The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-06-06

which Giuseppe was warned that his
hours were briefly numbered, the officer
on duty in Castle Angelo was informed
by the sentinel that two priests demand
ed entrance into the prison. As neither
of them could give the password of the
night, the sentinel referred them to his
officer.
Have them searched and then close
ly questioned by the corporal of the
guard" was the officers direction. The
clergymen were searched but no rev.
Citations of reasonable nature were
brought to light. The officer, coming
forward, inquired upon what ground
they sought access to the prison at that
hour. One of the priests, corpulent
and gray-haired old man, said that they
had come to visit Giuseppe Critoni, who
lay at the point of death. The,mention
of the old rebels name by priest at
such an hour was suspicious, and the
officer bluntly refused admittance.
The younger of the priests then said
4" am here in the name of his holiness
the pope. He gave me permission, IN
person, to enter the prison to night.
The officer replied that in such troubled
times as those a verbal permit was not
valid.
:" And by whose authority are you
here ?" the officer asked the old gray
haired priest.
son the authority which holy church
has given me. "
The officer was confused by this in
definite answer, and insisted that the
parley should end, declaring that his
orders were such that he could not con-
verse unnecessarily with unknown
priests or laymen who came to the gates
of the castle after the hour of the Ave
Maria" unprovided with the parole
and an order from the generaI-in-chief
or the pope. The old gray haired
clergyman then requested the officer to
give him a sheet of paper which was
| duly furnished. The old man, placing
| the paper on the door of the guard
house, wrote Pass the pope and
Monsignor Moriazzi. Pope Plus Gin
propria persona.
The officer read the curt communion
ton, and stood confounded. The pope
raised his hat, the moon shone down on
his siIvery locks and handsome face.
There was no more doubt The officer
fell on his knee and begged the holy
father to spare him the disgrace and
/
The officer was not only excused, but
promoted the next day. More like a
poor priest from Piedmont than the
lord Of Vatican, Pho Mono with Moriaz-
ri passed into the room where Giuseppe
Critoni the rebel lay dying. They con-
fronted each other-each the dearest
| companion of the others youth, who
were playmates at q time when their
hni
| prospects on the life-path seemed
equal. One was now Plus TX, pope Of
Rome; the other Giuseppe Critoni, the
most trusted adherent OF Mazzini and
Garibaldi, that pope's arch-enemies.
But Plus TX. was not the man to con
| slider these things at that moment, for
his heart being as open and liberal as
his purse, he could not forget the asso-
ciatioQ of his childhood, and recollec-
tions which no man can be worthy with
out revering.
edo YOU remember me, Giuseppe ??
asked the pope, while he grasped the
thin, sinewy wrist of the dying revolu-
ZIONIST. The raving was over, and the
calm which precedes death had set in.
Giuseppe, looking up, said, GA priest,
but I do not know you. -
sit is, indeed, too long for you to re-
member my face" said the pope OF
Rome. "Do you not recollect, Giusep-
pc, that in Viterbo, more than 10 years
ago, you knew boy named Mastai Fer
retti ?"
The old rebel strived to rise upon his
pillow, and, opening wide his Pickering
eyes, he exclaimed, Where IS Mastai
Ferretti-Pio Nono-l papa"
HE is here, Giuseppe. 1 am he,
and I wish you to speak to me-" The
dying man pressed the pope's hand, and
then fumbled his shirt as if searching
for something on his bosom. At last he
clutched something, and gasped,
g Mastai %
The pope looked down and found be-
tween the rebels fingers scapular of
the order of the Seven Dolors. The
promise had been kept nearly half a
century, and tears rolled down the ven
cradle pontiff's checks. The last words
of the dying rebel were, "Not against
you, Mastai, not you, which meant
that it was not against the pope, but
the papacy, he had taken up arms.