A ST. PATRICK'S DAY STORY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11650, 11 May 1901, Page 2 (Supplement)

A ST. PATRICK'S DAY STORY.

This little story reaches M.A.P. from an Irish-Australian friend now in Florence, "(several years ago," he writes, "I found myself with Marcus Clarke, the author of 'For the Term of His Natural Life,' late one St. Patrick's Night at the private bar of Garton's, which overlooked the public bar, with its separate entrance from the street, a, feature of all large Austrian hotels. There- entered two men, splendid specimens of physical manhood, and it was evident from their talk that they had been digging mates, a sacred relationship in Australia, the true mate being the bosom friend clearer than all.' They celebrv'ed their meeting in the usual way—one. undoubtedly Irish, hid 'shouted' for his friend, an F.nglishman, who. with proper etiquette 'shouted' in return.

"But the Irishman wanted a third drum, in which his friend refused to join, seeiig that Pat had had quite enough 'Patrick's pots.' 'It's Patrick's Day.' urged the Irishman, 'the saint who banished the snakes from Ireland. 1 'Well.' retorted his tate, ' there are no snakes in New Zealand, as you and I found out when we were working at the Thames River. And,' he continued", 'you can't, say St. Patrick ever came th.v?.' The Irishman was moving away nonplussed, when he turned back suddenly'with a gloim of fun in his eye, saying. 'Look here,' Jim, do you think when St. Patrick put down his foot to banish the snakes and bless Irelaud he gave it a twopenny-halfpenny s> Xiueh blessing? No, sir." it went 'right through and came out at the An-ti-podes!' They drank—] saw Clarke, who was Irish on the mother's side, off to his train and his laugh, the most musical I ever heard, light up his handsome face, is a treasured memory."