San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-04-21

THE CHILDREN's HOUR.
The POpe's Annual Reception to the Chill
dren In the City of Rome.

| dren In the City of Rome.
A very pretty sight was witnessed
Sunday morning at the Vatican when
| Leo XIII received the children of Rome
who came with their parents to express
| their devotion and congratulations tC
him on the occasion of his 50th episcopal
year. The audience was fixed for II
o'clock, but long before that the majestic
staircase of the Vatican leading up to
the popes apartments was crowded with
ladies leading their children by the
hand, who were mostly dressed in white,
all under 10 years of age, and all in ex-
pectation of seeing il papa. 1t was sort
of dream to see all those children clamor-
ing away with their little voices, which
broke for once the stately and almost
silent grandeur that generally reigns in
the Vatican. 1t looked much more as if
they were all going up to childrens
party than to have perhaps just mo-
mentary sight of the aged pope, stopped
with years and cares induced by the re-
sponsibility of his posi- lion.
The audience took place in the hall Of
the consistory just off the Sala Clemen-
tina, where the pope holds the secret con-
sistories. A throne had been specially
arranged there, and with only two very
low steps leading up to it, because, as
the pope said, he wished to have the chill
dren around him. By half past 10 the
hall was filled with over 800 children,
besides their parents. More than double
the number had asked for permission to
go, but they had to be refused, as it
would have been impossible for the pope
to have stood the fatigue of seeing them
all. At quarter past II the pope en-
tered the hall on foot surrounded by
Cardinals Rampolla, Parocchi, Macchi,
Ruffo, Scilla, Vannutelli, Ricci and Apol-
loni, his noble guards and the other
members of the pontifical court.
AS the bent figure of the pope in his
simple white dress was seen, the voices
of the little children joined together in
calling out over and over again, "Viva
il papa" cry resounding through the
room, while his holiness himself seemed
much amused from the manner in which
he smiled at seeing all these little crea-
lures about him. These children were of
all classes-from the aristocratic to the
lower class well to do families and each
little child had contributed his or her
little obolo, or offering, for the pope. Tie
names of each of the children, written
mostly in their own handwritings, were
inclosed in beautiful white satin al
bum bearing the pontitical arms, which
was afterward presented to the pope.
1t was with some difficulty that the
pope was able to get to the throne, as
all these children were crowding up to
have look at him. Once seated, how
ever, two children-Gemma Borghig-
liOni and Gustave Parsi-9 and years
of age respectively, recited before the
pope without the slightest nervousness
in fact, with the greatest aplomb
"a dialogue entitled "n Trionfo del
Papa" Another little fellow, whose
name | forget, but who did not look
more than years of age, was brought
up to deliver a piece of poetry. The
pope took him on his knee, and the little
child, also in very spirited manner,
said his piece and ended with little
shout of Viva il papa" The pope took
many other of the little things on his
knee. One of them burst out crying be-
cause she had not been given melaglio
like those which were being distributed
about, SO the pope ordered one of the
guards to get one for her The medals
given to the children were of silver, to
some of which was attached blue rib
bon and to others yellow one.-Cor
London Tablet.