Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

She Gnvcin nn li (Tribune. Published by the Tsrsuim Publishtac Oo.) J. H. DKVKAUX. Maksax* > VOL. 111. Coming Home. Adieu! is uttered with a sigh; Farewell! we speak in pain; We ever part with tearful eye; We may not meet again; But, oh, there is a blissful word, When breathed by those who roam, Which thrills with joy whenever heard, ’Tis coming, coming home! ’Tis sad to take the parting gaza For long, long weary years, As onward through the gathering haze The gallant bark careers. But joy untold the bosom swells, When o’er the dashing foam We mark the whitening sail that tells The loved are coming home! We love to hear from those who pin" Upon a foreign strand; I* There is a pleasure in each line Traced by the well-known hand; But oh, the rapture of that hour, When those beloved who roam Have breathed those words of magic power; I’m coming, coming home! —[Oliver Dyer, in Farm and Fireside. CINDERELLA IN EGYPT; A BEAUTIFUL STORY OF THE ORIGIN OF THE GLASS SLIPPER. We may find sermons in stones, but \vho would look for fairytales in a sand heap? Nevertheless, in the lost tomb of the last king of the twenty -sixth dynasty lies buried the original story of Cinder ella and her slipper. There is, indeed, only one variation of any consequence between the two ver sions and the ancient one is certainly the more romantic. Cinderella’s prince ly admirer finds in her lost shoe a clew to his vanished enchantress but King Psammetichus falls over head and cars in love with he knows not wfliom, from only seeing her sandal. The ancient Cinderella was a beauti ful Greek; Sappho calls her Doricha, and that was most likely her proper name, but the Greek people with whom fairness of skin was one of the highest qualities of female beauty, named her from the loveliness of her complexion “Rhodopis,” Rosy Cheeks, and as Rosy Cheeks she is known in history. Rhodopis was originally a slave and a fellow-bondswoman of JEsop, the writer of fables, in the house of ladmon of Samos, and like the heroine of the modern tale, a menial and a. drudge, so the parallel holds good from the be ginning. Like Cinderella, too, she had a fairy godmother, but a more powerful and lavish one, and her name was Aphrodite. This patroness procured her liberty, and heaped upon her riches; and Rhodopis, to make her name immortal by an offering such as had never been made before, dedicated with a tenth part of her property a quantity of iron spits in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, and this extraordinary gift was still to be seen there in Herodotus's time. Some also say that she b lilt one of the pyramids of Egypt, but as Herodo tus remarks, those who say so evidently know nothing about it, and however this may be, if Rhodopis was not so simple as our own Cinderella, she was, ’ at all events, more lucky, and, if her f . coachman and horses and chariots were -really rats and mice and pumpkins, they never resumed their proper shape, and no disenchanting clock sent her hurry ing back to her scullery, one shoe off .and one shoe on. Midnight never struck for her, and she lost her shoe in quite another way. At the time 1 speak of she was said to be the most beautiful woman in Egypt and she lived at Naucratis, a port on the Canotic branch of the Nile, founded in the preceding reign by colonists from Miletus, and though a born Greek, living in a Greek city, it pleased her now and then to play the Egyptian and to adopt the manners and fashions of her new country. And so it came about that one morning, before the sun was yet high, she went down, just as did Pharaoh's daughter, with her maidens to bathe in the Nile. At a short distance from the bank she left her litter, and sought a secluded creek, where, screened by the feather ing papyrus, she would br undisturbed and unseen from the busy river, and where her girls unmade her toilet. Now the banks of the Father of rivers are hard in places—a mixture of sand and clay baked in the scorching sun, and rough to delicate feet. So Rhodopis did not quit her sandals until the mo ment when she stepped down into the still, cool water. There, half-swimming, she played and frolicked, happy in the pure joy of living like the gay butterflies that flut tered about the rushes. She gathered handfuls of lotuses, and threw them away again, and then, in a lazy fit, she floated on her back, and gave herself up to thoughts on things in general and on herself in particular. But to return to her sandals, which she had kicked off on the river’s brink. They lay as she had left them, a pair of dainty shoes fit for such dainty feet. They were embroidered in gold and brilliant colors with a quaint pattern and with the ever-present lotus and, most