guessed the riddle that she cast herself from a great rock and was killed. The people were so glad to be rid of the dreadful monster that they made Edipus king of Thebes. Later in life, Edipus lost his eyesight and gave up the throne. Then, for many miserable years, he wandered up and down the earth with his beautiful daughter, Antigone, as his companion. Antigone's love for her blind old father was most beautiful to see. She was his hope, his pride, his one joy in life, and after his death hers was the one faithful heart filled with grief at his loss. ANTIGONE'S LAMENT FOR EDIPUS. "Alas! I only wished I might have died Oh, I was fond of misery with him; E'en what was most unlovely grew beloved Worn as thou wert with age, to me thou still PATERNAL LOVE. I walked up my garden path as I was coming home from shooting. My dog ran on before me; suddenly he went slower, and crept carefully forward, as if he scented game. I looked along the path and perceived a young sparrow, with its downy head and yellow bill. It had fallen from a nest (the wind was blowing hard through the young birch trees beside the path), and was sprawling motionless, helpless, on the ground, with its little wings outspread. My dog crept softly up to it, when suddenly an old black-breasted sparrow threw himself down from a neighboring tree, and let himself fall like a stone directly under the dog's nose, and, with ruffled feathers, sprang with a terrified twitter several times against his open, threatening mouth. He had flown down to protect his young at a sacrifice of himself. His little body trembled all over, his cry was hoarse, he was frightened almost to death; but he sacrificed himself. My dog must have seemed to him a gigantic monster; but for all that he could not stay on his high, safe branch; a power stronger than himself drove him down. My dog stopped, and drew back. if he, too, respected this power. It seemed as I hastened to call back the amazed dog, and reverently withdrew yes, don't laugh; I felt a reverence for this little lord of a bird, with its paternal love. - Ivan Tourgueneff. A SONG OF A NEST. There was once a nest in a hollow; I pray you hear my song of a nest, You shall never light, in a summer quest, Shall never light on a prouder sitter, A fairer nestful, nor ever know A softer sound than their tender twitter, Jean Ingelow. THE FLAG IN NATURE. All nature sings wildly the song of the free, The red, white, and blue floats o'er land and o'er sea: Samuel Francis Smith. ONE, BUT A LION. A vainglorious fox-mother, with a litter of cubs at her heels, one day came upon a powerful lioness nursing her new-born son, and derided her for producing but one cub at a birth, saying, at last, Why not emulate myself?" 66 Never!" replied the lioness, casting a contemptuous glance at the fox cubs; "not numbers, but quality-one, but a lion!" |