Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-03-24
History OF st. Patrick.

the readers of the Star to recall to min'
the reason of the devoted attachment o
the Irish people to the memory OF thei
patron Saint. His birthplace and earl,
life are obscured in mystery, and Scot
land, England, France and Wales, ar
each prepared to show evidence that h
was native of their country. Tradi
ton, however, declares that he was born
somewhere about the year 372, and wa
taken, when only sixteen wears Of age
by pirates, and sold into slavery in Ire
land. Here he passed seven years o
his life, employed by his master as
swiue-herd, and learning the language
and becoming acquainted with the man
ners, habits, and customs of Irish peo
pie. At the end of the seven years o.
captivity, he escaped from his master
and reached the continent, where, in the
course of time, he was ordained deacon
priest, and bishop and then, with the
authority of the pope, he returned tc
Ireland to preach the gospel to its then
heather inhabitants,
A popular legend relates that the
Saint and his followers found themselves,
one cold morning, on a mountain, with
out fire to cook their breakfast, or
warm their frozen limbs. Unheeding
their complaints, St. Patrick ordered
them to collect pile Of ice and snow
balls. They did SO. He breathed upon
the pile and it became pleasant fire. "
But the greatest of the Saints miracles
was that which drove out forever from
Irish soil all venemous reptiles. 1t is
said that this was done by his beating a
drum. He was so intent in the work,
and so carried away by holy enthusiasm,
that he knocked hole through the drum
head, thereby endangering the success
of the miracle. But it seems that the
intelligences of heaven were on the side
of Ireland, for we are informed that an
angel came and mended the drum, and
the miracle was performed. And ever
since, the soil of Ireland has been re-
puted obnoxious to the serpent race, for
if by chance venemous reptile is thrown
upon the land, it simultaneously ex-
pires. There is a stream in Ireland
called "The Stream of Blood" and this
is how it gained the name: When bap-
tizing an Irish chieftan, the venerable
St. Patrick leaned heavily upon his Gro
sier, (the staff of bishop, terminating
in an ornamental curve or crook, the
steel-spiked point of which he had un,
Willingly placed on the great toe of the
converted heather. The chief was ig.
norant of the Christian rites, and sup
posing this to be but a part of the cere
mony, "held still" though the blood
flowed SO freely from the wound, that
the name Stream of Blood !" was given
to the river, which it retains to this day
st. Patrick has the reputation of being
strict promoter of temperance. The
shamrock, or small white clover, is al.
most universally worn over all Ireland
on St. Patrick's day, as 1.-The green" is
in this. 1t is said that when the Sam
was preaching on the doctrine Of th'
Trinity, he used this plant, which bear
three leaves upon one stem, as a symbo
or illustration of the great mystery.
In the mountains between the coun,
ties of Cork and Tipperary, there are
seven lakes, in one of which, it is said
St. Patrick, when banishing the snakes
and toads from Ireland, chained mon
ster serpent. telling him to remain ther'
till Monday. The serpent every Mon
day morning calls out in Irish, 1t is
long Monday, Patrick" That this is
fact and not false, is firmly believed By
the people who live near the lake Sucl
is the record of the Irish apostle, ST
Patrick, who is commonly stated to hav
died on the 18th of March, 493, in th
one hundred and twenty-frst year of hi
age Hence, the observance of that da,
by the Irish as "St Patrick's day.
Morning. Star.