Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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DEVOTED TO SOUTHERN RIGHTS, DEMOCRACY, NEWS, LITERATURE, AGRICULTURE, SCIENCE AND THE ARTS W ILLIAM LEW IS - P*OPRETORS O Lfltft i " JOHN S. RICHAR DSON, JR.*, P OPRIETOCS. -';E RMS-2 IN ADVANCE VOL. VIII. SUMTERVILLE, S. C., MARRC 29, 1S54 NO. 22. TflHE SUMTER BANNER, IS 'UBLISHED Every W1edncsday MYorniug BY Lewis & Richardson. TEt R IS, TWO DOLLARS in advance, Two Dollars and Fifty Cents at the expiration of six months or Three Dollars at the end of the year. No paper discontinmnel until all arrearages are rA ID, unless at the option of the Proprietor. g7? Advertisements insertel atI SI1:lNl'Y FIVE Cents per sq uare, (12 lines or less,) for the first, and half that sum for each snbsipiet t insertion, (Official advertisements tio s-une each time). t37 The 'tumber of insertions to be marked on all Advertisements or they will be publishied until ordered to be discontinued, and charged accordingly. LW'" ONE DOLLAR per square for a single insertion. Quarterly and Monthly Advertise mrents will be chargei the same as a single in sertion, and setni-monthly the same as new ones RII1 A 8 V L ' I A BY THE AL'TTiott OF "TALES OF THE PACKOLETTE." Three lhurths of a century had claps ed from the establishmaxent in I o me, by the Sabine Nuna, of the order of the Vestals, when his grand sun Aneus Martinus was called to the thrne. Nun a the inspired-the loved ft the godess-Eegiria, had lng been ga ther. ed to his fatthers ; but. the sacred lire oif the temple still burned on the, altars first erected by himself. The Vestal order had preserved its puIritv and its vigilance fromt suspicion. It still retained its popularity with the people and its votaries were held in tie' high. est estimation and veneration. Great and various were the pt ivile ges and powers of the holy iaidenis, who, proud in their hutility, seldom walked the streets of Iuine, uniattend Atjf ed by their (uards, supIing the faces, emblem s ot their rok :ruI sacre. I ollice. The lightest and the noblest of Rome's noble dames gladly devoted their ol'tpring to the service of the temple of Vesta, and eagerly ittrigued for the honors ol the Nv itiate fiir heir favorite daughters. Seldom had the seniors of the temuiple availed then:ii selves of the privilege f the law, of again returning to the world after hav ing served out the rcrtr:isite time, as novices, 'riestesscs, aal teachers o sacred mysteries. Yet the occurrence was not so unconiiniioi as to excite in. dignation, though it iiiighit. surprise, when Gegania the eldest of the Vest als uporn the promotion of Canutleid to the rank of priestess, announced her determination to iutit the temple, and, at the age of forty take: hack her vow of celibacy. An application to the Pontifex .Matximiii us, to su1pp1y the vat cncy aiong the Novices, became necessary by the withdrawal of Ge gaima, and the disa~igreeable (limiy of making a selection, devolved uon Areus Martinus, who blended withI his office of King that, of S vereign Pontiff. The solicitations of t he Romain mnat runs were too t bittarrassinig to allow the vacancy to be easily filled owing to the fact that the applicants were utmost iiumerous. Aneus Martinus still hesi tated ia his decision when an urgent appeal from the mothers of Vestal showed him the nece-sity of a pr..mipt compliance with their detands, if h would as oid the anger of the powerft l Virgins, whose influence was sufliciet. lyd cfotoligt texie all itiJ tome brwi fhspractice dus osrin tr our-th teen: years he had already aeigned, itn the discoveay and defeat of t reasonable plots against the stability of his gov Ornmeat. it, is at thtis period our tale aomme~nccs, atnd on the very day which the monarch had p~rolised to make knownt his finial deterintatioan respecting the anew Vestal. Within the walls of'Romne a few days previous to the period we have desig. ntetd, Tarquin ius Priscus, a wealIth1y Mitizen of' Corinth, had taken up his residence, lie was accomnpanaied 1by his oaly child a daughter, abouit nuie years of age, TLarqtuinus was a wid lGwgr-te. ear13' betrothedi of the Ves. talGegaiad to receive hera hand was his principal business at Roame. bio dreams of' aspir-ing amrbitn for himlTCf' or his daughter had ever infhlu enced the philosophical Priscuas. Sat hLfied with his intmetnse wealth and patridan rtak, he sought ratppiness anid 4maet ii unpretendinag retiremnit. 