Palestine daily herald. [volume] (Palestine, Tex.) 1902-1949, 1906-12-15

solar time. In this year the vernal
equinox had refrigerated, from March
II to March IL. To correct this, Pope
Gregory XIII ordered that ten days
be suppressed in the almanac of 1882,
by making October 10 Immediately
follow October A; and to prevent re-
currence of the same trouble, he or
dered that from that time onward only
such centenary years as are multi-
pies of 400 should be leap years. This
is why 1900, 1900 and 1900 were not
leap years. By this Gregorian calen-
dar the legal year is so nearly iden-
teal with the astronomical year that
it would require several thousand
years to bring about a variation of
only one day. But it is remarkable
how reluctantly this excellent calen-
dar was adopted by many of the Chris
tan countries. So strongly attached
were they to the time honored Julian
calendar, and so bitter was the oppo-
sition to Roman Catholicism, that even
enlightened England refused to adopt
this GregoriaD calendar until 1852;
and Russia has not adopted it yet.
This is the origin of that difference in
dates known as "old style" and new
style" The former was according to
the Julian calendar, the latter accord
ing to the Gregorian. The difference
of time between old style and new
style is now 10 days, instead of 10
days Gas in the time of Gregory, ow-
ing to the fact that since 1882 we have
had three centenary years (1700, 1900
and 1907, which according to old
style were leap years, but according
to new style were common years.
Russia may be 13 days ahead of the
stars in counting time, but she is
amazingly slow in some other things.
What lessons may we learn from
the foregoing facts? Perhaps the
most important truth which they sug.
gest to us is the Transforming power
of Christianity. The kingdom of
Christ possesses the remarkable
power of assimilating everything with
which it comes in contact 1t, has
changed the nature of individuals. in
situations, nations, and literatures. 1t
has put new meaning into thousands.
of terms in the worlds vocabulary.
Not only were the pagans themselves
converted, but the very names of their
idolatrous customs were regenerated
and made to express Christian thought
and sentiment. "Yule" and Wei
nachten" no longer refer to worship
of the sun, but to the alteration of
the sun of righteousness" A new
heart has also been put into the word
love; and hence, the benign doctrine
OF the brotherhood of man has crush
ed slavery. subdued the savagery Of
war, and given birth to the science OF
Christian sociology. Verify, under the
magic touch of Christianity "old things
are passing away and all things are
becoming new
Another important truth suggested
by these facts is that pure Christianity
has always been the friend of advanced
learning. AS much as this truth has
been assailed by infidels, it still re-
mains true that the sciences, as well
as all other departments of human
knowledge, have fiourished most in
Christian countries 1t was not an
infidel, but a Roman pontiff, who had
the civil calendar so corrected as to
put it in harmony with the most exact
astronomical calculations. Christian
truth, though Interchangeable in princi-
pie, is nevertheless flexible in form,
and adapts itself easily and consist
emily TO all the established truths of
science. Hence, genuine Christianity
has always been in harmony with the
worlds highest culture; and it is in
Christian lands that we find the most
and most famous institu-
lions of learning. So obvious is this
'act that even cultured infidels prefer
70 bask in the luminous hight of Chris
ian civilization rather than dwell in
he dismal darkness of pagan lands.
Ever since the day that time began
% be reckoned Ammo Domini," even
ikeptics have made involuntary ac-
inowledgment of the supremacy of
Christ. Every time an infidel dates a
'ook or document, he acknowledges y
in black and white" that the king
IONS of this world are becoming the
kingdoms of our Lord and of his
}hrist. c. w. Meyers.
Palestine, Texas.