Christmas Telegrams [pp. 18-32]

Christmas Telegrams.
CHRISTMAS
H A D spent
nearly an hour
wvandering about
F,I, tlhe ruined am phitheater of
{ -7l ~ Pompeii. I had
a*.; sat upon the up....l per tier of stone
- ~ _- ~ steps, and letting
my gaze pass
beyond and afar off, had dwelt lovingly
and admiringly upon the beauties of
the bay spread at my feet, with its
semicircle of bordering cities. Then
I had descended to the arena again,
and stationed myself for more intimate
observation upon the lower tier of
benches.
My guide had long left me alone;.
disgusted, I think, that I did not make
a more hurried examination of the
scene, and knowing also that there was
nothing which I could carry away with
me, as in those portions of the city
where frescoed walls and mosaic pavements had been excavated. And so I
remained by myself, unwatched and
undisturbed; and leaning back with my
hands thrown behind my head, a habit
of mine, went off into day dreams.
At first, I began to roll the centuries
back and re-people the great amphitheater. It was a very easy matter to
fill the upper tier of benches, where the
common orders gathered. A vast sea
of shaggy ill-kempt heads set above
leather-tunicked bodies, twisting and
writhing in concert for a better view, and
a broad covering stretched across the
whole for shade,- this was all.
It was somewhat different when I
descended, for then I came among the
patrician orders, and their proper disposition needed care. I must give them
silken decorated boxes from which to
TELIEGRAMS.
view the pageant, and luxurious sedilia
upon which to recline, and must clothe
them in purple and fine linen, and be a
little particular, as well, about their style
of adornment. All this at last I achieved,
if not correctly, at least somewhat to my
satisfaction; and soon I had my old
friends, Sallust, and Seneca, and Dio mede, and the two Plinys, and the rest
of them, bestowed in choice locations
and enjoying the spectacle immensely.
Then came Nero, and he was a little
more difficult to deal with. But he
should be there all the same, for it was
in the season, and he must already have
run down to Baiae, and doubtless would
not give Pompeii the go-by, whenever
sufficient attractions might there be
offered. In the end I fitted him out
with a larger box and with richer
hangings than any of the rest, with
Agrippina, and Octavia, and Poppaea
Sabina, and others of the imperial court
beside him in their richest attire, and
with uniformed guards in front and rear,
conveniently close by, and small Nubian
slaves with gold collars around their
necks and peacock feather brushes in
their hands.
Then for the arena, which was covered
a few feet deep with fine white sand, as
yet free from the anticipated stains of
blood. I had now my choice among
three attractions. Should there be
bands of gladiators sumptuously armed,
and passing in solemn salute before the
Caxsar, in whose honor and for whose
amusement they were about to die?
Or should there be lions, and tigers, and
elephants fresh from the African jungle,
maddened with hunger, and snarling
in their cages with the fierce desire to
spring out at each other's throats or
trample their bleeding victims into the
dust? Or should it be a procession of
white-clad Christian maidens, singing
[Jan.