11is unhIotundled -hbenevolenc--htis vartied tre'qiiremntts and solid vituaes e~apled with tnaostentlations piety. had yegdered his jnme well knowan in Romg,. and seenr ied ime a great and 3%g"fj dauughter of PrisQus4 was tall that a faLter could~ wishi. Shet wats a suir Prig hivuly ohild, wi t ha m'indu, so fiireth devteiPed,. fbljl equal to te * rr)fle ! hetr'plrSoni, antd ftimdly (dil btentill'tjl a i W ws i .'l .'ih3 t-isIi( the strong atlleetion of her sole parent. She also, in accordance with the estab lished customs of her people, was he. trothed and wore upon her fore-inger the iron ring of her distant kiisnan Servius Tuillius. This youth had been selected by her atlier from family considerations-the afl'ections of the children were not thought of'-Servius was a soldier a bold and aspiring one of his age, which did not exceed six teen when he entered the royal army. Whether the hetiothinent between hiinself and his kinsman's daughter would he agreeable to hitm when the time for consumating it arrived, gave the young soldier little uneasiness. 'lhe evil day was fhr off and the corn part in the meanwhile secured hime a prineely fiotune. ie was away on soie distant expedition at the time Priseus visited lHone once more to form a matrimonial engagemnent. A Rioman knight was passing the house of Taruiinius, when attracted by a sweet and giriish voice, he raised his eyes and met, the curious gaze of the proprietor's daughter. 'Who are you ?' lie asked abruhtly. She timidly drew balk from the soldier's interrogato ry. Nay speak pretty one,' said he, smiling kindly. 'WVhat is thy" nameil' ' Uhea: Sylvla.' 'Indtead ! the muother o oulr R otli lus and liemis bore the same amd was a Vestal. Wouildst thou like to fill tle ''file of thy illustrious namesake ? Even the young Irhea Syl Ivia knew that the lliee of a Vestal was one of the lighe'st coPnsideration, anl answer iing the elinestion with delighted and sparkling eyes. 'O rall things it would please ie the I best.' She had folgot. tell Ier het.t ot lied- the world with whieh she was barely acquiniitedl--the ho1pes 4of her f'nd inl indil.ent father. Iler very iame had fromi infane,. as sociated her, ini iliaginatinm, withI the vestal order, and to lecome a priestess of t hat orler alpipeare'd to her the most g'oriouis destiny to which a fem-:; ctile1 at-jire. 'rt thou of Rlmie ' asked thie stran ger. 'No of' CorinthI.' And thly ither, what is his name and1( ruili 'A I'atriciani liv liirth. T uinius P'ri-ssv ylame.' II ah ! the g' ol IPriscus. Then tlly wishes shall be g' at:fiel. Ki now melt child f 1r l'Intifex .\laxius'u, and tlaiik the gods Ihr this accidenttal ieer rig. I'vepare tto enter the 'l'emilple of Vesta fn It-morrow, when the grood Inlt'llers shalil etall Ito escort, thee to, h1ir liirni ig ailtairs. Y<in ,ii n,,viee, I hid thet, fatrewell.' And Anieus \l:artis passed oi, Ieavinrg time fair lib.:nt S% lvia b,-,t in at~sni,-hmlent at tire sudlen e. anlge im h-r ''th-tiun. I )eeph a" l'ni,eu: f .10 ,f te I0, "f his tlinulr'er, afd anioniIh as lie- de. sired to keep her with himl, 'enm'tioln :il refp'ect for Ii ''ile :i'l for- tlt ee ligioni f his e ' ,lrI bo' 't'luile .nu inter fereince li is I'., t. Thle vow's were nmde, iand Ibea : Ivia hecame a iivice in those siulplimte m ysterles. known only to thet! virgins of the sun. 'ir ten yearis Aie acted the iv'ored guardian of ihe -uisnetl lire. 'l'ho I:nk ias inally waln. iii the 'ure and iar. loit. leristess devoted herself with zeal and elbllusiasrn to the luties of her hmigh~ adli''e whIic provel ',d thaut no whl tor earhl feligntr inge us risenls lhad returnued to his nativ',e CoriiithI, ande ill the pulrsuits of litera Iture andl "ei('nce c'eaised to reijret his daughter wvhilst hie gloried ini lier high destinly and innuaiiiculate fim e. The Vestal was pious, huotiored and happy -thle lmost popubar and beloved of' her whoil~e sisterhood. 