Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1881 — Information for the Million. [ARTICLE]

Information for the Million.

The year 1900 will not be a leap year 1896 and 1904 will be leap years. To explain the reason of this, we will give you a short account of the change of style in the calendar effected by Pope Gregory XIII. He found that the error of eleven minutes in the Julian calendar had amounted to ten days. He, therefore, deducted ten days in October, 1582, and, to prevent a recurrence of the error, it was ordered that every year ending a century should not be considered a leap year except the multiples es the year 400. Thus, 1600 was a leap year, but 1700 was not, nor 1800, nor will 1900 be; but 2000 will be a leap year, and every 400th year after it. In England we did not adopt the Gregorian calendar till 1752 ; consequently, with us, 1700 was a leap year, and we were eleven days out. These were subtracted, and, at the time, the measure enacting the alteration caused considerable uneasiness and some few riots among the poorer people, who could not comprehend the matter, and raised the cry of “ Give us back our eleven days !” The Greeks and Russians still retain the old style, so there is now a difference of twelve days between their date and ours, because they have considered 1700 and 1800 as leap years. The term “bissextile,” as applied to the leap year, was given by Julius Caesar when lie reformed the calendar, giving the additional day every four years to February, as being the shortest month, and caused it to be inserted between the 24th and 25tli. Bv the Roman mode of reckoning, the 24tn of February was called the sixth before the Calends ot March, and the intercalary day was, therefore, named bis sextus dies (the second sixth day), and the year bissextilis (containing the second sixth day).

It costs but little to make a child glad ; it costs bnt little to secure the grateful remembrance of a child; but if it cost a hundred-fold more than it does, it would be a profitable investment. It pays well to have a monument erected to ourselves in a child’s memory and affections. And this we may have by a little thoughtfulness and attention.