Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1898-02-10

tees, seems 10 have got along very
well without this rosy little GOD
It duplicates Joye in Thor, ani Her
mes in Lokl, but net even Bladder, who
Is about the only attractive celestial
81 possesses, mas any OF the character
istlcs Of Cupid
The nearest approach to any OF his
traits is found in the legend OF Lo-
heugrin." Across the channel, whore
softer sky Lends over a greener
land and more impulsiye hearts, the
Irish maiden recognizes the IowIr
Of the little god and propitia.es him
/ by many a rite through his mischief
loving agents, the fairy folk.
Among the lindoo deities Door
! Cupid is lavishly invested with tho
grotesque and monstrous attributes
/ 50 characteristic Of the land OF
/ Brahmi. lie is called Camadeya, and
! he presents a striking cOntras. - the
dainty little imp Of Greece and Rome
lie is not himself provided with
wings, like our own little humminS
bird deity, but to supply the deficiency
! is clumslly mounted on a parrot.
His bow for he is stlll an archer
Is Of joiuted sugar cane, and Che cord
is made Of string Of bees. His
arrows are flowers, their sharp heads
concealed with honeycomb.
Could anything be more suggestive
of the sweets and pangs Of loye7 Even
the parrot as being the bird gifted
with speech, may imply arem),e slg-
gcstion OF an alleged characteristic of
the fair sex. Camadeya Is not a pretty
god, but his outfit is exceedingly husi-
ucss-like
In some parts of India he Is sup
posed TO have first been seen floating
down the Ganges on a rosy lotus ll(s-
som. and the maiden OF that country
stlll tests her fate by means OF
small lamp, filled with cocoa oil and
wreaLhed with flowers, when she
lights and sets adrlft upon that lam
guild stream. auxiously watching how
II floats and burns and reading there
in the consistency or faithlessnesS Of
her absent lover.
Sometimes the Eastern Cupid Is
represented In the field Of bliss closely
piuioned with flowers, a shrewl &c
vice for preventing his ftoliCsome
wanderings for which one would
scarcely nave given those dreamers in
the sun credit It really smacks Of
Yankee caution But WheraN err MS
temples are built east or west, towers
are inseparably connected with lis
worship.
1t Is related that the Persian prin-
cess Rodahyer, wishing to gain at
tenton OF the fair haired zal, sits
on the bank of the stream while her
beautiful slaves invoke the god Of
love by casting blossoms into the
dark water with swayng arms and
chanting voices.
The charm wreath of Nourmahal to
win back her lover must be made OF
flowers plucked In their sweet bath of
moonlight and dew, and Herrick,
Cupid's chief minstrel among moderns,
warns the virgins to gather ye rose
buds while We may" Even today the
young man can find no better way to
win Cupid's favor than by depicting
his own pocketbook for American
Beauties or English yolets,
Rcticence IL also an almost uniyer-
sll attribute of the god Of love, The
lovely Psyche nearly spoiled her hap
pipess because she was not content to
take her love on trust Elsa was happy
tin she asked the fatal question which
cost her a husband, and OF all the
pretty pagan rites practic d TO WOO
the osy boy, scarcely one admits o,
daylight OF speech. Even the yalen-
tine must give no hint OF the sender.
Unfortunately Cupid has grown
overload of using his leaden arr ows
OF aversion in these undyllic times, /
and his messages too often express
quite the reverse of loves sweet
uotbtugs. The carclures Haunted in
shop windows seem 20 Indicate tina,
ne has become n hapless degenerate,
worthy OF the attention of Nordau and
his associates. But Cupid is still
all powerful whether he is worshipel
under the alders chat shadow the little
river MulIa which flows by Sponsors
ancient castle iu green Erin, or amid
the iuuglcs that border the Gauges as
10 streams through a land OF famine
aud death And In the newest part OF
this new world he holds his own
against an Corners, ana is just as
U,cksy as of Old
Age cannot wthcr nor custom
stale' his sweetness or his infinite
Variety
MARRIAGE AND LONG LIFE.