The Newtown bee., 1895-04-26
LESSONS FROM BURIED PoMpEII.

vIUS THAT DESTROYED POMPEII IN THE
 YEAR 79.-HOw THE DIGGING OF A
 WELL WAS THE BEGINNING OF THE
 CIrY's REsURRECTroN.-PL OF
 PARIS FORMS THAT ALL BUT SPEAK.
 G) CITIES CANNOT BE BURIED, MEL
 THEIR CAN MEN, EASTER IS THE TIME
 TO GET HOLD THE TRUE IDEA OF LIFE.
 CD LIFE PROVES DOCTRINE, AND TRUE
 CHRISTIAN LIVES ARE THE BEST FOSSIL
 AN EASTER SERMON BY REV OTIS W.
 BARKER IN THE VIEWPOINT CoNGREGA-
 TIONAL CHURCH.
 You all know the story of Pompeii. It stood some twenty miles outside the walls of Rome, and much less than half that distance from the volcano of Vesu- vius, upon whose lofty summit hung pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. And not far away was the Bay of Naples, then as now the love- Hest bay in the world, it's bright blue waters ever dancing in the sunshine, surrounded on three sides by high slop- ing hills, with the two beautiful islets of Ischia and Capri standing as ''silent sentinels" at the entrance of the bay. The inhabitants of Pompeii lived much as people live to-day; they feasted and drank and trafficked and spent much of their time in being amused with theatric- al shows. Day after day they heard the rumbling of Vesuvius. It became 8 constant sound to their ears; they grew wonted to it just as dwellers by the sea- | side grow wonted to the noise of the breakers and the splash of the surf as it dashes on the wave beat shore.
 One day, you remember the date, on the 25th of August in the year 79, the old giant awoke. For centuries he had been slumbering or only moving restlessly on his hard pillow, but now he was fully awake. The column of smoke that ever l fingered over the summit of Vesuvius formed itself into great cloud. The cloud rose higher and higher. It over spread the sky. It shut out the sun. The inhabitants of Pompeii saw what was coming; the note of warning was given, but it was too late. Thousands escaped, but thousands remained to die. All day long it rained, but such a rain as brought no satisfaction to the thirsty land, such 8 rain as there never was be- fore on any shore.. Stones, lava and mud fell; to the depth of 5, 10, 15, al most 20 feet the mass of molten lava, drained from out the bowels of the earth, fell and covered Pompeii, the city, with it's streets and houses and theatres and sport-loving people. Thus Pompeii be- came buried city, city which had a history once, but it's history was gone, a city which had name once, but whose very name was for many ages to be lost to the world. &
 | SOME FIFTY OR so YEARS AGO
 farmer was digging well in his gar. den. When he had dug down several feet in the ground, he came to a portion of a wall. Thinking some treas ure might be discovered, he opened up a large space. The story became known to other men; and, after a while, the story of Pompeii was recalled, the city which the monster Vesuvius over. whelmed with it's molten mass 1900 years before.
 To-day you walk through the streets of that city, for the Italian government has caused nearly the whole area to be disentombed. There are the deep ruts worn in the stones of the pavement by | the Roman chariot-wheels l9 centuries ago. There is the theatre with it's porches and tiers of seats and it's amphi- theathre before yeu appearing almost as | if the play were to begin. There is the stone oven built in the wall and the mill | for grinding the grain near by, where the miller was overtaken when the fear ful storm of lava came and where his 50 blackened and shrivelled loaves of bread were found. There is the spot at the corner of the street where stood the Ro- man sentinel, keeping at his post of duty | till the death-dealing tempest held him fast. Then stroll through the museum It is strange place; let me explain it. Tn digging through the mud rain the ex- cavators came upon large hollows. At first, these were passed over unheeded ]; but at length some ingenious fellow con ceived the idea of filling these hollows with plaster of Paris. The plaster of Paris hardened, and To! there were per- feet representations of men and women who were overtaken by the lava storm. Here is mother protecting her child. Here is poor fellow caught as he was fleeing for his life; see the muscles of his face as they portray the agony of death! Here is miser who could not leave his gold. These are the strange sights that you see in Pompeii once bur jed, but resurrected to-day.
 But how does this story of the un- earthed city fit into the thought of Easter morning? l have tried to think of some- thing else, have tried to preach of something else; but few weeks ago that scene was impressed so vividly on me that cannot but think of it now, and it brings to me what seems apt illustration of thoughts for Easter-time.
 First, then, in resurrected PompeiiI find this thought: we cannot bury our words or our deeds or our lives; they must be resurrected some day. How completely Pompeii seemed buried IT feet of ashes and stones and lava were piled above it; the last trace of it seemed gone, the faintest vestige of it's life seemed carried away now the city just as it was buried is opened to public view. ss
 HOW LONG PoMPEII REMAINED BURIED s* sy.