The Washington herald., 1912-04-07

spoken OF as a "dissolution"- a term
which. In sense, is very strikingly
applicable to the butterfly Cor the
moth) when 1t has entered upon its
pupa stage. As a caterpillar. its chief
business in life was eating, and on
this account it's body was occupied
almost wholly by a digestive system.
But when IL has shut itself up in its
coffin-like chrysalis. all Of its internal
organs break down and literally dis
appear. being reduced to a formIess
and structureless pulp. In fact, moth
Ing worth mentioning OF the original
animal seems to remain. except its
nervous system.
What happens then? Why, the most
wonderful thing imaginable. Out OF
the pulp. by means wholly beyond hu-
man understanding, are built up an
entirely new set of organs, adapted for
purposes having TO do with the future
activities of the insect. Most i'm
portant among these are the reproduce
tive apparatus (for the female must
lay a large number of eggs, in order
to continue her species), and the
mechanism for flight The caterpillar,
of course. has no flight mechanism,
even in a rudimentary form, yet the
muscles required for moving the wings
of the butterfly are powerful and ex-
ceedingly complex.
Literally n Rebirth.
Accordingly. it may be said thas
the dissolution" OF the caterpillar.
during its pupa stage. is followed al
most Immediately by a rebirth. II
perishes. yet lives again In an entirely
new state OF existence. Most apt. then,
is the lIkening OF this Transformation
TO that OF a human being. who. pass
ing through an apparent and tenn
porary death. is thereby freed from
earthly bonds. and. like the butterfly,
accomplishes a glorious resurrection.
The ancient Greeks called the but
terfy Psyche-after the goddess who
in their mythology represented the
idea of the soul. She was the bride
Of Cupid. and the offspring of the
mating was Pleasure.
As the story went. Psyche was ths
daughter of a king and the youngest
OF three sisters. Although. TO begin
with. a mortal maiden, her beauty was
so remarkable that people came in
throngs from great distances to gaze
upon her charms; affairs were erected
to her. and she was worshiped as a
second Venus.
Angry at Psyche.
The Queen of Love was naturally
irritated at seeing her own affairs neg
lected, and set on foot a series OF
Vaccinations against Psyche, eventu-
ally causing Psyche's father to EXPOSE
her on rock, whence she was ex-
pected to be carried away by a mon
ster. Amid the tears of the people,
she was placed on a lofty crag; but.
while she sat weeping there, a zephyr,
sent by Cupid (who had become Sc
cretly enamored OF her), gently raised
and carried her to a charming VAL
ley, where she beheld a grove with a
stately palace in the midst of IL.
Venturing (as the story continues)
to enter the palace. she hears a voice,
telling her that everything in IL IA
hers. and that any command from her
will be obeyed. She bathes. sits down
to a rich repast. and is regaled with
music by invisible performers. At
night she retires TO bed: an unseen
youth addresses her in the softest ac-
cents. and she becomes his bride.
Later on, she persuades her invisible
spouse to fetch her sisters to the pal
ace. The obedient zephy conveys them
thither. But they grow envious OF
Psyche's happiness, and try to per
suade her that her invisible lord Is a
serpent, who will finally deyour her.
BY their advice she provides herself
with a lamp and a razor to destroy
the monster.
Becomes Love Himself.
When her husband is asleep, she
rises and lights her Iamp-whereupon
she beholds, instead OF a dragon. Love
himself. Filled with amazement at his
beauty, she leans in rapture over him
when 10! a drop of oil falls from the
lamp falls upon the shoulder of tha
god; he awakes and flies away.
The abandoned Psyche now roams
the world in search of Cupid. She ar
rives at the kingdom of her father,
and persuades her sisters. by a false
tale of Cupid's love for them, to cast
themselves from the rock on which
she had been exposed, so that through
their credulity they perish. StiIl she
roams on, and Venus, bent on her de-
struction. sends her TO the Queen OF
Hades, Proserpine, with a box. to re- =,
quest the gift of some OF her beauty.
Psyche accomplishes her mission in
safety; but, as she is returning. she
thinks she may venture to open the
box and take a portion for herself.
Instead Of beauty, there issues from
IL a dense black exhalation, and she
falls to the ground in a deep slumber.
In this state she Is found by Cupid,
who awakens her with the point OF
one of his arrows. reproaches her with
her curiosity, and then proceeds to the
palace of Jupiter, to interest him in
her behalf Jupiter takes pity on her
and endOws her with immortality:
Venus is reconciled, and the marriage
of Psyche (the SouD with Love
CCupid) takes place amid great Joy In
the skies. RENE BACHE