The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-09-09
MODERN ROMAN LIFE.
The Changes That Two Thousand Years
Have Wrought.

The Changes That Two Thousand Years
Have Wrought.
If by any means an ancient Roman
were allowed to return to this world
and make Il visit to his native city, he
would find it easy to recognize many
familiar features. The old yellow Tiber
in which he used to swim and float his
boats when boy, still flows on. yon.
der is the Cloaca maxima just as he saw
it hundreds of years ago He walks
with beating heart past the Coliseum,
under those triumphal arches SO fa-
miliar to his eyes. Here is the
Forum, lying in broken ruins
to be sure, but he has no
trouble to recognize those graceful pill
lars and tall columns. Farther on he
finds himself before the Pantheon.
With what eagerness he once more
scans it's every detail. Wandering about
here and there he sees many familiar
landmarks. At last, footsore and tired,
he seeks for some place to rest. He
notices the sign printed in his native
language and posted in doorway. Est
Locanda. He enters, passes up the
stairway, and finds himself in the apart.
ments of modern Roman house.
Everything is strange and unfamiliar.
He can no longer believe that he is in
his native city. In stepping into the
modern Roman house he finds himself
in new world.
The difference between modern and
ancient Roman life is about as great as
two thousand years can make it. Mod.
ern Roman houses are very large, and
built in compartments. Sometimes
many families live in one house. On
entering the door one finds himself con-
fronted by the sigh painted on the wall,
Portiere (doorkeeper) TO one side is
Il room, where a cobbler is pegging
away at a pair of boots. This cobbler
is the door-l1eeper. 1t is his business
to answer all questions addressed to'the
house, shows the vacant apartments,
keeps the great Railways clean and
tidy, lock the house up at night, and tc
have general surveillance about the
building. AS this consumes but a portion
OF his time, he generally combines
the trade of door-keeper with that OF
shoemaker. AS you enter he always
gives polite pull at his hat, having in
view the present expected the first Of
August (felice Agosto), or at New
Years day. Nowadays great fear is
expressed at Rome against sneak
thieves. The doors of the apartments
of families are always kept locked.
Before opening the door the question is
always asked: Cui la? who's there?)
The door is only opened after respond
ing Sono 10 Git is ~. The French fash
ion and hours of eating are quite gen.
orally observed. Much grease and fat
are used in preparing the food. Many
dishes are seasoned with kind of stale
powdered cheese.
During the hot weather days, nearly
everyone keeps to the house. The lat
ter part of the afternoon and evening
driving. The favorite resort for the
Roman aristocracy is the Pincio. Here
are seen many beautiful carriages, fine
horses and liveried servants. In large
square called La Piazza Colonna, one OF
the celebrated military bands plays
programme of popular and classical
music every evening. In the center OF
this square stands noble column GOV.
cred with bas-reliefs commemorating
the wars of Marcus Aurelius upon the
Danube. What contrast between
this grim old monument, that has
seen so many generations pass
away at its feet, and the mod.
ern structures which stand about it,
In the evening when the music plays,
and all is gaiety and animation, the
time-worn column looks down upon the
electric-lighted square, just as it used
to look down upon the flaming torches
OF some Roman army returned from far
off conquests.
In the summer evenings Roman
family will frequently adjourn to cafe
to eat dish of ice-cream or drink
glass of lemonade. Little round tables
and chairs are placed on the sidewalk
before the cafe, so that they may watch
the laughing crowd that passes by.
They retire to their home at an early
hour, carefully closing the windows OF
their bed-chambers to shut out the ma,
laria.-P. w. Linebarger, in N. W.Chris
tian Advocate.