Saint Mary's beacon., 1886-04-08

SOME SCENES IN PoNPEII.-I fancy
one Of my first thoughts after passing
through the gateway. was that the
museum was be6ttingly well placed.
Being just within the entrance to the
city. it forms sort ofprelude march one
has to make. The sight of those black
bodies. of natures own smbalming. ly-
ing there as they lay living. and alive
were slowly buried eighteen centuries
ago. may set the mind a thinking ere
. step is set upon tie silent streets.
Hers they lie just as they died, un.
|sazasla ss1 sa&krsnasa. eheksd saSr,
denly to death. This seems clear
from their positions; for their faces
are turned downward, aad the arms
are folded under them, as though to
keep a little breathing space. while
the sitting shower of ashes was fast
suffocating all who came within its
fatal reach. There are here seen but
two excsptions-s woman who was
found with upturned face. and dog
that was discovered lying on its side
with open, gaping jaws and limbs dis
torted and convulsed. If man have
any heart more human than the one
which is contained within q cabbage,
he may hardly see unmoved such
mournful sights as these. Nor can
one fail to feel interest, as one glances
at the articles of ancient use or or
nament discovered near the bodies
which have lately been unearthed.
Here are all the usual goods and
chattels of household, as profuse in
their variety as in any common mod
ern auction catalogue that show that
the old practitioners were skilled in
their profession; and implements of
cookery. of very highly appetizing
structure and most artistic shape. ]
noticed especially a sieve, or perforat-
ed copper vessel, doubtless used for
making forcemeat and other dainty
dishes, and / observed that all the
holes were drilled to form a strictly
symmetrical design. 10 another the
pattern of a peacock was displayed
possibly to crafty the taste of some
classical esthete. Indeed, the whois
Pompeiian household seemed pervaded
by high art; from the frescoes in the
bed room to the cookery in the kitch-
ems and the statues in the hall. Nor
was art adapted only to the uses Of
the rich. Even the butcher used
steelyard with a handsome head of
bronze to serve by way Of weight,
and the vintner poured his wine into
drinking cup adorned with a bas.
relief of Bacchus. Verify, there is
nothing new under the sun. The
bread baked yesterday at Naples is
of precisely the same shape as the
loaves found at Pompeii, which were
put into the oven near two thousand
years ago. The coinage Of that period
differs little from our own, except that
it surpasses ours 10 quality Of work
manship. A flaming table then was
furnished with pair of dice, and a
lady's toilet table with q mirror and
a rouge pot. Small boys scribbled on
the walls, and played with balls and
knuckle bones ard marbles in the
streets Of Pompeii as they do in mod.
ern Paris. Naples, London or Berlin.
The printing press had not then been
invented, it is true, and newspapers
were wanting for the purpose Of ad-
vertisement. But electors were ap.
pealed to very much as they are now, as
is proved by many mural inscriptions
in the place. By these they were
adiured to Vote for Blobbins, the
True Friend of the People" or to 20
and hear Bugsinsius, the famous plat.
form orator, who was noted for his
pluck in pitching into the pa artricians,
as speakers may nowadays. who abuse
the House of Lords. Excepting books
and newspapers. whose presence come
may fancy a not wholly unnixed
blessing, there are traces at Pompsii
of all sOrss of London shop things and
ways and means of living. There
even are the pass checks which were
current at the theater, where the
people were assembled at the time Of
the eruption, and the figs and other
fruit which were prepared for their
refreshmsnt upon that fatal afternoon.
One other exception, however. must
be made. Among the myriad Of arti.
cles preserved in the museum, I vain.
ly strained my eyes to see . classic
corkscrew. But moments throught
explained the absence of this interest
-, ;ns&rnmsnS Thara wsra m cnvks