Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-02-01
"a little month.


NF ALL little months February is the
" littlest. No wonder. In the making of
the Calendar, February took most of the
hard knocks. No wonder, indeed, that 1t is
n dwarfed, stunted, sawed-off month. One
might call it vacillating, IL it's vacillations
had not become regular. February, however,
need not be looked down upon, for 1t has
higher distinctions than its diminutive pro-
portions-and that mystery which 1t presents
to the youngster whose birthday happens on
the Goth. The joke, too, of vanished birth
days is unimportant.
Once there was no February, not even in
the Roman calendar, from which we derive
our own. Romulus never thought of it. The
omission was corrected by his successor in
the Kingship, Numa Pompilius, who decided
that 10 months were not enough and accord
ingly started off the year with January, rele-
eating February to last place. Three centu-
ries later-in 452 B. C.-the decemvirs moved
February up to second position. When 1t
was found that the calendar was still out OF
joint, February was selected as the goat to
be operated on and an intercalary month
was inserted every second year between the
23d and the gath day. j. Caesar abolished
that nuisance and assigned 20 days to Feb
ruary-3O days every fourth year-but Aug
ustus kicked because his month was shorter
NiitAA 'NASF ~ htAuo YIN u TO- wv
ruary and gave it to August.
The Month of Publication
Numa gave the month the name of Feb
ruarius, which comes from the Latin word,
februare, to purify. 1t is the month of puri-
f~ication. In Roman times it had that char
acter, and in the calendar OF the holy days
Of the Christian church. Candlemas is the
festival of the Publication of the Virgin.
Lent begins in February.
Our English ancestors designated the
snowdrop as the publication flower, partly
because of its whiteness and partly because
1t blossomed about the time of Candlemas.
In like manner, by the way, they designated
the crocus to st. Valentine, as 1t appeared
near the day set apart In honor of that friend
of Cupid,
Februa was a Roman festival of general
expiation and lustration. On the Ides of
February, the 18th, the Lupercaila were held.
Originally the rites were celebrated in honor
of Lupercus, who was the guardian deity Of
shepherds and kept the wolves away. They
We're associated, too, with the tradition OF
the shepherd who sucked the twins Romulus
and Remus in a cave at the foot Of Mount
Aventine; but the Lupercalla Of later times
bore no relation to the Romulus legend. The
object OF the festival was, by publication
and sacrifice, to secure the fruitfulness of
the land, the Increase of the hocks and the
prosperity of the whole people.
"On the Lupercal'
on this occasion. you know, the common
ers had come out "to see Caesar and to re-
joiee in his triumph" and when Antony, ON
that fateful Ides of March. had secured the
ears of friends, Romans, countrymen," he
reminded them thus;
You all did see that on the Lupereal
l thrice presented him a kingiy crown,
Which he did thrice refuse.
With such benehoent, religious and his
torical associations as February has accu-
mulated, it certainly is not the least among
the dozen months.
Poets may sing OF the THE leafy month Of
june" and "the merry month OF May but an
old book gives this humanity interesting de-
seriptlon.
The Red of thssApple
February comes In like a sturdy country
maiden, with a tinge OF the red. hard winter
apple on her healthy cheek. ana as sha
strives against the wind, wraps her russell
eolored cloak well about her, while with
bent hsad. ahe keeps throwing back the long
hair that blows about her face. and thourh
q times hair blinded BY ne slest ana snow
atth eopttaaes her course co4saeeoas
Though zoancer4 Hahs4lat4 ee,~