The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-07-07
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

NJ ~ tnJbs anu IN NO UMvc ~ut1D
OF tS. snir;s and iAlr rye S'', dss S asastS:'s 1. ' ssss
isTtasr osli.c. US . sssuns sast 6s..I en.ss:dd
, ali,sr d sSo month sse. a, A. sns % MATT S q fact no s ;RST.n
neddle with the four months May. July, October
esisn asr'n and sn sSss hs &. 'a ssn .SsiuS ssS' asy ~ w sas
added as follows, Two each % January. August
s ssq 1ssfT ssy;s aaS one Il s'' ss 20 APT a.S Ss'; si sssss%s
days TO October that upscts the theory OF gym
a, whom the Julian calendar began, fell on Msron
- Cesar makes II March "a This difference OF
sy 70 have twenty, nine days regularly then his
ference Of two days. Us
Suetonius is our authority for the change of the
name of Sextflis 70 August In honor Of that Emperor.
and he explains why Augustus preferred, COM
memoraton In the month Of his trtumphs rather
than In the September In which he was born; but
nc says not q word about any alteration In the mum
Der OF is days. In the year of the Dccemvfrf,
TO which Julius applied his corrections In amend
ing the calendar. the months having 81 days were
March. May. Quinctlis July and October; April.
June, Sexans Augusp September. November,
December and January had ~ days. and February
~. making q year OF SS days. His addition, of
ten days was accomplished by adding two days
each 70 Sextflis. December and January, and one
day each 10 the other dccemviral months which
had ~ days. Thus II Is made clearly 10 appear
that August owes It's 81 days to julius and no more
than It's name 10 Augustus. Tho matter 10 fully
discussed md authors cited IN the article Calen-
danum In DR.. Smiths Classical Dictionary The
authority for Mr.. woolhouse's statement In the
Britannica has not boon identified In an examins-
ton Of these citations. -....
,,I would ny. to gst some ,niormsuon reesrdins
me origin OF the Celtic -Beitane or Bcltein Fires"
] I believe they were kindled on hi1tops about the
IN ireland and also about he f m,'s Hod sMojloch'ss
Perhaps some Of your reader. could give me tho
i n.% .,si 81 some authorities who hsSs written on
The literature OF the Beitans nres is by no means
extensive. OF the later nickering embers Of the
celebration an account Is presented In Armstrong;
Gaelic Dictionary under the word BeaItainn. A
comprehensive narrative of the observance y
embraced In the twentieth chapter OF J. Grimm's
-Dcutsche Hydrologic" In the fourteenth volume
or transactions of the Irish Academy the topic is
entertlningly discussed. The name embraces
Bel or Besl. said 70 be the Celtic light god. and IN
or teins. which may mean Are. The resemblance 10
the Bel or Bsai of the Semitic scriptures Is purely
fortuftous. The nrst mention OF ReItane In literature
Is the account given by Conmae, Archbishop Of
Cashel. about s0s. He says that In his time two
nres were tndled and that men and cattle which
passed through the narrow lane between them
received Immunity from disease. MoIoch, pref.
ersbly holech, an obscure deity OF the land Of
Canaan. the sbomination of the Ammonites,"
was yet one OF the gods to whose cruel rites tho
Jews OF the royal days most m fell away.
There Is such an absence OF external reports on
the subject that one may secure all that may be
known as 70 this god and his cult by following ous
the various references In the Old Testament.
When. where and under what circumstances did
the American naval of1cer clear ship for action,
saying that blood was thicker than wsterf PENN.
The words were spoken and the deed was done
by Commodore Josiah Tstnsll At the. English BON
bsrdment OF the Pei no forts Ia June. 1859. There
were two items In the help which he gave TO the
English. BY his orders the American launches
assisted In towing the British marines 10 . point
where they could make the attack on Taku. Again
when he went aboard the British flagship 10 oner
the services of American surgeons his boats crew
joyfully served one of the forward guns. a feat of
war which the Commodore was not supposed
ofhcially to know. though his suspicious may have
led him TO protract his call. When brought 10 book
for his violation Of international law Tstnall made
the classic response which. won popular opinion
70 his side and saved him the repnmsnd which
otherwise the Government might have admins.
tered. Commodore Tatnall resigned out Of the
navy In 1851 to follow the fortunes of his native
STATE Georgia and was an scuve-though never
distinguished O1cer In the Confederate States
navy. In this service he was best known as the
commander OF the Virginia MentmAc) when n
was found necessary TO destroy her at the with
drawh from Norfolk. He died In 1871 in an humble
port once At Savannah which had been created
for the sole purpose OF ameiiorsting the narrow
circumstances In which he was left al the end of
the war.
Ny little Eirl Is taught In the public school To call
Am ] right or wrong, A. P.S.
Right on every score. the schooimarms as always
TO the contrary Notwithstanding. The only way
20 combat the scholastic wanderings from English
Is 70 cite the dictionary. and in this the teachers
VIII be satisfactorily found COMPOUNDED. In de-
inning the word pen the Standard says by extern
sion. tho pen and holder united" The teachers
seem 70 have accepted this extended sense and
than tn WnYk harkward a q HtHAr~nttsslAa -