Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-03-07

Ia quick fash just-and glory, honor, imnor
tality, eternal life viii be yours forever
so! yes that II be my reward-yours too
| father. 1 think can suffer even death for it
| Then I'll be so soon therefore where my
sweet, dear sister is, and my dear, blessed Sa
vior. o. what joyful meeting!" said Yer
titia, calmly, as if seated in the fiowery arbol
at home.
eyes; joyful! joyful! Welcome death
come Lord Jesus, come!'' said Valens, his
eyes lifted up, and every feature lighted with
the holy fires that burned and glowed in his
breast.
Just at this moment, the door of the cell
was dashed open, and two Of the Emperor
guard entered. They cast scowling glance
at the kneeling and praying father and daugh-
ter; and then, roughly seizing Vertitia, hurri-
ed away with her.
Farewell father; farewell forever on earth, .
she had said just as the door closed.
.sThe Lord bless thee; we'll meet again. -
she had heard family echoed frem the cell.
This was about two hours after their arrest.
Vertitia was led hastily across a corner of
the square, in the centre of which great bright
fires were burning, with hundreds of squalid,
miserable looking beings gathered around
them-laughing, swearing, carousing, and
cursng the NaZarenes, the cause Of all
their suferings and misery.
The sight of the blazing, cracking fires. and
the horrid shouts and curses of the multitude,
terrified her and she felt for a moment as if
she would fall to the earth. But she thought
of Jesus, and her terrOrs fed.
She was conducted along the great, broad
aisle of the Forum, which was filed with gap
ing, jecrng crowds; and, quickly, she found
herself seated on marble block, with dozen
ormore poor, signing, weeping. praying Chris
tians. Some were gazing rapturously upward;
others, with their eyes rivited on the floor,
were looking the pictures of despair; while
others, with their faces buried in their hands,
were inly praying for mercy.
AS for herself poor Vertitia felt as she had
never done before. There was joyouSness
in her heart and strength, and courage in
her soul, to which she had heretofore been
stranger. Why was it2 These very scenes
she had often pictured out to her mind, but
she had shrunk away, pale and trembling, from
the thought. Now, with all real around and
before her, she felt quite calm and unmoved.
She thought it was her fathers prayers; then,
and what is more likely, that it was the real
and actual presence of Christ in her heart.
AS she sat, her attention, at first was direct
ed to those of the little flock, seated, as stat
ed, on her right and left. Her heart was
touched with pity, and her tears, at length,
began to flow freely in their behalf. She dri-
ed them away, however; and glanced her eyes
around on the great, prorniscuous throng-
then at the Emperor-then at the fierce, saw
age monsters who stood in armor all around
him. But she felt not the least fear or trepi-
dation.
In the mean time, one of the poor Christians,
female, not far from her side, had been COM
manded to sioRd up. Her trial, all the while,
had been progressing, but she had heard but
little of what had been said. She had barely no.
ticed that the woman looked pale and emaciat-
ed ,and that, with her eyes closed and her hands
claspcd tightly across her breast, her lips NOV
edinaudibly in prayer. She had noticed, more
over, that she had paid no attention to the in
solent questions, or the naughty, taunting
threats OF the Emperor.
But, by and by, hearing the Emperor, in his
usual shrill, squealing voice, cry out; ssyour
duty, soldiers.'' she was startled almost to
her feet, and trembled in every limb
And then again, when, after monment she
cast her eyes partly round, and saw two or
three horrid looking monsters dragging her
along the aisle, and saw the faint, despairing
look of the poor woman, with much difficulty
she supported herself on the block: and then.
when, after few minutes, a faint, horrid
shrek from without, like the last wall of
earth, fell on her ears, she involuntarily start
ed to her feet, and exclaimed
s.Oi God-mercy! mercy!r'
The only effect this burst of feeling, elected
from the depths of warm, sensitive, and gem
erous heart, produced, was, to throw the EN-
peror into a hearty laugh-then into a fit of
violent sneezing; while general litter, along
with obscene jesting, passed round the vast
assemblage.
There was one, however, far back in the hall
of the court, in disguise, who smiled NOT. He
had stood just inside the door as she entered,
and he had caught sight of her pale, beauti-
full face, and of her large, deep blue eyes, and
Of her long, rich, tresssy hair, hanging loose
y down over her neck and shoulders.
At the sight, he had suddenly started back
a few PAGES as if Mortified, and then reeling
back against the wall on the right of the door,
ne had stood motionless as statue. There
vas wild, frenzied look in the eyes, and a
Jerking, twitching movement in the muscles
Of the face, which, one moment, was frightful-
y paid, and the next bloated and distorted.