The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1914-04-30

NAusicAA's ball
tHHM YVES HaN3WVlH |s H. --~---~~ t#HeH NO. NNetaa4rE
But Did the Girl Marry Tele-
maohus. the lnsptf


II. M. seiby. In the Christian Register.
"And what Is this9s I asked Of the
professor. who was showing me the
gpoils of some excavations In the Greek
islands.
This" was a spherical object. formed
Of strips Of cloth, shaped like the pigs"
OF an orange. crossed with fine wicker
That, replied the professor, 'as q
child's ball, found In the temple OF
Athene at Ithaca. I maintain that II
IL the ball with which Nausicaa and
her maidens played on the famous
washing day
but" I objected. "how could It get
to Ithaca? Surely. Nausicaa's ball
would be at Phaeacia. II anywhere"
"Ah" thereby hangs q tale. said
the professor, j
He proceeded TO tell me the follow
ing story. which. as he says, he found
In q collection OF memoirs-one OF the
recently discovered papyri. He did not
name the author of these memoirs and
was vague about the date: in fact. the
lucidity. which IL one of his marked
characteristics, entirely deserted him
while he was answering my question on
this matter.
The story. however. 10 clear enough.
It runs as follows: b
The enmity of Poseidon toward Odys-
seus-engendered by the binding. by
the latter. of the gods son. the Cyclops
Polyphemus-was not stated by the
shipwreck of the hero; in fact. the god
was only further enraged by the es-
ape and safe return home Of his VIC
tim, as we may see by his changing
into stone the ship supplied to Odys-
seus by the kindly Phaecians. But to
harm Odysseus on the sea was now
impossible. since he was staying on
land, rejoicing In reunion with Pene-
lope and Telemachus, and setting in or
der the affairs of the kingdom. which
had 80 long suffered from the absence
Of the master. What should the angry
god do? After long meditation he at
last hit on the device OF making him
self invisible and whispering in Pene-
lopes ear al she slept: THE BALL"
Find the ball" ASK him how he
comes by the ball" ,
When Penelope awoke-feeling sure
that him" mus mean "odysseus"-she
searched among the things her husband
had brought from Phaecia, and-sure
onoughl-there was the ball She won
dered how the plaything came there,
but, no unworthy suspicion clouded her
noble mind. as-obeying the voice she
had heard in her dream-she sought
and questioned her husband. Odys-
090S Gu lST truly NI19 ueQ 10
other people. sometimes, but he always
told p truth to Penelope). He re-
lated how, In the storm raised by Pose
idon, ne was saved by the help OF the
sea-goddess Leucothea and cast on an
unknown shore, where he fell into a pro-
found sleep, from which he was awak-
sned by the sound Of merry young
voices, which he soon knew to proceed
from a group Of maidens who were
playing at ball a little ways on from
he place where he was: how, after
Bhrouding his nakedness, as well az
he could, In leafy boughs. he came forth
and stood among the damseIs; how the
troop screamed and made of. like star
tied deer-all but one, who remained
standing before him In simple dignity,
and. after listening to his tale Of woe,
with kindly pity, and graciously prom
iStng aid. told him. in answer to his
questions, that he was in the land of
the Phaecians, of which her father, AL
cinous was king; that she had been
directed. In q dream, to come hither.
with her maidens, to wash, In tho
stream which flowed nearby. the gar
ments and linen Of the palace.
I. C"Thanks, gracious Athene," inter
polated Penelope at this point Of the
story, knowing that the dream must
have been sent by the divine protect
ress OF her spouse)
-SNySOCdo WChL Oh 10 tell now
Nausicaa directed her attendants TO
give him some OF the garments they
had washed, and, when he had dropped
them, made him mount the Wagon on
which h and her maidens had come,
she herself leading the party on foot;
how, when they came to the house,
she made him alight and go UP to the
palace alone. for fear Of scandalous
tongues II he were seen with her or
her attendants.
$50 Mrs. Grundy dates back even to
days Of Odysseus," I remarked. The
professor nodded. and continued the
ntory;-
"odysseus added that in the ex-
element the maidens forgot the ball,
where he dressed, and picked II up, In
tending to restore II to Nausicaa. he
forgot, however; and he now proposed
to dedicate II, as O. vottve Offering. to
bis preserver, Athene.
do SO, dearest Odysseus,' said
Penelope, and let me accompany thee
20 the shrine and join in thy thanks-
giytnEs to the goddess and prayers for
blessings on the gracious maiden Of
Pheacia. Would that dearest Telema-
chus might have such a princess for
"'Such a princess!" exclaimed
self I" 1T.
Is she stnl u-nbetrothedr asked
Penelope. g IL.
she u.s. replied odysseus, and her
father Is willing that she should be
our sons BRIDE"
Tn process Of time, as we know,
Nausicaa became the daughterinlaw of
Odysseus and Penelope" l.
"Telemachus wasn't half good
enough for her" l cred, as the pro-
lessor finished the tale. 1.-THE gods
gave q very poor response to her de-
sire for a husband like Odysseus."
True" replied the professor, "but
let us hope that Telemachus Improved
ga he grew older. AT any rate, It is
good to think how the Vaccinations OF
the malignant sea-god were, powerless
against the generous faith Of a love
that was rooted in friendship"