The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1895-08-03
How Nf'[']H|EPOPBDADY ||']| YLIIV|.ES |:
A Great rlind in a Little Body
.'. { .= Ever Active and III.
Working.
Cardinal Rampolla Is Loved BY
the Pope as Richelieu
Loved Joseph. "a
Meagre Diet, a Studious Mind and
$ES5 ~ n
a Care for the World Are the
Traits Of the Pontiff.

W $aulu LIS ACdLs LAAuS9, AA4AAoLOA -, F0Spt0
ties, ambassadors and the foreign colony
are about to fee from Rome and scatter
to the beaches of the. Adriatic or the re-
sorts Of the north. The Holy City will
resemble the Arab town, stricken with
sleep and death. Leo XIII. alone re-
mains at his post. The brave old man,
the tireless worker, laden with glory and
infinite labors, is the captive of his rights
and of the triple crown. Afar off he sees
cleaning the roof of his beautiful white
villa of Castle Gondolfo, but duty holds
him bound within the threshold Of the
Vatican.
Leo XIII. rarely complains Of this soli-
t,de. At times, with a smile in the cor
.ner Of his great thin lips, he says:
These young men all taketheir vacation.
/, the oldest, can take none" He trans
forms his isolation into g period Of fruit
fulness At no other time does this gen.
iug produce more beautiful works. 1t is
during these long, dragging, heavy hours
Of the south that he completes his iniln-
liable encyclicals. And when he is tired
he writes verses, and, like Goethe, finds
relaxation in that labor.
Though Leo XIII. does not leave Rome,
he too, migrates. In summer he leaves
his little apartment in the white corner OF
the second story, from which he looks
down on his dear city of Rome, and takes
his abode in the casino of Plus ~, on the
southeastern elevation of the Vatican
gardens. This summer outing has
caused violent discussions. One doctor
advised against it ON account of the few
ers, another insisted on complete
change of air. Smiling at their ardor,
Leo XIII. cut the knot by staying i'll his
room at night and spending the day in
the little villa put in order for his use.
After saying mass and prayers, he
starts at o'clock in the morning; his
servants bear him in the little white
sedia gestatoria, through the long, silent
corridors of the Vatican and place him III
his carriage at the garden door. From s
till o'clock in the evening he works i'll
the casino, drives sorWalks about. His doc
tor, Signor LApponi, is very strict, but
Leo XIII. laughs at his terrors and does
as he pleases,
AT Cardinal Rampolla, with his long,
smooth face and tragic look, reminding
one OF q stage contidant, a Fidus Achates
or squire, devoting himself to the glory
Of master or great idea; Cardinal Ram
spolla comes down into the garden with
his big bundle of papers. If you happen
to meet him. as he hurries along, you will
see in his arms a pile Of newspapers, of
pamphlets and letters, and, above all, the
mysterious book in which the secretary
of state puts down the news and the sub
stance OF the newspaper articles, dealing
with the questions that interest the
watchful Holy Pontiff.
Y When Leo XIII. sees him enter he
smiles as he would to q beloved child, for
he loves Cardinal Rampolla as Richelieu
loved Father Joseph, as Mgr. Dupanloup
loved Lagrange, as Fenelon loved Chey-.
reuse This business audience usually
lasts an hour and a half, sometimes till
noon, and then the ambassadors, the car
dinals and the prelates who are awaiting
their turn ask themselves what import
ant news can have come to the Holy
Father? At this audience all personal,
religious, political and international mat
tiers are considered.
Formerly, when the three First Secre-
taries, F'ranchi, Nina and Jacobini, were
in Office, Leo XIII. concealed the greater
part Of his negotiations and labors from
his ministers: Cardinal Rampolla has
been the first to gain his whole conf
dence The department of what in the
seventeenth century was called ssTheS
Kings Secret" has almost disappeared,
His submissive sagacity, his incorrupt-
ible honesty, his tender and watchful at
tachrnent have brought about this mir
acle The Romans are amazed at the
change and at the never diminished in-
f1uence OF the minister. From half past
lG to half past l the Pope receives. "A
Cardinal said to me: '3NT hen ! am in the
round enclosure Of the summer casino all
nv deas dance in my head and take
the strangest forms" Often the Pope
silspends the audiences. There is no
business III the congregations. The for
eigners have left; the Romans have gone
to the country Those are the moments
most pleasing and dear to the Pope. He
then delights in delicate work or lets