The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1872-12-06
Albaav 2eoister.
VI . so "


4
represents a letter written seine time
during the first century, by a lawyer
in Jerusalem, to a friend in Rome,
giving an account of the betrayal
OF Christ. A portion Of car patrons
will doubtless prize 1t, and all may
read it with interest
Marcus, abiding in jerusalem.
Greeting to 0aius, his best friend In
Rome!
Salce these presents win be borne to
BY Lucius, who is wearied with this
place,
Sated with travel. locks upon the East
As simply hateful : blazing, barren,
bleak,
And longs again to find himself in
Rome,
After the tumult Of its streets. its trains
OF slaves and clients, and Its villas
cool
With marble porticoes beside the sen,
And friends and banquets-more than
all. its games
This lie seems blank and fat. He
pants to stand
In its vast circus all alive with heads
And quivering arms and floating robes
the air
Thrilled by the roaring fremitas Of
mem
The sunlit awning heaying overhead,
Swollen and strained against Its corded
veins,
And tapping out Its hem with loud re-
port
The wild beasts roaring from the pit
below
The wilder crowd responding from
above
With one long yen that sends the start
led blood
With thrill and sudden flush into the
cheeks
A hundred trumpets screaming the
dull tflnmp
OF horses galloping across the sand
The clang Of scabbartis, the sharp clash
of steel
Live swords. that whirl a circle of
grey fire.
Brass helmets flashing meath their
streaming hair
A universal tuHlplt then hush
Worse than the etumult all eyes strain
ing down
To the arenas pit all lips set close
All muscles strained--and then that
sudden yell,
Hcbesl-- That's Rome, says Lucius 50
tits!
That Is, It's his Rome-'tis not yours
and mine.
And yet, great Jupiter! here 1t my
side
He stands with face aside as If he saw
The games he thus describes, and says,
" That's life!
Life life my friend, and this Is simp-
Ii death.
All! for my Rome.H I jOt his very
WOluS
Just as he utters them. / hate these
games,
And Llcius knows It, yet be viii 90
on.
And all against my will he stirs MY
blood
50 suspend nay letter for q while.
1 +
Awalk has callned me -Ibegin again
Letting this last page, since it ls writ
ten, stand.
Lucius Is going you will see him soon
In our great Forum, there with him
will walk,
And hear him rail and rage against the
East.
stay behind for these bare silenees.
These hills that III the sunset ilieit and
burn.
This proud stern people, these dead
seas and lakes.
These s0mbre cedars, this intense still
sky.
10 me, O'erwearied with Llfe's.din
and strain,
Are grateful as the solemn blank of
night
After the fierce days irrifant excess.
Besides. deep absorbing interest
Detains me here, tills up my mind and
sways
Ny illmost thoughts has got as 'twere
agrip.
Upon my very life, ~ strange as new.
| scarcely know how well to speak Of
this,
Fearing your raiIleFy at best--at worst
Even your contempt yet spite Of all,
] speak
First do not deem me TO have lost lny
head,
Sunstruck, as that man Paul was 1t
Rome.
No. | am sane rs ever, aud my pulse
Beats even, with 10 feEer IN nv blood.
And yet / half incline to think his
words,
Wild as they were, were not entirely
wild.
Nay, shall I dare avow IT? lhaIf tend.
Here III this place, surrounded by these
Ilefl--
. i +. I