The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-05
-Anour ronrrs.

A correspondent of The New Haven Register Is somewhat worried over the prevailing ana increasing scarcity, of comets in these latter dAys. and asks:
 Why don't we have semsts any them? Prominent among the recol- lecttons of ny boyhood are the stories messengers'' and their supposed infiu, ence upon all mundane affairs. Now adays even the word comet seems to ns nssd Deen so haTe lGrs0'tsn Comet % nswspapers, Comet" threshing machines. "comet" bobsieds and high wheeled bicycles. and I remsmber that l once wore q scientific or other explanation of the lack of comets in this day?
 Probably there are many who feel just as he does about the matter. No doubt there are already people, whose memories may not be fully reliable. who will tell us that comets were common things when they were boys and girls. Some of them will proba- bly tell you that when they were chii- dren they could so out almost any night and see comet leafing around in the atmosphere. and they. like this New England man. want to know what has become of the breed. As . matter of fact. comets are very uncertain members of the heavenly and astronomical family. Sometimes they come into our view when not expected. and sometimes when they are predicted to be on hand at q cer- tain date they fall to keep their en- gagenent and neglect to come at all. It has been more than quarter oi a century. since we had q comet that amounted to much. It was in 1882 if our information is not at fault. and since then re do net call te mind one of any consequence. t@
 There is prospect that we are to have the real thing this year ol next for they are predicting the re- turn of Hailey's comet very soon That is one worth while; or 1t wal when it paid it's last visit, but as fl has been. cooling it's heels somewhere in the vast and unexpected regions oi Infinite space for something like three. quarters of . century it would moi be safe to bet on it's return. It may have gotten itself lost somewhere in the great amplitude of atmosphere in which 1t has been roaming and moi come back at all. Then it Is possi- bic that It's long journey has SC weakened and emasculated it that il will be really insignificant object when 1t comes and not worth looking at And finally as even the estrono- .mers are not very intimately ac- auainted with the region in which EIaliey's comet has been spending itl vacation 1t may have gotten itself tangled up with some other mem. Der of the universe and not come hack to earth at all. Comets have disappeared before now. and this may have done iikswise
 If everything has been going on right with this .'bright particular star" or this flying and shining ob. l 5ect, we may reasonably expect 1t within a few months at most. and the older people will have reminder oi the days "when you and were young Maggie If we may drop into poetry It will also afford to the youths of the land an opportunity to see some thing they have not before been per. Initted to gaze at. And speaking oi comets, reminds us of one of Milton's comparisons: s.v
 Incensed with indignation Satan stood Unterrined, and like a comet burned That fires the length of ophiuchui
 huge
 In the Arctic sky. and from its horrit
 hair
 Shakes pestilenee and war.
 That is pretty rough, both on ol( Nick and the comet, but history show, that in the old days comet was al most universally regarded with horror and fears and was looked on as a sur, sign. that some great calamity wonlt follow. shakespeare makes one of hii characters say that no comets ars seen when beggars die, but "tht heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes and long since Shakespeare's day there have beer many who predicted war. when 6 comet appeared. They were so fal right that we may admit that there has been war somewhere and some time after the appearance of every comet. Thus have the prophets oi evil been sustained. Finally, let us hope that there will be no hitch ir the program this time. and that Hal iey's comet will show lip as scheduled and do itself credit.