ST. PATRICK'S DAY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1792, 17 March 1888, Page 2

ST. PATRICK'S DAY.

A correspondent requests us to repub* Hah the following lines which appeared Id one columns last year on St. Patrick's Day :— On the Bth day of Maroh it was, some people say, That St. Patriok at midnight ho first saw tha day, Whilst others deolare on the Oth he was born, And t'was all a mistake betwixt midnight and morn, • For mistakes will^ocour m the hurry and shook, And some blamed the jbaby, and some blamed the olook, For with all their oross-questions, sure no ono could know If the olook was too fast or the ohild was too slow. Now the first faction fight m old Ireland they Was all on aooount of St. Patrick's birthday, Some fought for the eighth; for the' ninth some would die, ' " And who wouldn't see right, faith they'd blaoken hid eye.. And. the two rival faotions so obstinate grew, That, eaoh keeping a {birthday, St. Patriot had two ; Till Father M'Nulty, who told them thek sins, Said " No man could have two, unless he W&3 twins,," f'Boys," said he, " Never mind if t'waa eight or t'was aine, " Don't be always dividin' but sometimes combine, " Add the 8 to the 9, and 17 is the mark, 11 And let that bo his birthday," " Amen I" said the olerk. So they all got blind drunk, whioh oompleted their bliss, And they've kept up the custom from that day to this; 8 S.ays ". $aton " m the «' leader " ;— '* The Exhibition Commissioners have selected ft. poem to be set to music for tha opening of the Centennial Exhibition whioh has been universally condemned as unfit for the purpose. They obtained it by inviting competition and selecting that, whioh m their judgment, was the best amoDgst those sent m. They have now dcoided upon following the same plan with the musio, and the result will probably ■' be equally unsatisfactory."