Mark Twain writes on page 155:
But perhaps the most poetical thing Pompeii has yielded to modern research, was the grand figure of a Roman soldier, clad in complete armor; who, true to his duty, true to his proud name of a soldier of Rome, and full of stern courage which had given to that name its glory, stood to his post by the city gate, erect and unflinching, till the hell raged around him burned out the dauntless spirit it could not conquer.
We never read of Pompeii but we think of that soldier; we can not write of Pompeii without the natural impulse to grant him the mention he so well deserves. Let us remember that he was a soldier – not a policeman – and so, praise him. Being a soldier, he staid, – because the warrior instinct forbade him to fly. Had he been a policeman he would have staid, also – because he would have been asleep.
ST UnWoked & UnVaxxed! 
Wow. This partly brings tears to my eyes, but also, partly, it so harsh on cops. Mark Twain really hated the police, apparently? As the grand daughter of a cop, and someone who has several relatives who are cops, I really must object 🙂
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Well, truly, and trenchantly said, Mr. Clemens! Thanks, ST; I love this book – and his other travelogues.
JaC, recall Twain’s irascibility, his reputation as a humorist, and the fact that he was familiar with small-town functionaries – including the mayor’s brother-in+law (who couldn’t make a go of it doing anything else) as the constable. I can hear him chuckling.
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