Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-05

trigue and hstreds. A pure SOUL above
worldly tfinss, he wears with peculiar pro-
priety tne lille of Holy Father
Sarto spent half of his life in teaching
the young. For many years he was the
priest of q humble parish, with slender in
come, upon which there were many claims.
He past the meridian of life when
honors sought him out. and then he rose
to bishOpric. Promotion came fast after
that. although SartO made not the least
effort to seize the prizes above him. His
works brought the rewards. The late pope
was quick to appreciate his many sterling
qualities of mind and heart. and highly
thought of by his superiors, there was no
limit to the love and confidence ne inspired
among the laity.
Friend Of King and Queen.
Pope Plus X is absolutely adverse to the
church pugnacious. AS patriarch of Venice
Sarto had most pleasant relations with the
King and Queen of Italy, showing to them
that the spirit of peace was strong within
him, and that there was in his heart no
atom of bitterness toward his temporal SOW
ereigns. Indicating fully his idea of the
whole duty of the clergy. he reformed the
abuses in the diocese of Mantua, of which
he was bishop, insisting upon the clergy at
tending to their religious exercises to the
poor and sick. He also held most modern
views upon education, and brings to the
Vatican breadth of mind that cannot fail
to still further exalt the papal influence
throughout the world.
AS an indication of the extent to which
his character and views are known in this
country, it is more evident that the liberal
Italians delighted with him. regarding
him neither politician nor a ZealOt, who
will prove to be simply a religious pope
which has been the desire of the Catholic
world for thirty years.
The fact is commented on that Sarto was
nine years a priest nine years vicar gen.
n nd min
cardinal. 1t is also pointed out again that
humble extraction has never been a hin
drance in aspirations for a cardinalate or
the pontioate. The new pope is absolutely
a self-made man. He is descended from
family Of very small people In the Venetian
market town of Riese, diocese of Treviso
near Venice. He was of a brood of eight
six daughters and two sons. He was born
in 1895, and is therefore sixty-eight years
old.
His Family is Poor
Although patriarch. Sarto allowed his
family to continue In the modest line of life
to which they were born. Three of his sis
tiers are spinsters. One Of the others. An
tonia. is married to man so poor that she
must support the family by dressmaking.
Lucia Is the wife of sexton, who is occa-
sionally hawker, and the husband of the
third sister keeps little tobacco shop One
patriarch's palace here.
The pope's mother, now dead, occupied a
small peasants house, having in her hu-
mility always refused to live with her son
Giuseppe as even his modest establish
ment was considered by her to be too h,xu-
rious in comparison with what she was ac-
customed to. The elder brother of the none
Angelo, lives in the village of Dellegra zie
province of Mantua. being the postman of
the district and receiving $50 a year for his
duties. He adds to his income by keepinp
a shop in which he sells tobacco and pork
He has two pretty daughters.
His Independent Brother.
When Plus X was bishop of Mantua his
brother Angelo used often to go there for
-casons connected with his postal service
The other clerks would ask him iokfngly
why his brother did not find him a better
position. Angelo. with sturdy independence
answered that he preferred only to be what
he could make himself. Still, following
papal precedents. the tobacconist and post
man of Dellegrazie should become Roman
count.
The new pope is the seventh to come from
the region of Venice. Among these popes
was Benedict XII, who also came from
Treviso, and who. by a strange coincidence
was elected pope exactly 500 years ago to-
day.
''Sarto'' in English is tailor" and Plus
X, when young seminarist. being rather
eiesanl III MS piiestiy ropeS, MS companions
used to Joke with him. saying he evidently
knew the business. He began his education
at the diocesan seminary at Treviso, where
he remained seven years. and continued 1t
at Padua, the seat of the famous university,
one of the best not only in Italy, but In the
world. He was only twenty-three years old
when he was consecrated a priest at Cas-
telfranco, the birthplace of the great mas
ter Giorgione, acting afterward for nine
years as coadjutor to the parish priest of
Tombolo, province of Padua, a village Of
1850 people. who were the first to appre-
ciate his virtues.
Minister to the Poor
His kindness was untiring He sought to
MI their wants and never a murmur was
heard when he was called In the middle of
. winter night to deathbed which proved
TO be nothing Of the kind. He gave freely of
his very small means, was often without