The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-04-18

he was most affectionately welcomed
by his family, AS the train started
noticed the man turning toWays
me and so safe did feel, that l
actually had the boldness to wave
my handkerchief towards him which
salute he returned by raising his hat,
I imagine he told his wife he had
travelled, shut UP with q mad mus
tachised Americana" who could not
sit still, and was stark mad, in fact
that he had escaped with his life, How
ever, that may be, will never again
travel alone in Italy, for that trip to
Ciampino taught me a lesson. | had
unfortunately run by my station and
must needs continue on to Marino,
surely ill-luck had followed me ever
since sunrise.
Arrived at Marine / took the return
train to Rome, and thereby lost my
lunch. / will not attempt to describe
the approach to the Eternal City; we
passed by delightful old bridges and
historic old landmarks and approached
nearer and nearer as the citys domes,
towers, and spires continued to rise be-
fore us, little while ago they We're
vast, dreamy, shadows in the distance,
now they appear tangible, real, and at
last we passed through the old walls
and become entombed amidst vast piles
of brick.
The ill-luck of that days experiences
seemed to continue for on my way
through the city I stepped into the
Church of st. Maria del Amino; it was
at sunset and nearly dark, the GUS
todian let me in through a side door,
then he locked it and went about his
affairs down the street.
/ was alone in the great church and
l remember how still it was, and how
strong it smelled of incense, and how
the tiny candle flames on the altar
appeared like perfect little stars in the
darkness.
l admired the painting representing
Saint Bruno receiving the keys of the
Cathedral of Meissea in Saxony from
a fisherman who had found them in the
stomach of a great fish. / stopped in
the fading light to examine the dam
aged picture of the Holy Family by
Giulio Romano: again I stood rever-
emily before the interesting tomb of
Pope Alexander VI, who was the son
of ship builder at Utrecht. | stopped
rapt with the beauty of the frescoes of
Michel Coxcie and admired the tombs
of cardinals Andrea and Enkenfort.
The great organ was still open and
the music books lay about on the music
frames Che finest mucic in Rome is to
be heard at the Sabbath services in
this church.)
The last object which caught my
gaze was a large black slate monu-
Englishman in Roman church in
1641. l shivered as I read the long in
scription, and NOW" said I, "let me
return home" 1t was now so dark
1 could scarcely see the doors, the
shafts of faint light penetrated
through the lofty windows causing a
sort of unearthly effect; I became
alarmed for the silence was awful.
I approached the doors which were
in the front of the church towards the
street, they were reconstructed and of
tremendous size, their hinges Of petted
iron We're very ponderous and intri-
cately formed by medieval iron mas
tiers, not only We're these doors locked
but chained and bolted. ] resolutely
attacked these obstacles "puguis ct
calculus" and felt as powerless as
David before the gate OF Acish, the
king of Gath 1t was hopeless to seek
egress in that direction. 1t had now
become so dark / could not see across
the broad nave, so l began at one Of
the broad sides and patiently crept
along until I came to a small door,
this, too, was locked. felt as If i'm
prisoned in a cemetery. No one
wanted to come in and those inside
could not possibly find their way out
I was fairly entombed and could hear
outside on the streets the busy hum of
the city's life, and the wine vendors
shouted with their deep Roman voices
as they proclaimed their wares.
"Alia tentanda via est!" and / began
again to seek for escape from my dire
full entombment. quietly crawled,
like moth petting a garment, by win
dows and tombs and huge candelabra,
and was obliged at last to pass right
in front of the high altar where there
was a great crucifix with a lighted
wax candle on either side. / felt like
lost soul vainly endeavoring to es-
cape from the neither world. AS l
turned to bend my knee before the
altar, a huge bat which had come in
through an open window in the roof,
made a full sweep of my head and
its cold wing grazed my ear. In my
struggle to escape l stumbled over the
base of a column and fell with a dull
thud against door which partly flew
open, this led me into the Sacristy,
where a dim light was burning, priests
robes and stoles lay about the chairs
and on the table were ponderous mis-
sails and rare rosaries and crucifixes,
"Renorate animos," I inwardly cried,
and in few moments / found an I'M
locked door which conducted me di-
reetly into pretty garden, and there
in small glass house highly lighted
I saw fully a dozen benign looking
priests enjoying their evening meal,
and q right joyous time they were hav-
ing too. "Feischetti' of rare chianti
shown on the polished board set off
with great vases of rich fruit and
flowers. l stopped to look but for a
moment but kept along the shady walk
and shortly went through a small door
in a huge gateway, and thus like a
thief, in my own estimation, / at last
escaped from my unpleasant imprison-
ment.
the Piazza Novana, and got across
through the Via Canestrari to the
Pantheon, and then going along the