The Rich Hill tribune. (Rich Hill, Mo.) 1903-1911, 1908-03-12

Dear shamroek Of Erin. % sacred aaa
green,
Though ages o. sorrow thy past years
have seen
From c~hiidhood's bright morning to man
hoods decIne
THY leaaet We wear Ger our hearts ever
thine.
In Moore's poem on the shamrock
be tells Of the triple grass which
sHoois up. with dew6rops streaming.
As softly green as emerald seen,
Through purest crystal EieaminE
o. the shamrock, the green immortal
Shamrock.
Chosen leaf o. bard and CHIEF.
Old Erin's native Shamrock
BY many OF the faithful in Wales
and elsewhere Irish soil Is Imported %
keep away serpents, and II has been
declared that q bite OF Irish clay VII
XIII a snake.
Patncks labors In Ireland lasted
mare than 30 years In DOvnpatnck.
near the place where as a slave he
once tended sheep. his ashes are nov
believed TO repose.
In Down. three saints one grave 90 All
Patrick. Bridget and Cclumb XIII
The mere studeut Of folklore little
guesses the feelings Of the son o.
Erin Who bears the shamrock On his
CAP or wears Il On his breast To him
Il embodies all the religious and 70
mantle. mythical and national ideas
which ever have stirred in the souls OF
his fOrefsthers The great love for
the plant inspired the famous ballad
The Wearin' O. the Gresa, which
tells that They're hanEin' mel and
women for the Wesrin' o the green
This did not mean OF course. that
people were being hanged for that
bat Il was POeticai eERggeration i'm
plying their willingness 10 die. II nee
cssary. rather THAI give up wearing t.
Tor the last half dozen years. under
the inspiring Influence o. the sham
rock league. happily Instituted and
even more happily carried n By the
Countess OF Limerick. there has been
an unprecedented demand for the Irish
national emblem Thousands upon
I thousands OF little green boxes filed
with tiny punches OF the trefoil have
annually been packed b. that great.
hearted woman and her friends and
sold the world over, de proceeds
going 20 aid disabled Irish soldiers and
the destitute relatives Of those Irish.
men who have fallen In battle. Last
winter nearly SEQ Of the poor 10 Coun.
ties Clare and Limerick alone uded
over the hard weather on the proai
derived from tha patriotic sale Of
shamrock.
And where does all the shamrock
come FROM Il grows Wild in even
Comfy OF Ireland, Along the noun.
tSins. In the old hiItpastures and "a
the venerable meadows. Il may b
picked in small quantities a. early ia
the year as February IS. ard = fort
night later In luxurious abundance
The tiuiest and therefore the most
priHcd variety e. usually found alons
the hank Of 8 dry ditch where there Il
no grass Tor the poorer and more arid
The soil the better the shamrock No.
a BARN IN ireland but kn0vs an ~
best places near his home 10 look foi
tho little greea leaf II b the childrei
Who arc The E~atherers For day
Just before the good saiat'a festiva
the hills around Stepasldo ana Sgll0
San and the Scalp wtl be dotted owe
with the Industrious dfminutive toll
ers whose proats mas IN no case ex
coed two dollars but who are supreme
b happy In their patriotic task
There are national emblems TIA
may be caten Not 50 the shamrock
A man may eat a leek and enjoy a.
Scot might y e Try s thistle, but a.
lushman must drown his shamrock
/. That Is as sure as % March 10 lgscli