The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-09-04

at Delphi to ask of the god what course should be pursued. Apollo told Orestes that he must go at once to Argos. and avenge the murder of his father upon both Aegisthus and Clytemnestra. Nearly distracted Orestes asked if he must in deed kill his own mother. Sternly the god replied that unless he did so fearful punishments would fall upon him. More blood must yet be shed before the race of the Atrides could be purged of its an- cestral curse. Vengeance Orestes must take into his hands-vengeance full and complete. After having killed those guilty of the death of Agamemnon Orestes was to return at once to Delphi, where Apollo
 would purify him with the blood of a pig and absolve him.
 Charged with this horrible mission Orestes made his way to Argos Pylades
 went with him to keep up his resolution, lest 1t should falter. Arriving at the Ar give capital they repaired to the tomb of Agamemnon, and Orestes cut of lock of his hair and laid it on the grave as an offering to his fathers shade. While he mourned over the tomb he saw his sister, Electra, approaching with her attendants, and he and Pylades concealed themselves behind the shrubbery. Electra had been sent by her mother to pour a libation upon the dead King S grave, thinking that by making some public exhibition of mourn ing or of paying honors to her husband she might in measure pacify the people,
 who were in a sullen mood and filled with indignation at the scant ceremony with
 which Agamemnon had been buried after
 his unnatural murder.
 | What Orestes would do when he heard
 of his fathers murder was a question
 which also greatly disturbed Clytemnes- tra. But she relied upon the hope and belief that when the youth found that it was his own mother who had committed the murder of the King he would not | avenge himself upon one so near of blood
 to him. Or, if Orestes proved trouble
 some, there was exile or the sword re-
 maining for his discipline.
 | When Electra approached the tomb of her father she saw the look of hair
 which Orestes had laid there and at
 once called out that 1t looked like her brothers hair. And who else beside Or | estes would be so likely to lay lock of hair upon Agamemnons tomb? "If Or estes were but here in truth!" she cried. and then. invoking the god Apollo and
 the spirit of her sire, Electra made her
 wall over the tomb. deploring the mis- erable fate which had befallen her and | her brother. T am but a bondwoman in my fathers house." she cried, land | Orestes an outcast and disinherited. We
 are waifs which Clytemnestra has sold
 to buy her paramour and fellow mur-
 derer, Aegisthus Oh. father, send thou
 thine avengers" Orestes stepped forth
 and discovered himself to his sister. The
 meeting between the two was both joy
 full and sorrowful-there was the Joy
 of again beholding each other, and sor-
 row at the hard circumsances under
 which they met. Orestes told his sister | of the command of the oracle, but charged her to keep his mission to Ar gos secret-not to reveal even his pres kence in the city to any one. Her att
 tendants also were bound to secrecy. Then, disguised as a traveller and speaking with the Phocian accent, Or