Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-09-25
"HoMF, : WET HoMEr"


ing mountain of ltaly-NesuviuS, of which
everybody HIS heard. The weather was
exceedingly hot, and felt quite overcome
on reaching the edge of the crater, which
is about 1000 feet above the level of the
blue Mediterranean. Suddenly man near
mel had taken him for a visitor also
began shouting in an excited manner and
waving his arms above his head. He was
dressed in sort of blanket, something
like that the Arabs wear, and his feet were
encaSed in sandals. had not noticed this
before. He was speaking in Latin, and,
although | never knew much of that Ian
guage, | understood perfectly well what ht
said. He was wringing his hands now,
and crying that the learned soothSayers,
after killing and disembowelling certain
animals and inspecting their entrails, and
after carefully watching the flight of birds,
had declared that in this year-he said
70, not 9l-uader the most powerful
Emperor Titus, who had taken and des
troyed the city of Jerusalem, the Italian
cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum should
be destroyed likewise by an earthquake
and eruption of the Mount Vesuvius
Even as he spoke the sun was darkened
with a cloud of smoke, the earth began to
tremble, and felt myself unable to stand
| was dizzy and my brain burned as
though it were filled with hive Goals.
could see river flowing towards me, not
of water, but Of liquid that Iesembleo
burned parufine and | tried to run away
but could not. Then, away down in the
city there, whittier was suddenly trans
ported. | know not how, slw a soldier
mounting guard. He, too, cried out il
Latin AMI said that we should be de
stroyed, but he must obey orders and re
main where he was. admired his Cour.
age and hoped we might be turned tC
stone, both of us, so that 900 years hence
they might find us and put us in a museum
Just then the burning llva completely
overwhelmed me, burning my flesh hor-
rlbly; there was a tremendous explosion,
such as might be caused by the deonat-
ing of a household of dynamite. and with
shrek | awoke. ! was in Rome, the
Eternal City. afCretime mistress of the
world
was in the circus of Nero mo connec.
ton with Barnum), and Nero drove in in
a beautiful gllded coach and four, like the
one they have in the hippodrome in Paris
The CoaChmen and the two footmen wore
three cornered hats and pigtails, knee
breeches, white silk stockings and buchled
shoes The footman let down the steps.
Nero descended and took mis- seat IN has
imperial robes in the imperial tribune.
And from thousands Of Latin threats came
the cry, Gave imperatorl" Soon another
cry resounded "Christianor ad leones! -
which signifies: Give some christians TO
| IF
animals come into the arena, wagging
their tails and licking their lips. In a
few moments three or forr Christian
they seemed to be amerlcans-were intro
duCed and the lions advanced toward
them. All on a sudden, however, the
beasts seemed struct with terror. They
put their tails between their respective
hind legs and howed piteously, and you
could see big tears rolling from their eyes
The spectators applauded vigorously, and
one of the ladies must have been the
Empress, | think-caIed an attendant
and had the most distinguished of
the Americans brought to the tribune,
and saw her place a laurel branch about
his brow. applauded in Latin too, then,
and felt very happy to see so much grit
rewarded and American grit, you know
felt so much moved that was obliged
to wipe my eyes with my handkerchief
When removed it the circus seemed 10
have changed into a very fine church
the Church of St. Peter. Later on, as |
came out Of the Church of St. John
Lateran, which is the mother and head
of all churches of the city and Of the
world, taking precedence even of St.
Peters, saw a fight Of stone stairs
called the Scata Santa. They are said to
have been brought from the Pontius
Plate, and it is related that Christ walked
upon them. At present anyone who
wishes to asgend must do 50 upon his hands
and knees. Quite number Of people
were going up in this way. wandered
into she Vatican. too, and saw the Apollo
Belyidere, the LAGOON, Raphael Trans
fgnatIon and Madonna del Foligno, and
in the Sistine Chapel. Michael Angelos
fresco Of The Last Judgment +"
The Vatican is said to contain
about II 900 rooms Pictures, more or less
confused. come to me Of the capitol, the
colosseum-with room for 10000 specta-
tors-the pantheon, where the great paint.
ers lie at rest. the catacOmbs and the
Forum Romanum. the s3ene Of 50 many
memorable events in the childhood Of the
world. ! have vague recollection of
great disturbance IN the senate house tat