The Shasta courier., 1869-03-20
COU URIER.
FAITHFUL TILL DEATH.


One of the ladies most admired by the an
cient Romans was ARIA, the wife of Caecina
Petus, a Roman who was condemned by
the Emperor Claudius to become his own
executioner. Seeing him waver, his wife,
who was resolved to be with him in death,
as in life, took the dagger from his hand,
plunged it into her own breast, and with
her last strength held it out to him, gasp
ing out, at is not painful, my Petus."
Such was heather faithfulness even to
death and where the teachings of Chris
tianity had not forbidden the taking of life
by ones own hand, perhaps wifely devotion
could 60 no higher. Yet Christian women
have endured a yet more fearful ordeal to
their tender affection, watching, support
ing, and finding unfailing fortitude to up
hold the sufferer in agonies that must have
rent their hearts
Natalia was the fair young wife of
Adrian, an officer at Nicomedia, in the
guards of the Emperor Galerius Maxim
Janus, and only about twenty y-eight years
old. Natalia was Christian, but her hus-
band remained pagan, until, when he
was charged with the execution of some
martyrs, their constancy, coupled with the
testimony of his own wife's virtues, tri-
umphed over his unbelief, and he confess
ed himself likewise Christian. He was
thrown into prison, and sentenced to death,
but he prevailed on his goaler to permit
him to leave his dungeon for time that
he might see his wife. The report came
to Natalia that he was no longer in prison,
and she threw herself on the ground, Ia
menting aloud:
"Now will men point at me, and say
+" Behold the wife of the coward and apos-
tate, who, for fear of death, had denied his
God"
go, thou noble and strong hearted wo-
man. said Adrians voice at the door, :" [
bless God that | am not unworthy of thee
Open the door that may bid thee fare
we'll"
But this was not the last farewell, though
he duly went back to the prison; for when,
the next day, he had been cruelty scourged
and tortured before the tribunal, Natalia,
with her hair cut short, and wearing the
disguise Of a youth, was there to tend and
comfort him. She took him in her arms,
saying, 80, light of mine eyes, and hus-
band of mine heart, blessed art thou, who
are chosen to suffer for Christ sake"
On the following day, the tryrant order
ed that Adran's limbs should be one by
one struck off on blacksmith's S anvil, and
lastly his head. And still it was his wife
who held him and sustained him through
all, and, ere the last stroke of the execu-
toner, had received his last breath. She
took up one of the severed hands, kissed
it, and placed it in her bosvm, and escap
ing to Byzantium, there spent her life in
widowhood
Nor among these devoted wives should
we pass by Gertrude, the wife of Rudolph,
Baron Won der Wart, a Swabian nobleman,
who was so ill-advised as to join in CON
spiracy of Johann of Hapsburg, in 1908,
against the Emperor, Albrecht l., the son
of the great and good Rudolf of Hapsburg.
This Johann was the son of. the EN-
peror's brother Rudolph, brave knight,
who had died young, and Johann had been
brought up by baron called Walther Won
Eschenbach, until, at nineteen years old.
he went to his uncle to demand his fathers
inheritance. Albrecht was rude and un-
couth man, and refused disdainfully the
demand, whereupOn the noblemen of the
disputed territory stirred up the young
princes to form plot against him, all hav-
ing evidently different views of the lengths
to which they should proceed This was
just at the time that the Swiss, angry at
the overweening and oppressive behavior
of Albrechts governors, were first taking
up arms to maintain that they owed no
duty to him as Duke of Austria, but merely
as Emperor of Germany. He set out on
his way to chastise them as rebels, taking
with him a considerable train, of whom his
nephew Johann was one. At Baden, Jo-
hann, as last experiment, again applied
for his inheritance, but, by way of answer,
Albrecht held out wreath of flowers, tell
ing him they better became his years
than did the care of government. He burst
into tears, threw the wreath upon the
ground, and fed his mind upon the savage
purpose of letting his uncle find out what
he was mt for.
By and by, the party came to the banks
of the Reuss, where there was no bridge.
and only one boat to carry the whole across.
The first to cross was the Emperor with
one attendant, besides his nephew and four
of the secret partisans of Johann. AL
brecht's son Leopold was left to follow with
the rest of the suite, and the Emperor rode
on toward the hills of his home, toward the
Castle of Hapsburg, where his fathers
noble qualities had earned the reputation
which was the cause of all the greatness Of
the line. Suddenly his nephew rode uu
to him, and while the conspirators seized
the bride of his horse, exclaimed, @Wil]
you now restore my inheritance 2" and
wounded him in the neck. The attendan,
fed; Der Wart, who had never thought
murder was to be part of the scheme,
stood aghast, but the :other two fell on the