The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1895-08-13
OLD AND NEW SYSTEMS,

Women must make the best use OF
their time possible in the enjoyment %
tue especial privileges accorded 10
them during the leap year of 1896,
inasmuch as they will lack another
opportunity until 1904, eight years
later. The maiden of IL can hardly
hesitate by reason of her youthfulness;
she will be twenty-five before she can
again unsurp mans privilege and do
the wooing, says the New York
Herald.
The expectant spinster must mass
every effort for next years struggle;
eight years more would render her
hopelessly passee Indeed, the pros
pect is sad from the feminine point OF
view, unless The coming century
ushers in the active reality of woman's
alleged rights; in such case it will be
sad, even sadder, for man. Centuries
are SO long that men and women for
get that the regulation of our calen-
dar requires every hundredth year
although divisible by four--not to be
leap year. 1t was settled years ago,
when the final changes in the calendar
were made, and to understand that no
ennlity against women was intended
an understanding of the methods of
reckoning the year is necessary.
The primeval system of reckoning
time was based on the moons changes,
as is shown in our word "month." By
the ruling of the moon months were
reckoned with either twenty-hine or
thirty days. Soon the ratio of the
seasons was made to serve as a stand
ard. 1t soon appeared, however, that
the two systems did not fully agree.
Ii was then that it was found neees-
sary to invent some means of adjust
| ment. One of the earliest means
devised was that in use among the
Egyptians. By their arrangement
the year was made mp of the seasons,
and included 365 days, with twelve
months of thirty days each. In order
to fill out the lack arising from this
system of months five supplementary
days were added at the end of the
year
The Jews reckond their year as
composed of twelve lunar months of
twenty mine and thirty days alternate
lly, and the discrepancy which resulted
was relieved by the occasional intro
duciion of thirteenth month. The
Syrians, Macedonians and kindred
peoples generally followed the Jewish
method. In pursuing this reckoning
seven years in cycle ofnineteen have
this intercalary month, and the num-
Der of days in any year varies from
353 to 1856.
The ancient Greeks made their year
to consist of twelve really lunar
months, but Scion in 594 made law
for the Athenians that the months
shonld comprise twenty-nine and thir-
ty days, with the addition of an inter-
GALAXY period occasionally. After
i
ward three times in eight years a
month of thirty days was added, by
which means the average length of
each year was made to be 3644 days.
Ancient Rome had but ten months in
the year, hut in the time of its Kings
the lunar year was introduced, num-
boring $3.50 days in the twelve months,
an occasional intercalary month be-
ing employed to make the necessary
additions. The Roman system Of
computing time, however, was besel
with many difficulties, and the gross
| ignorance of the priests caused them to
commit innumerable blunders IN their
reckoning, until chronology was hope
lessly confused.
Julius Caesar, in the year 46 B. G
devised the calendar which bears hi
name. In his system the year had
365 days, save every fourth, which
had $3.50, making the average aboul
1851. Exactly reckoned, the year wac