The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-02-15
Morning Star and Catholic Messenger.


which descended to her feet. Her brow
hair was restrained by bands, which had q
honorable significance among the Roma
ladies. She seemed somewhat passed thirt
years of age; she had n very sweet, calm, an
matronly air; her countenance rs beauti
fal in features and general effect it wa
modest in its tone and character.
Her companion, in the litter of ivory ant
gold, was not moro than half her age, was ever
more beautiful with an immense wreath o
golden hair, and with largo blue eyes, darken
ing to the likeness of black as she gazed earn
nestly upon any object. But she had less
gentle physiognomical expression. Frequently
her look was penetrating. brief, impatient,
sarcastic, dsdainful. She had bewitching
smile, however, and her humorous admirers
made Italy echo with their rawlings.
Scarcely had these litters or palanquins
arrived and halted, when the general officer
dismounted once moro, and walked quickly to-
yard the spot with his helmet in his hand. At
few yards distance he stopped, and first
bowed low to the elder of the two gentlemen
who had accompanied the litters foot, and
then, almost entirely disregarding the other
, gentleman, made an obeisance not quite so
long or 80 deep to the ladies. The man whom
30 splendid parsonage as the legatus, wear
ing his flaming paludamentum, and at the
head of his troops, thus treated with so obse-
quious a veneration, did not return the salute
except by slight nod and momentary, alb
seut-minded smile. His gaze had been rivited
upon our travellers, and chiefly upon the youth
and bis young, suffering sister, upon both of
whom, after it had quickly taken in Philip the
freedman, the Thracian woman, and the Athe-
nian lady, it rested long-longest and last
upon Agatha.
Sejanus," said he finally, " who are these ~
~ never saw them until just now, my CON-
mander and Caesar; they were here when we
halted, and while waited for our master,
the favorite Of the gods, these llers seemed
to be resting where you behold them"
AS those gods favor me-" said the other,
I" this il 6ne youth. Can we not edit (make
n gladiator of him)7 And yonder girl-have
you ever seen, my Sejanus, such eyesf But
she is deadly pale Are you always thus pale,
pretty ono, or are You merely illf If but i'll,
rs guess Chariclos, my Greek physician, shall
cure you"
Before this man had even spoken, the mo-
ment, indeed, when first his eyes fell upon her,
Agatha had sidled close to her mother and
while he was expressing himself in that way
to Sejanus, she returned his gaze with panic
stricken, dilatcd eyes, as the South American |
bird returns that of the reptile; but when he |
directly questioned her, she, reaching out her |
hand to Paulus, clutched his arm with "A wo-
mans grasp, and said in an atirighted voice:
MY brother, let 60"
Pauus, in u manner naturally easy, and |
marked by the elegance and grace which the
athletic training of Athens had given to one
30 we'll endowed physically, first merely say
ing to the stranger, ~ crave your pardon"
lifted Agatha with one arm, and placed her in
the travelling carriage. Then, while the freed
man and the Thracian slave mounted to their
bench, he returned to where his mother stood
signed to her to follow Agatha, and, seeing her
move calmly but quickly toward the vehicle,
no took the rosd-rimmed PEGASUS from his head
and bowling slowly and lowly to the stranger,
said:
Powerful sir, for observe you are q man
If great authority, my sister is too ill to con-
Terse You rightly guessed this; permit +
ID to take her to her destination"
The man whom he had thus baked, and to
whom no now thus spoke, merits q word os l
description. He appeared to be more than c
ifty years old. The mask of his face, and the
rame of his head were large, but not fat. His /
complexion was vivid brick-red all over the /
heeks, with deeper flush in one spot ON each t
ide, just below the outer corners of the ewes. t
The eyes were blood shot, large, rather promi- q
lent, and were closely set together. The nose !
vas large, long, boRy, somewhat aquiline The t
erehead was not high, not low it was much v
developed above the eyes, and it was broad. f
deep and perpetual dint just over the nose
cached half way up the forehead. His hair q
was Grizzled and close cut. His lips were full @
md fleshy, and the mouth was wide; the laws S
we're large and massive. His face was sLaven
If all hair. The chin WAS very handsome and -.
arge, and the whole head was set upon thick
trong throat, not stunted, howe ever, of it's ,
proper length. In person this man was far
rom ungainly, nor yet was he handsome. In
Arriage and bearing, without much majesty. .,
10 had nevertheless something steadfast
yeighty, unshrinkinG aud commanding His .
utter garment, not y toga, was all one color ,
nd material it WAS q long, thick wadded ,
ilk mantle, ofthat purple dye which is nearly
'lack-the hue, indeed, of clotted gore under ,