Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-03-10

old crust"t Jokes, such as March
forth. addressed to the retiring presi-
don't, and the cheStnuttv minstrel COM
mand 10 the stage soldiers. January,
February, March, Let Us remember
the Romans, even for this little. On
second thought, let us remember them
all the more as they were not i'll gen.
eril way humorous people.
April Is supposed 10 be SO called be-
cause things open about that time
tsttln ''aperlreo. 1t is the aperent
month, otospeak. Having mythology
the month is i'll this latitude sacred to
catarrh. When the new humanity does
away with all old superstition and re-
establishes Il pure Saxon language. as it
promises to DO. this will probably he
called Springchickennonth or Kuch-
leinmonath or SneeZcreeZer or some
tender little name of that instructive
sort.
May Is by common consent the syno-
nym for flowers and poetry, women and
children, music and moonlight-every-
thing sweet and soft. AS a matter of
! fact the popular poetry for the month
would suit the last half of it and the
first half of June much better. The
Romans namei it from Maia, daughter
of Atlas and mother of Mercury. The
Romans seldom got married in Nav, as
the festival of the dead WAS celebrated
early in the month. 1t is bad omen to
be taken sick III this month-especially
for farmers AMI gardeners.
Juno was the wife of Jupiter in elias
sic mythology and made it hot for him
hence June. Some say, however, that
it was so called because it was the
month for young men Guniores). Juno
was the great goddess of motherhood
and growing nature, and so the Romans
hOnored this month with her name. She
was also subject to sudden storms Of
wrath and jealousy and was very vim
dictive, which led Virgil to ask
In heavenly minds can such resentments
dwell?
August, with its thirty-one days, is q
perpetual reminder of how Augustus
Cesar (Octavius) slipped up on his uncle
Julius. He insisted on having big
month named for himself also, and SO
pulled the whole calendar around SO as
to bring two thirty-One day months to-
gether in midsummer, as in midwinter,
at the same time changing the name
from Sextilis, or the Sixth (Which it then
was), to Augustus. Dog days" prevail
in this month, because the sun is in CAMS
! Major, and Sirius rises about the same
time as the sup-at least SO the ancients
thought-but it is now known that the
heliacal rising of Sirius is peculiarly in
determinate, and therefore every dog
now has his day.
September is the month, and the 14th
the particular day, ON which the creation
Of the world was completed, according
to the old rabbins. The Russian priests
added that man was created in this
month, because more fruit ripens In it
than in any other. That was when they
had no ideas Of south latitude and had
never heard of the equator. In the
Roman calendar it was the seventh
month, and SO they named it from sep
tem-"seven."
October was the Romans eighth month
| originally, and therefore named from
octo-"eight." In the old legends it
was set down as the month in which
Adam and Eve were expelled from para
disc.
This was ninth (novem) month to the
Romans. 1t has long been a notable
month for signs and omens, as well as
religious dates, though no one can show
why. The Saxons called it blood
month" because they slaughtered cattle
and sailed away all their winters beef
in this month. The old Romans had
many important religious observances
in this month, and the Christians have
adopted some Of them. 1t closes most
appropriately with general thanks
giving for the fruits Of the season past.
The tenth (decem) month in the old
Roman calendar, but now the twelfth,
Is the month Of holy memories in all
Christian lands. The yule log and the
Christmas tree, Kris Kringle and Santa
Claus, the vacation, the home coming.
the gifts and the holidays-these are of
December. Christmas has conquered all
classes. The old Puritans fought against
1t in vain. So by the triumph of faith
and civilization combined the season of
cold and often of sleet and rain, the
time Of shortest days and longest nights,
is turned into the season Of greatest
cheer and hilarity. ]. H. BEADLR.