Page 4 Advertisements Column 1

Manawatu Herald, 27 January 1898, Page 4

FEBRUARY HOLIDAYS. Xhe Most Remarkable of Sovet-al Notable l>ays That Occur In February. Short as the month of February la it manages to draw within its compass days which are notablo enough to merit more than pa iing notico. The churchman, historian und ploasure soeker all find in this mouth days of a very marked charaoter, in instance of which may be cited Candlemas day, St. Matthias' day, St. Valentine's dny, Washington's birthday, Bto. The most notable day in February, Which is more often than not notable by its absence, is the 29th. Says a writer in jthe New York Times: The chances are 1,460 to 1 that no reader of this article was born on tho 39th of February. There aro 8(35 days in an ordinary year, three of which come together, and then comes "loap year," with 866 days— that is, 365 plus 365 plus 865 plus 866 equals 1,461. So that out of tbis period of four years thore ure 1,461 days, on any one of which it is possible for the reader's birthday to havo fallen. Tho question may be, and ia, asked, "What is the use of a 29th of February?" The reason all the years are not 865 days long is that the earth makes the year by traveling round the sun, and it takes 865 days 5 hours 48 minutes 49 7-10 seconds to make tho journey. We lot the odd fractions of n day run on till tbey make a whole day, which wo tack on to the end of February. But even this makes tbe year a few minutes too long, and so February must renounce all claim to its 29th day in tho years 1900, 2100 and in every otber hundredth year which cannot be divided by 400 without remainder. This brings tho almanac year so nearly to the real year that it will take somo thousands of yeara beforo peoplo flnd out the difference, and then, if posterity bo wise as wo aro, it may correct the time to suit itself. A Datch Iceboat. One of the most exhilarating sports in Holland is undoubtedly iceboat sailing. A good doal of pluck is necessary to enjoy it. Holland in winter is very different (.from tbo summer Holland so often described by tourists. In winter the canals are frozen, and instead of barges plying to and fro skaters and sledges take their place, and Instead of steamers on the rivers people skate or go in iceboats. They are strange looking things, these Hoeboatg. They are about 10 feet long and |iavo fiat bottoms, whioh do not rest on the Bee at all, but on a planking some 16 feet Bong and 8 wido, which passes under tho middle of tho boat itself— that is to say. Hbis long, platformlike thing projects Kbout seven feet on either side of the little fe*SL .^_slV ' I "yJJJ? k ICEBOAT— SIDE VIEW. waft and raises her, by means of bladelike ikates at eithor end, about a foot from the co itself. Tho rudder is worked on another skateike blade, co that the boat is supported in three different skates. They scud over he ice at a tremendous pace with a good rind and aro tacked so easily that they an go almost anywhero. But they are ragile littlo things and will not hold aore than two persons, who must sit right n tho bottom of the boat to keep thoir cads from being bumped every timo the ail is tacked. The mast is not fixed tight, but passes .rough an iron hoop, which enables it to way a little from side to side, probably > allow the sail to lie over to the wind r ithout taking the flat bottomed craft off ie level. In the distance, therefore, the eboats look like ordinary yaohts. Edison. Philosophy of Food. Mr. Edison has, according to his biogiphers, a philosophy of food which might aye come from Mr. Oscar Wilde, and hioh the former perhaps take a little too ciously. He believes in an artistio varie* ' of diet. "I wish," be has said, "I I never eat the same thing twice In a i," and contends that "in proporo the elastio requirements of the ill be the scope and potency of the 1 powers." He ingeniously illushis paradox by the history of na"The nations," he says, "that eat Dst kinds of food are the greatest tions. Bice eating nations never iss; they never think or act anything Ice, rice, rice forever. Look at the i and black bread eaters of Ireland. ;h naturally bright, the Irish ln Iresire enervated by the uniformity of 'ood. Look at the semisavages who It the Black forest. On the other whioh ls, take it all in all, the most ' enlightened nation, tbe most thrif.ceful, cultured and accomplished? France, of course, whero the cuisine .finite variety. When the Roman 9 was at its height, the table was a lof diversity. They fed on nights' tongues and all sorts of dainty So when Carthage was in her An All Bonnd Man. i Bey. Sabine Baring-Gould, tho auof the popular hymn, "Onward, dan Soldier," is at once a country i, a country squire, a lord of tbe :. a sermon writer, a student of comve religion, a popular novelist and He is 60 years old and lives in tbe ful old Elizabethan manor house at 'renohard, where the Gould famiiy ived ever since the dayß of James I Melody and Hilk. few York World correspondent gives suranoe tbat in Switzerland a milk or man gets better wages if gifted i good voice, because it has been disd that a oow will yield on .-fifth milk if soothed during the prooess king by a pleasing melody.-