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About The Athena press. (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 13, 1907)
MERWIAIDSOF LEGEND Sea Women That Were Vouched Fop by Ancient Writers. ORIGIN OF THE DELUSION. Theaa Traditional Creature War ' Probably Dugonga and Manateat. 8al Maiden of Fable Mermaid of Fiction and the Seal of Fact There Is a decided fascination about the mermaids of legend. Considering ' their traditional form. It does not seem quite certain whether they can be In-! eluded among the fair, "humanities" of old religion, but It would be extremely I Interesting to see one. n all serious ness the truths and poetry underlying and inherent In the old myths are well worth attention, but apart from these there Is something distinctly entertain ing In the quasi-historical accounts that we have of mermaids and the he roic attempts at rationalistic explana tion. The fancy has taken firmer hold on popular Imagination than many of the old legends. Of course they are recognized as nonexistent; but, unlike the majority of mythological beings, they are Invested colloquially with a sort of humorous reality. - A "IllBtory of the Netherlands' gives a circumstantial account of a great tempest which washed ashore near Haarlem a 'sea woman" as Bbe was swimming about She was captured and cleansed from the "sea moss that had grown about her" and became a humanized creature, except that she was always trying to escape Into the water. And It Is added, "Many persons worthy of credit have justified in their writings that they had seene her In the said towne of Haarlem." In the six teenth century off Ceylon some sailors captured, "seven mermen and mer maids," several priests and physicians testifying to the fact and the latter leaving It on record that after exami nation and dissection they found the external and Internal structures resem bled pose of human beings. Hudson, the amous navigator, declared that his ship's company had seen a mer maldj the upper part of her body like a woman, skin very white and long black hair. An old Iceland history tells of one near Greenland, "the neck and bead in all respects like a human tSlng." The Norwegian Bishop-Pontlp-pldan, who wrote in the. eighteenth cen tury, "records , the appearance of " a mermaid which was deposed to on oath by the observers." And not to multi ply quotations proving the belief even of the learned In the actual existence of the mermaids, rilny asserts author itatively that "as for the meremaidens It is no fabulous tale that goeth of tbem, for looke how painters draw them, so thay are indeed." It seems uard after all these weighty testimonies that we should be assured that the "historical" mermaids were only augougs or munaiees,. seais or sea Hons, especially as some of these Interesting creatures measure some eighteen feet In length and are by no means attractive In appearance. Some thing In the shape of the head and the breast Is relied on by the rationalistic scientists as explaining the delusion, but one is nt a loss to understand bow this can account for the circumstan tial descriptions that have, come down to us. Coevals of those old writers have proved to us by their paintings that they held very much the same views as to what constitutes feminine beauty as we have, and we should certainly not discover in the dugong or manatee anything whatever to suggest in the very faintest degree the idea of a pretty woman. Yet there Is general ly the Implication of comeliness in the verbal pictures the old writers give of their mermaids, though Columbus, who reported that he had seen two or three, admitted that he saw no beauty In them. The seal explanation perhaps does the least violence to one's tradi tional Ideas, as. whatever mav be thought of its resemblance to a wo man, it Is in Itself graceful and Its face and eyes are pleasing. There is, at any rate, a rather sug gestive coincidence in the view that the mermaid of fiction is the seal of fact, for closely allied If not Identical with mermaids were the "seal maid ens" of a thousand fables. The ac cented tradition was that these maid ens assumed the form of seals, which they could relinquish at any moment by divesting themselves of the seal skins. Only If while they were dls porting themselves in quasi human guise their seal integuments were stol en or hidden they would. have to re main as "maidens" and could not re sume the form of seals. We know on the authority of many a song and legend that willingly or unwillingly a man has been "married to a mermaid At the bottom