The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-03-22
OncfaIIy These Cards Are Free, but
Hotel Porters Dispose OF Them
for a Good Price.
LARGE PRIVATE" AUDIENCE
DIFFICULTY OF SECURING RIGHT
KIND Of RECEPTION TOILET.
Benignant and Impressive Presence
of His Observation-Disclosures Who
Were Favored.
of the indianapolis Journal.


ROME. March Sit Is not difficult mat
ter to see the Pope If you are willing to
spend a few dollars for that privilege.
theoretically the Popes audiences are for
the faithful; actually they are diverted
In some measure 10 the uses OF the nom
Catholic tourists who-with no disrespect
be 1T said-regard the Pope as one of the
sights OF Rome.
1t was the concierge of my hotel who
pointed the way to me. In some places this
functionary in Rome is known. as a porter,
in others as a concierge. He has still other
names or titles. but his functions are the
same-he officiates at the entrance of the
Continental hotel, welcoming the coming
guest iE any language he may call his
native tongue, advising him of the best way
to go sightseeing, calling his carriage, di-
recting his driver-oh, the concierge is an
indispensable feature of the European
hotel. He is also one who is well-feed and
who has his many recognized perquisites.
II you are a stranger in Rome you may say
TO the concierge as you return from a
drive: what is the customary fee?" He
will tell you how many lire to give the
driver; but you note that when it is a
vagrant driver whose carriage you have
picked up somewhere the fee suggested Is
less than when you use one of the hotel
carriages. And you suspect Immediately
that the concierge gets his share OF the
hotel drivers tip. Well, he earns IL by his
constant politeness, his informativeness. his
heipfulness, without which much of the en-
joyment Of travellers day might be lost
I'm its uncertainties.
1t was on a morning in May that the con-
cierge informed me that he was to have
q few tickets for the Pope's next audience
and that ne had reserved one for me. 1t
was to be private audience. he said.
and. therefore, the tickets would be a lit
tie more expensive than usual. One would
cost me g. He did not say to whom this
mosey was to go. L assumed that the
lions share of IL would stick in his own
pocket and that the remainder would go
TO some underling of the Vatican who d.
verted the tickets from their intended use.
i learned that all the concierges of all the
hotels in Rome have tickets in this way
TO SELL IL Is certainly a great convenience
TO the tourists making hurried trip
through the city and without influence per-
haps to obtain ticket from a cardinal.
But on the other hand 1t is bit unjust to
the faithful who gather in great numbers
every week. many of whom miss the great
object of their visit to the Holy City, be-
cause they lack the influence or money to
procure a ticket
TICKETS OF ADMISSION.
On the evening before the day of audience
the concierge mysteriously handed me my
card of admission and I paid him his fee.
AT the same time I noted that the card
was plainly marked gratis" Here is the
oard-of light green paper. printed at the
Vatican Press-for the Vatican is a little
city in itself
ANTICAMERA PONTIFICIA AL
VATICANO.
Biglietto di ammissione nell a Sala del
Concistoro per ricevere la Benedizione di
Sua Santita mel giorno 16 Maggie, 1902 allie
ore 111k.
vaticano IA Maggie, 1902
III maestro di camera oil s. s.
GAETANO BISLETI
Scala Mobile.
asked the concierge If any instructions
were needed and especially how I should
dress. That. he assured me, was a delicate
point l must go in black Everyone was
required to go in black. and ladies without
their hats as well. To ladies, understand,
the concierge suggests lace mantilla and
quite thriving trade in these articles is
carried on in certain shops. l more than
suspect that from these shops. well. the
concierge ekes out part of his income.
In the morning 1 presented myself in
black coat and vest-with trousers of a
medium dark stripe. The lynx eye OF the
concierge fell on the trousers and he shook
his head. He was quite sure that with
them I should never be able to pass the
officials at the door. And they were the
darkest trousers / had. My dress suit was
in a storage trunk far north of sunny
Italy.
Here was most unwelcome dilemma I
did not want trousers; least of all did l
want italian trousers. But my investment
in that card OF admission seemed hanging
in the balance. Surely private audience
with the Pope was worth the small sum
that I had already paid and in addition
TIE cost of garment which might prove
itself useful TO me In the future. 1 de-
c.ded TO buy the trousers.
Rome's seven hills make fine exercise for
a member of an. Alpine club. The average
traveller finds IT convenient TO let the tough
little Italian horses DO his climbing. So
I called carriage and started for the
Corso Umberto and trousers mart. The
concierge faithfully informed the driver
what L wanted.
At the Hedu VI the COrSO was a large
general store"-large for Rome. 1 found
an Englsh-speaking clerk in the clothing
department and asked for dark blue trous-
ers. There were none. l know now that
there were none in Rome, but I was hope
full that these were waiting for me in some
other shop. So / conveyed my failure 10
the driver I'm mixture OF pantomime and
scanty Italian and he started with me for
another shop. We went TO many There
was French shop where they did tailor
ing for both women and men.
Tomorrow. monsieur might have them "
But monsieur was due In an hour to be
received by his Holiness"
Then II was impossible"
UNSATISFACTORY TROUSERS.
There was the inevitable "old England =
You find this title on some shop In every
city OF Europe. The shop keeps line OF
English goods and caters TO English trade
But II is always a native shop run by an
IfaIfap or "a Frenchman or a German as