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VOL. XI.
Parted Once.
go we two clasp hands once more, Jamie,
Though our youth long since has passed;
And none are by to sever us now—
Do you mind when we parted last ?
Do you mind the tears we shed, Jamie,
The tender embrace that clung ?
We can look back now with a pity Rtrange
On the grief when we were young.
But the burnie that trickled then, Jamie,
Has grown to a river deep,
And none can bridge o’er the dark wide gulf
Where the hopes of childhood sleep.
The pale ghosts stand on the shore, Jamie,
And wail o’er what might have been,
But tho world and its waves of greed and care
Too long have rolled between.
They said we were idle bairns* Jamie—
Too young to meet toil and pain;
Do you think in the City of Heaven, we two
Shall be children once again ?
And should we have been worse off, Jamie,
Had We risked that toil and care,
And learned high lessons of love and faith,
And helped each other to boar ?
There is gold on this withered breast, Jamie,
And gems in this thin, grey hair;
But, oh! for the gowans you plucked me then,
In my tangled locks to wear!
You have lands in tho far-off East, Jamie,
And ships on the treacherous sea;
Ah ! who can restore the treasures of youth,
And love to you—or to me ?
For the Banner of the South.
THE LAST DAYS OF CARTHAGE}
OR
A SISTER OF FABIOLA.
AFTER XT'i MANNER 01 . . K, FRCNCH.
CONTINUED?
CHAPTER a 111.
THE FALSE HOOD AND TEMPTA
TION.
Vi via was confined to her loom for
.ay* after she had learned the tragic end
)‘ her beloved huslajad. Her mother
and Felicity were ever by her side .to
minister to her wants and console her in
ii a' affliction. Tertullian, accompanied
j. Optatius, paid her frequent visits, and
hie always felt considerably" relieved by
their pious exhortations. Her faith was
vivid, but it was still more re-animated
by the firmness of belief which her hus
band had retained even to the last. He
died a Christian. He received a crown
more precious and brilliant than if he
had returned to Carthage with Numidian
spoils. A tear would nevertheless trem
ble like a dew-drop upon her silken eye
lashes, and it was but natural. He who
had pledged to her his love and life-long
protection, was no more. He would no
longer catch her in his arms and look
tenderly into her face, and call her “ his
love.” The poignard of the assassin
had done its fatal work, and had left her
to mourn his death. But the consola
tions of religion were great for her who
bad received already, in a great measure,
the rich effusion of divine grace. She
bad caught the spirit of her husband when
dying, and felt, like him, ready to offer
up all that had happened as a sacrifice to
Cod. He had desired that they should
soon meet in Heaven. This wish she re
ciprocated with all the ardor of her soul.
Perhaps it was to be realised sooner than
she thought.
As soon as Afer had pluuged his dagger
into the breast of Jarbas, lie tied from
die camp. He took care to gain time
uuring the short period of excitement,
oud though he suffered a great deal from
die punishment which had been inflicted
ll pon him by the Numidian King, still he
continued to urge on his fiery steed for
hours. Night came, and he descended
‘ rom his horse to take a little repose, but
* oT >g before the sun arose, he was in the
saddle and pursuing his way onward. He
wos accustomed to the forest, and it was
out difficult for him to find his way. In
mo day the course of the sun was his
obart, and in the night the appearance of
lie stars was sufficient to guide him
through the trackless brakewood. It
' ,as impossible for the cavalry to pursue
"j 111 - He knew this, and a savage grin
juayednpon his thick lips as he exulted
■'i his deed of blood. The image of his
utive land presented itself before his
' -'-c-itcil imagination and cheered him on-
would have
plenty of gold likewise. But what if his
master endeavored to withdraw from his
engagement, and refuse to fulfil the con
ditions of the contract which he had
made ? He would use the same poignard,
and perhaps with as sure an aim. Gold
and liberty were the ideas which pre
occupied his mind and beguiled the tedi*
ousness and fatigue of his march. Five
days passed over, and he came within
sight of Carthage. It was day when he
first perceived the neighboring height,
aud his heart distended as he reflected
that he was so near the termination of his
journey and so near the consummation of
a life-long dream. He turned aside, and
concealed himself in a shady recess until
nightfall, when he thought he could enter
more safely the precincts of the city.
