The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-10-17
THE PoPEs DAY.
What the Prisoner at the Vatican Does
 with His Time.

lyalets young StiIi, enters the pope's bed
 room a little after 5 o'clock, the Pope is
 almost up and reciting his breyiary. At
 he celebrates mass in the little oratory
 arranged immediately after his eleva-
 tion to the PapaI throne. The oratory
 Is quickly described. Opposite the win
 dow is a wooden altar, and above it,
 fastened to the wall, is an ivory crueifix.
 Six bronze candlesticks are placed on either side Of modest tabernacle of
 a modest tabernacle of carved wood,
 gilded. The altar rests on rug which tcoyers half the room. In this there are
 also a prie-dieu and a gilded armchair;
 a wardrobe for the utensils is on the right From the middle of the oratory
 hangs chandelier of the exquisite Murano glass. The furniture of the
 oratory is quiet but tasteful
 Since the day of his coronation Plux x. has never failed to say mass. On
 the day after his elevation. as the ora tory was not ready, it was thought that the Pope would abstain from the cele-
 bration; but with the modesty that characterizes him he declared that the
 Pope could surely celebrate mass as the Cardinal did, and going into the picture | gallery he said mass at one of the aHars
 that had been erected for the use of the conclave.
 1 When Piux x. says mass it is usually served by his private secretary and lasts half an hour. Then. having re- moved his yestments, the Pope kneels
 on his prie-dieu and listen devouty to the mass of thanksgiving. Next the
 Pope breaks his lasts. with cup of coffee merely.
 The morning passes quickly. If the heat is not too great Plus x. goes down
 into the gardens. where he likes to
 walk, stopping to enjoy the coolness of
 the. shady paths or to look at the
 magnificent flower beds and the count
 less variety of plants Meanwhile he chats with the secret chamberlain on
 duty and with the officer of the Guardia Mobile. The Holy Father never fails to go and pray at the grotto of Our Lardy of Lourdies; he has taken special care to do so in these last days, as he wished I to associate himself in spirit with the pilgrimage undertaken by Italian Catholics to the greatest sanctuary
 that France has dedicated to the Holy Virgin.
 In the verdure of the splendid Vatican | gardens Plus X. finds pleasant dis- traction from his cares, and he does not hide the fact; but serious occupations call him back to his private apartments, so that his walk cannot last more than an hour Tn his study he finds the analysis of the days correspondence, which is very volumionous and to which | he gives up some time. Then he re- ceives the reports of the various con gregations and gives an enlightened Judgment on all important complicated or doubtful question. Plus x. cannot bear carelessness, lack of order, of regu- larity or of exactness. Extremely con ! scientpus, he does not despise the small est details.
 Next comes Mgr. Merry Del Val, pro- l secretary of state, and his Holiness studies with him the delicate and diffi- | cult relations with forcing governments. After that the official receptions, wheth-. CT private or for business begin. Ac- cording to the day of the week or of the l month stated audiences are granted to the monsignor major dofno, to the car dinals, to the various congregations, to the secretaries and to the high officials, but 1t is the special audiences that tire the Pope most, though he grants them rather freely-it Is the stream of visits from bishops, prelates, ambassadors, re- presentatives, Italian or forcing persons of note. With one it means merely an interview, with another a matter of business to be settled or question to be decided; he encourages, comforts, blesses all
 His affability has already won all hearts to Plus X. Those who come in contact with him speak of him as of a father. It suffices to stand for a few minutes in an anterroom and watch those who come from an audience, es- pecially if it be the first one they have obtained, to see what affection the Pope inspires at once. The faces of all beam with joy, many even weep with emotion. The other day an old prelate from north Italy, coming from an audience, stopped, as is the custom, in the hall called the Esquerries,, Hall, in order to lay aside the violet cloak, in accordance with etiquette. While the servant was helping him the prelate was so worked up that he could not hold back his tears. The servant, rather alarmed, asked him the cause of his emotion. The prelate's answer was overheard: sIf you could have the happiness of speaking to Plus x. you would be as much moved as am. That man is saint"
 Toward noon the Pope dimes; after that frugal meal he takes short nap in his bedroom. "a rest that does not last more than an hour. Then he begins to recite his breiary again and takes up his other occupations. At in the evening, accompanied by Don Pescini, the intelli- gent and sympathetic young priest who for the moment takes the place of Mgr. Bressani as the pope's private secretary by Mgr. Bisleti, the Chamberlain, and by Sili, he takes walk in the third log gia, where some unknown artist painted the geographical charts of his time, and where Mantovani, Galli and Consoni decorated the ceiling and painted some episodes of Plus KS pontificate
 Usually when the Pope comes out on the loggia he finds there some twenty persons, men and women, mostly strangers come to Rome in order to kiss the Pope's foot. He talks for few minutes with all, astonishing all present not only by his marvellous knowledge of facts, even of little importance, but also 1x,;fJ, fbo avfray,,o t{pJ,,ace oy5