Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-06-09

uOh Wnen hne went. lt ~ Miss uofuOhty Oh
her return.
II am glad TO say came back from
two years stay in Europe better Ameri-
can than ever. The proudest boast OF an
cient times wss 10 be citizen of Rome.
The proudest boast Of modern times Is to
be an American citizen. When | think of
our boundless domain, on which the sun
never sets: Of our majestic primeval forests
and understanding plains; Of our noun
tains. crested with beauty, and our valleys
laughing with abundance of our brave
men and fair women, can but exciaiIn, as
Burns did of Scotland
America my dear, my native land
For whom my warInest wish 70 Heaven Ia sent"
While America is ahead of Europe in
new things, Europe Is ahead of America IN
old things, and l wish 20 take you who
live In hourishing Richmond tonight 70
an old city whose boom exploded eighteen
hundred years ago, and in its mysterious
voices let the dead past speak to the living
present.
VOICES FROM THE RuISs.
"Pompeii was beautiful, wealthy, and
happy city Of $4,000 souls, situated on the
Bay of Naples. 1t was destroyed in the
year 70 and remained undisturbed for 1,T00
years The very site was unknown and
was thought 10 be FIVE miles from where 1t
is. 1t was discovered by accident by we'll
diggers, who found beautiful statues that
could only be accounted for by supposing
J that they belonged 10 Pompeii. Standing
amid those ruins / could but wonder
where the people were. / said, Where
have the people all gomez and back from
open door and gaping easement and yawn-
ing tomb there came the response,
All gonel' But | thought | heard
| coming up from those streets and
alleys voices, some Of which will
reproduce tonight. First, there was
general voice of death and destruction.
What death can do is impressed upon you
here as nowhere else. There were special
voices; @ voice against sinful indulgences.
More people perished in the theatres than
anywhere else. A fatility seems TO attend
theatres as TO fires. You will call TO mind
the burning of the Richmond theatre in
1911. when so many perished: the Chicago
and st. Louis theatres. Nine hundred
were burned in the Ring theatre at Vienna,
. and the first sight / witnessed on reach
ing New York was a theatre on fire. On
the walls in Pompeii plscard was posted
stating that the following Saturday
mighty gladiators would ensanguine the
| arena but when Saturday came there was
| not blood there enough TO stain hand
kerchief.
PUBLIC SHOWS A NECESSITY.
Two things were necessary for Pom
peiians-bread and public shows. There
was a voice against drunkenness. Oh,
how the skeletons were packed around the
wine-shops
But drunkenness plays havoc with this
country rs well. Many O young man be-
gins his downward career at a New-Y Years
reception or other entertainment where
the punch-bOwl Is found. Drinking Is mono
the less 10 be deprecated because the cup is
presented By the jewelled hand of beauty.
There was q voice against gambling.
When a man is absorbed with the passion
Of gambling he will gamble ut all times and
under all circumstances.
Look at the great scandal suit in the
high courts Of England to-day, IN which a
baron was the swindler and the Prince
| of Wales the banker and English ladies
were the participants in the mysteries of
Tranby Croft. Many q young man has
made his way to gambling-hells through
gilded parlOrs where progressive euchre
was played.
There was voice against profanity,
| though the swearing of Pompelians was
tian country. Their ability TO swear was
limited by their knowledge of God.
GOLD AND AMBITION.
There was q voice against the love OF
| gold that came from the cellar of Diomed,
| where seventeen members of his family
| persisted and where he was found with
| his money-bags in his hand at the garden
| gate.
There was also q voice against ambi-
| ton, for there was an election going on for
! Aedile at the time and the halls were full
| of announcements OF candidates.
LOVE AND BRAVERY.
1.-THE other voices were specially interest
ing. One was the voice of love. The walls
| are full of tender expressions. The other
was the voice of bravery coming from the
| sentiners box at the Herculaneum gate.
-"Thers was-uver all the voice of heath.
enfsm. OF all the relices not one has been
| found indicating that single Christian
| lived there. There were Christians in
| Rome aud,Naples, but none at Pompeli. 1t
| was a summer resort. None of the institu-
| tions of Christianity were there-no hos
pitals, no almshouses. There were no te-
male colleges. these being product OF
| Christianity. There woman was degraded ;
! here she is elevated and ennobled. Let us
| educate her.
THE BRIGHTEST STAR.
"Where will you find a greater historian
| than Agnes Strickland, or a greater novel
| ist than George Eliot, or a greater poet
than Mrs. Browning, or a greater ruler
| than Victoria, OF greater missionary than
! Mrs. 'Judson. or greater college president
| that some of the women in charge OF our
| Institutions
~ trust the day will come when the
| State will show the same attention TO its