Thus, as the seasons pass, ye keep alive 1 Sense of being, feeling of being 2 Winter sleep, most trees during winter are in a dormant state; the sap is stationary, there is no growth. 3 Stronger yet. The winds serve to strengthen the trees by making 4 The loud bolt, the thunderbolt; TWO ROMAN PATRIOTS. T has always been the custom for a nation to preserve for the commonwealth.1 Every nation cherishes the names of the noble few that have offered their life and shed their blood for their fatherland. In reading Roman history you will find numerous stories of personal valour, some of them true and some not. I will here relate two such stories, and whether true or not in all particulars, they will serve to show how the old Romans set the good of their country above their own personal interests. More than two thousand years ago a dreadful disease raged in Rome, and swept off a large number of its citizens. About the same time a vast chasm opened in that part of the city called the Forum. The people being heathens, thought this a sign of the wrath of the gods, and that the earth, in opening her mouth, was calling for a sacrifice. The priests were consulted, and they declared that the gods could only be appeased by the most costly sacrifice that Rome could make. While the people were debating what sacrifice to offer, some proposing one thing and some another, a noble youth, named Marcus Curtius, exclaimed, "What has Rome so valuable as her own brave sons? I am willing to offer myself as a victim." Having said this, he buckled on his armour, mounted his horse, and leaped into the chasm. According to the legend, the earth immediately closed, and the plague ceased. A few years after this extraordinary occurrence the Romans were at war with a neighbouring nation. Their army was commanded by two generals, one of whom was named Decius. Some time before the battle each of them had precisely the same dream. revealed to them in this dream that the army whose general should sacrifice his life would be victorious. It was Believing it indispensable for victory that one of them should be slain, they took a solemn oath that he whose soldiers first gave way should devote himself to death for his country's honour. When the battle had raged for some time with varying success, the men commanded by Decius began to waver, and were on the point of giving way, when their general, mindful of his vow, leaped upon his horse, and dashing into the enemy's ranks, fought like a lion until slain. The example thus set by the general made heroes of his soldiers; the tide of battle turned from that moment in favour of the Romans, and in the end a great victory was gained. 1 Commonwealth, the state - the nation. 2 Forum, an open square in Rome, around which the chief public buildings were erected, and in which the citizens held their public assemblies. 3 Legend, an incredible story found in old chronicles. UNCLE TOM AND EVA. (Continued from page 59.) MONG the passengers on the boat was a young A gentleman of fortune and family, resident in New Orleans, who bore the name of St. Clair. He had with him a daughter, between five and six years of age, together with a lady who seemed to claim relationship to both, and to have the little one especially under her charge. Tom had often caught glimpses of this little girl, for she was one of those busy tripping creatures, that can be no more contained in one place than a sunbeam or a summer breeze; nor was she one that, once seen, could easily be forgotten. Her form was the perfection of childish beauty, without its usual chubbiness and squareness of outline. The shape of her head and the turn of her neck and bust were peculiarly noble, and the golden-brown hair that floated like a cloud around it, the deep spiritual gravity of her violet-blue eyes, shaded by heavy fringes of golden brown, all marked her out from other children, and made every one turn and look after her as she glided hither and thither on the boat. Nevertheless, the child was not what you would have called either a grave child or a sad one. On the contrary, an airy and innocent playfulness seemed to flicker like the shadow of summer leaves over her childish face, and around her buoyant figure. She was always in motion, always with a half-smile on her rosy mouth, flying hither and thither, with an undulating and cloud-like tread, singing to herself as she moved as in a happy dream. Always dressed in white, she seemed to move like a shadow through all sorts of places without contracting spot or stain; and there was not a corner or nook, above or below, where those fairy footsteps had not glided. The fireman, as he looked up from his sweaty toil, sometimes found those deep blue eyes of hers looking wonderingly into the raging depths of the furnace, and fearfully and pityingly at him, as if she thought him in some dreadful danger. Anon the steersman at the wheel paused and smiled, as the picture-like head gleamed through the window of the round-house, and in a moment was gone again. A thousand times a day rough voices blessed her, and smiles of unwonted softness stole over hard faces as she passed; and when she tripped fearlessly over dangerous places, rough sooty hands were involuntarily stretched out to save her, and smooth her path. 2 Tom, who had the soft impressible nature of his kindly race, ever yearning towards the simple and childlike, watched the little creature with daily increasing interest. To him she seemed divine, and whenever her golden head and deep blue eyes peered out upon him from behind some dusky cotton-bale, or looked down upon him over some ridge of packages, he half believed that he saw one of the angels he read about in his Bible. Often and often she walked mournfully round the place where Haley's gang of men and women sat in their chairs. She would glide in among them, and look at them with an air of perplexed and sorrowful earnestness; and sometimes she would lift their chains with her slender hands, and then sigh wofully as she glided away. Several times she appeared among them with her hands full of candy, nuts, and oranges, which she would distribute joyfully among them, and then be gone again. 8 Tom watched the little lady a great deal before he ventured on any overtures towards acquaintanceship. The little one was shy, for all her busy interest in everything going on, and it was not easy to tame her. For a while she would perch like a canary bird on some box or package near Tom, while busy in making little curious toys, and take from him, with a kind of grave bashfulness, the little article he offered. But at last they got on quite confidential terms.* "What's little missy's name?" said Tom, at last, when he thought matters were ripe to push such an inquiry. "Evangeline St. Clair," said the little one, "though papa and everybody else call me Eva. Now, what's your name?" "My name's Tom; the little children used to call me Uncle Tom, way back thar in Kentuck.' "Then I mean to call you Uncle Tom, because, you see, I like you," said Eva. are you going?" "I don't know, Miss Eva." "Don't know?" said Eva. "So, Uncle Tom, where "No. I am going to be sold to somebody." "My papa can buy you," said Eva, quickly; "and if he buys you, you will have good times. I mean to ask him to this very day." "Thank you, my little lady," said Tom. The boat here stopped at a small landing to take in wood, and Eva, hearing her father's voice, bounded nimbly away. Tom rose up, and went forward to offer his service in wooding, and soon was busy among the hands. |