The sun disappeared in the we c C and the
shades # of night closed around, leaving
only here and there a solitary star ro shed
its dim and uncertain light through the
breaks in the clouds. Afer demanded
nothing better than this. About mid
night he arrived unoerceived at the house
of Jubal.
“ Faithful servant !” exclaimed Jubal,
after he had heard in a fe w hurried sen
tences the successful issue of his . r*er.
prise. 41 But, thou art; weary. Here is
wine. Brink ! drink 1 and let me join
thee in this merry hour !” and a wild
maniac laugh rang through the room
and re-echoed through the stillness of the
midnight air.
“ But, master, thou must not forget
gold and liberty is the price of my
dagger.”
“Ah! thou art too faithful fur me to
part with thee. I shall have need of thee
again.”
“ Need me again !” re-eeboed the slave,
while his dark brows lowered, and a deep
scowl of indignation rendered still more
hideous the ill-shapen lineaments of his
face.
“ I will he faithful to thee as thou hast
been to me,” replied Jubal, endeavoring
to retain his composure, though he felt
his hot passion rising within him at what
he would call the “impudence” of a slave.
“Take this gold,” he continued, “after
wards I will give thee more. As for thy
liberty, thy services are too precious for
the moment. I cannot part with thee.
Perhaps”
“ Enough !” interrupted Afer, rising to
his feet, and displaying a firmness in his
tone of voice and manner which some
what astonished his master.
“ Know that I have the power of life
and death over thee, slave !” cried out
Jubal furiously, aud forgetting that he
was now in the power of the being he
despised.
“ Life and death ! It is true, most
noble master ; but—but”—he did not
trust himself farther, but internally he
swore an oath of revenge. “He is in
toxicated with the fumes of wine,” he
thought, “or I might bring him to a
sense cf his fearful position. I might
reverse the case, and declare I have
power of life and death over him, and, by
the gods of Olympus, that power shall be
exercised before many suns shall have
risen and set. The scenes of my native
land are not to unfold themselves before
me like a panoramic picture and then
dissolve into the emptiness of an airy
phantom. The promise must be fulfilled.
However, I will take the gold. It may
be of use. I will dissemble my feelings
for the present, but my determination is
not the less fixed and decisive.”
The slave departed, and when Jubal
found himself alone, he began to con
gratulate himself upon the facility with
which he had been able to resist the
pretentions of his accomplice. “Liberty!”
lie half muttered aloud, “that boon is too
precious for me to give away without
mature consideration. Besides, there
may yet be complications inconsequence
ot the General’s death, and I may need
his assistance. Ah! I was near forget
ting. It is the time of my appointment
UGUSTA, G A., MAY 8, 1869.
with the H igh Priest. I must hasten.
It is almost light now, and I had prom
ised to be with him before the rising of
the sun.”
Olympian had already heard of the
death of Jarbas from Sylvain, who had
brought tho news sooner by a few hours
than Afer. However, the High Priest
did not desire that any one should
know this, and when Jubal rushed un
ceremoniously into his apartment to
communicate to him the news, he feigned
astonishment at the quick despatch
with which the deed had been accom
plished. But there was more semblance
of joy in the glistening of his sunken
eyes and in the unnatural contortions
of his wrinkled face as he listened to
the details of the tragedy “ The sacred
work has been happily commenced.
You and Afei have merited well of the
gods and of your country, but it is not
necessary that the latter should know
just yet the brave individual to whom
they owe sc much.”
“ Not just yeti You are right. Keep
that a secret until the time comes—
until the gods present us with a more
propitious occasion,” put in Jubal, hy
pocritically joining his hands and rais
ing his eyes .in the attitude of suppli
cation.
“ The spouse of Vivia,” continued
Olympian, “has betrayed her religion,
and she cannot expect to lead a life in
which nothing will occur to destroy its
tranquility or give her sorrow. But
Tertullian is to blame, that execrable
apostate! If he is allowed to continue
the nefarious course upon which he has
entered, our temples will soon be de
serted and our altars left without offer
ings. But, thanks to you, a step has
already been taken in the right direc
tion, and it will soon be known that
Jarbas was a Christian, and died a
Christian, and that this was the reason
why the army revolted against him and
why they slew him. When the public
mind becomes exasperated at his treach
ery and base departure from the religious
sentiments of that Senate which raised
him to the positiou he occupied, then
will be the time to raise our voices, and
demand from the people a decisive and
rigorous policy against the cursed sect of
Christians.”