'Ft her J upitet ! what a gloriious being,' exelainned a young anld hiaiid somle sohlier, as a Vestal and her guard passed the plaeco where lie was stiand ing. 'It were worth a kinigdomn to win a smnile fromi so fair a creature.' 'Say yout SO, sir ,soldier,' replied a cet izent neatr wvhomu he stood, 'and know yOut iiot it mtight, cost a head ? Our pious A neus wouilde timrni a Vestal's stmile into the bitterest fruit you could pluck in all Rotme. 'It 1may be4 so0, sir citizent, yet his piowe~r will niot laist always.' 'No, butt the Co'llinie Oatme will sur vive himi-a proper diread of' whieb, will tuntm the Vestal's smiile into a 'A smile and miore have' been woti from Vestal purity, anid in spite of Vestal fears,' 'Not in llomoe my gay soldier.' "So mtusty legenda 'toll4 yet our great Rlomulus had a Vestal moth~er.' '80 the same legend sayeth but 'Ihnh ! You a soldier of Rome atnd dotubt her certain hi-toty. Beware. sim soldier. It were no less than blas phe~my ini yotu to t hrtow a shade of' suis IiCIont oni (our di vino' I somuani's birt h. 'i kiiaw it frietd cit izenl. Forgive lil-I spoke carelessly. I meant no0 ajne-tion oif whlitt all l~oo itmeblee.. myself among the rest. Ancus Mar tinus, however, hath not the same origin.' 'L is not claimed for him , yet he i a good and a pious king. 'Well rule-you know not the namt of the Vestal ?' 'It is not so. None but a stranger in Rome should be ignorant of it. And I, sir citizen am that stranger, For the last twelve years I have follow. ed the banner of our good monarel without stepping foot in Rome till tlhi: blessed day. Father Jupiter ! I have lost much of pleasure whilst spending mny timeanong the barbarians. Will you name the vestal.' 'Rhea Sylva, daughter of Tarquinu Priscus of Corinth. The soldier started with an expression of the deepest astonishment but without asking f'urther questions, bade th< adieu cautiously, and gathering up hi; toga, walked swiftly in the direction the vestal had taken. 'Mercy !, oh ! beautiful and holy priestess, mercy for the love of Vesta, upon a wretch condemned to instant death.' Rhea Sy I va made a sign tc her guards to halt, and demanded of the oflicer having the supplicating prisoner in charge, for what ollence th man had been condemned- 'For fra. tricide,' was the reply, and on the clearest testimony. The wretch still clamored for mercy in the most pite. ous terms, whilst he ofiTred sundry excuses for the foul act. I cannot pardon one so attrociously guilty, said the Vestal, her cheek turning pale and her lip qiuivering, as she cut off by her refusal the last hope ofthe condemned ming. The oflicer and guard moved fio instantly to the place of execution. The gentle priestess delighted in acts 01 mercy, and would g'adly have ex. ercised her high prerogative had the ollence permitted ; as it was, the pain she endlured from being compelled to refuse, induced her immediate return to the temple. It was night--the moon cast a pale and !!eeing light over the highly ctltivatei garden of the temple, whilst the balmy fragrance of the air seemed to invite the young priestess to s. tai her agitated and over wrought f'tslings, by rambling amidst the sweet infuenees of the lights and shades of her ihlvorite walks. The voice of fratricide still rung in her cars and pained indl excited her more than she was willing to allow. But gradually ,he recovered her composure, though nit her usuil tone of mind. ler thoughts we rc pure but earthly. They were 4,f.her fatiher-of' the homeandt~ cotpaniions of her youth-and that deep blush betrays her-Servius T uli lis was remelmbered in ier wandering tiood. W\ hence came that strange and mysterious association by which the huyuish imge of Servious long since hnished from her memory was ,( vividly called il ? Why does she Ei-el ainxiouis to learn of his fate, to b-arn if the man has realized the prio miMes of the ardent boy. In the ebangef il vagaries of her thoughts, she remembered a soldier like yoiung iman'sgazing intently upon her as she passed the streets, and in faet. fillows ing il sight of herself and guards util she entered the Temple. 