The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-11-28

T HE title of this paper might just
 as well be anything else. Indeed,
 ! I could do without it altogether, and write what the old Greeks used to designate as an "Akephalos muthos," that is, story without a head. But in one thing stories are like people, they look better with heads.
 The mythological fable of Jason and his famous fellow-Argonauts in quest of the Golden Fleece, needs no repetition from me, especially as shall have such scant use for it's details. Besides, every body knows the story so well that the course of the ship Argo, sailing from the shores of Thessaly to the kingdom of Colchis, can be more easily traced than the route of the Roosevelt sailing from New York to the North Pole.
 The Golden Fleece stands for fame. Ja- son represents the impetuous spirit of ambition that laughs at impossibilities. The difficulties encountered, such as the 'solashing islands, 'the ire-breathing bulls," "the field of dragons teeth" the sleepless dragon all, all are symbolic of the hardships and trials that men ex- perience, who at last enter some Grove of Mars and with their own ambitious arm seize the Golden Fleece of Fame.
 I shall refer to some of the difficulties which have been experienced by the Ar gonauts of the ages, who in spite of all Colchian kings, laid hands upon the Gold on Fleece of their dreams and their en- deavors.
 ILL HEALTH A TRIAL.
 Many of the most famous men In art, music and letters, as well as in other spheres, have had their greatest annoyan- ces and drawbacks in their own bodies. How they overcame the world knows in their own physical bodies.
 Socrates was tortured by St. Vitus' dance. Homer, Ossian and Milton were stone blind. William H. Prescott whose histories have all the charm of the most fascinating romance. was blind. He nev- or saw the land Of the Montezumas, nor the hills of Peru. nor the sordid old pal aces of Spain, which he described with such wondrous witchery; nor, indeed, could he see tho paper upon which he wrote. his sight being in total and per manent eclipse. Before he died Pres- oott made curious request He had a fear that he might be buried alive, and. therefore, requested that before his cof- an be closed for the last time that some- enc cut tho jugular vein- This was done.
 Pope was e dwarf. in height four feet. He was a hunohback, thin and delicate. He was called an Interrogation point" because he was 70 crooked He was 50 weak that he could not stand without stays, and could neither dress nor undress without aid.
 the 'Tring's evil" When . lad he was taken into tho presence of Queen Anne with the hope that her touch would re- move the disorder The pressure of the royal fingers, however, did no good. Johnson grew up with . scared face and hideously repulsive features His disease destroyed one eye and seriously affected the other.
 Many of the most famous Jasons have been cursed with epilepsy Subject to this dread disease were Richelieu. Balzac, Moliere. Pascal, Napoleon. Mozart, schil- Ter. Handel, Malabram and Julius Caesar. in shakespears's tragedy of Julius Cae- sar this disease is called the falling gickness~ Casca comes and informs Ju- Illus and Cassius that Caesar had swooned.
 Cassius, But soft, I pray youi What. did Caesar Swoon?.
 Casca, He fell down in the market place. and foamed at the mouth and was speeohless.
 Brutus: Iris very like him; he hath tho falling sickness What said he when hs came unto himself?
 Casoa, When he came to himself again, he said, if he had said anything arniss he desired their worships to think 1t was his inf1rmity.
 think the awful melancholy that fall upon Napoleon at times was duo to tho effects of epilepsy upon his mind gener- ally.
 Byron had scrofula. rickets, and was slub-footed- Hs suffered far more. how