Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 February 1904 — The Middle of February. [ARTICLE]

The Middle of February.

M jnday February 15th, was the middle day of the month. As it is only once in four years that February works tn a middle day on ns, and not always that often, it is not pnmeet that the event should be taken some n >ie of. On Ibra 41st degree of north latitude the sun rose Monday at 6:56 a. m, and, the sup always rises in .the a. m. as we have noticed for a long time past,, though not so much in the a. m. now as it will in a few months from now* as would-be late sleepers will learn t«> tbeij sorrow. It will set at 5:33 p. m„ and that gives qs an a, m 5 hours and 4 minutes ■bug, and ap. m. 5 hours and 3 f minutes long. The difference in length of the aftern< on over the forenoon, being where the late risers score again. The day’s length is 10 hours and 37 minutes. This is an hour and 22 minutes increase over the “short and dirty” da vs of Darkest Deoetnher- A«-d that is one of ibe grea' .d vaniages February has over December and January. Though the weather may-get as cold, and th■•torms rage as fierce, yet there is ■»<> muon more daylight and sunlight in February that it is a much more cheer: uI month than the >ther winter months. And the -un is not only brighter and longer ut straighter and stronger, so .r.oat it gets in its work much better mt removing the snow and ioe, when they appear. Moreover in February, especially initbe lat'er half of it, now happily tittered into, the of man per >eiveth a prophecy of the near approach of spring, and thus the cold and storms are endured with more lonrage. In the latter part of Feb- • narv: The early birds are coming The early sap is running The early sports are gunning And the heart of man rejoices that Spring again is near.