Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-10-23

land. Aithra never smiled but when
she looked at him, for her husband
had forgotten her, and lived far away.
When Theseus was full fifteen years
old, she took him up with her to the
temple. She led him to a tall plane
tree, beneath whose shade grew arbu-
tus, and purple heather bushes.
'Theseus, my son." she said, "go
into that thicket and you will find at
the plane-tree foot a great fat stone.
Lift it, and bring me what lies under
meath"
Then Theseus pushed his way
through the thick bushes, and saw
that they had not been moved for
many a year. And searching among
their roots he found a great fiat stone,
all overgrown with Ivy and moss.
He tried to lift it. but he could not.
And he tried till the sweat ran down
his bro wfrom heat, and the tears
ran from his eyes for shame; but all
was Of no avail.
And at last he came back to his
mother and said: Il have found the
stone, but l cannot lift it; nor do l
think that any man could in all Troe-
zene."
Then she sighed and said: THE
gods wait long; but they are just at
last. Let it be for another year" Then
she took him by the hand, and came
down again with Theseus to her
home.
And when a full year was past, she
led Theseus up again to the temple,
and babe him lift the stone; but he
could not.
Then she sighed, and said the same
words again, and went down, and
came again the next year. But The
seus could not lift the stone then, nor
the year after.
meaning of that stone, and what
might lie underneath it; but her face
was so sad, that he had not the heart
to ask.
So he said to himself, "The DAY
shall surely come when l will lift that
stone, though no man in Troezene
can" And in order to grow strong, he
spent all his days in wrestling, and
boxing and hurting, and tanning horses
and in hunting the boar and the bull.
At last upon all the mountains there
was no hunter so swift as Theseus,
and all the people said, Surely the
gods are with this lad
And when his eighteenth year was
past, Aithra led him up again to the
temple, and said, 'Theseus, lift the
stone this day, or never know who you
are" And Theseus went into the
thicket, and stood over the stone and
tugged at it; and it moved.
Then his spirit swelled within him,
and he said, "If break my heart in
my body, it shall up" And he tugged
at it once more, and lifted it, and
rolled it over with a shout.
And when he looked beneath it. on
the ground lay a sword Of bronze,
with a hilt of glittering gold, and by
it pair of golden sandals. He caught
them up, and burst through the bushes
like wild boar, and leapt to his
mother, holding them high above his
head.
But when she saw them she wept
long in silence, hiding her fair face in
her shawl. Theseus stood by her won
dering, and wept also, he knew not
why.
And when she was tired of weeping,
she lifted UP her head and said, Hide
them in your bosom, Theseus, my son,
and come with me where we can look
down upon the sea-.
Then they went outside the sacred
wall, and looked down over the bright
blue sea.
do you see this land at our feet?"
said his mother
And he said, eyes, this is Troe-
zene. where J was was born and
bred"
! And she said, "It is but little land
barren and rocky, and looks toward
the bleak northeast Do you see that
land beyond?"
Eyes, that is where the Athenian
people dwell"
seus, my son. 1t looks toward the sun
ny south; land of olive oil and
honey, the joy Of gods and men
What would you do, Theseus, my son
if you were king of such a land?"
Then the heart of Theseus grew
great within him, and he said, 'If
were king Of such land, would rule
it wisely and we'll in wisdom and in
might"
And Aithra smiled, and said, Take
then, the sword and the sandals, anC
go to Aegeus, king of Athens, and say
to him, The stone is lifted, but whose
is the pledge beneath it?' Then show
him the sword and the sandals, ant
take what the gods shall send
Then his mother kissed Theseus ant
wept over him, and went into the TEN
pie, and Theseus saw her no more.
Part II.
/ So Theseus went up through Athens
and all the people ran out to see him
And all cried, Here comes the hero!'
But Theseus went on sadly and stead
lastly He went straight into Aegeus''
hall, and stood upon the threshold ant
looked around.
! Then he saw his cousins sittins
about the table, at the wine. There
they sat and Toasted, and laughed
and passed the wine cup around.
1 Theseus frowned, and said unde
his breath, mo wonder the land i
full of robbers, while such as thes
bear rule
"Holla, tall stranger at the door
4 what ic vn,1r will todayoo criad hi