The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1891-04-11
WEATHER-WISES SAYINGS.
IN DAYS OF OLD THEY WERE
SET TO RHYMES.
Some OF the signs OF the Skies and Their
Accepted signihcance-But There
Was Nothing Scientific In
the silly saws. -

the soil for tho means OF subsistence,
are so dependent upon the changes OF
temperature and the alterations OF
foul and fair, OF wet and dry. that IL Is
not surprising that questions regarding
the weather, should from timq imme-
mortal have boon made q subject for
particular attention. Long. therefore,
before there was any meteorological
bureau TO enlighten the world with its
scientific predictions, people had begun
to study the face Of the sky. the shift
ing OF the wind. and the changes of
the moon. and to embody the resultsof
their observations in rough and ready
rhymes and proverbs for the guidance
OF themselves and those who should
follow In their steps.
One OF the most widespread and pop
ular OF these old neutrality-suspicious.
was that which attached peculiar
and miraculous Importance TO two par
ticular days in the year. The first of
calendar rs Saint Paul's Day, from the
fact that this is the alleged anniversary
of the conversion of the great apostle
to the gentiies. The vulgar opinion
was that from the aspect OF the weather
on this day, representations might
safely be made for the whole subse-
quent course of the year. ''If," says n
very old writer, referring to the sub
ject, lit be fair day, it will be a
pleasant year; II it be windy. there will
be wars; IF cloudy, it doth foreshow
the plague that year," while Shop
herds Almanack, dating back to the
year 1876, further informs us that IL
on that day there we're mist. there
would be famine in the coming months
and il thunder, then high winds and
great mortality.
These opinions, as usual, found ex-
preston in verse. For instance, there
was an old latin stanza which was very
popular and of which the following
lines forms one OF several English ver-
sions:
! IF st. Paul's Day be fair and clear,
1t doth betide a happy year;
| If clustering winds do blow aloft,
| Then wars will trouble our realms full oft !;
And IL 1t CHANGED to snow or rain,
Then will be dear all sorts of grain"
Even moro important for the wealth
er-wisc of the past was the 10Th OF
July, day which, as the feast of st.
Swithin is even to-day by no means
shorn Of all its former reputation. In
England, at all events, 1t is not unusual
to hear people OF some pretense to edu-
cation, frequently in joke, perhaps, but
sometimes partly in earnest, remark
that ns st. Swithin's Day Is wet or dry
Gas the case may boy, so for forty days
thereafter there would be continuance
of the same kind OF weather. Thus the
old rhyme ran:
est Swithin's Day, II thou dost rain
For forty days it will remain;
st. Swithin's Day, II thou be fair,
For forty days twill rain no more"
The commonly accepted explanation
Of this ancient and widespread super
stition is too curious to be omitted,
though its value, even as tradition,
has been authoritatively impugned.
! st, Swithin was bishop OF Winches-
ter, who, after his death in 1852, was
canonized by the pope. 1t is said that
he had expressed wish to be buried
in the open churchyard. and not as
was usual in the case of bishops, in the
chancel OF the cathedral. Some time
afterwards, however. the monks OF the
establishment were seized with a fit of
pious Indignation at the thought that
SO great and good n man should sleep
his last sleep in so humble, and, for u
saint, so unseomly spot; and Needless
OF his well remembered desire, they
determined to convey the body in great
state into the cathedral and renter 1t
there. But just as they were on the
point of their operations a heavy rain
burst forth, which continued without
interinission for forty succeeding days.
The monks ever ready to regard any
departure from the ordinary course of
nature in miraculous light, at once
interpreted the tempest as a special
warning from heaven, and relinquished
their neutrality-suspicious. 1t said st.
Swithin's day derived its prophetic
character In relation to the condition
of the weather for the ensuing six
weeks.
| But when our forefathers were con-
tent TO limit themselves to a less extern
sive field OF prophetic vision--when,
instead OF undertaking to settle the
weather for weeks or months before
hand, they simply attempted to provide
against the changes Immediately APP
preaching, they were great deal more
successful. Many Of the wise laws
upon which they placed such implicit
reliance are not to be laughed at or
thrown aside with scorn. based though
they were, not upon scientific data or
reasoning. but on simple observation
and experience. Everybody, I sup
pose is familiar with the curt little
verse which runs:
"A.rainbow IN the morning
Il the shepherds warning;
| A rainbow at night
| Il the shepherds delight
But not everyone who repeats It Ii
aware that statement which it con-
tains 10 capable OF scientific verifca-
ton. So. too. with such common
adages as
| s1f red the sun begins his race.
| Be sure the rain will fall apace."
And
Evening red and morning gray
g. - - q Il -