Omaha daily bee., 1894-01-14
CHRISTMAS DAY IN ROME
Celebrating the Great Festival in the Etsr-
nal City,
ENCHANTING SERVICES IN THREE CHURCHES
Great Tbrongs OF worshipers and Surpass-
ing Music-st. Peters and the Pope
Sunset from one of tho
Seven HIS.

for Christmas day. Yes, eager, active,
everyday, modern Rome. The city of all
Others in the world where the glorious sun
shine thrills one with new life, where TO
enter its portals is to fling wide open all the
parts of the mind TO new and marvellous
thoughts. Here lifo's mental current is q
new stream. clear and lnvigorating, from
which one quaffs deep draughts. Here are
association, poetry, suggestion, art, history
"a perfect carnival of themes, either to
student, dreamer, ira Weller, any one. But
without n thought of any of these there is a
sort of charm, u strong and utterly ~irrosist-
ible feeling that seizes one on entering the
Eternal City.
Since September | northern portions of
the country have been visited, such us parts
OF Germany, through Belgium and much Of
Holland, where nave been found very much
of interest in the different people and their
customs. AS wlnterapproached one thought
to lea IN much of their outdoor sports and
pleasures incident to the season, but so far
there has been only n little ice and not a
flake OF snow. OF theaters, tie deums, flower
shows, fairs and the like, one soon tires. The
boulevardes have been rather gay, but each
day is a repetition of the one before. The
great galleries of Amsterdam, Antwerp and
Brussels have been seen; the palaces and
principal places at The Hague; the curious
city of Bruges with its queer streets, many
bridges, several notable converts, rich
churches ana immense buildings visited;
along with many of the chief industries of
the several places.
In Amsterdam there is diamond cutting,
also linen, cotton and silk works to interest
one, aside from the wonderful old city. The
city, crescent-shaped, is built upon about
ninety islands, the canal being crossed and
recrossed by more than 300 bridges. The
ramparts OF the city are covered with trees
and little parks and converted into boule-
wards of exceeding beauty, along some of
which are to be seen some of the richest, the
most elegant, and in some respects, the near
est matchless buildings in all Europe.
In Brussels and Mechlin are the lace in
dustries and tapestry works rich in interest,
also bleaching and linen works in The Hague,
and also in several Belgian towns. The
round of industries has been made, occupy
ing every moment until nearly Christmas
time, and only a few words heard of the joy
Gus season. Although amidst an almost
wholly Catholic people it is decided tu visit
the country least like our own as to customs
or ceremony, pleasures and all, relating TO
the Christmas holidays.
Scenes Enroute.
Leaving all prospect of the seasons
gaieties among the few friends made, we
left brilliant, busy Brussels for Rome. 1t is
a long journey. Six hours to paris-gay,
sunny and bright as ever, though lacking IN
show of commercial activity, owing to the
curtailcd pecuniary resources of the people
these severely hard ines. The next day is
spent between Paris and Lyons, the second
city in France as to population, and first in
industry. a journey intensely interesting by
reason of the diversity of the country. The
third to, MarsellleS, every hour nearing the
great blue sea, whose warm breathS give to
SO much of France and lovely Italy their in
comparable climate.
AT Mnrseilles, the great busting seaport,
rich COMMERCIAL center and t1ouriShing old
city as it is, ole gets the first view of the
harbor.~ The sun is shining down on count
less vessels, their Inasts presenting a perfect
bewilderment, as one discovers vessels from
almost every country. One look ont over
the dancing blue waters of the majestic sea
is sufficient to dash away every Thought of
the beauties of Nice, that sun-kiSsed queen
city OF the Mediterranean's shores, beautiful
Genoa, Spezzia and the glorious beauties of
The Gulf of Genoa, as they would be seen
enroute from Marseilles by rall, around and
down TO Rome, and passage is taken by
steamer to Civita Vecchia, only a short dis
lance by rail from Rome. That voyage!
The Mediterranean sea,
like any other great feature of this wonder
full world, has it's time of fury and calm of
wind and wave, but these two days have
been all of calm, warm, sunny weather.
The great sea in whose waters
all the states of Europe continually strug-
gle to keep war vessels, is never p~rettler
than under q winter sun. We skirted the
outer rim of Genoa's gulf on down between
the famous islands Elba and Corsica and
neared Italian shores at the old port above
mentioned. Shortly we are in Rome again.
Roma Cara, Ron.al
The Eternal City.
While you in America are planning for
home joys, pleasures of loved ones, seeking
out and ministering to your poor, now
listening to the great teachers as they tell
And we know that the Son of God is Gomez
''Though He were a Son yet learned He
obedience by the things which He suffered ~
or The day spring from on high hath Wis
tied US the greater number of people on
this side of the water are engaged far dlf-
ferently. While il was in the east the COM
ing of the Messiah was looked for as tho
one who would bring peace and justice into
q suffering world then remarkable for OPP
preston there are at this moment lands for
which the prayer Tor these blessings might
well be offered.
Certain it is that Christianity has done
much for mankind, though II seems almost
mockery in this time of political und social
controversy TO speak of the spirit of peace,
though Yesterday the pope gave expression
to these words: IF peace and charity have
disappeared because the sight of heaven
has been lost we must not despair = =" y
for Christ does not abandon the humanity
He redeemed OF course this all refers TO
Europe, where it can scarcely be said that
~ Z Ntul ~ LiiAb iCl blltIthl ptppItS,
though happily still at peace, display
ing very much good will or kindness toward
one another, Each state is armed TO the
teeth, yet further engaged in adding TO
their military and naval powers, ana were il
not from fear that Il neighbor were becoming
stronger several states would fall TO pieces
because of their domestic disturbance.
From all these facts IL is very easy to dis
cover that the Christmas holidays promise
not too much of festival and merrimeat.
Under such influences, with this knowledge
OF tine state of things, one goes forth in
Rome, Il city of churches, to see and learn.
Services In the Churches.
A very long time ago one of the popes
designated three churches in Rome for the
mass. namely, Santa Maria Maggiore, for
the night service or midnight mass; Santa
Ashanase for the morning or early mass and
st. Peters for the day service or high mass,
though now nearly all the Catholic churches
celebrate the three masses. IL is soon found
that all of Christmas, CT neaaly all, in Rome
Is celebrated in connection with the
churches. IL is of services, therefore, /
write. For the midnight mass, Of course,
one goes to Santa Maggiore, and anticipating
the crowds, goes early, that Is at 1870. All
the churches were crowded, but none 10
equal this immense pile-the second church
in size in Rome, ms it is in age. Hundreds
ana hundreds came and WENT, being unable