The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-07-25
The Supper of the Pilgrims.

lub supper iut
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, in her entertaining
book, "From the Oak to the Olive" thus de-
scribes "The Supper of the Pilgrims" as prac-
tised IN Rome:-
Faster goes these shows than one can de-
scribe them. On Good Friday evening we at
tempted only to see the supper of the female
plgflms at the 1rinitd del Re tegrtn1. This,
again, Undertook for the neophytes' sake hav-
ing myself ouce witnessed the august ceremony.
Here, as everywhere at this time, We found a
crowd of black dresses, with and without walls,
which, on this occasion, are optional. Another
mob OF women, small but energetic; another
rush to see what, under Other circumstances, we
should hold 10 be but sorry sight. The pilerims
are waited upon bv an association of ladies', who
wear sort of feminine overall in scarlet cotton,
nearly cODcealng oress, usually black, of ordi-
nary wear. They are also distinguished Oy pic
toriSl badge, representing, l think, the Easter
Lamb In some connection. Some OF these ladles
are of prinCely family, Others of rsuk merely
civic Princess Massimo, OF brst-rate pretensons,
keeps the inner entrance to the rites, and accords
it only to limited number in turn.
We tumbled down the dividing stairs in the
usual indecorous manner, and walk through
two rooms, in each of which the pilgrims SIT
with their feet in tubs OF water, the attendant
la dies being employed either in scru0bing them
clean or in wpIng them dry. All were work.
ing women from the country, their faces mostly
empty OF thought and ruae with toll. Some
OF the heads were not without character, and
would easily have made with their folded head
dresses, genre picture. In general, they aud
their attire we're as rough and uninteresting as
women and their belongings can be. num-
Der OF them carried infants, whose appearance
also invited the cleansing mlnlstratiou, which
did not include them. In either room an eccle-
sastic recited prayers Ia Latin, aud O pretty
young lady at intervals ratified box, the signal
for the participants TO make the sign of the
cross, which they did in busiuess.like manner
From this Idudndd we pass to other rooms, in
which the supper tables were in process of
preparation. The materials for the meal were
...N. aRa1,, ll,A,
plate of salad and sardines, one of bdcatd, or
fried salt fish, two small leaves of bread, and a
little pitcher OF wine, together with figs and
oranges.
The red-gowned ministrants bestirred them
selves in dividing and arranging these portions
with much apparent good nature. Many of
them wore diamond earrings, and one young
lady whom we did not see at work was adorned
as to the neck with a rich collar of jeweled
lockets an article of the latest fashion. All of
these ladies are supposed to be processes, but
several of them talked house gossip in homely
Italian. To us the time seemed long, but at
length arrived the miHeSird in q huge kettle.
This universal Italian dish is watery soup,
containing paste akin to maccaroni. And now
| the pilgrims, having had all the washing they
could endure, came in to take possession of the
| goods prepared for them. Those OF the same
family tried to sit together, but did not always
manage to do so. For every babe double
| portion is allowed and the coin (ten cents) re-
| ceived at departure is also doubled
We had feared lest the pilgrims might have
! found the presence of numbers q source of EN-.
barrassment. But it did not prove so. They
attacked their victuals with the most practical
and evident enjoyment. The babies were ted
with minestra, fish, salad, and wine. OF these
one was two weeks old, and its mother had
walked four days to get to Rome. Each
! pilgrim carried either bottle or tin canteen,
into which the superior waiting woman de.
canted the wine allowed, that they might carry
it hone with them. A Latin grace was re-
hearsed before they fell TO. Cardinals and
| mons tgnOTl were seen, here and there, talking
with friends among the spectators. Observing
that pilgrims eat much like other people, we
| lett them still at table, and came away, to find
bottom of the staircase, and stupid Swiss,
with ill-managsd bayonet guarding the outer
| entrance.