Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-05-11
THE HEAVENS IN MAY.
Northing. the sun "Wakens Nature to
Don Her Verdant Garbr
(F'rom the New York Times.) 80

The sun now moves moae leisurely on
his way to the highest point that he
reaches in his northern progress and his
face is wreathed in smiles as he sees
what changes his warm rays have
wrought in nature's garb. The green
leaves have uncoiled themselves 10 attract
more warmth, the butterflies ase making
themselves seen, the birds nests are be-
Ing built here and there, and the welcome
warbing of their builders delights the
ear.
The month of May is never monotonous,
but fills us with joy, and hope for the
charming times Of the coming summer,
In the early incoming, as the darkness OF
the night is turning into gray, tbs a pleas
IRE to watch for the suns first appear
ance, as he comes above the eastern hori-
ION to take a peep at Inc waking day,
and turns the little dew drops into pris-
matte balls that, all too soon, melt away
under his powerful influence.
We are told that the twelve labOrs Of
Hercules are the labors OF the sun, fox
which Hercules is an old name, through
the twelve signs of the zodiac. Chronos or
Time being measured by the apparent
motions of the heavens, Is figured rs the
child. Time, the universal pal ent, deNours
its own offspring. yet Is again Itself, IN
the high faith of a human soul, conscious
of its power and endurance 1t Is suppos-
ed to be bafted and dethroned by Zeus,
or Life. And so on through all the elabor-
ate theogouies of ancient Greece and
Egypt
The last quarterins of the April moon
occurs on the I'd, followed on the 18Th by
the new moon. which enjoys its first quar-
ter on the 18th and is full on the 10Th, i'll
which state May leaves it, AMI who can
blame her? The planetary conjllnctioss
begin on the 7th, with Venus, she and the
waning crescent being at their closest for
the month Some few hours later there
is meeting between the inOon and Mer-
curry. but there is no chance Cor the spec
tacuiar, as both aSe 100 near the sun, and
there is also too great great space he
tween the two.
Neptune and the growing crescent are
next to take up the threads. and there
ere only two degrees somewhat Less in
facO separating the two. This, the clos
est of the monthly meetings follows ~
closely after the sun that We cannot view
it with unaided vision. When Mars turn
comes, on the 18th, the face of the moon
has grown so and gives out 80 much ligh;
that the planet is not sufficiently conspic-
uous to cause us to oXclaim very enthu-
siast'ically at the picture.
/ on the 22d Jupiter is passed at very
respectful distance. However, this little
GOODNESS between the two is temporary
and later on in the year they will add ma
ter!ally to our pleasure. Uranus, on the
18th, the day OF the full, and Saturn, the
following day, might make very pretty
tableaux were it not for the too great
b~illiancy of the full faced moon.
The splendid consultations Orion ant
the Greater Dog take thei. leave in May
and will not make their appearance agar
in the evening until early winter. g'heii
leading brilllants Sirius, Betelguese AM
Rigel. may be seen for short time after
sunset in the early part of the month. hu
they will have vanished long before th'
month ends. And with them will depar
Adebaran, the most conspicuous lumln
AIRY in tho constellation of the bull.
Tho fast magnitude stars long with us
which remain throughout the month, arr
Procyon, Of the constellation of the Les
ser Dog, in the southwest; Castor ant
Pollux of the Twins, In the west Polu,
being the further to the south and tn,
brighter of the two; Capella, of the Char