Smyrna times., 1881-12-28
A Roman Christmas.

The Christmas season in Rome is pecu-
liarly interesting TO the foreign popuia-
ton, even though the Church be out of
humor and power Those who under
take to see ana hear all that goes on, and
especially these who insist upon seeing
and hearing what does not go OH, have as
much rs they can 10 to keep up with the
times. IloW many OF this latter class
rushed to Santa Maria Maggiore TO gaze at
the cU!tG, or cradle, III which the Saviour
is said to have been carried into Egypt,
only to end the Church looking Just as
Usual-no crowd, no procession, no music
no caiid, i'll short; and yet it was posted
up 81 the English circulating library as
one OF the things to be done il Christ
mas week Some Of us, determined not
to quit the field unsaishcd penetrate to
The saclisty, and require an explanation
from small boy who is tiourishinG 9
broom. The GGoi0 Cai{G is not here he
responds curly. Then it it will be ex-
posed Tomorrow" We insist, for this is
Christmas Eve, and surely On Christmas
Day - Net at all it has been taken
to the Vatican il is not here any longer;
cGpitc do you uGdCT5tand)?n lie says,
with an inpudent face. Evidently, he is
nv nv INlAA t'l'itt tC IOf hC 10 GNl-
IDENTIFY glad we cannot ssc what we de-
sire in the church he sweeps. If Victor
Emmanuel has taken possession Of Rome.
al. these foreigners may just make up
their minds 10 have ,hc sights dceaed oil
Nevertheless, spite Of our ,!>appOint-
mcnt, we are induced t.y the quite books
and the list ut the library again = 20 sup
pose that on the 3lst Of December, ST
Sylvester's Day, there will be fine music
az that saints church. Indeed, the Young
man who prcsidcs III the library v0uchts
tnr the fact and advises us to give ST.
SyiNeRteT the preference over the Geau,
where, It Is said, the yeSpera will also he
something extraordinary. Accordingly,
az hait-paSt three to the minute, we ar
rive on the scene. Silence couple of
candles AT the far END Of the Church a
party Ot English, much cast down at this
state Of things. OF course, We are Off to
Ge5u directly, There the knowing ones
have been before US, 4 chair is no longer
to be even thought oC; we may lie thank
Iul TO find s!an3ingroom. The church is
vast and fill OF beautiful marbles. Gov
| cred, to be sure, Just now, with dauiask
hangings for the festive season; but the
JesuitS understand scenic effect. and the
red and gold is gorgcous!y lighted up
with myrigds OF candies, which IN the inn
'aepse space do not shed their beams far
enough 10 disperse the mysterious gloom
that TeiSAs IN tho centre Of the Church.
! From the distant choir comes 4 swell Of
| song, or, after u moments hush, u melody
just sketched by the organs lightast notes.
and then a soaring voice that hold every
one entranccd. No boys soprano could
reach fitness; those arc 4 mans tones.
! Operate it may be, but il is beautiful. and
upon it titly comes the close Of the service.
Alter waiting for the crowd 10 pass. we
! find ourselves still in a crush at the door
the candies are fast beisg eYtingulshed
within, pnd lhe afternoon light without
touches family on the bronzed faces
around. In such throng, swayed to
and fro in the slow advance, there is
nothing for Il hut patlcnes! oae'u captivity
may be employed by studying the living
barriers that press on every side.
Your eyes dwell, perhaps, on the had
nearest, head belonging 10 ''the people
as we say, with y greHd compeaufe and
nobility about 1t that are 30 often notice,
able here. If one is forced TO endure a
certain amount Of pushing and josting
let Il he from q comedy individual ike that
only let it not happen that afterwards
you fad YoHr pugse nlinusj or at least
making that startling discovery, may YOU
remember with satisfaction that there was
not much in it, while you resolve to cx.
teld your pbscrYptiGps pext time from
Roman proi;les to Roman hands.
In all the churoh-gOing, the Ara C6rl
FAUST not DO forgotten, IL stands on ihe
site Of tho tcmplo of Jupiter Cupitollnus
and contains chapel supposed to be on
the very spot where Augustus, warned by
the Sibyl Of the coming of Christ, erected
an altar with the incript;on: " "-4rd Pr
m0gcnni Del" All the classic lnemoriC;
Of the Capitol hang rOung the place, but
lii this hurry -b9Tly AnQ C@nfgsiaa1t Is nc
monient Go recall the triunphS that have
passed and the tragedies that have been
enacted there. The long flight Of step;
leadipg ep 10 the dopg IA thTOnged with
people coming and going, and you are
besieged on every hand by the vendors ot
pious wares--little galyscO!0red pictures
Of the Madonna, rasaries and Smulols
any of which you may have at couple o.
sOtdi. Inside the church, YOU turn yOul
steps to the Chapel of the Presepi0, 81
representation Of the Nativity. Here, on
exhibition fIom Chrfstihaa TO Epiphany, is
tlfe HagblRa, 4 miraculous, cure-working
image Of the infant Christ, carved in wood
from the Mount of Olives, swathcd in
white silk, encrusted with gems, and with
a gold crown on its head.
1t lies int panger In tho foreground
with llfe-sized pictures Of the Virgin and
ST. Anna and the little st. John. Tho
sphepherds are just entering; in the pretty
landscape beyond, tho sheep feed on the
hillside, and farther back, in the cleVerly
managed distance, the AaQi are on tbeil
way, while above Is q curious representa-
ton of God the Father bending from The
clouds and RusroIndsd by singing and
harping angels. All day long, people
come and look, and lit up, TO see the
wondPous sight, children who, if they
have their little senses about them, must
sometimes ask whence these magpiAoeni
swaddling cIothesl Rut the most singular
spectacle of all 'is that on the opposite side
of the church, where, on small stage
erected against one of the pillars, children
declaim ON the Nativity and other topics
appropriate 10 the season. How this Gus
tom arose, not even Murray relates, hut il
is certainly not going out Of fashion. II
tho afterhopp of Christmas Day, and al
J Epiphany, these little orators collect
lhrerous audience. The mistakes they
make ara the chief delight of their hear
; era, who burst into laughter, regardless
alike Of the feelings Of the speaker or tbs
sanctity Of the place; but for the mos
part the children display much sdng-froiC
and acquit themselves quite creditably
IL is matter Of race; for who can imagine
a child Of four or Eve years with Anglo
Saxon blood in its veins, standing on Q