Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-07-12
From the Ladies' National Mag azine.
THE CHRISTIAN MAIDEN.
BY MARY v. SPENCER.

~ was DiSn Jay IN CARNAGE. ne
sun shone with unclouded splendor on the
white palaces that gIil!ered along the beau
tiful day of the Numidian city The
streets were ihronged with the populace in
gala dresses, for it was festival in hoIor
of the gods. Towarde tie great hall cf
justice crowd poured continually. thro'
the avenues leading 10 it were blocked up !;
bu, the rumor had gone abroad that Naz
arene maiden was tina. day 10 be ,ried, and
the public curiosity was alive to behold
| her demeanor or hear her fate.
Within the hall there were scarcely
room to stir. A dense mass Of spectators
! filled i! to suffoca,inn, and 1t was with diff
ficuliy that the officers could keep the
crowd from encroaching on the space re-
served for the judges. The most intense
excitement pervaded the apartment The
audience as if impatient of control heaved
to and fro. and more than once an ineffec-
luaI attempt was made to rush on the pris-
oner, while ever and anon the shout would
rise from the crowd.
Away with her--she blasphemes the
gods-let her be cast to the lions
The object of this angry cry was girl.
scarcely ye, in her eighteenth summer.
and surprisingly lovely. She stood at the
bar with clasped hands and upllfed eyes,
her lips moving AS if in prayer, apparently
regardless alike of the howl< of The mob
and the angry looks Of the judges
w il! thou sacrifice Again ask thee.
wilt thou sacrifice 2 said The prator s.ern
": remember to refuse is dealh-the
emperor is inexorab!e.'
i he maiden convulSively wrung her
hands and large tear drop started In her
eve. A GREATNESS silence ensued. Not
| withstanding the cries for blood the spec
ta,ors were agila,ed by many and various
emotions. Some were sec ely favorable
10 the new religion. and Others pi'ied the
accused on account of her youth and beau
ty, hu, a, least half of the audience were
bgo,ed Pagans and ,hirs,ed for her death.
| These being the most brutal, had the as
cenddncy, as in every popular tumult -
But all KEEP. silence, now. awed by me Zee
Iings Of suspense which ever attends the
crisis of ano,her's fate or Our own.
To The maiden those few moments OF
silence were crowded with recollec,ions.
| The events of her whole life rushed pass
ed her. She saw once more the pleasant
valley where she had spent her childhood
She heard i,s cool waters, the rustic OF lis
palm uees, the ,inkle of its sheep bells on
the distant hill. Then other associations
rose up before her. She saw herself al
tackled by all angry wild beast. and saved
only by the javein of chance traveller.
Young Numidan hunter. The gratitude.
deepenng INTO love. which ensued: the
mu.uaI pledge of fidelity ill death their
separation in consequence OF his entering
into The army and being ordered 10 the
German frontier with his cohort. moved
/ before her like scenes in magic phanas-
magoris. Then came her conversion to
Christianity, her secret baptism IN an up
ner chamber where the prosecuted sect
met. her arrest and imprisonment, and
row This scene She felt that SIZE stood
alone, with no friend nor relative to adj
wise; an orphan, poor. and OF desp'sea
relipiun. Oh! if her brave soldier had been
there. she knew she would have one bo-
som TO lean on in this terrible crisis. But
no pirving eye looked on her from the
crowd. and seas rolled be,wixi her and her
hold lover. Ye, though thus deserted, her
faith did not desert her. In earnest pray
err she sough, strength from heaven. and
he who stood by Pollycarn among the
lions heard her cry. The momenlary
weakness brought on by her recollec''ons
of how many dear Ties yet bound ner 20
earth disappeared, and she looked hrm'y
a, the Judge. her form erect, ana her eye
like ,ha, of Stephen when he confronted
his murderers.
~ il, thou sacrifice ask for the
bird and las, tine demanded the prator.
.Cas, incense on the altar OF Jupiter and
thou shall, be saved, Refuse and 'hou oies'
ere high noon!
The spectators ben. eagerly forward anc
held their bleashs TO catch the maioeh
answer.
Il am a believer in Christ she sale
calmly. Him who We call the Nazarene
! canno, sacrifice to false gods. DO with
! me as you viii.
e There was something so meek. yet org
,;6ed and courageous in these words ina
,he mob's fury was for moment shock
! cd IN admiration. Blu, their heather pre-
5 iadices and ,hirs, for blood soon a',a'ne'
0 , ,he ascendancy of better feeling A low 10,
e snllen murmur ran through The crowd l'k'
The half s,ifled growl Of a famlshed VIII
> beast. which gradually deepened mo
|. sb,,,. and then came execralions ah
q cries for vengeance. :,
: Away with her-she blasphemes VI
d gods-le. her be cast TO the lions foa''
o 10 ,ngrv multitude.