The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-11-10

llOIlS W lllC WllulD anu l. lCNONOl
thoughts ere l can talk with thee in rea-
son."
"Thank the gods, | find thee alive and
in health" replied the youth, as he let go
the old mans hand, and took seat upon
wooden bench close by.
"Aye--I am well in body" returned
Artabanus. But" he added, thought
fully, continuing TO gaze earnestly into his
companions face as he spoke, the body
is but small part of man, and the ills of
the flesh are very joys when compared
with some of the pains to which the soul
may be subject But tell me of thyself
Where hast thou been p
81 have been in Greece" replied the
youth. When l fed from these shores,
eight years ago, sought refuge there, and
there | have remained ever since. Oh L
wept this morning, as I gazed down upon
the city of my birth. [ had thought
had done weeping over those memories
but when I again gazed upon Syracuse
they came crowding upon me a power
which could not resist. | saw the very
temple beneath the walls Of which my
father and my brother were slain; and I
could see the roof beneath which my moth
er died Artabanus, there were not many
of the patrician families escaped that foul
butchery."
" No, Alaric, OF all who were loyal
to the true interests of the people, / have
seen only yourself return. There were a
few escaped but not many. Were there
any went with you to Greece p
" no, father 1 escaped alone. saw
my noble parent cut down. saw my
brother fall-and when 1 knew had no
relative left in the city, fed. Fortune
favored me. l found a small boat by the
sea shore, and | put out alone upon the
dark waters. Aoated away to Melita.
and from thence, gained passage to
Greece The tyrant still reigns in SYRIA
cuse ?"
Alas yes And his deeds are evil,
and the people suffer. We have had no
peace in Sicily since good Helixus died.
Thou vert but mere child then"
= l was seven years old. l remember
the good king well, for my father, you
know, was one of his chief officers"
! h1c-1Ou NClS OluCl tudu L tuOaHhts
said the hermit, musingly.
And l remember that there was some
mystery connected with the good kings
DEATH" remarked Alaric. "Am l not
right?"
There was not much mystery" an
swered the old man. He was weak and
weary, and he left the throne that he might
die in peace; and death soon came to
him. But why hast thou returned to
Syracuse?
Can you not guess ~ returned the
youth.
d" might guess many things, my SON."
And yet but one of them would be
right. have said that left no relative
behind me when | made my escape from
this place but | did leave one whom |
loved-ono about whom my affections
were entwined with a life that could not
die. You know Of whom | speak"
"Aye-you speak of the mason's
daughter, Ianthe."
"Yes, father Is she alive"
"She is"
90 And well2"
"She is well2'
"And," pursued the youth, in more
eager tone, " is she still free ?"
why have you thought that she
would remember you in love through the
years that have passed?
90 do not tell me that she has ceased
to love me- True, she was child in
years, but loved her then, and my love
has grown stronger in the separation which
has followed. know there is danger to
me here, but | came with a will to meet
it."
But suppose your very life were in
danger if you sought the maiden ~
You may warn me of danger, if you
will, but do not seek to place the bar
rier of fear between me and my desire, for
| know not the emotion. You, Artaban.
us, taught me when | was boy, and your
wise lessons have not departed from my
mind. You taught me that there were
many things more to be feared than death
and | have come, prepared rather to die
thao live all alone in distant land, with
the sad memories of my unhappy country
for my only heritage"
And you would not turn from death,
should it raise its threatening front be-
tween yourself and Ianthe ?" The old
mans gaze grew more earest as he thus
spoke, and spark, within which seemed
to gleam some newly awakened hope,
burned in his eye.
, "My father" answered Alaric, with a
flushing cheek, 9" l could almost feel Of
Tended did l think you doubted me, but |
do not think so, Show me that Ianthe
loves me, and not even Pyrrho himself,
with the blood-stained crown of Sicily up.
on his brow, shall have power to startle
me from my course, while life is mine"
Artabanus started to his feet and grasp
ed the youth by the hand.
, Noble Alaric," he cried, with a JOY
full enthusiasm, thou art worthy of the
maiden's hand. She does love thee-she
eherishes thy memory within her heart as
the most precious thing of earth, and for
long years she has lived upon the hope
that thou wouldst return to her.
"O-the Gods be praised !" calculated
!, the young man.
| D. Il Ii Al \