The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-03-29

ContinuedJ
The nagis:er, Clandins, and BcnignA hsa
returned to tho other end of the room, where
the slaves were writing. and had left Paaiss
and Dion still standing thoughtfally near the
| window.
Ciaudius exclaimed. Ny turn it is at pres
ent it will he some else's soon"
lie and Benigna were now whispering to-
gether. The magister stood little apart,
looking on the ground with deep rsveris. HE
chin buried in the hollow Of his right hand,
tho arm of which WAS folded across his chest.
The slaves were bending over their work in
silence.
Says Paulus in low voice to Dion, +" You
have high credit with the emperor, iliustrioas
Athenisn; and surely il you were to tell him
the whole case, he would interfere to check tha
cruelty Of this man, this TibeTius."
"What, Augustus do this for . slave ~
replied Dion mournfnlly. 1.-THE emperor
would not, and by the laws could not, interfere
with Vedius Polio, OF any private knight, in
the treatment governEent Of his slaves,
who are deemed to be tho absolute property Of
their respective lords; what chance, then,
that he should NEEDLE, or, il he meddled, that
lie shonld successfully NEEDLE, with TibcEire
Cesar on behalf OF an offending mapcsl Aad
this too for the sake, remember, Of \ low-born
girl Women are accounted void Of deathiess
souls, my friend, even by some who suspeet
that men may be immortal. by astuteness,
by beauty, not beauteously employed, and,
above ALL by the effect of habit, imperceptibI0
as a plant in its growth. stealtby as the pre-
hensile ivy, some few individual women, like
Livia, Tiberiuss mother and Jsla, Augustus's
daughter, have acquired great accidental
power But to lay down the principle that the
slightest trouble should be taken for these
slaves, would in this RomAn world raise .
symphony OF derision as musical as thc cry Of
tho Thessalian hounds when their game Is
afoot."
Paulus, buried in thought, stole look fall
of pity toward the further end Of the apart
ment. Slaves, women, laws, gladiators," no
muttered, and brute power prevalent as .
god. Every day, noble Athenian, / learn
something which fills me with hatred and
scorn for the system amid which we are living.'s
He then told Dion the story of Thellus and
Alba be next laid before him the exact cir
cumstances of Benigna and Claudius rela-
ting what had occurred that very morning, and
by no means emitting tho strange and wonder
fraught conversation at the door of the palace
after which he added
"I declare to you solemnly-but then am
no more than an unnstructed youth, having
neither your natural gifts NOR your acquired
never heard any thing more en-
chanting, more exalted, more consoling, and 10
my poor mind moro reasonable, or more proba-
bic, than that some god is quickly 10 come
down from heaven and reform and control This
abominable world. Why do l say probablef
Because it would be god-like to do SO. / would
ask nothing better, therefore, than 20 be al
lowed to join you and go with You all over
the world; searching and well weighing
whatever evidences and signs may lie accessi-
bile to mans righteously discontentei aud
Justly wrathful industry in such task; and
1 would be in your company when yon ex-
plored and decided whether this sublime
dream, this noble, generous, compromising
hope, this grand and surely divine tradition,
be a truth, or, ali me- all me! nothing bat .
vain poem of the future-a beautiful promise
never to be realized, the specious mocksry Of
some cruel muse"
Dion's blue eyes kindled and burned, bat he
remained silent.