Litchfield enquirer., 1835-08-27
Fn!O,!EEENLo. 4sO..

T advancing siefs of tile eiFl and hat co...
 ductoFs were heard. But what wa. ,I,si
 surprise Of all present, when they bebeld
 not one. but two young maidens, bolh
 dressed alike in white raiment, both eon- ing forth with tho same quiet step and
 placid demeanor: and one, 1t might be the most tranquil, advanced q Ssfsp tow-
 ards the seat wiIeFc lie who governed the city, during tho absence Of Marcus l Antenius, sai, and thus addressed him
 It is i, most noble pfefect, who am
 Berenice the Christian. T his girl. ny sis- ter, for love of me, would, fain take aIav
 Name and punishment on herself: bmb cred2 it her nOt-it is ! who am the cend damnedas
 Then arose . souching dispnls betweea the sisters -sis,erly love lending ono tho leloquence which the ntheE deriyed from Itroth. Many of'their friends, aud evescf
 thsir felstiyes, in the aMphilheairs, called
 ont come down and decide betweent them: but some spoke for ihe other. Veronica, in hersrecogniziDg fears, had lost the light. and joyous expressionsof her coupteaance {: aud Berenice's meek and holy hopes had
 chased the deep melancholy from her face- and nsien. sas !. x ssA. sss
 One or two brutal voices ar6se and said.>
 !. They botl, call themselves Christians. let them both die the death !'' but one of the maidens answered, Y Think not, most noble pretect, ifyon ihus decree, that yon- will be gnil.less of my sisteg's blood.s She
 is not . Christialial heart would 10 God she weretl then would T no longer oppose her sharing my early deaths Veronica, | if she it was, persisted in her first teclara-, lion, and none could tell how this dispute woOld terminate, when new incidentasl tracted the attention of Inc multitude, and |Esilsnced every dolbt. NJ As
 A spcck was seen in the aif it cana.
 lower, and, nparer. 1t was milk-whila
 dove. The bird dnltered round one, th0D drew pear the eaher: no caressing hand
 was held nut to receive him, but this in-,
 stinct was not to De deceived he settled on the shoulder of hef who had answered the harsh voice from the crowd, and sought 10 nestle as hO was wont in her long hair. < Many were present who knew the pet be - lloneiDg to Berenice, so the people were
 satis6ed Wiib this decision, and the weeping I VeroniGa. still protesting against her own, lidentity, was torn from the arms of Ter.
 sister. ss Then tlls lprefect, who had been much moved at this singular scene, turned 10 BereDice. as slse stood alone in the are-
 na, md said, N II iis not yet to late. young
 naaidells 10 preserve thy life. Have pity
 on thy youth md lovel Illness. and on the
 sivsal ftnhs uI to sanri6ca and be sais2 Bul she answers ed more firmly ihanseyef.
 ima Christian, mud Icannot sacrilicas 10 your false gods, You condemn me 10 death. but I fear not 10 xiie in defence of the truth Y She advanced unbidden, to the fatal block, and knelt by it vet, sfe she joined her hands in prayer, she bent once more tondly over her little messeIl-S gcr bird, as ito bid farewell 10 the last ohrs ject ttat told If earthly ties. Tllero was ! a small scroll of pafchnien its wings Befenice feit It. and thinking ilmigitper haps tell her the only tidings sho careilh now 10 hear. she rose again, and holdingit fortlh she prayed permission to read Il.
 The pvetect did not refnse. and Berenice
 read, first in silence, mud then aloud, The { Emperor Marcus isl dead, and Commoduss is already proclaimed Casar.' A loud shout rcnt the air. h was we'll knownsthat
 Conimodus, in l,is heaas. favored tho des-e pissed sect, and. In spite of their prejudices,e { tho beauty and heroism of Berenice had moved the hearts of her counffymen in her
 favor. A general oai-cry for her release
 was heard, but this the prefect dared not
 grant. ss Derenice was remapded t0 prison until tho pleasure of Commodus should beF known respecting Chsistiaass ait was not Z very long ere, wcafied with the hardshipsg ofthe camp, he returned 10 his capital. and ! his first order wal. that all Christians should De relsased, and restored to iheir ptiyilc- ges as Roman citizens. In this train caiio the young Lucius: he had found leisure, amid all the excitement of glory,s and thes hardships of his cnmpaigns 10 study the pfs-a cions gift of his betrothed--as first for love of her, and Afterwards from | wish to know tho truth. So when flfeir nnptials, delay2g cd awhile by tho death of Elavius Tofdua- tos, were at last solemnized, Bereniee had lhs deep happiness ofknowing thai the hns-
 band 0f her choice sl,ared the sure faith and pure hope ofsher own spirii They re-
 mained not long ini Rome .sshs follies and crnelties of Commodus rendered it distaste-f lul t0them ;and although Lucius stood high l in his favor, ashe was very eaprieious, they knew nOt how long t might remaiE in Ethcir own power ts depart u 10 abide in safety. Thsy therefore bade adieUs wiih-
 out . sigh, 10 ths pomp and lnxuriss tho cspiial;a and embarked for . lii;ls island ins L. taN