ng as
mothers love and Death is still unchained.

Over land and sea, from where Dawn, the rosy-fingered, rises in the
East, to where Apollo cools the fiery wheels of his chariot in the
waters of far western seas, the goddess sought her daughter. With a
black robe over her head and carrying a flaming torch in either hand,
for nine dreary days she sought her loved one. And yet, for nine more
weary days and nine sleepless nights the goddess, racked by human
sorrow, sat in hopeless misery. The hot sun beat upon her by day. By
night the silver rays from Diana's car smote her more gently, and the
dew drenched her hair and her black garments and mingled with the
saltness of her bitter tears. At the grey dawning of the tenth day her
elder daughter, Hecate, stood beside her. Queen of ghosts and shades
was she, and to her all dark places of the earth were known.

"Let us go to the Sun God," said Hecate. "Surely he hath seen the god
who stole away the little Proserpine. Soon his chariot will drive
across the heavens. Come, let us ask him to guide us to the place
where she is hidden."

Thus did they come to the chariot of the glorious Apollo, and standing
by the heads of his horses like two grey clouds that bar the passage
of the sun, they begged him to tell them the name of him who had
stolen fair Proserpine.

"No less a thief was he," said Apollo, "than Pluto, King of Darkness
and robber of Life itself. Mourn not, Demeter. Thy daughter is safe in
his keeping. The little nymph who played in the meadows is now Queen
of the Shades. Nor does Pluto love her vainly. She is now in love with
Death."

No comfort did the words of the Sun God bring to the longing soul of
Demeter. And her wounded heart grew bitter. Because she suffered,
others must suffer as well. Because she mourned, all the world must
mourn. The fragrant flowers spoke to her only of Persephone, the
purple grapes reminded her of a vintage when the white fingers of her
child had plucked the fruit. The waving golden grain told her that
Persephone was as an ear of wheat that is reaped before its time.

Then upon the earth did there come dearth and drought and barrenness.

"The wheat
Was blighted in the ear, the purple grapes
Blushed no more on the vines, and all the gods
Were sorrowful ..."

Lewis Morris.

Gods and men alike suffered from the sorrow of Demeter. To her, in
pity for the barren earth, Zeus sent an embassy, but in vain it came.