A Story of the Golden Age

and shone upon all around with a ruddy glow; and the great cavern was emptied of gloom, and was so filled with light and warmth that it seemed a fit place for joy and pleasure.

on his harp, and the boys had sung a pleas

lted roof. In that cavern the ever-living ones who oversee the affairs of men, once held high carnival; for they had met there at the marriage feast of King Peleus, and the woods and rocks of

s shut out from fellowship with men, and the sun seemed to move slowly in the heavens; and often he would walk around to the other side of the mountain, and sitting upon a great rock, he would gaze for long hours upon the purple waters of the sea. One morning as thus he sat, he saw the sea nymph Thetis come up out o

ure, he heard a voice whispering in his

ED THETIS RISIN

ED THETIS RISIN

immortals have seen thy sorrow for the evil deeds of thy youth, and they have looked with pity upon thee in thy misfortunes. And now thy days of exile and of sore punishment are drawing to

again, and, to his grief, the silver-footed Thetis had vanished in the waves. All day he sat and waited for her return, but she came not. When da

nd dallied with her golden tresses, and sang sweet songs of a happy land in the depths of the sounding sea. Peleus, bearing in mind what I had taught him, arose from his hiding-place, and caught the beauteous creature in his arms. In vain did she struggle to leap into the waves. Seven times sh

ver-footed lady, and won her love, and she promised to be his bride. Then the immortals were glad; and they fitted up the great cavern on Mount Pelion for a banquet hall, and made therein a wedding feast, such as was never seen before. The vaulted ro

bridegroom, such as were never given to another man. They gave him a suit of armor, rich and fair, a wonder to behold, which lame Hephaestus with rare skill had wrought and fashioned. Poseidon bestowed on him the dea

the sea, danced in honor of Thetis their sister; and the Muses sang their sweetest songs; and silver-bowed Apollo played upon the lyre. The Fates, too, were there: sad Clotho, twirling her spindle; unloving Lachesis, with

e a feast where all should be mirth and gladness; yet in her evil heart she planned to be avenged for the slight which had been put upon her. While the merry-making was at its height, and the company were

' asked Zeus, stroking hi

scene, flickered and smoked; the lustre of the gems in the vaulted roof was dimmed; dark clouds canopi

to snatch it; 'for I am the queen, and gods

Joy; and not only do gods and men sing my praises, but all natur

ns life? What is it to have a handsome form and face, while the mind is uncouth and ill-looking? Beauty of mind is better than beauty

d merriment had reigned, now hot words and bitter wrangling were heard. And had not Zeus bidden them keep silence, thus putting

ost beautiful. But on the slopes of Mount Ida, far across the sea, the fairest of the sons of men--Paris, the so

sea and land to distant Ida, where Paris, with no thought of the wonderful life wh

inner chamber to pass the hours in sleep. When more wood had been thrown upon the fire, and the flames leaped up high and bright towards

hat Paris, who was to award the golden apple

d, and went on thu

the hills and mountain slopes behind the city. Many sons has King Priam; and they are brave and noble youths, well worthy of such a father. The eldest of these sons is Hector, who, the Trojans hope, will live to bring great honor to his native land. Just before the second son was born, a strange thing troubled the family of old Priam. The queen

hall be a firebrand in Troy, and shall turn its walls

may not do this terrible thing?" asked Priam, g

he shall live,' ans

hild into the thick woods, which grow high up on the slopes of Ida, and there to leave him alone. The wild beasts that roam among those woods, he thought, would doub

t die. Some brought it yellow honey from the stores of the wild bees; some fed it with milk from the white goats that pastured on the mountainside; and others stood as sentinels around it, guarding it from the wolves and bears. Thus five days passed, and Archelaus the shepherd, who could not forget the babe, came cautiously to the spot to see if, mayhap, even its broidered cloak had been spar

ure as the waters of the stream by whose banks she loved to wander. Day after day he sat with her in the shadow of her woodland home, and talked of innocence and beauty, and of a life of sweet contentment, and of love; and the maiden listened to him with wide-open eyes and a heart full of trustfulness and faith. Then, by and b

a slender reed into a shepherd's flute; while OEnone, sitting in the deeper shadows of some clustering vines, was busy with some simple piece of needle-work. A sound as of sweet music caused the young shepherd to raise his eyes. Before him stood the four immortals, Here, Athené, Aphrodite, and Hermes the messenger; their faces shone with a dazzling radiance, and they were fairer than any tongue can describe. At their feet rare fl

pus. Here are Here, Athené, and Aphrodite, each claiming to be the fairest, and each clamoring for this prize, this gol

queen, and mine it is to rule among gods and men. Give me the prize, and you shall have

han riches or honor or great glory. Listen to me, and I will give thee wisdom and a pure heart; and thy life shall be crowned with peace, and sweetened with love, and

e is the fairest.' And Paris would have placed the golden apple in her hand, had not

id she, laughing, and tossing her curls. 'All I shall say is this: Give me the

ut the next moment the blood came back to her cheeks, and she breathed free and strong again; for she heard Paris say, 'I have a wife, OEnone, who to me is the love

ittle babe whom he had sent away, many years ago, to die alone on wooded Ida. And he said to himself, 'The child has been long dead, and yet no feast has been given to the gods tha

on the third day there would be a great feast in Troy, and games would be held in honor of the little babe who had died twenty years before. Now, when the servants came to Mount Ida, they chose a bull for which Paris had long cared, and which

Ida, even for a day,' said she; 'for my

n in the world shall be my wife? And who is more beautiful than my own OEnone? Dry now your tears

the hearts which now are young shall grow old and feeble by reason of much sorrow. Cruel war and many dire disasters shall overtake you, and death shall be nigh un

y. How could it be otherwise but that, in the games which follow

you?' aske

the shepherd, 'and I feed the

of his own failure to win a prize,

asked, 'Did you ever see two so nearly alike? The shepherd is fairer and of slighter build, it is true; but they have the same eye

'Oh, blind of eye and heart, that you cannot see in this young shepherd t

ace of honor which was his by right. And he forgot OEnone his fair young wife, and le

8 at the end

rth, and Cheiron the master would fain have ended

hips of Peleus may then be ready to sail. So tell us, I pray you, yet

o help him in any undertaking. And they marched upon Iolcos, and entered the gates, carrying all before them; and they slew King Acastus, and set Peleus on his throne. Thus ended this hero's days of exile; an

fair young Achilles, who is her

immortal; and how it was said that she each night threw him into the fire to purge away whatever mortal stains might

and the boy was sent to me, that I might train him in all that goes to the making of a man. There are those who say that I feed the lad on the hearts of lions, and the marrow of bears and wild b

sseus retired to his couch, and was soon dreaming of far-away Ithaca

a hasty farewell to King Peleus, and to bold Echion, who still tarried there, they embarked, and were soon well on their way. The voyage was a long and hard one; but kind Athené favored them, and Poseidon gave them smooth waters and many pleasant days upon the sea. Nor were they delayed at Corin