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| EOE RA BS WETS COEDS OU AE ENE EO RE EE er Re”

‘ And inoffensive person has been condemned to die!

THE EXAMINER.

-

Le

IE SE RTE SS TE a aS TE EE NLS I EE RR AGT

On the second day, Lydia was aroused from her of the land, although by no means certainas yet of the:

a fearful death. His father—his aged father—is here, slumbers by her brother, who asked her to observe the entire security. ‘We may now take time to repose ur, ww supplicate through me thy clemency. Let him not singular appearance of the sky, and alsc of the ocean— after the travails we have so recently undergone. Nay.

suffer thus. Tkis is my boon !’

‘Thou speakest ia vain, boy! replied the Pretor. ‘His doom is sealed—his sentence is pronounced. ‘The) seople will not be tampered with. tad’st thou plead. ‘hus before’ —

‘{t matters not, oh! father Lucius replied, with elo-| juent enargy—(increased, it must be confessed, by ad -ousciousness that the eyes of the fair Grecian were yent upon him) ‘ the when weighed in the balance ’gainst a human life. Say —wilt thou protect him ?”

which caused a feeling of vague apprehension in the

ininds of all who observed it.

cae ‘This is somewhat strange,’ remarked the master of;

the'frail vessel, as he stood upon the poop, and surveyed the sky from beneath his uplifted palm. ‘I have tra-

ople’s pleastres ate as nothing|velled this main many a time before, yet never met with

such weather. I deubt this calm portends a fearful tempest.’

‘It is impossible.’ — | ‘Heaven grant thy foreboding be groundless,’ said

‘Think! Were it thy son who stood thus chained oefore theecondemned to perish by the lion’s tooth, and thou a Witness, Can’st thou look on yon group, and not be moved ?

Cominius was evidently wavering, but a murmuring arose at this moment among the populace, and the other dignitaries, fearful of an outbreak, arose and consulted hurriedly together. A death-like silence reigned throughout the room, and then arose again the sullen clamors of the anxious mob.

Cominits at length stepped forward, and while a lictor proceeded toward the astonished captive, and busied himself in striking off his chains, the former addressed a few words of explanation to the multitude —promising them another victim onthe morrow. The murmuring continued, but it was more subdued, and while the dis- appointed crowd was pouring like a stream into the outer corridor, the rescued captive embraced his sister and his aged father, and then turned to thank the youn noble, who had interested himself so unexpectedly an with such a happy result in their poor welfare.

‘Nay, said Cominius, ‘thou owest me no_ thanks, therefore reserve them. The deed I have performed was one of duty, not of choice, and for the blessed re- sults which have fellowed my interference, thank thou rather the gods, who have enabled me to render thee this service.’

With this modest and truly noble disclaimer, he turned away and left them. But the face of the beauti- fal Greek was indelibly stamped upon his memory, and her voice rang like ethereal music in his ears, long after the windings of the street had shut the scene of his ge- nerous interference from his view.

PART I1.—THE ERUPTION.

All Herculaneum was in eommotion.—Groups of pale-faced citizens leitered about the streets, discoursing in an undertone, while all eyes were turned toward the crater of the neighboring volcano, from which came, at irregular intervals,smoke and fire. There was a gloom apon the air, and the sun gleamed with a sickly reddish hue through the sulphuroas clouds which overhung the sity with a dim foreshadowing of an evil time to come. “he atmosphere. too, was impregnated with sulphurous particles, and all things betokened that some strange convulsion of nature was at hand. Business was sus- pended inthe public marts, andthe hammer of ‘the smith, the song of the artisan, and the shrill voice of the scolding publican were hushed. Children suspended their sports in the midst, and fled to their mother’s laps, to escape the coming danger.

On the great read which Jed toward the nearest sea- port, Salernum, a motley procession of all grades and classes had taken up its march. Rude, lumbering wagons, laden with goods and chattles of various des- criptions, were slowly progressing toward the sea.

From the fields bordering upon the road the strange, anxious lowing of the cattle—which, with their peculiar instinet, seemed to scent the peril afar—smote unplea- santly upon the ears of the panic-stricken fugitives: who turned back ever and anon te cast a look upon the burning mountain.

Some there were, even in Herculaneum, who affected to laugh at what they termed the idle terrors of the peo- ple; but these were few, for the majority believed that a convulsion was at hand, although many did not think the danger was near, and others were too slothful te decamp, until they saw some more certain evidences el an erruption. oe ,

Meanwhile Ctesiphon, the young Greek, with his sister and aged father, had lost no time in proceeding toward the sea, in company with those of their country- men who had the good fertune to gain their liberty in the general exchange of prisoners which usually follow- elan engagement. A small but safe galley was wait- ing for them at the coast, and long before the inauspi- cious appearance above alluded'to had taken place, they were far form the land, and ina fair way, with prospe- vo1s breezes and some exertion, of soon making the home from which they had so recently been exiled.

