A DISATROUS CELEBRATION.

Thames Star, Volume XIV, Issue 4429, 15 March 1883, Page 4

A DISATROUS CELEBRATION.

The New.,:T.o.rk"?.iraes,'writing of the tbe r»ge for-«eatennial and-bicentennial celebrations in America, cites for purposes poses of comparison: the particulars ,of the landing of St. Paul on the Island of Malta, which is described as follows : ,~ T-.".The . affair., was.; originated -' ; and managed by the fathers of a Franciscan Convent, on the north,shore of Malta. They' had made up their minds that St. Paul had landed just in front of their Conrent on the 6th of February in the year ,57, and they resolved, £o celebrate the eighteen hundredth anniversary of the event with great .splendour. The public were notified, ratter mysteriously, that In ' imposing function' would take place on the sea-shore at' 9 o'clock a.m., on the day in question; and acordingly a large crowd of curious people assembled at the place and hour indicated. They saw anchored at a short distance from the shore an ancient fishing boat manned by Biz fishermen. In the stern St. Paul, in ;. full priestly robes, was addressing the - fishermen, .and evidently telling them . that, it was time for the 'boat to go to - pieces. Accordingly the fishermen began to rock her to and fro with great violence and then, in company with, the apostle, cast themselves into the sea and swam toward the shore. Here the first disaster occurred; St. Paul's cassock, would entangle his feet, and his surplice would get over his head. The result was that the aaint began .to drown,-and was compelled to call lustily. for help. A boat was ; launched,and St. Paul was saved, but the manner, of his landing was painfully uri~ as was also,his language, when he was sufficiently recovered to speak. Meanwhile,, the, shipwrecked .fishermen, : with the help of the goqd Franciscans, had kindled a fire j using for the purpose a can of .. kerosene, which exploded in the hands of a zealous father, and seriously scorched St. Paul, though, fortunately, tbe apostle was too damp to burn, or the celebration would have come to a sudden and tragic end. When the disorder caused by this accident had abated, St. Paul and his companions warmed themselves at the fire, and a harmless local snake, tamed acd trained by a Franciscan, was introduced for the purpose of biting, or rather of , seeming to bite, the saint. According to ■ the pre-arranged plan the saint should have Bhaken the snake into the fire, but he inadvertently shook it the wrong way. It fell upon the neck .of one of the prettiest' girls of the island, bit her brown shoulder,' and then disappeared in the grass. Intense indignation was at oncemanifested. Tbe girl's lover announced that he could thrash the man who threw veuemous snakes at harmless girls, and tbe girl's father, who was a quiet and peaceful old, man, drew his knife and remarked that nothing but the liver of the unspeakable scoundrel who had killed his daughter would give him any real comfort. To make ' matters worse the head Franciscan hastened • to explain that the innocent culprit was St Paul,, and that the snake ; was perfectly' harmless. Now, St. Joseph had been for ages the patron of Malta, and the people wereprofoundly.attachfldto him. They were driv'en'to fury'.ai;" the'idea of any other saint landing on their island and impudently claiming their respect Yelling "Fuori San Paolo!" they threw themselves upon the unfortunate saint, and in spite of the gallant defence made by .him with/an improvised club, and of the heroic . and Christian conduct of the good fathers, who fled to a neighbouring roadside, "chapel, where they fled at their utmost speed, the ;wretched apostle was kicked, and Beaten, and stabbed to death within a wonderfully short time.",, :-; <