capable of wearing the warm smile of summer
on its face. It was really piteous to see the poor,
starving cattle and sheep, how they followed
behind Ceres, lowing and bleating, as if their
instinct taught them to expect help from her;
and every body that was acquainted with hei
power besought her to have mercy on the human
race, and, at all events, to let the grass grow.
But Mother Ceres, though naturally of an affec-
tionate disposition, was now inexorable.

"Never," said she. "If the earth is ever again
to see any verdure, it must first grow along the
path which my daughter will tread in coming
back to me."

Finally, as there seemed to be no other rem-
edy, our old friend Quicksilver was sent post
haste to King Pluto, in hopes that he might be
persuaded to undo the mischief he had done,
and to set every thing right again, by giving up
Proserpina. Quicksilver accordingly made the
best of his way to the great gate, took a flying
leap right over the three-headed mastiff, and
stood at the door ol the palace in an inconceiv-
ably short time. The servants knew him both
by his face and garb; for his short cloak, and his

[[257]]

p256 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p257w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p258

v?