The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-05-31

T[HlIE AM!PIAORA. )
SH
< a Weird Tale of a Once
Buried City. <
ascso.c-.o.c.osc.oeee.t> Gee t>.c.5
Then to the lip Of this poor earthen urn
II leaned. the secret of my life to learn,
g And, lip to lip, it murmured, 'sWhile you live
Drink, for once dead. you never shnll re-
-Rubaiyat Of Omar Khayyam
Padrone Z
Signorl
Give me your best wine and your
easiest chair. can testify that there
is nothing more fatiguing, more parch-
ing to the throat than few horrsN
walk through Pompeii.
ss ..Whateyer you wish, signor-red or
white wine. Falernian. Caprian, Lacry-
mae Christi? Ny cellar is noted for its
stores, and might compete with the
wine cellars of the1anGents. "
.sBahl Why don't t You say at once
that you even have come of the old
Rompeiian wine 2
And why not =, .;,
..iss.D Doubtless it dates from the times
of Cicero or Pliny the younger.
=. !, 4. w iness like books. have their ca
sreer: ~
ss;.S.- Per Bacco, padrone, you are eur
prisingly familiar with your authors,
ana You, know how to apply your knowl-
edge: Perhaps you will next offer me an
amphora, like those used by Pliny the.
elder on his fleet at the time of the ter
rible yesuyius eruption. in which he
Lost his life =
The landlord, large man, with the
head Of Roman emperor, short. curly
hair and triple chin;fin heavy folds,
smiled in q knowing way at his guests
speech. He1eft him, with a gesture i'm
posing patience, and his wide shoulders
disappeared down the dark stairway.
Left alone, the traveller, Louis B.. a
young architect about 80 years of age,
threw himself into a seat, depositing
on the table the long botanist' case
which he had worn suspended from his
shoulder. Taking out Of it very care
fully one Of those little gray. ashy liz
ardswhich swarm among the Pompeiian
ruins, be. placed it under glass.
The littls animal, at first bennmbeG
: by its confinement, gradually revived.
After having made the circuit of its
new prison eeveral times it stopped
short and tixd its brilliant and piercing
eyes upon it's captor.
The young architect, in the semi
twilight of the room, locked at it alb
stractedly. His thoughts had travelled
far away from the inn. Once more he
was traversihg the avenue of sepul-
cheers. the fashionable promenade Of an
Gent Pompeii. a sudden whim while
there had impelled him to grasp the
tiny lizard. Just as it was gliding
through one Of the openings in the side
Z of The tomb Of N@valeia Tyche, when
the black shadows Of tha tombs lay
heavy on the burning stones
The landlord returned. carefully hold
ing small amphora Of classic outline:
!. The neck was wrapped around with
linen and parchment, tied with q pur-
pie cord and stamped with large seal.
SO as to Theoretically close it. He slyly
winked as he placed it before the trav-
eler, saying:
'.What do you think Of this, signorg
Louis took the amphora to examined it
The original red hue Of the clay hav.
ing grown paler with age. bore some
resemblance to the color Of Vesuvian
lava, and retained, as it were. the pal
lor Of the sepulcher. In some places its
substance had slightly crumbled, as If
worn by. the friction of centuries
With sort of admiring respect the
young man gazed at this resuscitated
relic Of the past. which had risen from
its grave in the ages. A half effaced
inscription ran in relief across the mid
die Of the jar. Although some letters
had completely disappeared and there
were some authorizations. he succeeded
in demonstrating and deciphering it. so
that be read:
NJ. SPvR1o CONS
ANN. DCCCXXX1 A. V. C.