The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1886-09-11

who was one of our party, and who ex-
pressed unbounded surprise at the very slight
difference between these relics of the infancy
of medical science and the instruments in
use at the present day Some large cases
of dentists tools caught our eye also; nor
did we need to be told what they were,
being only too well acquainted with similar
instruments of torture. A great number
of paint-boxes are displayed, which still
contain the same bright soft colors which
we see on the walls of Pompeii, and case
after case of Jewels, some found in the
houses, others evidently dropped in hurried
flight from the burning city, or fallen from
the necks and arms of the skeletons.
Rings, bracelets, chains, tiaras, necklaces
without end, of finely chased gold, set with
gems, some of the jewels uninjured, and
sparkling as brightly after the lapse of
ages, as they did on the snowy neck of the
Pompeian beauty two thousand years ago;
others dropped from the setting, where the
heat has melted the gold out of shape.
Exquisite cameo rings and clasps, repre-
senting classical or NEUROLOGICAL subjects.
Often winged Mercury, or a Psyche with
the butterfly poised above her head, serves
to remind us how art lives, though the ar
fist dies.
On lady's bronze toilet-table stand
glass jar half full of rouge, some pomade
pots, and litter of carved combs, bronze
hairpins, curling-irons and tongs, surround
ng the polished metal mirror which once
REFLECTED the face whose beauty the fair
owner tried to heighten Those combs
and hairpins once fastened perfumed tresses;
white fingers once dallied with the unguents
and essences which stand on the table, or
dipped the puffinto the rouge which glows
still with its pristine color, though the
cheek which it tinted is dissolved in death.
A silk hair-net looking fresh and new hangs
on bronze hook; and charred shawl
with the long woollen fringe left upon it,
lies close beside it, perhaps hastily caught
up and wrapped over the festal robes, in
preparation for the hurried flight, for uni
versal testimony agrees that the city was
destroyed at the time when some great fes-
tival was being held
The personal details of dress and orna-
ment move us strangely, and bind us by
strong links of sympathy and pity with the
sufferers in calamity which, to most of
us, is too far off to supply that touch of
nature (which makes the whole world kin"
Here are the sandals which once bound the
light feet of Pompeian girls as they moved
in the dance, or fled from the fiery rain
which turned their joy into mourning, their
life into death. Here are the skull and
arm of girl found buried in side-stream
of lava, upon which the impression of her
rounded, youthful figure still remains,
though that graceful form has long been
numbered with the dead Perhaps she was
on her way to the theatre, with one of those
quantity devised tickets in her hand which
attract our attention in neighboring room
tiny ivory violins to designate the orches-
ira, ivory pigeons with outspread wings for
the gallery, little tablets with red numeri-
cal figures for the reserved seats of the
patrioians. How suggestive they are of
that past life of pleasure, with its amuse-
ments, its follies, and its sins, so similar to
those of later times-a fact brought before
us by the number of dice, many of them
loaded which were found in the houses,
showing that the chicaneries of the gambler
were well known in Pompeii.
In the room which contains the charred
bread from the public ovens already men
toned, are some bronze dishes of fruit set
out exactly in the order in which they were
found-dates, figs, walnuts, nuts and plums,
burned perfectly black, but retaining their
shape Enthusiastically. 1t looks as though
the guests had fed from the table on which
the dessert was set out The contents of
a pantry stand near-a jar half full of oil;
bottle of -four, partly used; string-net
hanging up, full Of eggs, looking like humps
of chalk or lime, piece of roasted meat,
fallen from an oven. These things make a
bridge over the gulf of Time which sepa-
rates us from Pompeian life, no doubt WV
idly described in the thousands of charred
and undecipherable parchments, supposed
to represent the state documents, literature
and poetry of the probably the con-
tents of the public library, to which are
added numerous papyrus rolls, found in
the houses of the rich. Here, too, are
large bales of drapery and clothing, all
burned to uniform blackness, and scarce
ly distinguishable as to color and texture,
though gold threads glittering here and
there suggest robes of state or festive gar
ments laid aside in chest and Golfer, but
reached by the devouring heat, if not by
actual fire.
Pliny the Elder, who at the time of the
destruction of the two cities was in COM
mand of the feet at Misenum, ON the OPP
posite side of the Bay of Naples, watched
the gradual darkening of the thick cloud
over Vesuvius, and tells us that the smoke
spread outward and upward until it resem-
a gigantic pine-tree stretching across the
heavens, while loud subterranean thunders
were heard, and fountain of fire dashed
up into the sky. Then the great crimson
lava-food burst forth and rushed down the
mountain side in river of liquid fire, to
bury Herculaneum; and the clouds of ashes,
cinders and sparks poured down by tons
on Pompeii, the waters of the bay leaping
up 10 meet the Kissing fire which fell into
the waves, engulfng many of the boats
which were bearing fugitives away from
the terrible scene. Pliny himself lost his
life from venturing in boat too near to
the flaming town. Earth, air and water
each had its share in this awful CONFUSION
of the elements; the thunder of the noun
tain Knocked the thunder of the waves upon
the shore One moment the fiery stream
lighted up the crimson lava-food and the
pale, terrified faces of those who fed
shrieking from their doom; another mo-
ment and all was ingulfed in pitchy dark
ness. Then the rain of fire and the chok-
ing ashes buried palace, and temple, and
tomb, turning each and all into a living
grave. When silence fell upon the scene,
Pompeii with its revels and roses lay ia
thoms deep in shroud of ashes, to sleep
the sleep of death through the silent centu-
ries, until eighteen hundred years were
told, when the spell of mystery was broken,
and as by an enchanter's wand, the secret
of its past was laid bare, and the veil lifted
upon the old life thus so suddenly arrested.
Eroddx- xuoc aokad 70 eaIaot I,Ftan e-,,,,