The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-19
The Moral OF st. Patrick's Day.


From, the ". ?. Tribune.
Looked at through an artists eye, it would
not be easy to find sight less exhillarating
than the annual procession in honor of the
good Saint Patrick. the highest notion of
decoration that our Irish fellow citizens have
attained to, thus far, would seem to be green
velvet shoulder-belt with gold fringe over
black broadcloth coat-both coat and shoul
der-belt considerably the worse for wear; and
they are apparently of the opinion that pro-
cession three miles long and over has right
to block up the principal thoroughfars of
great city at the busiest time OF day, without
giving the public any better compensation
than the sight of ten thousand men in suits of
black cloth and stove-pipe hats, with only
banner now and then, and an occasional band
OF indifferent music by way of incident. An
American procession is always interesting,
because the aboundipg ingenuity of our
people furnishes decorations and incidents in
plenty. People are contepted to give up
their business for three or four hours, or to
sit all day on steps and in balconies, for the
sake of seeing such procession as that in
honor of the introduction of the Croton water,
or the completion of the Erie Canal, or for the
successful laying of the Atlantic cable, or for the
first Japanese embassy. These were all splen-
did sights, and worthy of great city. Bu.
we certainly cannot say that the st. Patrick's
professions have ever been worth going to the
window to see, merely as sights. We see no
reason why they should not be better than
they are in this respect. Ireland has his
| tory of her own, and traditions, and great
| names; and why these should not be remem-
bsred, on her Saints day, in various emblem
| attic ways, 1t is not easy to see. Then, too,
| the societies might adopt some picturesque
uniform, or costume of a sort that should be
striking, or rich, or gay, and so this doleful
monotony of black, long tailed coats and
| I~o&1 h. H0xu hic 10 n
be oontrlved, it is not for us to say, but, If
our Irish llow-eitizens wish their great holi-
day to be looked forward to by the people of
| New York with pleasure, instead Of with, to
say the very least, Indifference, they will take
some pains to follow out our suggestion an
other year. At any rate, il no better can be
done, let every ticket Of invitation to join the
procession bear upon its face, "New hats re-
auested, and new velvet shoulder BELTS"
But, putting the artistic question wholly to
| one side for the present, we confess to taking
| a great pleasure in st. Patrick's Day, and
kindly feeling towards the ugly procession
itself We like to see human beings happy at
any time, but in the Irishman's happiness IN
this country there is something that is touch
ing to generous sensibilities, as well as merely
pleasant to see. We enjoy seeing the marble
| walls stop for day their climbing to the sky,
and the deep foundations stop burrowing to
the centre, when we think that all the busy
| workers on them are wiping OIL their hands
and faces the dust and CRIME OF toll, and pre-
pairing to make gaudy day of it. We don't
mind eating our dinner for once at restau-
rant, or toastipg the bread while our vile
makes the tea with her own hands (seelng
that, in our house, so long as we know what
good tea is, no other hands but hers snail
ever make it. y because Mary, and Mary Ann,
and Mary Jane have asked leave Ito go an
see the percession," or have gone without
leave. Indeed, our sympathies are so cordially
with those excellent msids-oook, chamber
maid and waiter-that we always save our
own dignity and their feelings by giving them
the day before they can ASK for 1t. And we
wish everybody that can would follow our
disinterested example, and add what could
be added in this way to the cheerfulness 0
the occasion. Yet, tits oheerful enough with
out any addition at our hands Cheerful tc
see the black haired, rosy-cheeked Irish girls
come painting and putting up Courtiand
I street, or Fulton street, with their frigh'
, Come along wild yer, dsrlint; hurry along
, now. or you'll be too late, sure 70 Now
, | Biddy love- don't be stharin' all day at then
swate Messeena orauohes Saints take yez
what If they biz sixteen for charter, anl
| yez miss the percession with STOW
: ing 'em in yer pocket. ana
"Oh, hurry. darlint, niver mint
3 the orRin-and how beautiful he doe
do 1t to be shure, wild the one hand OF i'm
! but of he was my own sisters SON that wa
I kilt in the war couldn't stand for him nov
3 and miss the percession % And here black
: eyed beauty, with a low brow and black hair
IKE Fanny Kemble's own, who comes shoo'
: Ing ont OF Broome street car. like rose on
q we've missed ten Thousand of the byes, an
a | WhoriVAr Ia linn Itia Inv tina hlaok hat AM