“ Good ! good ! Olympian. You dis
play wisdom in your thoughts, and you
yourself will earn a title to the gratitude
of your fellow-citizens.”
“ Say, rather, to the friendship of the
gods,”
“ Well, of both. I meant that,” an
swered Jubal, hurriedly. He could not,
however, suppress a pitying smile of con
tempt as he looked upon that old decrepid
form planning measures for the murder
of thousands, while he stood trembling as
it were on the brink of the grave. He
saw not his own faults in so clear a light.
His ardor in pursuing any scheme ren
dered him insensible to the enormity of
any crime which was necessary for its
accomplishment. He could judge with
unerring accuracy where others were at
fault. He could see plainly how the vil
laiuy of the old priest shocked the feel
ings of humanity, and he could not help
but hold him in supreme contempt. He
took care, however, to conceal his real
sentiments, and gave him to understand
that he highly appreciated the saintly
motives which had dictated such a course
of action. But, somehow, the penetra
tion of the old man was too acute, and
he thought he perceived too much indif
ference in his character where there was
question of defending the religion of the
state. Perhaps previous interviews had
given rise to this suspicion.
“ Jubal,” he inquired, scauning his
features with an air of mistrust, while
his brows lowered, an indication of an
approaching burst of anger, “ inethinks
you care little as to the fate of gods. I
sec it in your listless attention, when I
aui treating of this all important subject. !
“ Do you doubt my loyalty to my couu
| try,” responded Jubal, scarcely able to
restrain his indignation at the suspicion
which had been cast upon his sincerity.
He knew the suspicions rested upon
some foundation, but that did not matter.
“ Not directly to your country. I
spoke of the gods. But, know young
man, that the sentiments of patriotism
and religion are identified, and that you
cannot fail in the one without acting in
opposition to the other.”
“ Cease this jargon, old man !” cried
Jubal, carried aw r ay by the impetus of
his passion. “If you want to know the
truth, listen : If Jupiter is your god, and
wants to wreak his vengeanee upon his
rival Christ, let him cast forth his thun
derbolts until heaven is emptied. But,
what have I got to do with that? I am
busy with other transactions of equal im
portance. My dagger has reached the
heart of Jarbas, and now the second ele
ment in the programme is to obtain pos
session of the hand of Vivia. Once that
she is mine; I will conquer her pride, and
take revenge for the wanton insult
which she has inflicted upon me. If I
cannot succeed in this, then I will soon
send her to the shades to rejoin her hus
band. But, if you desire my friendship,
if you desire to live in harmony with me,
leave aside this ridiculous dispute about
religion. Let the gods defend them
selves. They' are all-powerful, and can
do it better than either of us.”
The aged priest cast his eyes to the
ground with the air ot one who was
suffering from painful disappointment.
And, in fact, it was so, for he had de
pended upon Jubal as Ids most effective
weapon in the contest which he was en
deavoring to excite.
“ Young man!” he said, at length,
raising his eyes and casting at him a firm
and steady glance, “ when years shall
have taught you wisdom you will think
otherwise than you do now. But, if you
arc indifferent to the interests of our an
cient faith, you ought not to neglect your
own .personal interest. The proud Yivia,
whom I hate with a hatred only equal to
your own, has deeply offended you. She
has disdained connection with you or
your ancestral name ! But do you
know the real motive which she had in
treating you with such haughty contempt?
Because her heart was already given to
another.”
“Perhapsyou are right. This might
easily occur £n the case of a young patri
cian whose only quality was her peculiar
tact in covering her corruption with the
mantle of heroic virtue. But this, if it is
true, is not all. She had another mo
tive, and I hare the assurance that ray
knowledge on this point is correct.”
“ Another motive ! What other mo
tive could she have ?” asked Jubal hur
riedly, while his brows were wriukled
with intense suspense.
“ I will conceal nothing from you.
Listen, she boasted of it herself—that she
reason why she repelled your advances
was because you were not a Christian.”
