The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-08
THE POPES LOVE FOR FUN.
How He Got the Best of Certain Naughty
count-The ''New Rich''
American.


Chicago Times-Herald
Pope Leo XIII Is noted as q wit It is
said that he has the greatest power of
repartee Of any man in Europe. 1t is an
old thing to remind one that ''the greater
tho saint, the greater the humorist'
! This has so generally passed into a first
principle by students of men that one can
understand why the wisest theologians
are given to doubt the sanctity of any
man who does not enjoy a joke. Perhaps
Emerson was not aware that he was
uttering an old Catholic truth when he
said: You need never despair of the
salvation Of any man who can see a
joke"
Those who have lived near his holiness,
or who have associated ties with him.
know a volume of stories of his wit 1t Is
said that he never lost the mastery Of
any NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., painful, awk-
ward or ridiculous. He has always en-
joyed a reputation for this alone, and
woe betide the unlucky wight who crossed
conversational rapiers with the aim of
putting him in worse case.
His humor is of the sublime kind; 1t
never wounds or stings. 1t raises laugh,
but always to lift the nearer to a calm
height not before known. Only once In all
these contes drolatiques does he appear to
have made a retort that stabbed, and
then the victim richly deserved it. A well
known nobleman of one of the proud
families antedating Christianity (some of
them as old and as wicked as Satan), who
may be named the Count de Threestars
was rash enough to boast at a club in
Rome that he could and would put the
hold father at a disadvantage He had
begun by disagreeing with his companions
In their statement that no one could dis
h
ished by saying that he could do so.
Now this was before Leo XIII had as
sumed the tiara and was only Cardinal
Pecci.
You will get the worst of It." his cir
Gle warned him, land you will wish all
the rest Of your life that you had let him
alone
But the Count de Threestars was a
headstrong man, and he was bold in his
assurance. Bets were freely offered, but
only two were taken, that the adVentur-
Gus man would stand any change of get
ting off even third best from an encoun-
ter with so accomplished an ecclesiastic
1t was arranged that the trial 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 as fiat as the tablecloth
The evening arrived and the naughty
nobfeman was seated on the left of the
cardinal, where he could be under the
charm and grace of the distinguished
man and where all in the secret should
hear the music of his voice. The dessert
was far advanced when, in the most
natural way, the Count de Threestars, in
perfectly assumed courtesy, offered the
cardinal his snuff box, that he might par
take 1t was a jewel of workmanship
and with his thumb slipped beneath the
n Low f,.llI III
to give the best view of its decoration
this being certain Venus of Titan,
painted in the frank and fearless old
fashion even for Titan.
The circle was watching, breathless in
admiring horror, wondering what should
be the outcome of this daring intrusion
upon man of such piety and spotless
morals as Cardinal Pecci. The holy
father looked steadily at the Venus for
moment. Then he threw his head back
and half c,osed his eyes as If to get a
good focus-all the while giving the look
ers-on an eternity within some seconds
Finally, he raised his eyebrows interrog-
atively and said to the nobleman sweet
ly: Mime. la Comtesse?' Your wife)
The snuff box fell to the floor with a
crash and the mans whole body trembled
with rage at this deadly insult-the worst
such man could encounter, and his eyes
looked as If, but for the cloth that sepa-
rated their ranks, he could have killed the
smiling ecclesiastic on the spot. But he
never troubled Cardinal Pecci again. Peo-
pie tell and write in salon and private
letters from Rome of the charming grace
of his touch upon the ordinary things OF
life, the discovery of possibilities OF fun
where no one ever seemed to have seen 1t
before.
A worthy American, one of the new
| rich,'' was pleasantly roasted behind his
back on one occasion. A convert, he was,
| of course, more Roman than Rome, and
| he took extravagant methods of helping
| Propaganda Eide with his wealth. He
| had done many generous things and the
| pope had rewarded him with orders and
| medals galore; for once a year this con-
| vert made a pilgrimage to Rome where
| he was kindly received by the hold father
| as son; and, generally, until the orders
| were exhausted, each time was bestowed
| with some fresh honor. On each occas-
| ions all these brave metal pieces were at
| tached to the rich Americans breast.
'I'll soon end that" the pope remarked
| to confidant who was at his side during
| the levee Next time I shall give him a
| snuff box" Which he did and beautiful,
| jeweled box 1t was
| The following year the American turned
up again and was granted audience,
| the faithful son Of the church appeared.
not only with all his medals, but with
| the snuff box attached to his waistcoat.
| THE next time" the pope said with
a comical sigh. ST shall present him with
a marble topped table. 1t is the only