The sun., 1908-05-10
ROMAN HOLIDAYS.
The Colosseum and the Forum.


going 70 DoRln WIN lne bdlnh OF NdfaCaIIa.
but as II happened these we're the very last
ruins We visited in Rome; and do not know
Just what accident diverted us to the CoIos.
scum; perhaps we stopped because it was on
the way 10 the baths and looked an easier
conquest. At any rate shall never regret
that we began with IT,
After two score years and three II was all
strangely familiar | do not say that in
1894 there was horde Of boys at the en-
trance wishing TO sell me post oards-lhcse
are a much later invention Of the Enemy
but am sure Of the men with trays full "
mosaic pins and brooches and looking, they
and their wares, just as they used to look.
The Colosseum itself looked unchanged,
though / had read that a minion Of the
wicked italian Government had scraped
its flowers and weeds away and cleaned II
up 80 that II was perfectly spoiled Bu,
II would take a good deal more than that
10 spoil the Colosseum, and neither the
rapine Of the medieval mobiles who quarred
their palaces from it, nor the industrial on
terprise OF some Of the Popes, who wished
10 turn Il into workshops, nor the archpol-
ogy Of United Italy has sufficed TO weaken
in il that hold upon the interest proper
10 the scene OF the most stupendous variety
shows that the world has yet witnessed.
The terrible stunts in which men fought
one another to death for the delight Of other
men in every manner Of murder, and Wild
beasts tore the limbs Of those glad to perish
for their faith, can be as easily imagined
there as ever, and the traveller who visits
the place has the assistance Of increasing
hordes Of other tourists in imagining tho
past. will not be the one TO speak slight
OF that enterprise which marshals troops
Of the personally conducted through il
and lnstructs them in divers languages con.
oerning it. Best save your time and money
90, II you have not too much Of either and
be one Of an English. French or German
party, rather than try to puzzle the facts
out for yourself with one contorted eye
on your Baedeker and the other on the
object in question. In those parties a sort
OF domestic relation seems 10 grow up
through their associated pleasures in sight
seeing and they are like family parties
though potter and patenter among them
selves than real family parties. They ara
commonly very serious, though they doubt
less all have their moments Of gayety; and
in the Colosseum | saw French party
grouped for photography by a young woman
Of their number who ran up and down before
them with kodak and coquettishly brl-
lied them into position with pretty birdlika
chirpings Of appeal and reproach and much
graceful self-evidencing. ! do not ccnsure
her behavior, though doubtless there were
ladies among the photographed who thought
Il oYerbold; II the reader had been young
and blond and svelte, in a Parisian gown
and hat, with narrow rilsset shoes not too
high heeled for good taste, do not believe
he would have been any better; or il no
would should not have liked him so we'll
On the earlier day which began speak
ing Of found that was insensibly attach
ing myself to an English hearing party =
the personally conducted in the dearth or
my own recollections Of the local history.
but quickly detached myself for shame
and went back and meekly hired the help
Of a guide who had already offered his
services in English, and whom | had
spurned in his own tongue. Hil
English though queer, was vouminous; but
| am not going 10 drag the reader at our
heels laden with lore which can be applied
only on the spot, or in the presence Of postal
card views Of the Colosseum. II is enough
that before my guide released us we knew
ha - p Al.
about to die saluted, and where the box
OF the vestals whose fatal thumbs gave
the signal Of life or death for the unsuccess.
ful performer. He showed us where tho
wild beasts were kept, and where the
Christians; and the greenrooms of the
gladiators, where they waited chatting for
their turn 20 go on and kill one another
One must make light Of such things or
sink under them; and am trying 10 be a
little gay for the readers sake, whom
would not have perish Of their realization.
Our guide spared us nothing, such was his
or his science, and | wish |
could remember his name for | could
commend him as most intelligent, even
when least Ineligible. However, tho
will know him by the winning
smile Of his rosy faced little son, who fol-
lows him around and is doubtless bringing
himself up as the guide of coming genera
tions Of tourists.
There had been full pour Of forenoon
sunshine on the white dust OF the street
before our hotel, but the cold Of the early
though it had not been too much
Tor the birds that sang in the garden back
Of us. had left a skim Of ice in damp spots.
and now in the late gray Of the afternoon
the ice was visible and palpable under foot
In the Colosseum, where crowds OF people
wandered severally or collectively about
in the half frozen mud. They were, indeed,
all over the place, up and down, in every
variety OF costume and aspect, but none
was 80 picturesque as a little group Of
monks who had climbed TO a higher tier
N the arches and stood looking down into
The depths where We looked up at them.
iefned against the sky in their black robes.
which opened to show their under robes oi
white. Yet though they were 80 picturesque
hey we're not so monumental as an old,
American in high hat with
ong dropping side whiskers not above
purple suspicion Of dye. who sat on a broken
column and vainly endeavored to collect
his family for departure = When he had
gathered two or three about him-they
'trayed OF as the others came up, and we
eft him sardonically patient Of their ad-
lesions and defections which seemed des-
.ined to continue indefinitely. while wa
out through the postal card boys
Ind mosaic pin men to our carriage. Then
We drove away through the quarter Of some