Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1896-05-22

upon a high rock, whence ne could over
look the fields, he called Mercury to him,
"Come hither, gentle shepherd boy, "
he cried. 'Sit here by me i'll the shade
of this great tree and sing me some songs
upon that instrument you carry. "
Mercury complied, for this was jus5
what he wanted. He played his most
soothing tones, hoping to lull the great
giant to sleep. Then he told him stories
and talked till the sun was high in the
heavens. But, though Argus nodded and
closed some Of his eyes, yet he was ever
watchful, and Mercury was we'll nigh III
despair.
At last he said to Argus
"Since you like so we'll the strains of
music bring forth from my pipes. let
mo tell you how it first came to be made
and used. You must know, Argus, that
it is called the syrinx, as we'll as the
pandean pipes, and when you hear the
story you will understand its meaning
''There lived long ago here in this
beautiful land of Greece a nymph named
Syrinx. All the satyrs and other spirits
Of the woods and wind and wave loved
her and We'd with each other i'll gaining
her slightest smile But she cared for
none of her admirers. She was devoted
to Diana and the chase, and indeed she
was so beautiful in her activity that no
one blamed her for preferring her sport
to anything else She might have been
taken for Diana herself, so skillful was
she and SO lovely. But her difference
lay in the bow she carried. Hers was of
ivory, while the queen q was of silver.
''Ono day as she was returning weary
from the hunt the god Pan met her and
Immediately fell victim to her charms.
But though he praised and flattered her
and offered to make her his queen, sha
feared him and fled, swift as the wind,
from his entreaties But though her
step was light and free. he gained upon
her, and just as they reached stream
of water be was about to touch her. In
her fear and terror she cried aloud to
her friends for aid, and in moment her
form was changed. Pan found that his
arms encircled tuft Of reeds by the
stream, and as he sighed, soft and sweet
music breathed through the hollow
stalks. With a cry of joy he then said
C Thus at least you shall be mine,
beautiful Syrinx. And cutting the reeds
he followed and dried them, and fasten
ing them together of different lengths
produced this instrument which he
named in honor of the lost nymph. "
While Mercury was still talking he
saw Argus bow his head. All Of his
hundred eyes were sleeping. With one
stroke Mercury cut off his head, which
rolled down the rocks with a tremendous
crash Then 10 was set free.
But Juno was not content with that
revenge. She first honored the faithf ii
Argus by placing his watchful eyes i'll
the tails of her peacocks, where to this
day they may be seen. Then she sent a
gadfy to torment 10, who, to escape 1t,
fed over the whole world The Ionian
sea, through which she passed, was
named for her.
At last, worn out and exhausted, she
reached the banks of the Nile, and Ju-
piter in pity begged Juno to give hel
back her form. This the goddess did,
and 10 was restored to Inachus and hel
sisters, young and beautiful to look up
Oh as when first we met her by her ia
tive stream. Edward Courtney in Phil
adelphia Times.