The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-03-17
ST. PATRICK AND OSSTAN
Quaint Legends of Which Little Is Heard in
4s These Degenerate Times


Nothing in legend or history is as
quaint as the dialogues of Patrick and
Ossian. Ossian. as every one knows,
was the son of Finn, the high chief of
the Fenian heroes, and was the father
Of Ossian, one of the heroes of the
Fenian battles, who was the friend Of
that marvel of physical strength, the
giant Coll McMorna.
Some foolish people might be in
clined to doubt the veracity of those
stories for the mere reason that Os-
sian lived in the third century and
Patrick ii the fifth.
| But that is no reason at all for sup
posing that they could talk with one
another Ossian was for two hundred
years in the land of Tir-n-an-og, or
Perpetual Youth, and he revisited Ire
land in the time of Patrick. The mat
ter becomes very simple in the light
Of this explanation. OF course, no one
could grow old in Tir-n-an-og.
Ossian Meets His Fate.
Ossian was hunting near the Lakes
of Killarney when he saw white
horse coming TO him, on which rode
most beautiful maid. He spoke to her
and she told him that her name was
MAN Of the Golden Hair, and that
she was the daughter of the King of
Tir-n-an-og.
She added that his great renown
had reached her country, and that, in
fact, it was to see him that she had
visited Erin. AS was becoming to
such paragon Of chivalry. he fell in
love with her on the spot and set out
with her for Tir-n-an-og. where he mar
ried her.
Two hundred years of welded life
passed there like an hour, but at the
end of that hour he began to banker
for Erin and his old friends. not know
ing that these we're dead.
MAN was willing that he should go
back, but wanted him to return to
her. She gave him the white horse
for the journey, but impressed upon
him that he must not alight, else he
could never return to Tir-n-an-og.
Ossian rode home, and great was
his sorrow to find that the Fenians
were all dead and that the race OF
men had become small and weak. He
saw crowd of them trying to raise
a large stone. and it appeared to him
that some of them were in danger of
being crushed by it. So he leaned
over in his saddle just to show the
pygmies what a man of the ancient
Fenian times could do, and with his
one hand tossed the bowlder seven
perches.
The Enchantment Broken.
But the saddle girth broke and he
slipped to the ground, feeble and
withered old man, as small as any of
them. The enchanted horse inme-
diately disappeared.
Ossian heard with anger of the
stranger (Patrick), who had intro
duced a new worship into Ireland. He
went to see him to dissuade him from
what he thought was a harmful folly.
and Patrick made him his saest, and
they lived together for years. accord
ing to legend, Ossian trying to convert
Patrick to paganism and Patrick do
ing his best to make Christian out
of the pagan poet and fighter
The heather had fine appetite, and
he. found the fast days observed in
Patrick}s house decidedly uncongenial.
He could not see the virtue in absti-
nence from good food
A Specimen Dialogue.
Patrick said he one day, IF thy
God be good and hospitable and thou
be His servant, think the bread and
butter ought to be better divided. If
He sees how small my share Is, it's all
very strange"
Nov, Ossian," replied the saint.
"this is nothing but vain scandal. and