The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-03-14
GREEK GIRIH00D.
Homer,a Nausicaa the Ifighest Cor
ccption or an Ideal Maiden.

ccption Of nm Ideal MAIDEN.
No nation has given to. the world more
perfect and ideal types OF womanhood
h the Greeks; all that is essentially
feminine has received their admiring
reverence and alteration. The actual
women of that day occupied a far diff
ferent position than their ideals would
imply: but that the nation should have
treated such ideals is Significant.
Every Greek god has ITS corresponding
goddess. illustrating and idealizing a dis
tinct period in woman's life.
Woman was placed on an absolute
equality with man in the Greek Panthe-
on.
From the beginning of her existence the
Greek girl was taught to consider her
self under the special tutelage and
guardianship of a particular goddess.
Every epoch of her life was ~ennobled.
every act of her existence was giorified
in some temple. In CHILDHOOD she was
Artemis; as maiden. in %Eaeditat1op fancy
Free she was Athena as 2 2 was
A~phrodIte; as wife she was Hera; as
queen and guardian of the home she wa
Vesta.
exquisite as well as truest picture Of the
womanhood of his day. OF all whom ne
has portrayed none fasetnates US BY
daughter of King Alcinoas. who aided
the wandering Ulysses to return to his
home. She is simply the ,purest. fresh
est, most Eght-hearted girl In Greek ro-
nance.
How beautiful our first glimpse Of her
IN the Odyssey! Obedient TO Athena,s
drawn by mules. swends her way to the
seashore, there to wash her garments n
preparation for the rid day:
Nov mounting the gay seat. the silKen
shine in her hand; along the sounding
swiftly hy the mules; nor rode the
Around a beVy Of bright damsels shown
And while the robes inlbibe the solar
Der the green mead the sporting virgins
Their Shining wells unbound.)
Along the skies
Tost and retost the bell incessant flies:
They, sport; h feast; Nausicaa Fits
And warbling sweet makes heaven and
earth rejoice.
grand epic, Ulysses has been ship-
wrecked, and after a hard struggle With
Shelter Of the fair Phoenician shore.
The shgieks Ct the maiaena, as tossing ta
other. it is finally. swallowea. by the sea,
rouses him from his sleep OF exhaustion.
AS he presents nimSelI before them, MS
but Naus.caa fee in dismay to the
sheltering caves in the rocks. The
nyrnph stood firm alone by Pallas armed
nifed and how courteous is her bearing
toward Ulysses, how wise her answer TO
his complimentary yet reyerential ad-
8 Stranger, cease thy care:
Wise, is thy soul. but man is born to
Joye weighs affairs. of earth m dubious
scales,
And the good suffer while the bad pre-
walls.
Who breaths must mourn; thy woes are
from above.
Turning to her attendant train. Nau-
sicaa reproves them for. their eowardice.
and p%rudently bids Ulysses follow her. to
her fathers palace, lest accompanying
she. had preferred a foreigner for her
husband She also advises him to appeal
TO her mother first. Ulysses is received
ises him a speedy and safe return to
his native Ithaca, but begs him to de-
lay awhile and relate his adventures.
Ulysses assends. aad meets n IN Nausseaa;
the banquet hall, where he isato tell his
story. Nausicaa bids him to remember
what he 1--WE to her when he sees
plies in words of reverence and graft
tude.
The highest modern conception of Ideal
sreas9Sn t aan g Nsua IL a0 H mDf sle snHnssi g.
spirit and dignity, tenderness and
W wom ebasac ssmp sns a wi5h rare n s t :
combine to make her the ideal woman
Of whom We owe to dream, and, dream-
Ing, Indulge the hope that our ace. as It
perfection. may again in years to come
produce a MISUNDERSTANDING Post.