'Twas not tlat she had traced a single leature she could identify-but, there was some undefiable associatied with She leaned iagainst the outer wiall of the garden. restinig beneath the foliage oft ani overspr'eadintg treec. 'Ca1n it be poibli Ie,'" site murmtu red untcon'tscioutsly, "eani it be possible the soldier was Ser vious ? 'W ithotut (lollht, virig in of the Sun, was lie iinin ed iate r'esp~onse, andt~ a mani jumpedlc ftrom the tiree to heri feect. 'W hat sacrilegeous mtadmrran is thtis? dletmanded the young priestess haughiti ly-'who has darecd to intrude into the gar-dens of Vesta ?' A deep cr'imson os erspread the Vestal's neck and face, and whether of pileasture or' anger might have been dillieul t for' her' to deteri'nte. 'I was the sutbject of your' thoughts, lshea Sylvia,' he conttinued, 'as youi holy Maiden, have long beeun mine. Little did I t hink whena I first gazed upon you to-.day, andl ad m ired your transeendant beauty, that you wetre thec betr'othted of' my boy hood(, of' w homn the manidate of'a tyrtan tt had robbed 'I may not deny I thIouight of youi. It was almost the fir'st Li me in ten yeairs. tou forced youirself upon my alttLen tion to-day, by followitig me. 'Thanks, gen tle, priestess, Survitis Tuillius was not for'gotte-n by you.' In tr-uthl your wer-e. I kntow niot your! feaiture ts,-~Thouigh some1 vague reninottseenee assoiciated the supposed stiranger- w ith y-our memory. 'My Memory ! Thanak Jupite, or Vresta, miy memovry is not. thbat. of thle deadl, though it wecre of tho forgotten. "A nd of the dead. A t least dead to tme. I am vow~ed to the temiplo."' ,a"I kntow it~ y-t daughter of' Vesta, if I nustake not, thon .ci too yo.,,,, and too lovely to have quienchedl all the fires of a woman's hear t, in that throbbing bosom of thine." "Servius Tullius," said the Vestal sternly, "you are fully aware, not only of the great impropriety, but the great danger of intruding, upon my privacy. Should you be discovered here, your fat.e is inevitable. Unworthy suspi. cions might fix themselves upon my character. I am a Vestal, and as such may not hold secret converse with any name. Away sir, nor longer end:.n ger my fame or your own safety by delay," 'Cold, cruel, unimpassioned maiden. Is ittmot so-that you will not deign to bestow one kind word or look, upon the companion of your infancy." "Servius,'tis you that are inconsid erate and cruel. I voluntarily and cheerfully assumed, -iAe duties and took the vows of a Vestal. You did our good 'ontifex Maximus great injustice in charging, that his mandate unwillingly changed my destiny. "Stay, fair priestess. One moment longer hear me. Think you, that were you not bound to the shrine of Vesta, Survius Tullius might hope for favor? "This is worse than madness-'tis folly. I am bound-let that suflice." "One word, of hope or despair," cried Tullius passionately. It matters not what is possible or impossible answer ime. We may never meet again-yet answer me. Might I have hoped, did not Vesta interpose be tween us?" "You were my father's choice. My consent should not have been wanting to confirm it. Farewell. She turned to leave him. Tullius seized the Vestal's reluctant hand, and imprinted upon it a burning kiss. (I oman ladies had hands to be kissed as well as the moderns.) "Bear witness then," cried he, "bear witness, father of the gods. Servius Tullins swears tq- win his Vestal bride or to perish in the gl-'rious attempt." !or days the vestal appeared lost in, overpowering thought. She knew not what made the warm blood course with such thrilling violence through her veins. She knew not what pro duced that painful-aching-still pleas. urable-throbbing of the heart. One idea alone fil led her inid and she could not bmish it. Servius Tullius was in everything she saw-heard spoke or thought. The subtle poison was working. The pure and noble minded] girl knew no t, woman as she was, that she either did or could love. Her wak ilig and her sleeping dreams turned upon one pivot. It perchance she thought of love, she rejected the intruding idea with horror. No !