The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-22

Hlost ASTONISHING garments In stripes ana
plaids were offered me- Finally in despair
I returned to the first shop and then and
there invested my money and myself in
pair OF extraordinary trousers. In the first
place they were amazing in price-ther
cost for $40 In the second their shape
was astonishing-or their lack of shape as
trousers-for they were two tunnels OF
black merging into a single funnel bound
by the waistband. To this band was sewed
a collection of old pieces of material-evi-
IDENTIFY remnants of the piece from which
the trousers were made. Finally / reached
In vain for the buttons to which should
have fastened my suspenders-buttons there
were none.
/ thus go into detail so that II any one
who saw me at the Pope's reception should
read these lines he may know that the
hitch 1 gave my neither garments at in.
tervals was evidence not of nautical bent
but OF the incompleteness of Italian trous-
ers.
1 was doomed to enter the precincts Of
the Vatican on foot. because my carriage,
though we'll appointed. was drawn by only
one horse. Two-horse carriages were adj
mitted to a court. In point Of comfort the
only difference was that L climbed one long
fight of stairs where the Swiss guard In
their picturesque medieval uniforms stood
carelessly grouped. No one there or there
after asked for my ticket.
After those there were more marble stairs
to climb and then more. 1t seemed as
though 1 must be reaching the level of the
dome Of st. Peters. But presently 1 came
to the door of a large oblong room where
gorgeously dressed attendants in knee
breeches were seating the arrivals on set
tees along the walls.
Here there was a fair opportunity to
Judge of my fellow-visitors and for the most
part they seemed to be Of the tourist class
many of the men in what we style ''even-
ing dress" and the women in dark clothing
with the lace mantilla on their heads. Here
and there, however. was a woman in bright
attire, and 1 saw at least one man whose
dress would have made my striped trousers
look like funeral garb. 1 don't know how
he passed the doorkeeper-perhaps by the
use of few lire. They are very potent
in Rome.
After long time spent in subdued con-
versation a door near the end of the room
was thrown open, and the attendants in
dicated that we were to come forward.
imaginary barrier we were ranged. And
then. to the establishment of such of us as
had been told that this was to be ''pri-
vate audience" a procession Of pilgrims
entered at this open door, and, crossing
one corner of the room, entered what was
evidently the reception room beyond. Their
number seemed almost endless. They were
Of both sexes, all Italians and. all of the
poorer classes. They wore brilliant scarfs
and carried silken banners. They had
tickets Of a different color from mine, and
evidently mine was of an inferior class,
for these pilgrims were getting first choice
of seats in the hall beyond. and from their
number it was evident that not much more
than Hobson's choice was to be left to us.
1t proved to be so, for when the line of
pilgrims had passed and we were admitted
only few seats remained in the long hall,
and these, of course, were at the rear. l.
saw an enterprising American make his
way to the front by another entrance, and
presently went into the ante-room and
asked Swiss soldier why 1 might not do
the same. He consulted with his captain
and informed me that l could not because
my tie was not of the right color. 1 wished
the couriers had said less about trousers
and more about scarfs.
HIS HOLINESS ARRIVES.
The crowd was thick in the reception
room and it hummed with the excitement
Of anticipation. Attendants were moving
here and there trying to clear the aisles and
to make those who were standing sit down.
The air grew heavy and heads began to
swim little. And then after one or two
false alarms bearers entered at the upper
end of the room carrying Sedan chair.
set it down, opened the door and ready