Calliste continued: "Having touched fire and water as presented me by my Faustinus, I next saluted him with all the grace of manner I could command; and I will tell you privately "—and here Calliste leaned forward, and in a stage-aside, said: "it was the result of the steady practice of a month previous; this done, I addressed to him those sweet words: 'Ubi tu Caius, ego Caia.' *

"Thus I entered, distaff and spindle in hand, and being seated on a sheepskin, the keys of the house were placed in my hands. Then followed the banquet styled cœna nuptialis, given by Faustinus to my train of friends. At this feast I presided. The banquet over, I was conducted by matrons to the bridal chamber, which was magnificent as taste and wealth could coutrive; the floor of which was strewed with flowers. On the day following, Faustinus gave another entertainment to his friends, after which I made certain sacrifices, according to prescribed customs, to the Dii Penates, and then assumed all the management of my new home. Such were the ceremonies of a Roman marriage among the Patrician order. As conducted by the citizens of Rome, it was made offensive to all delicacy and modesty. Now, Mrs. Jay, had I been a Christian, could I have poured out the libations required of me in honor of the gods? All these ceremonies were more or less intimately associated with the religion of Rome. Suppose

"Where thou art Caius there am I Caia."

I had been one of the slaves of Faustinus, a poor kitchen drudge? There stood upon the hearth household deities to be sacrificed to daily; there was the sacred lamp to be kept burning, around which the lares* and penates were ranged. And sitting at the table with other servants, I must have eaten of meat offered to idols, and been expected to pour out of my wine-cup, my libation with those about me, in honor of the gods; and upon festival days to have joined in dances full of seductive blandishments. Every condition of life has its peculiar trials and tests of faith; and I think you will admire the grace of God our Saviour, manifested by multitudes of women, who in face of all these dangers, dared to embrace the religion of a despised and crucified Saviour and he a Jew! The courage of a man was hardly equal to such horrors as awaited the confession of Christ; and yet,-with all the tenderness of a woman's heart, torn by contending passions, the love of life, the shrinking from suffering natural to all, and felt most by women; the rending of the ties of love to her parents, her husband, her children and her household, -there was no lack of martyred mothers, wives and daughters, in the three first centuries of the church of Christ."

* "The domestic Lares, like the Penates, formed the religious elements of a Ro man household. When they took their meals some portion was offered to the Lares. When a young bride entered the house of her husband, her first duty was to offer a sacrifice to the Lares."-SMITH, vol. i. p. 722.

St. Chrysostom has an account of marriage rites in his day. In addition to

Mrs. Jay renewed her thanks to Calliste and Faus tinus for all the pleasure she had derived from this conversation, so full of new and instructive thoughts as it had been to her, saying in conclusion: "The grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, has been gloriously illustrated in the sight of angels and men by the triumphs of the cross over Pagan Rome. And there is yet another to be accomplished when the prophecies against Papal Rome shall all be fulfilled; when the angel of God shall come down from heaven endowed with great power, enlightening the face of the earth with the glory of his presence, and lifting up his voice shall cry mightily, "Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots and of mystery, is fallen, is fallen!"

"Can it be," cried Faustinus, looking at Perpetua, "that Rome has become the Anti-Christ of St. Paul, and the mystical Babylon of St. John?"

"Such is the faith of all Protestant churches,” replied St. Perpetua.

66 Come," " said Faustinus rising, "let us change our places and our thoughts. I begin to feel the chill atmosphere of the Campagna of Rome about me. See! there

all that has been given-speaking of the trials to which a young bride was sub jected, he says: "Not only in the day, but also in the evening, men are enlisted, who having been made drunk, besotted and inflamed with luxurious fare, are brought in to look upon the beauty of the damsel. Nor is this all; but they led her through the market-place in pomp, to made an exhibition of her, conducting her with torches late in the evening, so that she might be seen of all. And they do not stop here; but with shameful songs do they conduct her What can one say of these songs, crammed as they are with all uncleanness ?"

are the young servitors of the palace gathering to keep this festival day, under the shade trees; I am sure you will all be glad of such a change as they will offer

us."

"With pleasure," said Mrs. Jay; and with a volitiur they landed on the shore, leaving Persis to ferry herself over the lake alone.

CHAPTER VI.

The Party returns to the Palace Gardens-Scene-The Festivity of the Servitors→ Their Dances described-Mrs. Jay's Colloquy with St. Perpetua about Dancing ---Miss Mehitable Smith arrives-Her Horror at the Sight--Her Angel's contrast between the Dancing of Earth and the World of Beauty-Tibertius gives a Recitation to Mrs. Jay and Perpetua of a Sermon Preached in the Metropolis by St. John Chrysostom.

THE day had reached its meridian, and a throng of young persons were clustered in happy groups in their gala costumes, awaiting the coming of their corypheus to begin their festive dances. His coming was told by a sound of music, whereupon they all ran to meet him and his band of some sixty orchestral performers. For these a temporary platform had been already erected. So soon as the performers were seated, the signal sounded for the opening dance, when the confused groups became a circle. The male and female choreutae* sang as they danced, and their gliding graceful movements were inexpressibly beautiful. At times they were so mixed

"The original of the chorus," says Dr. Kennett, "was at first nothing else but a company of musicians singing and dancing in honor of Bacchus.”—Art, 'The Comedy and Tragedy."