-it was impossible. She the vowed pri estess of Vesta, could not, did not, must not love inortal man; but this self-deception could not last always. The truth was, erc-long forced upon her, and she awoke to the horrors of her helpless and hopeless destiny. Among the busy multitude that thronged ini mighty llome, were very many of broken fortunes and anibi tious minds. Men who were as ready to hew out with the sword an amend r.ent of their condition, in a domestic broil, as in a foreign quarrel. The seeds of that turbulent and factious spirit which sub-cquently enabled the soldierly to set utp a ero~wn itself for sale, were already sown in Rome. The good Aiicns Martinus with little natu.ral dispomsition for war', could not find eniploy ment suiita ble to their rank, fotr all who chose to live by the sword. A conspiracy was already formed to dethrone the peaceful monarch, and bestow the crown upon one of the con spirators, liut Hlome was iiot so utter ly eoiiupmt as it subsequently became, and Aneus had suflicient notice otf the movements of' the conspirator's to cita ble him to bring them to justice when. ever their plot, reached maturity. Ser'vius Tu'mllius, an approved soldier, had often heen solicited to take a part in the purposed rebellion, and though he (lid not entirely discountenance or peremptorihy reject the solicitations and olffers of' the traitors, lie had studi ously kept himself aloof from their cabals and was in 110 way coinutted to their party. But under the inmihm. ence of his new born pasion for' the Vestal, lie was ready to join thetm, hecart andI hand, upon the sole condition that she should be his irewaird, spite of her vows and oflicial stationi. This demanid was readily conceailed by the eimryo Moniarchl of the conspiriator's, who only) wvondlered that the influential soldier- could bo so infatuated as to join their ranks without further stiput lation. Serviuis iieithier asked nor wanted morec. Tlhue crown itself, with out ihea Sylvia, would have been WOt taless. lst this -acr-ilico of honor and loyalty was calculated to bienefit him, even less than he anticipated, though lie should fhil in his tiltimate object. The treason was known.-.the tr-aitor's wvere arrested-the proof was full and conchasivo. 'The leaders c~f the con sniraey Wm. do&mni to (li. 'he Centuriata sternly performed their duties-from the Sovereign nothing was left to hope. Servius was con dcmned to the Tarpeian Mount, and he prepared himself for the flute he felt to be inevitable. lie found means to have his last farewell borne to the Vestal, with the assurance that his fte was preferable to that of living without her-that for her he had risk ed all-dared all--and true to his vow, having failed, was ready to suffer all which the laws could inflict. Ihea Sylvia was not ignorant ofthe course of public events. She heard of the arrest and condemnation of Sur vius,.and that information laid bare the secret of her guileless heart befolre her. She loved. No sophistry could c'nceal--no art hide it from herself. She loved. Mad and disloyal as was the project of Survius, it was under taken on her part, and she, above all others, could not censure and alan. don him. She had learned what it was to love, and supposed impossibilities lost their character. To save him now was her whole thought. She had pow or to pardon even a traitor, could she find the proper time to exercise her indisputable prerogative. To do this., required sonic management, as her meeting with the condemned must have the appearance of being accidental not sought for. It was a part of the superstition of the times, and was so admitted by the laws, that the acciden. tal meeting by a Vestal of a criminal being led to execution, was an inter position of the gods, in favor of the condemned, and gave her the power of absolute pardon, if she thought proper to grant it. It was seldom this power was abused by the veigins, and public opinion generally, san.