The Savannah morning news., 1901-08-15
A DAY IN POPE LE0'S LIFE.
HOW HE KEEPS WELL AND AC-
TIVE AT 30 YEARS.

No IFuth In recent REPORTS of Leo
Kills Ilness-RareIy Goes Into
Vatican Gardens and Says Mass I'm
Private-The Pope's Diet and Do
nestle Habits.
From the Rome Correspondence of LIE
Figaro.
When there is dearth of news certain
newspapers always print one item that
they keep in reserve, the Pope's ill
ness. Lately the report has been given
out twice that Leo XIII. was sick
Considering the age of the venerable
old man the news becomes at once
probable. So much the worse, it
arouses uneasiness in pious and sensi-
tive souls that love the Holy Father.
This illness of the Pope, fortunately,
is purely fanciful. To reassure impress
sionable people on the condition of Leo
Kills health it will suffice for me to
teb in detail how he spends his days
and how he lives, and it will be seen
that there is scarcely a distinguishable
change to be noticed between his way
of life to-day and twenty years ago.
The greatest modification is in the al
most complete abstaining from walks
in the garden. When ten days ago he
went into the garden to breakfast
with his two doctors and his nephew,
Count Camille Pecci, it was nearly
two years since he had gone into it.
For that matter. the Pope himself
declares that he does not feel the need
for open air. If, nevertheless, the heat
| should boone too great ii is possible
that the venerable old man would have
himself carried once or twice in a Sc
| dan chair to the summer house which
| he has had built in the highest point
of the garden; that would mean few
hours in the country; but l hardly be-
lieve that he will often even express
the wish for it. The Pontiff can pro-
cure in his apartments, by going from
one room to another, slight variations
OF temperature that are perceptible
enough for his body.
There are changes, too, in his man
ner of saying mass. Formerly on Sun
days, the Pope celebrated mass in the
large chapel in his apartments and in
| vited to 1t persons of distinction who
were passing through Rome. For more
than two years now, on Sundays and
week days, with rare exceptions, the
Holy Father says mass in the little pri-
| vate chapel next to his bedroom and no
one is admitted to it, His body SER
want Contra serves the mass. He no
longer says it at a fixed hour as for
merly. Sometimes he begins at 7,
sometimes at and even at 9, according
as he happens to wake up.
An idea of Leo Kills health may be
! formed from his appetite and his way
| of living. Joachim Pecci has always
been small eater; in his later years,
| naturally, he has partaken of food even
more lightly To tell the truth the
Pope does not eat: he nibbles AS he
| has no longer any teeth and his stom-
WI oil
with difficulty. his food is prepared es-
pecially for him. In the morning, Cen
! ira brings him on a waiter milk choc-
! olate, anw two very soft boiled eggs;
the Holy Father picks out from il
! what he pleases.
The kitchen is on the floor below and
communicates with the Papal apart
ments by means of a narrow private
staircase. The dishes are first taken
to the pantry where Signor Giuseppe
Macelli is in charge. He turns them
over to Contra who is in the ante
room and serves Leo XIII. at his meals
alone. Micelli first brings the canestra,
a willow basket containing a very sim
! pie brass waiter, the knife, fork and
plate and the napkin marked with the
| initial S. A. P, which means Sacred
| Apostolic Palace. Then come the
dishes. At present the Pope takes reg
| ularly either plate of boullion or of
soup, the mainstay of his nourishment:
| the rest consists of little balls of
hashed meat, of chicken likewise fine
! ly hashed. of eggs, of vegetables very
well cooked. and of very ripe fruit
! Uusually there is no coffee. AS for the
wine ii is red. The Pope drinks very
| little of it. but it is good; some nuns
! of Bordeaux send it to him. he mixes
! il with little white wine of Grotta-
| ferrata instead of water.
When the dishes go back to the pam
try II is seen that the Holy Father has
barely touched them: what he eats
would not be enouh for a child of 6
years of age. On the other hand, the
| tablecloth and the napkin are very
much stained. The reason for this is
that Leo Kills hand. on account Of
his age. is not very steady. When he
helps himself his hand shakes very
much; occasionally. too. he pours out
his wine outside his glass and before
carrying II to his lips. The origin of
this gesture may be. perhaps. that 1t
is accompanied by a prayer or may
come from his habit of raising the
| Host.
There is no dining room in LIE Kills
apartment. The Pope spends the day
in his bedroom; he works there. eats
there and gives the usual audiences
there The room is partitioned off by
a curtain that hides his bed. Near the
| curtain and against the wall is Leo
Kills usual armchair. from which his
thoughts soar over the whole world:
within reach is little table, not more
than a foot square, a table that would
| fetch a large sum from an English or
| American collector, for on ii the Holy
Father eats and writes when he can.
Now, on account of the trembling of
his hand. the Pope may be said TO
! write no more II is with difficulty that
he can sign. on the toher hand. he
dictates a great deal and reads the
rest of the time.
| Toward the persons I'm the service
Leo Kill. has not changed with years;