The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-07-06

to catch his New York boat.
On the night Of our arrival IN the
Eternal City. | was naturally rather
nervous. for felt that it was going /!
to require lot Of gall and some
bluffing to pass myself off as COM
petent guide in 4 city which l had
never seen.
The next morning, over the coffee
cups. said. in as matter OF tact tone
as I could command, "Well, we'll 60
and see the Coliseum first Of ALL"
lust as if I had been in the habit of
going to see coliseums every morning
>of my life. I started off with the
Coliseum because it was the biggest
thing in Rome and I knew I could find
it easily without having to ask ques-
tions which might arouse in my Scots
mind the suspicion that [ didn't
know as much about the topography
of the Seven Hills as [ pretended. But
once we got out on the street speed
lily found that my two years OF read
ing and studying and dreaming about
Rome stood me in good stead.
Oh. how I blessed inwardly the
spring mornings on far-away Greene
street. Augusta. Georgia, where l
used to sit for hours curled up IN
big rocker poring over Stoddard,s IL
Illustrated books! There was scarcely
fountain, monument or public
building that I did not recognize on
sight and feel like greeting as a long
familiar landmark. In the center OF
! the first public square we traversed
was big bronze triton spoutlng a
stream of water sHyward through a
conch, so I knew I was in the Piazza
Barberini, and that the street going
down the hill was named after the
triton and would lead to the Piazza
Colonna. in which stands the great
column of Marcus Aurelius Antonl-
nus. And that tall yellow palace,
towering on the left-I was sure 1t
must be the Quairinal and | knew we
should find the Piazza Venezia a lit
tie farther on, and that by passing
Traian's s forum We would come upon
the Coliseum.
During our walk we had been chat
terine at a great rate. Bogue asking
questions about the things we passed
and l responded as best l could, but
when we reached that mighty noun
! tain of circling arches, said to him,
mavbe little roughly, for l recognlz-
! ed the futility Of mine or anybody
else 5 words. on such a spot.
"Now. YOU sit down there on the
grass. and keep your mouth shut tor
half an hour, and look at that pile
Of stones. Let it soak into your soul.
| If YOU can feel, ever so little, the pow
er and mystery and glory OF that
great gray ruin, you can say you have
seen Rome
And the little. Scotchman looked
and looked. And I think he under
stood.
After that I liked him so we'll that
! T resolved, so far as lay in my power
to make him understand something OF
the rest, and when he left Rome he
had four dear memories treasured IN
his mind, which I know he will never
forget. They were, the Coliseum, st.
; Peters, the Apollo Belvidere and
Michel Angeles frescoes on the cell
ing Of Sistine Chapel. The Coliseum
is the greatest monument of the Rome
Of the Caesars. St. Peter IS the
greatest monument Of the Rome OF
the Popes. The Apollo Belvldere IS
the finest flower Of pagan art. Inc
frescoes Of Michel Angelo are the
strong perfection Of Christian art.
Only these four things I showed him.
but he went away more content than
if I had hurried him painting past ten
score ruins, dragged him into twenty
churches and trotted him through
three or four miles Of sculpture and
picture galleries-a proceeding which
most time-pressed tourists regard as
the only way of "seeing" Rome. Ger
tainly Rome holds more than four
things worth seeing: the Eternal City
is not tune Of four notes played on
a shepherds pipe, yet all its complex
harmonies and discords are but varla-
tons Of those four themes.
Bogue's departure left me stranded
again with only two or three dollars
in my pocket, but the next morning
at the United States consulate mad