The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-09-11

there is one great thing in this church
and that il Michael Angeles statue o.
Moses. The work was executed be
fore the revised version of the Bible
had done away with the idea thai
Moses had horns when he came down
from Mt. Sinai, and so the artist has
given the great law giver pair of EN-.
phatic and beligerent horns, which
wish were chise!ed off. But in spite
of these the figure is grand and power
full and majestic, impressive beyond
expression.
The church of "St. Maria Maggiore''
the largest of the churches dedicated
to the Virgin, was built by her ex.
press order on spot where pile OF
snow was found one sultry July morn
ing several hundred years ago. The
morning I was there seemed to be the
anniversary of the day, for joyful
ceremony was in progress at a certain
stage of which a shower of white flow
err petals came floating down from the
dome above, representing, 1 presume,
the miraculous fall of snow.
At the church of the Capuchins a
cowled monk is very happy-for cou-
pie of sous-to show you through six
rooms furnished and decorated with
the remains of some 5000 of the BROTH
ers of his order who have gone before.
Tue larger bones are corded up along
the sides of the rooms, with spaces
left here and there for the repose of a
full length figure dressed in the cloth
ing it wore in life,-sadly ill-fitting
now. The small bones are disposed
in fancifuI designs about the walls or
hang in graceful festcons from the
ceilings. The skulls are placed where
they will contribute the most to the
general effect. The decoration is real
ly done with no little artistic skill.
But I couldn't help wishing that I
might be here t. see the fun when the
last trump sounds. And 1 couldn't
help thinking also what grissly place
this would be to spend a rainy night.
Near the old Forum is the Mamar-
tire prison, and away down under
ground is the little dark circular cell
in which st. Peter and st. Paul were
The stone pillar to which
they were chained is also there,-be-
cause an iron cage has kept the hands
of the faithful off of it. And there i'm
the middle of the floor is the we'll of
living water which burst forth when
Peter needed water wherewith to bap-
tie the converted jailers. The spring
is nicely curbed and full to the brim
but does not overflow. On one side of
the cell, in the solid stone, is the plain
of st Peters face, made
when one of his jailers rudely pushed
him against the wall.
On top of the Janiculum hill is a
church built on the spot where st.
Peter was crucified. He was also cru
cited on the spot where st. Peter.
church now stands, some two or three
miles away. He was beheaded also
1t several other places.
In nearly all of these churches are
splendid sarcophagi containing the
bones of the Christian martyrs, and in
Ill of them are paintings representing
the suffering and death and final tri-
Imph of the saints. I looked for some |
pictures representing the Pope approx
ng and blessing the st. Bartholomew
massacre or portraying the scene of
he Spanish Inquisition. But have
allied thus far to find any.
-
can imagine some school boy,
resh from his ancient history, impa-
iently asking, "How about the Seven
Hills, and the Tarpeian Rock, and the
bridge Horatius kept, and the place
where Caesar was killed." Softly,
ny dear boy! looked for them and
sked for them just as you would do if
'ou were here. But I realized after a
While, what you must remember, that
900 years is a long time. Long
nough to dig down hills and fill up
alleys and bury houses. One might
axe birds eye view of Rome and
ot know that it had any seven hills.
| well posted guide can point them
ut to you by showing buildings OH
be summit of each. But the hills are
OF there, in the old sense. Remem- I
er that they had to dig % feet to
Zach the pavement of the old forum.
he Tarpeian rock has worn down
ON the top and crept up from the :
ottom until a traitor would want no
etter fun than to be thrown over it.
he bridge tumbled into the Tiber .
of years ago. And Caesar 5
as killed lover somewhere near the
lilroad depot, "-probably some fif-
'en or twenty feet underground.
wo thousand years is long time.
~ +
1t is getting far into the night and
lis letter is as long as 1 have time to S
axe it,-longer 1 fear than the pa G
ence of my readers has constrained J.
lem to follow it. And yet it must =
ave unsaid more things than have \
zen said. 1t must leave out the pic s.
ire galleries, crowded with the mas e,
r,,;ooo. - a.. IL a