Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 256, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1917 — IT'S THE SAME OLD WORLD [ARTICLE]

IT'S THE SAME OLD WORLD

Letters of Deserted Wife to Husband, Written ZfXK) Years Ago, Unearthed In Ancient Ruins. A wife’s letter 2,000 years old was unearthed recently in the ruins of the Serapoum. the temple of Memphis, the great city of ancient Egypt The letter woa written by Isias to her husband, Hephaestion, who had deserted her. Ther, were two letters, in fact, the first bearing a date equivalent to July 24, 100 B. C. In them the wife'reproaches her husband for neglect of his family and. what is parti culariy interesting at the present time, she complains of the high cost of living. Here are some extracts from the first letter: “Islas to Hephaestion, her husband. Greetings—ls you are well and other things are turning out with you according to your wishes, it would be as I perpetually pray the gods. I mjrsetf am In good health, and the child and all in the house make mention of you continually. When I received your letter from Horus, in which you explained that you were in retreat in the Serapomn at Memphis, I immediately gave thanks to the gods that you were well. But that you do not return distresses me. For having piloted myself and your child through such a crisis and having come to the last extremity because of the high cost of corn, and thinking that your return would bring me relief, you have never even thought of returning or spared a look for my helpless state.”