The Portland daily press., 1893-02-20


OF the time bell from ST. Ignazios dome,
and when the vibrations cease, every one
descends going by the old passage lead
ing all the way to the Vatican for who
soevef held ST. Angelo held Vatican past
the tombssand dungeons haunted still by
crime and political intrigue and ever
living on in history.
St Priscilla.
The last day of every year they open
the catacombs of St$ Priscilla and in an
under ground chapel hold shell-bound a
mixed throng of hundreds of benighted
devotees as well as blinded tour
ists ever in search of wonders. There
are queer inscriptions here and very an
clent frescoes and the oldest madonna in
the world with Joseph and the Christ
child. There are also tombs of saints
and bones of those who lived in the years
( following Immediately after the death of
Christ Though not so large as St
Callistus, the relics here date farther
back in the church history.
The New Year.
Christmas in Rome, especially when it
comes on Sunday is day given up to
the church and thoughts of Heaven.
New Years coming or course alike on
Sunday, is given up entirely to the gale
ties of the world.
The Corso, Via Mazionale, and the en-
tire vicinity of the Quirinale is crowded
from midday with elegant equipages
going to and from the various receptions
of the opening year. The kings state
h
the Senate and deputies to breakfast at
the Quirinale at 10 o'clock, where day
or two after we saw the table in the state
dining room with chairs in the same or
der draw around those in the centre
with the coronet being the chairs in
which the king and queen had enter
tanned their guests. Crowds of people in
the square watched until night fall the
going and coming of invited guests,
while half burned tapers, in the days
following in all the public rooms of the
palace told the extent of the New Year S
festivity.
New Year.
The cdpo d ammo is the italian greet
ing and when your porter and fire-build-
er tips his hat and says the magic words,
you realize the poverty of your purse,
and that a happy New Year to them
means the chink of silver and a dearth OF
funds to you. In France they call this
New Years giving the giving Etrennes,
but it comes from Strenna the Roman
goddess of health and strength. Her
temple was in ancient Rome, surrounded
by gardens filled with healing plants, the
Verbena being the most favored flower,
because it's properties favored hygiene.
This plant was distribute at first, es-
pecially to young wrestlers victorious in
athletic strife and he who received
branch of it from Strenna's temple gar
den. got what was then called a sbennG
and now would be his New Years gift
now-a-d VS. the rich give their presents
on this cdpo d ammo, but the very poor
have Christmas Of their own.
Epiphany.
If any one in his blindness thinks the
New Year ends the holidays, let him re-
main in Rome until the 9th of January.
Epiphany is half pagan and half a
Christian feast. In respect to the former
it is a remnant of thesold Saturnalia and
like the Carnival. enlists the most aris-
tocratic. part of society as well as the
ie'~eeo fsoo ~ 11 = = -.
woman ana emo taxes PafI anu anu inahes
the most nolse possloie ~ .ne hv Dsaa,'
way. Peopie accusoolnea 70 oul WASH
lngton.s Blrtnday think II Tame COM
pared 70 this.
Piazza Navona.
One square in Rome is devoted to
the snort and in no other city
H. oo1al,ro+a lilo +bis
W 'nos -, le4,..
They line this square Win pooohs
and sell every thing which the poor
'naasant child can wish. It is the Piazza
= r $50. 49, 49, an honnd for finn as
N @Voha anu iiei . oil Dounu -. ~ e's
semble. They drum, they toot the morn.
thew shout, pound on tin pans and laugh
ord s;no and follow the stranoerwitb their
r m;,. D. After the theatre closes ELEGANT
" = dressed , ladies' and gentlemen in full
dress rusb ahomt This SQUARE punching
each other nlaving ali sorts OF pranks
which mist be received in Good part. or
one had better stay away.
The Christian mart of ,Epiphany here.
is This. It is the true Christmas to the
moor for it is the real anniversary of the