Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-05-13
nd came near them, begging them to let

| u0T speak.
"Do not be SO frightened" they said,
"but tell us what you want, and, if we can,
we will do it for you"
Then in voice that quaked with emo.
ton the poor mother began to tell her noble
boys something ofherself. Little dreaming
that it was their mother, they listened to with
hearts full of pity, and one of them said:
You wish to be freed from slavery, but
that, alas! is not in our power to do. But
We will tell our general about you, and try
to have him interest himself in you Come
with US to him.
This so startled her that she knew not
what to do. She wished to let her sons
know that she was their mother before she
came into the presence of this great man;
but, while she hesitated, the impetuous
youths hurried her on.
Come" they said, Eve are late ourselves
We must go. Come with us. They led her
to the room of the general. On the table,
covered with a purplo cloth, lay the helmet
of Eustachius with bunch of waving
plumes, his staff ofivory and gold, and his
sword with it's golden handle, and before
her astonished eyes she saw her dear hus-
band, SO long lost to her, but lookjag to her
loving eyes as young as when she had mar
ried him. The discovery was too sudden
for her. She grew deathly pale, and, for
getting all but the one wild JOY Of the mo-
ment, she rushed towards him with the cry,
'My husband"
Then, seeing the astonished look on his
face, in which there was no recognition,
she stopped suddenly and stood in the midst
of the room, thunderstruck at the thought of
what she had done. What could Eusta-
chius think of slave who had dared ad
Il y, Ic 70, k,r, DIT
came towards her so full of sympathy that
yearning love in her bursting heart once
more overpowered her. She told him that
it was not wonderful that he did not recog-
nize her, SO many and bitter had been the
trials she had gene through. She recount
ed to him certain Incidents known only to
themselves.
"And now," she cried, edo you know the
wife who has loved you all these years? AS
a Christian you cannot refuse to believe me
because l am slave!'
She seemed fainting with emotion when
| he recognized his beloved wife, and Joy al
most deprived him of the power of speech
After the first glad surprise was over, the
mother said:
"Now let us share ourhappiness with our
two sons.'
"Alas, wild beasts have killed themp'
"No! our sons live; they were in your
army"
"How can that be? 1t cannot be! Yet now
you look like prophecies Theopista
had gone into an adjoining room and re-
turned, leading the two young soldiers.
''These are your sons. Here is Agapins,
and here is the boy with yellow locks-the
one the wolf had taken-he is 1beophist .
'sThese my sons? These to whom / gave
my crown? This cannot be-"
'Believe, dear father" said Theophist,
| ''for we are, indeed, your sons"
After little talk, where each had so much
to say, Eustachius suddenly asked:
''Do not your hearts tell you that you
have something else to do than to recognize
me? That you have something to do for
your mothel?" When he had spoken of
how some one on the ship had i'll treated
their mother, the youngest fercely drew his
sword.
''Show me the man that did thatr' he
cried. "You knew our mother was clave, -
said he to his father. ''Why did you not
try to find her? Show US where she is and
we will free hern' At the thought of their
dear mother being slave for sixteen years
| they cried like babies, and the poor mothers
| love made itself 50 felt that they fell on her
neck. crying:
Mother! Mother! You are indeed our
mother!" Then all four of this long sep
arated family said prayer of thanksgiving
to God and went into the garden, where
they could relate the strange history of
their lives to each other.
The mother, restored to freedom, these
loving hearts for short time were happy
in each others society, but the Emperor
Adrian, the adopted son and the successor
of Trajan, wishing to reward Eustachius
for his great and noble services, devised a
feast at which to crown him with highest
honors. But first the emperor wished to
offer sacrifice TO the gods, and Eustachius
refused to join in the heathen worship
Then in his fierce anger the Emperor order-
ed Eustachius and his family to be put to
death by wild beasts, but the most savage
beasts only fawned ON them and would not
harm them. Then brazsn OK was heated
to terrible heat and the door into the in
side was opened. They all walked calmly
in, and the door Of the hot oven was closed
on them. After three days it was opened
and they were all four found to be sleeping
gently, the sleep of death, with sweet
smile on their lips. They had won the
martyrs crown.
| Two of the most important paintings in
the exhibition of Miss Beckett and Miss Won
| Hillern, which was opened the first week in
May at the Hotel Vendome, Boston, are
taken from this legend.