The morning times., 1896-03-18
Concerning St. Patrick's Dav.

From the funeral pyre OF his old master,
st. Patrick turned with new and Brilliant
idea IN view The court or King Laeg-
laire, son OF Mai, Of the Nine hostages,
was about 10 meet to celebrate the festival
OF the Fes OF Tara Here all the priests
and dignitarics gathered 10 worship IL
the national fashion, and St. Patrick Ge-
ernined 10 strike bow at The fountain
head at once The sequel showed how
wise determination it was.
When ne approached the vicinity or the
palace, st. Patrick lighted a fire TO camp
for the night This was a grave Offcnse,
for no fires were allowed to be lighted
until the saCrificial fire of the following
morning was igDited- The King saw the
rebelliOuS blaze in the distance, and sent 10
find out who had kindIed il. st. Patrick
was discovered sitting as bold as a lion
at his fire side on the plain, in company
with a few followers.
The King, who knew wei with whom
he had to deal, ordered St Patrick to be
brought to the idolatrous celebration on
the following morning, to pit his super
natural powers against those or the
court magicians and the high priests. At
daybTeak. therefore. behold the DruidicaI
high priests and St Patrick aTrayeG gainst
each other, King Laeghaire and court and
people looking on expeCtaDtly.
ilt DAulNAc Af1 ltASt AtLAitE- ArAA
miracles went all awry. They made SLOW
fall 10 the depth of several feet, but they
couldn't get rid of the nuisance. They 4
caused black darkness TO cover the land
but when they called for light the light
declined to come. So they had TO suffer
the igDominy OF accepting the proffered as,
sistance of St Patrick, who caused snow
and darkness 10 disappear in twinkling.
HIS MIRACLES
Then ST. Patrick challenged the chief
priest TO a trial that looked all in favor
OF the latter. He proposed TO have the
priest pldCel on a pile OF green wood anO
the boy Benignus, who accompanied The
party, placed on pile of dry wood, and
test made TO see whose God would protect
his own from flames. The priest accepted,
with the result that he was burned up
and the flames did not injure the boy at all.
Then King LaeghaiFe, with rage III MS
heart ana a smile on his lips. invited ST.
Patrick TO come TO his palace on the
following day Armed men We're sta
toned on the way 10 kill the missionary
and his followers. but they saw only q
few deer pdss them in the night. Then
the king played hts last card. A cup
Of poisoned wine was given 10 ST Patrick
when he reached the palace, but the saint
turned the cup upside down, the poison
fell out. ana again the king was f0iied.
Then he decided to make the best of it.
and gave St. Patrick the freedom OF His
kingdom, TO do rs he pleased St Pat
rick'S career began from that hour King
Laeghaire would not submit to be hap
tiZed, but he showed that Christianity had
made 4 deep impression on him. His queen
became u convert unreseTvediy, as cid
numbers of the people.
KILLING SNAKES
Then St. Patrick Travelled all over Ireland.
assisting the pope until the name OF Christ
was known every where.
Before he had been ut work long there was
no spot left untouched by the new religion
In the year 443, eleven years after the ar
rival in Ireland, st. Patrick was a member
OF the council appointed to remodel the
laws of the land on a Christian basis.
For nearly Sky years St Patrick CON
tinued his work, Rome sending help, and the
work was consolidated and built up into q
firmly established religion.
He was iii a place called UIadh, when he
was warned that death was near. The
saint proceeded toward Armagh, where he
wished to be buried, but lie was told in a
dream to return to the province OF Ulatlh,
which was the scene of his first triampEs.
When he arrived at Saul he took to his bed.
and on the 17th of March A. n. 492. sixty
years after his arrival in Ireland, and a the
age Of 100, the patron saint OF Ireland
breathed his last. surrounded by converts or
his ministry. He fOundin Ireland 8, 900 ,O0O
Of paganS. and in sixty years he had changed
| the religious aspect of the land so com
pletely thattheFe was not an idol to be found
| I'm all the land.
This is how st. Patrick cleared IrCiani u
| snakes.