The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1920-04-23

could not understand a girl who fiVd
from Nero's court and all its magniA-
cence, fed even from the lover whom
she loved. But "hnally he. understood
this, which he and Petronius had not
understood. that the new religion, en-
| grated into the soul something I'M
known to that world in which he lived,
and that Lygia. even If she loved him,
would not sacrifice any of her Chris
tian truths for his sake, and that, II
pleasure existed for her, 1t was
pleasure different altogether from that
which he and Petronius and Caesars
court, and all Rome were pursuing.
Every other woman whom he knew
might become his mistress, but that
Christian would only become his vic
tim. And when he. thought Of this, he
felt anger and burning pain, for he felt
that his anger was powerless. To
carry off Lygla seemed to him posi-
BILE; he was even sure that he could
do so, but he was equally sure that, In
view of her religion, he himself, with
his bravery, was nothing, that his pow
err was nothing, and that through 1t he
could effect nothing. That Roman
military tribune, convinced that the
power Of the sword and the fist, which
had conquered the world, would COM
mand 1t forever, said for the first time
in his life that beyond that power
there might be something else; hence
he asked himself with amazement what
it was"
| 1t is a definite and concrete way that
the author has chosen to show the
power of the new religion over human
lives. Struggle as he would, backed
by birth, by wealth and all the beauty,
charm and allurements that wealth
could bring, by the ingenuity and wit
of Petronlus, by the suong-arm meth
DDS of Croton, champion bruiser OF
his time, even by the force of the
known world in Nero's sway, Vinicius
could accomplish nothing If all he
could win to himself was mere I'M
willing body, while soul and spirit
were beyond his grasp. And the mad
dening part to him was that he owed
. all his troubles to the teachings OF a
parcel OF Jewish fishermen or their
likes. or slaves or humble folk who
had never before entered into serious
consideration in the thoughts of a pa
: trician like himself. 1t was long
struggle with him and as the reader
, follows the various people of the story
! through their part in the action, he
gets an admirable picture of Rome
Nero. tyrant actor and artist, with all
j his magnifcence and all his debauch-
! cries; the poor and humble In their
! crowded quarters of the great city;
) the delight Of all the senses In the life
1 led by Petronius; the lawless streets
of Rome by night; the pursuit of Lygia
by Vinicius and his hirellngs, result
ing In the death Of his professional
bruiser Croton at the hands OF the
faithful Ursus, and the disaster to
yinlcius which led to his nursing back
to health by the Christians; his meet
ing with Peter and Paul; the gradual
: opening Of his eyes, physical and spir'
I: fituai; his discovery of Christians
everywhere, among the people, among
l his own slaves, among soldiers and OIL
GERS, even In the very court OF Nero
l And the growing worry and astonish'
ment of Petronius:
s'vinicius, thou art losing sense
Judgment, moderation exclaimed re
tronius.
!, az love only her in the world re
: sponded Vinicius.
"'What of thatT
+ "This, that wish no other love
: I have no wish for your life, yo9l
' feasts, your shamelessness, your
I crimes
a ywhat is taking place in theef Ar
r thou a Christian"
y And then the great fire of Rome
set by Tigelllnus that Nero. might no
D lacl, the experience of Priam. who HAD
i seen. Troy burn; of rescuing Lygii
r from the flames; the persecution of thu
r Christians with the thought of throw
e ing on them the rage Of the peopl
a at the burning of the city; thu
singing out of Lygta by the hate O
Q Poppaea because vinicius had spurne'
s the empress proffered charms; thu
i final rescue by q miracle of strength
, on the part of the ever-faithful Ursus
$ and the words of vinicius to-Peter:
"what thou commandest / vii
do
Above men as thy own brothers,
answered the apostle, for only Wit
love mayest thou serve Him."
Copyright 1918. by the Post Publishing &C
(The Boston POST. Printed by permits
n sion Of, and arrangement with. Little
v Brown & Co.. authorized publishers
a opoouc CpnM DINE NEEnI e