The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-20
POPE LEO AT HOME.
Personal Appearance of the Pontiff- How
He Employs His Time.

Canon Barry, in The Captain Fracassa, Rome.
Leo XIII is now seventy-four years of age.
He is tall, thin and bony. His face is of an
ivory tint, and his eyes and lips are very ex-
pressive and smiling. He looks very firm.
Simeoni says he resembles Votaire but Leo
Kills smile is totally different to Voltaires
smile. The Pope wears his age well, and
walks remarkably straight. He has snow
white hair and very tinely-marked eyebrows.
His eyes are wonderfully inteligent-looking
and his voice is extremely harmonious. He
speaks several languages as well as any pro-
fessor of languages He never says a foolish
thing or does foolish thing, like poor Plus
TX, whose policy was fatal to the Pope's
temporal power. He rises very early, and
spends the first hours OF the day in prayer,
and generally in his bedroom. AT 6 o'clock
he says mass. At 8 o'clock he breaks his
fast with a cup of chocolate, reading his cor
respondence all the time AT o'clock he
receives Jacobini and those chiefs
OF religious societies who may
demand audience. AT noon he receives those
Roman patriarchs who have remained true
to him, and the ambassadors. At l o'clock
he dimes, his dinner rarely costing more
than two francs, or half dollar. Once upon
time Popes were great eaters and drinkers,
and were given to every kind of extrava-
gance but Leo XIII is nothing of all this.
After dinner he takes a little walk in the
Vatican grounds, or be visits the museums,
galleries, etc Sometimes he is carried in
chair quilted with white satin. He is very
fond of the garden, and likes to play the
gardener at times He frequently receives
visitors in the garden, and talks of flowers to
them to avoid other subjects. The first and
second time | saw him was in the garden.
When [ went with the pilgrims he was pre-
coded ay three Noble Guards, and at his side
was Monsignor Macchi, his secret chamber
lain. He wore a wide-brimmed hat
al
were presented to him one by one He
looked at us and scrutnized US WELL l saw
he recognized me, but he treated me like the
others-as if he saw me also for the first
time. Are you all Irish?' he said; Il am
happy to receive the faithful of that nation!"
He then looked again at u.s. as if he would
have read into our souls, Your bishop"
he continued, brought me offerings from
people pressed with poverty" Then seeing
me fall on my knees, he offered me his hand
to raise me. II had thought" he continued,
that the offerings would have decreased;
but 1t was not so. We live on charity" land
here he smiled sadly) for all we had has
been taken from u.s. Oh! these prosecutions"
he cried with loud voice. They purify us
even when the leaven is pure and immacu-
late" / seem to see him now His head
looked like a relief on the blue sky.
Tie sun was setting, and he looked
up to the sky, as if seeking an inspiration
there. II nave heard" he then said, that
Notwithstanding the general state of anguish
in Ireland, the churches are full of people.
May the Lord be praised and blessed, and
may my prayers bring peace on the people!
Lord, hear our prayers and judge usi" He
then blessed US, and the audience was fin
ished. 1 have never seen so much power
united to so much simplicity. At A o'clock
the Pope resumes his official audiences in
the Vatican. AT o'clock only he takes a
little rest but at o'clock he returns to work
in his private rooms, where he remains until
10 o'clock, when he retires for the night, not
always to sleep, though, for it is during the
night that he reads and writes for his own
pleasure, his favorite subject being the
Science of st. Thomas" and essays on the
works of that saint which he receives from
every part of the world, whenever and wher-
ever published.