Evening star., 1903-12-16
THE POPRS FAMILY
Members HAVE Not Shown
Undue Elation.
PLAIN AMI DIeN1P1ED
HOW HIS SISTERS HAVE BEEN
PROVIDED FOR.
Regularly Visit Their Brother in the
Vatican-His Simple Desires-In-
dependence Displayed.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.


Special CORRESPONDENCE Of The Evening Star and
Chicago Record-Herald.
ROME, December 9. 1903.
One cannot help adniring the manner IN
which the pope's family are behaving. They
have shown no elation over his election'
they have said nothing foolish, but have
remained in the background and kept their
heads in a remarkable manner. rope Plus
x comes from the same class as President
Loubet of France and Abraham Lincoln,
"the plain people, as Mr.. Lincoln used to
call them. He has never been ashamed OF
his origin. nor has he become dizzy because
of the eminence to which he has been ele-
vated and there is admirable dignity in the
refusal of his brothers and sisters to come
to Rome until they we're asked. Thousands
from their neighborhood have already been
here to see Don Giuseppe" as they al
fectionately call him, have received his
blessing, have heard his voice and have
returned to their homes in Venice to tell
the wonderful story, but the Sarto family
have not yet appeared in public.
Pope Plus is one of eight children, three
sons and five daughters. One of his brothers
is letter carrier, and his wife keeps
little tobacco and stationery store in vii
lage called LIE Grazie, near the city of
Mantua his name is Angelo and his salary
is $50 year. Another brother is a member
of the carbineers, a splendid corps of civil
guards to which the political peace of Italy
is intrusted.
The Pope's Birthplace.
One of his sisters is married to the keeper
of wineshop, who also sells cheese, eggs
and other farm produce at the town of
Riese, where the pope was born. 1t is a
village of about LOCO Inhabitants, two hours
from Padua. You take the railroad far
the station of Cartel-Franco and then
ride six miles in carriage. Another sister
is married to the SacriStan of the church at
Riese, and the three unmarried ones have
for many years kept house for their brother.
Their mother, now dead, refused to. live
with her son, the cardinal, in Venice al
though during her Widowhood she was fire.
Quently urged to O. SO. She preferred to
remain In Riese, because, as she often ex-
planned to her neighbors, she was more
accustomed to cottage than to a palace
A gentleman now in Rome had the sisters
OF Cardinal Sarto pointed out to him when
he went to Venice last year to witness the
laying of the corner stone of the new Cam
pinile. They sat on folding stools In the
square of st. Marks during the dedication
ceremonies, making lace in their laps and
chatting with the wives of gondoliers and
other peasants who sat around them, dressed
exactly like their companions. At that time
no one dreamed that Joseph Sarto would
ever be pope, but his splendid figure clad
in the scarlet robes Of, cardinal, was the
most imposing of all those that appeared
upon the platform, and, when he came for
tan called the attention of my friend to his
fine appearance and benevolent face, OBJ
served that he was as good as he looked
and then pointed out his sisters 49,.
The Pope's Sisters.
saw those sisters yesterday They are
typical peasant women with ruddy faces
large waists, big red hands unused to
gloves. and feet shod like a mountaineers;
muscular. vigorous women, accustomed to
labor, trained to frugal habits and familiar
with all the household arts They are un-
married. between fifty and sixty years of
age. and their names are Maria. Rosa and
Anna. They have with them a niece, Chill
da Sarto, about twenty-five years old a
buxom young woman who like them is see
ing Rome for the first time. Indeed none
Of the brothers has ever been here nor have
any other members of the family: nor had
the pope himself before his election made
more than dozen brief visits to the capital
He is not traveller. He has never passed
beyond the boundaries of Italy; his life has
been spent in practical. earnest labor within
single diocese, the province Of Venice
where he was born, raised. educated and
served as priest. bishop, cardinal and pa
triarch. His life has been a busy one and
most of 1t has been spent in the open air
He is not scholar like Leo XIII; his learn
hns ing Is limited: ne has never been man Of
books; he has no library, while Leo XIII
inherited collection of 10000 volumes from
his father and grandfather, who were clas-
sfcal scholars.
Not Book Man.
Plus was not brought up with books.
but among the practical affairs of life. He
could not live In a cloister; he is unaccus-
toned to sitting at desk, and his only ac
complishment is in music He is a fair per-
former upon the organ and the piano. q
natural gift that has not been mucb Quilt
waited. and his most congenial friend At
Venice was the Abbe Lorenzo Perosi. direc-
tor OF the choir at st. Marks Cathedral at
Venice for several years and since 1soS
director Of the choir of the Sistfne Chanel
at the Vatican: He is indebted to Plus X
aor MS nusicai education and his present
xiii XIII 10 winch ne was appointed by Leo
The pope has composed the music 70
several hymns and portion of at least one
mass. which have been sung in ,he churchas
OF his former diocese. but are not known IN
Rome. Abbe Perosi. who revised them Far
him. does not boast Of their merits so .hot
we may assume that they are not of a very
high order.
An Independent Pope.
You may perhaps read in the newspapers
a story or the manner in which the new
pope shocked Mgr Della Chise. his major
domo. and other officials Of the papal house-
hold shortly after his coronation by in
structing them to prepare dinner for three
persons The major domo recovered him
self sufficiently to explain that such an or.
rangement was not possible because no I'M
man being was of sufficient rank To dina
with the pope Of Rome. Plus x looked at
marked quietly:
Always set the table for three"
Able Perosi was the guest for whom fh,s
extraordinary innovation was made and
fah h1o