Evening star., 1902-03-15
LAND OF MIRACLES
Interesting Shrines and Holy
Places.
ITALY AND AMERICA
THE FRIENDLY FEELING TOWARD
THIS COUNTRY.
The Danger Confronting the italian
Kingdom is Infidel-
ity.
ITALY AND AMERICA
Copyright, 1902, by Francis E. Clark


ROME, February Is, 1902.
Italy is pre-eminently the land of miracles
and miracle workers. One can hardly visit
the smallest town without finding that II
has its sacred shrine, where the devout
peasant believes that there has been some
supernatural appearance or some wondrous
miracle wrought Every shrine has its
yotiye offerings in the shape of silver hearts
or ornaments. and holy candles blaze be-
fore every altar.
But after all, these sacred places ana
holy shrfnes are not altogether repuSnant
to the straightest laced Protestant ana
Puritan Of us all. Every church is sahcti-
fled by the worship of myriads OF deVout
hearts. can never go into heathen tenn
pie even without taking off my hat in rev.
erence to the devout hearts which nave
found strength and comfort there; nor can
/ see the most extravagant manifestations
OF superstitfou and credulity without see
ing under them all the longing OF the hu-
man heart for the divine, its eternal stfug-
gle for the unseen and the invisible, It's IN
satiable hunger for the spiritual
The bronze foot of St. Peter IN the vast
cathedral that bears his name is nearly
half kissed off by the deyout lips OF mil
lions. The holy stairs, another point 1or
pious pilgrims. though OF solid marDie, are
worn into great hollows by the ascenuing
knees of countless pilgrims, and have had
to be covered and recovered and covered
over again with boards, as one plank after
another has been Worn through by the
knees of fresh relays of pilgrims.
Many a marble saint, as in the QUO Va
dis church on the road TO the catacombs,
has had to have his foot covered with
brass or iron shoe to preserve even the sem
blance of a foot from the lips OF the pH-
grims. None of these evidences or devout-
ness have ever moved me to mirth or talied
60 touch my heart with a realization OF the
unutterab BILE longing of the human heart tor
God and godlike things.
Italy's danger today is not from superstt-
ton and ecclesiasticiSm, but from atheism
Whatever may have been true in the past
she Is no longer a priest-ridden country.
But the blight of infdeity is worse than
the blight of priestcraft. and against this
she must be on her guard. if she would ful-
fill her mission among the greater powers
of the world.
on the whole the future of Italy, I be-
lieye was never brighter than today
Though there are clouds in her sky, there
Is a bright rim of light all around her hori-
zOn. She was never united. so progress
sive so free The petty wars and reprisals
Of the past, the days when Florence ana
Pisa Genoa and Ieghorn and Venice We're
always engaged in some petty quarrel with
their nearest neighbors, always either con-
uuering or being conquered III some mimi
teSimal war. seem to be things OF the past
The Italian tempests have mostly been in
teapots to be sure but they have been
1empests none the less for the people who
live in the teapots. The great sense OF
genuine national brotherhood, OF a united
Italy, of free. constitutional monarchy,
has never apparently daWned upon the peo-
pie or at least has never been realized on
any large scale until within the generatio
past. No wonder that every town in Italy
has it's twentieth of September street,
for the Goth of September 1870. marked the
entrance Of free. united. progressive peo-
pie into the family of the nations OF the
world.
The New King.
The two last wise and patriotic rulers
are apparently succeeded by a third king
euually' wise, and patriotic, and stronger in
many ways TO deal with the problems of
the future than his father l hear nothing
but good words for Victor Emmanuel III on
all hands. / suppose the rabid advocates
of the clerical party would not give him
good name, but have not consulted them,
and would not consider their opinion OF
much weight. This party. that is constantly
plotting against the very existence of the
state. and seeking in every way to over
turn the government, IS the great menace of
ITALY. In America and England all parties
believe In the constitution; all are parti-
otic; each vie with the others in love of
country. In Italy one party is constantly
Intriguing TO overthrow the government, to
destroy the constitution, and to SubVert the
very principles of political freedom. But
this party is growing weaker and weaker,
and will never again. believe, rend Italy in
twain.
Said a friend of mine to the new king
the other day. I'VE in America believe
that there should be but supreme ruler
In Italy" There ought to be but one"
was his quick response and there is and
Will be but one"
The present prosperity of italy is shown
In no way more distinctly than by the fact
that today her money is almost good
that Of the strongest nations of Europe.
Two years ago her paper money was at a
deplorabe discount. The traveller from
America found that his greenbacks We're
worth in the currency of the country