Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-09-12

The air was filled with brownish-red
dust from the crumbling bricks. l had a
desire to obtain some leaves of the bay
trees, but they were beyond my reach.
In the evening we had divine services,
in the reception room of the hotel, Mr..
Patch officiating. 1 was struck by the in
congruity of the rOom-its costly gold and
crimson hanging of the walls-the high
ceilings, with their elaborate frescoes-
the crimson tapestry, draping doors and
windows the heavy crimson-velvet
chairs and lounges, and velvet-covered
tables in center of room, on which were
scattered novels and newspapers, with
two candlebras for light-the bare brick
floor, whereon the fieas were swarming-
the whitewashed stairs; death to our
siIken dresses candle-grease dripping
down on the velvet-covered table-and
above all, the consciousness, which never
once left US, that we were in Rome. l
shall not soon forget that evening-nor
the dozen feas hopping over me at once.
To-day will be day of hard work, in
sightseeing, as we leave for Naples on
Wednesday.
July 3O.-We were out all day sight
seeing, amid dust, beggars and ruins; it
is hard to say which of the three elements
predominated. How very tired we are
after all. Yesterday morning we went
| to the Vatican, spending the whole of the
morning there amid religious pictures
and frescoes, mostly Bibles Genes, by Ra-
phael, with some by Muretto, and others,
| hTy
were all in honor of the Virgin, or rep
resented the martyrdom of some one of
the saints.
In the afternoon we went to La Scala,
and saw no end of priests, abbots, friars,
men, women and children, going up those
twenty-seven steps on their knees, kissing
every step. Going to the top by side
stairs, studying their faces and noticing
their side-long looks of everything but
devotion, 1 cannot tell you how I felt
No wonder Rome is nation of beggars.
1t is like market garden-all the good
things are taken away, and only the re-
fuse and unsaleable articles left. was
down in the Cascar Mamertus where Ju-
gurtha was starved to death, and drank
from the holy well; the waters of which
will cure anything, if yO~ only hare faith.
My faith, evidently, was not as large as
the traditional mustard-seed, for it had
no effect on my deafness, whatever.
At the coliseum, yesterday, 1 gathered
some tiny little maiden-hair ferns for
you. There were not many, and l was
the first to spy them. They have been ex-
cavating the old ruins and have found
the dens in which the wild beasts were
kept, but they are full of Shiny, green
|, water Aow.
This is, emphatically, a, priest-ridden
city. Priests are to be met everywhere
on foot and in barouches-in black habits
and white, purple, brown and scarlet
All have the crowns of their heads shaven.
They are a jolly set, and go about with
opera glass and guide-bOok in hand, like
, any Yankee.
This morning we went to St. Peters OF
Vatican, and saw them kneeling and kiss
ing St. Peters bronze foot. 1t has been
, kissed so much that the toes are worn
away to stumps, of bright copper hue
, This, with the exception of the Pantheon
is the highest building here. We could
. not make the ascent of the dome, as visi-
: tors are admitted only on Thursdays
: The whole of the time from a. m. till
121& p. m. was spent in the Vatican, look.
: ing at the sculptures and the church. L
: is too big thing to talk about. [ never
= saw so much marble in my life. Here i;
t a statue of Alexander VIII, .collossa
;. affair, some thirty-fve feet across, ani
| g hoI nf oIo
s In the statue gallery, set apart to Egyp
Y tian antiquities, discovered two room
e with dOme-roofs of azure, in which tn
!, consultations were arranged as correctly
d as it is possible for man to do it. i'm
g parted my discovery to the others, but W,
i could not get in, could only peep into
" paradise through iron bars. You mus
# get ready and come with DR.. Loomis an
IS see all that have been trying to tell yol
5. about, and then you will learn how i'm
;, possible it is to exaggerate anything.
r The mail comes in daily at IL O'Clock
D. How eargerly scan it, expecting to fin
g more letters, although 1 know must nc
E. expect any till we reach Paris; but tina
is a long way ahead. 1 wonder if an
I one ever writes such letters as [ do?
:; just scratch them Off any how. I bega
Is this letter yesterday morning, befor
as breakfast-rushed off Immediately after
Il. came back for dinner wrote out my note
Ks book events and was off again, and :
ir night was so worn out 1 could not writ
ne This morning got half this page wri
i, ten before breakfast; then had barel
time to get on my hat and gloves, and W
W were off. After dinner, Mrs. Jones an
M myself were just starting for a came
'e. hunt, when we met Mrs. Reeves, who w;
he looking for me to go with them to IL
'r- Catecombs and Palace of the Cesaers, AN
he of course, went; Mr.. Blossom and m
ms self at the tail-end of the procession e
D. erywhere, so as to steal something as
lit relic, in which we succeeded. The Cat
ed combs are just openings in the groun
IS; like u cellar, and you go down, dow
'or down, and wind and twist about in
he and down paths so narrow that two pc
m pie can hardly pass each other; the wa
of are just like cupbord, and each shelf
SIS, marble and just wide enough to put in
We, body, and is usually empty, or only
#. heap of mouldering earth left to tell
las what was once alive. put my hand
Ia one to grab what l thought, by the di
of candle-light, to be a fragment of marb
full but it was a human bone. Finally, in t
ar last vault through which we passed l S
lck cured piece of something, l don't knC
va what it is; it is in Mr.. Blossoms pock
of got some ivy from the wall, and W
hes see if it will live to cross the Atlantic.
ag- We then drove to St. Peters for fa
site well view, and then to the Palace of t
Caesars, over which we climbed a