The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-04-08
A Touching Relic of Pompeii.

A Touching Relic Of Pompeii.
In Iigcinr ont the ruins of Pompcii. every
~, o. the spade brings up some relic of the
,cirnt lic some witness Of Imperial luxury.
For far the greater part, the relics have
merely curious interest: they belong to
.rlaulcev. and find appropriate resting
,',.r,in historical museums.
Eat there are some exceptions Here. for
Instance. the rxcavator drops-an uninvi'cd
r-,,- u,on l,nquct; there he uncxpcct-
e..y d ,rule> himself into tomb In one
r',.c he finds a mi>cr covering on his heap
another shows him homes of dancing girls
all broken Instruments Of music living on the
marble floor In the midst ofpainted cham
irr,. t .th>. halls. columns. fountain>-amonG
,le ,cn,lid evidences Of ofmatcrial wcaltl.-hr
sometimes stumhcs on simple incident.
,ouclin. human story, such as strikes :hc i'm
a,na,ion and snr@ests the mourntul interest
oftlc orca. li>astcr-aS the snlden sight OF
swopr1cl soldier conjurcs up the horrors
q. field OF battle.
Such to our mind. is the latest discovery
the cxcavators in tbs melancholy field.
I;;s y Group Of skeletons in the act Of t'i"ht.
a. omranicd bv a ,log. There are three hui
nan beings, one of them youn. girl. with
col,l rings and Jewels still on her fingers
The fi,ri,ives had a ba. of gold and silver
with ,lcm-s snatchcd mp. no doubt in haste,
anl darkness. But the fiery food was on
their ack.-anl vain their wcaltll-thcr
f.h'. the auc of one. the youth of the other
The burning lava rolled above them and be-
youl and the faithful dog turned back to
,hare the fortunes OF his mistress dying at
h.r >le
Seen bv the lirht Of such an incident. how
wildly that n.lt Of horrors looms upon the
sense Does not Imagination picture the lit
tie croup.in their own house. bv the side of
their evening fountain, lanyuidv chattcrin 9
over the DAYS events and Of the unusual
feat: Does it not hear, with them, the
troubled swell of the waters Of the bay .
See rs they do how the night comes down
n sudden stran.cnrss how the sky opens
yer head. and flames break ont while cor;r
and. and motion rocks come pourin. down:
What movement. what cmotion. what sur
prise The scene crows darker every in
,.aut-thc hollow monotonv Of the bay i
lifted into wells and slricks--lhe air grow
thick and hot with lamcs-and at the noun
tans foot is heard the deadly roll of the liz
uid lava. Jewels. household gods. gold an,
silver coins. are snatchcd up on the instant
No time 10 say farewell; darkness in front
and fire behind thew rush into the streets
s.rects checked with falling houses and fly
ins scitzcns. How find the way through pas
>a.es which have no lOrgcr outlets conf,
-!]n. danger, darkness. uproar evcrywherc:-
'he shouts Of parted friends. the agony q
Mea struck down by falling columns fear
n.aness, and despair unclaimed here, Pen
uTy ciutchins gold it cannot keep-thcre
oIrt.onv feeding on il final meal. an,
Ihrcnzy striking in the dark to forestal
death. Through all, Fancy hears the youn
girls screams-the fire is on her jcwclc'
land. No time for thoucht-no pause :-th
i5od rolls on-and wisdom, beauty, age, an
Youth, with all the stories of their love. thci
hopes, their rank, wealth and greatncss-al
the once atilucnt life. are gone forever.
When unearthcd after many accs. til
nameless group has no other Importance t
mankind than as it may ''ser,c to point
moral or aiorn tale"