Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-03-10
BY A COLLEEN.

Erin's a spot famous for greenery,
But we do not match with our scenery
We're not so green we can make hay with
you
Says the colleen. "Ah. get away with
you'll"
Modern Song.
A ND is it green you're after think
~ ing we are? Then turn your in
telligent eyes upon us, for it's
probably due to us that you have an
intelligent eye to turn upon anything
at all A fit of the blues and streak
of yellow may make one kind of green
the green young thing that hops out
of life at a halter's end, mayhap; or
the pale green of envy in a foolish eye.
But the sweet, restful green that ma
ture painted the isle was never that
kind of color IT'S the bright, cool
and happy shade of the leaves and
growing things like the bit of sham
rock that best tell the story Of it.
And the story Of the shamrock and
the story of Ireland are the story of
Saint Patrick himself. Are you telling
me you never heard it? More shame
to you that don't knew the praises of
the greatest of saints.
Maybe you're one Of them that
thinks the blessed man was born in
France-France, ochone! Heaven save
the mark, twas in Dumbarton, called
the Rocks of Clyde, in what is now
Scotland. His father and mother were
Christians, after a fashion that is, and
they were subject to the Roman In
f1uence, Scotland having been licked
by the Caesar, which Ireland was not
A lad of sixteen he was when they
nabbed him and, turning the prov Of
the coracle down the Clyde, headed
for spot near the Giants Causeway.
Once landed 1t was not long before he
was sold to Milchu, son of Hau Balm,
who was king of Dalaradia. His duty
thereafter was none other than the
tending of cattle in the valley of the
Braid, not far from Broughshane. In
that valley there is still town called
Ballyligpatrick or Patrick's Hollow
Six Years of Slavery.
Six years he shaved and planned,
and then at the age Of twenty-five he
ran away. Away from Milchu and the
cattle and down to the sea at Killala
in the County Mayo, he went. A boat
was ready to sail when he reached
there-it was about two hundred miles
from the valley of the Braid-but he
had no money and the sailors refused
to give him passage. Fearful of dis
covery, he went into the wood of Fo-
clut, there to hide till he could get
away safely, but the sailors hearts he
came softened, and they sent after him
and gave him free passage back to his
home.
Home again after six years of bon
dage, you'd think he would settle down
and be content, now wouldn't you But
no. Contrary to the wishes Of his
family he determined to go back to
Ireland and be a missionary; and he
begeu to prepare himself for It, Now
the me when most boys OF his age
were in school he had been away tend
| ing the cattle of has master, so It was
small book-learning he had, and the
| task of preparing himself was a hard
| one, but he spent years in monastic
schools and more than twenty of them
had passed before he set sail to an
swer the voice Of the Irish" that he
declared was calling to him.
He would bring happiness to the
Isle of Destiny by way of Christianity
wasn't that a noble mission? And
they we're ripe for his hand. He landed
near the mouth of the River Slany.
two miles from the place now known
as Saul At that time there we're
many divisions and as many rulers in
ireland. each brave clan being a law
unto itself St Patrick made straight
! for the nearest chief, Dichu. who
thought he and his companions were
pirates and came armed to meet them
but when st. Patrick spoke to him the