But great was the kappiness’of the reunited family at the termination of their troubles, there was one among chem whose gratification was not unmixed with regret.

Lydia could not but remember with feelings of deep and earnest gratitude the noble and disinterested con-

duct of her brother’s preserver, and she could not repress,the sea, This difficulty was conquered, however, in a few tears when she reflected’that they were never to| brief time, and although the waves ran toa great height.

meet again. As they receded fiom the Shore, these sensations became still stronger, and the poor girl, at

Ctesiphon, thinking only of his sister, whe, leaning heavily upon his arm, watched Janguidly the singular manifestations which had called forth the unpalatable prophecy of the captain.

Toward evening the sky became still more overcast, and a heavy shower fell, bringing with ita cloud of ashes and dust of a peculiar color, which spread over the sails and deck of the vessel, and over the garments of such as were obliged to remain exposed to the incle- mency of the storm. The waves now ran mountains high, and the little craft was buffeted about in all direc- tions at the mercy of the billows. The captain still maintained his post, and though his look betrayed con- siderable anxiety, he gave no vent to his fear in words, but remained with his eyes fixed steadfastly in the direction whence they had come, as if anticipating the. storm which he knew too weil was shortly to follow.

During the interval occupied by this scene, one of a widely different nature was taking place at Herculaneum. The unusual signs observed by the inhabitants had been on the increase hourly, until the event which they had foreboded had come to pass. ‘Then it was that those who had been the loudest in their ridicule of such as had prudently ‘fled from the wrath to come, became mute and terror stricken, Among the railers, ‘the father of young Cominius had been most promivent. But now he deeply repented the inactivity which had led him to ex- pose his family to the fury of the volcano, and to spurn, until too late, as it proved, the only avenue of safety left open for them.

At the first breaking out ef the eruption—which was announced by a sudden trembiing of the ground and a discharge of stones and Java, a portion of which fell within the city gates, and did grievous damage to some wooden sheds for stabling, situated therein—the Pretor hastily abandoned the seat of justice, and ‘fled to the succor of his unprotected “family. But Cominius ‘had been before him, and only a faithful servant remained behind, braving the perils of the approaching catastrophe with that neble devotion which characterised the men of old, to denote to him the direction they had taken. The whole town was by this time in motion, with the excep- tion of some, who, not so easily intimidated as the rest, remained béhind to gather up their mest valuable chattels, er to plunderthe houses of those whose sudden flight had compelled them to abandon everything, and the aged Preetor, with many an inward misgiving, gave one backward glance at the angry and fuming leviathan, which threatened the annihilation of his late peaceful home, ere he grasped the hand of his faithful servitor, and hurried him away. It was his last look, for the in- stant of his turning a more terrible convulsion shook the earth, and falling upon his side from the effects of the concussion, he was immediately overwhelmed by the falling fragments of his own dwelling—while his slave, Juba, disdaining to fly, shared the same terrible fate.

On all sides nothing now met the gaze of the terrified | fugitives but the tottering walls of temples and the bleeding remains of those unfortunates who, being too} slow in their movements, had been invelved in the com-' mon ruin, From the summit of Vesuvius came forth an} impenetrable cloud, that @arkened the atmosphere for|

tinguisk their road, fell by the way, and were instanta-

—Amid all this confusion arose incessantly, combined | with the cries ef men and women, and the crash of crumbling edifices, the frightful roaring of the wild) beasts caged within the walls of the otherwise deserted | Amphitheatre.

The younger Cominive, meanwhile, in company with his mother and sister, seated in one of his father’s cha-

which was unusually calm and motionless forthe season.| droop not, Lucia,’ he added, addressing his sister, whe |The air, toe, was almost insufferably warm, and there! was a pale, black lustre appearance in the heavens,;

appeared deeply dejected, and did not seem to share the joy of her companions; ‘ droop not, sweet—the greatest evil is past, and we may now look around us without « particle of fear.’

‘Alas, brother! she replied, mournfully ; ‘1 thought not of our own danger. Qur father, Lucius !"

‘Nay,’ said Lueius, whose forebodings were no jess melancholy than hers, although for obvious reasons he did not hesitate to conceal them from her; dreading Jes: the disclosure, coupled with the trials she already sus- tained, might be too much for her delicate frame to bear. ‘He is safe, beyond question. All Herculaneum was afoot as we passed on, and I doubt not our beloved father was among the fugitives. This commotion wil! soon subside, and a few days, at farthest, will reunite us.

