The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-01-16
Then wa children got TO talking about

J
nobody seemed to know how long 9 year
was or how to divide it. When the
changes of the moon were bigger thing
than going round the sun; when there
were only ten months in q year and q
year was only $50 days, and so January
kept falling back until it got to be sum-
mer instead of winter, when there were
no weeks except among the Jews, and
the month was divided by the Greeks
and Romans into three decades of ten
days each. When Julius Cesar tried to
regulate the calendar and made the year
365 days and gave leap year of 966.
But that didn't work exactly right, for it
made leap year eleven minutes too long,
and 80, as the centuries rolled on, it was
found in 1882 that old Father Time had
gained twelve days on himself or on the
sun OF something else, and Pope Gregory
concluded to set the old fellow back
peg or two, and he did. If pope could
make US all twelve days younger when he
pleased to do it he would be very popu-
lar man, reckon. But the calendar is
all right now, and the civilized world has
adopted it. It is eleven minutes fast
every four years, but as the year 1900 is
not to be leap year the gain will be
Cancelled when that year comes Leap
year used to double the sixth day of
March instead of adding day to Febru
ary, and so it WAS called the bis.sextile
year. 1t is we'll for the children to know
these things for they are worth knowing.
And now it is good time to right
wrong. It is late, but it is never too late
to do that. A year or so ago I wrote
about the wonderful power of Bishop
Capers over his hearers, and made men,
tion of what was told me about old Mar
tin Marshall, who loaned money at usury
and was hard, exacting man and he
ventured out to hear the bishop, and vas
so overwhelmed and convicted Of Gin that
he went around among his debtors and
restored the usury he had taken, and
published a notice in the paper for all to
come whom he had not seen, and 30 he
refunded several thousand dollars. I
penned it down just as it WAS told to me,
but not long afterwards I heard that this
story was greatly exaggerated, and that
some of the old mans grandchildren
were grieved. met one of them lately;
and in kind and gentlemanly manner
he told me how mad been deceived, and
how the numerous descendants of
good old man were hurt, but had remained
silent, for they knew that l had no intent
to do them wrong. 1t seemed that there
was foundation for the story, just enough
to build upon. Martin Marshall was one
of the best of men, and was honored and
respected by all who knew him. He was
a devoted, humble Christian, member
Of the church, and for many years sat in
his accustomed seat on every Sabbath.
He was liberal and kind to the poor as
long as he lived and left bequests to them
when he died. His negro slaves loved
him, aud were proud to call him "Mas
Martin" He was just and exemplary in
all his conduct, but it seems that he did
sometimes lend money at usury. Ten per
cent. was his charge, and it vas freely and
willingly paid. There was no suit, no
rupture, no hard feelings, no oppression.
When the bishop was illustrating broth
erly love and dwelt upon the Mosaic law
that forbade them exacting usury except
from strangers, his words found lodg:
ment in Martin Marshall's mind, and he
pondered upon it, and concluded that
perhaps he had done wrong in charging
the extra two per cent. on the loans he
had made to his brethren, and he did 60
round among them quietly andrestore it,
and hence the story. But the amount was
only few hundred dollars, all told. The
people loved to dwell upon and embelish
the sublime eloqueuce ofDr. Capers, and
80, long after Martin Marshall's death the
story grew and grew until it was the same
as told to me. 1t does me good now to
remove the stain that I unwiltiDgly
placed upon Martin Marshall's memory.
It is q good trait in our humanity that
prompts us to say good things of the dead.
Sometimes we sneer at the epitaphs upon
the tombstones, and mockingly inquire
where are all the bad men buried, but it
isnot right. When we cannot speak we'll of
the dead it becomes us to be silent. He
has appealed his case to God.
BILL ARP.