The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-12-20
HIPPOLYTUS
{ Continued from pags fourteen,

Ia AANo ~ AdS Az IIc
or the young Prince entered
the royal portals there came out walk
ing and talking together the ladies of
the court discussing the state Of the
Queen ana Eossiping, es women will.
in palace or in howell. The Queen was.
indeed, In a distressfu1 state, but little
did they guess the cause of it, though
many were their guesses. Some spirit
had laid a spell upon her, ventured
one woman. while another was of the
opinion thad amid the hum OF the
sailors of the Piraeus had been some
we~ary-browed venturer who had
brought to the Queen some sidings,
some far home grief that had bowed
her low and chained her soul. Others
suggested that perhaps the King had
seen q fairer face and that the Queen
had discovered his ~intidelity.
AS they talked there came out of
the palace door the aged nurse Of the
Queen, followed by Phaedra herself,
who was too weak to walk alone and
had two hand-maidens supporting her.
The royal daughter of Minos seemed
dying Of some hidden disease, mental
or physical. and. a couch being hastily
prepared for her pom the terrace.
she was assisted to it and threw her
woe and despair. L4anguidly she look
ed out over the land down to where
she could see the flashing waters Of
the sea. The aides Of the court drew
back to a respectful distance. but the
old nurse srnoothed the pillows Of the
queens couch, and as she did So beg
ged her TO tell her what was her
woe.
Here" said the nurse, ARE the sun
and sky for thee, and the fresh winds
blow owe your brow. But thy brow is
dark with something tina I cannot UNI
derstand. To thee all near things seem
hateful and all distant things sweet.
soon viii you want to go back to your
chamber again. Oh, it were better to
suffer pain than to tend pain. as I do,
for | bear your pain and mine own
TO see your pain. Yet all the life Of
mankind is but aiiing am dim with
doubt and trouble. Rest TO us comes
never upon earth. And If any far-on
state there be. more dear and more
enjoyable. a dark hand hath taken
hold of it and concealed 1t from our
sight, SO that the mist is under us
and the mist above us, and we are
sick even Of the life to which we
cling. For the other life IS a sealed
fountain from which no streams of
rest and refreshment reach u.s. The
deeps below are unreveafed and we
drift on legends forever"
The Queen regarded the faithful
nurse sadly for a while and then said:
oh, that l might find a deep and clear
spring whose waters would allay the
fever in my blood; a spring in d great
and flower-strewn meadow, with long
grass and q ring Of poplars growing
beside the spring" NAY child" re-
piled the nurse, speak not i'll this wild
manner lest strangers hear and wo1-
der" What care II" replied the
stricken Queen. Take me then to the
mountains. past the great woods where
the lean hounds seek their prey and
the wild doe fees from them forever.
o ye gods. to shout as / follow the
hounds whining for blood and urge
them on, to draw an arrow tight; to
handle q keen and shining spear;
am sick of men and cities. o Arternls,
thou mistress of the chase and of the
Nilds, grant me thai ] ma hear be
side the sea the beat Of h~orsehoofs "a
the fying steeds haul along the sWlf'
and flying chariot" Why. child, how
YOUR mind goes athirst for one place
and then longs for anothrIi How swift
from the mo intain to the shore wehc
your thoughts! Come, tell your poor
old, faithful nurse what Is this Wof
which unionists thy mind?"
Thc Queen, recovering herself from
the frenzy into which she had allow
Cd herself to fall, regained her calm
ress and weakly assured her attendant
ttat her distress was nothing but tit
Atsire for a change; that if she con't
re new lands and new faces she Wou1f
recover. 1T is strange that klnS
Thaesus does not see into what a stat
his wife has fallen" unused the nurse
|fHI ne perhaps beIitseS a. SIC 80
that only a change is necessary ina
j: is but some passing i~ndisposit.o
which holds her"
The King had been absent for seS'
eral days upon a journey and AK
iGus!y did the nurse and the lad;7s o
the court desire that he would return
For since his absence the condlt'"i. o
his wife had seemed to be steadHe
growing worse. Only the Prince HIP
polytus seemed not to observe 1t. Th'
Queen long had been an Invalid. ane
as for him he was busy with the cnas'
and his chariot races and coulG noI o.
bothered with women's ailiDgs. I'M
gay when OF the terrace before tn
palace the nurse talked with an
.onno.,t e corcfnrt the Queen. tina