The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-07-21
DAILY LIFE OF LEO XIII.
His Habits Described by One
Who Observed Them.
A GREAT LOVER OF WALKING.
His Fondness For Long Strolls In
the Vatican oardcns-His Liking
For Pigeons and Pheasants In the
Aviary-Easy of Access to Di9ni-
tarfep of the Church,

Aviary-Easy of Access to Digni-
taries of the Church.
Here is an account of the daily life of
Leo Kill, written by a gentleman who
had full opportunity. of observation.
says the New York Herald:
LEO XIII. rises every morning at
half past 6 o'clock and is aided in dress
ing by a domestic named Contra. like
himself born at Carpineto. The pope
then says mass in his own private
chapel and has another mass said for
him, at which he Is present. Then he
takes his breakfast. consisting of a
single cup Of coffee and milk. After
this he receives his private secretaries,
Mgr. Bocali and Mgr. Laurent, who
bring him news of what is occurring
and give him information regarding !
the general correspondence - letters.
documents. etc.-which they have been
examining during the interval. His no
illness then receives the cardinal secre-
tary Of state and subsequently, each in
their turn, the various members Of the
Sacred college. with whom he holds
council in regard to the various con-
gregations TO which their eminences
belong. At l o'clock the pope takes his
second breakfast. consisting of SOUP
rice soup by preference-a fritter and Il
small quantity of roast meat. He.
drinks Bordeaux wine-but real o
deauX, of whose origin there is no
doubt-this wine being regularly sent
to the holy father by the nuns of a.
convent situated in the department de
la Gironde. After this repast he takes
an hour or an hour and a half of sleep.
according to an old custom of his.
which partly compensates him for the
long hours of busy wakefulness he
must pass.
"Then the pope takes a walk through
the galleries or through the gardens Of
the Vatican. according as the weather
is fair or chilly. On his return he gives
audience to such bishops as have come
to Rome or perhaps to some member OF
the Roman aristocracy-of that portion
of it which has remained faithful to
the holy see. be it well understood.
x1OOuL ~ ~ ls kAS POpS ASAAANS w AAAS
room, where he remains shut up until
half past II o'clock.
Between 4 and 5 o'clock in the after
noon the pope used to take his walk.
| At this time 10 one uncOnnected with
the court was admitted to the gardens
of the Vatican. An eyewitness, howev-
er, who had the good fortune to make
friends with the gardener. SALVATORE,
was placed by him so as to be able to
see the pope on n of his daily ram
bles. Leo XIII. advanced with long
strides, his imposing figure becomingly
dressed in the simple and majestic pom
tifical robes. The pope preceded most
Of his suit, as if he wished to rest in
solitude after the long day of his public
duties. To the great disappointment of
Salvatore. who had prepared some rus
tic seats. the pope did not profit by
them. He stopped a moment before
the lattice of the aviary. smiled at the
golden pheasants. at the fantailed pi-
geons, with the b~enevolence of a st.
Francis d'Assisi. then resumed his
walk, penetrating the thicket which
occupies Il large part of the garden.
His holiness Salvatore explained.
takes a rapid walk of an hour and a
half every day till the Ave Maria In
the middle Of a large square. carefully
graveled. were reproduced by a design
in young lockwood. cut close and care
fully trimmed. the arms of h pope,
with the legend. Leo NH. POnt.
Max the cypress. the star and the ILL
les of the Peccis being carefully out
lined. Leo XIII. did not pay much at
tention to the work of Salvatore. but
one need not therefore conclude that
his holiness did not care for art.
"Pope Leo brooked no advisers and
neither asked nor expected any human
aid. He had a will of his own and fol
lowed no other. His own line of con-
duct was traced long before his aces
sion. He had no worldly policy. his
reign was not of this world. his trust
was not in princes. his gendarmes and
Swiss guards were only an encum-
brance and Il vexation to him. he had
faith in his priestly ofice-in his office
as guardian Of Gods truth and herald
Of Gods word. He babe Christians
fight unbelief with his W weapons
He taught them how to meet the soph'
isms of mans science with the soundel
arguments of Gods knowledge. He
would set Aaron's rod against the rods
of the magicians. and he pointed t.
Louvain as the mansion of trutf
against which the gates of hell coulG
not prevail. 1t was unarmed faith. hi
thought. the reasoning and not the mil
liant church. which rules Belgium: ant
if Belgium, why not one day France
Why not eventually also Italy? Spread
true light among the people. comba
error by dispelling ignorance. win thu