Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-09-25
VISITING THE POPE.
A Mistake in the PersOn-The
Boston Girls Wsy-What His
Holiness said.
private Lotter In N,w York Sum.

friVate Letter IN New 10rk sun.
After passing through several doors
we entered a room Of which the chief
feature to me was q real velvet carpet
On it | had my eyes when our guide
stopped suddenly, and the door behind
us closed quietly. | suppose that we
we're presented to something or some.
body. as the cardinal mentioned our
names in an Introductory sortof way.
| looked up, as in duty bound, and
found that we stood in the presence
of three gentlemen, who were seated
close together. One OF them was, of
course, the holy father, and Myrtle
and | both singled out the most be,
nign looking OF the trio and bowed ss
gracefully as we could, The gentle
men thus afflicted looked at US with q
puzzled expression and | know | must
have Redeemed. Cardinal BiliO came
quickly to our rescue. We had bun
gled, aud courtesied to q CARDINAL
The next gentleman was the Pope, as
Mgr. BilliO. fastened to inform us. So
we had to do the bowling over again.
OF the three gentlemen, he who was
Pope and 20 mistake didn't look half
as much like a pope, according to my
idea, as did either of the others. He
is a white>haired man, not snow
white, but inclined to a losing shade
OF gray, the foreloeks tumbled on a
broad, knOtty forehead. His eyes are
inclined to hazel, but the inclination
is from a coal black, making on the
whole q very peculiar eye, somewhat
sleepy, not dreamy in the least. He
has a fine nose-a nee retroussez in
profle-and in no wise Italian. OF
his mouth | cannot give you q better
idea than TO say that it resembles
Robert Ingersoll's mouth-thin lips,
sharp corners, and no expression. The
Pope's face is ike his body, large and
rather coarse and looking at him, my
impression was Of a man with a very
attractive physique.
| do not possess a photograph, and
If l did | presume that on this occa.
sion | should have left it at home. II
| had had such a thing, | could tell
you Of everything that the Pope said,
but as it was | cannot act the part Of
a faithful reporter. Mgr. Billio and
the other two Cardinals retired to the
other side Of the room, where the
former rallied the one We had bowed
60 on having been mistaken for the
Pope. He called the gentleman Mgr.
Jacobini.
The Pope remained sitting. He
never smiled cnce, and ofall things in
the world | do hate to talk with a
stone man. We didn't talk long, and
that was some consolation. He asked
whether we were long 10 Rome, what
we were doing here, how long we
should stay, and innumerable other
questions Of little consequence. Did
we like Rome2 was one question.
NO" | answered. 81 don't like
Rome at ALL"
"Why2" he asked.
| told him that alter one had lived
in Boston nothing could be more oui
Of the question than to love Rome.
Then Of course | dilated on the gloriet
Of Boston. with a good word thrown il
for New York.
Another Cardinal entered at thii
juncture, and Mgr. Billio, hayipl
greeted him as Mgr. LudovicrJ acobini
came across TO us TO remind the holl
father that the hour for departure fol
the hall was near. | was glad that tn,
interviewing was at an end for we hat
remained standing. His Holiness hac
not smiled once, and his voice was 81
decidedly grating as to be unpleasant
1t had only been perhaps FIVE minutes
since we entered the room. but the,
we're minutes Of embarrassment. Al
the Pope made a movement to arise
we found the situation more embar.
RAISING than before. Any common
person would have said, Good bye
call againlp and we would have an
swered, Good bye; come and see usl
But the Pope isn't a common person
and the circumstancesIwere different
SO | will tell you Just what was said
81 hope the ladies will enjoy theil
s%ojourn in Romel" the host observed
rising with some difficulty.
Thank you, sir" said Myrtle. Nv,
are pleased to have seen your holiness
and-the stereotyped form came out
naturally-"apd if you are ever il
America we shall be ever so happy t
see you'll"
Think Of III A yankee girl asking 4
real live Pope to call on herl !
doubt If such audacity was ever seer
before.
Thank you, signorina," answered
his holiness with an abortive bow, ant
an exchange Of g%lances with Carolina.
Billio. Thank you" he repeated
1T may be that the grace Of God viii
crdain that you may have the Holy Sc,
so near to you that you will not hav,
TO cross the Atlantic TO receive MI
blessing
Then he spread out his right haut
and, much 10 our surprise, we received
the Papal blessing. suppose that n
thought we wanted il, as IL is for I
that pilgrims visit the vatican. II wa
like being treated as beggars. Tn,
Pope took us TO be good Catholics; bu
Myttie declares that as we are rot dis
ciples of the new theology q Il
mode Andoyer a good we'll made Pa
pal blessing will not hurt us Congre
gationalist girls.
without a farewell bow the Pop
left the room, and u memorable in
tarviqw was ovar