Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-11-24

In digging out the ruins Of PompeiI, every
turn of the spade brings up some relic Of the
ancient life, some witness Of imperial luxury.
For far the greater part, these relics have
merely curious interest they belong to arch
zoology, and find appropriate resting places in
historical museums. But there are some ex-
ceptions. Here, for instance, the excavator
drops, an unlimited guest, upon the banquet
there, he Unexpectedly obtrudes himself into
tomb. In one place, he finds miser COVER
ing on his heaps-another shows him bones OF
dancing girls and broken instruments Of mu-
sic lying on the marble floor. In the midst Of
painted chambers, baths, halls, columns, foun-
tains-among the splendid evidences of mate
rial wealth-he sometimes stumbles upon a
simple incident, touching human story, such
as strikes the imagination, and suggests the
mournful interest of the great disaster az the
sudden sight Of wounded soldier conjures up
the horrors Of field Of battle. Such, to our
mind, is the latest discovery of the excavators
in this melancholy field. It is group Of
skeletons in the act of flight, accompanied by
dog. There are three human beings-one
of them young girl, with gold rings and jew
els still on her fingers. The fugitives had
bags of gold and silver with them, Bnatched
up, no doubt, in haste and darkness But the
fiery flood was on their track and vain their
wealth, their flight, the age of one, the youth
Of the other. The burning lava rolled above
them and beyond; and the faithful dog turned
back to share the fortunes Of its mislress-dy
ing at her side.
Seen by the light of such an incident, how
wildly that looms upon the senses! Does
not Imagination picture that little group, in
their own house, by their evening fountain,
Ianguidly chatting over the day events and
Of the unusual heatt Does it not hear with
them, the troubled swell Of the waters in the
Bay-see as they do, how the night comes
down in sudden strangeness, how the sky
opens over head and flames break out, while
scoriac, sand and molten rocks came pour
ing down. What movement, what emotion,
what surprise! The scene grows darker eve-
ry instant,-the hollow monotone Of the Bay
is lifted into yells and shrieks,-the air grows
think with dust and hot with flames, ,-and at
the mountains foot is heard the deadly roll Of
the hluid lava. Jewels, household goods,
gold and silver coins, are snatched up on the
instant No time to say farewell; darkness
in front, and fire behind, they rush into the
streets-streets checked with falling houses
and flying citizens. How find the way through
passages which have no longer outlets CON
fusion, danger, darkness, uproar everywhere
the shouts Of parted friends, the agony Of men
struck down by falling columns fear, mad
ness. and despair unclaimed here, Penury
clutching gold it cannot keep,-there Glutto-
nv feeding on its final, and Phrenzy striking
n tho dark to forestall death. Through all
tancy hears the young girls screams, tho
fire is on her jeweled hand. No time for
thought, no pause ;--the floods roll Ons--
and wisdom, beauty, age, and youth, with the
stories Of their love, their hopes, their rank,
wealth. greatness, all the once afluent life
are gone forever, When unearthed after
many ages, the nameless. group has no other
importance to mankind than as it may serve
to point a moral or adorn tale. '--Lo"doW
AthenGoun. it f,ra ln