The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1913-04-19
Impressions the Holy Father and
His Sisters Made on Nom
Catholic Woman 50.
From America When She Was Re-
ceived in Audience in
the Vatican.
The Grounds Contain Over 1900
Acres and the Buildings
1,100 Rooms.

With the necessary ticket Of invi-
tation to pay my respects to Pope
Plus X came the advice to wear a
black dress and Il black veil to cover
my hair.
These matters arranged, we We're
soon driving along the yellow Tiber,
swollen by recent rain 1t was a mem-
orable drive. The beautiful Italian
sky, the soft air. the crowds of quaint
ly dressed people in the squares, and
the occasion. all stamped themselves
indelibly upon my memory, says
Laura Is. Starr in a recent letter.
At last the carriage drew up at the
proper entrance of the Vatican, which,
although it is the Pope's residence,
possesses a semi-public atmosphere.
\ large portion is open to the public
ON certain days Of tho week. TO the
Roman Catholic, even though he lives
in the farthermost corner OF the earth,
the Vatican is held as a sacred place,
not simply because the Pope mas shut
himself within its enclosure, but for
various historical reasons, the prn-
cipal one being that it's site was the
scene of the martyrdom of hundreds
of christians by Nero's orders ss,-S
1t is difficult to realize that the
grounds contain over 1900 acres and
that the building. or rather buildings,
for there are two groups with a mar
row gallery or corridor running be-
tween, contain 1,10O rooms. Rather a
large establishment for one human be-
ing: but he need never be lonely, for
besides being the Papal residence, the
Vatican is the home OF several Car
dinals. and there are 1900 people en-
spotless is the whole interior that it
seems as if many Of them must he
welding brooms all the time, though
sone never sees any sweeping or dust
ing going on.
The tourist may easily lose himself
in the immense building if he goes by
himself, as many visitors do, to visit
the Sistine Chapel. the Pauline Chap
cl. the Borgia Tower, where .Alexan-
der vi died Of poison intended for an
other. and other places open to the
public
The Pope himself. with all the splen-
dor and magnificcnce of the world at
his command, has lived as austerely
and simply as in the days when he
was peasant boy in the country neal
Venice. His sisters, whom he com
manded to make their home within
sight of the Vatican, commend them
selves to one and all by their lack of
pretence and affectation. They are
three pea asant women who could never
be made to look like anything else
and who seem to have no desire to
appear like. ANYTHING else.
When first they arrived in Rome
they wore their peasant dress with
the blacklace wells Of their class. One
Of those in authority suggested that
black lace wells We're hardly the prop
err headgear for women of their posi-
ton.
They objected to any change and
appealed to their. brother, the Pope
who they very well knew would SUD-
port them. He told them that they
We're peasants and need not pretend
to be anything else: they might wea,
their wells and no one should say them
nay. The sisters showed their nos
session of very human attributes by
wearing the wells until they wearied
OF the attention they attracted and
then took to hats, having learned
enough of the world to understand
that when in Rome it>is wise TO do as
Romans do.
The ,Pope's sturdy independence
1t possible for him to have his bowl OF
broth and other foods supervised b,
his sister, Signorina Rosa, the eldest
The Papal rule which had been oh.
served since the time of Urban XIII
that the Pope should dine alyn. was
quickly broken by Plus X, who de.
clared that the rule was old enougl