Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-09-23
MFFLINTOWN, JUNIATA COUNTY. WEDNESDAY,
IN IMPERIAL ROME.

. IN IMPERIAL ROME.
4 Jewish Boy Who Battered One a
the 1anous Foot Racea.
Rome was . mighty city In those
days. It had many q mile OF streets
and avenues. reaching out into the cur
rounding country. until nobody could
tell where the city ended, although ev-
erybody knew that its center was on .
hill at the capitol Far from the capt
tol. but still within the city. was the
amphitheater. or circus. where the most
wonderful shows were given that ths
world has ever known. There were
wild beasts and men were made to
nght BY thousands. for the shows were
murderous, and the vast sandy area Of
the ampitheater was often stained with
blood.
Cyril was walking along q narrow,
crooked street, that led away from the
capitol in the direction Of the circus.
At that moment be almost ran against
q wall, and he stood still. 1t was one
side of q vast marble arch at the main
entrance to the circus. and, as he looked
up, he saw a placard. with an inscriD
ton In several languages. he could
read some OF them. They were all
alike. and they told him that the Empe-
ror's prefect of the circus had arranged
for prize foot-races. One Of these was
free to all who could pass the trial race
for admission. There was to be prize
Of ten sestertia. and Cyrin's brain whirL
ed q little at the thought OF SO much
money.
More than ak hundred shekels!' he
exclaimed, after a calculation-"and
can yet runI 1t says that the sub-pre-
feet will see all who apply" He stood
gazing at the placard and reading 1t
aloud. Suddenly a voice near him said:
THAT he will, and he will scourge you
well ii you fail at the test. Can you
rum You look like 1t. Come"
Black as Jet was the face Of the
dwarfish figure that Cyril at once turn
81 to follow through the arch and side
door and along tile-loOred passage.
In a few minutes more he stood IN the
presence Of a richly dressed official who
for q moment eyed him sternly. The
dwarf had addressed this great mau
very reverently. calling him Crispus.
but a strange thought flashed into the
mind Of Cyril, for he had never seen
q Roman whose face was like that OF
the sub-prefect-
20 Jewish boy, who art thou" asked
Crispus, In Aramaic, with an accent
A. L. -
lar, Cyril Ben Ezra, of the house of
Kish," replied Cyril, staring hard at
the grim, iron-mouthed official, for
something in the mans face seemed
familiar.
"Amenw said Crispus. Answer In
thine own tongue. for thou art Call
lean. l am Reuben Ben Nassur,' Of
Cana. 1 am thy kinsman. Knowest
thou aught Of my house:"
Isaac the Rabbi is WELL" replied Cy-
I'll, and on he went, for Reuben. or
Crispus. asked him many questions,
and they talked in Hebrew. which none
who came near them could understand.
Perhaps one reason why Crispus was
sub-prefect was his gift Of tongues.
feTLld dAOtuck ICubOh was PAaAA " hS&s
he said of the circus:
What is 1t to me or thee IL the heath
en- slay one another? Thou shalt run.
will give thee q week Of training before
the trial, but know that l cannot save
thee from the scourge II thou fail be-
fore the prefect. Mark thou this, also
forget that thou art Jew until thy feet
49, %ouA To that fhnn q r a good
runner Thou hast nothing to do with
the Law whilst thou art a beast in the
Roman circus"
Bitter indeed was the cup Of poverty
that Cyril was drinking. He had put
away his pride. driven by starvation.
and now q brother of Ben NRssur him
self was bidding him put aside his re
ligion. No opportunity for answer. yes
or no, was given, however, and he was
led away by the dwarf to one OF the
outbuildings Of the ampitheater. II
was, as he at once discovered, q kind of
Jail In which were kept the men who
were In training for the races. Many
Of them were mere slaves put there by
their owners. in hope that they might
win q prize for their masters. At all
events Cyril was to have shelter and
food, but the boarding house or jail
Of the runners adjoined great dens Of
wild auimals, and he was kept awake
by the roaring Of many lions; for thun-
derstorm swept over Rome and the i'm
prisoned kings Of forest or plain re.
spOnded with thunderous roars Of their
own making.-St. Nicholas.