The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1911-12-06

SHOrli! mex re- the Dfe.ihil!g down OK
the Roman empire there WIS Il class
Of small farmers who We're being eaten
up by large landholdcrs This class.
called Curialcs. had formerly been one
Of the governing elements of Rome
and WAS considered very honorable
But becoming impoverished they We're
constantly selling ont to or coming I'M
der the protection of those persons
who held thousands Of acres where
they held but Il few
There was in one Of the Roman
provinces a family, the Fabii. who
had accumulated 4 very large landed
estate Lying at the foot of hill on
which was the castle Of LuciuS Ia
bius. lived one OF the Curialcs. siiO
Mus. whose affairs were getting into
very bad shape. Silonius was an old
man and had bat one child. a daugh
ter. Culpurnia. Onc day her father
called her into the atrum or living
room Of their dweiin. and said Ia
her
my daughter, We must SCH our
farm Like 50 many of cur class, |
have found ii impossible to keep my
head financially above water In a
few DAYS |. being a tax collector. must
return To the government the taxes
In Al ~.
luirrd to ill from my own purse any
deficiency that the people cannot pay,
Go 10 the castle and tel Fali!s that
am ready 10 accept the sum lie has
offered me for my property This NJ
enable mo To make up the deficiency.
but, father. what shall become Of
u.s.
Il see nothing for Us but t. grad
Ually sink into slavery, nS has been
done by 50 many Of our class"
/ Culpurnia could only obey her IA
Tiers order. Passing over the ground
between her fathers farm and the hin
on which stood the castle She was
starting up the incline when she met
a Young man coming down lie >n
lutrtl her and asked her where she was
going She told him that sh" was go
ing to the castle 10 sec FahiuS IL tell
him that her father must make up II
deficiency III III" taxes he was unable
10 collect ami would sell his farm for
the purpose.
Il have just come from the castle"
said the Young man. and FahiuS is
not there. Return Ia your home and
90 again tomorrow. when You vii! see
him
So Cupurnia turned back. and the
youth walked beside her lie told her
that Fahius was very Srasping man
and would make very hard terms with
her father. TO which she replied that
the terms would make no difference,
for her father would hr Obliged 10 sell
her into slavery and was himself old
and broken in health. SO that he had
at most but few years to live
When they reached n point where
the roads parted the young man took
leave of the girl. expressing his sor
row nj her miSfortunos Culpurnla Went
home and told her father why she had
! returned without going to the castle.
The next morning the young man
whom Culpurnia had met came 10 the
farmhouse.
"IIOw much" he asked. is the DE-
| nciency in the taxes your fathe- must
return to the government"
Twenty thousand scstrrrcs." replied
the girl
The young man turned wallet NJ
side down over the table and dropped
q heap OF coins.
Count from this enough 10 dis
charge the debt and II there is any
thing over keep 1t Till I return"
And so the sale Of the farm and Cnl.
purnia into slavery was avoided ut the
time The young man who had fur
nished the money to pay the taxes
came occasionally to the house and
told Culpurnia that when they needed
more money to let him know and on
no account to 30 10 Fabius. who would
take their farm and send them out int"
slavery
There was no couriship among the
Romans. marriage being arranged by
parents. Be'hrothel persons did not
even usually SEQ each other till they
came together to he married. Ono day
an uncle If Culpurnia came To the
farm and. after an interview with her
father. Ii was announced to Culpurnia
that a marriage had been arranged for
her This lifted burden from her
shoulders, but east her into gloom. he
cause she had come TO love the young
man who had loaned the money FOR
the taxes. All she was told OF him she
was TO marry was that he had some
means. belonged to her own class and
was not much older than herself His
name was Marccllus.
When the day for the betrothal came
round chariot stopped at the farm.
and the groom came into the house ~
tended by a large retinue. Az he en-
tered the room where his bride await
ed him dressed in wedding costume
che .artad n daay, hlrSh IN mo uYsn her