La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1917-02-03
STORY OF FEBRUARY
by Margaret p. Boyle

| ms month Is very Interesting III
many ways. Perhaps you are wonder
ing what its name means. so first OF
all we will speak of that.
! You may remember that the peo-
Pile who lived in Rome hundreds OF
years ago. instead Of having one god,
had so very many that 1t must have
been hard to remember what each
god was for.
AT certain time of the year
the fifteenth of February--they
used to have festival to which
many people went. Every one took
with him goats and dog. These an
imals were killed and offered to the
god.
After that, two young men were
chosen and brought to the altar
There. their foreheads were touched
with bloody sword. then wiped off
with wool dipped in milk.
After this they had great feast
The Romans thought great deal
OF their feasts and used to spend
much money on them. They liked
to surprise their friends with some
thing very costly for dinner, like
peacocks or nightingales. One man
had a dish OF singing birds for which
he pair over four thousand dollars,
l wonder II when this pie was opened
those birds began to sing.
Il am sure you would have been
surprised II you could have looked
at one of their tables, for instead OF
sitting up straight in their chairs,
every on at the table had couch
to lie on. Before they began to
eat, little bit OF each article OF
of food was thrown into the fire for
the household gods.
They were sure of having nap
kins, for each guest brought his own
with him. You would not have seen
any knives or forks on their table.
Instead. they each had two spoons,
very pointed at the end. Instead
OF one waiter to pass things. every
person had slave for himself
who carved his food or broke II up
into small pieces for him to eat, and
poured water on his hands after ev-
cry course. So you can understand
that their feasts took n long time.
AT this festival. when they had
finished eating. every one who had
brought an animal cut whip from
its skin. Then they formed in two
lines and ran around the city. whip.
ping every one who came near.
THE festival was called Februa.
ito. and the whips Februa. So when
they wanted a name for this month
they thought OF the festival and
called IL February
"a strange thing about February
is that II is the month that helps
to make Leap Year. You know that
all the months are of the same length
every year. except February. which
has twenty eight days every three
years. and twenty-nine in the fourth.
or leap year. You may not know the
reason.
when the wise men were making
the months and years. they found
that the year had three hundred and
siSty-fiye days and nearly six hours
In IL.
Now. every one OF you knows
that four skies make twenty-four.
and that twenty--four hours make a
full day. You see that at the end %
every four years there was whole
day. So they Just added this TO the
shortest month. February.
But. even though II is the short
est. II has more special days than
any other month. and ! am sure
every one OF you knows them all.
First Is the twelfth. and II could
hear your voice II would probably
be saying. That's Lincoln's Birth
day
And then you would ro on and
tell me the story OF poor boy Who
studied hard and learned all that
he could. and Of how. when he grew
up. the people thought so much Of
him that they made him president
OF our country. and OF how he
signed his name to n wonderful paper
which made all the colorcd people
free.
The next. the fourteenth. T. 81.
Valentines Day. and suppose II IL
my turn to tell the story OF that.
Long ago there lived In the
wicked old city of Rome. u man
named Valentine or vaientInus hut
he did not believe In many gods like
the Romans. but loved and served
only one God.
THE emperor did not like this. no