Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1925-03-15

to force picked subjects to clean his
hearth whenever it got dirty. At
very busy season Patrick's parents
were selected. The boy saved them
by rather obscure miracle, in which
the hearth became miraculously clean
and, strange to say, in such a condi-
ton that it could never become dirty
| gain. Wood burned upon it left no
SCOT or ashes.
x K x
\ IL CLUADE was a broadminded
monarch for those days. Patrick
played him a mean trick, but the
king took it good-naturedly enough
when he might have decided to cut
off his youthful subjects head, and
| thus do away with miracles. 1t
seems that he collected a certain tax
each year in milk curds and butter,
and was very severe on those who
failed to pay up when the tax col
lector knocked a their door. Patrick S
parents didn't have the wherewithal
to pay and expected to be thrown into
the dungeon under All Claude's castle.
But the future saint picked up
some snow and turned il into but
ter--far more than enough to satisfy
the demands of the king. and the
most delicious butter ever seen in
North Britain. All Claude smacked
his lips when he saw it. and ordered
the table set No sooner was the
delicacy on the table before him than
it turned into snow again. The king
was so impressed that he exempted
the family from further butter taxes.
Patrick, by this time. was approach
ing young manhood and, according
to his own confession, he was in
Clined to be bit wild. He began to
take the miracles as matter of
course and to indulge in the sinful
revelry of third century Britain. He
still had a long road to travel before
becoming a saint. In fact, it is per-
missible to smile at the miracles of
his boyhood. They belong with the
snake story. But he was to undergo
a soul-making experience.
In a raid by an Irish tribe on the
Scotch coast he was taken prisoner
and carried away to Ireland as
slave. He was set to herding sheep
and swine on a mountain top, near
what is now the center of County
Antrim. From II to 20 years he re-
manned in slavery-dates are not
very exact in cotemporary accounts
of his life. He probably was i'll
treated, kept half naked and without
shelter. Much of his time was spent
alone with the sheep and swine
From a carefree and, perhaps,
slightly wild young man he turned
into a thinker The loneliness and
the majestic scenery helped in his
development. His mind turned to the
religion of his youth-for he had
been baptized a Christian. Like so
many who have followed him, ST
Patrick found his soul. He became a
man of visions. There is no longer
the barest trace of humor to his
miracles. Believe them or not, they
become sublime and serious.
X X X X
- purgatory of slavery long enough
to rid his mind of all illusions. Then
his escape was arranged. Now, from
all we can gather from Muirchu, this
would not have been exceedingly diff
cult at any time except for the fact
that Patrick had no money. If he es-
capped he starved. This difficulty was
overcome by vision in which he
was told to follow black pig in his
herd. He did so, and some distance
away in the forest the animals snout
uprooted a nugget of gold, which
served to finance his wanderings and
his education.
Patrick fed from the swine to give
his soul to God. Escaping to France,
he entered the monastery of Marmon-
tier near Tours, famous for the min
istrations of ST. Martin, under whose
influence the young mans character
was nodded. Here he became a
scholar above the average, although il
does not appear that he was given
to literary pursuits to any great ex-