The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-04-05
day. for who can count on the NOR
The Beautiful Palace of Firmus.

day. for who can count on the o
row."
The Beautiful Palace of Firmus.
The beautiful palace of Obellius
firmus has now been partially exca-
waited. One of its interesting features
il; the peristylium, or columned gar
den. in the center Of the dwelling.
Here Obellius and his friends walked,
and their children played and ran
about among the beds of brilliant
Of strange animals.
tains forming cascades. tables and
basins of marble and bronZes. 1t was
the favorite living place of the fam
lily during the greater part of the yea
The columns are coated with white
stucco. and have their bases painted
Pompeiian red, while their Tuscan
capitals are cncircled by blue and
scarlet fllets. There was a wooden
trellis between them, inclosing the
area of the peristylium, converting it
into a court. which was used to shut in
wild animals and for various other
purposes.
The dominant blue of the decora-
tons OF h fountains is gay and at
tractlve. Statuettes of cupids or fishes
stood on the pedestals. and their main
outlines are ornamented with shells,
which give them Il rococo character.
One of these fountains has two up.
right lamps in the form of masks that
could be filled with oil, from which
the light shone through the eyes and
mouth with a fantastic effect at night.
Had Chatting Dishes. Too.
Rooms which were used for various
purposes opened into the porticos of
the peristylium. and arc found in the
second story. They were occupied
chiefly by the servants. The richly
decorated ones served as the women's
ways in the most secluded part of the
mousse. The nails and marks left by
shelves and boards on which the wom-
en- put their clothes are still TO be
seen on the walls.
AT tho back of the peristylium stood
the oecus II eXedra. corresponding
to our modern drawing rooms, where
people met together. talked, danced.
read and heard music.
The winter triclinium, or lining
room. also opened into the peristyli-
UNI. and stood in one corner of the
portico. This room had Il large win.
dow. Three couches, Of triclinia, sur
rounded the table on three sides, each
couch accommodating three persons.
Meals were eaten reclining and rest
ing on II elbow. hence the express
sion. TO lean on one elbow i'm a
mans house meant ito dine out"
Besides the winter triclinium, there
was the summer triclinium, sheltered
by a Nelum. or a trellis of grape vines,
supported by four pillars. A small
chaiinS dish. where hot dishes were
placed. was found here. In the room
are running water bowls and Womb
toria.
The house had a bathing installa.
ton similar to Il Turkish baths.
Love Letters from POmpeii.
Among the manuscripts newly dis
covered at Pompeii are many letters
on wax tablets n on papyrus. From
these a series of love letters written
by Marcus Antonius Crassus to one of
his sweethearts have been deciphered.
Crassus was a gay young millionaire
from Rome. He was Il sportsman, u
co%nnoisseur of wine, and had a re-
markable number of sentimental af-
fairs. as his letters prove:
Marcus Antonius Crassus to Chloe.
life OF his heart, implores her to BAN
ish the marble GOODNESS of her recent
mood. 0 Chloe. mea AMIGA, without
whose o l am as one dead, wherein
have ! offended thee: From the SUP
per at the house Of Pansa l retired
stricken with the chill of thy disdain.
Prob. Pudor! Chloe, art thou false to
our divine ~patroness. Venus. that no
draught of Samian wine could warm
thee to return the caresses Of thy tor
tured Marcus? Hast thou, o Chloe,
deserted u sun-warmed Venus to
worship in the pale warmth Of Isis?
Wouldst thou have thy Marcus seek
the lasting shades, SO love-bereft is
he?
This by the hand Of his faithful
slave. Grullius, from her languishing
Marcus to his incompatible Chloe,
with his prayer for a word Of love in
return. by the same hand.
20 Chloe. formed in the mold Of
Venus herself. but from whose intoxi-
eating being the spirit Of the GODDESS
seems strangely flown would I could
hold thy little arms about my neck.
my lips meeting thine in well-remem.
hered kisses! Light is the common
nature of men. but the soul of thy
Marcus. o Chloe. is heavy with dread
that thou art lost to him. Sayest thou.
lie OF my heart, that Venus. having
once linked lover to lover. shall cruel.
~ sunder them?
by my life and thine, incompatible
Chloe. it is false. What! thy Marcus.
who lives and breathes but in the light
OF thy favor. fall SO low as to lend his
gilded chariot to Amaryllis that she
may come to him quickly when the
comedy is finished at the theater! 1t
is false-or that ten thousand sester-
ces flew from thy Marcus treasury i'm
to the pink palms of Libitina. the
singer-false likewise that Neaera and
Lalage, those painted beauties discard
ed by Plautus. redeemed their pearls
from old Jocundus ut the expense of
thy loving and faithful Marcus! Chloe,
bid me come to thee. or I die!
Ever blessed Chloe. from whom
her Marcus. most fortunate Of NOR
tails. has received fresh pledges , Of
love; thou art falrer than Aurora, rosy
In her robes of dawn! 1 love thee
with a hear that ran hold none other.
The elftter-bearers of Marcus Antonius
Crassus stand before thy gate to bear
tree whittier thou wilt go in the Street
OF Abundance. o Chloe. spare not the
sesterces Of thy Marcus. and when he
shall sup with thee this night see that
thy throat Of swans down. thine arms
OF rosy-tinted marble, are decked with
gems comporting with thy matchleGs
charms. Spare not The ~sesferces