-tioned their humane decisions. Rhea Sylvia could hope for as much indulgence from the people of' Rome as any one of the order, and doubted not her interferenc would ;,cct with a cheerful acquies cence on their part, as well as from the .ontifx Maxim. The young Ves t;l easily ascertained the time Survius was to die, and took her measures ac cordingly. Two hours before meridian on the day of execution, the priestess dressed in her white robes of oflice, passed out of the temple, attended by a more numerous guard than usual, inclining, by a circuitous route, her walk towards the Tarpian Rock. The streets of the city were alive with the teeming Popu lation hastening towards the fhtal Mount. The Vestal had calculated on meeting the guard of Survius, as she issued out of a narrowr street into the main road leading to the rock; but in this she was disappointed; the dense multitude having blocked up the pass. age so as to delay her passage until the attendants of Survius had passed. She had made an impatient gesture to her guards, who advanced their faces and struggled stoutly to make the crowd give way. The delay, howev. er, was evitable, and the fair priestess saw her last hope of saving her lover cut ot'. To hasten forward would betray her design of meeting the pris oner, and render the interposition use less. "Back ," cried the angry guard in front; -"give way for a daughter of Ves ta." And in his impatience he struck the man nearest to him. Under the impulse of the moment, the blow was returned. A shout of horror was raised biy thme surrounding multitude, who pressed forward to seize thme sac rilegious assaulter of the guard of a Vestal. The confusion amounted to a riot. At the loud and angry shout of the multitude, the commander of the escort having Servius in chaurge, halted his men, uncertain wvhat the shout might indicate. The deep agony of the young Vestal as she saw her hopes of safety to Ser vius blasted, brought a deathlike pale. tess to her cheeks and tremor to her limbs, that rendered her insensible for a mnoment. She wvas sinking to the ground, overpowered by her' emotions, whlen a casual opening in the crowd discovered the guar'd still standing, where she had last caught sight of them. Love in wonman is as promnpt as ener getic in action. The priestess discov er'ed at a glance the true cause of the tumult and delay, and her determina tion was formed instantly. She rush ed forwar'd. as if under the im pulse of' terror, and fly ing towards the officer, eriedl out, 'Protection for a daughter of Vesta save me, sir officer, from the'~ populace-rsene for the guards of a priestess oif the sacred Rre.' T he men opened their rankuls to receive her an d immediately closed around the Vestal for hfer safety; whilst she, panting sinking with her exertions and alarm. found hersefsurpported by the strong arm of Servius Tuillius. A few moments sufleced to restore tranquility to the agitated moltitude. The assaulter of tho guard had made his escape in the confusion, wvhilst they, soon extrieating theimselves, advaneed f'or ward to rcnien ten nrinest.....:., under their protection. "Thanks, sir officer," said Rhen Sylvia, "for your prompt assistance and ready aid. The gods whom I serve will not forget the service rendered me in a time of apparent neeal. But, who is the criminal in your charge? Vhat is his name and ofrence?" "Servius Tullius, by name, convicted of treason and condemned by the Cen turiata to the Tar-peian Mc unt." "The offence is a serious one-the punivhment most severe. Hfow many have suifered on account of the late conspiracy?" "1 know not the exact number, bautiful daughter of Vesta; this man however, is. the last of the traitorous band-the rest have paid the penalty which now iEwait~s the prisoner." It is blood enough to spill for exam ple. Our pious Aneue Martius asks none for revenge. The man' sluall esca pe." The officer bowed low to tho Ves tal. To set the prisoner at liberty seemed no ungrateful