The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-07-27
Scnllop Shells.

Scnllop Shells.
In olden times when pilgrims came
from the Holy Land they wore as an
emblem of their VOWS q pretty brown
and white shell, called st. James shell,
now better known as q scallop shell.
Large shells Of this kind were early
utilized as baking dishes, and have
given their name to great number OF
excellent scalloped or "escalloped''
preparations of fish md meat. OF late
years luxurious taste has demanded
something more costly, and silver shells
In the shape of the old sea shell, at $50
dozen, have taken the place OF
scallop shells at sixty cents q dozen.
The smaller scallop shells are exceed
ingly pretty for many decorative pur-
poses. Their wavy shape and delicate
hues of brown and cream are SO beau
tiful that they have been used for fancy
work by many people who would have
been shocked If they had known the
shell was as common as an oyster, and
was thrown away from our market
stalls by the bulk.
The natural scallop shell is covered
With rough coating, which is easlyre-
moved by soaking it In weak solution
Of chlorate of lime and water, In pro-
portion of half pound of lime to gal
lon of water. The shells must each be
pierced four times on each side Of the
base and once higher up on each side Il
they are to be sown on velvet or silk to
border a cushion or form a wreath
around the base of a pretty circular
work bag This is done with single
drop of caustic. Only tiny drop must
be used, and a hole must be instantly
drilled through with strong needle.
As soon as a hole Is pierced the shell
must be dropped in cold water to stop
the action of the acid, which might
otherwise spread. AS soon as the shells
are pierced varnish them with the finest
white varnish used by artists 1t will
hardly show, but will bring out the col
ors as holding shell in water does
:sew York Tribune
"Er1n Go Bra"
War cries, meant originally to keep
the fighting men aware of the place of
their own clan in battle, or when scat
tered in woods and hills, came down to
the baronil period, and were used by
the Anglo-Norman mobiles out of con-
aderation for their Gaelic retainers.
The commonest shout was some name
of famous place or famous man with
the addition aboo, word well fitted
for the clamor of band Of fighters,
being at once more musical and less
wearying to the voice than our thur
rah." The Kildare retainers cried
"Crom aboo!" in honor of Crom castle,
a citadel in Limerick county, originally
a stronghold Of the O'Donovans, which
one Of the intrusive Geraldine families,
named after the town Of Kildare, occu,
pied while turning Irish.
The O'Neills cried out, "Lawv darcy
aboow because the Lawv dareg or Red
Hand was the badge of the family and
clan. The O'Briens cried, 'Iawv Laid
err" or "Laudir aboo!" or "Stron9
Hand aboo!" The translator of Geof
rey Keating's "History of Ireland" sug
gests as the meaning of aboo the Irish
word booa, victory, but analogy would
point rather to boa Qbeotha), lively,
awake, spirited; when aboo would be
an exclamation like the French alerte
and vive! A parallel in Irish is the
well known Erin go bra erin til
Judgment day!" where COBRA, forever
implies the same idea of living which
the word beotha actually contains
since the latter is the Kettle equivalent
of Greek bios.
s'Yabul' is the exclamation Of Tartar
horsemen when urging their steeds for
ward. While on this topic it may ht
interesting to note that this Irish word
or its Welsh equivalent VI byw, cor
rupted to boo and bob, Is found In ou'
colloquial expression, "He doesn't dare
say boo to goosei" or in other words
he is too cowardly to sound his war or!
In the presence of the most peaceful O
creatures. Charles de Kay in Century