The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1895-01-17


most Interesting thing on earth Is the hui
man race, and specimens OF all branches OF
II confront you In Ceylon. The islnnd ofthe
present Is quiet and inconspicuous affair
compared with what II once was. The dead
cities OF Ceylon were larger and more Inn
posing than are the living cities. On this
island are dead New Yorks and dead Pek.
ings and dead Edinburghs and dead Lon.
dons Ever and anon at the stroke OF the
archmoglist's hammer the tomb OF some
great municipality flies open, and there ore
other buried cities that will yet respond TO
the explorers pickax.
The Pompei and Herculaneum under
meath Italy are small compared with the
Pompeiis and Ierculaneums underneath
Ceylon. Yonder Is an exhumed city which
was founded 500 years before Christ, stand
ing In pomp and splendor for 1900 years.
Stalrways up which fifty men might pass
side by side. Carved pillars, some OF them
fallen, some OF them aslant, some OF them
erect. Phidiases and Christopher Wrens
never hoard OF here. performed the maryels
OF sculpture and architecture. Atsles
through which royal professions marched.
Arches under which kings were carried. CITY
with reservoir twenty miles In circumier.
ence. ExtemporZed lakes that did their
cooling and refreshing for twelve centuries.
Ruins more suggestive than Mclrose and
krnilworth. Ceylonian Karnnks and Luxors.
Ruins retaining much OF grandeur. though
wars bombarded them, anil time put his
chisel on every block, and, more than all.
vegetation put its anchors and prizes and
wrenchcs IN all the crcvces. Dagohas, or
places where relics OF saints OF dictics are
kept-dal obas 400 feet high and their fallen
material burylng precious things, Tor tho
sight OF which modern curiosity has digged
AMI blasted In vain. Procession OF "l'.
plants In imitation, wrought into lustrous
marble. Troops OF horses In full run.
Shrines, chapels, cntholrals wrecked on the
mountain side. Stairs OF moOnstonn. EN.
qusito scrolls rolling up moro mysteries
than will ever be unrolled. over sixteen
square miles the ruins OF ono city strewn.
| Tnronerooms on which at different times sat
lGj kings, rrsignng In authority they in
herited. Walls TINT witnessed coronatiCns,
assassinations suhjugAtious, triumphs. Al
tars at which millions bowed ages before ths
orchcstras celestial woke tho shcperds with
midnight overture.
When Lieutenant skinner In 1892 disrov-
| crcl the site OF some OF those cities, he ioun
congrcgate1 In them undlsiurb"i assem-
bagcs OF lcopards, porcupin"s, nlmingocs
ami pelicnns reptiles Stunning themselves
on the nltars, prmn donnas rendering
| ornithological chant from deserted music
| halls. One king restored much OF tn" grand
| eur, robuilt 1900 residences. but ruin soon
resumed It's sceptcr. But all IS down-tho
| spires down, the pillars down, the tablets
| down, tho glory OF StltnOll NIeuf~ N''WU.
What killed those citirsy Who slew tho Now
| York and London OF the year 800 Il. c.; Was
| Il unhcalthoi with q host OF plagu'sy Was
| IL foreign armies laying seigey Was II whole
| generations weakened by their own vices
Mystery sits amtd the monolths and brick
! dust, finger on lip In eternal silence, while
| the centuries guess and gucs, In vain. We
simply know that genius planned those
cities, AM immense populations inhabited
| them. An eminent writer estimates that q
| pile Of bricks In ono ruin OF Ccylon would be
| enough TO build a wall ten icet nigh from
! Edinburgh 10 London. sixteen hundred
pillars with carved capitals are standing
| sentinel for ten miles.
! You can Judge somewhat OF the slzN oi tho
! cities by the reservoirs tnat were required
| to slack their thirst. judging the sizn OF the
| city from the s'za o, the cup out Of which IL
| drank. Cities crowded with inhahitants-
not like American or English cities, but
| picked together rs only blr1aric tribes can
! pack them. But their knrll YVES sounded
! their light went out. Giant trees are the
| only royal family now occupyin: those
palaces. The growl OF wild beasts whrrc
/ once the gufIaw OF wissail nscenied. Anurai-
| ahpura and Pollonarna will never be re-
| builded. Let all tho living cities OF tho
| earth take warning. Cities are human, hav-
inga time to 10 born and n time to de. No
more certainly have they a cradle than a
grave. A last judgment - appointed for in
dividuals. but cities have thelr last judg-
| ment in this world. They bless, they curse,
! they worship, they blaspheme. they suffer,
they are rewaIded. they are overthrown.
Prcpos,erous says some one, 10 think
that any o, our American or European cities
| which have stood so long can ever come
! through vic, 10 extinction. But Now York
l and London hnve not stood ns long as those
| Ceylourse cities stood. Wner" is tho throne
| outside OF Ceyion on which los successive
| kings reignel for a Lifeline. Cities and nR.
| tions that have lived far longer than our
present cities or nation have been snpul.
/ chered Let all the great muncip pIlities ot
this ami other lani Il ponder. Il Is as true
now as when the psnlmist wrote II and as
/ true o.; cities and nations ~ OF iniivIiulls.
| THE Lord knoveth the way OF the rlgh.
teous, hu, the way OF the unsolly shal!
! perish.