The Savannah morning news., 1902-02-09
REV. Mr.. sTRoNG's LETTER.
A DESCRIPTION OF ROME DURING
CHRISTMAS WEEK.

~.yhat Is Seen in the Churches and
Streets-A Strange and Marvellous
scene TO n Western TOurist-The
seal Day for the Preparation for
chrtstmas-The Site of St. Peters.
Some Description of 1.-THE Pope
Now "a Years Old-The Devotion
mud Reverence of the Lower
cIasses-They Crowd the Churches
During Christmas Week-Other
MATTERS of Interest.
Rome. Dec. 25.-Rome approaches
rbristmas week with manifest deepen
ing of it's religious life. The churches,
which at no time are empty of wor-
shippers, begin to fill with the devout
men and women, ladies in silk and old
women in multiform tatters, await
their turn at the confessional boxes,
several of which with priests of every
language are found in the different
churches. The streets and stores show
signs of commemorating the same re-
ugious event. There are no bonfires
and fireworks, not a note from the
screeching horn, but bands of peas
ants from the neighboring Abruzzi
come in to celebrate the Birth of
Christ with music. and serenades upon
the streets. In the heart of the thickly
populated part of the city-the Piazza
Nayona (where Hall Caine laid the
scene of his novel, '"The Eternal City'O
the crowds of the poor and the richly
dressed peasants are especially notice
able They gather upon this square
around the triple fountains and display
their wares; representations of the
Manger done in bark of trees, rustic
toys and golden tangerines for the chill
dren of the poor; gaudily painted cards
with bleeding hearts as talismans for
the older people, and the Bambuino pic
lures with prayer to the Holy Child
insuring 100 hours exemption from
purgatory. A strange and marvellous
scene to the Western tourist who can
but admire, while still he marvels at
the simplicity of their faith, The
churches bordering on the Navona
Square are scenes of still more touch
ing sights-one to quell the voice of
criticism and to raise that one deep
note of humanity which throbs within
the bosom of all. These churches, more
especially ST. Agostino and st. Agnese,
are the receptacles for votive offerings
during this holy season; the walls are
crowded with pictures of the Virgin,
small shrines, bleeding hearts, and
most touching gifts of all, the clothes
Of little children hung here at the
Virgins side by the heads of weeping
mothers: all the gifts, however poor
and nsignifican pResented to the
great Mother Heart of Pity that rules
so powerful in the Roman Church!
The day before Christmas-Tuesday-
may be considered to be the real day
of preparation for the Feast. Being
a fast day, the fish market was opened
bright and early at 2 o'clock before day.
I say bright" adivsedly, because the
blazing fiambeau at the market made
things appear bright" while the dark
rain clouds of the past ten days have
made them very gloomy. Well, at that
early hour of the day-an hour when
Santa Claus alone is supposed to be
abroad and all sensible people in bed
the great danes of Rome came out
in their carriages to the fish market,
and the light of their torches falling
Fruit of the Sea-" as they call them
here-made one believe that the COM
mon report that the Mediterranean has
exhausted it's fish to be entirely erron-
eous. Rather it was an Alladin palace
Of diamonds, and the toilettes of the
great ladies contributed no little to
the success of the piscatorial function.
Home to bed, and then up to coffee
at o'clock, before the tour of the
To- sill ~w.sx@
to the shrines of the Apostles and
Martyrs; San Praessede showed us the
Well down which the blood of the mar
Wrs was poured; San Pudenzia the
mousse where st. Peter lived in Rome,
with Pudens mentioned in the Epistle
70 the Romans; San Peter in chains,
me noble sculpture of Moses by Mi
chael Angelo; San Clemente, a Roman
temple at the bottom; over 1t ali early
christian church mentioned in history
IN S92 A. D., and present church
pullt upon it; San Maria Sopra Min
eLFd showed us splendid
Gothic structure erected over a
Iemple of Minerva. When the
tour was over. the Imagination was
appalled, having seen buildings before
DnLlst was born mingled and confused
WIN those erected to commemorate his
prth. Inscriptions through the long
geers of the republic joined those of
tlle empire, and these in turn annexed
to ,he earliest years of our Christian
aaIlh. The broad earth holds no such
Spot as Rome! 1t has no Past, no
lesent-all is the Living now. So
= eat was the multitude of impressions
t pIdt the mind became confused, the
4 opSuy latigued, so that we were un-
| - - 10 attend any of the midnight
| 0eseS - which were celebrated in most
0I the churches.
rCnrlstmas Day broke, like all the
e9'ner the past three weeks, dark
oiit, tu rainy, but it could not interfere
n IN our anticipation of a Christmas
- at ST. Peters. multitude of
IN y nave recorded their first impress
%uS OF this, the greatest and noblest
re IN Christendom, but none can
81 ~ 20 Justice to the theme. Seen
distance, the Dome of Michael
n towers over the Seven Hills,
Veaahpaniles, the towers of all other
"A Nm 'ures, like the mighty throne of
"A bsns cioud-land king; seen near at
bin, me mighty colonnades of Ber-
eonis WIN columns which three men
n bra,. NOT embrace, and with openings
lrivosu which double carriages might
eui,,. slue by side, enclose the vast
stra. OF The piazza, and seem to
iretGh out to you like arms of a CO.
wha. lltan. st. Peters is built upon
tha was once the Circus of Nero, and
ier NV uelisk that now stands In the CEN
a asu,W herninis collonnade, and sees
4up = puBrlms OF every nation coming
"A blood, "ay was once a witness OF the
M WNsro,, lnssacre OF the martyrs In
No. ume BY gently rising stems