Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-21
ttVITHAT is,an equinox" said Titania


w pretended not to hear her and
prayed fervently that the inquiry would pass
from her mind Sometimes her questions. IL
ignored. effaced by some other thought
that possesses her active brain. tattled my
paper brisky and kept well behind it.
YES" I murmured husbandly, delicious.
delicious, My dear. you certainly plan the
most delightful meals" Meanwhile l was
glancing feverishly at the daily Quiz column
to see If that noble cascade of popular infor-
nation might give any help. 1t did not.
Clear brown ewes looked across the table
gravely. could feel them through the
spring overcoat ads.
- What is an equinox"
Il think / must have left my matches up
stairs" said. and went up to look for them.
I stayed aloft ten minutes and hoped that
by that time she would have passed on to
some other topic did not waste my time.
however; l looked everywhere for the Chill
dren's Book of Million Reasons" untii
remembered it was under the dinng-room
table taking the place of a missing caster,
WHEN / skunk into the living room again
w hastily suggested a game of double
Garfield, but Ttania's brow still per-
picked Looking across at me with that
direct brown gaze that would compel even
miliner to relent, she asked:
what is an equinox?'
tried TO pass it off flippantly.
"a kind of alarm clock" I said that lets
the bulbs ana bushes know it's time to
get up.
mo but honestly. Bob she said. Il want
to know It's something about an equal day
and an equal night, isn'tNt?'
'At the equinox" l said sternly, hoping to
oyerawe her the day and the night are of
eoual duration. But only for one night. On
the following day the sun, declining In peri
helion, produces the customary inequality
The usual working day is much longer than
the night of relaxation that follows II, as
yes" she said thoughtfully. but how
does it work? 1t says something In this ar
ticle about the days getting longer in the
Northern Hemisphere, while they are get
ting shorter in the Southern"
"Of course" agreed, conditions are to-
tally different south of Mason and Dixon's
line But as far\as we are concerned here.
the sun, revolving round the earth. casts a
benehcent shadow. which is generally re-
garded as the time to quit work This
shadow
II thought the earth reyolved round the
SUM- she said. wasn't that what Calico
"He was afterward discovered to be mis-
taken" i said That was what caused all
the trouble"
what trouble?" she asked much inter-
ested.
''Why, he and Socrates had TO take hem
lock or they were drowned In butt of
malmsey, really forget which"
well, how about the equinoctial gales?
Why should there be gales just them"
SSVITELL after the equinox" said Titania.
w do the days get longer?"
''They do" said "n order TO permit
the double-headers And now that daylight
saving Is to go into effect. equinoxes won't
be necessary any more. Very likely the pan
Russian soviets, or President Wilson. or
somebody will abolish them"
'June Fl is the longest day in the year.
isn't it?'
THE day before payday is always the
longest day"
"And the night the cook goes out is always
the longest night" she retorted. catching tho
spirit fthe game
Some day" threatened her. 'the earth
will stop rotating on its orbit. or It's axis or
whatever II Is, and then we will be like the
moon, divided into two hostile hemispheres.
one Perpetual day and the other eternal
| night
She did not seem alarmed, YES and I
| bet ! know which one you'll emigrate to-"
she said But how about the equinoctial
| gales? Why should there be gales just
i thenf' t. rr-rf y ~
7 HAD forgot about ne sauipoctsaI ss,ss.
); II; ;;;';' Z; v y