“Impossible! She herself was not a
Christia* at the time that it occurred.”
“ True—that is, openly ; but she had
secretly embraced the new religion. Do
you not know that her mother has been
Christian for a long time past ?”
“ That may be true enought, but I
know that Jarbas was not a Christian
when she married him.”
“ Yes, but she laid it down as a con
dition that he should become one. He
promised her that he would, and even
confirmed his asseverations with an oath.
Perhaps, you have forgotten the incidents
of his death. The old shepherd can tell
you how he favored the sect, and how he
died in the arms of one of its accursed
ministers.”
“ I canuot say that I am yet convinced.
Who has said that Vi via rejected me be
cause I was not a Christian/?”
“She herself These are her words :
‘ Jubal is a noble young man, of a highly
cultivated mind and generous disposition;
his birth is illustrious and the wealth of
the family is considerable ; but with his
bad habits and the indifferent companions
with whom he is constantly brought in
fo contact, there is very little hope of
converting him to our religion. Its dis
cipline would be too strict for him, and
the observance of its precepts too oner
ous. But I will never choose * any one
but a Christian to be my husband.’
Mark these last words, Jubal: ‘None
but a Christian.” Noware you satisfied?”
The old man lied. He knew Jubal’s
impetuous character, and he anticipated
for this invention of his own a furious
outburst of anger against the Christians.
But he was mistaken, and he was not a
little surprised to see the young man
place his hand quietly to his brow and re
main for a c onsiderable time in a pensive
attitude. Olympian felt somewhat
abashed, but thinking to awaken him
from his reverie, he again addressed him
in an assumed tone of firmness, blended
with a tincture of wounded pride:
“ Bo you think that it comports with
my dignity to repeat emphatically what
I do not know to be true ?”
“ I suspect you not. Bo not mistake
me,” replied Jubal, turning round and
casting at him a penetrating look; but I
am thinking of what a change your
words have wrought in the depths of my
heart. Vivia did not then despise me,
it was only my religon. I spoke rudely
to her and wounded her quick sensibili
ties, but still I find she did not reject me
for this. Noble heart ! oil how is it that
I have not known her until this moment?
I would not have then hated her, and,
perhaps, at her side I should have found
that happiness which I have vainly sought
for in those frivolous and transient affec
tions which have wasted the years of
my youth.”
“ Would you have embraced that
abominable faith to please Vi via ? What
are you saying Jubal ? Would you sub
ject yourself to the contemptuous scowl
of the entire population of Carthage,
simply to obtain the hand of a fickle
minded wretch who has turned her back
upon our immortal gods?”
** Don’t speak to me of gods,” cried
Jubal, jumping to his feet, while his
eyes flashed with rage, “they are miser
able phantoms of a diseased brain—the
subjective shaping of external operations
of nature. I tell you, over and over
again, I do not believe in them—for me,
the grave is an eternal adieu.”
The old man seemed overcome, and
ready toyield to the overwhelming vocife
rations of the passionate Jubal. He waited
patiently until his excitement had sub
sided before he ventured to speak. At
length, when the young man was seated
and disposed to listen, lie began :
“ You assert what cannot be. It is
engraved in characters of fire upon the
heart of man that there is a being above
all who is omnipotent and supreme. A
life of crime may sometimes stifle the
voice of this rational conscience, but it is
only a temporary derangement of the in
tellect, and Nature when left to itself
will escape from this abnormal condition.
£o there are two alternatives before you,
and one of them you must necessarily
choose : Either you must worship the
gods or else become a follower of that
Jewish malefactor whom they call Christ.
To choose the Jot of such a noble
creature as Vivia, does not appear at first
sight to be any great crime. Besides
she is remarked for having an uncom
mon elevation of mind as well as possess
ing all the accomplishments which can
adorn the female character. It is strange
indeed that she should perceive no folly
in embracing the new faith. Ah! youth
and inexperience ! how easily do those
tender minds fail under the demoniac
influence of Tertullian!" replied the piiest,
shaking Ins head with ominous signifi
cance.
“Say nothing against Tertullian. He
taught me rhetoric in the schools, and
ther» was no one but admired his sublime
genius. It was a valuable conquest for
No. 8.