curious of all, the upper surface of the sole on which her foot rested bore the figure of a captive with bound arms, on one sandal an Egyptian, on the other a Greek—a fanciful way of suggesting the dominion of their owner over the hearts of two nations. Now it chanced that just above, sail ing round in his vast circle, a mere speck in the dancing blue sky, w r as an eagle, and as the sandals glittered by the water’s edge they caught his eye. Now, whether he thought they were good to eat or whether he was a bird of cultivated taste, I know not, but straightway he swooped and seized one. Rhodopis, roused from her reverie by the rush of wings, caught sight of the great bird as it flew off, and frightened, set to screaming and then ducked. By the time she had recovered herself and taken in what had happened, the eagle and her sandal were in the next parish. Os course, directly it was all over, her girls, who had been busy telling one another secrets, began in their alarm to hide everything away in a place of safety, as if they expected a whole phalanx of eagles were coming to carry off their mistress’ clothes. And no doubt they had some reason for their concern, for ancient ladies had a variety of amiable little ways of producing sym pathy in their slaves when tilings went wrong, and Rhodopis, sweet as she was to look at, was like the rest. But, after all, it was not a very serious mat ter, for Rosy Cheeks had cupboards full of sandals at home, and besides her lit ter was only round the corner, so, after her first astonishment and fright was over, she thought little more about it. Now this event was in reality the turning point of life, for what did this mysterious bird do but fly straight away with his prey, over the Delta, far up the long river to Memphis, and there, as if his mission ended, he dropped the sandal before the judgment seat of King Psammetichus. The king was sitting in the open air, close to the city gate, dispensing justice to his subjects. The sun was hot and the imaginations of plaintiff and de fendant equally inventive and inex haustible, so Psammetichus was bored; his thoughts wandered far away, and he fell to building castles in the air. Now no Oriental could ever build a castle in the air or otherwise without giving it a mistress; so he pleased himself by imagining for his ideal palace an ideal beauty. He pictured her with the eyes of the gazelle, the voice of the nightingale, the litheness of the panther, the tread of ■ a goddess, and as his thoughts dwelt I still on the dainty toes that hardly pressed the ground they rested on, the sandal fell from heaven plump at his royal feet. Astonished out of all dig nity, he jumped up, stared up into the sky, and down at the slipper, and then stooped and picked it up —for no one i had dared to touch it. Was it a god- ■ dess’ No; it was a lovely little shoe, but certainly an earthly one, with the j print of five little earthly toes distinctly marked on it—the very little toes he had just been dreaming of. Then of a sudden it became plain to SAVANNAH, GA., SATURDAY, APRIL 7.1888. him. It was an answer from the gods to the wishes he had just been indulging in—he had planned a castle, here was a mistress for it. “Let search be made,” cried he, “for her who owns this sandal, and by these signs shall you know her; Whosoever the shoo fits, and who has the fellow shoe, and who can explain the symbol on the sole, she is the right ful owner; bring her to mo that I may make her my queen.” To hear was to obey, and the messenger started on his search. Many days he travelled down the Nile, making proclamations of the will of Psammetichus as he wont, bear ing the sandal on a cushion. And wherever ho camo through the wholo land of Egypt there was a routing out of cupboards and a hunting up of left-off shoes, in case by chance there might be found among them a match for the wonderful sandal; but none camo to light and tho maidens were left forlorn. At last he came to Naucratis, and when the proclamation reached the ears of Rhodopis she remembered the theft of her sandal and know herself tho one sought for by the king. Tho Ambassa dor was admitted to her presence, and then at last the shoo fitted. ‘‘And here,’' cried Rhodopis, ‘‘is the follow shoo,and this is why I wear these symbols on the soles—as Greece is captive to my beau ty, so shall Egypt be, and Egypt’s mas ter.” And then she went with him to Memphis, and when the king, whoso heart was sick with waiting, saw her, he at onco succumbed to tho charm of her loveliness; he did as he had prom ised and made her his queen. And the rosy-cheeked Greek slave sat beside Psammetichus on tho throne of Pharaoh. —[London Graphic. A Plague of Wild Horses, Nevada horse raisers and ranchmen