The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-05-23

Then suddenly loud shout wac
heard. 1t was only the princes, greet
Ing what the herald had just pro-
/ claimed:
II, Penelope. Queen of Ithaca, to the
lords within my domain;
This day will give myself in mar
! riage, with my crown and lands as
dowry TO him who shall prove himself
worthy in the feat of strength that l
shall decide on"
That was all. But II filed the mobiles
! with rejoicing, and when the time for
the banquet drew near all were gathered
In the great hall. Their Joy was to re-
ceive a check. however. When Pene-
lope entered, radiant in all her jewels
and her robes of finest spun materials,
murmur of admiration ran through
the assembly. But the next moment 1t
was changed to one of chagrin. as they
saw Telemachus walking behind his
mother. They had hoped that he was
dead. since it was so long since he had
been heard of in the kingdom.
When all were seated. Ulysses en-
tered. his tattered robe barely cover
ing his worn figure. AS he crossed the
threshold. his dog. now grown feeble
with age, lifted its head. and
giving yelp of joy tried 10
drag his old form to his be-
loved masters feet. And then
he fell dead. his WORKOUT heart hav-
ing first been rewarded for his long
/ fnht tn Il No nntfaaI
the incident save the beggar, who, seat
ing himself by the hearth, drew his
hand before his moistened eyes.
In those days the poor were treated
differently from what they seem TO be
now. Ulysses was received into the
banquet-room of the queen, and served
with a portion from her table.
When the guests had been served.
| they grew even merrier than before,
and it was not long before Ulysses be-
came the butt for their coarse jokes.
One even went so far as to raise a
stool and strike Ulysses with ii, and
Telemachus could scarcely control his
father so treated within his own hall
But a look from Ulysses quoted him
ami things went on as before.
Then, at last, they called for the
feat OF strength. Penelope smiled, and
commanded first that all weapons
should be removed from the room,
since in the excitement they might be
put TO a wrong use. When this was
done, twelve rings were arranged, sew
eral feet apart, in a long row down
the hall. Then a large bow and
culver Of arrows. which Ulysses had
won in one of his heroic deeds, were
brought out.
"Whosoever can string this bow and
shoot an arrow through the twelve
rings. may have me for his BRIDE"
said Penelope.
Telemachus first took the bow and
tried to bend it TO fit the arrow 70 the
string. But struggle as he would, he
could not so much as move it.
He is only a stripping" cried burly
noble. Give it to mer'
And so they tried, one after another.
They creased the string with tallow and
with oil. but no one could bend the
bow. When all had tried. Ulysses
stepped forward and begged permits
sion to try. How they jeered, and bus-
feted him for his daring even to ask
so high a favor. But Penelope cried
out:
Let him try. Though he is so cid,
he says he was once a soldier. Let him
| tryv
Then they made way, and Ulysses,
taking the bow, bent 1t as easily as if
ii had been a willow wand and sent the
arrow flying through the twelve rings,
where, at the end of its course it struck
into the wall, and then remained fast.
And then Minerva took the disguise
from Ulysses, and he stood revealed.
Behold me-Ulyssesr he cried in
thunderous tones. Now see how
shall reward you all for daring to af-
front your queen; for daring to make
my house a place of revelryw
Then, with unerring aim, he shot an
arrow at each intruder till all were
dead. There was no chance for de-
tense, for all their weapons had been
taken away; there was no chance Of
escape, for all the doors had been Sc
cured
And so persisted the men who had
abused hospitality and failed to defend
weakness. And so did Ulysses return to
his kingdom and his queen after the
toll, the hardships and privations of
war and the accomplishment of heroic
deeds.