The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1853-11-17
Ponpeii.

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 curl
GUS interest; they belong to archoeolo-
gy, and find appropriate resting places
in historical museums. But there are
some exceptions, = Here, for instance,
the excavator drops, an unlimited guest,
upon the banquet, there, he unexpectedly
obtrudes himself into a tomb. In one
place, he finds a miser covering on his
heaps-another shows him bones of dane
ing girls and broken instruments of music
lying on the marbel floor. In the midst
of painted chambers. baths, balls, col
umns, ountains--among the splendid evil
dences of material wealth-he sometimes
stumbles upon simple incident, a touch
ing human story, such as strikes the i'm
agination, and suggests the mournful in
terest of the great disaster-as the sud
den sight of a wounded soldier onures
up the horrors of field of battle. Such
to our mind, is the latest discovery of the
excavators in this melancholy field. tits
group Of skeletons in the act of flight,
accompanied by dog. There are three
human beings one of them a young
girl, with gold and jewels still on her fin
gers. The fugitives had bags of gold
and silver with them, snatched 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 mistress dying at her
| side.
Seen by the light of such an incident,
how wildly that night of horrors looms
upon the senses! Does not imagination
picture that little group, in their own
house, by the side of their evening foun-
tain, languidly over the days events and
of the unusual heart? Does it not hear
with them, this troubled swell of the wa
ters in the Bay-see, as they do how the
night comes down in sudden strangeness,
how the sky opens over head and flames
brake out, while scorise, sand and molten
rocks came pouring down? What move
ment, what emotion, what surprise! The
scene grows darker every instant,-the
air grows thick with dust and hot with
f1ames,-and at the mountains foot is
heard the deadly rool Of the liquid lava
Jewels, household goods, gold and silver
coins, are snatched upon the instant
No time to say farewell; darkness in from
and fire behind, they rush into the streets
streets choked with falling houses anc
flying citizens. How find the way through
passages which have no longer outlets
confusion, danger, darkness, uproarevery
! where; the shouts of parted friends, th'
agony of men struck down by falling
columns; - fear, madness, and despair
unclaimed; here, Penury clutching gold
it cannot keep,-there, Gluttony feeding
ON its final banquet, and Phrenzy striking
in the dark to forestall death. Through
all, fancy hears the young girls screams
the fire is on her swelled hand. N
time for thought,-no pause;-the flood
roll on, and wisdom, beauty, age, ano
youth, with the stories of their love, thei
hopes, their rank, wealth; greatness al
the once aff1uent life-are gone for ever
When unearthed after many ages, tn
nameless group has no other importance
to mankind than as it may serve to poin
moral or adorn tale e'-London AAena
cum.