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164 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 97 



leave the nest on their fourteenth day. Come Tom, Dick, and 

 Harry, you have now attained that age ! But Susan, who is 

 a day younger, may stay until tomorrow." 



Only two of our party made the trip to Thebes, which now 

 bears the name of Phiva. The trip had its origin in my de- 

 V sire to see the plains of Boeotia and the sites of Thebes and 

 Platsea. For all true Americans there is unmistakable appeal 

 in the story of any nation's resistence to a foreign invader 

 or usurper. The battles of Marathon, Salamis, Platsea and 

 Chseronea are the prototypes for us of all heroic stands for 

 liberty; and what is better than liberty? The original plan 

 was to go by train to Thebes, and from there take carriage 

 to Platjea. Our Athenian guide was filled with anxiety be- 

 cause two women meditated such a journey, but he wrote for 

 us a letter, addressed to the station-master at Thebes, asking 

 him to engage the team and explain to the driver what was 

 wanted. But before Thebes was reached a supposition came 

 to mind that was deterrent. Suppose an accident should 

 happen to carriage or team, and we were stranded in the 

 lonely country, unable to understand the language or be un- 

 derstood. What should we do? The sequel showed that we 

 need not have worried. 



At an early hour one morning, with the aid of a lad from 

 our hotel, we were provided with return tickets and started 

 on the right train for an all-day excursion. It proved to be 

 our happiest day in Greece. As we rode along we tried to 

 recall all we had once known about Thebes. The legendary 

 lore was best remembered. Both rejoiced, however, that we 

 were not called upon to pass a searching examination on the 

 Seven against Thebes, the Epigoni, or the Theban alliances. 

 Teaching a subject, especially teaching it by lectures, is the 

 best means of fixing it firmly in mind, yet I was frequently 

 surprised^ when our local guides would mention something 

 that had been shelved in memory's chambers for many years. 

 An experience of this sort happened, while we were on the 

 Acropolis, and two gentlemen of our party were becoming 

 quite disputatious with the guide over the point, which was 



