Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-05-09
April Fools at Rome.
philadelphia Bulletin Rome Letter

II
The first of April is a great day in
Rome. Every one tries to fool every one
| without being fooled himself. Nor must
you think thltthis fooling is child's play,
as 1t is in other countries. Political men
of high standing fool each other with
school boy glee, and churchmen, in green,
violet, or red, are not exempt from the
common madness. S)me Of the tricks to
be played on the first of April are pre-
pared mouIhs in advance, and many are
even ingenious in the way they are car
ried out. Last year a Mandoli,lata sere
made was promised at the Colosseum, and
people who forgot the date went thither in
masses. At another time an eclipse WAS
announced, and you saw all Rome staring
at the sun with piece of burnt glass be-
lore the eyes. The Ministry announce
Cabinet meetings, till then unthought Of.
Even Caireli, himself, has been similarly
fooled. Few, indeed whether high or low,
can escape being fooled. This year 1t
was announced that Lieut., Bove would
give a lecture on the North Pole at the
Alhambra, When the people went to tho
Alhambra, all was darkness and the doors
were shut.
The best trick of the day, OF rather the
one that made the most noise, was a let
ter that was sent, to the newspaper, the
Aurora. which is the Pope's own organ.
The letter was signed, or supposed to DO
signed, by the Pope Secretary Not the
shadow OF doubt coul enter the ed tors
mind, and the letter was duly published.
NJ hal .ttar th ~.
persons we'll known at the Vatican land
known also for incap pity) were to DO
appointed to some very high posts. Even
certain ambassadors were announced to
be replaced by others, and tho conse.
quence was that the persons who are In
actual occupation of the place in question
called upsn the Pope to ask for AN ex-.
pal,atiUn respecting the affair AT first
the Pope only laughed, but after little he
seemed to think that it was no laughing
matter, and changing tone, he ordered an
inquiry into the affair, to discover ifposi.
be, who were the guilty persons. The
Aurora easily excused itself by producing
the letter which nlislcd the editor, and
which il duly signed by Mopsignor Cret
oni, The question now to find out who
Initiated that sigma ure so well that it
might deceive the Pope him self. This
the Pope has ordered to be done, though
it is not likely that the cuprit will be dis
covered, and even if he be he must be par
doncd according to all April traditions.
Another case OF April fuoIing is told of
a young man, who contrived to make all
his friends believe he was going to marry
a young actress. lt was In vain that the
actress herself denied the rumors that
reached her on the subject. Friends
thought she was the dodger, and so pres
ents and congratulations continued to
pour in upon the supposed bridegroom,
and finally, on the supposed eve Of his
marriage, his friends gave him supper |
and accompanied him to the station with |
tears in their eyes. Then he turned
round and, laughing, babe them remem-
Der it was the first of April! He honorably |
returned the presents he had received,
but the supper lie could not return. The
friends have warned him to take care OF
himself next year.