The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-02-08

Inside the carriage were lady in middle
life, whose face, once lovely, was still sweet
and charming, aud very pale, beautiful
female child, each dressed in q black rioinivm
or mourning robe, drawn over the top of the
| head. The girl was about twelve years old, or
| little moro, and seemed to be suffering much
and grievously. She faced the horse and on
her side sat the lady tanning her and watching
| her with a look which always spoke love, and
now and again anguish. Opposite to them,
with his back to the horses, wearing a sort of
| dark ldcerna, or thin, light greatcoat of costly
| material, but of fashion. which was deemed
| in Italy at that day either foreign or vulgar,
| as the case might be, sat youth of about
eighteen. The child was leaning back with
his eyes closed. The youth, as he watched
| ker, sighed now and then. At last he put both
hands to his face, and, leaning his head for
| ward, suffered tears to flow silently through
| his fingers. The lacerna which he wore was
fastened at the breast by two fbu1g, or clasps
of silver, aud grit round his waste with q
| broad, brown, sheeny leather belt, stamped
and traced after some Asiatic mode. In q loop
of this belt. at his left side, was secured within
its black scabbard an unfamiliar outlandish-
looking, long, straight, three-edged sword,
which he had pulled round SO as to rest the
point before his feet. bringing the blade be-
tween his knees, and the hilt, which was gay
with emeralds, in front of his chest.
The Romans still very generally went bare
headed even out of doors, except that those
! who continued to wear the toga drew it over
their heads as the weather needed, and those
who wore the penala used the hood of it in the
same way. But upon the hilt of the sword ye
have described the youth had flung sort 81
petasus, or deep-rifhed hat, with fiat top, and
one black feather at the side, not stuck per-
pendicularly into the band, but so trained half
| round it as to produce reckless rakish effect,
| of which the owner was unconscious.
| "Agatha," said the lady, in a low, tender
voice, the delicate Greek ring of which was
full of persuasion, "look up, beloved child
Your brother and I, at least are left Think
no more of the past. The gods have taken
your father, after men had taken his and your
Inheritance. But orr part in life is not yet
over Did not your parents too, in times past
did not we too say, lose oursi Did you
not know you were probably to live longer
than your poor father Are you not to survive
me alsof Perhaps soon."
With cry of dismay the young girl threw
her arms round the lady's neck and sobbed.
The other, while she shed tears, exclaimed:
81 thank that unknown power, of whom
| Dionysius the Athenian, my young country
| man, SO sublimely speaks, that the child weeps
at last Weep, Agatha, weep; but mourn not
mute in the cowsrdice of despairi Mourn not
| for your father in a way unbecoming of his
| child and mine. Mourn not az though indeed
you were not ours. Ny husband is gone for
| ever, but he went in honor. The courageless
grief, that canker without voice or tears
which would clay his child, will not bring
back to me the partner OF my days, nor to you
your father. We must not dishearten but
cheer your brother Paulus for the battle which
10 before him."
:" wish to do 80, my mother" said Agatha
when I recover my rights" broke in the
youth at this point, =" my father will como and
sit among the lares, round the ever-burning
fire in the GtriGm of our hereditary house,
Agatha; and therefore couragei You are i'll
but ChAricles, the great physician of Tiberius
Cesar, is our countryman, and he will attend
you. He can cure almost anything, they say.
And if you feel fatiGued, NO wonder, so help
me! MiRiAs rairH1 1sOhSrcIs Have we not
Travelled without intormission, by land and by
sea, all the way from Thracei But now, one
moro change of horses brings us to Formia,
al" "neh VIC snall DO NJ our journeys END.
Meantime, dear child, look up; see yonder
woods, and the garden-like shore"
And having first tried in vain to brighten
the horn window at the side of the vehicle,
speeHlar oOrHeGVI (glass was used only in the
private carriages of the ricb,) he stood up, and
calling over the hide roof of the carriage
which was open in frOnt-the horses being
driven from behind-he ordered the rhodariws
or goodman, to open the panels. The man.
evidently former slave Of the family, now
their freedman, quickly obeyed, and descending