The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-04-24
What the Greeks
Believed About Spring
Dear Children Of the Club:

Dear Children OF the Club:
May call your attention to the story
by Estelle Gates, which heads the Lit
erary Department to-day7 The prize
winner has followed out a t,int I made
in my letter several weeks ago, and
| has given a charming account of the
| wild flowers sho has found this spring.
mn sure you all delight In spring as
much as she seems to do, not only be-
| cause 1t means that vacation Is near
at hand, but because Of the promise
| Of nature that Is being fulfilled every
! day before our very eyes.
| The old Greeks had a lovely myth
about this season and the return of
| the leaves and flowers. They told this
story: There was q. certain goddess
| named Ceres, who was the patroness OF
the farmer and VINO cared for the grain
and fruits of the country and had SUI
porvison over all agriculture In pic
lures she is represented as wearing a
crown OF wheat cars. and often she
carries a sheaf of grain in her hand.
Now Ceres had lovely daughter.
Persephone, of whom she was very
fond. one day Perscphone was gath
cring violets and lilies in the woods
with some of her companions, and
strayed away from the others in her
search for prcttier blossoms. When
she did not return the other nymphs
became alarmed and went in search
of her. They arrived just In time TO
sec her snatched away by dark look
ing man in chariot drawn by coal
| black horses, which plunged into the
earth with a laundering sound. This
man was Pluto, king OF the UNDER
| world and ruler of the dead.
| Ceres was terribly disturbed when
the sad news was brought to her. She
at once left the farmers to look ont
for themselves and went about to ask
aid from all the gods in recovering
her lost daughter. The matter was
finally submitted to the Fates. three
old women. whom even tho gods had
to obey. They decrced that Perceptions
might go back to her mother if it
could he proven that she had not eaten
since coming to the Kingdom of Pluto
Now Porscphone had refused all food
since her capture and although Pluto
had made her his queen she was not
happy. So for while Ceres thought
her daughter would be restored to her.
But there came forward at last wit
ness who testified that he had seen
Persephone eat seven pomegranate
seeds, and so poor Ceres had to yield.
However, even the hard hearts of
of the mother and daughter, and they
promised that Persephone might spend
six months of the year on earth with
her mother and the other six with her
husband in the underworld"
You have guessed by this time that
! spring is tho time of year when Ceres
is preparing to receive her daughter
| for her annual visit, aud therefore
takes great delight in her work. After
| her visit is over poor Ceres mourns
again, and then we have the sad death
of the flowers and falling of the leaves,
| which come with autumn. You will
| always know Perscphone in pictures
! because she wears a crown of white
! peoples and sits on throne beside
| Pluto, her husband.
/ DO you not think this is a beautiful
legend, and are you not rejoicing with
| Ceres that Persephone is here again
! for six months?
! Yours with best wishes.
/ TIE EDITOR