The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-04-18

ROYAL ALMsGIvING AT WESTMINSTER
phon, commencing with the command
of Christ to his disciples, "Mandatum no.
| yum da vobis," has been chanted by the
choir, the distribution of the aims by the
lord high almoner takes place. The aims
in question amount to about $26 for every
man and $21 for every woman, in new sill
yer and gold money specially coined by
| the mint for the occasion, and are con-
tanned in red and white kid purses, to
which long tassels are attached. They are
borne on a huge gold salver by one of the
sergeants of the yeomen of the guard, who
Is thanked on either side by comrades armed
with halberds. The lord high almoner
himself is assisted by several gentlemen
ushers of the queen, arrayed in gorgeous
gold embroidered court uniforms and with
scarfs of linen tied across their shoulders
emblematical of the towels used in the
days when the British sovereigns used still
to wash on this particular day the feet of
~ poor men and IL poor women.
This custom of washing the feet Of the
poor on Holy Thursday is still adhered to
at the courts of Vienna, Madrid, Lisbon,
Munich and the Vatican 1t is very SOL
emn function, and while it is in progress
one of the prelates in attendance reads
that portion of the gospel which describes
Christ 'as washing the feet of his apostles.
| At Vienna and Munich, Madrid and Lis
| bon, the sovereign Is attended on these oc-
casions by the members of the reigning
| family, by the great dignitaries of the
realm, and by the entire court in full uni
form. Princes and princesses remove the
| shoes and stockings of the old men and
women, bishops and cardinals hold the
gold ever and basin respectively, while the
| sovereign kneels before each aged pauper
in turn, and after having poured rosewa-
ter over their feet dries them with gold
fringed napkin. Afterward the old people
are entertained at n banquet, at which
they are waited upon by the sovereign and
| by the princes and princesses present, and
at Its close the guests are sent to their
homes in court carriages each bearing
| handsome present in money.
The pope, while washing the feet of 12
poor old men-which, by the bye, he does
in very conscientious and proper manner
wears awhjte linen apron over his white
| cassock. This apron is sent every year to
/ the general of the Benedictine order, who
causes it to be cut up and to be used in
one of the churches of the order for cover
ing the chalice. His holiness insists on
himself serving the 12 aged paupers at the
banquet which follows the ceremony, and
each one of them finds under his plate
hundred franc bank note.
But the most solemn feature of the OBJ
servation of Eastertide ut the Vatican-in
my opinion, at any rate-is when on the
following night punctually at 12 q car
dtnal arrayed in his scarlet robes presents
himself and strikes IL blows on the door
Of the private chapel of the pontiff. The
latter thereupoEaarises from his knees be-
fore the altar, and, taking therefrom a
golden crucifix, approaches the window,
which is thrown open by the cardinal, and
makes with sweeping and majestic ges-
ture the sign of the cross over the slumber-
ing city at his feet, exclaiminC ct red
rbis TbI,rs,, .. ,o..,ro tra.a,, T. ,-1-o,,,.,,