Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-10-22

VeloilS adventures Oh lne man Ol Ihdi-
vels Probably the scene that remains
In the minds of the great majority
OF readers of Greek literature as the
fairest bit of idealized beauty in 1t all
is the picture of the young Princess
Nausicaa. She had gone down to the
river mouth with her handmaidens to
wash linen; their work done, they fell
to playing ball upon the shore. where
Odysseus, beneath the shade of the
bushes, was sleeping off the weary
travail of his long swim. eThen hav-
ing bathed and anointed themselves
sleekly with olive oil, they took their
meal by the banks of the river and
waited for the clothes to dry in the
bright rays Of the sun. And when
they had cheered themselves with
food, maids and mistress alike, they
began to play ball, casting aside their
wells. And for them fair-armed Maui
sicaa began the song. As Artemis the
archer-goddess goeth down from a
mountain, either lofty Taygetus OF
Erymanthus, taking her sport with
boars and swift deer, and with her
the wood-nymphs sport, daughters OF
aegis-bearing Zeus, and Leto rejoiceth
in heart, and over all she holdetf
head and brows, and easy to mark Is
she, though all be fair-sO was the
unwed maid conspicuous among heI
attendants"
The days work and the sport were
over; they were about to depart and
leave the weary sleeper under the
bushes--when one last throw sent the
bali spinning into the water. Instant
and unanimous scream from princess
and from maidsl
So Odysseus was introduced t
Phaeacia, and the introduction proved
well that the hero knew not only tht
ways of men, but Of maids as well. o.
the many pleasing things he said t
the princess to win her favor, 0nt
stands out conspicuous-his compari
son Of her perfect youth to the youni
shoot of palm tree he had seen II
Delos. Whoever has a gardeners eyt
knows instantly the perfect tribute.
Then followed the presentation O
the royal wanderer at the court O
King Alcinous and Queen Arete ant
the tale of his adventures since ieay
ing Calypso's isle. The king is move'
| and promises to help the stranger o.
his way. A feast Is held; the cour
bard sings of Troy--the strange
weeps: the king presses him to tel
his story. 1t was q wondrous tale n
had to tell, the like of which wa
never heard before or since. Begin
ming with the fall of Troy. ne hal
made his course to Thrace, to tn
Lotus-eaters, to the land of the Cy
clops, when befell the adventure wit
PoIyphemus, whose one eye ne PHI
out: next the trying experience wit
the peryerse winds Of Aeolus, wit
the Laestrygonians, and with the en-
chantress Circe, who turned her Wis
itors into swine. Then came the ZIG
scent to Hades, which set the fashio
for Virgil and for Dante and all tn
others who have essayed that grea
adventure. The sirens, Scylia an
Charybdis, and other adventure
brought the tale up to Calypso one
more.
Alcinous and the Phaeacians sen
| Odysseus on his way to his home q
Ithaca. But his old enemy Poseido
turned the ship to stone, and the war
derer reached home alone, In tn
guise Of an old beggarman. where n
arrived as his son, Telemachus, wa
returning from his travels.
Then began the thrilling tale OF tn
wiles and guiles to win his own iron
the suitors who had taken his plac'
the harbor Of refuge with faithful oil
Eumaeus, the swine-herd, the recoI
milton by Telemachus, the death ,
the true old dog Argos on sight of nj
long absent master, the interview wit
Penelope, the recognition by his oil
| Nurse WuU kuOWS iliLH Wy q SSeAA W."
his leg, the final great trial of strengt
between the old beggarman and tn
suitors: they cannot even bend tn
famous bow of Eurytus; he, howeve
strings 1t with ease and sends a
arrow singing through the holes
twelve battle-axes, set up one benin
another.
AT that instant the beggarma
throws off his disguise and with Tel
machus and only two faithful follow
ers Stays the evil suitors, wins bae
his true wife who has waited patien
ly all these long years, and hastens
greet his old father, Laertes.
Impossible romance? I dare sa
Yet one of the most human storit
ever told.
Copyright. 1918, by the Post Publishir
Co. CThe Boston POST. Copyright In Il
United Kingdom. the Dominions, its Co
onies and dependencies. under the cop.
right act, by the Post Publishing CO
, Boston, Mass, U. 8. A. All rights r
! served.
Wardrobe Mystery Solved.
: A Chinese government represent