The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-15

long desire and were crying out of deep
down gladness.
And the Pope? Whether one was a
Protestant or a Catholic, one could not
help thrill Of emotion at the sight of
him. His white figure stood out against
the red chair and his face was as clear
cut a cameo, with the prominent nose
and under lip accentuating il powerfully
Bending to right and left, he made the
sign of the cross with the outstretched
first and second fingers of his right hand
doing it slowly and gently, with a be-
nevolent smile always on his lips After
the bearers had carried him few yards,
he put his hands on the arms of the chair
and raised himself to a understanding po-
sition, az which the cheers swelled Of
sudden into another roar, which swept
down the hall and fell and rose again as
the Pope, still standing with his left
hand resting on the arm of his chair,
blessed the people with his right hand.
The hall is a long one, but the cheers
did not cease for an instant during the
slow progress of the bearers. In front of
the altar, the chair was set down and
the Pope knelt on the steps, accompanied
by the officiating priests. Twelve men in
red livery had carried the chair and ten
of the noble guards in dark uniforms and
brass helmets had walked beside il. These
ten soldiers took their places on the altar
steps, five on each side. At the bottom
of the steps stood a dozen of the Swiss
guards in full uniform. Other officials,
in white ruffs, great silver chains and
brilliant decorations completed as strange
a group as could be found anywhere now
adays at the foot of an altar,
The music was lovely but it was greeted
with no absolute hush like that which fell
over the audience when the Pope rose
from his knees, went up the altar steps
and chanted the litauy in front of the al
Of .-raf
went around the hall, his voice was so
clear and strong. Then there was COM
plete silence But 1t was even more i'm
pressive 10 see him than to hear him. for
instead of chanting rather mechanically,
as officiating priests SO often dohe seemed
to put his whole soul into it; so much so.
that his thin white figure was shaken by
it. When he spread his arms out in what
is often perfunctory gesture of invoca-
ton the movement was almost dramatic In
its intensity. He lifted his arms as high
as he could stretch them ard his whole
body Strengthened up so that he seemed
| at least several inches taller. AS he sank
back again 1t was as great a reaction as
If he had suddenly stopped.
Then he turned and faced the people and
many of them dropped down on their
knees, in spite of the crush, as with slow
sweep of his arm he solemnly blessed them.
Perhaps some of the Germans knelt, but
most OF them TeIndltleu SldUQlnB anu
stuck their brown paper parcels up above
the heads of the crowd Those brown pa
per parcels waving aloft between us and
the figure Of the Pope were almost like the
ridiculous getting in the way of the sub
lime,
After the benediction, the Holy Father
was seated In a chair placed on the plat
form in front of the altar and certain priv
| LEGGED persons were presented TO him. They
knelt and kissed his ring and he spoke TO
them with great apparent interest and be-
nevolence. Then perhaps fifty or sixty
men and women belonging to pilgrimage,
knelt and kissed his hand-or rather, nj,
ring-in turn. After he again took his
seat in the gestatorial chair, and the
scene of enthusiasm which greeted his en-
trance was repeated. This time he stood
up several times and each time he lifted
himself he lifted at the same time the
voices of the crowd so that the swelling of
the shout seemed part of his movement.
When he was set down a the entrance,
out of sight of the crowd, 1t was almost as
If a shadow had fallen on the hall. There
are few people with a more interesting
personality than that of Leo XIII, but that
alone does not make 1t so well worth
while TO see him. A private audience
would have its own advantages, especially
for Catholic But Protestants should see
the Pope when they can feel what he
means TO the hundreds of men and women
beside them. Under those circumstances a
glimpse of the Pope, will be revelation.