The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-05-13
IN A ROMAN MANSION.
A Paper Read by Mrs. w c, Weldon
to the Cousins Society.

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tant in miles, FAR back Of us in time as
we'll We will employ, as the only means
of transportation at our command, the
wings of Imagination. Each one Of
us thus employing ourselves, We will
visit Rome, and upon the occasion try
to see some features Of Roman home
life. The time of our arrival in the city
is early in the morning.
Already the disagrecably narrow
streets, choked as they are with the
outstanding tables of the merchants,
butchers and wine.seller's shops, are
thronged with the busy multitudes
Slaves hurrylng to and fro; vendors
with stentorious voices offering their
goods, eulogizing the excellence of
their articles; countrymen with peculiar
yells and cries, trying to direct Alright
the burden.bearing mule. But amid
all this jargon and jostle, we elbow our
way along and reach the door of a
Roman mansion.
Mansion you eXClaiui, as your eye
glances up at the plain unbroken wall
before you, unadorned, begrimed with
the dust and dirt of the necessarily
travelled street But do not be hasty
in your judgment Notice the door
way before you enter The threshold
is of marble, the posts on either side
are of curiously carved wood inlaid
with tortoise shell. The doors do not
swing on hinges, but are provided with
wedge shaped pins, moved in bronze
rings 1t being the entrance to
private house, the doors open inwards;
they are closed during the day, but not
fastened. For propriety's sake, how
ever, we knock, and the massive door
is swung ajar by the janitor-a slave
whose duty it is to attend wholly to this
work; it is characteristic Of a gentle
mans house to have slave for almost
every separate duty. The janitor holds
in his hand rod, which he opposes to
unwelcome visitors. His gesture, how
ever, bids US enter, and, as he closes
the portal behind us, we find ourselves
in the ostlum. The salve drawn in
mosaic upon the floor of the entrance
attracts our attention to a beautiful
custom here of saluting those who enter
by word of welcome. Sometimes
bird sits above the door, taught to utter
the word as guests enter Even though
we have ventured to call, at what we
should consider SO early and unreason-
able an hour, we Gnd the house already
filled with a multitude of visitors.
These have come to pay their custom
airy morning salutatons to their patron.
We see at once their difference in
grades, and judge rightly, that as great
a variety of motives has drawn them
hither. Some are citizens of the in
ferior classes, who receive support from
the lord of the mansion; poor poets
and idlers who, from these early atten-
tons, hope to obtain a share in the
diurnal Sportula, or distribution of gifts
or small sums of money. With many
this is not the only such visit they
expect to accomplish before the morn
ing hours will have passed. Already,
with them, this may be the second or
third such call.
But the nomenclator, whose duty it
is to arrange in order the names of
those who would be introduced, ap
pears and informs this molly gathering
that his lord will not present himself
this morning except to few selected
ones, and would decline their atten-
tions to-day AS the throng takes its de-
parture, we congratulate ourselves that
we are accounted among the few elect,
and during the interval that may elapse
ere the master of the house will wait
upon us himself, we are at liberty to
give ourselves the pleasure of studying
the apartments of this luxurious home,
noting its harmonious appointments
and revel in its works of art and an
tiquity.
We pass into the atrium, or main
room of the Roman dwelling. 1t is
paved with marble mosaic. Its walls
are adorned with the choicest bits of
art-paintings, busts and shields. These
represent many of the ancient gods
and heroes; also, some of the family
ancestors, who have held high Office in
their day. To these are attached tab
lets, telling of their names, dignities
and deeds. The fresh garlands and
wreaths with which these are crowned
betoken the respect still bestowed upon
their memories. The atrium is lighted
from the aperture above in the center,
meath which is the impluvium-a basin
to collect the water which falls from
the slightly inclined roof
Formerly the atrium was the living
room, that over which the Roman
matron presided, gathering her slaves
around her and engaging with them in
the household occupations. Here
domestic life centered. Here stood
the hearth, used both for the purposes
of cooking, and also, as the altar upon
which the sacrifcial fires were kept
continually burning. Then, the open
ing in the roof served the purpose of
an outlet for the smoke, as well as for
the admission of light. The family
here partook of the common meal. In
and with this room were connected all
the home associations from the cradle
to the grave. The father of the house
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