The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1896-02-27
THE ROMAN COLISEUM.
Vivid Picture of the AE:EAitheatc- After
Scene OF BLOODY Amusement.


Scene OF BLOODY Amusement.
And enc stands there alone in the
stiffness AID remembers how, on
that night when all was over, when
the oorpses had all been dragged
away and the arena had been fresh
~ strewn with sand, it may have
beon almost as it is now. Only per-
haps far OF among the arches and
on the tiers of seats there might be
still a tiny light moving here and
there. The keepers of the terrible
place would go their rounds with
their little earthen lamps They
would search everywhere in the
spectators places for small things
that might have been lost in the press
"a shoulder buckle of gold or silver
or bronze, an armlet, womans ear
ring, purse, perhaps, with some
thing in it. And the fitful night
breeze would now and then make
them shade their lights with their
dark hands. By tho door of the
dead" torch was burning down in
it's socket, its glare falling upon a
heap of armor, mostly somewhat
battered and all of it blood stained.
A score Of black proved smiths were
picking it over and distributing it
in heaps, according to its condition.
Now and then from the deep vaults
below tho arena came tho distant
sound of a changing gate, or of some
piece of huge stage machinery fall
ing into it's place, and a muftled call
ing of men. One of the keepers,
with his light, was singing softly
some ancient minor strain as he
searched the tiers. That would be
al, and presently even that would
cease.
Ono thinks of such things natural
ly enough, and then the dream runs
backward against the sun, as dreams
will, and the moon rays weave vi
sion Of dim day. Straightway, tier
upon tier, so, 600 faces rise up to tho
last high rank beneath the awnings
shade. Meanwhile, under his silken
canopy, sits the emperor of tho
world, sodden faced, CHASTITY, swine
eyed, robed in purple; all alone save
for his dwarf, bull nOsed, slit mouth
cd, hunchbacked, sly. Next, on the
lowest bench, the vestals, old and
young, tho elder looking on with
hard faces and dry eyes, tho young
est with wido and startled looks, and
parted lips, and quick drawn breath
that sObs and is caught at sight of
each deadly stab and cash of broad
sword and trident, and hands that
tWitCh and clutch each other as q
mans foot slips in a pool of blood,
and tho heavy harness clashes in the
red, wet sand. Then gray haired
senators; then curlcd and perfumed
knights of Rome, and then the peo-
pie, countless, vast, frenzied, blood
thirsty, stretching out 100, 900 hands
with thumbs reversed, commanding
death to the fallen-full $4,000
threats of men and women roaring,
yelling, shrieking over each ended
life A theater indeed, a stage in
deed, play wherein every scene of
every act ends in u sudden death.
And then the widest, deadliest
howl of all on that day; a handful
of men and women in white and one
girl in tho midst of them; the clang
of an iron gate thrown suddenly
open; rushing and leaping of great
1.-the bodies of beasts, yellow and
black and striped, the sand flying m
clouds behind them; q worrying and
crushing of flesh and bone, as of
hugo cats worrying little white
mice; three sharp cries, then blood,
then silence, then a great laughter
and the sOdden face of mankind's
drunken master grows almost hui
man for q momont with q very slow
smile. The wild beasts are driven
out with brands step by step, drag,
ging backward nameless mangled
rags of humanity in their dripping
jaws, and the bull nosed dwarf offers
the emperor cup of rare red wine.
1t drips from his mouth while he
drinks, as the blood from tho tigers
fangs.
, What were they?" he asks.
"Christians," explains the dwarf.
They wero very amusing" an
swers tho emperor, "They were
like little white mice. We will have
moro. Marion Crawford in Janu-
airy Century.