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Show PRINCESS MARY'S GIFT BOOK 76 cheeks, not one single pang of grief should assail your heart. TRUE SPAR'I \N HEARTS who should weep. 1 it is who should mourn. For ( alhas. my grandson, is not amongst the slain. Unlike your brave son lira-rates, my ( alhas has not died at his post of duty. He lives, and by hvmg he has brought dishononr and shame on his family. How can I meet him? \\'hat can I say to him? Nav, I will not look upon his face. I will not vouchsale one word of greeting to him. His father was the glory of my life. but he is the soul of its shame. The gods have been cruel‘to For His me in my old age; but they have been merciful to you, Ione your son, death with honour. For my Callias. life With dishonour. father won the crown of wild olive in the Olympic games. and earned the right of lighting by the kings side, and died there :' and I was proud of hiiii. more even than the loss of her son; and because there was no one else. she had been impelled to stand by his side, to greet him, to encourage him, to reassure him. And just as he lifted his head, bowed in grief and shame, she awoke. \Vhen Phidon had heard her dream-story, his stern heart was softened. " I will not turn from Callias," he said. " It may be that you are right, Ione. It may be that the gods will yet give him some great and glorious chance. I will steel my heart to receive him." So Ione triumphed at last. And truly her dream would seem to have been some kind of divination, for, two or three days afterwards, She was a grief far greater than her own loss of her beloved son. brushed'her last tear aside, and tried to comfort old Phidon. whom she had known all her life. Her son Eucrates and this very Callias had been friends together ever since they were ehildrenaand in the days gone by. I'hidoii and lone‘s father had fought side by side for Sparta. mm" The next day she told her dream to Phidon, and described to him how With her mind's eye she had seen Callias standing lonely and forsaken, the only one of the three hundred survivors who had been spurned and unforgiven. His loneliness stabbed her to her heart, But woe is me that I cannot be proud of Calhas." And. Spartan mother as she truly was, Ione knew well that here «420" 77 I it is a decree was proposed by the king. and passed in the Assembly, to the effect that all those who had fled from the field of Leuctra were to be pardoned and received home without dishoiiour. Ordinarily all survivors of a defeat were subject to penalties of civil olfeiice, and so this was quite an unusual proceeding; but no "May be, Phidon," she said, "the gods have spared Calhas and his comrades. so that they may yet serve Sparta, and help her to doubt it was thought dangerous to take stern measures against such a large number of Spartan citizens. \Vell. whatever the reason was, triumph over her enemies." there were many glad hearts in Sparta that day, and old l'hidon himself But he shook his head, and would hear no word of comfort, though. as the days went by, it seemed to ease his stern spirit to sit beside her,‘ and watch her at her work. And then she would speak to him of Callias. and urge him not to be over hard on the lad when he returned. " You miist pardon him. I'hidon," she said. " Perchanee he Wlll _ live to do great things for Sparta." But the old man said proudly: "Nay, Ione, never a word Wlll I speak to Callias again." And it was in vain that Ione pleaded for the friend of Eucrates, always iniploring the old man to believe that the gods in their wisdom had preserved Callias for some splendid act of service and sacrifice yet to come. _ . Full of these thoughts. and haunted by l'hidon‘s unyielding severity, she had a strange dream one night. She dreamed that lung Agcsilaus was willing to pardon all those three hundred soldiers who had lied from the field of Leuetra; but that I'hidon interposed, and standing in the Public Assembly, gave his vote against the pardon. "My own grandson is one of the survivors," he cried. " Sparta. may pardon him, but I never will." owned in secret to Ione that he longed to see Callias once more. "For I must needs forgive him wholeheartedIy." he said, "since Sparta has forgiven him; but with my last breath I would tell you and all the world that I would far. far rather he had fallen by the side of the brave Eucrates. That would have been my glory." As soon as news had come of the defeat of the Spartan army, the whole remaining military force of Sparta was sent to the rescue. and after some time returned to Sparta, bringing back the survivors from the disastrous field of Leuetra. Then Spartan hearts were softened, and mothers, wives, and sisters stood waiting to greet those whom the gods had spared for further service. But Ione sat at home spinning. There were no tears in her eyes now, and her countenance was lit up by a calm pride. She had learnt to be glad that she had no one to meet that day. Suddenly the door opened, and Phidon came in. His manner was strangely excited. " Callias is not amongst us,' he cried. " I have asked for him, and no one knows. Could there have been some mistake, I wonder? Is it possible that-HA" 7 |