Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1897-03-18

every reason TO believe that the con |
demned will put a good face on the
matter. One Of them Is an eXtraordl- !
nary man; he proclaims himself Son
Of God. In fact. harmless "a dove, |
he has done nothing to merit death
And thou hast condemned him 10
be crucifedz"
What was / to do? l wished to
avoid complications. in order not 70 ex-
asperate the swarm of wasps which
hover round the Temple They would
be capable of denouncing me at Rome.
Moreover ii does not concern a Roman
citizen.
But will the unfortunate man suf-
fer less because Of thatE
The judge did not answer. y mo-
ment after, he continued
Il tell you. 90, see the crucihxion.
am convinced the NaZarene will die
courageously. Twice | have gone down
TO the tribunal: have spoken TO the
high priests. the leprous fanatics. They
answered me with one voice, shakin
their heads and grinding their teeth.
Cruelty him, Cruelty himr
And thou hast given iny said CHINA.
How do otherwise! There would
have been trouble in the town, and
they have placed me here to maintain
order. | have a horror of difficulties,
and am morally lazy; but when L un-
dertalze a thing ! wish TO see IL well
| though and do not hesitate to sacri-
| fee the life of one 20 the general well
| fare. especially when il Is an unknown
person for whom no one cares. 1t Is
unfortunate for him that he Is not
| Roman
The sun does not shine only for
Rome murmured Antea.
Divine Antea replied the judge, i
might answer that the Roman power
stretches into the far distant horizon.
and that therefore il is expedient 10
sacrifice all to its interests and dis
putes shake this power This is why
| beseech thee not to ask me 10 recall my
| decree. CHINA Will tell thee that 1t
would be impossible, and That once a
| Judgment given. the emperor alone
| could annul it. l, even if / wished 1t,
could not do so. Is not this true Caiusr
1t Is thus.
But these words visibly affected
Antea She murmured in "A low voice,
speaking perhaps to herself
Then one can suffer and die lnno-
cent?
NO one is innocent" answered Pi-
/ ldlt. w itIbul IbubA tAlt -NdLaA'AAN
has committed no crime: also. as judge
have l washed my hands Of his condem-
nation: but as man ! disayow his
teachings | questioned him long
enough, wishing 10 penetrate to the
root, and | am convinced that he
breaches things unprecedented, mad,
missible. Before everything. the world
ought to be guided by reason. Let
every one think as his own conscience
pleases, so long as he does not annoy
Others. If do not believe in the gods,
that is my affair; but / recognize the
necessity of a religion because it is a
restraint on the people. Horses must
be bridied, and strongly hridled. After
all death ought not TO be terrible to
this adventurer, for he affr1ns that he
will rise again.
CHINA and Antea exchanged looks OF
stupefaction.
That he viii rise again"
Neither more nor less-the third day
this is what sustains his disciples
As for himself, ] have forgotten tC
question him about it But that Is OF
small importance. Even if he does not
rise again he will lose nothing, as by
his account, true happiness, eternal
life, only begin after death. The
depths OF his Hades are more brilliant
than our world lighted by the lumi
nous star, and he who suffers most here
below will the more surely enjoy spirit
ual happiness; but, for that, one must
love. love, always lovel
what a singular doctrine" sighed
Antea
And the Jews force thee to cruelty
I him. repeated CHINA.
4 L
that; the spirit of the nation is hate
Is it not hate alone that could wish tC
cracify lover
Antea raised her emaciated hands tc
her forehead.
And ne is convinced that one can
live and be happy beyond the tomby'
Yes, and it is owing 10 this belief
that the greatest torture has no terror
f-,t- -i-,.-.-it
How sweet it would be TO thinb
that. Cinna.'
After pause she asked again
And from whence does he get thi.
revelation
He pretends, said the Judge. that
he comes from his Father, the Father
of all mankind. who is TO the Jews
what Jupiter il tQ us, with this differ
ence, that the God Of the Nazarene II
one alone and merciful
How good it would be 70 beliey,
that repeated the sufferer.
CHINA opened his mouth as if wishing
to speak, but he remained silent, and
the conversation ceased. Meanwhile
Pontius PLATE continued his reflections
to himself upon the incomprehensible
doctrines that he had been describing
for he shook his head from time to time
and shrugged his shoulders
At last he rose to take leave
Suddenly Antea raised herself
Gains, let us 90 TO see this NaZa-
rene.
Thou must hasten then, said
CHINA; the procession will be starting
The sky, which since the morning
had been clear and brilliant, became
covered towards midday From the
north heavy clouds suddenly ap-
pcared, threatening and stormy; strcaks
of blue still divided them. but il was
easy to predict that soon they would
reunite and cover the entire heavens.
Upon the platform called Golgotha
were seen groups of people who had
preceded the procession before it left
the town
The sun rose in the heavens and
lighted the part of the sky which the
clouds had not yet covered. The hour
was approaching when, ~ q rule, no
sound IL heard upon the heights. when
every living thing seeks shelter under
the shadow of the ramparts or in the
hollows Of the rocks; and in spite Of
the unaccustOmed animation, kind of
sadness fell upon this place, where the
sun never shines upon the green earth
and ligbtens but desolate waste Of
gray stone whilst the murmcr Of
voice.. coming from over the walls, re
sembled the sound Of the waves break
ing on a silent shore
The groups which, since sunrise, had
been waiting upon Golgotha had their
! eye5 turned in the direction of the town
whence, at any moment, the procession
might start Anteas litter advanced
preceded by some soldiers who guarded
her, and whose mission il was 20 represa
the insoience Of the people always hos
| tile to strangers. CHINA walked at the
side Of the litter, accompanied by the
centurion Rufus Antea did not ap-
pear agitated. although the hour for the
apparitions approached. The account
! given by the Judge on the subject of
the young prophet had greatly touched
her and turned her mind from her own
miseries. 1t had for her something
fascinating and incomprchensible.
| Doubtless the world which she knew
showed her examples of men who had
not rebelled against death But with
| them it was the courage Of the sage
submitting TO the law of nature 10 the
] cruel but inevitable necessity Of ex-
4 i. Il. a. 4.