The San Francisco call., 1898-12-11

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 with true Italian politeness. AS
 these Italian bows are beautiful
 l things and are not generally
 affected by foreigners. l was marveling at the grace and clever ness of the Consul when the gen. tleman spoke, and I marveled no more. His English bore an unmistak- able accent and I learned that the Con- sul was a full-blooded Italian A soft" and beautiful position. is not. to live thus among his own people with an an- nuity of American dollars-and a few American dollars go a deliciously long ways in Italy!
 What can I do for you?" t4-e Consul said, American, at least, in that respect that he proceeded at once to business Somehow I experienced a temporary embarrassment. If had ever thought about a Consul in all my life before it had been vaguely in connection with stranded foreigners, in getting people out of jail and things of that sort. and for the moment something akin to guilt suffused me.
 T have brought letters from a num- Der of Americans" hastened to say. anxious to get beyond the moments of suspicion and producing my imposing budget. Surely nobody could fail to be impressed by this array. Here glorious to behold were gold seals and red rib bons attesting most magn ficently that I myself. I had carried these things about for six months without ever having produced them, my hu- mility having had something to do with the deep seclusion in which l had guarded them. Nothing less than being the champion rifle shot or the star trapeze performer of the great Wild West could justify the glory of those seals and ribbons. But now my anxiety was great and the splendid documents were unveiled
 T am very anxious to see the Pope" I proceeded to say after my identity had been sufficiently established. will you tell me what I must do, how to go about it, in short what wires must be manipulated?"
 'The wires" he answered. must be all ecclesiastical. This is one place where political wires do not connect" I must acknowledge that the Consul did not employ the telephonic meta phor, but the idea was the same. He gave me to understand that the rep resensatives of the United States have absolutely no influence with the Pope or the high ecclesiastical authorities Officially ignored by America, Leo XIII officially ignores all of the representa- tives of the United States. Nearly all of the nations of the earth send special ambassadors to the Pope. America not doing likewise receives none of the Papal consideration and Papal consid- eration is very important in Rome In fact, it requires a visit to the Eternal City" to realize the import ance of the Pope. People who have never thought about it before inevit- ably feel it after a few days in Rome. Go out to the Coliseum and you see on the walls the name of Plus TX Pontifex Maximus. Look on the top of Trajan's column and behold Saint Peter, the Pope, the mighty key in his hand On Hadrians tomb you see the name of Urban V, Pontifex Maximus On every monument of antiquity, on everything that is worth looking at in Rome is the stamp of the Pope You cannot escape it, 1t is everywhere, above you, around you, below you, and even were your eyes blinded to all of it that may be seen, you still could not escape 1t, for it is yet in the hearts of the people.
 who was Garibaldi?" asked a Ro- man youngster one day, with an Italian lady for interpreter.
 T know" he said gleefully, the light dancing in his divine Italian eyes. He is the big stone man riding the big stone horse on top of Janiculan hill"
 And who was Victor Emanuel?"
 ha f1 c-fC fnn 1aa cof6 losing interest in the catechism and starting to run away
 But wait minute. young man." persisted, tell me who is Leo XIII?"
 Instantly the brown eyes became serious with unspeakable awe.
 He is the best man in the world" he answered. I know that the answer has beauty and even more simile in Italian, but such was the way in which 1t was translated. Had he said the greatest man in the world, rather than the best l think he would have come nearer ex- pressing the true Italian sentiment, for people. as near as I can judge, are more Impressed by the mightiness than by the virtue of the Pope. In spite of the temporal downfall, to them he is still the king of the world and greater than any king of the world could ever be- regulating, as he does from their point of view, even eternal destiny. One day in Rome I experienced a variety of emotions when l saw cardinal riding down the street clad in a, superb scar let gown, his lackies gorgeous to behold, the chains jingling on his prancing steeds My first emotion was something like indignation. Did Christ or St Pe- ter or St Paul or anybody else, whom he is supposed to emulate, give him the precedent for such magnificence? And here in Italy, where the people are picking your pockets and deforming their own children that they might