The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-05-16

grims you see on their knees going at
 the SEcala Santa about the hardest
 task ever set for those with rheumatic
 knees as even those without. On each
 one of the twenty-eight marble steps.
 which were Imported from Jerusaiem
 q prayer must be said and these are warranted to be answered on earth in-
 stead of in heaven. Likewise there are any number of indulgences given and maybe that is the reason that the Italians feel that they have been for given for turning St. Peters into meeting place the day before. and that
 the indulgencies will answer all pur- poses for the late afternoon of Good l Friday at the Lateran.
 Ask an Italian why the married meet I their ardent admirers on Thursday of Holy Week behind certain columns of St. Peters and the single their sweet hearts behind certain other ones. and | why the body of the church of the Lat
 eran of Good Friday Is turned into a
 similar reception hall he will only smile, one of those delicious but sorry | for or-you-because-you-c -can't-understand-
 smiles and say "Oh, it's the custom" | Easter Tn Rome. Besides the stunningly good look
 ing high class Italian women who as- semble at St. John Lateran and when I the first real view of Paris styles In | millinery and frochs Is given the men | too are out in what would be our Easter Togs. The Italians anticipate us by just two days and Easter Sun day in Rome comes as rather an after thought instead of the acme of spring
 .own glory On the whole after the festal holy week Easter falls rather l lat for there are many less flowers on the aitarsA than on the Spanish steps which Is eten more abiaze of glorious
 nowerhood than most luried of its post
 cards are painted.
 These same Scala di spagna are re-
 sponsible for lifting you out of the | Piazza di Spagna (the. most frequent
 ed piazza in Rome becouse of its pearl and rosary, Roman scarfs and Anti
 ca" shops, and incidentally where the cook and many bankers signs hang | out) to the Pincio Hill.
 In old times the Pincio wasn't there.
 any way If 1t was 1t failed to get in-
 to the Seven Hills of Romef society then while now 1t is the place where
 not only the poor but the rich meet
 together to hear the music or to take a drive through the grounds of the
 Borghese Villa. After you have climb ed the old Spanish steps of a regular
 Mobile. Ala, warm spring day you understand why the big hotel on the Pincio has been called Excelsior and
 not after the mattresses but after the
 boy who endured. There those Am- | ericans and others who have climbed | down Into and out of the vaults of Uncle Sam's and Pierpont Morgan's
 hints disport themselves of an after
 noon. Instead of banners they bear
 massive straw hats and smile sweet l welcomes to the Italian officers who are maidenly in their tastes in more ways than one and sip tea and munch
 cakes with the avidity of boarding
 school girls.
 If you have a fat letter of credit you
 may get Into Rome's "Exce1sior." which is, be 1t said to its credit. a
 thoroughly up-to-date United States of America hotel. but 1t would be less
 difficult for the aforesaid letter to get you into the presence of the Holy Fa- ther. Admission to no royal court In
 Europe is so eagerly sought after as an audience with the Pope at this sea-
 son. It takes real influence to get 1t, such as that obtainable only through
 such worthy and fine men as Bishop
 Allen, of Mobile. The audiences fur
 nishss more conversation and costumes
 than anything else in all Rome. Every
 day you see women gosFned in black | with black lace veils over their heads their arms strung with hundreds of
 rosaries and you know where they are l goJng-to the Vatican. Every day
 you see men in royal court costume driving over to the Vatican to be knighted. Every day you see priests | from all lands going their Vatican l way and you have envy and almost
 malice and hatred in your heart until
 you are told to "Go thou and do like | wise."
 | seeinm che Pope.
 When you do it is a never-to-be- f forgotten occasion even in an event. l. ful many m0nths'o Journey. FWhat 8 satisfaction 1t is to sail serenely by those Swiss Guards who are guards indeed on all other occasion. How nice 1 to be ushered Into the large ante room
 upholstered in red brocade foot man ! like coats. knee breeches and stock | ings to match. How beautiful the Swiss Guards who wear all the colors in the prism and yet so put together
 that they don't look like crazy quilts
 but soldiers. How, long the wait, how l pushing the Germans who are there en
 masse to see him too--and how pro-
 found the silence when His Holiness 1 appears and mounts his throne. sAn audience my Kingdom for an audience'' Is the cry of the thousands
 of pilgrims the tourists and all the
 other people who have filled Rome to l everfiowing recently. but to see the Pope in all of his glory you should do l so 1n his rightful home. St. Peters. I 1t was a particularly nice thing for I the church of Rome to pick this es- pecial year for the Beatification of | Joan of Arc.
 | According to the length of time it l has taken her to climb this far just think of the number of years that l you would have to wait for just such
 another occasion to do her what IS I certainly most well deserved homage.
 You must not think fora moment
 that because you arc coming to q | Modification that you Ncan give your I sweet disposition rest.
 Don't dare leave that. your camp I stool or your ticket of admission at
 home for you are in need ot all three and an insurance policy against fiery ! French tempers wouldn't come the
 least amiss When a Modification. is
 due you can tell 1t by the vast crowd
 that collects at the central entrance | to St. Peters.
 Is set for five of the afternoon people day meal or eveR. go without it or
 in their hands for you may expect to
 the crush to get In begins.
 l At this especial Beatification tho crowd was enormous as the whole city tor days had. been in the hands of | the French. The French are not a | pleasant people to deal with, in a crowd. They forget their manners and their manhood. but never their
 manneFisms or their tongue. Every