The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1915-03-25
W. F. HUGHES LETTER.
Hay Fever Causes Silence. St. Patrick
and the Shamrock. Spring Her
aids. Billy Sunday.

yOuI IcducIo, VIII OIllcf Wise nave
walked and talked with me. or
have been amused, beguiled, or
instructed by my previous arti-
cles, make it obligatory upon me
to offer some explanation for my
months silence. Ideem it a good
thing to be thus held to account
for ones conduct, especially,
when the standard set by your
critics is high; and because / have
a really good excuse. So, please,
now attend to my words:-
After pleasant sojourn of two
weeks in McConnellsburg last Ju-
ly, returned to my home in Phil
adelphia, and awaited with no
pleasing prospect, | assure you,
the oncoming of that singular
malady, hay fever, of which !
have been the annual victim since
1884. Some will smile at this as
though that were not worth the
minding: but such persons have
not endured the daily rounds of
hourly attacks that grip the suf-
ferer through a period of six to
eight weeks which are, because
they seem so, the longest of the
year. My trial came all right
and brought me into a low phys
ical state. No one writes letters
during such time-the over
much sneezing, the inflamed itch
ing eyelids and other parts of the
face and inside the mouth; the
nose distemper, and the bunged-
up feeling as of heavy winter
colds these, and other enforcing
physical perturbations, set up a
headache which is constant-you
rise with it; it accompanies you
throughout the day; and when
the mantle of night is spread over
all and you feel like sinking into
the arms of Morpheus, it is there
to say Good night until / greet
you in the morning. o, it is a
delightful thing to enjoy a vaca-
ton with hay fever-isn't it?
"At the end of the day" when
matters should have come around
to the normal again, there set
tied down upon me, instead, an
indescribable mental and physical
indisposition ofttimes alarming,
making it impossible for me to
appear in print-and | am only
just now emerging therefrom.
How often have | seen in the
News interesting matters upon
which would have been glad to
comment; but could not bring
myself to do so, so there you are,
now, furnished with my excuse.
ST. PATRICK AND THE SHAMROCK
am writing this on the 18th
day of March, st. Patrick's Day.
On this day, the department store
of Lit Brothers, located at Eighth
and Market Streets, distribute
thousands of pots of Shamrock,
the natl onal flower of Ireland.
st. Patrick was no Irishmail, but
he was the Country's patron
saint, of whom it has been said,
His coming found no Christians,
and his departure left no heath
en-" which, of course, is hyper
bole. In order to illustrate the
Trinity to the barbarians, st.
Patrick used the Shamrock, a
plant of three leaflets, found
growing wild. 1t is uncertain
what the plant was as-itmay have
been one of the clovers, or may
be 0xalis acetosella. Different
plants are known as Shamrocks,
in different parts of Ireland: but
there is no doubt that the true
Irishman, the world over, cele-
brates st. Patrick's Day and
wears, if he can get it, a sprig of
green in commemoration of the
great mans death not birth.
In this connection, read Tom
Moore's poem, beginning
Memorial of my native land,
True emblem of my land and race,
Thy small and tender leaves expand.
But only in thy native place.
Thou needst for thyself and seed,
Soft dews around, kind sunshine
o'erl,
Transplanted, thou'rt the merest
weed,
o Shamrock OF the Irish shoreln