Rocky Ford enterprise., 1908-03-13
.ST. Ia BATRlCK,
OF HAR.E;LAND&

Dear Shamrock OF Eria. 50 sacred saa
rhoush sse. OF sorrow thy past Year,
Prom ehildnssd's bright mosains 10 u'as-
III, issns, ~s ~sar DER our hearts ever
sE.n~.
In Moors's poem on tho shamrock
hs tells Of the -tripis grass which
Shoot. up. with as~asops streaming.
A. softly green as .ns,.l 80
Through pus-ss crystal ki~sminx
q. IN. shamrock. tbs green iminoftai
Shamrock
chosen isaf Of hard ard chief.
Old Esin's native Shamrock
ny many Of tho faithful IN Wales
| and elsewhere Irish soil II imported TO
keen away srst,-nss. and Il has be~n
| declared that q bit. OF Irish clay VII
XIII snake.
pairick'a iabofs In Ireland lasted
NOR. than 30 years In pownpasHek.
near III. place where a. u slave no
ono. tended sheep. his ashes are now
believed 60 rcpos-.
In r,oxn, three saints ono grave DO hN-
Patrick, bridge, and caiuinh XIII.
Tn. mere student of folklore Niiis
.ucsses the feelings OF tho son OF
Erin who bears the shamrock In MS
cap or wears Il on his breast. To him
4, .mbodIcs all tho religious and r"-
mantle. mythical nnd national idcas
which ever have stirred In the souls OF
his forcirth.rH. The great love Tor
the plant Inspired the famous ballad
The w.ar!n' o. the Green" which
tells that They're hanSin' men and
women for tho wcarin' o the ssccn.
This did not mean. of course. that
J proplc were being hanged for that,
but Il was poc,icai S,xasscra'ion I'm
plying their willingness to die. " nee
|, oEsary. rather than givo up wcarin. II
For the last half dozen years. nndci
: the inspiring influence Of tho Sham
. rock league. happily Instituted ant
a even more happily carried on by th'
Countess Of Limerick. there has heel
= nm unprecedented demand for tho lrisl
4 national emblem. Thousands upoi
o ! thousands OF little green boxes fllc'
n with tiny lunches OF the trcfoil hnv'
annually been packed by that great
= hearted woman and her friends AM
4 sold the world over. tho procccd
h going to aid disabled Irish soldiers an'
!. the destitute relatives of those Irish
n men who have fallen In battle. Las
/. winter nearly 800 OF the poor In Conr
3. ties Clare and Limerick alone tide
;. over the hard weather on the prob
G derived from the patriotic sale
shamrock.
And where does Nil the shamroc
come from? 1t grows wild in ever
county Of ireland. Along the mour
tains. in the old hiii.pastures and I
IS the venerable meadows. II may b
c. picked in small quantities as early !
1t the year rs February 20. and for
II night later In luxurious abundance
X The tiniest and therefore the mos
IS priced variety is usually found alon
N the bank of n dry ditch where there
I. no grass. for the poorer and more ari
4. the soil the better the shamrock. Nc
Y a BARN in Ireland but knows all tn
ID best places near his home to look &c
@. the little green leaf. 1t Is the childre
to who are the gatherers. For day
n Just before the good saints festiv,
n. tho hills around Stepaside and Still
Or gan and the Scalp will be dotted ov'
in with the Industrious diminutive to
a. ers whose profits may In no case e
IS ceed two dollars but who are suprem
I'd ly happy in their patriotic task.
Id There are national emblems tht
nj may be eaten. Not SO the shamrocl
Or A man may eat leek and enjoy it.
e. Scot might even try a thistle, but a
IN Irishman must drown his shamrocl
n. That is as sure us is March II itsel