The Republican journal., 1874-09-10
Among the Oatacombs.

Charles Warren Stoddard writes as tol-
lows from Rome to the san Francisco
Chronicle
Like most tourists who visit the capital
OF Christendom, having arrived, | could
not rest until had seen the Catacombs,
or u specimen of them, at least suppose
no man cares to see more Ny driver
drew rein at the door of small basiliea
on the Appain Way, | was alone
spoke no italian; the driver spoke no
English We both observed profound and
respectful silence behtting the occasion.
There was a green lawn in front Of the
basilica shaded by few trees A Fran
ciscan triar paced to and fro lost in medi-
tation. My sudden arrival didn't seem to
disturb him in the least The truth is, we
foreigners have become 50 very common
that we no longer awaken any interest in
the breasts OF these penSiye Romans.
! entered the building, and found it. like all
chapels, very cool and very silent A friar
was trimming Il lamp before one of the
| several altars another triar was sitting
in 4 chair IN corner, with his ShaYen
head hung forward, and his chin sunk in
| his breast, fast asleep. Wen, silently to
the altar, wherein are enshrined the relics
of Young St. Sebastian, for whom the
basilica and Catacombs are named, AS
usual, | found it difficult to awaken any
enthusiasm, and as the friar's sleep prom
| iscd to be eternal and | was paying for
my carriage by the hour | awoke him to
the drudgery Of life and he silently took
about two yards of wax taper in hand and
descended into the graves followed my
guide, who moved solemnly before me,
with the peculiar gait Of the monks and
triars, down dark stone steps into dark
narrow alleys, with all indefinite number
of small shelves on either side, 1t was
hard to believe that each shelf had once
borne Christian body, and that many OF
these were the mutilated bodies of martyrs
stoned to death, broken upon the wheel,
or half deyoured by the ravenous beasts
in the crowded Coliseum! Almost every
trace of the original occupants Of the
| Catacombs is gone A multitude of in
scriptions, dated mostly in the third cel-
| turv, have been placed in the museums Ct
| Rome, and a few of the shelves, the stone
| fronts of which are still unbroken are
supposed to contain the dust OF those who
have slept there tor 800 years, | saw
one of these unopened graves with the
| blood-cup-the symbol of martyrdom-
| firmly imbedded in the corner of it. When
the cup was placed there it was filled with
| une Dioou OF the littlo hero who had
| perished for the faith, and he must have
been a mere child, Judging from the di-
mensions of the grave. 1t is less difficult
to enter into the spirit of the past down in
the awful silence of those tombs, and there
the monks don't trouble you with any OF
the professional flourish that spoils many
a good fellow Providence evidently intend
ed for q Snowman, but slipped up on him
1t was in these long, narrow, silent cham
bers that st Bridget (the mother Of St
Catherine OF Sweden) was won't to knesl
rapt in contemplation here st. ,Charles
Borromeo spent whole nights in prayer
and st. Philip Neri ''was so intlamed with
divine love as to cause his very bodily
frame to be changed 1t was here thai
the bodies of St Peter and ST. Paul Were
once deposited, for when the Orienta
Christians heard of the death of the Saint
whom they claimed as their countrymen
an embassy was dispatched to bring hom'
the precious remains. The bodies wer
actually stolen from their respective bas
ilicas and borne along the Appain Way a
far as this catacomb, when a terrific
thunder shower delayed the abscondins
party until they were overtaken by tn
Romans The bodies were buried on tn
spot, and remained many months, pu
were ultimately restored to their owl
beautiful and worthy tombs IN the Dasli
icas which bear their names.