The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-09-24
PORE LEo's LOVE or FuN.
How He Once Got the Best of wick
ed Nobleman.

ed Nobleman.
From the Chicago Times Herald
Pope Leo XIII is noted a. "a wit. II r.
said that be has the greatest powct %
repauee Of any man IN Europe II Is an
old thing to remind one that the greater
Inc saint the greater the humorist" This
has 10 generally passed into fret prin-
ciple hy students Of men chat one can
understand why the wisost theologians
nro given to doubt the sancuty Of any
man who does not enjoy a Joke. Perhaps
Emerson vac not aware that he was ut-
tering an Old Catholic truth when he said.
You need never despair Of tlfe salvation
% any man who can see "a Joke a"
Those who have lived near His Holiness.
OF who have associative ties with him.
know volume Of stories OF hls wit. II
Is said that he never lost the mastery or
any situation groseaquc. painful. awk-
ward 90 ridiculous. He has always en-
ioye,i = reputation for this alone. ami
woe hctide the unlucky wight who crossed
the conversational rapiers with the aim Of
putting him in worse case.
Itis humor never wounds or stiuga. II
raises a laugh. b,H always to lift the
henrcr 20 q calm hight not before known.
does he appear to have made "a retort that
stabbed. and then the victim richly de-
served a. well-known nOhiemsn Of one
or che proud families antedating Chris
tlnnitv tsome Of them ns old and 49, wicked
81 Satan. who may be named tho Count
DE- Threestars was rash enough To boast
&C club ia Rome that he could and wouid
pus the Holy Father ut n disadvantage.
Ho had begun by disaEreeing with his
companions In their statement that no
one could disconceri the pontn'H ready
wit. and finished by saying that he could
do 80. Now. this was before Leo XIII
had assumed the tiara and was Only Car
dinal Peccl
You will ges the worst Of IT," his
circle warned him, and you will wish al
the rest Of your life that you had iet
him alone"
But the Count de- Threestars was a
headstrong man and was bold In his as
surance. Bets were freely offered. but
only two were taken. thai che advcntur-
Gus man would stand any chance of got
ting or even third best from an encounter
with so accomplished an eccieHiastic. II
was arranged that the sFiai Of wit should
take place on the occasion Of a diplomatic
dinner when the Count de Threestars
should. be placed near the Cardinal and
given his opportunity to crush the priest
~ fiat as che tablecloth
The evening arrived and the naughty
nobeman was seated on the left Of tho
Cardinal The dessert was far advanced
when IN the most natural way. the Count
de Threestars. IN perfectly assumed cour-
tesy. offered the Cardinal his anun hox.
II was a jewel 81 workmanship. and with
his thumb slipped beneath. tho nobleman
held a 20 that its nd inclined to give the
best view Of its decoration. this being a
certain Venus Of Titan painted IN the
frank and fearless old fashion.
The Holy Father looked steadily al the
Venus for a moment. Then he threw his
head back and half closed his eyes as II
10 wet a good focus--ali The white giving
the lookers-on an eternity In some Sec
onds. Finally he raised his eyebrows In
torroeauvely. and said 10 the nobleman.
sweetly: NINE. IA ContesseY' (Your
wifeD
The snuff hox fell 10 the floor with a
crash and the mans whole body frem-
blod with rage at this deadly iusuit-ihe
worst euch a man could encounter. and his
eyes looked ~ n. but FOR the cloth that
separated their ranks. he could have
killed the smiling ecclcsiastlc on the SPOT.
But he never troubled Cardinal Pccci
again.
worthy American. one Of the new
rich" was pleasantly roasted behind his
back on one occasion. He hadAdone many
generous things. and the Pope had reward
ed him with orders and medals galore. for
once a year this convert made pilgrim
age 20 Rome. where he was kindly recciv-
I'd by the Holy Father ms q son. and gen
orally. until the orders were exhausted.
each time one was bestowed with some
fresh honor. on such occasions all these
brave metal pieces were attached 10 the
rfah Aru4rlranfN breast
I'm soon end that" the Pope remarked
10 a confident who was "a hts side during
The ieyee Next time ] shall give him
a snuff box" which he I'D.
The following year the American turned
up AGAIN and was granted an audience.
when 10 the Holy Fathers CONSERVATION
the faithful son Of the church appeared.
not only with all OF his medals. but with
the snuff box attached 70 his waiatcoat.
The next time" toe Pope said, with a
comicai slgh. II shan present him with a
marble topped table. II ~ tho only thing
can think Of that he can't tie 90 his
waiatcoat."
eas~s----
Nat~H- HruAa InaftfufIon for TaAfaa