The record-union., 1897-10-24
LET US FOLLOW HIM.
(By Henrvk Sienkiewicz, the author Of
Quo Vadis" Translated from the Pol
ish by Vatslaf a. Hlasl1o and Thomas II.
Bullick)

Caius Septimus CHINA was a Roman
patrician- His youth was spent in the
hard life of the camp. Later he re-
| turned to Rome to enjoy his honors and
| to spend, in luxurious living, his large
| but rapidly diminishing fortune. He
enjoyed to his full bent all that the
great city could give him. His nights
We're spent at fealsts in magnificent
| suburban villas: his days We're passed
! in polemical controversies with the
| lanists in discussions with the rhetors
at the tTepidaria where they had de-
bates interspersed with the gossip of
| the city and the world; at the circuses,
at the races, at the fights Of the gladi-
ators, with the Thracian fortune tell
ers and with the wonderful dancing
| girls brought from the islands of the
archipelago.
| Being a relative on his mothers side
! Of the famous Lucullus he inherited
| the tastes of an epicure Through his
master and the rhetors he became IA
nniliar with the PHILOSOPHERS to such an
! extent that he understood the archi-
lecture of the different mental struc-
lures reared in Hellas and the Colonies;
| he 9lrther understood that they We're
| lying ia ruins. He knew personally a
great many stoics, who were not con-
genial to him because he regarded them
rather as a political party, and also
as tetrics who are opposed to the joys
Of life. The Skeptics We're often seat
ed at his table, where between courses
| they upset the whole system of phi
| 1osopheTs, proclaiming by the craters
| filed with wine, that the delights of
| life were vanity; that truth was some
! thing unattainable; that absolute qui-
etude was the true aim of all sages.
| Although not belonging to the school
| of the skeptics, he practically was a
| skeptic, and also hedonist, though he
knew that luxury was not happiness.
Being ignorant of the true teachings of
Epicurus, he regarded himself as an
epicurean. Generally he looked upon
this philosophy as a kind of mental
| gymnastics as good as that taught by
the lanists. When he was tired of de-
bates he went to the circus to see blood
| flow at the gladiatorial contests.
In the gods he did not believe, nor in
virtue truth or happiness. He be-
| lieved only in auguries. He had his
superstitions. and the mysterious faiths
of the Orient aroused his curiosity. He
was of the opinion that life was a great
| amphora, the better the quality of the
wine it contained the richer it looked,
| SO he was trying to fill his amphora
with the richest wine He loved no
one, but he liked many things, and
among them his magnificent head and
his handsome patrician foot.
n the fFcf xxsa1s Of hic oil tTxr ri
! otous leisure he was ambitious to as
tonish all Rome, and he succeeded in
this several times. Later he became
indifferent to such conquests.
In the end, by his manner of living.
| he ruined himself His property was
seized by his creditors, and in its place
was left to CHINA a sense of great
weariness, as if exhausted after hard
| labor, safety, and one more very un-
| expected thing, namely, a feeling of
| deep unrest.
! Shortly after the loss of his property,
through the powerful influences of his
family, CHINA was appointed to a gov
e1nment post at Alexandria, in order
that in this rich country he might re-
gain his fortune. His restlessness en-
! barl1ed with him on a ship at Brundi-
| siun and was his associate during the
sea voyage. In Alexandria Cinma
thought that his governmental occupa-
tion, meeting with new people, anoth
er world, fresh Impressions would free
him from this importunate associate,
but he was mistaken. One month
! passed-tWo-then, as the grain at
Demet1'a brought from Italy waxed
| stronger in the rich soil of the Delta,
| SO this restlessness from a small bush
grew into a mighty cedar tree and
threw dark and darker shadows on
! Cinna's soul.
At the beginning CHINA tried to sup
press this feeling by indulging in the
same kind of life that he had led in
Rome. Alexandria was a luxurious
city. full of Greek maidens with golden
| hair and light compilations, which the
| Egyptian suns coated with amber-col
| ored transparent hues. In their en-
| braces he sought surcease
Even this satiated him and he began
to contemplate suicide. BY this means
many of his friends had escaped the
troubles of life, and at much less prov
ocation than na's-often from ennui,
other enjoyments. A slave, holding in
his hand a sword, strongly and dexter
| ously, in one moment would finish ALL
| CHINA was haunted by these thoughts,
and when he had nearly decided to fol-
| low their beckoning, a wonderful dream
| had restrained him. 1t semed to him
| he was crossing a river and there on
the opposite bank was his restlessness
awaiting him, in the form of an ema-
ciated old slave, who bowed low be-
fore him and said, Il came. before you
so that | might meet you" For the
first time in his life CHINA was sore
afraid, because he understood that in
| asmuch as ne could not think of a fu-
ture life without this restIessness they
would be there together AS last re-
sort he decided to approach the philos-
ophers who swarmed in the Serapeun,
thinking that perhaps with them he
would find a solution of the problem.
Truly they We're unable to answer him,
and they titled him ton mouseiou.'
which title they often gave to Romans
of high birth and station At this time
il was very little consolation to him:
the stamp of wisdom given to one who
was unable to ansyer a most vital ques-
ton seemed to CHINA ironicaI. Yet he
thought the Serapeum might unveiI its
wisdom gradually, and he did not en-
tirely loose hope.
Most active among the philosophers
in Alexandria was noble Timon. the
Athe1lian. a man of great wealth and
a Roman citizen. He had lived over
a decade in Alexandria where he car,oa