The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1896-08-15
HAS SEEN The POPE.
One Of Those American Girls
Travelling Abroad Resolves to See
the Pore
And Perserveres until She Accom-
plishes II.
They Visit What Was Once Thought TO
be the 'sEternal city,

plishes IT,
They Visit What Was Once Thought I,
be the ssEternal City,
Special Correspondence.
ROME. Italy, July 3I.-The first
question asked by your friends wher
you return to America from Rome. /.
"Have you seen the Pope?" The,
seem TO have an idea that the Head OF
the Church is on exhibition, as il
were; an idea that the private apart.
ments of the Vatican are as accessi
bic as any OF the museums or gallerie.
of Rome, much with the same feeling
as one of our compatriots, who walked
with naive confidence into the Royal
Palace of Belgium and inquired If the
King was In. Now there is no special
difficulty about seeing the crowned
heads of Europe. Anyone who ling
ers long enough on Inter de Linden,
or in st. James Park, or on the Pin
clan Hill, is sure to have the satisfac-
tion of saying that their own eyes
have rested on Royalty. But .more
formality doth hedge the Pope, es-
pecially since the loss of his temporal
power. Comparatively few persons
can boast of having seen him, except
in the distance in st. Peters, which
is so large that even across the choir
one can hardly distinguish anothers
features. He practically never drives
out; his walks are confined TO the
park; his little domain (now restrict
ed to the Lateran and Vatican) is
jealousy watched by the Swiss guards,
OF famous memory and fantastic uni
forms: and no Italian soldier or officer
is allowed to enter. Hv no longer at
Easter delivers the .benedietion to the
reverential multitude from the Loggia
of st. Peters. 1t would battle the re-
sources Of even an enterprising Amer
lean reporter to obtain an interview
with him. Cards of admission to his
presence are obtained only by the use
OF whole bolts of red tape. Especial
| ly strict are they in respect to the
gentler sex-which has been regarded
as menace to the race ever since
Ewes indiscretion.
So i considered it great privilege
to receive permit to witness a cere-
mony in the Sistine Chapel. The card
contained footnote stating that la
dies must wear black, with wells or
scarfs on their heads. The chapel
was full at the appointed hour. The
Pontifex Maximus was carried in by
eight red-robed attendants. He was
dressed entirely in white, except
scarlet ermine-bordered mantel that
was thrown over his shoulders. His
alabaster-like face was nearly as color
less as the long silken draperies. Only
the eyes shown with yivacity and ami
nation, following the tremulous mo-
ton of his hand from right to left
he blessed the kneeling spectators.
He conducted the mass, his feeble
voice reaching only those nearest the
altar. At the elevation of the host
the Swiss guards and other Papal SOL
diers presented arms before kneeling.
After the ceremony His Holiness
seated himself with his back to the
altar and allowed those present to adj
vance and kiss the marvellous sap
phire ring that he wears on the mid
die finger of his right hand. The
sight of this shadow of a priest raising
his transparent hands in benediction,
while Michael Angeles menacing fig
ures stood out behind and above him,
almost as life-like as himself, was
worth remembering.
Let us visit the miles of porking
which comprise the beautiful Villa
Borghese grounds. 1t is just outside
the old Porta del Popolo, which was
designed by Michael Angelo, and is
the favorite resort of the Romans.
But alas! In summer, when it is
loveliest, you dare not linger there,
lest 'sDeadly fever walk with you.
arm in arm, down the enchanting
avenues, and death await you at the
end of the vista" In short, it is ma
1arious. Here Donatello, giving way
to his wild instincts, swung himself
down from tree in front of Miriam.
Instead of the throng of gay dan
GERS, the ''contadinas" the .'plebeian
damsels', from the campagna, the
"French soldiers and German ar
lists" who joined Miriam and Dona-
tello in merry-making, to-day we
meet representatives of every phase of
Roman life. The well-to-do, in their
fine carriages, the peasant with the
marks Of toll on his clothes; English
and American tourists who had hired
public cabs and were bent on appro-
priating two francs worth of beauty
per hour: romping rosy-faced children,
in perfect accord with Nature; the
Roman matron, who had laid aside
her household cares with her apron,
for a half hour of fresh air in the
park; procession of fifty little or
phan boys taking their daily walk and
followed closely and eyed narrowly by
three jealous priests. Finally, crowd
of young Benedictine monks stepped
across the road, climbed fence and
went bounding up a green hill toward
a grove Of trees, They wore the loose
flowing robes of their order which are
entirely white. There was no excep-
ton to the invariable beauty of white
as it appeared ON these monks. In
fact, their ruddy faces furnished just
the needed contrast. For I have new
er seen finer set of young men. They
looked more like college crew team
and like the swarthy young fellows
we see on our base ball grounds, than
like body of young men who had re-
nounced the world, whose lives were
sealed with the most sacred vows.
Bareheaded, barefooted they must go
through the world, telling their beads
and devoting many hours to medita-
tion and prayer.
The Shakers are Happy Community
1t is said, but the shaker who shakes
because he can't help it is by no means