Penny Dreadfuls, 1912 · page 81 of 118
The Medea — page 81: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Page Description This is running prose (page 65) from what appears to be a dramatic or poetic adaptation titled "Medea." The visible text depicts a scene where a character persuades a young woman to accept decorative robes and a golden crown as gifts, urging her to reconcile with loved ones. The woman joyfully dons the finery and admires herself in a mirror, but then suddenly becomes pale and weak, struggling to return to her seat with "crooked steps." The passage ends as an elderly handmaid observes this strange affliction, suggesting something supernatural—possibly the influence of Pan—is occurring.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
MEDEA | 65 Thy husband quick went forward, to entreat The young maid’s fitful wrath. “Thou will not meet Love’s coming with unkindness? Nay, refrain Thy suddenness, and turn thy face again, Holding as friends all that to me are dear, Thine husband. And accept these robes they bear As gifts: and beg thy father to unmake His doom of exile on them—for my sake.” When once she saw the raiment, she could still Her joy no more, but gave him all his will. And almost ere the father and the two Children were gone from out the room, she drew The floweréd garments forth, and sate her down To her arraying: bound the golden crown . Through her long curls, and in a mirror fair Arranged their separate clusters, smiling there At the dead self that faced her. Then aside She pushed her seat, and paced those chambers wide Alone, her white foot poising delicately — So passing joyful in those gifts was she! — And many a time would pause, straight-limbed, and wheel Her head to watch the long fold to her heel Sweeping. And then came something strange. Her cheek Seemed pale, and back with crooked steps and weak Groping of arms she walked, and scarcely found Her old seat, that she fell not to the ground. Among the handmaids was a woman old And grey, who deemed, I think, that Pan had hold Eomichbooks.com