Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-11-01
Singular scene ut ROme--A Mass Prayer
Meeting in 81. Peters Church.
BY MRS. H. b. STOWE.

Peter before yeSperS, little dreaming how
novel aud curious a spectacle was coming be-
lore Us We have heard of mass prayer
meetings in America, England, and Ireland,
but never expected TO assist in enc at st.
Peter's-but such was our good fortune.
For awhile we walked pensiyely up and
down, listening to the hushed voices OF visi-
tors, and gaining at every step new points to
admire the elegant architecture and to wonder
at and be confounded at the bad culture and
tawdry accessories OF so much loneliness and
grace At the central chapel of the Holy
Sacrament, two candles just lighted CLEANED
like STARS on the golden wings of the kneel-
ing angels. A most peculiar effect is pro-
duced by these candles mingling with the
daylight; something ghostly and supernatu-
raj, like the intormingling OF the dreams and
musings OF midnight with the bustling COM
monplace of the day. In the opposite chan
eel where vespers are usually celebrate d,
the first sounds Of the chanting began to be
heard, with its peculiar far ohplaintif tones.
The thinness and distance of the tones Of the
human voice in great cathedrals is something
most peculiar in its effect; so feeble they
seem in the vastness, yet so earnest as Of souls
crying for God through infinite space-where
human voices seem SO feeble, and human
desires so helpless. was musIng over these
things when the sound Of chanting was heard
slowly ascending the outer steps Ofthe church,
and presently there began entering q most
ghostly procession Of men, vailed from head
to foot in a blood red cOstume-their eyes
cleaning spectrally through large eye holes
in the peaked hoods that completely con-
cealed their faces. They bore aloft a bla-k
cross, the figure upon it being shrouded in
mourning purple, and the foremost carrying
lighted candles. They advanced chanting to
the chapel of the Holy Sacrament, where
they. ceased, and disposing themselves in two
long lines, they silently kueeIeyi sS1sti olasPOd
their hands, and remained fixed and i'm
movable rs blood-red statues. l sat down by
a white haired old woman, who with two
little children, sat contemplating the scene
She interrupted my meditaGOns by conf
Dental whisper that she was poor, and that
bajoce would be acceptable; and having as
sented to her views in this matter, we asked,
Who are these? and she answered, These
are the brothers of st. Joachimo; they come
to pray for the Pope" They then kneeled,
sill as the red porphyry statues in the Vati-
can gallery, the large dark eyes cleaning
AAD4Al l44NAA AlUOl1 bLAs WOAN o%-tI
they none mean while the choir from the
opposite chapel began one Of those weird,
unearthly chants which express so much woe
and despair, snd the sounds ever and anon
hoated toward US and died in the distance
under those polished arches, that seemed by
far too courtly to have any sympathy with
such sounds and now the sound seemed
answered by mournful chanting ascending
the steps again, and another black cross ap-
peared with lighted candles held in the hands
Of grave ecclesisstics, who came sOlemnly
sweeping in singing a dirge-lille chant that
had the peculiar wailing sound Of old China
or some Of our minor-key funeral chants OF
New England. Following him came patter-
ing a thousand little fo0tsteps-a long pro-
cession OF bright-eyed little boys from eight to
ten, and behind those others older, and Others
yet again-in short all the schools and
colleges in Rome, headed by the &c
clesiastics who teach them. The vari-
Gus costumes-wbite, scarlet, and black
made a picturesque display. As they
approached the chapel of the Holy Sac
rament, the red mutes arose with a quite
whirr, like flock Of birds, and moved si-
lently and in complete order to the central
shrine Of St Peters where the golden lamps
were burning, where they kneeled again,
while the ecclesiastics disposed Of their young
Auck in rows behind rows. till the whole
aisle was filled Such an assembly of pale
faces and black eyes / never saw before. At
a silent sign they all went down on their
knees, rank after rank slowly sinking with a
most peculiar effect and giving as they sank
the full effect of the color and costume Ofthe
rank behind. All were on their knees now
in silence and still came chanting up the
steps, and still the black crucifx and candles
appeared at the church door, and there came
in a procession, headed by lady dressed in
black, with a black vail on her head, and
bearing a black cross. A servant in livery
walked on each side, announcing person Of
condition. -Four OF five other ladies, similar
ly vailed, bore lighted candles, and then fol-
lowed a long line of women of the lower or
ders, and then of little girls with each a
white handkerchieftied on erhead, and then
came in another procession of citizens bear
ing the cross and candles, and followed by a
procession Of little boys apparently just as
they had been picked up in their street
clothes. In short immense as the floor Of
the church is, it soon presented to the eye
the appearance of q dense crowd but as
each Of these professions had to kneel in
prayer in two places the crowd was in con-
slant and quiet motion, fling silently here
and there; and to one who looked over the
whole the scene was most singular. Here
filed the band of red mutes; there process
sion arrayed in white, their heads covered
with black peaked hoods, kneeled and glared
solemnly through them. Here ladies kneeled
with bowed vailed heads and burning can
dlesi there files Of students, in white, or scar
let OF black, were noiselessly rising OF
moving on to another shrine. The sound of
so many stepping feet was like the pattering
OF a dun heaYyrain in the night, and there
were pauses and lulls in the vcsper chanting,
when this sound came with singular effect
on ones ear. ! saw many PEOPLE, apparent
IL Of some consideration, who Joined no pro-
cessiOn, but kneeled in silent PRAYER. while
ever and anon the shrewd, well cut. keen
faces of the higher ecclesiastics looked over
the scene with an expression of satisfaction
and then they would draw together in knots
and whisper among themselves.
When we came out 1--WE inquired of our
coachalan what it all was, thinking that
we should get the popular version. He said
Ihe rope had eXcOmmunicated the King of
oarainia ana the people Of the Romagna, and
lhese nave come to pray about It. Whether
Tor against be did not say, but It occurred to
me that II 1t came to praying, that prayer