The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-03-19

restialg-place for itself in color or form
pressed on to til" impalpahle to the
deal. For this reason il is the toreS;
of Trees and forest of rocks. not hewu
timber and carved stones that suited
the national ideal and aspiration.
Seeing the need the Celt had of
beauty and color st. Patrick bauishe {,
onIy what was huffman or pernicious.
and when he could, grated the new
faith on the Old belief. He thus pre-.
served to the Irish race their peculiar,
~ ardent imagination. which is the
light chat illumincs doubling reason,
or. as writer on Celtic temperament
has beautifully. said:
Imagination is the moonlight of the
soul.
Where reason w.lnders unbridled
'twiNt illusion and reality"
From the writing of ST. Patrick it is
quite evident that the saint himself
was acutely sensitive to the ennobliny
Influence of the elements of nature.
In the "Deer's Cry" he sings the
praises Of
The light of sun, the brightness of
snow,
The splendor of fire. the speed of light.
ming,
The swiftness of wind, the depths of
sea,
The stability of earth and compactness
of rock"
1t was. in fact, his appreciative and
tolerant spirit that helped to preserv .
the close union between the Celtic IA.
turr and Gods visible creation around
him. which is SO marked IL fea ture of
the Irish character. The Celt invari-
ably speaks of Nature With kind of
mystical authority, and Celtic poetry
more than that of any other nation
merits TO be called ''the voice of ma
turc."
Since the Celtic revival has taken
some definite shape on both sides of
the Atlantic due honor is likely to be
accorded to the grand figure of our
saint. His statue. though rejected
some years ago by the Chicago Worlds
Fair. has been deemed worthy of n
place on Taras historic hill: and it
was proposed that something more
commemorative and worthy of the ma
ton which claims him as it's leading
hero should be effected in his honor
1t seems to me that it is the monument
built of language, not stone, which
lasts the longest, and that the genius
of the Irish race should exert itself in
the creation of a monument in verse,
which. given due weight and dignity
to the serious side Of Irish character,
can we'll afford to add the graceful
lights of Irish humor so that every
thing may be set forth in it's proper
proportion, as in the character of Ire
lands great apostle, in whom the gent
al were so beautifully blended with
the serious qualities of soul.
After all it is most lightsome sub
ject: for whilst some of the Patrician
legends arc sublime others pathetic,
and many fraught with deepest mean
ing. their chief note is gladness: and
it has been we'll said that though a
large tract of Irish history is dark. the
time of ST Patrick and the succeeding
centuries are Ireland's time of bright
ness. Whilst therefore we have every
reason to combat the unworthy aims
of those who consider the Irish char
actcr fit for degrading merrment. let
fulless of the Celtic nat,lre--wl,ich is
a very different thing from the Donny-
brook Fair mcrriment--lnny he regard.
cd as n most enyiable heritage left to
Ireland by st. Patrick. of whom the
chronicler of his legends chnrmingly
writes:
When Patrick now was Old and nigh
to death.
Cndimmed was still his eye, his tread
was strong,
And there was ever laughter in his
heart
And music in his laughter.