Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser., 1886-09-24

fee, in high rel, f, every detail of leaf,
flower, and figure clear and sharp as
when first chiselled. On the inner
walls are nymphs and goddesses, clas-
sical tables and legends in fresco.
We 60 through the street Of the soap
makers and visit the large soapworks,
where the huge iron cauldrous are
still left, their intrinsic value not be-
ing sufficient to owarrantremoval. An.
other street is full of wineshops, with
the large red jars still inserted in the
marble counters Then we pass the
city bake houses, whose ovens were
found full of charred bread, now in
the Naples Museum, the bakers name
stamped upon each loaf. Close by
are the splendid .public baths. with
every appliance for hot, cold and va
por baths, the pipes and cisterns still
remaining. We walk into the irigId-
arlum. tepidarium, and other cham
bers. the floors of black and white
marble, with raised marble seats round
each room, walls and ceilings covered
with appropriate sculpture and paint
ing; Diana bathing in forest stream;
a group of water nymphs disporting
themselves by moonlight in calm
lake; the Sirens combing their golden
hair on the neigboring rocks. which
still bear their name. How wonder
fully the luxurious Pompeian life is
b 'ght to mind, as We stand here
lost in the dreams which the baths
inspire, of the youth, fashion and
beauty Of two thousand years ago.
One quarter Of the city contains
only the private touses of the rich i;
the bust of the owner in each atriu. n
or entrance hall with the name carved
below, informs US to whom every house
belonged. All are built IN the same
style, with the atrium, impluviun' and
trlclinlum, after the usual Roman
fashion; slender marble pillars, which
once supported the roofs, now vanish
ed, or remaining only in the shape Of
crumbled fragments, fallen in upon
the marble floors below. The remains
of fountain are generally found in
the central basin of the impluyium,
that coal retreat from the fierce Itrl-
ian sun, once green with leafy plants
and musical With murmuriug waters.
where the gay Pompeians took their
siests in the shade, or lounged through
the hot noondly hours. The sleeping
rooms surround the three large divis-
.asnssof the house, all being built on
fa'o ehenns floor With no upper story.
80 "a. ,ar.,,ii wreaths Of flow-
ers 20 ,g girls in trans.
parent drarrte. wing roses. All
the fre.coes SLOW TT7e scft and pless
ure- loving Pompeian temperament.
Artistic grace aud beauty are every
where present; but neither force nor
fervor can be s en- ; life seems to have
been regarded AS long game OF play,
or one continuous flower-wreathei
festival.
We search for the houses Of Sallust
and Cloacus, and that Of the Tragic
Poet, so called from the freScos on the
wall representing scenes from the
Greek tragedies, and giving u clue to
the life Of the owner; but the number
of the houses makes detailed examl
nation Of the one an impossibility.
a, the corner Of the street leading into
the forum stands the exchange. ."
the walls, the names Of certain magis
trates and request to vote for them,
implies that the city at the time OF its
destruction was on the eve Of q gener-
al election. Or another wall beyond,
some more red letters tell us that on
the kalends of May some lions will
fight in the amphitheatre with GER
tain gladiator Of great renown. These
/ little touches here and there from the
distant past enable US more than any
thing else to realize the actual life of
Pompeii.
We ascend flight of marble steps
to the Tragic Theatre; stage. orches
ira, auditorium, and even ticket offices
are in perfect preservation all open
to the sky. after the ancient fashion.
We think of the tragedies represented
on this very stage, of the hushed aud
eager faces rising tier above tier to the
blue sky, Of the iewelled DANES and
rose crowned maidens whose tears did
homage to the tragedian's art; tae
strains of music from the long silent
lorchestra; and then, all in il moment
We see the ashen cloud descending
upon the crowd, who rush wildly from
the scene, some few to escape in safe
ty, others to rush into the blue SEA III
their madness, and upon the rest, the
pail of darkness falling, not to be lift
ed for two thousand wears. Close al
hand is the smaller Comic Theatre
where jest aud episram played their
part in holding up the follies Of the
day to ridicule; where wit sparklet
merrilv, and satire scathel all that il
touched; where the mirth and laugh
ter of the gay spectators were suddenly
checked into eternal silence by tha
advancing cloud of doom. The place
seems thronged with ghosts and mem
cries: no where else does the melan
, choly silence of Pompeii strike us st
forcibly as in this theatre, once bull
TO foster fun and merriment.
, Hence We 60 to the Street Of Tombs
on rising ground, which command
exquisite views Of the blue waters ant
f the vcrdant shore. The inscription
on the monuments are clear enough t
be easily read On one stately whit
+, marble tomb, the words Gin Latin, ct
Mania, priestess, by order of tn
+ Triumvirs," look almost new, so clear
: ly are they chiselled on the tablet. 1
s marble seat stands here, once place
+ for the accommodation Of those VIII
used to visit the tomb. We rest for
1 moment, and think of that long -dea