Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-05-13
THE CONVERSION OF PLACIDUs.
\ LEGEND OF THE SECOND CENTURY.
BY BERTHA Won HILLERN.
Translate / from the German.l

A LEGEND OF THE SECOND CENTURY
BY BERTHA Won HILLERN.
TRANSLATED from the German.l
During the reign of the Emperor TraJan,
in the early part of the second century, the
armies of Rome were led by the heather
General Placidus, whose noble virtues ano
| splendid courage had won the emperor
| favor.
| Placidus was passionateIy fond OF hunt
ing, and one day he was SO absorbed IN the
wild pursuit of noble stag in the forest,
that, becoming separated from all the rest
of the party, he found himself, late in the
| day, in the gloomy depths of an unknown
part of the forest where the stag had sud
denly disappeared from him. Here, weary
with the fruitless chase, Placidus dismount-
! ed from his painting horse. and sat down De-
| side cool mountain stream, where the
murmur of the wate and the solemn silence
of the dark forest plunged him into pro-
found reverie. lie thought of all he had
heard from two of his faithful servants,
who were Christians, of the God they loved
and worshipped, and he esss.Shed a prayer
to 'the unknown God" Suddenly a
strange light dispelled the gloom of the
forest, and looking up he beheld the stag
standing like piece of sculpture on wild
rocky height above him. and between it's
antlers rose the luminous figure Of the
cruci6ed Lord. Impelled by heavenly
grace, he fell upon his face and cried, "What
is thy will, o. Lord ?" A voice of thrilling
sweetness answered him:
''Return to Rome, seek out the Christian
| bishop, and do as he shall tell thee.'
When he reached Rome his wife, Tra.jana,
had such strangely beautiful look OH her
face that he asked in amaze: "What has
happened that you look like that ?' and she
related to him heavenly vision. She, too,
like Placidus, had prayed to "the unknown
| God," and then, sleeping, she had seen a
cloud, and in it, Zone who told her that the
next day she and her husband, PIacidus,
would find what they sought" Placidus
told her that the holy one she had seen was
the Lord who died for them, the same who
had talked to him. Fearing that he should
be discovered before he could see the bishop,
Placidus sent to ask him how he should
reach him, and the bishop came himself to
his house, and there instructed him and his
wife and his two boys, baptizing them all,
Placidus receiving the Christian name OF
Eusi achius Trajana of Theopista, and the
boys, Agapius and Theophist.
At the moment of leaving them, the holy
bishop, suddenly enlightened by spirit OF
prophecy, told Placidus that great trials
awaited him and his family; that all earth.
ly things should fail, but that Gods grace
would suffice to sustain him. Soon, indeed,
the truth of the prophecy began to be prov.
ed. His riches were lost, disease consumed
his flocks, his friends abandoned him coldly,
and he found himself, with his wife and
children, left friendless and homeless. In
his distress he applied to Trajan, the en-
peror, but even he abandoned his faithful
general to his fate. Then he fled from
Rome, with great difficulty obtaining pass
age Oh ship, where the captain proved a
villain and sold his wife into slavery, first
landing Eustachius and his boys On the de
solate shore. Here they wandered on until
| hey came to a wide river, which the father
tried to wade across, with one of the boys
upon his shoulders. Leaving him there he
was midway on his return through the wa.
ter, when he heard cries fIom the boy he had
Just left, and, although he struggled to
reach him, the poor child was carried of
before his eyes by lion. At the same time
the other child was snafched away by a
wolf. Then the wretched Eustachius drag
ged himself upon the land, and, lying with
his face to the earth, he wept as only a
strong man in his agony can weep. Then
tie peace Of God seemed to come over him,
and he arose and wandered on until he came
to the hut of a poor but noble farmer, who
gave him shelter. and there he lived for fif
teen years, working faithfully for his hum.
BILE master.
In the meanwhile war broke out again,
and the emperor discovered what a treasure
Eustachus had been to him, and sent men
| iy,1 %1 ;%l,
a. promise of protection from persecution il
he would return and once more lead the
Roman armies to victory Here he was dis
covered by his two Christian servants,
through whose piety he had been convert
ed, and with them returned to his home
His attention was attracted particularly to
two noble young soldiers of about the age
his own dear sons would have been had they
lived, and he placed them near him, where
he could watch over them with the great in.
terest with which this sad recollection filled
him. After having driven out the enemie:
of Rome, Eustachius found the road thrOng.
ed with peOple--men, women and beautiful
young girls, who threw flowers before him,
and were wild with enthusiasm. In Rome
laurel crown was presented him which be
divided into two parts, giving the half to
! each of the two young soldiers who remind
I'd him Of his lost sons.
Theopista, who had been sold to wealthy
merchant of Rome, had lived there even
since, and, as she had cut many flowers for
the people to throw to Eustachius, she said
in her heart, ''Years ago my own dear hus-
band had flowers thus thrown to him. p
Little did she dream that it was even now
her husband who received these tokens of
love and honor. Many officers were quar-
tered in the house where she was slave,
| and after dinner they went into the garden
to smoke, the servants bringing wine for
them to drink under the shade of the trees
Her mistress asked her to bring some
needlework and remain in the garden, that
she might see if anything were needed, and
| undertake to provide for the guests. As
she sat there an old officer turned to young
soldier, with cheeks like peach, and con-
ored him as to give him the half of his
| laurel crown.
''Not to me was it given," said the modest
youth 'but to the whole army.'
| When another said that the youth had
| well merited the honor, and many voices
Joined in praise Of these two young soldiers
who had received the half of the crown, one
of the youths said:
"Only year ago I was behind the
plough" The faces of all near him grew
grave, and some one said:
| 'Then, you are only poor farmers son!''
'No; my story Is strange one. l re-
member that as child was richly dressed,
and my mother was a beautiful lady; had
beautiful brother, with long, golden hair
But we lost all things and went to sea, and
my poor mother was carried off as slave,
and my father, brother, and myself were
put ashore in wild, desoIate place, where
a Wild beast devoured my brother, and
where l was attacked by another, but was
rescued by some poor woodcutters
While the youth told all this, the young
soldier who had received the other half of
the crown came up to him, and, locking him
in his arms, cried:
"Brother! brother!'' To which the other
said:
s'You are truly my own brother Theo