, 1879-02-08

tJNuEltE44L4Ik.
4 correspondent writes to the LONDON Spec.
taior Us follows:
"Last weeks Spectator contained friendly
rcmonatranee with me on the fnbiect Of Gin.
dcrclta's nytholoafcal significance. Allow me
to bce my kindly critic to suspend tbs Judgment
on my opinions with regard 10 that grave mat
ter until they appear Ia print. 1 hare Iately
collected and arranged the evidence which bears
uoon the vcxcd questions 10 which Ciu.lcreila's
history has given rfso, aud the result will suon
be published, hollevc, 10 the Nlnettnth Ctn-
turv. Meanwhile. let me explain that BY IN
mcans pretend to recognize a tatureinytl in
the modern form Of the story VIC know a. that
OF Cinderella. To look for symbols OF tic Sun,
uih the Dawn. nnt lhc Evening Aurora In
evcry. fcature nf such fa'rS tales na rcrrault's
and trouble hut tlnt story nta IT. twin sister,
tpcau d. Anc,' nrc based upon populae tales
which arc current al over Ear1pc, nut u, speak
Of o!hcs parts ct the world. And T. !. from q
1lave heeu foun.t in many far distant latnls, and
tu which Il Eeeins reasunabls to attribute yctr
great antiquity. ttnt have BEEN led 10 racok-
nition Of . mytholoEieal element, npparently
originally brilliant boing. III the tnore srchaIc
vnrfanta OF The slurys such a. these found In
Greece, Waltachla, Russia. asId sicily, t'Ic story
always begins With an account Of how the ABhy-
net ito use sco.ch equivalent Tor CInlcrclla) i
prntecIcd by ller dcal mothcr. Tlia important
feature Is Invfsb'e IN ttIr French yersion of the
story, III Which tile dead nothcr Ia replaced by
taIry Eodmotnr. As to the punpkn cnrriage,
ttlc rat couehmau Atl thu lizard footn,cn Of Inc
French stors-tclEes's charming little romancc,
they nrc unknown to the hundreds Of
tales which, in Il score of languages, rclate
thu fortunea Of an ii-trcatcd strp+laughtcr,
vino Al times cmerges from her griIny rstreat,
goes to ball or 10 churc1l tu cleaning rubcs,
mud then returns to her ooscurty. but Is finally
rceoghzcd, generally by u,cans Of a dropped
slipper, by a Prucely lovcr, a,'d enabled to live
thcncctorth IN spIciM}or. No variant tint mi
acquainted With, unless 1t sUntains traces Of q
French tnlucncc, lays stress On thc necessity, u1l
Ctndcrcl1a's part, Of returning trorn tho ball or
church By certnfn hour Her f'Tght from talt.
ftEtiya scene. anu her return to Ter aa!es, arc
due, In the ansncnsc. maturity of variants, en-.
b. sa of the behavior o. CintIe5elas tnale co.i-
tcrpnrt,-.hc earsielons Prince wu hitles under
p!ere Ut blnuder ur suEnc other kind Of cap, the
radiance Ut his gotden lUcks. appears at times
~ oil Ills glory, Invariably returns to h's dcgra'
datlon nsnl uginess, but Is ~ Inst recognized,
al.,l Obliged to rculn 'bcautifui forever 1t Il
Tic caprirlous nature III tie hcrU's or
hero!nc's voluntary afM self-ln'sfcsed eclipse
which makes mt inclined to bee, below the
surface Ut tie ssorr, myth u some kl,d or
tend to sny. The task have set myself fs uot
80 much li,At OF defining il,t original meaning
Of folk-tales ~ TINT of comparing Us tAanY
variants u story as possible, ald attempting
lo allow what wns Its lorn Mt tic cariest period
tu whicI We tau truce It back. This 10 tlc
Aervltu which Eayu lrlci to pcrfor1n III tic
case Of the wIdeIy-tlliTusel nnrrn1lycs from
which Perrnult borrowed the materials for Ills
sIurlcs Of 'ccudron' ami 'Pcau 1Augl' How
far | hayc succeeded will bccpmc lIlanlfcst wlcn
tie artclu III whtcl the rrtnlts Ut my researches
nrc enlH,llcd shall hare made It's appearance
III prInl.h