The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-08-16
SAINT PAUL. FRIDAY. AUGUST l6, 1861

lDlOrm nlS r6aOeFSs ne writes always Win
taste and feeling. He as willingly relates
the sigh of Titus for the loss of day, as
the address of the aged Apostle, who, TOO
old to walk or to speak, at length was car
ried into the church and could just say,
Little children, love one another y or the
sacreligious Dionysius, who applied the
golden robe Jupiter, in temple in Sicily,
to his oSn use, saying it was "too hot for
the idol in summer, and too cold in winter.
The merry monk had a fine sense of humor.
Many of his stories, though not new, retain
their racy flavor: such as that of the phil
osopher, who being repulsed in an old dress
put on smart habit, and then being ad
mitted to court astonished DiOnysius by
kissing his fine coat repeatedly, but was able
to explain his affection by saying, 81 honor
that which honor me : it did more than viz
tue, for it gave me the entree."
The signs and wonders preceding the
destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, the
apparition of armies in the air and the fares
wells of the departing angels at Pentecost,
are told with equal simplicity; as is the
terrible story of the famshCd mother in the
siege feeding on the flesh of her own child,
or the appeal of Titus to Heaven, as he
holted before bitches filled with dead bodies,
and with tears cried aloud, ut is not my
hand that has done this, but Thine," A
very curious reason is assigned for the bon-
fires formerly lighted on the Eve of St.
John, that little torches were carried about
on the tops of lances in memory of the
burning Of the Saint body, and the scat~
teriDg of the ashes by Julian the Apostate.
We are told also of the Seven Sleepers of
of Ephesus, the Eleven Thousand Virgins
of st. Ursula, and the two lions who acted
as grave diggers for st. Anthony. In Rome
there were magic statues, of which one
ought to have had complete set at Washs
ington, each of which bore about his neck
the name OF province of the empire night
ard day priests were watching them, for if
any province meditated rebellion the statue
inscribed with its name pointed to the sill
yer collar, and horseman of brass brands
ished bis shear in the same direction. On
the night Of the Nativity statues and horses
men fell PROSTATE, the eternal fire was eys
tinguished on the altar, and the weird tenn
pie became ruin.
Some of the legends in this old moulxish
relic are very singular-as this of
THE GOLD SEEKERS.
A young man of Aquitaine crossed the
Alps on his way to Italy, with twelve COM
panions, more fond of adventure than bur-
dened with money. One day he observed a
hole in mountain, which led, according to
the country folks, to the place where the
treasures of Octavian lay hid, but many had
sought them in vain, for they died among
the de6les and intricacies of the passage.
Undeterred by the tales the young men de.
terpined on making the attempt, and pru-
IDENTIFY guided themselves by using ball of
thread, and penetrated the bill by dark,
narrow and horrible path; bats tapped
their wings in their eyes and Aces; pres
cipice rose on one side and river flowed
beneath their feet. The path was stTewn
with bones, but after many fears and dam
gers they emerged upon the opposite side I'd
that on which they had entered, and saw
before them calm lake with ripping wa,
tiers playing along the shore. 1t wa,
spanned by bridge of brass, and on tie
other bank appeared gigantic horses, like
their riders, of glittering gold. They j
vain essayed to cross, and were fain to cos
tent themselves with splitting up siFer
dish; but Jew necromancer laufhed
merrily at their disaster, and enterinl the
mountain, brought out some sparkling dust,
which, as long as it was damped VITA water
looked, and only looked, sparkling As gold.
For water, we are told, is an all important
ingredient in befooling peoples eyes.