The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-03-16

I ST. ParR1ex s. DAY-To -MoRRow. .-LKc-
TuRE By Bishop McGILL.-The recurrence
of the time-honored anniverssry Of Ire
lands patron saint. Is neyer unobserSed
where are found representatives of the Cell
tic race Religious veneration and love
Of 'tha + !" old country" have ever been
marked - characteristics of the sons OF
the Emerald Isle. Irish song has cell
ebrated the name Of st. Patrick and
his deeds throughout the Engiish-speaking
world, and 10 he2Amerieanj "'Sf.r Patrick's 8
Day in the Morning., is almost as fa-
milisr ss "Hail Columbia " or .sI Yankee
Doodle" =. " " e. .'2s
Notwithstanding the mist that overhangs
the birth place and infancy of the great
preacher, the Irish people have localized
him sufficiently for all the purposes, of
their reverence and love, He is to them
their father in the gospel, and SO such they
honor him. The legends of the Saint at the
Irish fresides are always amusing and
often instructive. One of these tales is
that on one occasion he wanted TO cross the
Irish channel, but the vessel in which he
had intended to sail had just cleared as he
reached the pier. He must keep his apa
pointment; and nothing daunted, he threw
large, smooth stone? into the water, snd;
jumping upon it, was, waited ont to sea, and
overlook the ship, into which he was taken.
But St. Patrick is specially famed for his
banishment Of reptiles from Ireland snd
for his illustration Of trinity and unity.
The shamrock (the Persian name for
the trefoiD, or three-leaved grass, was
the emblem used by the Saint in his illus
tration, and it has been honored in this
connection by Irishmen ever since. His,
tory saith not when the custom was intro.
duced of drowning the shamrock, but al
most from time immemorial it has been
leading feature in oil such anniversary
celebrations to unite the trefoil with the
juice Of the barleycorn. 1t is related of
one of the Irish chieftains who had been
bsptized by Patrick that the Saint, instick--
ing his spear into the earth while proceed
ing with the ceremony, incautiously drove
it through the chieftain's foot. The latter,
supposing it was part of the proceedings,
stood quietly to the close, when Patrick,
beholding the wound bleeding profusely,
passed his stick over it and healed it.
There are many such incidents as these
Ielatcu, Ill VI HulCu, IL plopoiAy aPPh0-
ciated, are inspirations to faith rather than
monstrous inventions, as they are some-
times considered. There is o wide differ
ence of opinion in regard to the death as
there is concerning the birth of lreland's
patron saint. But all are agreed that his
life was blameless, and that the world was
better that he lived. IT,.
We have heard no announcement Of the
celebration Of St. Patrick's day in Rich
mond except by the usual services of the
Catholic Church. Tomorrow evening Right
Rev. Bishop =McGill will deliver lecture
appropriate to the day OF st. Patrick's
church, Twenty-ffth street near Broad, to
aid in raising funds for the erection of q
pastoral residence for Father Hagan. After
the lecture several fine musical selections
will be rendered by the choir, which is
composed Of some of our most accomplished
amateurs. We ore requested to state that
tickets for this entertainment can be OBJ
tanned of any member Of the church.