New-York tribune., 1919-01-26

away from what looks like a serious firta-
ton with the stationmaster, mounts the
p atforn and blows q blast on small brass
horn hanging about her neck. In response
to this mild blast the motormHn rcgre} ully
throws away his cigarette, takes his place
at the steering gear and, with a disconcert-
ing lurch, the journey to Rome begins
.'Frascat with it's beautiful villas and
cool, plashing fountains, is soon left be-
hind. For while the tram runs along a
shady road on the side of the Alban Hills
bordered either side by slopes which
terraced and covered with silver olive
groves. Then, quite suddenly, the tram
comes out onto treeless gallery, and
there, a thousand feet below, lies the whole
expanse of the Campagna Romano. The
sun is now we'll up the Sabine Noun
tains and the air seems filled with pow
der of gold. The bare, treeless mountains
encircling the Campagna look like giant
shells from the sea in their delicate color
ing; the itself, far off to the west,
burns like thin line of fire which blinds
the eye; and Rome, still wrapped in the
mists of early morning, seems to shiver
and simmer and draw closer yet about the
dome of Saint Peters.
81 turn from the rushing landscape to
examine my fellow commuters. The thing
which strikes me about them is how true
to type they have remained through the
centuries. In the young soldier across the
way | seem to see, except for the differ
ence in uniform, one of the Pratorian
Guard There is the same fulness across
the tho hivh -hridOaN bo
same graceful strong carriage which must
have come straight down to him from the
days of the Empire. If he were only wear
ing his circular winter cape thrown about
his shoulders in the very folds of a toga
the resemblance would be complete. The
Roman matron next TO hm!-l have seen
her very likeness in one of the busts at the
Capitoine Museum. And the young girl
near the door,-does she not suggest in
every feature and pose one of the Vestal
Virgins? Yet how easily they all seem
to take to this modern commutingl
sudden thought strikes me. Is committing
after all, modern occupation? Was it
begun only for the benefit OF the nhabi-
tants of Long Island and New Jersey? My
mind wanders over the past until, with a
jerk it stops twenty centuries back. How
absurd! Of course, l know how: and here
l have been patronizing these modern Ro-
mans for taking easily to committing!
They devised it hemselves--when Cicero
opened his summer school at Tusculum on
the hill above Frascat Did not all the
studiously inclined young Romans commute
back and forth as their descendants are
doing to-day? Indeed, over this very road
where the tram is now making its noisy
progress, litters were borne. 1t only takes
little imagination to visualize the scene
Just there, on the climbing Via Tuscolana.
you may see, if you look intently, gor-
geous litter, borne with swaying, sooth-
ing motion by dark skinned Ethiopian
slaves. Their bare feet speed silently over
the smooth lava stones. Inside reclines a
handsome Roman perhaps it is
Petronius on the way to his Aban villa
He is reclining on cushions covered with
strange silks from the Orient the skins of
wild animals cover his sandalled feet and
in his long. tapering fingers Is held roll
of parchment. Mark the striking resem-
blance to the Roman prince sitting next to
you In the tram.
Roman cmperors also commuted from
their villas in the Campagna to their pal
nces in the Forum with slaves to fan with
jcwclled plumes their royal brows. The
business man. being in more haste to reach
the city. probably preferred to do his COM
muting in chariot drawn by four horses
"A sort OF forerunner Of the business
mans special without however. the mod