Evening star., 1928-03-04
cover two days or more. The offer had

cover two days or more. The offer had
instant effect:
IF - these. my words -- OF --
wisdom, onto paper --
you will write.
A - hundred thousand people
- in your - story - will -
| delight
! All. worthy oracle! Wise Apollo This
! inspired medium had now best be dis
| cnchan.ed quickly lest he also ask for
| his railroad fare and change his mind
about my literary future. The incense
/ was removed: the prophets vision came
back to Delphi: the priest let 60 his
10 close and adjourned TO the hotel
sincere response to my inquiry re-
la:ing to my literary career kept ring
ing in my cars: You must conquer
Mount Parna*sus. If to fame you would
aspire, and invoke the god Apollo for his
literary fire, as TIL. sun bursts frcm
the sea-" Roderic and l. with Olympus
only three days behind US. had had
enough mountaineering for while.
but with the oracle offering this one and
only hope OF fulfilling my aspirations /
must charge ParnaSSus--and at once.
So in an hour we were of up the 5000
foot slope of this great symbolic noun
tain that has been sacred from time
immemorial to Apollo and the muses..
All day long. from IL in the
morning iii sundown, We pressed up
ward as st rs our guide and pack
horse cou'o .ls. through cool. MIR
muring pine woods. across little fiat
plateau. past the famous Korykian
Grot.o. where the most notorious Bac-
chic festivals of antiquity were cele-
brated, reaching the higher slopes
covered with huge. tumbled blocks of
Jagged stones, around and over which
we had to pick our way with the ut
most care.
The sun was low in the West before
We arrived at the ruined chalet In
little valley some thousand feet below
the summit, Here We spent the night.
How luxurious fire and shelter seemed
in comparison with the ordeal on top
Olympus! At in the morning We
moved on up the last great dome In
ample time to reach the top before sim
rise. and dropped upon the summit
boulder to recover our labored breath.
Every moment now the light grew
brighter and disclosed more distant
miles. Olympus, and Ossa and Pelion.
to the north, thrust their SUBMITS
through the mist. To the south the
Gulf OF Corinth opened at our feet and
the Pe!oponnesus spread beyond.
Any further inspection Of the land
scrape was cut short by the suns immi-
nent arrival. 1t was Just on the point
of rising out Of Skyros. one of the far
Aegean Isles Hurriedly made ready
to supplicate Apollo, In keeping with
the oracles bidding. 'as the sun bursts
from the sea- And then 1t came-a
great glow diademed from the rocky
granddaughter show
er Of light 1t broke through the horizon
THE bluest waves I've ever seen sped
past as our coastal steamer from
Delphi crossed the .unlit Gulf OF
Aegina. The Island OF Sa!amis rose
abruptly on our left. We rounded
small promontory, and Roderic sudden
ly gripped my arm
] saw it. A surge OF rapture swept
through me. There before u.s. painted
against violet veil of mountains q
league or two from the sea. lifting high
into the air its temple-crowned rock
altar. spread beneath Its halo Of inn
mortality. cleaned the most radiant.
the most delicate. the most sacred
shrine We were to find In all our pill
grimage--Athensl
A single beam Of sunlight, pouring