thought was forgotten for awhile, when Aigeus looked on
thee for the first time, and, stretching forth his hands towards
heaven, said, 'O Zeus, that dwellest in the dark cloud, look down on
my child, and give him strength that he may be a better man than his
father, and if thou orderest that his life shall be one of toil, still
let him have the joy which is the lot of all who do their work with a
cheerful heart and keep their hands from all defiling things.' Then
the days passed by more quickly and happily than ever, but at last
there came the messengers from Athens, to tell him that the enemies of
Pandion were at strife among themselves, and that the time was come
that Aigeus should fight for his father's house. Not many days after
this we sat here, watching thee at play among the weeds and flowers
that climb among the rocks, when thy father put his arms gently round
me, and said, 'Aithra, best gift of all that the gods have ever given
to me, I leave thee to go to my own land, and I know not what things
may befall me there, nor whether I may return hither to take thee to
dwell with me at Athens. But forget not the days that are gone, and
faint not for lack of hope that we may meet again in the days that are
coming. Be a brave mother to our child, that so he, too, may grow up
brave and pure, and when he is old enough to know what he must do,
tell him that he is born of a noble race, and that he must one day
fight stoutly to win the heritage of his fathers.' And now, my son,
thou seest yonder rock, over which the wild briars have clambered. No
hands have moved it since the day when thy father lifted it up and
placed beneath it his sword and his sandals. Then he put back the
stone as it was before, and said to me, 'When thou thinkest fit, tell
our child that he must wait until he is able to lift this stone. Then
must he put my sandals on his feet, and gird my sword on his side, and
journey to the city of his forefathers.' From that day, my child, I
have never seen thy father's face, and the time is often weary,
although the memory of the old days is sweet and my child is by my
side to cheer me with his love. So now thou knowest something of the
task that lies before thee. Think of thy father's words, and make
thyself ready for the toil and danger that may fall to thy lot in time
to come."

[Illustration: SPHINX OF EGYPT.]

The boy looked wistfully into his mother's face, and a strange
feeling of love and hope and s