Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1858-04-21

ily followed.
But beside the different forms of the graves.
by which their general character was varied
there were often personal marks of affection
and remembrance affixed to the narrow exca-
yatioDs, which give to the catacombs their
most peculiar and touching interest The mar
ble facing OF the tomb is engraved with a sim
pie name or date; or where tiles take the place
of marble. the few words needed are scratch
ed upon their hard surface. 1t is not too much
10 say that we know more of the common faith
and feeling, OF the sufferings and reioicincs of
the Christians of the first two centuries from
these inscriptions than from all other sources
put together As we walk along the dark pas
sage, the eye is caught by the CLEAN of lit
tie fake OF glass fastened in the cement which
once held the closing slab before the long since
rifed grave We stop to look at it. II is
broken bit from the bottom of q little lar (arn-
puAa); but that little glass Jar once held the
drops OF martyrs blood, which had been
carefully gathered up by those who learned
from him how TO die, and placed here as a pre-
cions memorial of his faith. The name of the
martyr was perhaps never written on his grave;
If 1T We're ever there, it has been lost for CEN
turies; but the little dulled lit of glass, as it
catches the rays OF the taper borne through
the silent dies of graves. sparllles and CLEANS
with light and glory not of this world
There are other graves in which martyrs have
lain, where no such sign as this appears bnt
in its place the rude scratching of 4 palm
branch upon the rock or the plaster. 1t was
the sign of victory, and he who lay within had
conquered. The great rudeness in the draw
ing OF the palm, often as if, while the mortar
was still wet, the mason had made the lines
upon il with his trowel, is striking indication
of the state of feeling at the time when the
grave was made. There was no pOmp or pa
rade; possibly the burial of him or her who
had died for the faith was in secret; those who
carried tl.. of fh,.ir boI En fpr,l,
were, perhaps, in this very act, preparing TO
follow his StepS,-werc, perhaps, preparing
themselves fer his fate. Their thoughts were
with their Lord and with his disciple who had
just suffered for his sake,-with their Saviour
who was coming soon. What matter TO put
a name the tomb They could not forget
where they had lain the torn and wearied
limbs away. In pace, they would write upon
the stone; palm- branch should be marked
III the mortar, the sign of suffering and tr-
umph. Their Lord would remember his SER
want. Was not his blood crying to God from
tie ground And could they doubt that the
Lord would also protect and ayenge? In those
first days there was little thought OF relics to
be carried away,-lttle thought of material
suggestions to the dull imagination, and pricks
to the failing memory. The eternal truths of
their religion were too real TO them their
faith was too sincere; their belief in the ac
tual union of heaven and earth, and of the
presence OF u Ou with tnem IN the NOIIu, 100
absolute to allow them to feel the need of that
lower order Of indictments, which are the
sort of superstition, ignorance, and cOnven-
tionalIsm in religion. In the earlier buriaiS,
no differences, save the ampulla and the palm,
or some equally slight sign, distinguished the
graves of the martyrs from those of other
CHI istianS
On other graves beside those of the martyrs
there are often found some little signs by
which they could be easily recognized by the
friends who might wish to visit them again.
Sometimes there is the impression of a seal
upon the mortar; sometimes ring or coin is
left fastened into it; often teTTa-Cottd lamp
is set in the cement at the head of the grave.
Touching, tender memorials OF love and pity
Few are left now in the opened catacOmbs, ut
here and there one may be seen in its original
place,-the visible sign of the sorrow and the
faith of those who seventeen or eighteen cen
turies ago rested upon that support on which
we rest 10 day, and found it, in hardest trial,
unfaling.
But the galleries of the catacombs are not
wholly occupied with graves. Now and then
they open on either side into chambers (cu-
5icuEa) OF small dimension and of various form,
scooped ont Of the rock. and furnished with
graves around their sides, the burial-place
arranged beforehand for some large family,
for certain persons buried with special honor.
Other openings in the rock are designed for
chapels, in which the burial and other services
of the Church were performed These, too,
are of various sizes and forms (generally a
bout ten feet square ) the largest OF them
would hold but small numHer OF persons;
but not unfrequenty two stand opposite each
other on the passage-wav, as if one were TOR
the men and the other for the women who
should be present at fhe services. Entering
the chapel through narrow door whose TIRES
hold is on a level with the path, we see at the
opposite side recess sunk in the rock, often
senIcircular, like the apSis of church. ana
in this recess an dTcOSOiiuHl which served at
the same time as the grave of a martyr ana as
the altar of the little chapel. 1t seems, in
deed as if in many cases the chapel had been
formed not so much for the general purpose OF
holding religious service within the catacombs,
as for that of celebrating worship over the re-
mains Of the martyr whose body had been
transferred from its original grave to this new
tomb
II is impossible 20 ascertain the date at
which these chapels were first made probably
some time about the middle of the second CEN
tury they became common In many OF the
catacombs they are very numerous, and 1t IS
In them that the chief ornaments and decora-
tions, and the paintings which give to the cat
acombs an especial value and Importance in
the history of Art, and which are among the
most interesting illustrations of the state OF
religious feeling and belief in the early centu-
ries. are found. Some of the chapels are
known to he of comparatively late date, OF tie
fourth and perhaps of the fifth century. In
several even of earlier construction is found,
in addition to the altar, niche cut out in the
rock, or ledge projecting from it, which
seems TO have been intended to serve the place
of the credence table, for holding the articles
used in the service OF the altar, and at later
period for receiving the elements before they
were handed to the priest for conservation.
The earliest services in the catacombs were
sL,o1lv +hose connected with the COM