The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-04-15

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lore of the old one. In the Church of
Aracoei on the Capitoline hill there is
small image called the Santo Bam-
plno (Holy Child claimed to have been
made from piece of olive wood cut in
the Garden of Gethsemane In the old
days when child was i'll this richly
attlred and profusely decorated doll
was taken into the room where the
little sufferer was confined to deter
mlne whether it would get we'll IF
the image changed color the child
would recover; if not it's case was con-
S1dered hopeless. The Bambino is no
longer taken from the church, but an
nually at Epiphany it is brought to the
top of the steps and held out to give
ITS blessing to the throngs that assem-
bic for the occasion.
WHEN THE BELL RINGS.
Supernatural power was supposed to
be vested in the statues representing
the provinces of Rome which formerly
stood in the ancient capitol In those
days there were no telegraph or tele-
the neck of each statue there was a
bell. In case an uprising occurred in
any district it was certain to be noted
by tinkled warning from the image
representing that province. At such
times the figure would turn on it's
pedestal and look in the direction
from which the danger threatened.
Whenever talk turns toward church
matters something is sure to he said
about the rivalry existing between the
Dominicans and the Jesuits. 1t was
the prayer of the founder of the
last named order that his followers
should be prosecuted and his wish has
been amply fulfilled. Whatever may
be said against them the JeSuits have
really done a great deal for humanity
in all parts of the world. They have
been energetic educators from the ear
liest times, and science has been en-
riched by many of their discoveries, |
one of which was the Introduction of
quinine as medicine. But they are
bitterly hated by the Romans. The i'll
feeling against them is so common
that I suppose there never was visi- |
tor to Rome who was not told the pop
ular legend explaining why the wind |
blows in the Piazza del Gesu in front |
OF their principal church. The story |
goes that once while the Devil and his |
friend the Wind We're taking their daily |
stroll together, the former interrupted !
the conversation when entering the
piazza by saying: please excuse me /
a moment, as 1 have some business to /
transact with my friends, the Jesuits. |
[ will be right back" The Wind was /
agreeable and said "All right, I'll |
wait for you" The Devil entered the
edifice but has never come out, and /
the Wind is still blowing around there /
in the long wait for him.
TO RETURN TO ROME.
Rome is rich with fountains, and as
rich with legends concerning them. !
One of the best known is that which !
applies to the one in the Piazza de
Treyi A body of Roman troops We're /
on the march and were almost over
come with heat because they could
find no water to quench their thirst.
Seeing their distress a little peasant
girl led them away from the highway
and revealed the location of fine
spring of clear, cold water. that up to
this time had been known only to the |
rustics of the vicinity. The soldiers |
named the spring the Aqua Virgo, or
Maiden Water. 1t has retained this [
name for centuriess although in Rome |
it is more often referred to as the |
Trevi fountain. 1t is said that who |
ever goes to drink this water by light |
of the moon, afterwards throwing a |
coin into the basin as a compliment /
to the good fairy residing there, snail |
surely be permitted to come and drink /
again before his life is done. During |
all the ages since this rite was estab- |
Iished many thousands have performed |
il. Laughing tourists do it for the fun |!
of the thing, and Roman soldiers part |
ing reluctantly from their sweethearts |
pay the tribute in all seriousness in |
the hope that the spell will bring them |
home again.
Mention has been made of the loss
which literature sustained when Omar, |
the Mohammedan fanatic. ordered the |
contents of the library at Alexandria |
TO be used for fuel in the public bath |
houses That was in the seventh CEN |
fury and was considered bad even for |
those times, but Italy competed against |
this heather record as late as the year |
1880 When the temporal power was |
wrested from the Church Of Italy a |
vast collection of books and manu- /
scripts We're gathered from the mon
astic institutions and brought in carts |
to Rome. This valuable plumber was |
piled in a haphazard way in an empty
building and left in charge of Il porter |
Sometime afterward an impoverished !
scholar who had been to the market |
place found his purchase of two ounces |
Of butter wrapped N an autograph |
letter of Christopher Columbus. An
(Coutinued or PAGE G.