Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-19

myself met the three DAYS
morning wandering
ain11essly under Mchclangclos stupendous dome
He made for me eagerly a shipwrecked man
makes for plank
Is there anything to here?" he shot off at
me, giving his a vague | pointed out
of the chief objects of interest but he wanted
| guided him up the Scala Roga and into
the Sistine Chapel which he thought vastly over
rated Passing through he Vatican Picture Gal
lery afterward, he stopped IRE a moment before
terribly realistic canvas, representing the martyr
dom by hanging of party of monks in South
America in the seventeenth century. He was
evidently impressed, and turning to remarked
with slow shakes of his head; Dear me, dear me!
Weren't people awfully unkind to each other in
those days." l piloted him safely out into the
Piazza, where he inquired what else there was to
l got him guide and put him into cab
with directions to go to the Forum; but | did not
go with him.
The supreme pontiff must occasionally find per-
admitted to audience somewhat trying; in fact
several stories are afoat concerning such happen
lngs On the last mentioned occasion a couple
of visitors the Vatican were ascending the Spanish
Steps, and paused on the midway landing where a
large marble tablet bears record of its erection
in the reign of Louis XIII. of France and Benedict
XIV-"Poui Ncr" What does Point AIa1'
anyway" asked one 'Why, don't YOU
know? Why that big b-idge,'" replied
the other in astonshment, and thereupon both went
away perfectly satisfied. One can only wonder
what they thought of the myriad records all over
Rome and in its vicinity telling of the work of this
or that Pontifer Ma1intms." They must have been
sorey puzzled
| entertained party of tourists one afternoon
at tea at my fiat when woman remarked to me:
Il can't think why people waste their time going
round the Vatican and the Capitol and places, gaz-
ing at stupid statues without noses legs or arms
when they could go easily into Andreoni's shop
in the Piazza del Popolo and such pretty ones
with all their limbs complete. Really, there isn't
any accounting for tastes
1t is astonishing how eager people are 10 air a
microscopic acquaintance with a foreign tongue.
The American colony Were delighted last season
over the experience of a hustlng young American
girl who of course told evG yone what to do and how
to do it She wanted ornamental cardboard
box to send some bonbons by mail, nd to get one
won't into Aragno'a, a fashionable cafe in the
unfortunately at an hour when i was
crowded by he rcpres initiatives of all nations.
La belle AHerlC.1ne" proceeded to make her
desires known wha. she imagined Italian.
| should say here that a box such as she was in
search of is called sccrtero," and "seclPero" is a
bachelor. In loud voice the girl called out for
I'M sCaLbero-nn cello scciPero." Seeing that the
chopman hestatcd and gazed at her in amazernent
and amusement, sh repeated her request still
louder, adding she wished The box to be empty,
"nr beLL0 scaLber0 n1ldo!" Noticing some bon
bo1nieres in a close BY she went over and
pointed to them impatiently oh yes, madam
madam means a scartero, -" said the astonished
shopman in perfect English. Why of course
that5 what | said, isn't it? retorted The angry
girl Forgive me- madam but u said ONE
thing quite different, the suave reply. And
the conversation overheard by crowds of people,
was repeated all over Rome in a few hours