centuries.

"I saw a model of that very column," said Rollo, "in a little room at
the hotel. It is the column of Trajan. I'll prove it to you."

So Rollo asked a gentleman, who was standing on the sidewalk with a
Murray's Guide Book in his hand, and who Rollo knew, by that
circumstance, was an English or American visitor, if that was not the
column of Trajan.

"No," said the gentleman; "it is the column of Antonine."

Rollo looked somewhat abashed at receiving this answer, which turned his
attempt to show off his learning to Charles into a ridiculous failure.

"I thought it was called the column of Trajan," said he.

The gentleman, who, as it happened, was an Englishman, made no reply to
this observation, but quietly took out an opera glass from a case, which
was strapped over his shoulder, and began studying the sculptures on the
column.

So Rollo and Charles walked away.

"I believe the name of it is the column of Trajan," said Rollo, "for I
saw the name of it on the model at the hotel. That man has just come,
and he don't know."

"Are you sure it is the same column?" suggested Charles.

"Yes," said Rollo, "for it was exactly of that shape, and it had the
same spiral line of images going round and round it, and a statue on the
top. See, how old and venerable it looks! It was built almost two
thousand years ago."

"What did they build it for?" asked Charles.

"Why, I don't know exactly," said Rollo, looking a little puzzled; "for
ornament, I suppose."

"But I don't see much ornament," said Charles, "in a big column standing
all by itself, and with nothing for it to keep up."

"But it _has_ something to keep up," rejoined Rollo. "Don't you see,
there is a statue on the top of it."

"If that's what it is to keep up," said Charles, "I don't see any sense
in making the column so tall as to hold up the statue so high that we
can't see it."

"Nor I," said Rollo, "but they often made tall columns, like these, in
ancient times."

After rambling about a short time longer, the boys came to another open
space, where there was a second column very similar in appearance to the
first.

"Ah!" said Rollo, "perhaps this is the column of Trajan."

Rollo was right this time. There are several large columns standing
among the ruins of Rome, and among them are two with spiral lines of
sculpture around them, which are extremely similar to each other, and it
is not at all surprising that Rollo was at first deceived