Her brother’s words did not altogether fail in the: object, for the poor girl ceased weeping, and becam« more cheerful, if not absolutely contented. Still, how- ever, there was a doubt, and as there were few on board the little vessel who had not left behind a beloved friend or relative, there was a general gloom upon the spirits of the party which nothing could avail to dissipate.

Their trials, however, had but commenced, for jt seer - ed as if, in flying froma great danger on the land, thev had only embarked to encounter greater disasters upon the water. They had been but a day ‘at sea, when « fierce sterm arese—-the same as that noticed by the crew and passengers of the galley in which Lydia with her father and brother had embarked—and so great wae the damage sustained by their vessel, that they were «: last obliged to construct a small raft, on which thev placed themselves without loss of time, and were soon at the mercy of the unsparing elements. Certain deati: now stared them in the face, and they were just on the point of yielding to despair—even Cominius, who had been the Jast to submit—when, to the great joy of all. « sail appeared in sight, and the storm suddenly abating they were enabled by degrees to make the strange bari understand their signals, and hasten to their assistanc: But the hopes of the tempest-tossed crew were suddeni+ crushed, when in the persons of those whom they had summoned to their aid, they recognised those of their most redoubtable enemies, the Greeks.

‘ All hope is indeed extinct,’ exclaimed Cominius, re - gretfully, though without the least manifestation of a desire to avert the fate which he felt too surely awaited him. ‘I would not care for my own poor safety, bit thee, Lucia, and my mother—it is hard to know that ye also must participate in our sufferings.’

it was here that the energy of her wornan’s character ~ was made apparent in his sister.—Rising to her fu)! height, and glancing with a holy confidence toward the brightening sky, she rejoined:

‘We are all in the keeping of a higher power. Sor myself, dear brether, I fear not—for! fee] confident there is a brighter prospect forus beyond the grave. Lo -how yon sunbeam bursts its way from amidst the dens« masses of cloud which on every side have environed 1 Such will be our awakening, after oug troubles hall eer!

‘ Noble girl! said her brother, proudly embracing ter. ‘Thou art worthy to be the daughter of an emperor !"

‘It is sufficient for me if I am worthy to be the sistey * * kind and generous a brother,’ she answered muw-

estly.

By this time the two parties ‘had approached nea> enough to enable those respectively belonging to tie: to distinguish the habiliaments of their rivals, As soom as they perceived the nation of those to whose rescne they were hastening, the Greeks, as Cominius dreadec, put about with the intention of passing on their couree. and abandoning the shipwrecked party to their fate. but at this crisis a general movement was apparent upor

miles around, and hundreds, both in town and on the the deck, and in a short time they again veered about roads, rendered by this sudden darkness unable to dis-|and the distressed fugitives were received en board.

Great was the astonishment of Cominius when in the

neously suffocated by the descending clouds of ashes.) persons of these to whom he was indebted for his deli.

verance he recognized Ctesiphon and his lovely sistes Lydia. The secret of the friendly conduct of their adversaries was now fully apparent. Reeognizime among the tenants of the raft her brother's benefactor, the grateful girl had interfered in the behalf of Gomi. nius and his party, and by rehearsing the story of her brother’s late escape frem the lion, she succeeded ix

riots, into which ke had‘hastily coliected such of their}enlisting the feelings of her countrymen in their behal:. * * * cad *

household wealth as the urgency of the occasion allowed

them to get together, was urging his horses furiously

toward the cuast—ever and anon Jooking anxiously back

with the forlorn hope of seeing his father following in

pe track. But such consolation ‘was to be denied im.

Arrived on the borders of the sea, another, difficulty presented itself. In the hurry of the nroment Cominius had mistaken the road to the nearest port of embarka- tion, and much time was spent in looking about them for a sure conveyance to some place of safety beyond

land their shallow bark labored fearfully in the heavy

surf, they were soon carried by the breeze to a-distance

*

Two weeks after the above occurrence, there war x solemn ceremony performed in the presence of the actors in the foregoing scenes: the principal parties in whieh were Laicius Cominius, and Lydia, the beautiful Greek

< ASRBULTVRE. ——

TO PROTECT POTATOES AGAINST DISEASE.

The following method of protecting potatoes from disease has attracted much notice in Germany, and the Prussian Government have promised the discoverer a reward of 2000 dollars if it should be fownd practicable.

jast, felt as though, instead of her returning to her sufficiently great at least to secure them from the pros-| The plan has been made public, with aview of aseer-

ative land in company with the beloved brother whom cee had Gespaired of seeing again, she was on the point uf 2eing banished forever.

‘pect of immediate danger.

:

taining its results by experiments on an extensive scale,

*The gods be praised!’ was the first exclamation of|and we extract the tollowing description of it from the

{Cominius, when they were at length fairly out of sight, Gardener's Chronicle; —