The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1884-02-01
FOR THE MONITOR.
CERES.
BY CHARLES H. HICKMAN.

none, perhaps, received greater homage IMAM
Ceres. To minds seeking solution for
phenomena in nature in direct influence and
control of divine agency, those divinities
whose-offiees brought them into immediate
relationship with mans particular needs were
objects of special attention and veneraton.
As such the Romans worshiped Ceres, the
goddess of agriculture. She was supposed to
be the daughter of Saturn and Ops or of
Time and the Earth. AS the divine being
who watched over and promoted agriculture
she was regarded as the preseryer of all life
upon the earth. She it was who first taught
mankind to till the soil, to SOW seed, to
gather the harvest to make bread, to parcel
lands and to make their boundaries. The
Greeks worshiped her under the name of
Demeter; the Egyptians under the name of
isis Ceres was a personifcation of that
principle in nature by which the earth brings
forth the various fruits and grains SO i'm
portant to man. She was regarded as the all
nourishing mother, and the divine being who
watched over and promoted growth of vege-
tation everywhere. The mysterious evolution
of life out of seed cast into the soil was the
chief thought inculcated in her worship. On
the evolution of life from seed rotting in the
ground the Greeks and Romans based their
belief of an existence hereafter. The New
Testament writer's also drew on the same pro-
cess in nature to symbolic the new or
spiritual life through Christ. The seed after
it was cast into the ground was under the
care of Proserpine, the daughter of Ceres,
and goddess of the underworld. The new
life. which sprang from the seed was the gift
of Ceres herself. On account of this double
care for this union of effort to evolve life out
of the seed the two goddesses were considered
as inseparable as "two in one," In the
process of evolution Proserpine represented
that principle in the economy of nature by
which the seed corn buried in the ground is
suffered to rot before transfusing itself into
new life. Her abduction by Pluto, and her
remaining with him in the world under the
earth had reference to seed which lies in the
ground through winter in a passive state be-
fore springing into new life
Ceres was represented as tall of figure
with sorrow depicted in her countenance, and
as having her head crowned with ears of
wheat. Her favorite dwelling place was the
beautiful island of Cicily. Here the young
and lovely Proserpine grew unto womanhood.
Here her innocent and happy pastime was to
dor re md vol erath ar
its rare flowers. One day, in company with
the daughters of Oceanus she was gathering
the narcissus in the valley of Enna when the
ground opened at her feet and Pluto, the god
of the underworld, appeared before her in
chariot drawn by coal-black horses. Struck
with the charms of her virgin beauty, Pluto
seized the lovely fower-gatherer and bore
her away to become queen in his dark realm.
sought her among the flowers of Emma, but
only found her veil Burdened with mothers
sorrow, she lit her torch at the flames of
Mount Etna to light her through dark places
and sought her daughter Proserpine through
all lands. Wherever she rested and was
Hospitality received, she left blessings in
gifts of seeds and in instruction in the art
of agriculture. Nowhere did she receive such
cordial hospitality and distribute so many
blessings as at Elusis in the district of Attica.
Here she remained whole year in the house
of Helos, the king. The daughters of Helos
were very kind to her when she told them she
had lost and was searching for her child. All
attention was given to her, but SO great was her
grief she never laughed or smiled. In return
for the kindness she received she taught
Helos the use of the pillow and gave him the
seed of the barley. Wherever she went she
sought in vain for Proserpine. At last she
besought Helos, the sun, to tell her where
her daughter might be. Moved to pity py
her great sorrow Helos said: "Pluto mas
taken Proserpine to be his wife in the dark
and gloomy land which lies beneath the earth. :"
When Ceres heard that Proserpine had gone
to dwell in the dark and gloomy land OF the
dead a grief that knew no control hiieo her
breast. The earth no longer received ner
care; no fruit grew upon the trees; no
harsests whitened the fields; no MOWERS
adorned the gardens. Zeus, god OF heaven
looked down from high Olympus and saw that
everything on the earth must die unless the
grief of Ceres might havean end He besough'
the dark and stern king who ruled IN the iano