Litchfield enquirer., 1878-06-20
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE.
ROME, May 25th, 1878.

Pope is elected, and consecrated; and the great city of the pasts as quiet as if it was on- ly tenanted by the shades of the old Senate and Roman people. One novelty only makes gentle ripple on the surface of society. It is discovery made in this wise:
 Not long since, Tn one of the excavations the government is making, frieze, or some thing of the sort, was found which is thought by scholars to date back to the first or second century. It consists of successive scenes rep resenting a gathering in a Roman country seat. The first scene shows the assembly di- vided into three groups in as many rooms, in the center of each of which is sort of throne on which sits single person around whom is ranged a crowd of eager questioners. On ev- cry side people are seen crying, Animal 2" "Vegetable?" Mineral ?" "Fact ?" 'Fic- tiOn ?" Egyptian history" "Chaldean?" CTS seem wild with excitement. One of the persons questioned evidently gives great dis satisfaction by slow or incorrect answers. A soldier shakes his fist under his nose, and | AdOy ID uio lCAI Cdi'
 The third scene is one of triumph for the group in the center apartment, and of defeat for the rest The victors are clapping their hands; the soldier throws up his helmet i; a person of senatorial rank is dancing break down, holding up his toga with either hand. The defeated are inconsolable; lady is weep ing; Pretorian seems about to fall on his sword; priest of Apollo swears dreadfully. Evidently these old Romans were an excitable people, after all.
 Subsequent scenes show the several groups alternately increasing and diminishing. Then one is entirely absorbed and and these remain ing stfive madly for mastery. Finally victory declares for one side amidst demonstrations of the most frantic joy. The beams of the rising sun illumine thls last scene. They had played all night! In a corner of the frieze appears the word
 CL VMP.S.
 "Clumps' are now all the rage in Rome Native and foreigner, painter and sculptor, catholic and protestant, rich and poor, fashion able and vulgar" spend six nights week (some seven) at Clumps. The Cabinet are thought to play it when they ought to be con- trying ways and means for Tightening the burden of taxation on this poor people. It is suspected even that the new Pope, evil re- former as he is,-but will not give you mere gossip.
 The game is this: The players present are int fUn nr rn11TOo fho number in each group varying from six to ten. These groups have separate rooms, if practica- ble, and each ''clump" sends sout it's delegate to meet and select the question to be guessed. Then each delegate takes his seat in the midst of hostile clump Che never goes to his own). There he is subjected to the sharpest and most rapid cross examination possible. answering only, ''Yes," ''No," or ssI.don't know" to the questions asked. When the clump guesses the question, he claps his hands, tine clump join in, and all the delegates go to the winning group. The game is ended when one clump has absorbed all the rest; or, what is more probable the tune arrives for breaking up be- fore all the members of the original clumps are captured into one.
 In questioning, the issue is rapidly narrowed by such general inquiries regarding the mate rial of the object chosen, as sAnimal ?" "Veg- etable ?" "Mineral?" or regarding it's history, as ''Fact ?" Fiction ?" Historical p ''Myth- ological? ?" If historical, the questions, Biblical ?'' Ancient" ?" ''Modern?" ''Eng- lish? ?" French ?" &c. Eighteenth century?'' Seventeenth ?" soon bring the questioners near the time and place of the occurrence or thing sought after. The subjects selected are such as some, at least, in any clump are supposed to know. In the last resort, words are spelled out, as at Spirit Rappings. The excitement and eagerness of the questioners especially as they near the object of their search, is infec tious, and the clapping of a rival clump is enc of the bitterest of earthly disappointments. The transfer of loyalty by those captured into a new clump, should be instantaneous Be- ginners sulk for awhile; but the veteran clumpist is as sharp as ever with his questions the moment after his transfer.
 There are few really good delegates. Most vince when the questieners are near the subject; they answer too slowly CT too quickly; drop unintentiOnal hints; or give valuable informa- tion to the enemy in other nervous ways. Oc- casionally there is found person with genius for baff1ing questioners-a born Sphinx. His face is utterly irresponsve to shrewd questions, but lights up trif1e at those which are wide of the mark. When, as so often happens, im- portant and unimportant queries come togeth- CT, he laboriously answers the unimportant In short he encourages false scents, and useless puzzles, and bothers the enemy with cool, slow replies, and good nature that is maddening beyond endurance. Such player is tower of strength.
 The game is intensely interesting, but great trial of the nerves and temper. Pursued too closely, it becomes all absorbing, and leads to curious pre-occupations of the mind re- cent deplOrable disaster resulting from this lamentable pre-occupation of the mind with ''Clumps," is currently reported as follows:
 Two sisters, Americans, were here this win ter. Martha Pia, the elder, is one of these be- lieving, reverent souls that are the pride of re- ligion and the salt of the earth; but she dearly loves Clumps. Her junior, "The Perverse," however, is an unbelieving, irreverent creature, such as helps make up that wonderful variety of character found in our sex Martha is most devoted Catholic, while no Moody or Sankey or Monsignor Capel has ever made the least impression on the Perverse. One day in Holy Week the sisters went to hear Father Trombone at the noted Chapel to which he attracts such crowds. They took ''front pews" and the preacher took his text from Bel and the Dragon in the Apocrypha. The sub- Ject did not suit Martha who got commun- ing with her own thoughts-far nobler than any of Trombono's The Perverse followed the sounding Italian of the preacher, especially as he likened the Dragon to Protestantism and began belaboring the enemies of the late Pope. Trombone was powerful on the pause and he