Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-03-21
ruEPAINTINGs OF PoNrPEu
The Charm OF These Pictures is in Their
Portrayal of Human Life.
Edinburgh Revue

Edinburgh Review.
OF all the remarkable things found at
Polnpeii none are more important than
the pictures, on account of the light they
throw on ancient painting. While many
masterpieces of Greek sculpture and archi-
lecture have come down to Us, the Greek
paintings, from the fragility of their ma
ture, have persisted, and it Is chiefly in
the Roman ruins that we find some tradl-
ton of them left. At Pomoeii every
house and every room was decorated with
frescoes. The BEST of these were at first
removed for preservation to the muse
um at Porticj which was incorporated
into the Naples museum early in this
century.
Descriptions can hardly give an idea of
the charm of these pictures Of their rich,
harmonious coioring, which many art
critics have compared to Titan Of the
serene, Joyous conceptions of human life,
of the grace and dignity of the figures
Stately gods and goddesses, sporting Gu
pids, bacchanters fauns, centaurs, dol
phins, arabesQues are multiplied in in
finite variety. Mot of the subjects are
taken from Greek mythology. but some
represent scenes from daily life of the
?ompeiians, and throw much light on
their habits and occupations. With few
exceptions the subjects are treated with
taste and delicacy. In a civilization
where to the gods themselves were ascTlb-
ed the passions OF mortal men, 1t is not
to be wondered that art sometimes minis
tered TO the licentious ideas of the cay
Tut those pictures which have been re-
moved from pubic view are few compared
with those which must delight even the
seyerest moralist.
To Helbig specially belongs the merit of
having traced these pictures to their
origin. He divides them into two groups
tho g that have an i6ealisric and those
that have a realistic tendency. The
former include the NEUROLOGICAL subjects
and certain number of scenes from real
life. such as female figures in meditation,
at their toilet, painting, or playing must
sal instruments, and frequently in com
pany with Eros. A few of the mythology
cal subjects are dramatic, but most of
them bear an idyllic character, represent
ing scenes full of serenity and repose
which the eye dwelIs on with pleasure.
A Dead Mans Eyes
That man didn't ask you for any
thing" | said to my Chicago friend as we
stood in front of the fremont house one
day and he slipped a quarter TO a
hard-up-looking man who came to halt
beside us.
No"
DO you know him?
No
quarters to every one who seems to he
broker
''Let me tell you something, he said as
we moved back little further out Of the
way of pedestrians. Il made misake
once, and I'm taking this way to get even
with my conscience.
"Well?"
81 was in st. Louis on business. 1t was
winter, and you know now cold that town
van be when it tries hard. / was out on
the streets at II o'clock one bitter cold
night when a chap struck me for a dime.
He was poorly clad. looked hungry and
sick, and ought to have handed out the
money at once | was just brute enough
not to do it, lie followe& me a hundred
feet, begging and pleading and finally
threatened to have him arrested. He
turned away with a sob in his throat, and
| went to the hotel. y
81 sc ~
There was a big srow storm that night
and the next morning they found him in a
drift, frozen stark aud stiff. saw the
body and recognized it. The pale face
was pinched and Drawn with hunger and
suffering and the eyes were as wide open
as yours-great big blue eyes, sunken
back in their kets, and staring at me
in an awful way Yes, sir. they seemed to
be fas tened on me alone, and to follow me
as moved, and a man in the crowd MOTTO
ed it. and whispered that ! looked guilty
of murder. When | heard car drivers,
draymen. bootblacks, and newsboys saying
how gladly they would have given the
poor wre,ch a quarter TO buy lodgings and
food. sneaked away feeling that ! was a
murderer 1t hurt ne more than J can
tell you ! don't wait to be asked for aims.
! give TO some who are no doubt undeceiv-
Z, but take my chances on that. That
thing rests like a murder upon ray con-
science, and nothing like it shall ever hap
nor, afyafu -