The Washington times., 1894-11-18
p Winql6SS Victory.
BY EDITH Il CROSBY.

February. DR.. Moleson. the celebrated Eng
lish archaologist. was TO give his famous
lecture on the foundation stones of the Par
thenon, and all the students Of Greek antiqui-
ties in Athens were hurrying up the steep
sides OF the Acropolis TO hear him.
Marion Goodwin had started early and could
afford to loiter She took the roundabout
way which led through the newly excavated
street by which Pausarias, the traveller, had
made his entrance into Athens more than
seventeen hundred years before Once a
fashionable promenade, crowded with life
and bustle what poor, shabby little street it
now looked sunk eight or ten feet below the
level Of the present road. its nakedness and
dinginess laid bare TO the searching light Of
spring sunshine and modern criticism Rough
laborers were still at work, st0rming its Sc
crets with piekRx and shovel. and loading
their straw baskets with the accumulation Of
dirt ana rubbish which had concealed them
for so many centuries.
When she reached the Parthenon, the lect-
ure was already begun, and a little group of
students surrounded the learned speaker.
They were chiefly young men, and the two or
three women were separated from Marion's
fresh girlhood bv a chasm Of at least twenty
wears But the contrast which she presented
TO them was no longer noticed Dy scholars or
teacher, for they had grown accustomed TO it.
All winter long they had seen the bright
young eyes fixed upon the wisdomimparting
lips OF French. German, and English archse
ologists ia turn the golden head bent low In
scrutiny of archaic inscriptions. the slim white
fingers welded TO notebook and pencil. Many
a man envied her her quiet perseverance, and
DR.. Moleson considered her his most pr0mis-
ing disciple
The lecture was a long one, and as deep
and dry as II was long. Not once did the
doctor lift his eyes from the foundation stones
which were his subject, 10 see the divine sap
phire Of the sky glowing between the noble
columns of the ParthenOn. or to catch the
golden sparkle OF the sun upon the dimpling
-EgeaR. But for once Marion was inattentive;
the explanatory monotone Of the lecturer s
voice Jared upon her this afternoon.
Seated on huge block OF pinklsh stone which
had formed part Of the oder temple, her head
leaning against a broken column. she let her
eyes wander, and her thoughts with them, and
was barely conscious OF the close of the lee
ture. and Of the diminishing sound Of depart
ing footsteps.
The wonderful landscape which lay spread
out at her feet was sufficient excuse for her
inattention. Before her stretched the broad,
unduating fields. red brown with freshly
ploughed earth. Colden-gre@n with young
meadow grass. beyond them a strip Of yellow
sand and the deep indigo of the sea. seal
loped into tiny BAYS and harbors, dotted with
white sails and rippled by a light breeze.
There below her lay the grand old Uheater
which had witnessed the triumphs of SophO-
cles and Euripides. Farther TO the left.
springing from tie sandy plain around them.
stood the graceful group OF CorinthiRn COZ
umns Of the temple Of the Olympian Joye,
their marble melOwed bY time to soft orange
Orhrp "a q NJ Tha
white light of the AthenIan sun, purer
whittier, more dazzling in its brllliancy than
any other. The poetry and beauty OF the
scene seized upon her. and made her rebel
hous against the learning Of the schools.
What mattered il whether walls were built
OF Pirsan soap stone or Pentclic marble or in
what dim old century foundations were dug
and corner-stones laid. She was shocked at
the reckless insubordination OF her Thoughts
II was the revolt Of young shoulders against
the old head which she had been irving to
make them carry. She had not realized un-
I'll she came 10 Athens that the serious study
of ancient Greece by no means meant being
stirred by her eloquence, moved by her poetry
and art or thrilled by her heroism, but that
il meant to search the bowels OF the earth for
half obliterated boundary lines. 10 trace the
course Of old drain pipes, to study the sratis-
tics OF demes and the measurements Of blocks
all Of which was very valuable knowledge
lDE kLb EHtElhlASL, DAk MhIlDh WAS DeZllLAuE
TO doubt, with intense modification, whether
her mind was. after all, as well fitted foz such
q training as she had thought.
Brought up in the midst of the classical
enthusiasms of a small New England college
town, il had been her dream of years TO Quatf
the spring OF Greek culture at its fountain
head, and the opportunity of spending the
winter in Athens with an old ex-schoolmis-
tress Of hers and deyoung herself entirely 10
study, had seemed to her q gift of the gods
Why was it that the reality was growing
every dav less like the dream? Had Arnold
Foster been right when he SO sIoutly MAIN
tanned that wOman's brains were Of another
quality from mans and that il was as sense
less to require them TO do mans work as 10
try to force the lark, whose province it was TO
soar and sing, TO drag the plow.
The strength and charm Of a woman's
mind" be had SAID one day should lie in
quick and sympathetic intuitions, not in logi-
cal conclusions.
She had contradicted him Indignantly at
the time But this afternoon, looking down
Gt the glowing landscape, with its pretty fore
ground bits Of life, she wondered whether be
had been right, after all, and whether there
might not be an enjoyment which was not
logical. but intuitive.
An unexpected noise near her broke in
upon her questionings, and, turning her head,
she saw DR.. Moleson evidently hunting for
EOAlG L4lsld4Q DAlo-b dlLl1SL lle marble
debris. At the same moment he became
aware Of her presence, and, giving up his
search, came toward her. an expression of
pleasure finding its way through his smoked
glasses, as he exclaimed:
'You here still, my dear Miss Godwin?"
''Ycs-it is so perfect here this afternoon
that / could not bear TO leave. Look how
beautiful it is,''
The doctor seated himself on a Doric cpni-
tai beside her and turned his eyes rather ner-
functorlly toward the scene 10 which her
speech had called his attention. The wortb,,
man was not without his ideals and enrbusi-
Rsms. No life which is honestly and earnestly,
devoted TO yet unful1lled purpose. even
though that purpose be the establishing of a
theory Of foundation-stoles. can be entirely
lacking in a species of poetry. but the poetrv
OF DR.. MOleson s existence was not lvric and
nature TO him consisted of astronomy. bot
any, geology. and such other sciences as are
used FOR her viyisection. He let his ewes wan
der for moment over the landscape. which
ne could not help connecting with the map of
ancient Greece. unconsciously noting the di-
rection in which the old walls had run from
Athens TO the sea. Then. wishing very much
"a show himself TO be in sympathy with
Marions mood, he answered assentingly:
'Nes-you are right: from this point one
commands most extensive panorama
Marion did not respond. She found both
LIZ oulOo1iFo Gnu mum inappropriate. The l
doctor stroked his sandy beard. into which a /
few prophetic gray hairs had found their wav
and fdgeted a little nervously on his hard
seat
Miss Goodwin he began again. after a |
pause. during which she had almost forgotten
his presence, there is a matter which have |
wished tossubmit to your judgment. and it is /
most suitable that should do so just here. |
You know to whom this temple was dedi-
cated?''
She looked at him in some surprise. Was |
he going 70 favor her with an examination OF !