Author Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 edition. Excerpt:... NOW Athens lay before the simple Spartan girl. To her the house of Lykos seemed wonderful. Simple though it was, it far surpassed the mean houses of Sparta. Instead of earth for a floor it had smooth clean stones set in cement. By the doorway burned at night a lamp of oil, clean and sweet, lighting the narrow passage. It had an open inner court where all the morning the sunlight lay upon the little altar of Apollo, and sparkled in the tiny stream of the fountain where they washed their faces upon rising. Here were planted two small laurel trees, as bringing down the very life of Apollo into the house. These were Makaria's especial care. Very cool and fair seemed the rooms as she passed into them, very delicate the fountain that played so softly in the shadows. And above the stairs, the weaving room was cool and spacious. There were the distaffs waiting the ready hand, and heaps of wool like snow upon the floor. She did not like the slaves' merry familiarity with their master, and reproved her husband for having left his household untrained. But Lykos only stroked her cheek and laughed at her. "Bless thee, wife," he said, "they are old in impudence, and I love them too well to change them now." Makaria also found as she grew familiar with the new life that her Athens was practically bounded by the four walls of her home. She could not go forth, save with Lykos's consent; then only with a slave, and always with her himation drawn up over her head, concealing her face. Those pretty feet, accustomed to fly over the course, found the little courtyard but a scanty place for action. And the square bit of blue above it was but a poor exchange for soaring peaks and dizzy distances. "But I can not let thee go forth without a reason," said the...