Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-04-28
CELEBRITIES AT HONE.
The Pope at the Vatican.

Since friday, 10TH OF september,
1870, the white figure of Plus TX,
has never been seen in the streets OF
Rome. On that day, for the last
time, he walked along the COrs0
from end to end to disprove the re-
port that he had secretly escaped
from the city. He came as usual
down the middle of the road, an at
tendant cardinal on each side, his
chaplain with two other prelates
following, and behind them a few
OF the noble guard, walking at a
brisk pace, blessing the people who
knelt before him with affectionate
reverence, stopping from time to
time to put his hand on some child s
head who had run forward to kiss
his ring. Then he crossed the
threshold of the Vatican he has
never since repassed.
The "Mount of Myrrh and the
Hill of Frankincense" is the name
/ given by the italian faithful to the
| Vatican, and thither the tribes of
the earth go up to offer homage and
| bring treasures to the successor of
st. Peter, free to admit or exclude
as seems good to him. The several
entrances to the vast and splendid
palace of the POpes are guarded by
the celebrated Swiss, clad as of old
in their particOlOred uniforms of red,
yellow and black-savess that those
keeping the bronze doors of the Scala
| Regia and the carriage-entrance
near the Mint now have their gay
garments concealed under long gray
OVercoats, their helmets replaced by
dark-cloth caps, and their halberds
by "ReiningtOns." Att he head of
the great staircase leading into the
court of st. Damascus there is another
guard of some dozen of the Papal
police, new feature in the Vatican
interior since 1870, and so much out
of character with the associations of
the place, that people were not sur
prised whensOne of the American
pilgrims, mistaking them for the
iailers by whom the Pope is sup
posed to be kept in durance, shook
his fist in their faces and gave them
a piece of his mind in most vernac-
ular Saxon. But having passed the
courtyard and entered the door lead
ing to the Papal apartments, one
recognizes again the once splendid
pOntifical pomp. There are the lay
chamberlains in their renaissance
Spanish costumes and ruffS, the
POpe's attendants in their crimson
damaSk liverieS, ViOlet-clad mon
signOre, and monks and friars, who
startle one by their resemblance to
princes and pOtentates in disguise,
until one remembers that they are
generals of orders.
Plus IX. sleeps in one of the small
est of the eleven thousand rooms at
his command. A narrow, humble
bed without curtains or drapery-
something similar to those used in
seminaries for schOOlbOys-a sofa,
two or three common chairs, and
writing table are all the articles of
furniture few and simple enough
for a Capuchin. There is not even
a rug at the bedside to cover the
floor of red tiles, not in the best re-
pair. ''Take care how you step; ).
there is a brick loose" said the
Pope to a Turinese eccle5iastic, who
was admitted to his presence the
other day when he was confined to
bed, and whose eyesight he knew
was not as good as his own. Win
ter and summer alike the Pope gets
up soon after five o'clock, seldom or
never later than half-past, and after
he has finished dressing remains
about an hour and half alone, pass
ing his time in prayer and medita-
tiOn. At half-past seven exactly he
leaves his room, and accompanied
by his attendants proceeds TO the
TO al, nr4yN
where first he celebrates a mass
himself and then attends another
said by one of his chaplains. At
half-paSt eight he takes a cup of
black coffee with some dry bread,
and by quarter to nine, or there
abOutS, he hassentered his study Ca
small, One-WindOWed room looking
towards the Piazza of st. Peters,
and commanding the view beyond
the Janiculum) and commenced the
work of the day. The floor is COW
cred with common carpet there
are some red chairs; and the one
principal piece of furniture, the
Writing-table, on which, amid
mass Of papers, stand crucitiX, a
statuette of the Immaculate Con-
ceptiOn, a timepiece, and an ink
stand. AS soon as the Pope has
seated himself in his straightforward
chair, the Cardinal-Secretary of
State, the ascetic SimeOni, enters
with the correspondence of the day,
and the OblatiOns, often amounting
to thousands of francs, laid the day
before at the feet of his Holiness.
Next comes the pOst-bag, and
! ). N
retaries, MOnsignOr Mercurelli,
whose duty it is to write the Breri
al Plaacipi (letters addressed to roy
al personages), and NIonsignor No
celia, who has the charge of all the
other correspondence included under
the name of Lettere LUtiae. As the
petitions are read, Plus TX. sits with
his quill pen in hand and writes his
sovereign win on each in turn
"QttdJOJG L0 c0SS0 non SiG esdltStG IL
reUerendO TeOLO9O sOnl11jJ1iStreg0 lire
d,tece1atO." "Lire $50, SOlitO tesOriere,
sOLHd c0SS0'-in clear, round, we'll
formed letters. After this COM
mence the official audiences; with
cardinals; ambassadors who have
letters of credence or recall to pre-
sent; bishops or layman of distinc-
ton, whose special qualification for
the time is that of leaders of pill
grimage to the feet of the Holy
Father and with royal personages.
If the interview is of the last-named
character, a trifiing alteration has to
be made in the narrow quarters Oc-
cupied by the owner of eleven
thousand rooms. The Writing-table
has to be removed from the study
to give sufficient space, and-as, for
instance, when the Prince and
Princess of Wales were received
a gilt armchair is placed on each
side, but somewhat in front of, that
occupied by the Pope. But the gilt
armchairs have never yet been oc-
cupied by the King of Italy or the
Prince or Princess of Piedmont.
Notwithstanding all their express
sions of respect, Plus TX. has never
consented to receive his Majesty
Victor Emanuel or any member of
the royal family of Italy. As mid
day approaches, the vast antecham-
Der becomes peopled with cardinals,
prelates, lay chamberlains, calne1'i-
e1i SegTeti di sp0da c0ppd, and the
one or two of the Roman mobiles
whose daily turn it may be, waiting
to attend his Holiness while giving
the semi-public audiences which are
almost without exception daily