CETERATING LEAP YEAR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 124, 18 February 1908, Page 3

CETERATING LEAP YEAR.

;It: was just '• before the Squadron'' left that .aTWellington.;! girl"; o'yerheard - some youthful 'bachelors; in unifbrni'discussing.the problem ,bf Leap .Year,,and, wondering seriously .liow .thoy. : ,snould es'capo its-dangers., Their peril iwas;;bvident,--but probably, the ordinary, man hardly realises how. .1908! is. supposed' to differ "fromjb.thor years.' /, An. account .of the .origin .of;',tlio lieap -Year.:tradition ; .is..gi.ven by'the :"Daily. Mail.!' .Walking i'ono, day on the shores of Lough Neagh;: after haying .driven tho frogs out of the-bogs/, St. Patrick,,.says •jtraditionf.was accosted, by a,,,weeping-' f wb.man'j destined one'day to bo.known as: St.- Bridget.. >. Patrick < asked., her. - what .was - the matter, and obtained the rejjjy that-,,a', mutiny had brokon out ,becausp wome|i:;clainied'tho right 'of. proposing, and . she, was,, not .able to give. thenv.that,right,.;;.. ■ ...After 'gravely,-!consid3r;ng ; the question, St.ii Patrick • pronounced judgment -, in .these .terms'—-that the right to propose -should re-,yort-,to, tho feminine sex .every .seventh year. ■ But his interlocutor was not satisfied wjth this. Would not, St. Patrick . make it :.one ycar-,in_ overy, four? ~ The, saint agreed,, and. .with .Irish generosity! .declared that lib would mako tho ladies'* year.-Leap 'becaiiso that v/as, the longest' of the 10t.'.,, j , • , .The, legend prbeecds to narrate that the lady,!.,emboldened, by. ; succoss,. and .anxious,' pereliance;'tb go down to :history as, the first woman to avail herself of tho accorded privilege; proposed, ,to,' St.; .Patrick. onthe .spot, and, as.-it!': was impossible for ,tho„ saint, to accept- tli.o offer, lie. made . everything .as smooth ,as ;cpuld be by , presenting ,the lady '.with, a silk-gown.,, ~..■• THE LEAP YEAR BALLS. ; ■ That is how ithe legend aroso,that,ivomen •may propose, to men during >Leap .Year, and that ifvthey are refused they' may. claim' a silk dress. r ■ ' It is safe, however, to assert that, bachelors run risks:no more .acute during-, 1908 than during 1907 of being, wooed and married against their-will. . A more popular :way! of, celebrating. Leap YeaT; is' by: Leap. Year .balls. At, the Leap Year ball it is not the girls who iit apart waiting for, tho men to ask them to dance, but'.,tho 'inen -who: must be . invited, by the' girls. ' . Now, for the sake of lier own -: peace of mind, it. is adVisable, that the Hostess/should not - announce beforehand, that,; this; topsyturvy .mode of, procedure is to bo followed, for some shy guests .have ,been ..known-; to., 'stay away. . Let her, bid her friends to the dance • without any illuminative word, ,and then" when ',they have arrived, announce .tho fact :that',.this, is a Leap Year. : ball. . A Leap Year ball usually begins in a \'ery tame .and..unpromising! manner..' Tliei-o !is ;a chill- in" thbj atmosphere, - a tense feeling ap- ; parent -that seemsto • paralyso, ieyeryono. Girls fly to,;their brothers;and cousins and ask them to idance, instead of inviting: their hostess to introduce -them !.to r men , whoso ; cards are. not.-yet tfull:. yßut .after 5 a wliilo | .the fun :of tho affair will ...overwhelm. . the disadvantages,'i and. soon,the novelty of this co'mpleto, change of .ordinary, etiquette: -will"I 'so fascinate all concerned that;general merriment will onsue. • . Long,before supper-timo; arrives, tho. men ! be .using : all. : their,:,blandishments ,to .secure: from the: partners they admire the invitation that generally comes , from thoir own lips, and' in point of fact' tho turning of tho tabjes will have , done them a great deal of good j. arid will have taught, tliom so?-, oral lessons that wero needed in devotion and humility;'. '/'•