Telegram-herald., 1890-01-19
AHRNE
On tbe subject "Fhe Last Days oi
Fompeli."


The writer ef the follow ~ essay 49,
e,l.la sl8pr.ha ana a scholarship
\, 49, west M.ehiga Business ln--
ter.1e. Itls one Of more 'hah ofd--
uay m rt
Iaf-lA. D., Ponlpeli was tie nanla-
tuu of hs oAlinuon of that age
N.t.n tic narrow compass ot lts walls
ws. AIMED, Sc It weres 9 speemenoi
every eu which luxury offered %
noaer. In Us minute bot siuerns
shops. lis uuy palaces its baths, IL
f.r... m. thcatcr, lts orcus-m the
aneray vctcorrptlon, 10 ihe refinement
vet tic wee, OF it, people, you beheld d
model of the whole empire. Al ire
an,ut intervals rose square towers
whose sunmlls broke ia picturesque
rudcut-s tne regular Lue oI lhc "dll'
wacn ,ucompa the ctyf tnd con-
.ra-ted wcn IS wth tbc modern buildings
cleaning Uhttly ly.
Tie cityue road, winch ln lhat dlie'-
. ton lead from lonpeU toHercalaneuih'
wound out ul s,gnt amidst hanging
vines. above which frOWned INC sullcn
majesty oi Nesuvlus-
lou may tread NOW ON the same
place, bat the garden ls no more, the
columns are shattered, the fountain has
ceased % play.
/ How ,eienciv slept the starlight on
/ thar lovely ctyl How breathlcssly us
p.lared streets repOscd ~ their secuI-
. It's, How softly rpp!cd the dark green
Na4e. bevondi How cioudless spread,
al0ft ana blue, tie dreaming tam
punan -kio-, Iet this was the last
night tor the gay POmpeu, the colony
oi th aoar Chaldcan. tle tabled city
/ Of Hercules, the delight oi the Roman.
Age after age had rolled, undcstruc-
] tive. ulAecdcd, over lts head, and now
/ the .a-t ray quycrcd Oh the d-al plate
oI IS tocm.
/ From the summit of Nesuvius, dark
/ lv vv.-.o.c ut thc distance, there shot "a
i palc. rre.eorc, hyid light. 1t trcmblcd
/ In la-'a e and was gone.
ItWas remarked in surprise 10y the
/ fishermen that, despite the exceeding
I stiffness or the atmosphere, the waves
! of the ea were agitalcd and seemed, rs
/ lt were, to run d.suubedly back nom
+ the shore.
/ Clear above the low mist rose the
} t.mc-Wo-l towers of the iumcmOrIal
town. tHo red-tilcd roof, of the bright
/ stree s, tine solemn columns of many
tm los. and the statuc-croWncd
portals OF the forum and
7 tn arcl Of triumph. Ear ln the dis
4 tdncc. .he outlines of thcfcIrclng hill
! SCARED above thc vapors, and mingled
with the coangeiul hucs OF the morn
/ ing sky. The cloud that had 80 long
rested over the crest OF Ncsuvlus had
7 sud ICnly vanished, and Its rugged and
naughty brow looked without Il froWr
/ over tine beautiful scenes below. Beau
tifuliv glowcd the 9recn vineyards
round It's breast, and tranquil rs ctcr-
/ nitv law iu th thrcathicSs Sky the form
of the mighty mil: but suddenly The
place became lighted with an mtcnS,
and luud glow. Bright and gigantic
through the darkness, which CLOSED
around il ike the walls OF hell, the
mountain shOnc-I pile of fire. Is
summit seemed rvcn IN two, deer
blood red hucs of ti~c lighted up the
whole atmosphere far and wide, except
the lower part OF the mountain wa
still dark and Shr0uded, save i'm tire,
places, adOWn winch flowed scrpentInC
and irregular, rivers OF molten lava
Now brightly huc rs the most azur,
deItbs of Southern sky-nOw o
q lIvd and -nake-likc green, darting
rcstlcss.y To and fro as the folds O.
an euOuuou, >erpcut-nOw OF lurt
and CRIMSON, gushing forth through
the columns OF smoke, far and Wldc
and lighting mp the whole city from
arch to arch. The ground shook bc