Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-03-21

iHS luuSiC III CHS iCil hSAS
about year ago and has travelled ex-
tensively since that time. She is ac-
companied by her parents. In her lat
est letter Miss Scheiwe tells of her
first impressions of that historical
city
Rome, February Z, 1901.
Since leaving the shores of America,
your correspondent has had count
less number of new impressions, but
shall try to tell you only of our first
Sunday in Rome. Every city seems to
have a character of it's own, more or
less pronounced and it seems to me
that the Queen of the World, because
OF the grandeur of the many remnants
of past glory, as well as the superb
monuments of present power, gives
the most noble impression of ALL
Leaving our rooms with the aim of
walking to ST. Peters Cathedral, we
passed thru an intricate tangle of
streets, stopping only to peep into
each church which happened to be on
our way. One is surprised at the nun,-
Der of churches and at the gorgeous
decorations of even the smaller chap
els. Filled with paintings, statues,
reliefs, columns, gilded rocco orna-
ments. silken hangings, burning tapers
and all the pomp of the Catholic SER
vice, the churches form one of the
chief attractions of Rome to the
stranger visiting her walls.
! AT last we stood in the Piazza of
| st. Peter, an immense place worthy
to be the court of the largest church
in the world, place without one
leaf of green, but all paved with
fountains, and an immense quadru-
pie colorado encircling it, the col
umns radiating from an obelisk set
up in the center of the Piazza About
this obelisk is told the well
known story of the sailor boy, calling
out Wet the ropes. in spite of tn
death penalty imposed on whoever
should break the breathless silence
while the hugh mass was being plac-
ed erect. Out of gratitude because
in this way he suggested the means
to shorten the straining ropes suffi-
GENTLY, his family was given the last
ing privilege of selling the palm
branches for Palm Sunday at st. Pet
ers Cathedral
| Mlngling in the throng of worship
pefs We enter the sanctuary which,
amid all its magnificence. awakens
many historic memories. In fancy
! we see Martin Luther toiling up the
/ steps, The strife between Catholic
ism and the Reformation seems sud-
denly brought into breathing reality,
! ana no longer misty tale of history.
/ 10 us Protestants, one of the most
/ curious sights is to see so many men,
women and children go to the metal
statue of st. Peter and kiss the right
foot. We went close to know if the
foot really was worn off by the con-
l slant kissing, and found that almost
malt the great toe is rubbed off, and
i the whole end of the foot polished
like silver. Before the crypt which
contains the grave of ST. Peter. eighty
nine lamps are always burning. and
monks mingle with laymen kneeling
around the marble balustrade. Among
/ the lights and shadows, the richly
/ sculptored walls, the gorgeous mos.
alcs, an organ sent forth tones, now
sweet, now sad, now solemn, now low
/ full, interrupted at intervals by the
/ chanting of priests and the anthems of
the choir. Very close to the door we
| stopped a few moments before the
| wonderful marble group representing
Mary holding the body of the head
Christ on her knees, masterpiece
OF Michael Angelo; and if it could be
sold, doubtless worth enough to re-
build half the Cathedral.
BY this time it was noon. and after
the superficial glimpse of st. Peters,
I we went out again into the bright
sunshine. climb up some steep
\ streets paved with what are called
| donkey steps brought up to ST On.
ofris, little chapel beautifully locat-
ed on bluff. whence we could see
Rome spre out before us, distin.
guish many of the prominent build
lngs, and in the distance, above all
human structures, gaze on the snow.
covered peaks of the. Alban Noun
tains.
4 Another quick walk thru bewilder-
ingly crooked streets and we We're at
the borders of a park, very high, and
very beautiful, with its palm trees
statutes, and interesting hooks formed
by surrounding some classic ruin with
ivy, ferns and rocks in delightfully."-
sylvan manner. We stopped to pick
up leaf from under an oak tree in
the shade of which Torquato Tasso
once sat and thought over all his
4 wrongs, then went on to the large
equestrian statue of Garibaldi, the
chief point of the park.
Going on at random we happened
on very famous old church, st. Pc
ter on the Promontory. In the court
yard is small circular temple built
by Bramante on the spot where the
Apostle Peter was crucified. A steep
winding road bordered on both sides
by dilapidated stations, marks out the
way that doubtless many weary pill
grim has assembled on his knees.
An immense fountain. built by some
Pope, next drew our attention. In fix
ed stone basins, some fifty feet below
a number of women We're washing
clothes in the cold water. regardless
or the fact that it was Sunday. AS
we came down the Tiber Island, work.
men We're hauling rock and preparing
for bridge that is being erected.
The inscription on the. old bridge is
SO effaced that We could not read it:
but by the form of the Roman arches
and the weather-beaten appearance of
the solid. rock it doubtless has stood
since before the Christian era The
/ T1ber itself is as muddy and yellow a