The Greeks worshipped among their deities a goddess called Demeter,
which means "mother earth." It was her office to attend to the sowing
and reaping and all kinds of farm work. She first taught mankind the use
of the plough; she helped the men in their threshing and the women in
their baking. All country folk sought her blessing in their labors. She
was, in fact, a personification of nature, and perhaps it is a remnant
of the old Greek belief in our speech that we still refer to "mother
earth" and "mother nature."
Demeter's only child was a daughter, Persephone, and upon her she
lavished all a mother's fond devotion. The story runs that one day
Persephone was gathering posies in the meadow when a strange accident
overtook her. A beautiful flower suddenly attracted her attention, the
like of which she had never before seen. When she put forth her hand to
pluck it, the entire plant came up by the roots, leaving a hole in the
ground. The hole widened into a great crack, the earth shook with a
mighty thundering, and out dashed a chariot drawn by coal-black steeds,
bearing Pluto, the king of the lower regions. He caught up the
astonished Persephone, and away they sped again into the gloomy kingdom
beyond the Styx, where Persephone was installed as queen.
Demeter, missing her daughter, inquired everywhere what had become of
the maiden, but none could tell her. Then she lighted a torch and began
a weary search for the lost child. Nine days she wandered without
finding any clew. But on the tenth day she met the old witch Hecate, who
had heard Persephone scream when she was carried away. Together the two
sought Apollo, who sees all the doings of gods and men, and he told them
the whole story. "Then a more terrible grief took possession of Demeter,
and ... she forsook the assembly of the gods and abode among men for a
long time, veiling her beauty under a worn countenance so that none who
looked upon her knew her." She declared that the earth should not again
bring forth fruit till she had seen her daughter.
It comforted her not a little in this time of mourning to take a
mother's care of a certain sickly little child she chanced upon.
Disguised as a nurse, she fed the child upon ambrosia, held him in her
bosom, and at night covered him in a bed of coals. Under this treatment
he thrived amazingly; but the parents discovered the nurse's strange
ways and became alarmed. Their anxiety was turned to dismay when they
learned that this was a goddess, who would have made their son immortal
but for their interference.
[Illustration: D. Anderson, Photo. John Andrew & Son, Sc.