The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-02-25


lions. Il Is the FIRST
OF three papers on
Rome. 81. Peters.
and the Vatican. which these artists
In words and pigments viii contribute
70 the magazine. Mr. Crawford says;
There Is a plan Of the place In every
guide-book. with a description written
to be read while running. And yet.
without much deHnite knowledge with
little Latin and less Greek" perhaps
many men and women. the guide
book In their hands forgotten for one
moment. have leaned upon a block OF
marble with half-closed. musing eyes.
and breath drawn 10 slow that Il Is al
most quiet. held Ia day-dream wonder,
and they have seen rise a vision OF past
things and beings. even IN the broad
afternoon sunshine. out Of stones that
remember Cesar's footsteps. aud from
walls that have echoed With Antony's
speech. There they troop up the Sacred
Way. the shock-headed. wool-draped
beak-nosed Romans: there they stand
together In groups AZ the corner Of
Saturn's temple: there the half-naked
plebeian children Chamber upon tho
pedestals Of the columns TO watch the
crowd. and double the mems deep tones
with a treble Of childish chatter. there
the noble boy. with bis bordered toga,
his keen young face. and longing back
ward look. b. hurried home out Of the
thfong by the tall household slave. who
carries biz school-tablets and is re-
sponslble for his safety
A consul goes By. twelve ilctors
marching with m-black-browed
square jawed. relentless men. with
their rods aud axes Then two closed
filters are carried past By big black.
oily felloEs beside whom walk freed
men and Greek slaves. and three or
four hecnrled and he-scented parasites,
the shadows OF the great men In the
filters. Under their very feet the little
street-boys play their game Of pitching
at tiny pyramids of dried lupins-be-
cause they have no hlberts. and lupins
are almost az good and as tho dandi-
ned hanger-0n OF Mecenas stralnlng his
ear for the sound Of his patrons voice
from within the litter. heedlessly
brushes the little yellow beans under
his sandal. the particular small boy
whose stake Is smashed clenches hls
list. and with flashing eyes curses the
dandy's dead TO the fourth generation
Of ascendants. and he and his compsn-
ions turn and scatter like mice As one
OF the biggest slaves thrcateningly
raises his hand.
Absurd details rise IN the dream. An
o.d cronc Is selling roasted chestnuts
In the shadow OF the temple Of Castor
and PolluX: a tipsy soldier Is Keeling
TO Ms quarters with his helmet stuck
on wrong side foremost; knot OF Jew
ish money changers, with long curls
and high caps. are talking eagerly In
/ Hebrew. and clutching the little bags
they hide In the sleeves Of their yellow
Eastern gowns. bright-eyed. skinny
woman OF the people boxes her daugh-
ter's ears for having smiled AZ one Of
the rich mems parasites. and the girl
already crying. still looks after the
fashionable good-ior-nothlng under her
mothers appraised arm.
All about stretches the vast hum.
ming city Of low-bnilt houses covering
the short steep hills and filling Oh the
holloWs between: the seethlng Subura
lies northeastward. the yellow river !.
beyond the few buildings Of the west
southward rise the enchanted villas Of
the Cesars. due cast Is the Esqulline Of
evil fame redeemed and planted with
trees and beautlhed b. Mecenas. bul
haunted even to-day. say modern Ro-
mans. by the grim ghosts OF murderer'
and thieves who there died bloody
deaths OF quiverlng torture All around
rs the sun sinks and the cool shadow
quench the hot light on the pavemenis
the ever-increaslng crowds Of men-al
WAYS more men than women-mOv'
onward. half unconsclously and out o.
Unborn habit. TO the Forum. the centel
OF the empire. the middle Of the world
the boillng-point Of the whole earth'i
riches and strength and life.
Then. as the traveller muses. out hii
short breathing space. the vision grow
confused. and ROmc's huge ghosts 3,
stalking. riding changing, ravinl
through the surging dream-throng-
Caesar. Bruns, Pompey. Catiline, Cice
10. Callgula. Vitellus, Hadrian-and clos
upon them. Gauls and Go,hs and Huns
ana an barbarians. tlll the dream Is
Kaleidoscope OF school-learned name
that have suddenly taken shadows o
great faces oat OF ROmes shadow store
house. and gorgeous arms and stream
ing draperics and all at once the sight
seer shivers as the sun goes down. an
passes his hand over his eyes, an
shakes himself. and koes away rattle
hastily. lest he should take the feve
and turn ghost himself,