The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1870-02-12
A Touching Relic of Pompeii.


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 merely curious interest;
they belong to archaeology, and
find appropriate resting places in
historical museums. Here, for
instance, the excavation drops, an
unlimited guest, upon a banquet;
there he unexpectedly obtrudes
himself into tomb. In one place
he finds a miser covering in his
heap; another shows him bones of
dancing girls and broken instru-
ments of music lying on the mar
BILE floor. In the midst of the
painted chambers, baths, halls,
columns, fountains, among the
splendid evidences of material
wealth, he sometimes stumbles on
a simple incident, a touching hui
man story such as strikes the i'm
agination and suggests mournful
interest of the great disaster, as
the sudden sight of II 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 q group of skeletons
i'll the act of flight, accompanied
by o dog. There are three hui
man beings, one of them young
girl, with gold rings and jewelry
still OH her fingers. The fugitives
had bag of gold and silver with
them, snatched up, no doubt, in
haste and darkness. But the fl
cry flood 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 mistress, dying at her feet.
Seen by the light of such an incl
dent, how wildly that night of
horror upon the sense. Does 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 strange
hess, how the sky opens overhead.
and flames break out, while SEQ,
rite, sand, and molten rocks comes
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 or
the instant. No time'to say fare
well; darkness i'll front and fire
behind, they rush into the streets
.chOked wath falling houses and
flying citizeas. How find the way
through paSsa ges which have nc
longer outlets? Confusion. dan
ger, darkness, uproar everywhere;
the shouts of parted friends, tile
agony of men struck down by fall.
ing columns; fear, madness and
despair unchanged; here, penury
clutehing gold it cannot keep,
there gluttony feeding on its final
meal, and phrenzy striking in the
dark to forestall death. Through
all, fancy hears the young girls
screams; the fire isson her jeweled
hand. No time for thought, nc
pause, the food rolls on, and wis
dom, beauty, and youth, with all
the stories of their love, their
hopes, their rank, wealth and
greatness, all the once affluent
life, are gone forever. When un
earthed after many years, the
.naneless group has no other i'm
portanee to mankind than as il
may serve to 'point a moral Of
adorn a tale."- Banner of the
Cross.