Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1896-08-15
THE STORY OF 10.

One day D shepherd wandered through
the forest till he camo to stream that
cut off his footsteps from farther travel
Tho trees We're in full leaf, and the
banks Of the stream were soft with fresh,
green grass, Oh which the sun shone
with warmth and brilliancy SO great
that flowers had sprung up, decking the
green with many colored patterns.
So inviting did the spot appear that
after glance around the shepherd threw
himself down, and leaning against a
tree he began softly to sing sweet
melody.
He was not an ordinary looking man.
More indeed was he like god than a
mortal. His massive head was heavy
with thick, lionlike locks, which over
were bright and piercing, but of no dis
tinctive color, and his form and stature
were glorious to look upon, for he had
the strength of a Hercules combined
with the beauty Of an Apollo.
And indeed he was not mortal, for it
was the great Jupiter himself, who had
disguised himself as a simple shepherd,
and who now lay beside the water.
While he sang suddenly slight COM
motion of tho waters was visible. Bub-
BILE after bubble rose, till fountain
seemed springing from the middle of the
stream. And while Jupiter looked the
water took on human form, and a fair
maiden stepped lightly to the shore and
saluted the monarch of heaven and
earth.
1t was the nymph 10, daughter Of the
river god Inachus. She was very beauti-
full, and her garments of woven sea
weeds, dashed with spray and inter
twined with colored shells, shone and
glistcned as the sunlight played ovor
them. Her long hair fell about her like
golden shower, and she was so very
Jupiter was pleased.
Now, it happened that while Jupiter
was sitting on the bank of the stream
that day Juno, his queen, was looking
down npon tho earth from Olympus, and
seeing him there she made up her mind
to join him. They did not get along
with each other very we'll, and Juno
was in constant fear that she might lose
her power and her place be filled by an
other queen.
So she mounted her chariot, drawn
by eight brilliant peacocks, and was
soon beside her lord. To her surprise she
saw standing near him beautiful heif-
er, to which he spoke gentle words
now and then. Suspecting some mis-
chief, she asked Jupiter to what herd
the heifer belonged, and he answered
that it belonged to no herd, but was a
fresh creation from the earth.
"Then give it to me-, said Juno.
Jupiter would have refused, but he
did not care to provoke the queens an
ger by denying so simple request, and
he give her the heifor.
Now, this heifer was 10, Jupiter hav-
ing ttrned her into that form as he saw
Juno approach, hoping thus to quiet the
fears that his queen was subject to. In
this he did not altogether succeed, for
Juno at once placed the heifer under the
caro- of Argus, the watchful shepherd,
who had hundred eyes and who never
slept with more than two of them at q
time.
Argus was not unkind, but he was
very strict and severe. He allowed the
heifer freedom in the daytime, but at
night he tied cord around her delicate
throat and fastened her to tree
So the time went on. 1nachus sought
his daughter far and near, and 10 often
wandered down to the stream when she
saw her sisters at play. She let them
caress her, and they made a collar Of
shells for her. One day her father offered
her handful of soft green grass, and
she licked the outstretched hand. In
vain she tried to tell him who she was.
Her only Cry was loud below, which
frightened even herself.
Suddenly she thought Of how she
might make herself known, and with
her hoof she wrote her name in the
sand. Then the sisters gathered around
her and wept, and her father caressed
her and bemoancd her sad fate.
But the watchful Argus saw all this
and quickly came and drove tho heifer
back to its flock, where he kept even
stricter watch over it than before.
After u long time Jupiter bethought
himself of the fate of 10, and finding
how she suffered he dispatched Mercury
to put an end to Argus and to so set 10
free. For he could not restore her to her
own form without the consent of Juno.
Mercury, that bright messenger of the
gods, whose duty it seemed ever to be to
relieve the distressed and help the trou-
bled, put on his winged sandals and his
cap, and taking his pipes, on which he
earth, ready to perform the task assign
ed him.
When he reached the place where Ar