The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-01-28
Leap Year, It's Origin and Privi-
leC0S.

|
It was a chivalric conception Of the
astronomers when they were regulating
| the calendar of time, to award every
! fourth year to the fair sex who occupy a
state OF single blessedness. In doing so,
they were liberal enough to make it a
day longer than the ordinary year, in
order that they might have more lati-
tude in the exercise of freedom it is sup
posed to bring them. The idea Of leap
year is credited to Julius Caesar, who, it
seems, was puzzled as to what DISPOSE
tion to max of the extra five hours,
4S minutes, :and 40 ITO seconds that
overlap the 3j5 days that make the four
seasons Of the year.
February being the shortest of the
twelve months, the plan was adopted of
making a new day for it every four
years by adding the extra hours, minis
utes and seconds together and quadren-
This Topping off the extra time and add
ing it together was called a leap year,
an hence the term leap year. That
was long ago, when the centuries were
young, but the plan has been found to
work satisfactorily, aud the ladies have
never been willing to relinquish their
proprietorship in the year that they con-
slider their own, and during which they
are permitted without undue criticism
to take a hand in the courtships, which
are calculated to curtail the bachelor
hood of timid young men. And the per
tinent question is often asked: Why
should not a woman tell a man she loves
him if she chooses to, and propose to
him that their lives be cast together for
better Or worse? Men have monopoly
of the counting business for three years,
and if they are too modest to make their
wishes known, perhaps it is meet that q
woman should have the privilege once
in four years of taking the initiative
that is to lend to her domestic felicity.
They have a very illustrious example in
the person of Queen Victoria, who
courted Prince Albert and she made him
good wife. Patti did not hesitate to
tell the man she loved that she wanted
him for a husband, and he gladly &C
cepted the prefer of her heart and hand
More and more each year do the wom
en- in some localities embrace the oppor>
tunities Of their own year, and, if men
are to be believed, they are only too
glad that the ladies have a year of their
own an1a nerve to tell the men just
what they think on the subject of mar
riage. Lynchburg is full Of eligible
young bachelors, and they needn't blush
when tbs girls approach them on tender
subjects. Some men are SO contrary,
however, that they will not tolerate
but little use in a girl wasting her gold
en- leap year days upon them. This is
TO be a great year for the ladies who are
going it alone through life.
Sordid and perverse must be bache-
lor who can withstand their smiles and
the promptings ofstheir loving hearts. 1t
is SINGULAR coincidence, however, but
the statistics show that while there are
q great many marriages during leap
year, theE& are also a super-abundance
of divorce suits.
The young lady who has curbed her
fancy for the past three years, can I'M
reign now and tell the man she would
like to become his life companion. This
is their year, and if they do not appro-
pirate it to advantage, then it is all their
fault. Let no man blush or turn a deaf
ear to his fair speech-maker when she
asks him if he is not tired of being q
bachelor. Proposals for matrImony are
this year Of our Lord, 1892. -Lynchbatag
Neaos.