West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1896-03-19

An Interesting Letter Prom The
Eternal City. That Sat ON
Her Seven Hills"
Special correspondencc of TnS ARous

of st. Peters, 435 feet high. was
tired after that climb, and sat down
anu rested aud drank i'm the beauty
OF that scene for long time. Oh
the west Law the dresr campagna,
which is interesting historically
not physically. The soil looks
poor. 1t has had time to wear out.
hasn't 1t, during 1000 years {? The
city outskirts are belted with un.
dulating hills. Farther on, these
wrinkles are smoothed out. Still
farther. in the distance, the sea can
be seen. This roof is so immense
that families occupy houses built
on top OF it. To the north lay the
Janioulum Aventine, Capitohnc al ad
Palatine Hills. To the east, the
Plncian and Quirinal, aud in the
distance the snow-capped Alban
mountains. just in front flowed
the Tiber. separating the old,
denscly built section of the city
from the more open. newer part.
1t Turns sharply ut right angles
soon after it passes the Castle of st.
Angelo, getting out of the way of
the slope which rises gradually TO
81. Peters. To the south Law n
great campus, in which l counted
twenty companies OF soldiers going
through their daily drill. Adjoin.
ing the church on this side, is the
largest pal ICE in the world, the
Vatican, which is indeed, small
world in itself. politically isolate,
as is the District Of Columbia. On
the territory, sacred to the Pope, no
Italian soldier can set foot; refer
of course, to the palace or Vatican
gardens. From my height, ] look
ed down on His Holiness private
grounds. beautifully laid out. Just
beyond them is a piece of woodland
which looks rs if it had been
snatched bodily from dense for.
est and set down here--so wild and
uncultivated is it. Here, we i'm
agine, His Holiness takes refuge on
hot summer evenings; and with the
trees as sentinels, he walks and
medltates on how he ctn regain the
power he will never know. lie has
enough titles to be at the hend of
tae universe. Here they are /:
Vicar Of Jesus Christ, Successor of
the Prince Of the Apostles, Ponti-
Tex Of the Universal Church, PAtri-
arch of the West, Primate Of Italy.
metropolitan Archbishop of the
Province of Rome, Sovereign of the
Temporal Dominions of the Holy
Roman Church. Are you out of
breath 7 And yet be is good man.
lie cannot help his titles.
Coming down the stairs, I count.
cd Ga marble slabs, which had been
inl"id in the wall, announcing that
on such date, such a crowned
head or royal parsonage had ascend
ed the dome of st. Peters. This
reminds me that one OF tho original
stones Of the wall of Romlus, which
surrounded the old city on the Pal
atine Hill, is among the inlaid
stones in our Washington Monu-
ment. Then / went down and
around to the Vatican library, " here
| saw many relics from the Cata-
combs, many invaluable illuminat-
ed manuscripts, beautiful stained
glass, and many priceless treasures
IN the shape Of vases, etc. which
had been presented to the different
Popes from the greatest personages,
and from the fartherst ends OF the
earth. But what surprised me on
the street, was an African Frances
can monk.
Yesterday, under the shadow Of
the prison where his postolic
namcsake Was confined, took Paul
book and q ball. and went 10
spcnd the afternoon in the Forum
Romanum. ] sat on tho steps OF
the Bssilica Julia and read. while
Paul kicked bis football up and
down the lava Aagstones Of the
Sacred Way. n stones ever preach
sermons, how eloquest are these
Presently the ball rolled far OF and
fell into the Closca Maxima. Then
there was a great anxiety until
spoke to workman, who got a
ladder and handed the ball up from,
the sluggish water. The ladder
was at hand, or / should never have