affairs why here not long ago in a public speech the mayor charged that the was the cause of rome s being delayed at least a hundred years in its progress and there was lots of applause the national parliament which meets here is full of but it is not interested in influence it s all the other way about they seem to be willing to let the pope have his say in spiritual matters but he can t leave the and priests can t mix in political affairs very much i thought what a change from the days of vii and even the of the century the rooms of the devoted to the pope � at least those to which the public is admitted at times of audience seemed to me merely large and gaudy without being impressive one of the greatest follies of architecture it seems to me is the persistent thought that mere size without great beauty of form has any charm whatever the houses of parliament in england are large but they are also as much might be said so a at forty for the royal in paris though not for the and almost not for the is another great of nothing � mere size without a of charm as to detail all i remember of my visit was that arriving at the palace entrance we were permitted by guards to ascend immense flights of steps that we went through one large red room after another where great swung from the and occasional or over elaborate objects of art appeared on tables or there were crowds of people in each room all in evening dress the ladies with black lace over their heads the men in conventional evening clothes over guards stood about and of various degrees of influence moved to and fro we took our station in a room adjoining the pope s private chambers where we waited patiently while various personages of influence and importance were privately presented it was dreary business waiting loud talking was not to be thought of and the whispering on all sides as the company increased was oppressive there was a group of ladies from who were obviously friends of the holy father s family there were two brown and with long gray types who stationed themselves by one wall near the door there were three and a mother superior from somewhere who looked as if they were lost in prayer this was a great occasion to them next to me was a very official person in a uniform of some kind who constantly adjusted his neck band and smoothed his hands some american ladies quite severe and anti if i am not mistaken looked as if they were determined not to believe anything they saw and two italian women of charming manners had in tow an an audience at the small boy of say five or six years of age in lovely black velvet who was determined to be as bad and noisy as he could he beat his feet and asked questions in a loud whisper and decided that he wished to change his place of abode every three seconds all of which was accompanied by many sh sh es from his elders and in his ear severe from the american ladies and general indications of with here and there a smile of amusement every now and then a thrill of expectation would go over the company the pope was coming guards and would pass through the room with speedy movements and it looked as though we would shortly be in the presence of the of christ i was told that it was necessary to rest on one knee at least which i did waiting patiently the while i surveyed the curious company the two brown were solemn their heads bent the sisters were praying the italian ladies were soothing their charge i told my correspondent friend of the suicide of a certain whom he and his wife knew on the day that i left new york � a very but adventurous man and he exclaimed my i don t tell that to my wife she feel it terribly we waited still longer and finally in sheer weariness began foolishly i said that it must be that the pope and merry the pope s secretary were inside playing with the jewels this drew a laugh from my newspaper friend � i will call him w � who began to choke behind his handkerchief mrs w whispered to me that if we did not behave we would be put out and i pictured myself and w being out by the guards which produced more laughter the official beside me who probably did not speak a at forty frowned solemnly this produced a lull and we waited a little while longer in silence finally the sixth or seventh thrill of expectation produced the holy father the guards and several making a sort of aisle of honor before the door all whispering ceased there was a rustle of garments as each one settled into a final attitude he came in a very tired old man in white wool and white skull cap a great of white beads about his neck and red shoes on his feet he was stout close knit with small shrewd eyes a low forehead a high crown a small chin he had soft slightly wrinkled hands the left one by the ring as he came in he uttered something in italian and then starting on the far side opposite the door he had entered came about to each one the hand which some merely kissed and some seized on and cried over as if it were the solution of a great woe or the of a too great happiness the mother superior did this and one of the italian ladies from the brown laid their on it and the official next to me touched it as 