of the deep blue sea," but In the case of the fortunate pur- lolner of a seal maiden's "troublesome disguise" there was no need for a sub marine descent She could quite com fortably live on land and, Indeed, had to unless she found her sealskin again. though always longing, like the mer maid of Haarlem, to become a sea dweller once more. There is therefore unquestionably a certain poetic pro priety in the scientific identlflcat'on ot the mermaid with the seal. London Globe. . Renunciation. .. ' " . , A 1 nave aiwnjs ra a guuu ureuu iw you, Mrs. Jinx," said Mrs. Lapsing, with blazing eyes, as she rose to go, "but I am a friend no longer. Yon have talked about 'my husband. Right bere Is where our paths divulge. Good afternoon." Chicago -Tribure. , CLOTHES AND THE MAN. etudy the Lerd of Creation and the Things He Wear. See the mant He wears a hat of straw, stiffened wltb. glue until It is like a tin pall, or of felt or silk, stiffened with bum shellac until it is like a crist Iron .pot Inside this unyielding brim is n thick band of hard, stiff leather, rr-enforced wltb Inner bands of flimm-Ja Itesult, compression of the blood vessels of the scalp, causing undue perspiration, bead ache and baldness. About his neck In summer Is a turn down collar, which Is a high, stiff fence of 'eight thicknesses of starched linen. This fits closely, leaving htm nnable to turn his bead without great effort Imbedded In this and tied In front in ft thick, uncomfortable bunch la a tie of heavy cotton or silk, re-enforced with linings of quilted canton flannel. His shirt has a stiff, unyielding front of the firmness of a priest's breast plate. This must be donned with dex terity and worn with care lest it break or bend. His waistcoat is made of heavy woolen cloth, and in summer he wears one ot heavier,- thicker and warmer duck or cheviot This warmth and thickness, however, are only In front, where nature has already pro tected the lungs and heart At his back, where protection is required against draft or chill, the waistcoat is of thin muslin. His coat is built similarly, the fronts being re-enforced with lapels of many linings. About his waist he buckles a belt so tightly as to Interfere with breathing and circulation, yet can rarely get It tight enough to achieve its own pur pose. For this reason he must wear sus penders, which ore probably the most uncomfortable garment known. He carries a stick which has no pre tense to use or beauty. He has dozens of pockets into which he never puts anything. : He has buttons which button nothing and buttonholes which are not to be used. He has strange Jewelry of clumsy In tent. Great buttons of uncouth shape must be thrust through stiffly starched layers of linen. Collar buttons must be lost and hunted for. He has rings on his fingers, pins in his scarf, chains across his breast fobs dangling from bis pockets and studs in his shirts. He Is not what be was created, but Is what he has created. Is the man a savage? No; he is the lord of creation! Life. MILLET'S POVERTY. Incident In the Life of the Great French Painter. It seems almost incredible that Mil let painter of "The Angelus" and oth er now world famous pictures, should have suffered from the poverty that forms the basis of the following story, but It is n fact that he did: One day, indeed, he found himself without food in the house for himself and his fam ily. In his extremity Diaz offered to take two of Millet's drawings to Paris and make an effort to sell them. Even lng came, the Millet family anxiously awaiting their friend's return. If be came back without the drawings it meant bread; with tbem, hungry to bed. Night fell, the family sitting in darkness because they felt they could not afford a light At last they heard the stamping of Diaz's wooden , leg as he crossed the little paved court and his lusty voice calling out: "Lightl Light! Where Is the light?" The family hurried to light a candle. But even while the head of the old fashioned sulphur match still was spluttering Diaz, who was a.Span lard and nothing if not temperamen tal, slapped down two -loaves of bread on the table, one after another, in quick succession. When at last the candle was burning he drew out CO francs in gold, all save one piece, which he had been obliged to change In buying the bread. He arranged the gold pieces in a circle like a halo around the candle, ending with the change, of which be made a neat pile. "Ah," sighed Millet as he regarded the unhoped for treasure, "if only I could count on a sum like this every week!" "Would you turn