The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-12-15
SHORTEST DAY NEAR.
After Next Saturday the Sun
Will Assert Himself.
THE SKIES OF DECEMBER.
Two Full Moons This Month. and Other
Notable Iliuminations Of the
Permanent.


about whirled itself away. and. clear cut
against the sky we now see ne naked
branches stripped for their long winters
nght with old Boreas. What a fairyiike
picture they present, when. after rain
followed by frost, they show tracings as
though made OF the most delicate lace,
and how they sparkle and crackle under
the suns rays. Our days are now almost
at their shortest. and before the new year
comes they will again begin 20 ieng1hen,
but TIRE cold at the same time begins 20
strengthen, so we shall hardly appreciate
the additional amount OF sunlight for sew
eral weeks TO come. on the 2ist. the
shortest dav OF the year. the sun enters
the sign OF Capricornus. and astronomical
winter begins. AZ the same time Old Sol
turns his beaming face 10 the northward,
and begins his six months journey in our
direction.
These journeys OF the sun and other
heavenly bodies all had peculiar signid-
canoe TO the ancients. and. while they
were unable 10 formulate any rules, they
depended upon the return OF the phenom-
ena with almost the same regularity that
We do. While these people did not appar-
entity know why one idea OF which they
were conscious should be more true than
another. and looked around them in CON
tinual surprise. eonjecturng fantastic ex-
plantations Of all that they saw and heard,
siderably. II was never. perhaps, believed
seriously as a scientific reality that the
sun was the chariot OF Apollo, or that sat-
urn had devoured his children, or that
earthquakes and volcanoes were caused
by buried giants, who were snorting and
tossing in their sleep. but also il was not
dlsbelieved- Legends grew as nursery
tales grow now. There is reason TO believe
that In their origin the heroic tales Of
every nation which has left a record OF it.
self are but poetical accounts OF the first
impressions produced upon mankind by
the phenomena Of day and night, morning
and evening. winter and summer.
Pluto carries Proserpine TO Hades, her
mother complains OF the rape. and the
gods decide that she shall reside alternate
ly for six months in light and a similar
term in darkness. Proserpine is the genial
spirit of warmth and long days, and life
and productiveness, lock away in win
ter In the subterranean world, and return
ing TO earth with the spring. Seven and
twelve are mystical numbers recurring
continually in all legendary histories. The
number seven" refers 10 the five planets
known before the invention of the tele-
scope. and the sun and moon. the seven
bodies that seemed TO have proper mo-
ton among the dlamondlike points OF light
known as the fixed stars. The number
twelve came from the twelve moons
phenomena We're personified. passed into
narratives of fact. and became the founda-
ton of heroic poetry. The tale OF Troy, or
the songs Of the Edda, Achilles and Sieg-
fried, and King Arthur, are historical per-
sonages as much as, and no more than,
the woods and fountains are the habita-
ton OF dryads and water spirits. In those
ancient times. when the minstrel touched
his Tyre in the banquet hall OF the chief.
the listeners were not expecting. Ike a
modern learned society, 10 have their I'M
derstandings instructed: they wanted to ID
interested amused. and seen by their fell
lows, and cared nothing for useful knowl-
edge. After all, is not history constantly
repeating itself in some. If not all, of these
particulars?
The moon presents FIVE phases for us TO
admire this month, as there are two full
moons, the latter on the last day OF the
year. The moon will be quite high over
head. and will not seem quite SO large
and round as it does when further south
In declinatlon. However our satellite Is
always sympathetic. be it in midsummer
or midwinter, and. could We calculate how
many pauses in the conversation its beau
tiful round face fills, 1t would fairly rival
the weather as a topic of conversation
were it not so badly Handicapped by the
fact that We always have the latter with
US, whereas we are now and then some
what short in the matter of moons.
Jupiter is working his way toward the
point where he changes from a moyning
to an evening star, but he viii hardly get
there before the year closes. so that we
shall have him and Venus riyaling each
other in the morning skies throughout the
month. However. before many weeks have
elapsed. he Will be getting up as the sun
goes down, and after little waiting we
shall have him in one section OF the heav-
ems trying to outshine Venus in the other.
Venus, having reached her position at tbs
extreme western Limit Of her swing. is now
again progressing toward the center Of tho
solar system TO get a little more FURNISH
ing done. so that when she reappcars TO Il
as an evening star there Will be no dissent
ing opinion as 10 her claim as the most
beautiful and enticiug Of the bodies that
adorn the blue OF heaven We are not yet
u lose her. however. from cur morning
tableau. as she Will for some time usher in
the light Of day. which alone is sufficient
TO pale her beautiful face Saturn is morn
ing star, and as he moves 10 the west
ward. he. on the I'D. encounters Venus as
she moves IN toward the SUM- The meeting
q extremely close. but the time appointed
Is hardly convenient. and comparatively
few spectators VIII b. present 70 encour-
age the performers. However. what hap
pens in the morning sky repeats itself iatec
on IN the evening. and there are various
treats II store for Us in the coming year.
OF which more will be said later on. The
advertise "a iusinuated simply 10 call
attention to the present az the proper
time 20 engage a ticket for the whole
show.
Tho ~ nf I