The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-01-18
FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS.
FACTS AND FANClES LIKELY TO
PLEASE THEM.

HSlfYsar's CYcle-Origin OF the Names
Of the Different Months-A Brave Little
Girl Bsfrlends an nltreated Horse.
Army Balloops-Other stories.
January. the first month Of the year, was
named from the double-faced god Janus
Wiz, in mythology, opened the year and the
seasons. Janus was janitor OF heaven and
guardian OF the earth. II is fitting, there
fore, that the entrance month 10 the year
Shout have been named tor him. New
Years Day used 10 De considered sacred TO
Toe god Janus, as it looked back upon the
old year and forward upon the new.
January had originally but twenty mine
days, but when Julius Caesar reformed the
calendar be added TWO days. Before the
time Of Nums about 100 b. Co. the year had
but ten moaihs; but Numa is said 10 have
added the months Of January and Feb
ruary.
Janus used % bee represented with two
faces, but OUT modern January seldom pre-
senis bat one, and that IL cold and forbid
ding. Among the >candinayians this was
ftt't'tt.fNf. NAIN..t NAN aNNMlu VI AAhls tuNtA
greatest god, ana later % was known among
luem az the Ice month. 10 was not unit
iormly The beginning OF the year among all
tristan nations until the eighteenth CEN
tlrg.
Numa placed February at the end Of the
year, and ia the calendar OF ROmulus II has
- place at an. 10 was first placed after
January about 40 b. T.. The word was
Ael from The Latin iebruare, TO purify; so
10 Il faN II
IaN Was held on the 10Th OF that mOnth.
julius Caesar added the 29ta day once In
four ycars 20 the calendar, and gave as our
Lap year.
Wit. 10 the first Of February marks hall
Tue winter gone. According 10 the OLD say
i1g
oa candlemas day. half your corn and half
your hay.
candlemss Day, the second day Of the
month. was first called 30 by the Roman
atl0llc Church from their festival Of that
DAY. The tspers and candles used IN the
'surch throughout lhe year are c0nsecrated
" Caldlsmas Day, ard the festival Is one
Dl gfeat antiquity.
Aarca }. taken from the Latin word Mar
gus. pertaining 20 Mars, aud according 10
ile early Roman calendar was the first
m lih OF the year. IL also marked the be-
Ing u the year among some Of the Latin
20 stlan nations until 80 late as the eigh-
ls' d century. The English legal year be-
90 Aarch zJih until the change OF style IN
here is an old English and Scottish prov
= hat says: March bOrrows three days
April, and they are H."
The first II shall be wind and weet;
me next 70 shall be snow aud sleet
ihe nlfd 10 shall b. SIC a freeze,
0hsli make the birds stick 20 The trees.
il Is disputed whether these borrowed
Gays be the last three ia March or the iirs,
tufee 40 April. One authority says that
"leu they are stormy days March Dorrows
mem OF April thath be may extend his Dius-
fiing reign a little longer. IL - quite Mt
uug' considering the character OF the
.,vhlh, that March should be named amer
Asis, TIE ancient esd Of war, Tor that
,li'hleal ruler was supposed 10 delight IN
le slaughter " men and the pillaglng OF
3Wn'' aud the March Of today seems 20 de-
"su' IN torturing mankind with the most
"sHa'atlng weather Of the year.
APrl derives its name from the Latin,
spehfe, TO open, and Is so called because
S Ouds open themselves at this time.
uis msntb, TOO, had but twenty-nine days
,tn julius Cesar's time, when he added
hirtielh day. Nero caused the month
called Ner0nius in his time, but that
su'Oa did not last long. Charlemagne,
49, sy also made a calendar az was quite the
"9, aloh In those DAYS, II seems, 70 get up a
nusrh called 10 grass month";" and the