La Junta tribune., 1917-04-05

ing to name II thought and thought.
Then they looked all around them
out of doors. They saw how the
tiny leaves which had remained fold
ed in their warm overcoats all winter
were beginning to open. They saw
how the ground was growing soft so
that the grasses and plants might
push their green heads through.
They heard the birds singing as they
flew about looking for material for
new nests.
Then probably some one of them
said In Latin, that II was a beautiful
month any way. And then another
agreed with him, saying. 'omina
aperit,' which means in English, 1t
opens everything
Then one of them wondered why
that wouldn't be n good name for
this month. so they called II the
opener. or April
And though the Romans did not
have billiards nor such cold wealth
er as We have. think they must
have been as glad as we are to see
the spring come. for they had so
many feasts In April.
On the first day they gave a feast
to Venus. the goddess OF spring. She
was the goddess of love and beauty,
too. and was much loved by all the
people. They thought she came from
the foam OF the sea. Once a prize
was offered to the most beautiful
goddess. Juno. Minerva and Venus
each tried for II, for each one was
sure there could be no one more
lovely than herself. The prize was
a beautiful golden apple. Paris was
Judge and he gave the apples to
Venus. which made her happy and
The Others quite unhappy, which is
always the trouble with prizes-they
are sure to make some one feel sor-
~,
Venus has wonderful son
named Aeneas. whom you will learn
all about some day when you study
Y.atin. for he IL the hero of a story
told by a man named virgil In n
book called the Aeneid
Besides this feast 10 Venus. on
almost every other day through the
month. there were games and horse
races and festivals. til we wonder
II Roman school children had vaca-
tion every day.
THE world is too busy now to do
that, but In our country. and In Ger
many, In France. and In England.
people Ike to play Jokes on each
other on the first OF April
III you lived In Scotland you
would call 'gowk' to each other in
stead OF april fool And II YOU were
a little French boy or girl and one
or your playmates had fooled you,
he would say you were an April
fish instead of an April fool
But neither name is very had 80
long as II II all in fun, and We do
not mean TO be unkind TO one an
other.
There is another reason why we
are fond OF April. and that II be-
cause Easter SO often comes In II, as
II will this year. Easter Is named
FOR word that means spring. The
SaNons used to call April Easter
month
II wonder n you could tell me
how the men who make the almanacs
and calendars know on what day
Easter viii come. For Il IL not nj
ways the same day of the month, like
Christmas or Fourth OF July.
They tell us that spring begins
on the twen'y-first day OF March.
Long ago people used to count days
from tho full moon. or the new
moon. and that is the way they did
with Easter.
The almanac makers find when
the fun moon VIII first come after
tho iwenty-fIrst OF March. The firr,
Sunday after that n always Easter
This II hard TO remember. but |
hope you viii do H. no you can toll
some OF the grown up people who
forget so often. I hope. too. that you
VIII always be- very glad on Easter
sunday when the churches ars
trimmed with flowers. and hav,
their best music. And ! hope tina
tho little 'Bunpies.' that the German
children have told us about. vii
leave many pretty eggs Just whcr.
you can find them"
p1AHn G.nn SAgas