The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1864-09-23
A Scene at PompeiI.

mixed with ivory and bronze orna
ments. The happy idea occurred tc
him of pouring liquid plaster into these
hollows-in fact, using them as a sculp
tor would mould The result faj
exceeded his expeditions. Among
the first class that he obtained wer,
those of human beings. They are
now preserved in room in Pompeii
and more CHASTITY and painful, yet
deeply interesting and COUGHING oh.
jects, it is difficult to conceive. ",
have death itself moulded and cast
the very last struggle, the final agony
brought before us. They tell their sto-
ry with horrible dramatic truth that
no sculptor could ever reach. They
would have furnished a thrilling cpl
sode to the accomplished author Of the
Last days of Pompeii.
These four persons had persisted in
the street They had remained with
in the shelter of their homes until the
thick black mud began to creep thro
every Granny and chink. Driven from
their retreat, they sought to fee when
it was too late. The streets were al
ready buried deep in the loose pun
ice stones which had been falling for
many hours in unremitting showers,
and which reached almost to the win
dows of the first floor These victims
of the eruption were not found to-
gether, and they do not appear to have
belonged to the same household. The
most interesting of the casts is that of
two young women, probably mother
and daughter, lying feet to feet. They
appear from their garb to have been
people of poor condition. The elder
seems to lie TRANQUILITY on her side.
Overcome by the noxious gases, she
probably fell and died without a strug-
gle. Her limbs are extended, and her
left arm droops loosely. On one I'm
ger is still seen her coarse iron ring
Her child was a girl of fifteen; she
seems, poor thing, to have struggled
hard for life. Her legs are drawn up
convulsively. Her little hands are
clenched in agony. In one she holds
her veil, or a part of her dress, with
which she had covered her head, bury
ing her face in her arms, to shield
herself from the falling ashes and
from the foul sulphmeous smoke. The
form of her head is perfectly preserved.
The texture of her coarse linen gar
ment may be traced, and even the fash
ion of her dress, with its long sleeves
reaching to her wrists Here and
there, it is torn, and the smooth young
skin appears in the plaster like pol
ished marble. On her tiny feet may
still be seen her embroidered sandals
At short distance from this group
lay third woman. She appears to
have been about twenty-five years of
age, and to have belonged to better
class than the other two. On one of
her fingers were two silver rings, and
her garments were of finer texture
Her linen head-dress falling over her
shoulders like that of q matron in a
Roman statue, can still be distinguished.
She had fallen ON her side overcome
by the heat and gases; but terrible
struggle seems to have preceded her
last agony. One arm is raised in des-
pair; the hands are clenched convul-
siyely Har garments are gathered up
on one side, leaving a limb exposed of
beautiful shape. SO perfect mould
of it has been formed by the set and
yielding mud, that the cast would
seem to be taken from an exquisite
work of Greek art. She had fled with
her little treasure, which lay scattered
around her-two silver cups, few
Jewels, and some dozen silver coins.
Nor had she like a good housewife,
forgotten the keys, after having prob
ably looked up her store before seek
ing to escape. They were found by
her side.
The fourth cast is that of man of
the people, perhaps common soldier,
He is almost of colossal size, He lies
on his back, his arm extended by his
side and his feet stretched out, as it,
finding escape impossible, he had laid
himself down to meet death like a
brave man, His dress consists of
short coat or jerkin and tight fitting
breeches, of some coarse stuff perhaps
leather. Heavy sandals. with soles
studded with nails are laced tightly
around his ankles On one finger is