The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-04

At the close of the interview 1 said: Holy
Father, will you not add to my indebted
ness by giving me one more sitting in the
garden by the summer vilia?'
He laughed and shook his head. Have
you not enough2'
mo" / answered boldly. "but give me
tomorrow morning and l will promise to
be content"
His Holiness was silent a minute and then
said: We'll. then, | agree but not for to-
morrow morning. Tomorrow afternoon at
6 o'clock"
The change to the later hour meant
comparatively defective light but it also
meant color conditions and greater convent
ence for my illustrious subject, so ] ac-
cepted the offer gratefully. and his Holiness
left, after again thanking me warmly for
the view of the mutoscope No sooner had
the pontitlcal carriage and suite disappeared
than the other members of the Noble and
swiss guard crowded around the mutOscope,
and ii was most interesting to note the
varied expressions On their faces. / was
called upon repeatedly to furnish a popular
explanation of the workings of the inven-
ton and the field which It would occupy in
America
Next day dawned sultry and oppressive,
enc of the most eXhausting in my Italian
experience. / was harassed by doubts as to
the appearance of the Dontif al the APP
pointed hour and his familiars at the Vat
lean were not reassurng, as his Holiness
is most tenderly guarded by his physician
and attendants. and screened from undue
eXertion and changes OF atmosphere.
However, at o'clock promptly ! was on
the spot, an open space in the garden adj
joining the summer villa or casino. framed
in by gigantic walls OF box and thanked by
a lofty and richly carved gate opening upon
the avenue through which the Popes car
riage would drive.
His Holiness was to arrive at g. which
gave me an hour 10 pose the guards and
arrange preliminaries. / decided that after
driving through the gate his Holiness
should take his seat on an adjoining stone
bench, receive the salutations of the throng.
bestow his blessing and then walk over to
the throne which | had caused to be pre-
a
heavier and heavier and SO did my heart,
but my approximations were groundIess, for
punctuallY at the hour agreed the superb
carriage was seen winding its way along
| the avenue.
The guards fell into position. and Mgr
Della Nolpe and Count Pecci the one glori-
Gus in robes of scarlet and purple, and the
| other stately in blue and gold, advanced 10
meet his Holiness. Buzz, buzz went the
| great machine; all fell on their knees and
| the Pontiff walked to the stone bench be-
| side the gate After q brief interval during
which he conversed easily with his immedi-
| ate attendants, his Holiness rose to COM
! plete the programme agreed upon and be-
| gan to cross the intervening space to the
! throne but here an unavoidable contre-
| temps occurred.
HIS HOLINESS OBEDIENT.
My assistant had been so hurried that he
| had not had time to replace the film, so I
was forced to beg his Holiness to, return 10
| the bench while this was being done, a re-
| quest with which he cheerfully complied. L
| then threaded tie machine in breathess
| haste. pivoting it in the direction of the
| throne, after which l invited his Holiness
| to pass into the picture. which he did, scat
teying smiles and benedictions and inter
| changing remarks with his nephew and
major domo, finally taking his seat right
royalty upon the crimson throne.
Before leaving. the gentle Pontif gave me
a special blessing, in which the mutoscope
was included and laughingly demanded if
| were at last satisfied.
/ should like to say word as to the de-
lghtful familiarity which / obtained in the
Vatican and with its inmates TO sHch
degree that my people were wont to say
that / had the latchkey to the Pope's do
mains. / learned to know by heart every
nook Of those enchanted gardens, as also
its varied denizens, the rare animals, the
lustrous birds, the ostTiches and the white
peacocks. | was intensely interested in the
observatory. with its telescope and varied
sclentlhc appliances; also IN roaming
through the countless chambers and halls
of the pontihcal palace. to which all the
nations of the earth seem TO have brought
something of their glory and richness
The private apartments of his Holiness
at the Vatican and in the summer VIVA
were fraught with especial interest. re-
member, in connection with the latter,
piece OF inforfIa ti6i which struck me as
being highly significant We had passed
through the sumptuous corridors and re-
ception rooms, through the coy secluson
Of the study into the spotless purity of
the sleeping room. when my guide, SlgnoT
de Castro, remarked: Have you noticed
that there is no dining room in the villa?
That is because no formal meals are pre-
pared for his Holiness. a tray with few
simple dishes is brought to him wherever
he happens to be. On, the carnal side of
life means little to Leo XIII!
In conclusion l desire to express my graft
tude to the several members of the papal
household who contributed so largely to-
ward the success of my enterprise. Promi-
nent among these was my kind and potent
friend Count Pecci, nephew of his Holt
ness who threw himself into my scheme
from his summer residence in Perugia to
assume the command of the noble guard.
My warm Acknowledgements are also due
to Count Soderini ard to Monsignor Della
Volpe. | have retained a vivid impression
of the unostentatious kindness of the pom
tificial coutt, but most especially of the
central figure in that picturesque setting,
the cultured aud gracious personality Of
Leo XIII.