The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-07-15

t5Wtlh ~ liz ~ III
land da today eng ged An nhxioasl,i
watching the slaes III :is aswell known slls
fact all weather bureaus and sclen-:
| fifc prognosti GATORS 10 the Seontrary:
that the state Of the weather today
Ilwii:: have mn Important effect on the
rainfall for the next forty days. III
tEnEllshmen firmly believe In the cred ,Psl
ibility OF st. swithin rs aforecaster. al
Though they may pretend not to. and
| the dead saint also has followers in
every land OF the globe. For Is it not
written.
"St. Swithln's day II. thou dnst rhine
For fortie dnyes 1t will RENAME.
st. Swithin's day II thou be clere
For fortlc dayes twill raine m mair."
1t Is remarkable fact that, when
alive. st. Swithln had nothing to do
with the weather. and 1t was not until
he had been dead a century that his
"pull" with the weather bureau was
discovered. It came about In this
| wise.
In 971 a great concourse OF clerks
and pre1ates gathered on July Is Mt
the humble grave that lay under the
drip Of the caves of ancient Winches-
ter church. The day was the festival
OF st. Swithin. AMI the chllrchmen
were gathered with spade and candle
to have up his bones that lay In their
damp grave under the drippings and
to bear them to prouder resting
place within the fame.
1t SO happened that the old saint.
dead century before. had made last
wish in humility. which later men
rocked of but lightly Even while they
sought to 10 him reverence. and even
though they were the holfcst men of
The Saxon realm. they said that Swith--
In had rested long cnogh under the
rain sponts. Then they came out In
slow procession. and approached the
spot where the humble mans bones
In dso long taken the drain of the
holy roof But Of sudden. rs they
were about to begin digging. there
came such flood of rain as put out
tale tnpcrs and made the grave diggers
drop their spades and the clcrics capcr
back to shelter.
The clrgy prayd. much troubled by
the mischance of the strange AMI MIR
aculons rains. but ncxt day they went
back again and the spades were put to
the trench. Again fell such n flood OF
wator rs made the frightened disturb
ers course back under roof and rafter
to save their cossocks. Again and
again they tried. with such slowlcss to
take hint rs characterized those old
fellows OF legend.
Forty days they were wetteil by
these astounding rains. But forty-onc
days. little knowing the harm that
they were working to the climate.
they came back. with spade and book
and candle. And on the last dry they
had mp the bones of Swithin and car
ricd them. water soaked rs they were.
in all state and ceremony TO q dryer
resting place near the chnncel' Ever
since then the rains that have fallen
on swithin's mass have kept on for
forty days. even MS they did that sum-
mer when his grave was to. be dug |
open and cmrtied.
Mon gradually began to perceive that
there had been n great miracle done.
rs the wonder year after year repeat
ed itself. Another century. and in
1904 the rain-hrcwing bones were lift
ed Engerly and transferred to the new
Cathedral. where they are TO this day.
Naturally time did its work. and st. |
SWithin in the end was remembered |
rs worthy man. but sinEnlnrly wa
terry. tlreary. rainy fellow. AS n mat
ter OF fact he was nothing of the sort
but really an honest wight In worldly
things and busy servant Of the faith
in things holy. There is even like
ness of "Eciswithun'' ON an old senl.
seated with his crook and hook. odd to
say. under starry sky, rs II he hnd
been rather fond OF fine weather In his
time
Swithin was tutor and later Chancel.
lor OF King Etlelw0lh. who made him
Bishop OF Winchester. Swithin Undue
ell Ethelwoltl to establish the church
titles. 1t Is sai.l-n work quite MS per
manent MS his Influence on the wealth.
err. Tie was precenior OF Alfred the
Great too. and accompanied him or