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Show Saint m Patrick's Day I In England, on old-time calendars, March 17 was distinguished for a reason rea-son other than Its association with St. Patrick. It was noted as the date on which Noah entered the ark, along with his wife, Ills sons, Shem, Ham and Japheth, and their wives, for a stay of one year and ten days while the waters prevailed upon the face of the earth in the greatest deluge the world has ever known. According to old English ballad makers, Father Noah was very glad when the flood was over, for he had become very tired of being housed iu such close quarters with so many animals, ani-mals, birds, reptiles and insects, and besides, according to the balladists, Mrs. Noah had added to the unpleasantness unpleas-antness by giving way to her shrewish temper. But in justice to Mrs. Noah It must be remembered that the early ballad makers were men. k 3$ Legendary history bears out the words of the old song that "Saint Patrick Pat-rick was a gentleman and came of decent de-cent people." His father was a high class Roman officer living in Scotland. Patrick, or Succat, as his parents called him, was born at Kllpatrick, near Dumbarton, In 387. When fifteen years old he was captured by pirates and carried to Ireland, where he served as a herdsman. His captors named him Patrick, which conies from the Latin Petricius, "the young patrl-' cian," or "of noble birth." S &13 All ye who love the springtime and who but loves it well? When the little birds do singr, and the buds begin to swell Think not ye ken its beauty, or know its face so dear, Till ye look upon old Ireland in the dawning of the year. For 'tis green, green, green, where the ruined towers are gray, And it's green, green, green, all the happy night and day; Green of leaf and green of sod, green of ivy on the wall, And the blessed Irish shamrock with the fairest green of all! |