on the Piocho and White Pine ranges are complaining of the wild horses of that region. In the Shellback moun tains arc bands of from 150 to 200 of these horses, each under tho leadership of powerful stallions, and they make regular raids on the ranches and run off the horses of the ranchmen. A horse once gone is gone forever, the Nevada men say, for the wild horses are very cunning and wary, and will not let a man get within rifle shot of them. The nuisance became so great that last spring fifteen experienced horsemen and hunters started out with the object of killing off as many of the ‘‘boss stal lions” as possible. In a ten days’ hunt they managed to kill just one horse.. The wild horses of Nevada average about 800 pounds weight, and when caught are about the most ugly beast alive. But if they can be thoroughly subdued and broken, they make the most serviceable and hardy horses im aginable. To Ventilate a Room. The best way to ventilate a room that I know of is to put a board, long enough to fit exactly in the window frame, and about six inches high, under the lower sash. If you remember the construction of window sashes you will know that this consequent raising of the lower one will leave spaces between the glass and the woodwork, through which fresh air can obtain a gradual entrance into the room. Its course is made somewhat tortuous and all draught thereby prevented. When it reaches the inside it has an upward direction, too, and is not likely to come in contact with tender craniums. It is important, in using this kind of ventilation, that the board fit accurately under the j window, so that no little spaces be left for the air to blow through.—[New York World. Two Souls With But a Single Thought, “I have to tha ik you for a pleasant evening, Miss Bilderback," said young Pcckingpaugh at 11.30 o’clock as he rose to go. “I have scarcely felt as if I were an acquaintance until this evening; but now it almost seems as if I had known you for years.” “I was about to make the same re mark,” murmured the young lady with her eyes on tho clock. “It docs, in deed, seem a long time.”-[Chicago Tribune. , INSECT PLAGUE. The Terrible Onset of an Army of Hungry Locusts. Repelling Their Visits—Utilizing them for Food. A writer in tho English Mechanic says that an army of locusts is a won derful and an interesting sight to the traveler who does not own a yard of soil, and is a rnero onlooker at their frightful devastation. It is Attila and his innumerable horses rushing over tha vegetable world. To-day tho wide plains are shining green with denso foliage; to-morrow, nothing but brown twigs and bare branches, when the le gions move off on their combined mis sion. As they arrive, the dense, dark clouds moving up from the horizon, and often obscuring tho sun’s rays, proclaim tho approach of the widely dreaded scourge. The alarmed villagers con gregate on the expected lino of march, beating drums and brass pots, shouting and lighting bonfires and making all kinds of hideous noises. On ono occa sion, in South Africa, I drove off tho enemy from a friend’s garden by making four heaps of damp rubbish— one at each corner, in preparation, and then lighting them at the piopor moment, we dispersed tho advanco guard,our columns of thick smoke being carried by the wind upon the main body which altered its route. Horses and oxen, their heads and nostrils tor mented by the clinging limbs of tho swarms were bolting away to tho woods, kicking and plunging in their hasty flight. A hissing, crackling sound arose on all sides, the whole air seemed to be occupied by the falling and flying imps of mischief. Tho “locust birds” (a kind of crane) hovered in small parties on their flanks, and subsisted on a very small percentage of the insect hosts. In desert localities, tho hungry pests actually pitched on bone, matting, sticks, etc., and failing in a meal, attacked and de voured each other. O.i another oc casion 1 drove for miles along a sandy tract, the wheels of the vehicle crush ing myriads of the newly-hatched in sects, all crawling and creeping, with migratory instinct, toward the culti vated tracts. In India locust visits aro fewer between, but far more formidable, owing to the overwhelming musses. Sometimes a series of clouds, composed of their flights, cover several miles simultaneously. Fortunately, there aro several birds and beasts in quest’of their bodies, and I have even seen them salted, dried and sold in tho markets. I have often inspected a dish of curried locust, but could not bring a sufficient amount of curiosity to bear on the tasting ex periment, though a prawny odor went up with the steam. The fishes are great devourers of these winged visitors, for they fall into lakes and rivers during