Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-21
o I leave you to comfort yourselves. Good

So leave you to comfort yourselves. Good
| bye Athyr II
| Another letter by the same writer is more
| cheerful:
Irene to Taonnophris and Philo have
| given to Calocaerus for D;onysius $40
| drachmae as he wrote to me 70 give him
| whatever he wanted. So please give this
| money to our workman. Parammon, and II
| he requires anything further give him what
| ever he wants and send him of quickly.
Il send you by Calocaerus, in my port
manteau. measure OF dates from Ombos
| and twenty-five pomegranates, under seal
| Please send me back IN 1t two drachmas
| weight of purgative, of which I am in ur-
gent need. I send you by the said Gallo
caeruS box of grapes and basket of good
dates under seal Farewell. Athyr so
| Irene seems to have feared lest her mes
| senger would make away with some of the
| dainties on his journey, for she was careful
| to place all under seal and warn her cor
| respondent of that fact.
| pawnbrokers in Those Days.
| Possibly the most striking letter OF the
| collection Is one illustrative OF q custom
which we are least apt to associate with
| women of that distant period. That one of
them should seek pawnshop and pledge
| her luxurious belongings to secure accom-
mediation" Is news to most OF US, who
| think OF this method of tiding ever finan-
| oial difficulties modern invention. Yet
| here ts the proof In black and white, dug
up eighteen centuries after Eunoea's treas
| ures had been restored to her upon the
| payment Of per cent a month for the
money borrowed. The letter is most ex-
! plicit:
| Nov. please redeem my property from
| Sarapion- It Is pledged for minae.
have paid the interest up to Epeiph, at the
rate Of a slater per NINA. There Is q
| casket OF incense wood and another of
| onyx, q tunic, white veil with real pur-
| pie border. handkerchief a tunic with a
Laconian stripe. a garment of purple linen.
| two armlets, a necklace. coyerlet. fig
| ure OF Aphrodite, a cup, q big tin flask and
| wine jar. From Onetor get the two
| bracelets They have been pledged since
| Tybi of last year for eight-at the rate of a
| slater per NINA II the cash is insufficient
! owing to the carelessness of Theagenis-it
| say, 1t Is insuffieient-seH the bracelets TO
| make up the money. Many salutations TO
Ala and Eutychia and Alexandra. Kan
| thilla salutes Ala and all her friends l
| pray for your health
On the back of the letter is the sigma
| ture From Eunoea."
Stern Father of Old.
Engagements and weddings are always
| interesting subjects, but when the be-
| trothal ends prematurely. how tragic.
| These tragedies took place In the olden
times as well as now, as appears from this
| most formal Reputation of betrothal:
| 1, John, father of my unemancipated
| daughter. Euphemia. do send this present
I deed OF separation and dissolution to you,
Phoeoammon, my most honorable son-in-
| law, By the hand OF the most nlustrious
| advocate, Anastasius, of this city of Oxyr-
| hynchus. It is as follows:
"Forasmuch as 1t has come to my ears
that you are giving yourself over to law
less deeds, which are pleasing to neither
COO nor man, and are not At to be put into
writing. think 1t well that the engage
ment between you and her, my daughter
Euphenia, should be dissolved. seeing that
| as aforesaid. I have heard that you are
giving yourself over to lawless deeds and
maj WISH my daughter to lead a peace
full and quiet Hfe
:: therefore. send you the present deed
OF dissolution Of the engagement bat,va..
you and her. my daughter Eunho,,ta 81.
the hand of the most illustrious edvooat ~ ~
aforesaid with my own signature ana
.iaVe taken copy of this document writ
zen oy the hand Of the most iIIustr,o,,s
auvpca.e aforesaid Wherefore, for the Sc
curry OF the said Eaphemia. NV dauehter
l. send You this deed Of separation and
a.sso,utlon written on the ,I1th day of tbe
john the pe afars IN the 11th indiction T.
ia
my daughter, send the present daad a.
separation and dissolution to YOU Phoe.
oammon. my most honorable son-in-law,
as is above written" 40 "a w.
| Here was stern parent and /, ,,,ost 49,
carly lawyer, we may be sure. but fbe
question is: What did Miss Euphemia
sfnr,as aoeut IT ailg Did she believe the
TO fuihil her engagement anyway?
most amusing letter ia that one
penned by little boy of the second CEN
that 10 80
best to get It, i'0"
Theon, to his father Theon, greeting.
II was fine thing of you not to take me
me with you to Alexandra 1 won't write
you a letter or speak to you or say good
bye to you; and II you go to Alexandria
wont take your hand or ever greet YOU
again That Is what viii happen If you
won't take me. Mother said to ArcheIaus:
1t quite upsets him to be left behind 1t
was good Of you to send me presents on.
the 18th, the day you sailed Send me
q Tyre, implore you. II you don't wont
eat, won't drink There enowr'
This young gentleman was not strong
at spelling or at grammar. but he doubt
less understood pretty well how to man
age his mother and father.
sappho's Appeal to Her Brother.
Among the literary masterpieces that
have been recovered to the world by Gren-
fell and Hunt is part Of a beautiful ode
addressed to her brother Charaxus, by the
Greek poetess. Sappho.
This brother was a trader in Lesbian
wines. and became attached to an infax
nous courtesan. Rhodopis, then a slave at
Naucratic. He went to Egypt ransomed
her and spent all his money on her. When
he came back home Salpho vented her in
dignation in verse Charaxus was no less
angry, and went back to wine-trading
This fragment Is evidently q part of one
Of these sisterly appeals begging him to
forget the past:
ssgweet Eereids, grant to me
That home unBcathed my brother may return,
And every end for which his soul shall yearn
Accomplished zee.
"And thou, immortal Queen,
Blot out the Tmst, that thus his friends may know
Joy, shame hfs foes-nay rather, let no foe