The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-05-19
MOURNFUL RELICS.

MOOnNEOA NLAlNO.
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, the relics have
merely curious interest; they belong to the
archaeology, and find appropriate resting. pla-
ces in historical museums.
But there are some exceptions. Here, for
instance the excavator drops Gan uninvitcd
gucs) upon banquet; there he Unexpectedly
obtrudes himself in tomb In one place he
finds miser covering on. his heap; auoth-
er shows him bones Of dancing. girls, and bro.
ken instruments Of music lying on the marble
floor. In the midst II the painted chambers,
baths, halls, columns, fountains-among the
splendid evidences Of material wealth, he
sometimes stumble on simple incident, n
touching human & ~. such as strikes the
Imagination and SUI ggests the mournful inter.
est of the great disaster-as the sudden sight
of a wounded soldier conjures up the horrors
of the field Of battle.
Such, to our mind, is the latest discovery
of the excavators in this melancholy field
1t is a group of skeletons in the act Of flight,
accompanied by dog. There are three hu.
man beings, one of them young girl with
gold rings and jewels still on her fingers
The fugitves had bag 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
Aight-the age of one, the youth Of the other.
The burning lava rolled above them and be-
yond, and the faithful dog turned back to
share the fortunes Of his mistress, dying at
her feet.
Seen by the light Of such an incident,
how wildly that night Of horrors looms upon
the scene! Does not the Imagination picture
the little group in their own house, by the
side of their evening fountain, languidly
chattering over the days events and of the
unusual heat! 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
overhead, and flames break out, while scorn,
sand, and molten rocks come pouring down
What movements, what emotion, what sur
prise! The scene grows darker every instant
tho hollow monotony Of the bay is lifted
into yclls and shrioks-the air grows thick
and hot with hames-and at the mountains
foot is heard The roll of the liquid lava
Jewels, household gods, gold and silver coins
arc snatched on the instant. No time to say
farewell; darkness in front, and fire behind,
they rush into the stroets-streets choked
with Gahics hoaseA end flying yoitizsus. How
find the way through passages which have
no longer outlets :! confusion, danger, dark
ness, uproar, everywhere; the shouts Of part
ed friends, the agony of men struck down by
falling columns-fear, madness, and despair
unchaincd-here, penury clutching gold it
can not keep-therc, gluttony feeding on its
final meal, and phrcnsy striking IN the dark
TO forcstall death. Through all, fancy hears
the Young girls screams-the fire is on her
jewelcd hand. No time for thought--no
pause-the flood rolls on, and wisdom, beauty,
age, and youth, with all the stories of their
love, their hopes, their rank, wealth, and
greatness-all tho once aff1ucnt life-are
gone forever.
When unearthed after many years, the
namcless group has no other importance to
but rs it may "serve to point mo-
raj or adorn tale."