to a time when for him

"All the world is young, lad,
And all the trees are green;
And every goose a swan, lad,
And every lass a queen."

Yet the story of Halcyone is one best to be understood by the
heavy-hearted woman who wanders along the bleak sea-beach and strains
her weary eyes for the brown sail of the fishing-boat that will never
more return.

Over the kingdom of Thessaly, in the days of long ago, there reigned a
king whose name was Ceyx, son of Hesperus, the Day Star, and almost as
radiant in grace and beauty as was his father. His wife was the fair
Halcyone, daughter of AEolus, ruler of the winds, and most perfectly
did this king and queen love one another. Their happiness was unmarred
until there came a day when Ceyx had to mourn for the loss of a
brother. Following close on the heels of this disaster came direful
prodigies which led Ceyx to fear that in some way he must have
incurred the hostility of the gods. To him there was no way in which
to discover wherein lay his fault, and to make atonement for it, but
by going to consult the oracle of Apollo at Claros, in Ionia. When he
told Halcyone what he must do, she knew well that she must not try to
turn him from his solemn purpose, yet there hung over her heart a
black shadow of fear and of evil foreboding that no loving words of
assurance could drive away. Most piteously she begged him to take her
with him, but the king knew too well the dangers of the treacherous
AEgean Sea to risk on it the life of the woman that he loved so well.

"I promise," he said, "by the rays of my Father the Day Star, that if
fate permits I will return before the moon shall have twice rounded
her orb."

Down by the shore the sailors of King Ceyx awaited his coming, and
when with passionately tender love he and Halcyone had taken farewell
of each other, the rowers sat down on the benches and dipped their
long oars into the water.

With rhythmic swing they drove the great ship over the grey sea, while
Ceyx stood on deck and gazed back at his wife until his eyes could no
longer distinguish her from the rocks on the shore, nor could she any
longer see the white sails of the ship as it crested the restless
waves. Heavier still was her heart when she turned away from the
shore, and yet more heavy it grew as the day wore on and dark night
descended. For the air was full of the clamorous wailings of the
fierce winds whose joy it is to lash the waves into rage and