Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-07-11
DAILY LIFE OF LEO XIII.
His Habits Described by One
Who Observed Them.
A GREAT LOVER OF WALKING.

fIIs FOndness For Long StrOlls In
the Vatican GRrdens-His Liking
For Pigeons and Pheasants In the
AviRry-EAsy of Access to DiEni-
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 9 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 Bocan 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 o'clock the pope takes his
second breakfast. consisting of soup
rice soup by preference-a fritter and a
small quantity of roast meat. He
drinks Bordeaux wine-but real Bor-
deaux, of whose origin there is no
doubt-this wine being regularly sent
to the holy father by the nuns of
convent situated in the department de
la Gironde After this repast he takes
an hour or an hour and 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.
About 10 p. M. the pope retires to his
room, where he remains shut up until
half past IL o'clock.
Between 4 and o'clock in the after
noon the pope used to take his walk.
At this time no 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 one 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 benevolence of st.
Francis d'Assisi, then resumed his
walk, penetrating the thicket which
occupies large part of the garden.
His holiness Salvatore explained,
takes a rapid walk of an hour and
half every day till the Ave Maria In
the middle of a large square, carefully
lgrayeled. were. reproduced BY a design