Year: 1878

st. Patrick gave UP the ghost just 1888 years ago
last Sunday, and theevent was celebrated WIN
good deal Of fun and freshness here in New-iork'
Yesterday. Few of those who marched and MADE
merry in honor of tho gentleman who "came OF
decent people," could have passed competitive ex-
animation on his biography, or have thrown any
light upon the stubbornly contested question,
whether he was born in France or Scotland. Per-
haps the general opinion yesterday, il 1T could
have been arrived at, would have been that he lrst
saw light IN Dublin or in Cork. Not many knew
more about him than the tradition that he drove
all the snakes out of Ireland. Yet here were
thousands upon thousands Of enthusiastic jewellers.
brass-banding and marching and banner-ralstng ana
dining and drinking and dancing, and some OF them
getting into the stati0n-house for breaking
heads, and all in memory OK shadowy
sort Of character, just little more thah
myth, and not at the best with any very important
standing in the CALENDAR. There is something con-
soling about this kind of terrestrial Immortality 1t
shows how persistent people can be when 1t has
actually adopted saint, hero or demigod. and OF
what tough material these archacal flames are com
posed The sheerest nOmin,s umbra comes In Tor
honors hardly youchsafed to the quickest flesh ana
blood.


Perhaps it is lncky for the saints of this class
that the eating of good dinners is OF the ways
in which they are h0nored. st. Georges name, II
not his memory, has been kept fresh through the
consumption Of whole hecatOmbs of beef ana the
drinking of oceans of port wine. SO ST. Patrick
(who was not even martyr passes through the ages
IN amid atmosphere of convivialty He is one OF the
CHEEKY, human household saints of whom humorous
stories are told and half comic songs arc sung.
He is goriled parish priest the father OF all the
Father O,Briens and OroOles-the genial, hard
working kind-hearted devoted servants of religion
who have done their best to tighten the heavy lot OF
the Irish peasant. and to make misrule ana oppreS
sion, and so many other wrongs toerable lie Is
associated with tho long-ago days when Ireland is
supposed 10 have been free and rich and learned,
full Of kings who took excellent care OF their SUD-
jects. and of subjects who took excellent care OF
their kings, when Connaught and Munster were
mighty mOnarchies.


Yesterdays celebration was like its predecessors
as one pea or potato or sprig of shlelah or four
leaved shamrock is like another. Considering what
passion for professions there is IN New-fork IL Is
rather odd that they have little variety. Except
upon extraordinary occasions. when we have an
Emperor or somebody Of that sort with us,
ono march-past in the Park, under the
official noses of the Mayor and Aldermen, is the
very double of another -Four hours before there Is
tho least possible chance of the arrival OF the pa
geant, the patient walters crowd the steps of the
City Hall, or hang over the chains-the best
natured and most uncomfortable mob conceivable.
Then the bare of brass bands is heard in the dis
tance and soon the avant courers of the parade ar
rive, and exhibit to the world their magnificent
management of their gayly caparisoned steeds. Then
come regiments. Then a hiatus occurs, occasioned
by the accelerando movement Of the front Then
mora reoiments and more brass bands Then
Sons of This and of That, in aprons
and collars Then barouches full OF digni-
tares All the people who are looking at
1t have seen this pageant many times before
vet how much they still enjoy it! 1t is quite touch
ing that these orderly well behaved people should
be so easily pleased Some of them have travelled
fifty miles to SEQ all this, and when the very tail of
the procession has disappeared, they do not in the
least regret the journey, but are quite determined
TO make it again next year.


The appetite of the average New-Iorker for sight
seeing is unfailing. Sometimes he gets bitterly
bitten. as he did in the melancholy Momus fiasco'
but he comes again next time with the same un-
doubling faith and with curiosity not one whit less
eager lie would have been great fellow for the
Grecan games the tournaments, when such
Things were but he makes the most of modern
iegeneracy Funeral or circus or military parade,
it is all one to him. He likes to the flags out no
matter what their colOrs And out they were in
great numbers yesterday and the prevailing color
Of them was the color of the grass freshenng under
the breath of the coming Spring. May it prove a
good omen as 1T ought to be IAN omen Of peace, of
friendlness and of prosperity


A catalogue just published by Houghton, Osgood,