capitalist?" re proachfully asked Diaz. If to suffer Is a spur to genius, Is It a wonder that these Barbizon men were great painters? Getting Even. At the savings bank It is requisite to obtain the signature of new depos itors to an identification form. Recent ly a lady wltb more independence of spirit than experience exhibited un willingness to comply with the reg ulation. "What is your husband's name?" asked the clerk. "My husband's name is Peter Jones. What is your wife's name?" snapped the fab depositor. London Scraps. Unappreciated. "I've worked for the party faith fully for the last twenty years," be gan the office seeker, "and I can say with truth that I never once asked for an office" .'Great record," put In the party lead er. "1 wouldn't think of urging you to break it Keep it np." Philadelphia Press, ; .. . : Memory. Tommy Pop, what la memory? Tommy's Pop Memory, my son, Is something tlint enables us to forget the money we borrow and remember the money we lend. Philadelphia Record. Don't prr-nch too Much: do a kind ness when you can.--SUtd. L-iir Tcarsclf T C..u( -r rra roar month like a jrounf bird a . :-nlr- c.own whatever food or nwu tine ma':Jtt cored jrou 7 1 i Vj (AN&ari't intelligent thinking woman. 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Will be mailed free to any one sending name and address with request for same. Address Dr. E. V. Pierce, Buffalo. N. T. S. P. Sharp PHYSICIAN AND SURGEON Special attention given to all calls, both night and day. Calls promptly answered. Office on Third street, Ainena. uregor Dr. O. F. Heisley Dr. 8. Etta Heisley Graduates Am. School Osteopathy, Kirksville, Mo., ut A. I . stiu, President,' Founder. Drs. HEISLEY & HEISLEY OSTEOPTHIC PHYSICIANS Office and Residence Cor. 5th and Ad ams St. onnniiite Christian church. Days in Athena: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. On Savings We Pay 4' o! On the Quarterly Balance or 3 0. On the cTVIonthly Balance BLACKSMITH AND REPAIRING SHOP A. II. LUNA, Proprietor. Shop West ot King's Barn, Athena ! ' THE A 4 I ST. NICHOLS HOTEL $ J. E. FROOME, peop. I 11? t Only First-class Hotel in I the City. 'Iff t THE ST. NICHOLS X la the only one that can accommodate commercial travelers. Iff Can beteeomended for its clean and well ventilated rooms. Cob. Main akd Third, Athena, Or. 4 For First Class HORSESHOEING And BLACKSMITHiriG Call at the Brick Shop, oppo- site Commercial Stable. TROY LAUNDRY For GOOD WORK HENRY KEENE, Agent. Athena. - - Oregon. ro, endleton's Making Room for a Record Breaking Holiday Trade. Our already Low Prices Further Reduced. On November 7th will open on the second Floor. Bring the Children to to see the largest and best assortment of Toys ever seen in Eastern Oregon. Trains, fire engines, hose parts' autos, Teddy bears by the hundreds. Attached to these are Department you of 25 per cent and sometimes, 50 per cent. Biggest Assortment and Biggest Varieties Lowest Prices on all Lines Dependable Merchandise All Vour'ciipons A CHOICE LINE OF ROCKERS N. A.. MILLER, I THE TUlVI-A-LUPil LUMBER GO, H. O. Mansfield, Manager Athena, Oregon BUILDING AND Yards at Walla Walla, Touhhet and Lowden, Wash. Athena, Adams and Freewater, Oregon. At r Store prices, which PCOplCS WaTBhOUSC W, Pendleton, Oregon You can make no more useful, ap propriate or acceptable gift than a nice piece of furniture, and how your wife woule appreciate a new carpet, too! I have the best stock of PURNITURE AND CARPETS EVER SHOWN IN ATHENA Over 65 Patterns of Bookiug Chairs, from Over 22 Patterns of Dressers, from - - Over 60 Patterns of Rngs and Art Sqnaies, from Over 32 Patterns of Carpets, from, per yard Over 20 Patterns of Stand 'la ties and Dining Tables Over 20 Patterns of Conobes, from In laot, everything to make an up-to-date Furnitnre Store. Come and see if 1 am not telling the trntb. I also have some nioe Portieres and Concb Covers for the Holiday trade. the furniture MATERIAL FUEL Store mean a saving to 42.00 to 422.50 (11.00 to 130.00 11.25 to 135.00 40o to $1.50 - $1.25 to $24.00 $9.00 to $28.00 Man, Athana. A few doses of this remedy will In variably cure an ordinary attack of diarrhoea. It can always be depended npon, even in the more severe attacks of cramp colic and cholera morbus. It is equally successful for summer diarrhoea and cholera infantum in children, and is the means of saying the lives of many children each year. When reduced with water and sweetened it is pleasant to tako. Every man of a family should keep this remedy In his home. Bny it now. Price, 25c. Large Suk, Sue.
