The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1874-09-25
A PARLoR CATAcoMB The Rome
of the CaI;forni. R,.u.

Under the CapHohin church IL long
room, with row OF windows on one
side, looking out into quadrangle OF
the monastery, divided into se yeral
small chambers thut are fenced of3
from the aisle that runs undor the win.
dows. and these chambers foored with
earth brought from Jerusalem. This
astonishing cemetery has been written
OF much, and yet it "a ever new, and To
mo never tlresome. 1t is kind Of
conservatory, SD limited that when n
monk dies dead monk is taken from
the grave that has been longest occu
pied, nnd the new body rests in the
sucrca soil. The skeleton Of the
resurrrcted monk IS taken to pieces
/ faDciful figure on the wall 1t us If
the bodies that are planted IN this con-
servatory Sprang into wall flowers.
There Is no saint here; the place is too
light and cheerful for saint No
thing but bearded Capuchins, who
have spent their lives III sight IF their
tomhs, hop" 10 ha thnS translated. Az
altar built OF bones. before which a
lamp swings in II chandelier of boues,
and around which alc uichcs of bones,
with whole skeletons totturiny in
them, looking as if they were about to
bowl their skulls at the tleshirss
brotherhood oppos,:e-tbis is the SOFT
of thing that cheer, the old fnllow in
the snuff colnred rubu who waits Tor
me TO read the sunnets pinned against
the wall. and to cake my little iu.
ventory before seoing him ut the door.
Nothing can be cleaner aud sweeter-
nothing lollier. Every skull seems to
he laughing, as if it was all huge
Joke. The sun streams in upon the
volccicss carnival; the wind wags the
long board of Que monk with his head
awry-a beard that needs wedding
and great fly buzZes in at the window
and out again. Then I think of the
long sleep uuder the daisies, Of the
waving grass that seeks 10 soften tue
outline of the low mound ON the hill
side, and turn from the grim humor
OF these departed Capuchins with but
one thought. 1t is this: We're l IL
monk and had my choice, rather than
sit in my shroud with my beard in my
lap, la spattcr myself all over the side
of the hous. i'll IA perpetual fish OF
ossliied fireworks"
Any one who may find stray bal
loon, with IL lady and gentleman iu it,
Is earnestly requested to communicable
with the authorities Of Calais, in
France. Gu the 3lst of August, Nj.
Durnot. who was the first ;crOnout to
leave Paris during the siege, was an
nounced to make an ;crial voyage from
Calais to England, in company with
his wife. The wind proved to be in
the wrong direction and a postpone.
nent was resolved upon; but at .linuer
III the hotel, NJ. aud Niue. Durnof
we're tannted with timidity, which 90
cnrnged them that they rushed from
the tnble, got into thn basket, aud at Z
O'Clock were seen mounting into space,
with u reasonable certainty of being
blown over til. North Sea. Nothing
has since been heard of them at our
latest mail advices. and IA the balloon
was too small to keep all ,ut duriag a
long voyage, it ia not likely that any.
thing more ever will be heard. We'll,
it must have been grent satisfaction
to them, as they went under the waves,
to reflect that nobody would taunt
them with co~ardice again.
a correspondent Of the New York
Herald attempted to interview Jetfer.
son Davis. the other day, concerning
the New Orleans troubles. but failed to
elicit any expression Of opinion from
the ex-Presiient Of the Confederacy,
except that he sympathized deeply
with the tnx-burdened and otherwise
oppressed people Of Louisiana, and
hoped tue solution of their difficulties
was near ut hand. He made no allu-
sion to the President. nor to bis pro.
ciumation in favor of Kellogg. Even
were l to read from the decajogue, he
said, "any expression Of mine would
be sure Of Misrepresentation and dis
tortion by enemies of the Southern
people, aud this is reason enough for
my refusing to converse upon political
affairs"
lu the government of. Picssuu. in
Kussia, letter was circulated which
reported that the government intended
to send 5000 Of the prettiest girls Of
the country to Africa to be married to
ncgioes. There was IL panic, aud the
girls nude haste to marry any one who
would have them, and there were any
number Of marriuges. One brandy
dealer made II small fortune out Of it,
for at Russian weddings they must
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