The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1893-10-12

&C., ""vu, anything to show its pInce m
vom, . ,unl. nut nner 100 years OF oblIternt,on
some antiquities which lead 70 the rvh.us
s uon ., sne city. Now walk with me througb
somo OF tne streets end ia.o scms "a a.
nouses and amid the ruins OF bas,I,c. anS
temple and amphitheatre. ""'
,.sa rom tne moment the guide met us M the
sare, s1 oa entering Pompeii that day IN No.
Nemper, 1889, until he left us M tba ,,a,o S.
our departure, the emotion feIt ,yss s'iu ,r,n v
scrpaoie Tor elevation and solemnity ana
| sor.VW ana awe. Come and aee tb. no, -
@ nou vouies OF the dead found In tho citv ana
NV NV in tne museums OF Italy. About tso m
. nose emoalmed by that eruption have been
ser, eui @ Mother and child, noble and
,,' merchant and beggar are preseptnble
ana natural after 1900 years OF burial Tha,
woman was found clutching her adornments
| when the storm OF ashes and nre hagan a,d
~, ~, ,'Vo years she continued to clutch them
lnere at the soldiers barracks are sixty.
a. ,our ske'etons OF brave men. who faithfully
os ,oJa .'. suaru AZ their post when the tempest
W vinuers began. and after 100 wears were
sun found standing guard. There ia tho
.orm OF gentle womanhood impressed unon
,he hardened ashes Pass along. and b.ro
we see the deep ruts in the basaItic paye-
men's wora there by the wheels OF the chart
9 9.s OF ,ne hrst century. There, over the
uoorways and in the porticoes ara yvorLs %,
art immortalzing the debauchery Of n citv
whlcn. Notwithstanding oil its splendors. was
vestibule OF perdtion, ""'
Inose cutters ran with the blood OF tbo
Hladiators, who were prisenghtcrs of those
ancleht times, and II was sword parrying
sword, until, with one skilful and ston,
plunge Of the sharp edge. tho mn,,Icd anJ
gashed combatant reelcd over dead. 10 lao
carried out amid the huzzas OF enrnptured
spectators. We staid among those suggestive
scenes after the hour that visitors are usunlIv
nuowed there and staid until there was not n
ioottall TO be heard within all that city excent
our own. Up this silent street and down thnt
silent street we wandered. Into that win.
dowless and rooncss home we went aud came
| out again onto the pavements that, now for
saken, were once thronged with life.
Ana can II be that all up aud down these
solemn soltudes, hearts moro than 1900
years ago ached and reioiccd. and feet shut
ned with tho gait Of old aga or danced with
childish glec. and overtasked workmen car
ried their burdens, and drunkards staggered2
ON that mosaic iloor did glowing youth clasp
hands in marriage VOW and cross thn,
threshold did pallbearers carry tho beloved
dead, aud gay groups once mount those now
skeletons ot staircases?
While walked and contemplatol Tho city
seemed suddenly to be- throngcl with all the
population that had ever inhabited IL. and
heard its laughter and groan and unclean-
ness and internal boast ~ u was on the 2gd
OF August, 10. And Nosuyius. from the mild
light with which It flushed the sky that SUM
mer evening as stood In discntombsd Pom
peii, seemed suddenly again To- hcavr and
flame and rock with the lava and darkness
and desolation and woe with which more
than eighteen centuries ago IL submerged
Pompeli. as with the liturgy Of fire and storm
the mountain proclaimed at the burial,
Ashes 70 ashes. dust 10 dust. "
My friends. | cannot tell what practical
NNsNn
walk through uncovered rompeii, but the
first thought that absorhs mo IL that, while
nrt and culture are important, they cannot
save the morals or the life Of a great town
Much OF the painting and sculpture OF Pom
peti was so exquisite that. while some IL kept
on the walls where il was first pcnrilod, to bo
admired 10y those who 20 there, whole wagon
loads and whole rooms full Of 1t have been
transferred to the Museo Borhonico at Ma
pies 20 be admired 10y the centuries.
Those Pompeian artists mixed such dura-
bility of coors that. though their paintings
were buried in ashes and scorin for 1900
years. and since they were uncovered many
OF them have remained there exposed TO the
rains and winds and winters and summers
1870 years. the color Is rs fresh and vivid and
true rs though yesterday II had passed from
the easel. Which of our modern paintings
could stand all that? And yet many OF the
specimens of Pompeiian art show that the
city was sunk to such depth OF abominntion
that there was nothing deeper. Sculptured
and petrihed and embalmed abomina,ion.
There was n stat" Of public morals worse
than belongs to any city now standing under
the sun.
Yet now many think that all that Is neces-
sary IL TO cultivate the mind and advance the
knowledge and improve the arts. Have YOU
the impression that eloqucnce will do the
eevating work? Why Pompeii had Cicero
half OF every year for its citizen. Have you
the idea TN It literature is all that Is neces-
sary 10 keep Il city right; Why. Slllust. with
u pen that was the boast Of Roman litcra-
ture. had u mansion In that doomed city. Do
you think that sculpture and art are quite
sufficient for the production Of good morals?
Then correct your dclusion by examining
the statues in the Temple of Mercury M Pom
peii. or the winged figures of its Parthcnon,
and the colonnadcs AMI arches Of this house
of Diomed.
by all means have schools and Dusseldorf
and Dore exhibitions and galleries where
the genius OF all the centuries can bank it.
self up in snowy sculpture, and all hric-a-
brac. and all pure art, but nothing save the
religion Of Jesus Christ can max" "A city
moral In proportion rs churches and BIZ
bes and Christian printing presses and re-
vvals OF religion abound Is city pure and
clean. What has Buddhism or Confucianism
or MohRmmcdanism done in all the hun
vation OF society? Absolutely nothing
Peking and Madras and Cairo are just
what they were ages ago, except ~ Christi
nnity has modified their condition. What II
the difference between our Brooklyn and
their Pompeii? No difference except that
which Christianity has wrought. Favor all
good art, but take best care OF your
churches. and your Sabbath schools, and
your Bibles. and your family altar7.
Yea, see in our walk through uncovered
Pompei what sin will do for city. We
ought to Ice slow 10 assign the Judgment OF
God. Cities are sometimes afflicted just as
good people are afflicted, and the earthquake,
and the cyclone. and the epidemic are no
sign in many cases that God is angry with u
CITY, but the distress Is sent for some good
and Kind purpose, whether we understand
il or not The law that applies 10 individ-
uals may apply 10 Christian cities ~ well,
IAN things work together for good to those
that love God.
But the greatest calamity OF history came
upon Pompeii not TO improve It's future con
tt,!., -. 10 anna anp1 plaf aly DblitpFutnl unl