The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-02-08
CALYPSO AND ULYSSES.

4
/ iypso-' The cable brings information 70
the effect that CALYPSO is upon the erd
! OF every fashionable tongue in the great
| metropolis. We may, therefore, expect 70
/ nave Calypso" craze OF our own IL
the near future. Nearly everybody has
read how Mrs. James Brown Potter re
fused TO play tbs part of Calypso he
cause Of objections TO the passionate at
| tributes with which she wished TO endow
| the lady, but some people may neverthe-
less be wondering who CALYPSO is or
wss and why there should be a fuss
over her at this time.
Calypso is play. but she once was a
nymph. After Ulysses, the King OF Tin
! AGA, had assisted at the siege Of Troy.
ne started for home with about twenty
! ship loads OF followers who expected TO
get pubic jobs when they landed Ulys-
/ seS had been away a long time. and not
/ only had he begun TO fear that the little
boy he had left playing around the throne
might need fathers care and slipper.
but there was danger that the ward
| bosses who had won his confidence might
| be dead or pushed aside Also there
was his Wife. Penelope. 2 good and faith
ful but an inquisitive woman. who would
want a fun account OF his doings when
he got back Hence the sooner he re
turned, he thought, the less there would
be for him not 10 tell after little Tele-
machus was put to bed and mamma
crossed her hands in her lap. saying:
Now. William II. Ulysses. I know all.
so there won't be any use of your try
ing TO keep anything from me-
In spite of his eagerness to make a
record breaking trip, however, Ulysses
( fooled around a good deal on the way.
After having trouble with the Cicons, the
Cyclops, the giant cannibal Laestray-
cones, Circe the enchantress and others
he aroused the wrath of Neptune and
would have been drowned If PalIas had
not gone to his assistance and called Nep
off. Thus Ulysses and his follow ers grad
ually worked along toward home until
they came within sight OF the island OF
/ the Sirens. The great warrior had mean
while heard that several members of the
cabinet were trying to marry Penelope.
and that he must avoid being lured by
the sirens If he didn't want TO be a grass
widower when he got home.
IN order, therefore, to keep from being
/ lured he filed lis ears with putty and
had himself tied to the mast of his flag
ship. Hardly had these precautions been
taken when the voyagers came in sight
of the sirens. sitting on the bluff above
the landing place and Turing 10 the best
Of their ability. Ulysses saw them and
tried TO break loose, saying that he had
changed his mind and was willing 10
be iured, but his friends were deaf alike
to his appeals and his threats. The 81
rens, as the boats were passing, old an
Amazon march on their island, and, as
Homer tells US, warbled thus:
Ulysses. Ulysses, why not come ashore?
We are waiting sedately for you:
Your fame has preceded you; come, we
imploTe,
Tum-twiddle. te-twiddle, de-doo.
Come hack on our island. hero, and
find
Surcease from the troublesome sea;
We are grave and deJ0ure, but we know
you won't mind,
Te-tweedle, tum-twiddle, de-dce.
There were several more verses, accord
ing to the Homeric story. but these will
do. Ulysses got past the island and out
Of hearing of TIE sirens all right: still
his troubles were not ended. During
terrible storm all his followers were
drowned, and he too would have been
lost had it not been for the kindness of
the goddess of Lucothea. who was sub
bing for Pallas that afternoon. I.euco-
thea saved him, and few days later he
waded ashore upon the island home of
/ Calypso. While tossing about In the va
ter with nothing but his life preserver
to keep him from catching cold in his
chest Ulysses thought of Penelope and
Telemachus at home. In his minds eye
he could see his little boy, whistling down
the quiet lanes of Ithaca, while the chick
ems ran cackling out Of range or lodged
from his sight in the :all grass. But the
moment the old warrior caught sight OF
Calypso where she sat on the stomp, do
, ing fancy work. all thoughts Of home
and mother passed out of his mind.
For twelve years Ulysses remained on
Calypso's Island Think OF that for a
mau who had a wife, a son, an anxious
old father. and a good job at home. Yet
VIC are asked TO regard Ulysses as a
hero.
Mr. Stephen Phillips, the poet, has writ
ten a play dealing with the experience of
/ Ulysses while ne was the guest of Ca
lypso, and it was he that objected 10 the
/ dash and go with which Mrs. James
Brown Potter desired TO play the part Of
the sedate and proper nymph. We may
readily understand why Mr. Phillips. be-
ing a mild and gentle bard, should be
/ opposed to the Introduction Of any undue
| fire or enthusiasm by the actress select
ed for the part of Calypso. The latter,
as Homer and others who either knew
/ her personally or by reputation have
I explained, was one Of the best bred and
most ladylike nymphs OF her day. IN
deed. IL is evident that she must have
been thoroughly respectable, or Ulysses
would not have cuddled al her feet for
| twelve years. while his wife was busy
declining offers Of marriage and brlars
were growing UP in the fence corners OF
/ Ithaca.
we get from Uripidas an idea OF the
character of the chaste and beautiful
! CALYPSO. Ulysses had known her for
about eight wears and wanted 20 81
home. The Greek tragic poet pictures
her swinging on the gate. ever and anon
/ biting shyly at her apron strings and
singing:
1 All, would you run away from me?
why sigh for old Penelope
or fret about your kid?
( Have / been any thing but kinc2
/ Have / been snort Of speech or rlde2
Oh would You leave me. row, behind.
To languish, lorn and lonely? You'd
BE sorry Il you did.
/ Pray tell me why YOU wish 70 90
Back TO the ones YOU used 10 know,
Across the stormy sea-
There they would make you toil-ycu'c
fret
Der giving up your present joy
Stay. Stay,-the robins singing yet!
Forget your dad. forget the 10y,
And old Penelope.
II is pleasing 10 be able 70 say. how
ever, that Ulysses. after waiting four
years more went back home. where he
found Penelope more beautiful than ever
and having 50 many things 10 tel him
that she never thought of demsndiug an
. explanations. Z Kiser, IN Chicago
I Record-Herald.
Poverty and Pride.
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