Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1914-05-01

THE BELOVED
NAUslcAA's BALL
But Did tho Girl, Marry Tsls-
machus, the lnept?

pa WIN "a w He lu0
spoils 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
netting.
That" replied the professor. "is a
child's ball. found in the temple of
is the bali with which Nausicaa and
her maidens played on the famous
washing day"
But 1 objected. "how could it get
to Ithaca? Surely. Nausicaa's ball
would be at Phaeacia. if anywhere
"Ah" thereby hangs a tale" said
the professor.
He proceeded to tell me the follow
ing story, which. as he says. he found
In a collection OF memoirs-one of the
recently discovered papyri. He did not
name the author of these memoir and
was vague about the date; in fact. the
luciditN. which is one of his marked
characteristics. entirely deserted him
while he was answering my question on
this matter.
The story. however. is clear enough.
1T runs as follows:
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
shlpwreck of the hero; in fact. the god
was only further enraged by the es-
cape and safe return homo 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 Tclemachus, and setting in or
der the affairs of the kingdom. which
had so 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
SER invisible and whispering in Pene.
Fin the ball" ASK him how he
comes by the ball"
When Penelope awoke-feeling sure
that him must mean 'Odysseus'-she
searched among the things her husband
had brought from Phaecia. and-sure
enough!-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-
seus answered her truly. Gle lied to
other people. sometimes. but he always
told the truth to Penelope). He re-
lated how. in the storm raised by Pose
ldon, ne was saved by the help of the
sea goddess Leucotlea and cast on an
shore. where he fell into a pro-
S'NSP NIlICIl Ic WAS aWak-
ened 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 off from
the place where he was; how. after
s%hrouding his n%akedness. as well as
he could. In leafy boughs. he came forth
ana stood among the damsels; how the
troop screamed and made off. like star
tled deer-all but one. who remained
ndi before him in simple dignity,
and. after listening to his tale of woe.
with kindly pity. and graciously prom
Using 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 a dream. to come hither.
stream which flowed nearby. the gar
ments and linen of the palace.
gracious Athene." inter-
polated Penelope at this point of the
story. knowing that the dream must
have beer sent by the divine protect
ress OF her spouse.)
Odysseus went on to tell how
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 she and her maidens had come,
she herself leading the party on foot;
how. When they came to the house.
she made him alight n 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." l remarked. The
professor nodded, and continued the
story
"Odysseus added that in the ex-
citement the maidens forgot the ball.
but he noticed 1t among the bushes
where he dressed. and picked it up, in
Il f0r1irr t0 raotovo a. - Nyn..-- ~
forgot. however; n he now proposed
to dedicate 1T, as a votive offering, to
his preserver. Athene.
"Do so. dearest Odysseus.' said
Penelope. and let me accompany thee
to the shrine and Join in thy thanks
givings to the goddess and prayers for
blessings on the gracious maiden of
Pheacia. Would that dearest Telema-
chus might have such a princess for
his bride!"
Odysseus; and why not Nausicaa her
self?"
"Is she still unbetrothed?' asked
Penelope.
"'she Isl replied Odysseus, and her
father is willing that she should be
our sons BRIDE"
In process of time, as we know.
Nausicaa became the daughterinlaw Of
Odysseus and Penelope"
"Telemachus wasn't half good
enough for her." l cred. as the pro-
fessor finished the tale. 1.-The gods
gave a very poor esponse to her de-
sire for a husband like Odysseus."
True" replied the professor, "but
let us hope that Telemachus improved
as he grew older. At any rate, 1t is
good to think 10Y the Vaccinations of
the malignant sea-god were powerless
against the generous faith Of a love
that was rooted in friendship"
~