The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1899-04-08

We'll hCtC bStl& lAS"SIs iOcSNN ~ -
bandit, and since thsn-so the story
goes-they have always marched in
the moon. You can see Jack and Jill
carrying the rail between them, sup.
ported on d pole. 4 very bright, fair
haired pair they arc, although at this
time ot--rear only the girl shows
plailk
>IfTou haven't seen all these moon
dweilers, don't fail to look for them
the next time the moon is full.
In olden times people paid great
deal more attention to the moon than
they do nowadays. The old Greeks
used to say the Man in the Noon was
a Greek and the Romans said that he
was Roman, and they might have
gone to war over the matter if there
hadn't been anything else to fight
about. And the wise men quarreled
over the question as to whether the
moon was an island or only hole in
the sky. And one Of them soberly
asserted that the moon was simply the
sun shorn Of his rays, who came peep
ing around at night for fear something
would go wrong while he was gone.
Ancient authors also had much to
say about lunar wonders. Luclan, a
famous Greek writer, tells in his
"Vorage to the Moon how he visited
the Man in ihe Noon. It reads like
some wonderful fairy story. Starting
from the smiling coasts Of Italy, his
gay bark was driven beyond the pill
lars Of Hercules into the unknown
ocean. Here it was caught in a fierce
storm and swept about at the mercy
of the wind for seventy days. Then
the weary voyagers landed on bliss.
fulisland, where the rivers flowed with
wine and where every vine IN the
vineyards was a beautiful maiden.
Leaving few of his bewitched com.
panions, Lucian sailed on with those
who remained faithful to him. One
fine day when the sun shone brightly
and the waters were blue and calm, q
sudden whirlwind arose and lifted up
the little vessel and for seven days and
seven nights it was hurled through
space, and finally landed on a large
island which hung suspended in mid
air and was brilliantly Illuminated by
tie sun. This was the moon.
No sooner had they alighted when
a great company Of hippogriffs = men
mounted on winged asses with three
heads came and carried them to the
Man in the AIooo. He at once recog'
nized them as Greeks, for he was q
countryman of theirs-,Endymion by
name. 1t 50 happened that he was at
that moment engaged i'll fierce war-
fare with his majesty Phaeton, King OF
the Sun, and the very next day great
H3stttle was to be fought. Lucian was
delighted with this opportunity Of be-
coming acquainted with the famous
Man in the Moon and agreed to help
him fight his battle.
Early the next morning the moon
army was drawn up in battle array.
It consisted OF no fewer than 81, 900. :
coo of men, with $4,000 hiprogrifs
and al equal number Of other wonder
ful creatures, among whom were 36. 600
men riding feas of the size OF twelve
elephants. The battle took place Oh
an enormous cobweb stretched be-
tween the SUI and the moon, and after
fierce and bloody struggle, in which
many deeds Of vaIor were done, both
armies withdrew, having covered them
selves with glory, and the next day
peace was declared, and the Man in
the Moon became fast friends with the
King of the Sun.
Lucian tells other marvellous things
about the Man in the Moon. He is
not born, but buds forth like flower,
and instead Of dying he passes forth in
gentle puff OF smoke. He never
suaers indigestion, because bis stom'
ach is nothing but Il pocket i'll which
he keeps his food. II he thinks there
! is danger Of hurting his eyes ne takes
them out and slips them IN his pockets.
Ill these things Lucian tells about,
and then cuts bis story short quite
suddenly and returns to Greece. -
Chicago Inter Ocean.