug IN the list.
The Only feninlne advantage taken OF
tie leap y, ar privilege has been taken by
persons who are quite as willing to repeat
The performance III any other year. Moth
ing is changed. The relations between the
sexes are not so much as stirred into a
ripple. The world moves and society
floats down Its Tranquil stream just as if 10
such institution as lesp year had ever been
mentioned. From time TO time one hears
d little weak mndei talk concerning some
projected leap yesr manifestation. such as
q German OF a sOlree, where, 1t Is expected,
the ladies Will make the overiures, ask for
dances, and, generally, TO act part for
which ;hey are utterly unfit by nature, by
custom and by education. Bat these feeble
efiOI TO galvsnlZe-not corpse, for II
never was alive, but TO galvanIze CHI
mera-these efo-is, we say, invariably
dwIndle away, just as a mistaken smile
fades upon the face of the suddenly en-
hghtened, They peter out. They are
blown away with the small outburst of
simulated gsyety which prompted them.
They are, In fact. as idle and lnsincere as
the tradition itself is frs uiulent.
No well regulated rerson has any e Ief
ID OF Tcspect ioT tie sentimental aspect OF
leap year. No girl who rs pretty and at
tracuve feels dIsposed 10 reverse the nstu
TAI order o. thIFes and to seek instead OF
Icing sought. No girl who is pretty "a d
attractive, and at the same time judicIous,
IS going to abdicate her privileges and out
rage her iuclInatioDs merely in order to
accom- II oiate girls who are not pretty al
attractive. aud as for men, does any SANE
human being srppose that they would
cOuutenance innovation! Does any ore
suppose that desirable snd ornamental
society hack would venture to an enter
taInment It he knew that lie mis- ht at any
moment be borre down uIoI by any sere
and yellow dsmsel who chose to mark hin
for her prey?