Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1874-12-01
THE LYON COUNTY TIMES
The Three Emblems.
THE ROSE OF ENGLAND-THE THIS
TILE OF SCOTLAND, AND THE
SHAMROCK OF IRELAND.
THE ROSE OF ENGLAND.


In the early part of the reign of
Henry VI, about the year 1850, a
few noblemen and gentlemen were
discussing who was the rightful
heir to the English crown. After
time they adjourned to the Tenn
pie Gardens, thinking they would
be more free from interruption.
Scarcely, however, had they ar
rived, when they saw Richard
Plantagenet approaching. Unwil-
ling to continue the conversation
in his presence, a great silence en-
sued. He, however, asked them
what they had been so anxiously
talking about when he had joined
them, and whether they espoused
the case of his party, or that of the
usurper, Henry of Lancaster, who
had filled the throne. A false and
absurd politeness prevented their
making any reply, he added !:
"Since you are so reluctant to tell
your opinion by words, tell me by
signs. and let him that is an adher-
ent to the house of York pull a
white rose as I do" Then said the
Earl of Somerset, "Let him who
hates fattery, and dares to maintain
our rightful king, even in the pres
ence of his enemies, pull red
rose with me-" When Henry VII.
married Elizabeth of York, the
rival houses were blended, and the
rose became the emblem of Eng
land.
THISTLE OF SCOTLAND.
In the reign of Malcolm l., in
the year 1910, Scotland was in
vaded by the Danes, who made
descent on Aberdeenshire, intend
ing to take by storm Staines Castle,
fortress of importance. The still
hour of midnight was the time
selected for commencing the attack.
When all was ready, and there was
reasonable hope that all the in
mates of the castle were asleep they
commenced their march. They
advanced cautiously, taking off
their shoes to prevent their foot
steps being heard. They approach-
ed the lofty tower, their hearts
beating in joyous anticipations of
victory. Not a sound is heard
from within. They can scarcely
refrain from EXPLANATIONS of de-
light, for they have but to swim
across the moat and place scaling
ladders, and the castle is theirs
But in another moment cry from
themselves rouses the inmates to a
sense of their danger, the guards
fly to their posts, and pursue the
now trembling Danes, who fly be-
fore them. Whence arose this sud
den change of affairs? From very
simple cause. 1t appears that the
moat, instead of being filled with
water, was in reality dried up and
overgrown with thistles, which
pierced the unprotected feet of the
assailants, who tortured with pain,
forgot their cautious silence and
uttered the cry which had alarmed
the sleeping inmates of the castle.
SHAMROCK OF IRELAND.
One day st. Patrick was preach
ing at Tara. He was anxious to ex-
plain the doctrines of the Holy
Trinity. The people failed to I'M
derstand and refused to believe that
there could be three persons and
yet but one God. The holy man
paused a moment, absorbed in
thought, and seeing a shamrock
peeping from the green turf, ex-
claimed: "Do you not see in this
simple little wild flower how three
leaves are united to one stalk?' His
audience understood without diff
Guilty this simple yet striking illus
tration, to the inexpressible delight
of st. Patrick. From that day the
shamrock became the national en-
blem of Ireland.
PLANTs-It ia we'll known that