The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-20

way through her piece; then did what
was to do. all flushed and out Of
breath. II was a scandalous thing for
so young a child to do, and in school,
but Papa Sarto said II was as fine an
exhibition as he had ever seen at school
and paid me fine compliments. That's
what he was always doing. saying kind
words to everybody and never thinking
about his dignity as a prince Of the
Church. Oh. he was Just one Of US in
Venice
Gave Child . silver Cross.
Nor was the christening the last
OF his ministrations to me. He con-
firmed me and gave me my frst COM
munion. To keep It in my memory he
gave his little friend a silver cross.
three inches. four inches long. My
guardians kept II for me; they would
not let me take It away from Venice
when came to America, for by that
time he was Pope and the cross was
too great treasure to be exposed to
chance OF loss in a strange land.
During his illness you will have reah
how simple and democratic he was. He
WIS even more so in Venice Every
body took up his time with all sorts Of
worries when he went out for a walk.
The laborlng men and their wives used
to stop him on the street and tell him
all the troubles which oppressed them
and he was always doing something to
help them out. and he never mad az
much money In his pocket when he
went back to the palace as when he
started out. Perhaps you know those
men in Venice, there are ever so many
OF them, whose whole occupation in
life is to lean with their arms folded
across the top OF a post in the sunshine
and stare at the canals. just idle loafers.
Even for them Papa Sarto had always
a good word. a CHEEKY good morning
and little scolding to make them go
to work. but he always shared his to-
bScco even with these beggars.
IF he was so thoughtful for even the
loafers OF Venice you may be sure he
never forgot the pigeons Of his own
piazza. his and San Marcos. His sisters
used TO scold him because he took the
heel OF the loaf from the table and
slipped It into his pocket when their
eyes were OF him. just that he might
have some crumbs for'the pigeons which
probably were never hungry, for every
body feeds them. you know. He used to
make a comlcal wry face when lie told
my guardians about the seedlings he
got from his sisters But what could
he dor His mother had given orders
to the sisters to look after him, and he
was a dutlful and obedient son. They
were Just plain country folk. nobody at
all, mere peasants; the mother used to
keep a little shop at Riese Riese is 30
small that few people in Venice even
knew that there was such a place. But
4
had our old patriarchal palace for his
home the sisters were just his devoted
| housekeepers. When he went to the
Vatican It was a trial to him, as TO
them, that they had to relinqush their
care of him. and no longer could they
obey their mothers order. so long as
they might be near him they were con-
tent in their little Roman fiat. And tho
brother, the Pope might have made
him a count but he was too sensible.
Fancy Count Angelo Sarto carrying
the mail at Riese No. indeed. they
went along their own peasant way and
were wholly content
Always Simple In Speech.
I'VE all counted up tho nine years Of
his pontiicate. How relieved We were
at last when the ninth year passed
safely and in the tenth year we knew
he was out of tho spell OF tho fateful
number. When Pope Leo lay sick 50
long and fighting for his life remember
that some one Of my family asked Papa
Sarto how It was that II they believed
so firmly in heaven nobody, not even a
holy Pope, was at all willing to go
there We believe, yes he answered.
but none OF us really knows; in tho
another, and even unto the end II Is
very hard to give up the mind He was
always that way. with his friends he
never introduced theology; he was
always simple in his speech and in his
thought.
my guardians wifi was very devout.
but he was n socialist and did not be-
lieve in the Church. That worried her
very much and she appealed 10 Papa
Sarto to speak to him on the subject,
oh, never mind he replied. he can
come to hear me preach n he will and
then he will know what think about IT,
but II he does not think my way II
cannot be helped, for we cannot all see
things In quite the same way This
may not be theology. but It was his way
when he was In Venice. and even tho
atheists honored him for his sweet life.
perhaps all the more because he was not
forever preaching at them except in
st. Marks.
81 know he did not expect TO be made
Pope when he went to tho conclave. OF
course. everybody knows about his thrift
in buying a return ticket when he left
Venice for Rome to 40 into the conclave
10 elect the successor to Pope Leo. ara
sure that he fully expected to return
to Venice, for I was almost the last
person who spoke with him before he
started asked him when he would
he back 1T cannot be more than
week, for II does not take long to make
n Pope A week from to-day look Tor
me back In Venice, my dear. and tell
them at home TO have an extra dish oe
that good polenta, for you may imaglnS
l shall be hungry after being so long In
| Rome
"But he never came back TO his own
dear Venice. That Is perhaps why ne
looked 80 lonesome and no weary when
7 saw him in the basilica. But II II had
been anywhere else than in church l