The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1907-02-08

anu WneH maluenB TehiSt y edlOu
sutton they must expect summary
treatment.
Cupid was the son Of Venus, herself
the goddess of love; hence BY inheri-
lance he had a right to expect to
know all about the tender passion.
But while Venus was queen Of love,
she also had all the power Of expert
encing to the full that other passion
that SO frequently comes with love-
jealousy.
The green monster was stirred In
her breast by the acclaim that greet
ed the youngest daughter of a certain
king and queen, a maiden known as
Psyche. All men ragged to possess the
hand of this beautiful young girl, and
| Venus, unable to see her complete do
minion even disputed, called to her
aid Cupid.
"My son. she said, punish that
beauty. Give thy mother revenge. In
fuse in her bosom q love that shall
be unrequited, SO that her eventual
modification may be as great as her
triumph now
Thus 1t vas that Cupid set out to
WOO Psyche, not with real love, not
with a right motive, but animated by
the base desire to feed a mothers
hatred.
In Venus gardens were two foun-
tains, n of sweet, the other of bit
ter water. From these Cupid filled
two amber vases, and suspending
them from his culver, fastened to the
chamber Of Psyche. whom he found
asleep. He poured a few drops of the
bitter liquid on her lips, then touched
her with his arrow in the side.
Love has queer ways Of working out
its destiny, and even the god of love
was not exempt from It's perils.
Psyche awoke, and In his eagerness
to escape. Cupid slightly wounded
himself with his W arrow.
Instantly he himself became stirred
with the throbbings of tenderness,
and knowing only the motive to re-
pair the damage he had done, he
poured all of the sweet water over
the startled maiden, and being invis-
ible himself, was able to escape be-
fore she could comprehend what had
happened.
The two waters and the touch with
the CULVER may be accurately termed
the first valentine of which history
affords record. The valentine of to-
day represents the desire Of the sutton
to win the lady of his love; SO did the
waters and arrow of Cupid.
That his first motive was base
makes little difference, for afterwards
he came to love Psyche with genuine
loyalty, and against the wishes of his
mother, married her.
Cupid, being a god, and Psyche
only a mortal, 1t was not possible that
the union should be of the earthly
kind. Psyche went to the mountain.
conducted by the Zephyr, and was set
down at the palace of Cupid.
Then he. anne to har-in-.h@~a~-i--
ness, proclaimed her his wife, and
fleeing always before the dawn OF
day, so Unanswered that while Psyche
was filled with love Of him and the
JOY of his presence she had never
been able to see him.
Her envious sisters played on her
feelings, told her that the husband OF
her choice, whom she had never seen
might be some dangerous monster,
who, having fattened her to his liking,
would eventually feed upon her.
So they persuaded Psyche to the
plan OF stealing upon him as he slept,
and knife in hand for protection, to
gaze upon his features.
Psyche followed out this program,
but Just as she discovered that her
husband was no monster, but the
most beautiful of gods, she was un-
| fortunate enough to spill a drop Of
oil from the lamp. 1t fell upon his
shoulder and awakened him. Sad
dened and angered, Cupid, after re
buking her for her curiosity, van
ished.
Psyche wandered alone and forlorn
for a long time, but eventually Jupi-
ter made her immortal, and she was
united to Cupid for all time.
This is the story of Cupid, the real
hero OF st. Valentines day, as we
know it.