The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-03
ST. P|RAN'S MILESTONE.
A Charming Chapter That May Serve
to Greatly Encourage
Idleness.
A Oornishnaan Says the Gift Of
Laz;aess Game From
Ireland.
It. Piran's Well-Won Thrift, No Less Mar
Vicious Than Jac0b's-How He Came
to tho Cornish Coast

If you ask me why / love the Cornish be-
yond all other folk will give you reason;
and if you ask me again tomorrow I shall
probably give you another. and SO on. You
must allow me to grow old and die before
can be sure, says writer in the London
Speaker.
It has something to do with their lazi-
ness, however.
The most adorable man on earth wears
blue jersey and has been sitting on the keel
of boat ever since I was boy. The
neighbors say that once upon time he
tarred this boat. and sitting down forth
with upon it in meditative fit, has never
since been able to detach himself. But how
can they tell till he tries? His own theory
is that he waits for the world to come
round to him.
Now, we owe this gift of laziness to st.
Piran. who brought it across from Ireland.
st. Piran is the miners saint, for reasons
to be explained; learned this story from
an old miner as We ate our bread and
cheese together, once, on the floor of Wheal
us made wagering giants OF our shadows
on the walls of the adit, and the sea
moaned as it tossed on its bed, 200 feet
above.
st. Piran was little round man, and in
the beginning he lived on the north coast
stream came tumbling down to the sea.
After turning the saints mill-wheel the
stream Owed over a fall into the Tough be-
low, and the lul-ul-ur-r-r of the water
wheel and fall was sleepy music in the
saints ear noon and night.
It must not be imagined that the mill
wheel ground anything. No; it went round
merely for the sake of its music. For all
st. Piran's thought was given up to the study
of things that presented themselves to his
notice. and as for his livelihood he earned
j: in the simplest way. The waters of the
You had only to sink log or stick therein,
and in 50 years time that log or stick would
be turned to stone. st. Piran was as quick
as you are to divine the possibilities of
easy competence offered by this spot. He
took time by the forelock, and in half
Henceforward he passed all his days among
the rocks above the fall, whiting bits of
wood and cork into quaint shapes, attach
ing them to strings, weighing them with
pebbles and lowering them over the fall
into the Lough-whence after 50 years he
surrounding peasantry at 25O per cent per
annum on the initial cost.
It was tranquil, lucrative employment,
and had he stuck to the study of things
that presented themselves to his notice, he
might have ended his days by the fall. But
ten Irish kings and their armies for ten
days together with three cows. Even he
might have escaped had he only failed.
Alas! As it was, the ten kings had no
sooner signed peace and drunk together,
slan they marched up to St. Piran's door
Ind began upbraiding him.
"Fwhat's ailin' wild ye?'' asked the saint.
"Out wild ut Didn't I stuff ye Wild COW
mate galore whin the land was as bare as
my tonshure? But twas three COWS an q
mirucle wasted, I'm thinkin'.''
Faith, ye'ye said ut" answered one of
the kings. "Three COWS betune tin Oirish
kings! IT'S insultin'! Arrah, now, make it
foive, st, Piran, darlint!"
.May they max your stummucks ache,
for havin' no proper sinse av mirucle. Git
guardv'
And St. Piran slammed the door in their
faces.
But these kings were FISHERMEN, which
is to say that they took things seriously.
/ So they went off and stirred up the people;
ana the end was that one sunshiny morn
ing dirty rabble marched up to the mill
and laid hands on the saint-on what plea,
do you think? Why, for being without
visible means of support!
"There's me -petrifyin' spicimins!'' cried
ropes that stretched down into the Lough."
"1ndadev' answered one of the ten kings.
"Bad luck to your spicimins!'' said he.
And in fact the people were growing
tired of them. You see he had overstocked
his market.
sFwhat's that ye're tuggin' at?" asks
'Now the Holy Mother presarve your eye
sight, Tim Coolin,o answered st. Piran.
pulling it in, "if We can't tell plain mill
stone at tin PAGES! l never expected ye to
see through ut" he adds with twinkle, for
Tim was mighty drinker.
Sure enough, it was a milestone, and
very neat one; and the saint, seeing he had
made bit of an impression, went on like a
cheapjack:
''Av there's any gintleman prisunt wild an
BYE for millstones, I'll throbble him to turn
pit here. Me own make" says he COOLED
Ein'-s
He was going on, when somebody called
put: 'sTo think av a milestone bein' a WIS.,
(ble names av support"' And all began
TO laugh.
.'st. Piran, dear, ye've got to die, says the
"Musha, mushar '-and the saint set up a
vail and wrung his hands. AN how's it
goin' to be?' he asked, breaking off; IAN ay
t's by O'Neils blunderbust that he's fun
plin' yonther, will I stand afore or ahind
ht? for It is the same for danger, both ends.
Wirra, wirra! May our sowis find mercy,
Fergus O'Neil, for we'll both be wantin' it
day. Better for you. Fergus. that this
nillstone was around your black neck, an
kou drownin' in the dept's av the Louphv'
He hadn't finished before they all set up
shout 1.-THE millstone-the millstone!"
Strap him to ut!'' He's named his death.'
-and inside of three minutes there was the
aint strapped down to his own specimen"
'sWirra, Wirraf' he cried, and begged for
mercy; but they raised devastating shindy.
md gave the stone trundle. It rolled
Town the turf to the edge of the fall, leapt
pver into space, and fell down-down-til
& struck the waters far below with splash,
md VI Mt under
For three seconds only. The next thing
hat the crowd saw as it peered over the
EliH was st. Piran floating quietly out to
ca on the milestone, for all the world as if
n life-bslt, and untying his bonds to use
or fishing line! You see, this milestone
lad been made of cork originally, and was
MY half petrifed; and the old boy had just
Peguiled them. Presently, when he had
nished undoing the cords, he stood up and
lowed to them all very politely.
Visible names av support. me childer-
aerely visible names ay support. An may
on enjoy this pleasant mornin'. Fax. tits
our bare right" cries he, s'for I'm thinkin'
on were only born yestiddy.'
The tides bore st. Piran and his milestone
Mt into the Atlantic, and he fished for
lackerel all the way. And then breeze
prang mp and blew him southwest until he
pied land, and SO he stepped ashore on the
ornish coast.
Tn Coppuan ho Jivnl