The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-07-23
LEO AT ST. PETERS.
Pen Picture Of the Late Pom
tiff at Mass.
VIVID EFFECT OF his PRESENCE

As the Great Pageant swept on, Mrs.
Humphry ward says, the Crowd
sank Down ana Their Heads Fell
Like Corn before the wind-Re-
narIsabIe Features of the Pope's
CHANTING.
The following description Of Leo
XIII. the late pope, from Eleanor"
BY Mrs. Humphrey Ward, is published
by permission Of Harper & Bros:
A roar came mp the church passion
ate, indescrlbable Lucy held her
breath
There there be Il the old man.
Caught III great shaft Of sunlight
striking from south to north across the
church and just touching the chapel Of
the holy sacrament the pope energies.
The white figure, high above the crowd,
sways from side to side; the hand up
raised gives the benediction. Fragile,
spiritual as is the apparition the sun
beam refines, subHlizes, spiritualizes, It
still more. 1t hovers like a dream above
the vast multitudes surely no living
man, but thought. history, faith, taking
shape, the passion Of many hearts rel
yeaied. Up rushes tile roar toward the
tribunes
Lucy the alien and Puritan Lucy
surrenders herself completely. She be-
trays nothing save by the slightly
parted lips ana the hutter Of the black
veil fastened on her breast, but 1t is
as though her whole inner being were
dissolying, melting away, IN the fame
Of the moment.
In a proud timidity, as one who
feels herself an alien and on suffer
ance, she hangs again upon the incoin-
parable scene. This is st. Peters
There Is the dome Of Michael Angelo.
and here advancing toward her amid
the red Of the cardinals, the elatter Of
tile guards, the tossing Of the Habella,
as though looking at her alone-the two
waxen fingers raised for her alone IS
the white ROBBED, triple crowned pope
And august, unheeding, the great
pageant swept ON. Close, close TO her
now! Down sink the crowd upon the
chairs. The heads fall like corn before
the wind Lucy is bending too. The
papal chair, borne on the shoulders Of
the guards, IS now but few feet dis
tant Vaguely she wonders that the
old man keeps bis balance as he cllngs
with one frail hand TO the arm Of the
chair rises necessarily and blesses
with the other. She catches the very
look and meaning Of the eyes, the
sharp, long line Of the closed and
toothless jaw. Spirit and specter en-
bodying the past, bearing the clew 70
the future.
The pope and his cortege disappeared
behind the confession, behind tie high
altar, and presently Lucy, craning her
neck to the right, could see dimly ii
the farthest distance against the apst
and under the chair Of ST Peter the
chair Of Leo XIII. and the white shad
ow, motionless. erect, within it amid 3
court OF cardinals aud diplomats.
One more moment however, there
WaS~NtF} ulteLHt4t 1kVth tAAe NAEAh AAN
ment Of the entry yet beautiful The
mass IS over, and temporary platform
has been erected between the comics
sion ana the nave, Tie pope has beer
placed upon 1t and Is about = chan
the apostolic benediction
The old man IS within thirty feet q
Manisty, who sits nearest to the bar
rier The red cardinal holding the sery
Ice book, the group Of guards clergl
ana high officials. every detail Of tia
pope's gorgeous dress, nay every iin'
of the wrinkled face and feshies
hands, Lucy's eyes command them all
The quavering voice rises into the sud
den silence Of st. Peters. Fifty thou
sand people hush every movement
strain their cars to listen.
All, how weak It ISL Surely the ef
fort Is too great for q frame 50 enfee
bled. IS ancient. 1t should not hay
been exacted allowed. Lucy's ears lis
ten painfully for the inevitable break
But moi The pope draws long sigh
the sigh Of weakness t'.Ah, poyerettoF