The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1914-04-16

Keep nlm away but the saint raised his right
hand and made the sign of the cross, and the
devils fed
Once, during his missionary labors, he changed
a marauder into a wolf. On another occasion he
lighted fire with icicles. A triple miracle
ascribed to him is this: A blind man seized the
saints right hand and guided it in making a cross
on the ground. Instantly a spring of water
dubbed up from the dry earth The blind man
bathed his eyes with the water and his sight was
restored. AS soon as he could see, the man.
though illiterate, found himself able to read and
write.
After st. Patrick died the nights in Ireland
were for twelve months less dark than usual
Little though we know Of the actual details of
ST Patrlcks life, the greatness Of his work in
Chr1ctlanizlng pagan island is beyond question
And there never would have grown such a mass
of tradition and legend around his name had he
not been man of exceptionally strong person
ality.
Nobody knows when or where St. Patrick
was born. Pat himself wrote that his father
had small farm near the SoIway, in Scot
land. Therefore, it is supposed that Pat was
born on his fathers place.
1t is said that Patricl's name at first was
Succat, though I myself find it hard to
believe that any sane Scotchman ever named
his son, Succat.
1t is said that Succat was carried off by
pirates, and sold into Ireland. After having
been captive for six years, he is said to have
begun preaching to the Irish He had seen
vision, heard call, &c, as so many other
imaginative persons have done-including
Mahomet and Joe Smith.
IL you tell Turk that Mahomet did not
see the vision, and did not have converse with
angels, he will knock you down. That's his
way Of proving that you are liar.
If you tell Mormon that Joe Smith did
not see a vision, and chat with an angel, he
will knock you down.
That's his way Of proving that you are a
ID liar
If you tell Roman Catholic Irishman
that St. Patrick did not see a vision, and hear
heavenly call, he will knock you down
That's his way Of proving that you are a
ID son of a gun!
So, you see, you must be careful how you
talk about the unbelievable things that the
other fellow believes.
St. Patrick died at place called Saul, near
DoWnpatrlck, some time after the year asa.
There never were any snakes in Ireland,
just as there never were any in Iceland,
Labrador, and Greeland.
The miracle is not greater in the one case
than in the other There are hundreds of
other species of reptiles, birds and animals
that never were in Ireland, just as they were
never in Greenland. Iceland and Labrador.
That old story of Pat and the snakes, is a
joke, like the witches riding the horses at
night and leaving their names all kinked up
In funny ringlets and twists.
When you and [ were boys, and listened to
what the old negroes said, we believed that
the witches rode the horses. We are now
grown up, and we know better.
Some people never grow up, and they never
know any better.
IF the Romish priests had their way,
nobody would ever grow up and use his COM
mon sense, and laugh at these childish legends
about absurd and useless miracles.
Nature 2rOrhS bn Zn4n and there are no