The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-12
eomrTHINC or LEAF YEAR.

exil lear year is a matter of doubt. and careful investigations fall to throw light upon it. One theory, says an ex- change. of It's origin Is that u came into use because the dates after the extra day Is added to the shortest month advance two. instead of the usual one---thaf is, leap over day. An other hypothesis regarding 1t makes the designation of the fourth year Ynisnomer on the theory that 1T the fourth year had been one oay sno.. .u,, 2 than in other years day would fesily have been leaped over. or, rather, that The three intervening years between 1eap years are years in which day ls leaned over. Another suggestion IS that when the extra day in Feoruary was first added it was considered tne same as the day before in the eyes or tbs law-that is. a day was actually Ieaped over For the year began with the month of March in the early years of the Christian Era. when the Juiian calendar came into use. and the eNtIs day was counted as bissext'le. or tns second sixth day before the calends ot W.rcb being mt in between the 2fth and s5th of February. instead Of at tne end of the month, and legally counted the same day.
 The origin of the especial privilege conferred on the fair sex by the re currence of leap year yr,.,sa is a'so so.r,hss the
  ,~an wear custom of feminine proposais ~s uarriage to no less person than .. pstrick. If is told in the myth re- rarding this that the saint. atter ,. n.s labor in driving the snakes ou, VI .,.,, land. was met by St. Bridget. wno hsm th.t there was much complaint amons sb. runs in her care because tney ulu ~at have the privilege of proposlns ynarriare. The rule of celibacy ih lno astie orders was not made strictiy u n.h ing in those early days or tne aa,.hst. rs.,.n1s acceded to the wishes or Ss. prsaset ana said that he would sNe sL rriytiare to women or popPrns tL .,,estion for one year .n seven. p1. i. st Fridget threw her arms apou ,"',si [ ,,ec, and said, "Arrah. Patrick, ,t,, s,ch Iaren't go back to the siris ,n four nronosal Make 1t one yesf ssint The legend goes on to say tn as ..,saA "Riddy, acushla. squeeze @ srps ,vav again and I'll give you iOap sss~r she longest one of the lot.
 Then St. Bridget made olrsSs h,,, x,asai of marriage to S. s.Sacy had he. mindful of his VOW ol e ,,. tbe diffi- .,4,, ,ytth kiss and the gi1t ol
 sst,-nrn So the custom srew r ssa. ss a man refused leap year pt ,,,-
 .s, ns must give a kiss ano s. va-rr This only went out or Fos"s century or so ago. ,ess oues- s,. anthorIty that in l2ss tn,s s nassed in Scotland' -. s,a ordatnt that during tne s,,,
 - ,ratst btfssit megeste ioI s.aars lenowne as lepe yeare In statt Ss- If bothe highe and ioWo nan shel1 have liberte to bespeAe .a,,, her she likes. albeit he relusss .hsu be .Asa1 to in ve sum ane pundis Q. a. =. ~.t.,t may be; except ana As I.s esr make it appeare that he sns.. sn ~re lther woman, he then s sna . sree.. Similar enactmsnIs are ssaa tn France, Genoa anu ,,,n,s an There -tsh;n n and Matrimony is- os9, Tnodou in 16os. whicn
 sus 4hat the leap year privhese l Ipren ..a e mart of the common Ia" - s,and It says: "Albeit IL ho .n a mart of the common iaw ..a. es s.rd 10 social relations or hre e.,,ry inc s.e =. leape yeare doth reIusm often as ie the sole privilege during s.a ,t continueth of making ioNo' ths hv, vordes or lookes, as 10 the'n ~ e.s..t, rranar: and, moreover, no Han s.s,, ha entitled to benefit or clersy whe doth in any wise treat ner Pf'P' al with slight or contumey' H.. iaan TNCOrQS
 - do not show that there IS any - ,dsrance over other years when sn or,veiege of popping the question "a n,,nnosed to be restricted 10 tne , ~ aex. and there is no recoru oA .s.,as @ { effort to extend leap year .s.ss to the other years, wnlen Sie
 firnes as many in number.
 possini. the celebrated Italian oper- ..tc comnoser. whose birth took place on February 2s, 1Te2, had oirthoay rartv when he was seventy-tWo yeaIs old. and declared to his assemDlea friends that 1t was his elsntcens' hirthday and that it was his nrm pur- ssn.- to aturn over a new leaf and dis rerard the frivollties of youth and the s-s%tseratIons of this teens" This oc- cured on February 29, 1884. but, oddly, he had forgotten in the reckoning that inc year 1900, not being divisiois oy 4o0. under the Gregorian calender was nt Ieao wear. SO that really 1t was his seventeenth and not his eighteenth actual birthday, or anniversary or ms birth. There is q superstitutton in New England that in leap year beans STOW on the wrong side or the pou but no basis for 1t is ascertalnaole'
 +
 A PRETTY BIRTHDAY PARTY.
 One of the smartest little folks at- fairs of the past week was the party given by Ma1vina Coleman, little daughter Of MT. anu hTN- FHdfOS CO'C- man, to Kathleen Foster. little dAugh- tor of MT. and Mrs. J. Nj. Foster, at which the fifth birthdays of both the little girls were celebrated. There were about fifty guests and the home was decorated 1 na color scheme of pink and white. The table at which refreshments were served and on which the two birthday cakes were cut, was adorned with pink roses. In the cen Ire was a basket of pink roses in which were placed smaller baskets of rabbits. Easter eggs, and chickens. On each of the two cakes burned Ave pink can dies
 The little hostess and her guest of honor were gowned in tailettes of pink and white. At one end of the table stood Miss Kathleen Foster with Mas ter Charles Thigpen and at the other Miss Malvina Coleman with Master William de Funiac.
 Games of every description were the occasion greatly.
 The young hostess presented her guest of honor with a eilver spoon as souvenir of this celebration of their joint birthday.
 MRS. CHENEY CELEBRATES
 DIST BIRTHDAY
 Among the interesting social events of the week was the informal recep- ton at which Mrs. Augusta Bellinger Cheney entertained a number of her