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

of his premature experiences ana NJ
misfortunes. for life not TO offer MN
new attractions. and the greatest OF
these attractions he found IN Antea,
Timon's only child. The popularity OF
this Young girl was not less than that
of her father. Every one offered her
homage: the grave Romans who IRE
quented Timon's house, the Greeks the
philosophers of the Serapeum, even the
common people. 4 supernatural charm
surrounded her and she hardly seemed
of this earth. She had prophetlcal
dreams, revelations that transported
her above this world.
Her father loved her with tender
ness all the greater for fear that he
might lose her. Sometimes. in fact,
she owned to him that her sleep was
| haunted by warning visions; that be
for her shone an extraordinary light,
and she could not say if 1t predicted
| life or death. Up 10 now, however, no
| shadow had crossed her young life.
When CHINA saw and heard her for
the first time. he was so deeply i'm
| pressed that he would like TO have rails
| ed an altar in the atrium of his house,
and to have offered white doves IN sac
rifice TO her.
And soon he came to love her with
an intense and overwhelming love,
which a. little resembled what he had
| hitherto felt. a. Antea resembled other
girls.
| And Antea returned his love.
Thou art happy, CHINA, said his
| friends
yes, thou art happy CHINA he re
| peated to himself
| And when at last he married her he
| loved. when her divine lips had pro
| nounced the sacred words, Where
| thou art. Caius. there |, too, will be,
| it seemed to him that his happiness
! was. like the sea. inexhaustible and
| without limit
A wear passed, and the husband gave
to his Young wife the worship one rem
ders TO divinity. But CHINA, when
he compared his happiness 10 the sea,
| forgot that the sea had its ebb. At the
end of a year, Antea was seized with a
cruel and mysterious illness. Hei
dreams changed into terrifying visions
which weakened her strength. The
rosy tint of health faded from her sweet
face, leaving only a waxen pallor.
The visions became more frequent
| they soon became daily, and followed
the invalid wherever she hid herself
| Bv the the doctors advice, CHINA sur
rounded her with strolling musicians
with Bedouins playing on their earther
pipes. whose loud music should still the
murrnurs of these invisible spirits, bu
all was in vain Antea heard them al
the same. and when the sun was higf
enough in the heavens that MAJ
could see his shadow at his feet, Hk'
a garment which he had cast from hin
then, in the burning atmosphere, the
| aDparition would show itself and, fast
ening on Antea its evil gaze, retlr'
slowly before her, as if inviting her Il
follow.
A Greek doctor was of opinion tha
it was Hecate who appeared to Antea
and that the procession that so terri
fed the poor girl was that of the Ill
omened gods. In his opinion, ther
was no possible remedy, for whoeve
has beheld Hecate is fatal, condemned
to dissolution.
And CHINA, who up to now had onl.
q smile Of disdain for the worship 0
Hecate urostrated himself before he
altar. and offered to her ''hecatombs
but the goddess remained intiexible
and the following day tho phantom
with the hollow eyes would reappear T.
| Antea.
They tried bandaging the eyes, bu
the vision could be seen through tn
thickest wells; in a place from wher
all light was excluded it came from be
hind the walls. and the blue light
which emanated from it dispersed Tn
! shadows.
I'm the evening the invalid felt better
she then fell into sleep so deep tina
sometimes CHINA and Timon feared sh
would never awake. Little by littl
she became so weak that she was un
able to walk They carried her on
, litter
About this time celebrated Jewsi
z doctor. son of Khusa, arrived at Alex
andria. coming from Cesarea. CHM
at once consulted him, and in a me
r ment hope revived in his heart. Jc
seph. who believed neither in Gree
! nor Roman gods, rejected Hecates ~
= rerverfrfUff wrUr storm. ne assure
2 them that the invalid was possessed b.
devils. and that it was necessary tina
she should quit Egypt at once, where
besides the devils the air was l1npree
. mated with the effiuvia from the Delta
which was hurtful to her health. Ii
: advised, probably because he was al
Israelite, to transport Antea to Jerusa
lem, a town where the infeEpal power
} had no access, and where the air wa
healthy and strengthening
CHINA was the more inclined. to fol
low this advice as, in the first case. N
, other suggested itself TO him, and sec
ondIy ne knew the judge at Jerusalem
whose ancestors had been clients Of hi
family.
And. in fact. on their arrival tn
: II
arms and offered them his residence II
stay in in the outskirts Of the town
But the faint hope which CHINA ha'
cherished vanished even before the en-
/, of the voyage The visions followet
Antea on board ship, and the poor chill
saw the hours Of the afternoon arriv
! with the same dread rs formerly il
Alexandria The days passed for he
in sadness, and in the fear and expecta
tion Of death.
In the atriup, IN spite of the fresh
ness Of the fountains and the shadoy
of the porticoes the heat was over
) whelming after early morning Th'
marbles became burning under tn
rays Of the spring sun, but. not ia
from the house an old pistachio tre
with its thick leaves spread out its pro
tecting branches It was there tina
CHINA had the couch brought, strewr
with hyacinths and apple blossoms
where Antea reposed And sitting b,
her he caressed her hands, white n
alabaster, and inquired softly
'ThOu art well here, CarissimaE'
Yes, well, she answered in low
voice.
After minute, Antea spoke again.
Caius she said lis it true that IL
this country there is arisen a philosO
pher who cures the sick?
Here they call them prophets an
swercd CHINA. j have heard speak o.
this one, and would have taken the'
10 him, but / have been told he is only
an impostor He blasphemes agains
the Temple, and the established relig
ion. This is why the judge has con
deInned him to death and to-day. in
fact he IL 10 be crucified.
Antea looked down.
1T il time that will cure thee" saiC
CHINA tenderly, observing the shadow
that crossed her face.
Time is at the service Of the dead
not Of the living, she answered sadly
And again silence resigned.
In the distance the sound Of steps was
head. Antca became very pale. Hei
heart beat tumnltously. But Cnna
calmed her, taking her hand in his
"Antea, fear nothing; the steps yor
hear, / hear them myself.
And he added, after moment.
1T must be POntius PLATE.
In fact, a turn in the road showed
them the judge, who was approaching
followed by his slaves
He was a man advanced in years