The Woodstock age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1844-1845, 1844-09-26
MISCELLANEOUS.
-,--.,-,@J~l~0~~-----E~1N.-7 ,.,nI,Nr
THE CHRISTIAN MAIDEN.
BY MARY V. SPENCER.

Away with hcr-she blasphemes the
cods-let her be cast to the lions"
1t was a high day in Carthage, The
sun shonc with uncloudcd splendor on
tbc white palaces and glittercd along the
beautiful bay of the Numidlan city
the streets were thronged with the pop
Mace in gala dresses, for it was iesta-
val in honor of the gods. Toward the
rreat hall of Justice a crowdpoured cox
tpuolly, though the avenues leading to
il were already blocked up; but the ru-
NOR had gone aabroad that a Nazarene
maiden was that day to be tried, and pub
lie curiosity was alive to behold her de-
meanor or her fate,
Within the hail there was scarcely
room to stir. A dense mass OF specta-
tors filled it to suflocation, and 1t was
with difficulty that the officers could
keen the crowd from encroaching on
the spacc reserved for the judges. The
most intense excitement peryadcd the a.
no,tmcnt. The audience, as if impatient
of control, heaved to and fro, and more
than once an Intellectual attempt was
made to rush on the prisoner, while ever
and anon the shout would rise from the
crowd
Away with her! She blasphcmes the
rods. Let her be cast to the lions!,
The object oflhis angry cry was girl,
scarcely yet in her eighteenth summer,
and SURPRISINGLY lovely. She stood at
the bar with clasped hands and upllltod
eyes, her lips moving as if in praper, APP
parently Regardless alike ofthe bowls ct
the mob and the angry looks ofthe judges,
wilt thou sacrificed Again, | ask
thee. wilt thou sacriice:' said the prntor
sternly; 'remember-to refuse Is death;
the emperor is memorable,
The maiden convulsivcly wrung her
hands. and large tear drop started into
her eve. 4 brcathlcss silence cnsued
Notwithstanding the cries for her blood,
the spectators were agltatcd by many
and various emotions Some were Sc
crety favorable to the new religion, and
others pitied the accused on account Of
her youth and beauty; but at least hall
orthc audience we bigoted Pugans and
thirstcd for her death, These, being the
most brutal, had the ascendency, as in
every popular tumut. But all kept ST.
lcncc now, awcd by that feeling Of sus-
pcnsc which ever attends the crisis Of
anothcr's fate or of our own.
TO the maiden those few moments Of
silence we're crowded with recolections
The events of her whole life rushed pas,
her. She saw once more the pleasant
valley where she had spent her child
hood: she heard It's cool waters, the rus
tic of its palm trees, the tinklo of the
sheep bells on the distant hill. Then
other associations rose up before her
She saw herself attacked by an angry
wild-bcast, and saved only by the javelln
of ii chance traveller, a young Numidlan
hunter. The gratitude deepening into
love, which ensued; the mutual pledge
of fidelity till death; their separation in
consequence of his entering the army and
being ordered to the German frontier
with his cohort, moved before her like
scenes in magic phantasmagoria Then
came her conversion to Christianity, hei
secret baptism in an upper chamber where
the prosecuted sect met, her arrest and
Imprisonment, and now this scene! She
felt that she stood alone, with no friend
nor relative to advise, an orphan, poor
and of a despised religion. Oh! if her
brave soldier had been there, she knew
she would have had one bosom to lean
on in this terrible crisis. But no plying
eve looked on her from the crowd, and
seas rolled bctwiXt her and her bold low
or. Yet, though thus deserted, her faith
did not desert her. In earnest prayer
she sought for strength from heaven, and
nc who had stood by Polycarp among the
lions heard her cry The momentary
weakness brought on by her recolcctions
of how many dear ties yet bound her to
earth, disappeared, and she looked firm
iy at the Judge, her form erect, and her
eye like that of Stephen when he con-
fronted his murderers. ...t.
wilt thou sacrifce' | ask the for the
third and last time, demanded the prp-
tor. Cast incense on the altar of Jupi-
ter and thou shalt be saved. Refuse and
thou diest ere high noonr'
The spectators bent eagerly forward
and held their breaths, the better to caleb
the maiden's answer.
Il am a believer i'm Christ > sbe .a;d