MAY 1943
¿—Adapted from YOUNG CHINA. M .
Gold Bracelets
I N THE EARLY days of Rome, we are told, there was in that an cient, walled city a girl named Tarpeia. She was the daughter of Tar- peius, the Captain of the Roman Guard, and she knew, of course, a good deal about the city’s gates and defenses, for the captain’s daughter naturally would be allowed to go here and there quite freely. An army of the Sabines under a leader named Tatius came to attack Rome. The Sabines, who were a neighboring people, had suffered from things the Romans had done, and they meant to capture the city. But Rome was so well fortified that Tatius found himself practically defeated, since he could not scale the walls or break the gates. But. in war, as you know, all sorts of deceitful schemes are made use of in order tb,get the better of an enemy. Tatius must have sent spies out se cretly to find some way of getting into Rome.
peia wanted to have some of those gold bracelets of the soldiers! Tarpeia was promised the bracelets if she would just see that a gate of the city—her own city—was open at a certain time, to let the foes inside. She agreed to this, and at night she unbarred a gate for Rome’s enemy. As Tatius rushed in at the head of his men, he angrily tore off the brace let from his arm and dashed it at Tarpeia’s feet, then threw upon her the buckler or shield that Sabine war riors carried. His soldiers, following his example, hurled their heavy shields also upon her, and Tarpeia fell be neath that crushing load as the in vaders swept on into the city, Tarpeia received what she had cov eted—but with the loss of her own life. Long,. long before Tarpeia’s time, there was an enemy who wanted some thing far greater than Rome; he want ed the world itself. There was a woman then in Eden who, just like
Now remember that the girl, Tar peia, knew a lot about Rome. She had, too, an eye for finery, and she paid considerable attention to soldiers’ uniforms. We can imagine her lean ing over 'the city wall or peering through some opening in it, to look at the Sabine soldiers. She saw some thing that fascinated her! The Sabine soldiers, had gold bracelets on their left arms—something which Roman soldiers never wore. Her interest was very keen in those gold bracelets. It was not wrong for her to want to have something beautiful. But she. became willing to do anything — however wrong it might be—if only she could get some of those bright ornaments for her very own. Hours upon hours were spent dreaming of this splendor. And so it happened that, whether through spies or by some other means, Tatius, the leader of the Sabines, came into touch with the daughter of the Roman Captain of the Guard. Tatius wanted to get into the city—and Tar
Junior King's Business By MARTHA S. HOOKER Member of .Faculty. Bible Institute of Los Angeles
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