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208 208 ST. SABINA battlements of a city. They met a shep- herd and asked him what town it was. He said it was Troyes and the travellers gave thanks to Qod for having led them to the end of their journey, and not let their strength or their faith fail them by the way. Sabina sat down on a stone by the wayside and said to Maximinola that they would wait a little, and per- haps when the gates were opened some one would come out and give them tidings of Sabinian. Soon Licerius, the venerable pastor of the little Christian flock in Troyes, came out of the town and seeing the two strangers asked who they were. They told him their story and asked whether he knew Sabinian. "Daughter," said the old priest to Sabina, " your brother was indeed here, and, for his sake, you are welcome among the Christians of Troyes. You might well dream that he was promoted to great honour, for he has attained the highest of all honours — that of martyr- dom. He dwelt among us for a long time, but when the Emperor Aurelian persecuted the Church a few months ago, Sabinian was conspicuous for his good works, so the heathen officers arrested him and ordered him to re- nounce the faith and sacrifice to the gods, and when he refused to obey he was beheaded. We buried him at a place on the banks of the Seine, a few miles from here and a pious woman has built a little chapel over his grave. Gk) thither and say a prayer and return to us. You shall be as one of ourselves, and all that we have we will share with you." Kind and fatherly as were the words of the aged priest, they fell with the chill of death on the heart of the dis- appointed pilgrim. Her stiffening limbs would not carry her to the banks of the Seine, for she had come to the brink of a broader river. When the old man had left her, she fell on her face on the ground and prayed that she might rest from her wanderings and no longer drag her weary feet through difficult journeys. She commended her faithful companion to God and went straight from the dust where she lay, to rejoin in paradise, the brother she had wandered so far to see on earth. The venerable Licerius fetched a choice robe to wrap round her, and summoned all the Christians to bring in a pilgrim who had died outside the gate. They could not move the body, and some of those who tried to lift it were cured of blindness and other ills ; they buried her where she lay, and Licerius gave a funeral feast to all the Christians and all the poor. He wished to build an oratory over Sabina's grave, but an angel told him that this should be done by his successor as he was soon to rest from his labours. B.M,, Jan. 29. AA,SS, Sabina and her brother are honoured as martyrs, Aug. 29, Jan. 24, in the church of Troyes. In the church of Treves, which is constantly confounded with Troyes in the various records, there is a commemoration on Aug. 19, of St. Sabina and her maid. St. Sabina (3), Oct. 27, V., M. c. 303, either at Evora or Talavera, with her sister St. Chbisteta and their brother St. Vincent They are patrons of Avila. Dacian, prefect of Gaul, under the orders of the Emperors Maximian and Diocletian, was trying to root the Chris- tian religion out of Spain. One day his men brought him a youth, named Vincent. Dacian argued with the prisoner on the folly of worshipping a God who had been crucified as a male- factor; at the same time he promised, in consideration of Vincent's youth, not to punish him, if he would renounce his errors and offer sacrifice to the gods ; as Vincent remained firm, Dacian ordered him to be led away to the place where the sacrifices were offered, and com- manded that if he refused to sacrifice he should instantly be put to death. As they were leading him across the Plngay he put his foot on a stone, which retained the mark as if it had been wax. The soldiers, struck by the miracle, re- turned immediately to Dacian and bogged that this wonderful man might have at least a few days' respite. The governor granted him three days. His sisters, Sabina and Christeta entreated him, with