The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-12-04
QUEEN DIDO.
The story of n Widow who Refused to Wed
ARaiu


noonsn at school was one which ran in
this way: The head girl would remark
to her next neighbOr: "Queen DIDO :
dead How did she dieP" would be
asked. "By doing just so,'' says the
leader, indicating the action by swing
inc one hand. This was passed all
around and the next time both hands
were moved, and so on around until
hands, feet, heads, ewes and bodies were
all in motion,
None of as then had many ideas res
pecting this royal parsonage, although
one Of our number contributed the item
that "Dido ct duN' Said item she dis
covered in her brothers. Virgil, and be-
cause it was Latin it was all the more
valuable. After that time we always
associated this Queen with roast ducks
In the years that have gone by we have
not added very largely to our stock of
information on this subject, and for this
reason we propose to write upon 1t, as
in these days it seems TO be the fashion
for the ones who know the least TO do all
the talking. ~ The little tina. we have ex-
humed from the cobwebs of myth, that
entangle and almost obscure some OF the
most brilliant characters in the history
of that very early period, impresses us
with the idea that for her day and gen
Grafton Dido was very remarkable
woman. In this era of woman reforms,
when heroines suddenly loom up from
every grade of society, firmly mount the
rostrum, occupy the puiPt, the editors
chair, or stand behind the cashiers or
book-keeper's desk, hold their own in
each or all of the learned professions,
and bravely and heroically march along
the highway of fame beside the lordly
man, it is worth while 10 contemplate a
woman who was the acknowledged lead
er of a voyage Of discovery, founder of a
new nation, and unindisputed sovereign
over it-centuries before woman's cru
SADIE was thought of.
Dido (or Elissa) was daughter of Be
lus, King of Tyre, and own niece to the
celebrated ,JeZebel--or lSabel-the pet
of the clergy-at least one would think
so from the frequency with which she Is
brought into sermons. The aunt has
consequently been kept before the public
from the beginning of her glaringly
wicked life, when she blazed like an
ignis fatuus over the worlds history,
until through the instrumentality OF the
barbarous John, " she went TO the dogs"
in 50 inglorious manner.
The Young Dido is mentioned as being
a frequent guest at the Court of Sama-
ria during this brilliant epoch, and
possibly may have witnessed the igno-
minious ending of her illustrious rela-
tiye's career .. .s-
A few wears later she is destined to 60
through another dark experience, which
comes still nearer home to her. She Is
married to Sichaeus, her uncle-the
priest of Hercules. Whether it is a love
match or not we do not know, but for
the remainder of her life she proves
faithful to his memory. His great
wealth tempts the avarice of his enemies.
He is murdered and the deed concealed
from Dido But the asSassin-Pygma-
lion, Dido's brother-for it is a hOrrid
family affairs defeated in his plans
and tails TO reap the reward; as the
treasure is hidden from his ken. The
shades of the departed Sichaeus make
known to Dido their whereabouts, and,
at the same time, warn her to flee the
country, lest she, herself, should be the
next victim.
Spending no time in idle mourning,
borne up bv her fears and the strength
of character and resolutions of purpose
for which the women of her family were
noted, she hastily called together her
band of faithful followers, and while her
enemies were still employed in searching
for the hidden treasure, she ordered her
fleet to be made ready for a long voyage
to unknown shores. Besides the provi-
Sions for the ROYAL retinue and crew, the
boats We're laden with articles of cum
ming workmanship, in the fashioning Of
which her cOuntrymen eNcelled; stutfs
for the imperial robes, for whose rare
ANTS of pur,.c and scarlet the world is
indebted to the people of Tyre; hides of
the giant bulls of BaShan to be tanned
for leather, and safely slowed away
among her own valuable provisions was
the money for which her husbands life
was sacrificed With an eternal fare
well to her beautiful Inflated Tyre, where
the greater part of her life had been
spent, and bordering on the sad trials
which now eXiled her, she is soon out
on the broad sea at the mercy of the
winds and waves. After tossing about
hither and thither for weeks and months,
they We're finally driven by one of the
fierce storms of the Mediterranean upon
the northern coast of Africa, having
sailed i'm the rude vessels of that period
distance nearly equal to the entire
length OF that great sea-a feat far
more formidable in those days than the
circumnayigation of the globe would be
now with our modern facilities of travel
ing. Weary with seafaring, and proba-
bly, taking in with her keen insight the
advantages of securing this position with
its fine harbor as the site of her new
capital, Dido proposed to purchase 3
tract of territory from the inhabitants.
Here comes in a CUteneSS in striking
a trade worthy of nineteetth century
Yankee. Instead of buying SO many
rods and acres-possibly they didn't
measure surfaces in that way then-thC
bargain was for as much land as could
be inclosed by a bulls hide cut into
thongs. Rather an indefinite amount
for one of the largest hides cut into tn,
finest strings that the sharp PhGniciar
implements were capable of might in
close several acres more than those Gu
from an ordinary hide with the rud,
African knives. And a sharp woman
like Dido 10 doubt saw her advantage
This strange contract has passed int,
the proverb. =. He has cut dido bu
it seems now Ia be used when one ha
made ridiculous mistake or committe,
an egregious blunder.
Having thus secured her territory, sh
Immediately set about building fort
ress and taxing possession Of her ney