task to him. "Servius Tullius, you are pardoned; nay, no thanks. I wish not to hear the sound of your voice. You are pardon ed. Let this fortunate escape make you cautious and loyal in your fiture conduct. Return to the service of your lawful sovereign, and redeem your last errors. Quit Rome;" she added emphatically, "quit Rome, with out a moment's delay, or you may meet with a worse fate than vou have just escaped." The Vestal returned to her temple, to return thanks in secret for the for tunate terni.ination of her day's adven ture-to still,Iif possible, the compune tions otfeonseinoce which forced her to remember she had been guilty of fraud and deception in saving the life of her .over-to brood over that love so dangerous to herself and its object to still the violent b utings of t' at gentle heart, now all too earthly for a priestess of Vesta-to hide that burn ing brow, feverish from the feelings that agitated her bosom, within tl deep and sacred recess of the temple. Ancus .Martins, merciful and amiable as he was in feeling. had determined that Servius Tullius mterir ed and should endure his fate. iHe had sonic vague recollections that Rhea Sylvia once was the betrothed of Servius, and could not believe, notwithstanding the clear and apparently satisfaetory re port of the oflicer, that their meeting was entirely accidental. Chagrined and angered at the escape of Tuliu'. he vented his ill humor in reproaches ofthe priestess, and worked himself into a state of mimil unfavorable to his formnr and favorite protege. Jealousy-envy--malice-were not meknown in the temple of Vesta. Rhea Sylvia had an enemy among the guardians of the sacred fire, who hated her for her beauty, accomplishments, noble birth, iimmaculate purity and high favor with the people and Ponti fex Maximus. Personally, the mild and amiable Virgin had never given her aspiring rival the slightest eause of offence. Yet she could not disarm her of her enmity or conquer her hate -which, petty as it was, seemed un dying and unextinguishable. This ran corous enemy by the mearest chance had witnessed the Vestal's interview with Servius in the garden of the tem ple. Too distant to hear- the precise w~ords that passed between them, she was prepaired by previous em -bittered feelings, to put the wvorst Construction upon all she saw, and all she heard. Determined on the Ves tal's destruction, she buried the secret in her bosom, until she could find a fit ting opportunity to divulge it. Whien it was known that Rhea Sylvia had pardoned Servius, this enemy sought the So vereign.Pon tif f to lay her charges before him, exultiiig in the belief, that they were suflicient to ensure the eon dignt punishment of the being she so catiselessly hated, and sought to dles troy. A few days afler- the pardon of' Ser vius, the Vest al Ca~nulema doimatnded a private interview wvith llontifex Max imus. It wvas gramnted of course, and the spiteful woman told her tale of malice and revenge, wvith all the am plification necessary toexietehr ror and disgust of the pioust Aneeus.r "This shall he strictly inquired into," said the PontifTKing. "If Rheaci Sylvial be guilty of the charges you bring agaiinst her--if she has dared to pollute the altars of' Vesta, she shall abide the penalties of the law in its utmost rig-r. Tlo-mrorrow, I oly Ca nulela, expects us tat the temple to proseeute this investigation." A fter the Vestal had withdrawn, An cus long continued walking with tunea sy and agitated step<. There wams a heavy depression of spirits in his man ner--a contortioni of the brow, that spoke of inward pain -and suffering an unearthly sparkling of' th eye~s that indiented some bodly or menta struggle. It was adt ofibe oh' Rhea Sylvia and" her" pvbab). fat that the monarch was ti ink~a, Sias presentiments of some impending evil torced themselves upon his considera tion. His vision was vague amd un definable; yet he felt that some mighty power was at work with:n him-that the crisis of his own fate was not far distant. True to his appointment, Ancus was early at the temple. In his character of