The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-04-18
A DAY WITH THE POPE
MANY EVIDENCES OF HIS HOME
 LINESS AND HIS HUMOR.
4 Pathetic PIcture in the Contrast Ee- tween His Spartan Simplicity and the SpIendor of His of.ice-His Fra"k NnturaIness-Fndsa and Pets.

spiendor of His Ofiee-His Frank
 NaturaIneSs-Fads and Pets.
 There is something almost pathetic as we'll as noble in the picture presented to us of the supreme autocrat of mil lions, and the owner of wealth so great that none have ventured to compute it, sitting down in solitary splendor to meal which shilling would more than pay for. Indeed, what strikes one most in Leo XIII, more than in almost any one of his predecessors, is the startllnG contrast between the Spartan simplicity of the man and the power and splenoof of the office he holds.
 Never did any man surely carry to so lofty an eminence such simple tastes and such modest and unaffected man. ners; never was homely figure placed in so gorgeous setting.
 A story which typifies the two doml- nant characteristics of the Pope, ms homeliness and his humOr, is as fol- lows: One day when he was beset by pilgrims begging for some memorial ot ~ touched, an old lady said to him, Holy Father, give me one of your stockings; it will cure my bad leg With pleas ure, madam" the pontiff replied, put may as well tell you it has never cured mine" It is this frank natural ness and this sense of humor when have enabled Leo XIII to carry so heavy a burden so lightly and to such an extreme old age.
 Even now that he has long left his 90th milestone behind him, this most wonderful of living old men leads llte that might well put to shame men or half his years. Six o'clock in the morn- ing rarely finds him abed, and an hour later he is celebrating mass in his prl- vate chapel. Not until o'clock doeshe dream of breaking his fast, and then he sits down to a repast which many an office boy would despise-a meal Off meal it can be called) of coffee and milk and a few of his favorite biscuits.
 Then he commences his real days work, reading the countless letters that reach him from every corner of the world examining documentsofa all kinds, tacking grave problems of policy and framing those wonderful 'encycliques' of his After three hours of such men, tai toll he enters on a more active phase of his daily task-receives in audience his secretaries of state. ambassadors and secretaries of congregations. hears their reports and gives decisions and counsel with the clearness of head and quick grasp of a young man. The only food he indulges in for this eXhausttng work is a single cup of light broth taken at II o'clock. three hours after his very light breakfast. At o'clock, after six hours of unbroken labor, he sits down to the principal meal of the day, which never varies in nature. It consists of slice of boiled meat a sim pie roast dish, vegetable and little fruit, with an occasional glass of BOr- deaux, of which a liberal supply is al- ways provided by the archbishop of that city.
 It is one, of the penalties of his eX- alted station that, though by nature most .sociable, convivial man, he must always eat alone when in the vatican, and his simple meals have none of the flavor of wit and conversation which no one could enjoy or contribute better than himself
 In the summer time the pope loves to eat his luncheon in favorite sum mer house, plain wooden structure in the vatican gardens, and at it's conclu- sion to walk for a time in the grounds, watching the gardeners at their work and gossiping with them in friendly fashion or noting the growth of his oranges, of which he is so proud. He has his animal pets, which he loves to feed, notably a beautiful gazelle, the present by one of his cardinals. which runs up to greet it's master when he walks in the garden and takes food from his hands
 When he was younger Leo XIII who in his early days was keen and noted sportsman, would amuse himself by catching birds in a net trap, but this pastime has long ceased to attract him.
 At o'clock the Pope returns to his apartments to give private audiences to bishops and any men of note who may be staying in Rome. These private audiences, marked as they are by a charming informality and grace of re-
 
 the worlds greatest men as a mark of special favor; but they are granted to few, and not by any means always to those who think they have the great est right to expect them.
 At in winter and nine in summer the pope retires to his private apart ments, and after reciting the Rosary with his private secretary and one of the household priests partakes of the last meal of the day. This, again like it's predecessors, is the plainest of re- pasts, consisting of an egg, vegetables and little fruit.
 After the final meal he spends the in terval before bedtime in playing chess or in conversation with one of his secre- taries or cardinals, and punctually at Il o'clock retires to rest. Even now the active brain will not always allow him to sleep and many a night he spends hours pacing his bedroom, reading or nursing
 Twice week in winter the Pope re- ceives in public audiences who wish to see him, whatever their nationality or creed may be. chatting freely and kind ly to each, and charming all by his sweet and unaffected manner. Such in brief outlines is the simple, industrious, gracious life of a man whom the world, regardless of differ ences of creed, unites to admire.-Lon- don Tit-Bits.