The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-06

Engraved on the tablet were the words
Here. is Phaeton buried. the driver Of his
Chariot. which. II he did not manage,
Still he misoarried in his great attempt
Bewailing the loss of her boy Clymene, the
mother, sat like Niobe all tears. The care dis
played in every detail in the picture made it
most impressive. Beside the river Pc, where
there his sisters lost their wealth Of charms.
SO long the mother and the daughters mourn'd.
When now the eldest, Phaethu "a, strove'
To rest her weary limbs, but could not move. :,
Herself withheld and rooted to the ground
A third, In wild affection as she grieves. -,
Would rend her hair, but Ellis her hands with
One sees her thighs transformed, another views
Her arms shot out, and branching into boughs.
And now their legs and breasts and bodies
Orusted with bark and hardened into wood.
But still above were female heads displayed
And mouths that called the mother to their aid.
The new made trees In tears of amber run,
Which, hardened into value by, the sun.
Distil forever on the stream below
The lmpid streams their radiant treasure
Mixd in the sand whence the rich drops con-
Shine In the dress Of bright LATHAM maid.
HERCULES AND DEJANIRA
followed telling the story of the former
trust In the unworthy Centaur, Nessus. Her
cules, after his long contest with Achelous,
obtained the hand of Deianra,. and took her
to him as wife. In crossing the river Eve
nus the trustfu husband gives his bride TO
the care Of the Centaur to carry her over, but
Nessus, realizing his opportunities, attempts
to carry her off Hercules, on the other i side
strength, sends an arrow to his heart.
The Centaur on the car, with head OF man
and body Of the horse bears the sylph like form,
OF Deianira on his back. Between them and
the famous Son of Jupiter bubbling river
his lions head for shield, iavelin in hand,
watches his perfdious foe. Just behind the
hero, a dragon, with extended wings, looks,
down from the rocks, whilst triple-headed
exquisitely gotten up and the action fully
carried out The poet, in his story, says:
Tho Aonian chief to Nessus trusts his wife.
All pale, and trembling for her hero's life.
Clothed as he stood in the fierce lion s hide.
The laden culver DER his shoulder tied,
For cross the stream his bow and club were
Swift he plunged in: These pillows shall be
pass'd,
He said. nor sought where smoother waters
glide,
BIT stemm' d the rand dangers Of the tide.
When. .harkl his brides known voice alarms
his ears:
Vain Is thy trust. be timely wise.
Thou. monster. double shaped, my right gel
free,
If though no reverence owe my fame end me-
Swift as his words the fatal arrow flew.
The Centaur's back admits the feathered wood
And through his breast the barbed weapon
Stood
ARACHNE, CHANGED INTO A SPIDER,
next startled the gaze Of the sight-seers
Brilliantly Illuminated this car attracted
more than ordinary attention from the crowd
dali 1ybi al cfTantc had
been wrought and the reflections of the
lights. added much to its weird effect.
The story Is well remembered. Arachne
in-glorious of her ingenuity in weaving and
Of skill In her art The Goddess accepts the
challenge, and being enraged to see herself
out-done, strikes her rival with her shuttle
upon which Arachne hangs herself. Minerva,
touched with compassion at the fate OF her
skillful rival, transforms her into spider
Pliny the Elder tells us that Arachne was the
daughter OF Idmon, Lydian Of low extfac-
ton, and invented the art of making linen
cloths. The competition between Minerva
and herself is the foundation for the challenge
which brought about such disastrous results
to the forlorn Arachne.
In the car Arachne, now in spider form, sits
in huge web of tilmy tineness, whilst Mi
nerva, the goddess, reclines on throne Of
blue. Her seat is of tapestry, while
its back is formed OF the ancient stretcher on
their wondrous designs by needle On either
side exquisite patterns of tapestry are dis
played by Minerva, in her royal garments, tG
The envlous eyes Of poor spider-formed
As SOW Ovid tells US, after Arachne had, with
intriaues of Jovo,'' "Asteria's tabled rape,
how Leda lay supinely pressed, while the
snowy swan sat lowering Ser her breast and
Neptune-like, wantOn steer
With envy saw. yet inwardlv approved
The scene of heavenly guilt. With haste she
tore,
Nor longer tho affront with patience bore;
boxen shuttle in her hand she took.
and more than once Aruchne's forehead struck
The unhappy maid impatent Of the wrong.
Down from q beam her injured person hung,
When Pallas, plying her wretched state
At once prevented and pronounced her fate.
Live: but depend. vile wretch the goddess
Doomed in suspense forever to be tied
That all your race to utmost date OF time.
May feel the vengeance and detest the cline
Then going off she sprinkled her with Juice.
Which leaves Of baneful sconite produced.
Touched with the poisonous drug her flowing
hair
Fell to the ground and left her TEN pies bare:
Her usual features vanished from their place
Her body lessen'd all, but most her face;
Her slender fingers hanging on each side,
A spiders bag the rest from which she gives.
A thread, and still by constant weaving lives"
In stately show
THE DAUGHTERS or CECRoPs
next appeared. Pandrosas, Herse and the
eldest Aglauros. with the winged messen
ger Mercury standing before them. In one
of Merourys flights he espied Herse, thu
most beautiful daughter Of Cecrops,. in com
pany with her two sisters. Intlamed at first
sight with the passion Of love, he cireling
descends and is met by Aglauros, the eldest
whom he endeavored to interest in his suit.
Agauros, who evidently had an eye to the
main chance, refused to assist Mercury unless
he promised to present her with large sun
of money.
On the float Mercury advances toward the
sisters. and is met by the cacuting Aglauros
whilst Herse and Pandrosas remain in The
background. The costumes are of the bright
est colors, and under the gaslights give to The
group luxury of tint that adds much to the
beauty Of the design. Herse, clad in golden
yellow robe with purple mantle. is distin-
guished from her sisters. In her cap way,
Ing. plume floats idly in the wind whilst doubt
and satisfaction chase one another over hei
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