Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-13
BY EsTELLE b. CORVETTE.


~ ERHAPs you may smile whim..
sicaily when you buy one OF
the green carnations, which
Il will be peddled by the street
vendors next Thursday, or
when you notice the touch or green
worn by loyal children of Erin. Per-
hans YOU may even laugh a little
when some one wish% the top o
the morning to you," and although
YOU don't say so. you think there Is
something mythical about st. Fat
rick's day.
II Is a long way, it's true. from the
fourth century to the twentieth, and
IL is hard to discriminate betwee@
actual facts and the many legends
that have arisen about st. Patrick.
But certain it is that he was the f1rst
person who consecrated and gave his
life TO the ChristianiZation OF Ireland,
and every Irish heart throughout the
world beats with love for him. the
patron saint OF the Emerald Isle.
ST. Patrick was born about 3s9 AID,
near what is now Dumbarton. Scotland.
:. and what was then a part of Britain.
His father was a deacon in the
church, which had probably been es-
tablished by missionaries from the
Eastern Church in Gaul, across, the
Channel. st. Patrick, therefore. was
raised in a Christian household,
though, like many another youth, he
did not pay particular heed to re-
iigious teachings. In fact, he tells
us himself In his Confession" that
in boyhood he was deficient in con-
duct and in attention TO Christian
duties"
When he was is years old a feet
Of Irish pirates came to the coast OF
Britain and sailed up the rivers seek
ing booty and slaves. st. Patrick
with most of the servants at MS
fathers farmstead, was captured ano
carried to Ireland, or, as he puts II,
ITO the ultimate places of the earth.
Here, in a bleak, wild part or the
country he was sold as slave, ana
he tended his masters cattle and pigs
for six years. During this time he
Wondered deeply on religious mat
ters, and these years of bondage
proyed to be the years of his CONVEX
sion. So ardent did he become at
this time. that 1t is said he would
offer as many. as 100 prayers in
single day. :.
AT length the homesick youth felt
that God would help him escape, fol-
in n vision he had heard a voice say
ing. Behold. thy ship Is ready lie
set f0fIn AT 0ANDTEAhf
IN spite of the many dangers. covered
without mishap, the $50 miles to tnt
nearest port. Here he arranged 70
work for his passage on traders shif
which lay in the harbor almost READY
70 weigh anchor.
The boat made land in three days
urobably the shores of Gaul, and thu
traders. with the Irish wolfhounds
which they had bought, tourneyed foi
as DAYS through what Saint Patrici
nas referred TO as a desert land
Food ran short, and many of the ex
hausted dogs were left TO die by the
wayside Finally the shipmaster, VINE
was a heather. turned to Saint PatricB
and exclaimed: Now, oh Christian
whv dost thou not pray for us?' Saint
, Patrick replied: Nothing is impossible
10 the Lord my God" Almost imme
diately a drove &C pigs appeared In the
Asx.ancye, and the weary travellers were
saved from starvation. During the
remaining nine days of the journey
although they were far from human
habitstion, st. Patrick writes thai
they were never in want OF food Oh
water.
Patrick effected his release at ths
end of two months, in accordance with
another vision in which a voice hae