The Opelousas courier., 1883-12-15
Eco xEI1.
London Globe,

two monarchs reign in Rome. lhe
Pope, though unseen, still reigns over
subjects more numerous than those @
were. His is still the old Rome,
with its heavy atmosphere OF antiquity,
ID tortuais streets, frowaing walls ana
dim grandeurs. AS to the new Rome,
with miles of square blocks of boxlike
houses, broad windy streets and rare
unfinished spaces, no one could asso,
ciate these with papal memories and
it is of this sovereign | would speak,
not Of the king. The Pope is now sev.
enty-four, a tall, thin, ivory complex
toned man, with a benignant oxpres-
sion and smiling lips, bearing the
stamp of indelible tirmness-the ex-
preston Of a man TO bend, but never to
break. Some one has said he has the
mask of Voltaire, but this is nonsense.
There is none of the saturnine audaelty,
the depressed mouth and prominent
chin. or spectral smile. Leo XIII is
tall I; he wears his years well walks
upright and thus makes the most OF bis
inches. His hair is snow white. and
naturally forms into q crown about MS
finely developed brow; his long face is
serene, his small eyes dancing with in
telligence !; add to this a harmonious
sonorous voice and Il wide knowledge
Of languages, which he speaks with the
correctness of a professor. AS arch
bishop of Perugia he was greatly loved
by laity and clergy !; and that he loved
Perugia is attested by the number OF
attendants he brought with him to
Rome. There is no effort about him !;
no straining for effect. He pronounces
no eloquent bravadoes, like Plus lA.,
and commits no blunders. His are the
arms of diplomacy, the old papal
weapons which he Yields like a veteran,
| while he patiently and surely awaits
| their action. Political and pious, eau
| tious and firm, the papaey under him
again becomes one OF the great politi
cal institutions of the world. 1t is i'm
possible to forget that the temporal
government Of Pope Plus was disas-
trous, and that, mounting the papai
throne in possession OF all lts pienl-
Jude, he at his death had lost every
vestige Of power. On the other hand
never was spiritual authority carried to
such a pitch, and never did Catholics
so obedienrly gather round their high
priest as now. 1t the archbishop Of
Cashel had lived in Pius's days. he
would never haze ventured on an ln-
| dependant course, nor would SO many
of The clergy of Ireland have followed
him. An early riser, the Pope's nist
hours are spent in private prayer. AT
7 O'clock he celebrates mass. At . he
breakfasts upon Il cup of chocolate ana
meanwhile reads dispatches. At 8 ne
receives the Secretary OF State, Cardl-
nal Jacoblni, aud then such ecieslasti-
cal projects and secretaries OF religious
bodies ais are iii waiting. At liz come
princes and am bassadors, and at !
o'clock follow prayers aud q most tru-
gal dinner this table expenses are cal
culated at Two trancs aud d half a day.
After dinner a little exercise is pro-
cured by d visit to the cbapels within
the Vatican, aud thence TO the garden,
to which he is carried through the long
halls OF immortal sculpture in O most
daintlIy constructed sedan chair lined
with white satin. As tbe Pope is f0nd
Uf gardening, il is here he receives sactl
casual visitors as are admitted, dis
conrsing to them often of his shrubs
and flowers as d refuge from more iin-
portant aud difficult subjects. AT four
o'clock again begiu the official au-
dienees. OF course these arrangements
vary with the seasons. | am speaking
of the autumn aud early spring, and II
is quite Y o'clock before his holiness
has any repose of body or mind. Then
comes the office of evening prayer, and
| d laborioas solitude until half-past 3.
Then d upper as frugal DIS the dinner,
| Yet. III spite Of these well filled hours,
the pontiH steals tlue from the night to
study elilate books aud to infinitely
examine all the new works on theolO-
Nv sent him by the different nancios
and this life he has led for i've years
without interruption. At Easter, and
on occasions of great festivals, Leo
| XIII enters the altar OF the Slstins
chapel by a side door, preceded by sev.
sn 81 the Guardia Mobile, in their res
! Dlendent armor. -Four place them
| selves Oh one side of the altar, three or
the other. Then come three priests
habited ID plain surplices, all prelates
aud two archbishops, who are here te
serve the altar for the supreme pontiG
ALFRED BY them in the sacerdota
robes before the altar, be recites ths
prayers III d low Voice, but firm anG
clear. Before him, in the chapel pain
ted By Michel Angelo, kneel the princes
and patsicians of Rome who have re
manned faithful and a crowd of illus
trious women heavily yelled. BEHIND
them are the Swiss guard in parti
coIored uniform, like court cards in &C
ton, the attendants OF the Vatican il
pnrple, the domestic servants ia {
gorgeous livery of red dannask, and
last OF all the arti6cers and artisans o
the paIace-u1en and wOmen-in VA
rious groups. At the moment of com
munion che Pope turns toward the con.
gregation. The first to whom he ad
ministers the sacramento his nephew
Count P~ecci-abont To form an excel
lent marriage with a french lady-noN
TWENTY-FIVE years of age. Pecci wears
the uniform Of The Gardia Mobile. AMI
kneels al tile sacred table with two o
three of his friends III the pnntiica
court. His mother and sisters are be
mind. These ladies' are the first 60 re-
ceiva the eonseerated wafer, the func.
lion listing for more than halt an hour
during which the holy father repeats
Two hundred aud fifty times The word
I. Corpas DoAini Jesa Christi cuetodiG
altman tatsm In Uitaas a~steyasaass.a Hi
hard fretabiss i little flona age, bu
liz voice Il sweet and full Of eateria
inlonations. Without sign OF fatigue