changes of wind and weather. Besides fires made of green rubbish at top, I found gunpowder explosions very useful in scaring thorn away from the vicinity of my garden. When several successive hordes alighted on my grass land I loaded my gun with dust shot, and, stooping low on the ground, discharged the contents of both barrels into their midst. Having done so several times, I enjoyed the welcome sight of seeing them rising into the air and going else where. I have no doubt a.small cannon on such occasions, heavily loaded with sharp sand, would hasten their flight. Strength of Woods. In a paper on the strength of differ ent kinds of wood for building pur poses, Prof. Johnson calls attention to the fact, as now demonstrated, that many cheaper kinds of timber may prove more valuable for structures than more ex|>cnsive varieties which have been supposed to be stronger, and therefore, more desirable. Thus, pine supports or pillars have been found stronger than Luk ones, when tested in large samples.—[New York Sun. I f 1.25 Per Annnm; 76 cents for Six Months; < 60 cents Three Months; Single Copies ( 6 cents' -In Advanco. PEARLS OF THOUGHT. A good word is easy, and not to speak ill only requires silence. Justice is a virtue that gives every man his own, by even portions. If you always live with those who are lame you will yourself learn to limp. To presume in one’s duty and be si lent, is tho best answer to calumny. Dost thou love life I Then do not squan der time; for that is the stuff life ia made of. One good act done today is worth a thousand in contemplation for some ft tire time. Education is the leading of human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them. The bread of life is love; the salt of life is work; the sweetness of life, poe try. Tho water of life, faith. As riches and favor forsake a man, we discover hijn to boa fool; but nobody could find it out in his prosperity. If you would bo pungent, be brief; or it is with words ns with sunbeams, tho more they aro condensed tho deeper they burn. A monarchy is a man-of-war, stanch, iron-ribbed and resistless when under full sail; yet a single hidden rock sends her to the bottom. Tho sun should not set upon our an ger, neither should it rise upon our con fidence. We should forgive freely, but forget rarely. Seek not to be revenged; this you owo to an enemy. Let it bo borne in mind tint tho cords of love, which bind hearts so closely to- ' gather that neither life nor death nor lime nor eternity can sever them, aro woven of threa Is no bigger than a spider’s web. 'Die most agreeable of nil companions is a simple, frank man, without any high pretensions to an oppressive great ness. One who loves life, and under funds the use of it; obliging alike at all hours; above all, of a golden temper, and steadfast as an anchor. Fabulous Serpent Women. In the early Egyptian hieroglyphics wi; find rep"Csestations of snakes’ bodies crowned by female heads; and, indeed, this class of serpents seems to have proved equally attractive to all nations, an evidence of which subtle fascination is that the legends of the “snako maidens’ still live in the nursery tales of to lay, perennially young and beauti ful as though their birth were not wrapp'd in tho mysteries of a prebis T toricagj. Os this family camo Lirnia, the witch of Crete, wh >s? woman’s heart rendered her doubly sensitive to tho degradation she suffered during her incarceration within her scaly prison; nor did she on renewing the pristine glory of her human form completely lose the essence of her serpent nature. Hurmonia, the wife of Ca Imus, to boa companion in her husband's misfor tunes, also took upon herself the ser pent’s shape, but being devoid of evil intent, never, it is said, shunned, but rather sought man's presence. Perhaps it is but another form of the classic Harmonia which his become familiar to us under the name of the fairy Gentilla, who, in an adder's shape, sought refuge with Prince L .an lcr from tho vengeance of the irate gardeners, but at the end of * several days droppe 1 her scaly mantle, and, arrayed in supernatural charms, munificently rewar led her protector.--" [North American Review. A Petrified Snake. While some workmen were making nil excavation at Pcublo, Col., recently, they came upon a petrified snake,totally different from any known species f%m,d i j that part of the country at prcs4M|f| It was found eight feet from the silt; face, Fr >m its appearance it would ■cem th- the snake had been caught let ween two rocks by the tail ages ago, its peculiar position eloquentlyex pressiu ; its agony. Instead of decom- H posing, the body dried out so perfectly that t o taxidermist could hope to equal nature's work, even tLo eyes being per feck NO. 25.