The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-05-31
CHATTER XY.

Maccabeus and his ,daugh Esther had IL
preserving not only large amount Of public
treasure, but Paulus and his companions them
selves. from the fate which had been carefully
planned for them, and Of which there was &C
imminent q danger.
Josiah never had an hours peace in that
house afterwards, nor Esther an hours happi
mesa.
At last, tho daughter was neither sorry nor
surprised when her father announced to her
that he would not be scrivener and clerk any
longer to Eleazar, his wealthy countryman. In
q modest If not parsim onious life of service,
Josiah had saved sufficient means to place his
daughter and himself above sordid penury
while they should live together, and when she
shonld marry to give her o humble portion, a
portion far below what O maiden of one OF
Judah's noblest names might, without ro-
mantle or arrogant pretensions, have deemed
suitable, but equal to all that Esther wished.
Meanwhile, Josiah said that he had not an
nounced to her his intention of ending his
erv itude with Eleazar until he had made all
the preparations and taken all the measures
which were necessary for carrying that inten-
ton into immediate effect. a..
1t does not belong to the present work to
look back beyond this last proceeding. The
end was that Josiah determined to leave Rome
forever, and to return with Esther to the land
of their forefsthers. Esther, while at once
acquiescing in this determination, remembered
tho gallant and noble young soldier whose
life, and indeed professional prestige, che had
saved from the schemes of caitifs and she
would have been glad to see him once more
glad again to hear him say q kind and sad
farewell, with such words of gratitude and
appreciation as formerly spoken by him,
which dwelt in her recollection and tended to
persuade her that she would herself be recol-
lected in like manner by him from time to
time hereafter Could she even have given
him some token, one of their Syriac manu-
scripts, which, when he studied it, would re-
mind him of the donor. But now the best was
not to think of such idle whims. Josiah
decided that they should EN- bark at Astia, in
a ship which was even then on the point of
sailing for the East.
The distance from their lodgings in Rome to
the port was not more than fifteen miles, in
GLIDING the passage of tho Tiber the great
place of embarkation afterwards, from the
reign of Claudius, SO famous and so noisy with
a whole worlds trafic), being on the right or
northern bank.
On southern branch of the Astian high
way, not far from a cross-road which, coming
northeast from the coast, struck the branch
highway where it was going north west to the
mouth of the Tiber, perhaps some seven OF
eight miles from Rome, stood o house in a
shtubbery of oleanders and myrtles, a little
apart from the thoroughfare. 10. that house
| lived an old Jew named Issa char, from whom
Josiah had, by letter, claimed nights hospi-
tality for himself and his daughter. Accord
ingly, he and Esther, dividing q moderately
| short journey into still easier stages, had
arrived, toward evening, at the house of the
cross-road Cor rather the forked-road), with
the intention of starting betmes next morning
for Astia, and there going quietly on board
their ship by early daylight.
The evening meal was over; the weather
was mild, and Issachar proposed to Josiah
Maccsbeus and his daughter to take q little
stroll in sort of arcade walk parallel with
the highway, and formed of a double liue of
old syoamores.
Here they were walking to and fro upon the
thick and rustling carpet of fallen leaves, con-
versing about Jerusalem and the affairs of
their country, when their attention was at
tracted by the sound of wheels from tho south
west.
1t is along the by-road from the coast
lower down." said Issachar. Carriages but
seldom travel that road. 1t leads nowhere,
save to the bare coast; or there is another
southwark bend from it toward the Circean
promontory (Monte Circello), and q carriage
went past early this morning attended by
horsemen; it may be the same returning"
AS he spoke, the roll Of wheels became
louder, and a vehicle drawn by a couple o.
horses, which seemed much blown, approached
at q rapid pace. Four horsemen (two a side
rode by the carriage. AS this last came better
into view, it was apparent that one of the ami
mails harnessed to it, and drawing it at
laboriug canter, was seriously lame. The it'll
group in the sycamore arcade could observe al
this without themselves being at first dis
cerned by the travellers. When nearly opposit
the wicker gate leading into the grounds, tn
principal rider, who seemed to have the Who'll
of the small expedition under his charge
uttered two or three classical curses and calle,
| n halt