Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1909-08-11

breastplates and helmets of knot OF
soldiers. When they came near they
halted and reverently made way for
her to pass. A prisoner whom they
were conducting alone stood erect in
the presence of the sacred parsonage
He was Julius Flavius. young Chris
tian, who had openly refused to bow
his head at the sacrifices to Jupiter
and was being taken to the Mamertine
prison to be strangled.
The vestal sat looking at the man.
whose glance, rebellious at the rever-
ence paid her pagan office, was lighted
by 4 fire far more sacred than that
over which she presided-love. In the
two the conflicting religions met, and
Claudia. touched also by the only i'm
mortal pagan god, spiritually yielded
mastery to this servant Of a new
deity.
'"Take off his chains" said the vestaI
to the officer in command.
can order from the EMPEROR" asked
the officer hesitatingly.
"No-by the privilege vested in me
as one Of the six virgins appointed to
keep up the sacred fire. Whence came
you that you do not know that any
prisoner meeting one Of our number
goes free? Let fall his chains"
Pardon" said the officer, bowling
the knee humbly before her. For
years l have served in Gaul, and many
Of our home customs are unknown to
me. Your sacred word is enough"
Approaching the prisoner. he took
off his chains. and julius Flavius stood
before his liberator a free man.
"You have deprived me of the bless.
ings of martyrdom," he said to her
"but you have prolonged my life that
may spread the faith of Jesus the
Christ. May he win you, too, into the
true church,
Claudia made no reply.
She ordered her charioteer to drive on
Flavius stood looking after her, hop.
ing that she would turn her head, but
she did not. When he came back tc
his surroundings he stood alone.
Above the house Of the vestals tow.
cred a wing Of the imperial palace
That night Claudia, climbing the
height, entered the chamber of the
empress and, tearing the filet from hel
brow, threw herself into her imperial
mistress arms and poured into hel
ear remuneration of paganism, a con
f0SSiOn Of tho nav ra|iriOn
Aided by the new ally, Flavius ap
preached the empero: and besough1
him to declare as the religion of the
state that faith which he had already
adopted in his heart. The appeal was
successful. When the morning came
an edict went forth banishing the
heather gods.
The edict was all that saved Claudia
from terrible death. But paganism
though it had received it's deathblow
was not dead, and Claudia, before free
and honored among women. now darei
not show her face on the streets OF
Rome. But Julius Flavius, whom she
had saved from martyrdom, was taker
up by the emperor and advanced as
concession to the Christian faction
In the imperial palace he again me-
the woman who had saved his life
and whose immortal soul he hai
turned in the way of salvation. How
different the meeting from that wher
Claudia was Vestala NIaXima and
Julius, loaded with chains, was on his
way to the prison where Jugartha anl
the Catiline conspirators had persisted
She whom he could not revere as 8
pagan he worshiped as his Christian
love-
In the ruins of the house of vestals
at Rome there are number of pedes