The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-30

not given me trace of them
"Lost?" asked Fabyan. Being a sol
der L can guess the meaning of thy
words They We're lost in war;
I'm war; replied Paul, signing deep
ly But there is yet Rome-no matter;
the story is a long one, and would IN
terest thee little. In his own good
time God maketh all things to come to
pass
Had Paul only known, the story
would have interested Fabyan beyond
all things. for that same little Mvrrha
had been adopted by his uncle in Rome
and it was while on a seemingly vain
quest to learn, if possible, something OF
the lost brother of the beautiful Young
JeWess whom he loved. that he had
fallen into his present plight through
an untoward event. PauTs prophetic
words, But there is yet Rome spoken
on the eve of his appeal to Caesar.
point to the development of the story
which begins at this dramatic stage
in the Apostles career. when he had
reached the parting of the ways. and,
turning his back on Jerusalem, faced
westward toward Rome. This man
might have been set at liberty" said
HerOd AgriDDa to Festus. If he had
not appealed unto Caesar" The con-
straining human motive which the au-
thor joins to the urging of the Spirit
that compelled Paul to journey to Rome
at this time is a pleasant and agree
able fiction, and in no way molests the
dignity of his mission. while it mag
mites his manhood and emphasizes his
gentle virtues. FabYan and the Jew
ess princess Berenice an old love of
the young tribune's. and a troublous
element in days to come. embark for
Rome on the same ship that carries
Paul. Their lives are thereafter linked
together in the good and evil days that
follow. Paul lives to see the children
of his beloved sister Miriam. and has
the happiness of knowing that they and
| their friends have escaped. as by fire,
! the awful vengeance of Nero when he
imputed to the new sect the burning of
Rome. The day that saw the final
tragedy closing in on the Christians
in the arena witnessed caValcade of
travellers pressing along the Via Tri-
umphaliS and moving toward the north.
That night to the watchers on the hill
side there came a strange spectacle.
The stars hung like firefies low down
on the horizon. where the martyrs inn
paled on stakes were set like living
torches. Gradually the starlight
mounted into the vast abyss as it were
the ascension of departed spirits What
is it2' asked Myrrha. as they looked in
awe and wonder IT could almost fancy
it the flight of souls to heaven" said
another But lookr' cried Fabyan
! ''how the stars group themselves: tits
a strange and familiar outline" And
/ indeed. far up in the deep blue arches
of the sky the eternal stars were circled
! over a cross of light, shining like a
promise above the summit of the ra-
diant HILL Hence the title 1.-The Light
| of the Cross the full significance OF
which Is only borne in upon the mind
of the reader as he views the story in
! it's reflected radiance.
1t is impossible to do more than indi-
/ cate the large scope and range of ''LuS
| Crucis." We see the salient events OF
! those memorable years pass in process
sion across it's pages. Nero and Tigel-
| linus, POppaea and Berenice, Festus
and Agrippa, Paul and Peter, are con-
jured UP from the past and made tc
reenact one Of the great triumphant
| tragedies of human history. Unques-
! tionably, LUX Crucis" is a novel that
! Will appeal widely to the popular imag-
nation. It will be read wherever the
New Testament story is read; nor are
its most avid readers likely to be con-
fined to the religious public. 1t is a
book that knows no distinctions OF
| class or prejudice