Delaware inquirer. (Wilmington, Del.) 1859-18??, 1859-09-03


piness makes virtue in nine cases out of ten
and the greatest happiness an Athenian wife
Gan know, is to be less guarded than her
neighbors, and less suspected than they
Our maidens leave off visions of love when
they lay aside their puppets. They are not
practicable as realities or as companions
sand this is the domestic life of the Ionic
race-that proud race which assumes to itself
all nobility, all virtue ~
An enviabie life, too u Must we be dis
satisfied because we cannot bind all our jewels
into ONE correct 7 May not the zone have
one, and the arm-band anotherf Garnet
friendship ill up the want left by an imperfect
love, and passion supply the place of Pla-
tonic equality of soul Socrates was content
with Aspasia's smiles when Xanthippe's curses
fell the heaviest; and Pericles could forget
his pride beneath the same heaven of friend
ship. Believe me, we are wise to so deYide
our treasures there is less chance of losing
themp'
The ceremony was over; the maids and
matrons prepared to depart-returning to the
homes where they lived like prisoned birds
who.watch the sunshine through the bars
Last of the train, guarded by her mother and
attended by slaves, came Myrrha, the betroth-
ed of the young Empatrid Lysistrates. A
youth followed them at little distance APP
parently engaged in arranging bunch of vio-
let's just brought from one of the violet sellers
in the agora. 1t was the son of Sophilos.-
Glancus, the young warrior and statesman,
one of the most favorite orators in the Puyx;
rather too free, perhaps, and Independent Of
custom, and Indifferent to opinion-but still
respected as much as if he had been the arc
hon himself.
The Egyptian, much interested in the girl,
followed in the tract, seeing, where the streets
became narrower, Glaucus stealing, as if by
chance, quite close to the young heires; and
when the mother was not looking, one violet
from the bunch was pressed into her hand
Myrrha's cheek family flushed, but she walk
ed on with the same composed mien as before.
The Egyptian smiled grimy when he saw her
mother watch and the slaves press nearer after
Glaucus had gone When the flower was
blown they talked of tying up the leaves
But he did not know the meaning of the next
passer-by-an old woman, who, tottering fseb-
ly through the streets, fairly brushed against
the snowy robe of Myrrha. She seemed to
lingef, too and her hand surely touched the
maiden's, else the procession and its beauty
had dazzled his eyes. He did not knoW that
she was one of the class who made their liv-
ing and that no inconsiderable one, by love
affairs, and legal as well as Illegal marriages.
She had been employed by Glaucus from the
first, and now came on his last errand. A
hurried word below her breath, and then the
old woman tottered on to meet her patron IN
narrow court.
Before the mother reached her home Myf-
rha had consented to fly-frst to Beotia, and
then through the wild seas to some far colony
in the west.
Pythionica fell i'll that day. Some said
that her last supper of lampreys had disagree
ed with her; others that the approaching
marriage of Lysistrates annoyed her; third
that pimple had appeared on her nose a
fourth, that her pet dog had died. At any
rate pythionica was i'll, and Athens must
mourn; and Athens did mourn. The ablest
physicians were summoned to attend on her ;
the finest men in Attica made hourly inquir-
les never since Cecrops founded the city had
woman possessed more influence. Not Corn-
pa, when the prize Of poetry was awarded to
her over Pindar not Aspasia, when Pericles
descended from the bema and wept to gain her
pardon nor Las, when Eubotas of Cyrene
refused her hand and stole her portrait not
one of these created more gossip or more in
trest than did pythionica's sudden illness
A woman's digestion was nations talk
Even the public business stood still, that the
orar might hear how the fair sidigd was ten
minutes since. Lysistrates was inconsolable.
lie sat by the bedside of his languishing mis-
tress, and wept till very nearly as i'll as her.
self, While he dried his tears, Glaucus was
kissing Myrrha's shoulder
The night came on, dark and uncomfortable.
Pvtllionica was worse, and Lysistrates frantic
The porter was almost crushed beneath the
loads of fruit flowers, charms, and armlets,
that poured in for the sick goddess; and the
slaves fought amongst each other in despair
at their toll Of carrying them. Darker and
darker crept OH the night. Surely Perseph-
one was weeping by the side of Aidoneus
surely Seene was lamenting Endymion; there
must be grief among the inortals, there was
so much gloom with men
The door of virgins chamber slowly open
ed, and pale form clad in white, trembling
as her fair hand held by the Intel to prevent
herself from falling in her agitation, peered
anxiously into the adjoining room. II was
her mothers, and she must pass through it
before she could gain the door where Glaucus
waited. Long and anxiously she looked and
listened; but she could not perceive any I'M
due motion in that white mass Of drapery be-
meath which her mother slept, nor could she
hear other sound but the deep breath of slurn-
Der. Walking lightly on the points of her
small, nnsandalled feet, she passed through |
and came to the door on the opposite side.-
She opened it. Fortunately the hinges were
not rusted nor the pivot grating it swung
aside without noise, and she left II ajar. And |
now she stands at the top of deep flight of
steps leading down into the mems apartments
where her father and the slaves all slept.-
This was more dangerous, in case Of discovery,
than the passage through her mothers room
for what excuse could she frame for being