The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-02-23
A TALK WITH LADIES.
Smith College Students En-
tertained by Mr.. Depew.
he TELLS OF HIS TRIP ABROAD.
Impressions Gained by a Visit 10 the
Pope-He Described His Holiness in
Most Interesting and Graphic
Manner.
By The Associated Press.

NoRTHAMrToN, Mass, Feb. 23-An audi
ence that completely filed Smith college
chapel listened last evening to Chauncey
NJ. Depew, who told the young ladies and
their invited guests Of the impression
made upon him by his recent trip to Italy.
The chapel was filled wherever IL was pos
sible TO put a human body. The speaker
and the invited guests were the recipients
of tremendous outburst of applause.
AS soon as the guests were seated on
the platform the entire audience joined
In the singing of America" which was
followed by prayer by Rev. Roland G..
Smith President Seelye, in introducing
DIR. Depew, alluded TO the patriotic sig
niflcance of the day He said that it
was intended to have present William l..
Wilson of West Virginia, as representa-
tive of Washington's native state, and
that congressman had gladly accepted
the invitation, but Mt a late date had been
compelled to withdraw his acceptance on
account of i'll health. Disappointed in
this, he was glad to an nounce that they
had been able TO secure a man whose
name was associated with one of the
noblest eulogies Of Washington, one
whom every one knows, one whom every
body admires, and one whom everybody
longs to hear
DIR. Depew was greeted with round after
round of applause when he rose in re-
sponse to President Seelye's introduction,
and il was several minutes before he was
given an opportunity to begin. DIR. De-
pew kept his contract as to an informal
talk. which ranged from grave TO gay.
from oratory to after-dinner joviality,
from the sublime TO the ridiculous. 1t was
entertaining, instructive, eloquent with
word.painting and sparkling with wit
and anecdote. IL held the closest atten-
tion Of his audience for an hour and three
quarters, and was plentifully supplied
with laughter and applause by the audi
ence.
Covered Wide Ground.
DIR. Depew contrasted the railway ser
vice of the continent to that OF our own
country, to the latter's gloriflcation, gave
glimpses OF Florence and Genoa, told
funny stories of his experiences wit h
Roman guides, visited the Colosseum and
Catacombs, traversed the Appian Way.
from which he drew true lessons of his
tory, painted the marvellous city of
Pompeii in glowing ord-pictures. paid
eloquent tributes to Cicero, Desmosthenes,
Michael Angelo and Raphael, and gave
his hearers private audience with the
pope.
This was by far the most interesting
portion OF the address He described the
pope as a man of remarkable power The
topic of conversation was the pope's en-
cyclcal on capital and labor, and DR.
Depew found that the pope had made a
thorough study of the topic. The pope
was described as being very thin. tall,
weighing in the vicinity of 100 pounds,
with face of marked intellectually, a
high forehead and brilliant eye.
He talked eloquently, and believed that
the solution of the problem was to be
based ON the principle of the fatherhood of
God and the brotherhood of man. The
pope met DIR. Depew very informally, adj
vancing to meet him, grasping him by
the hand and giving him a cordial greet
ing.
In closing, the speaker paid tribute to
the genius and intellect of old men as
typified by the pope at 81, Premier
Crispi at 20. Bismarck at 70, and Glad
stone, the grand old man.