Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1869-11-25
A Touching Relic of Pompeii.

In digging out the ruins of Pompeii,
every turn Of the spade brings up some
relic Of the life, some witness of imperial
luxury For far the greater part, the
relics have a merely curious interest; thew
belong to archaeology, and fnd appropriate
resting places in historical museums.
But there are some exceptions. Here,
| for instance, the excavator drops, an an
invited guest upon a banquet; there he
Unexpectedly obtrudes himself into tomb.
Ia one place he finds miser, covering on
his heap; another shows him bones of
dancing girls and broken instruments Of
music lying on the marble floor. In the
midst Of the painted chambers, baths,
halls, columns, fountains, among the
splendid evidences Of material wealth, he
sometimes stumbles on simple Incident,
a touching human story such as strikes
iassrass : a55an ss agd sagsfs , =
den sight of wounded soldier centuries.
up the horrors Of the battle. Such, to
our mind, is the latest discovery of the
excavation in this melancholy field 1t is
group of skeletons In the act of fight,
accompanied by dog There are three
human loings, one Of them young girl,
Z it'll rings and jewels still on her fingers
/ The fugitives had bag of gold and silver
with them, snatched up, no doubt, in haste
and darkness. But the fiery food 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 fate of his mis-
tress, dying at her feet. Seen by the
light of such an incident, how wildly that
night Of horror looms upon the sense.
Dees not the Imagination picture the little
group in their own house, by the side Of
their 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
scoriae, sand, and molten rocks come
pouring down? What movements, what
emotion, what surprise? The scene grows
darker every instant; the hollow monotony
of the bay is lifted into yells and shrieks;
the air grows thick and hot with flames,
and at the mountains foot is heard the roll
Of the liquid lava Jewels, household
gods. gold and silver coins, are snatched
up on the instant No time to say fare
WE'LL darkness in front and fire behind,
they rush into the streets. choked with
falling houses and flying citizens. How
fad the way through passages which have.
no longer outlet? Confusion, danger.
darkness, uproar everywhere; the shouts
OF parted friends, the agony Of men struck
down by falling columns; fear, madness,
and despair unchanged; here, penury
clutching gold it cannot keep, there glat-
tony feeding on its final meal, and phrenzy
striking in the dark to forestall DEATH
Through all. fancy hears the young girls
screams; the fire is on her jewel!ed 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 great
ness, all the once afnuent life, are gone.
forever.
When unearthed, after many years, the
nameless group has 20 other Importance
to mankind than as it may serve to point
moral or adorn tale !"
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