The Gavelyte, March 1908

be!ng ean ~imply com!11ence his life's task. when cleath overtakes him, and the amount he <loe:i accomplish r:; of but trifling importance. Why, then, does it pay to live and battle for thP right? The answer to this question is of Yitai importance: to make life's battle a victory and not a rlefeat by un– flinchingly stan<ling for principle, until that principlP is acknowledged right an<l true. In a far distant country. many centuries ago, a vast number of Roman citizens assembled in an immense amphitheatre to see some despised Chris– tians fight for their lives against terrific wild beasts This gran<l perform– ance was preceded by a <luel between two rival glarliators, \Yho were traine<l to :::truggle in sue h a sport evrn to <lea th. in or<ler to entertain anrl please the populace. A icture present:=; itself. There appear two ~trong, muscular young men emerging from a low. stone-arched gateway on one sidP and a<lvancing slowly to the center of tbat huge , tadium, whl-'re they face each other– then fight long an<l <lesperately with their swords, their bo<lies covered with perspiration, blood, and the heavy yellow dust of the arena ~ee! One of them is beginning to weaken. Some of the m0re distinguished of the on– lookers are rushing in and stMding near the contestants. eager to witnes:=; the death agonies of the vanquished. The populace are on the Yerge of proelaiming the victor, when sud<lenly · an old man leaps from the railing of the balcony. his long white hair hanging over his :=;houlders, as he rushes up to the gladiators and standing between them, implores that they cease their fighting. A loud hiss breaks from the excited multitu<le: "Rack, back old man!'' nut the olrl hermit. TELEMACHUS, remains rooted to the spot. ''Cut him down, cut him clown!'' cries the crowd. Then the gladiator, themselYes strike their would-be peacemaker to the earth, and contimie their fight owr his <lead ho<ly. \Vhat a fooli~h deerl! What was accomplished by such a useless sacrifice of life? What does his <leath amount to as compared with those of thousan<ls, who met a similar fate in the Roman arena? Inde~<l he was kille<l, hut his death brought Rome.to her '>em;es. Xo more gladiator– ial contests <lisgraced the Coloseum, and throughout the whole empire the custom was entirely abolished. ,'uch was the victory from the low hermit's defeat. .'uch is the re::;ult of his action to-day, that the sanctity of hu– man life, the principle for ,,·hieh he <lie<l, i~ held dearly and indelibly ~tamped upon the hrow of every great nation of th~ earth. ''No man fails