Callista a tale of the third century Author:John Henry Newman Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER IV. JUBA. Tfiebe was more of heart, less of effort, less of mechanical habit, in Agellius's prayers that night, than there had been for a long whil... more »e before. He got up, struck a light, and communicated it to his small earthen lamp. Its pale rays feebly searched the room and discovered at the other end of it Juba, who had silently opened the door, and sat down near it, while his brother was employed upon his devotions. The countenance of the latter fell, for he was not to go to sleep with the resignation and peace which had just before been poured into his breast. Yet why should he complain ? we receive consolation in this world for the very purpose of preparing us against trouble to come. Juba was a tall, swarthy, wild-looking youth. He was holding his head on one side as he sat, and his face towards the roof; he nodded obliquely, arched his eyebrows, pursed up his lips, and crossed his arms, while he gave utterance to a strange, half-whispered laugh. " He, he, he! " he cried; " so you are on your knees, Agellius." "Why shouldn't I be at this hour," answered Agellius, " and before I go to bed ? " " O, every one to his taste, of course," said Juba ; " but to an unprejudiced mind there is something unworthy in the act." " Why, Juba ? " said his brother somewhat sharply; " don'i you profess any religion at all ? '' " Perhaps I do, and perhaps I don't," answered Juba; "but never shall it be a bowing and scraping, crawling and cringing religion. You may take your oath of that." "What ails yon to come here at this time of night ? " asked Agellius ; " who asked for your company ? " " I will come just when I please," said the othen " and go when I please. I won't give an account of my actions to any one, God or man, devil or priest, much less to you. What...« less