Pontifex Maxiuis he directed the whole order to assemble, mothers, priesteses and novices, to bear and witness the investigation. Canuleia was directed to make her statements, and as she did so, ilhea Sylvia heard with feelings of astonish metant and alarm, a full and particular account of her interview with Servius in the garden of the terjle. The proof, circumstantii and positive coupled with the pardon ofServins, she saw was overwhelming against her. That she was in fact ianiocent of the graver charge of having briken her vow of chastity, she at once sAiw would avail her nothing, uinless she could free herself from the suspicion of. having designedly met Servius on his way to execution. An oath to declare the whole truth was administered to her. "Now priestess of Vesta answer," said Ancus, "stain not thy soul with perjury, least the gods, whose altars thou has desecrated naige Lhy punish ment greater than man can inflict. Answer. Art thou guilty of the crimi nal meeting in the garden of the tem ple? Didst thou meet Servius Tullius by design or accident. when thou didst pIardn the justly condemned traitor?" Thus adjured-thus answering un der the solemnity ofan oath, the young Vestal sealed her fate by answering truly. 1Ier guilt was apparent. The king believed her even nie hste and perjured. Her sentence was in accor. dance with the laws and customs of Iome. She was condemned, within three days, to be buried alive in the vault beneath the Colline (Gate, with the usual forms and ceremonies, None who saw the ghastly expret sion-the dull and heavy eye of toe J Pontifex Maximus-the tremor ?_d debility of his frame, would have doubted the deep sympathy with the doomed Vestal. Yet sueh opinion would have been wide the mark of truth. Ancus Martinus das but molt al. A fell disease revelled in his sys. ten, leap inig him neither time nor feel ing for sympathy with ihe sorrows of another. The day of burial arrived. Rhea e Sylvia, redolent with life and health and beauty, was on I'er way to her tomb. The litter was t't the door of the temple--the people with deieeted looks and heavy hearts stood around, anxious to catch a last : iew of the frail and lovely Vestal. A horseman is s?iftly approaching --his panting animal strains every muscle to meet his rider's wishes. He alights at the door of temple at the very moment the condemned Vestal appears. It was Servius Tullius. 'Joy-liberty-pardon'-he cried 'to the daughter of Priscus. No. lon ger a Vestal. I oaum thee, my be trothed. Serviu's Tulhlus has won his Vestal bride." The bewildered maiden corid scarce realize the ghid tidings. 'How is itl' - she asked. 'Has Anens Martinus r - lented ? have you proven my inn.. cence ? -AEr.Os Mar tinus nao longer reigns inl Rlome- the grand-son of Numa sleeps with' his sires.' 'Who then reigns in his place?7' 'W ho? Thou shalt hereafter, as thy father dust already. The good Tar.. quinus Priscus, by the free election of the Senate,- i~s now ihfth king of Rome. Father Jupiter ! thou wert very kinid in taking off' the good Ancus at the lucky moment..' We follow the fortunes of the Ves tal no farther. Every reader of Ro.. man history knows, that upon the death of Priscus, his son-in-lawv, Ser.vi us Tullius, was accepted as his succes. sor. his Vestal bride was lkng the loved mistress of mighty Rome-the cherished queen and wifhe of her sallh king. To TonA co-CrwRs.-..The Now York Journal 01 Commerce gives :the fallowing wvarning to tobacco chedeos : Ilesidles th'e pnison co~ntained (ifi weed itself, many of our tobaceo'chew ers are absorbing into their systems an oxyd of lead,--the same0 wihich kills so many painters, and paralyses others. Lead toil is cheaper t'tin tin ioil, and some of those who yudy pto bacco for chewing, use the latter i stead of the forme~r. 'L. e ounterflyit may be known by its dark blue or blu ish color, wherread tin felll. - nea~ly white. Tobacco chewers w ho do ot wish to absorb two paksons at one will do well to proffs-- by-this caution. A Ooo* Tar.-Tho et a~it' which c~ arttdt ask Gx. toe tw'e#Vto noturnl; ~ rIg tnnocent.