The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-08-21

cardinal and appointed patriarch OF
Venice. His motto had been "Give,
give" and he carried his benefactions
TO the point of personal impoverlsh
ment One day when he was bishop
Of Mantua one of his three unmarried
sisters who kept house for him. as
they subsequently did when their
btother was patriarch Of Venice, went
to him to report that somebody had
stolen the meat she had left on the
stove for their dinner. The bishop.
with a twinkle in his eye, suggested
that II might have been the cat.
1.-THE cat, indeedr' replied the sister
in ridicule. 1.-THE cat does not carry
off likewise the broth pot"
"My dear sister," then said the
bishop gently, "if you wish to know,
II was | who carried 1t off. A poor
man came in and told me his wife
was Ill in bed and needed broth. and I
gave 1t to him already made"
st. Bernardo dele Terme was the
title Pope Leo bestowed upon Bishop
! Sarto when his holiness elevated him
to the cardlnalate. Cardinal Sartos
sole article of value was an episcopal
ring, the gift of friends. His revenues,
not more than $500 yearly, permit
ted no extravaganza, and his eminence
often was sorely vexed at the forced
curtailment of his allowances for the
needy. When he could devise no other
| plan, 1t has been said, he would have
his bishops ring put in pawn to raise
! funds. The first of each month Cardi-
nal Sarto's secretary would deliver to
him the sum that could reasonably be
expected to be applied TO charity and
would advise caution In its disburse.
ment. But in very short time the
capital would be gone.
Cardinal Sarto had quickly won the
love of the venetians wherever he
went. and when his gondola passed
along the canals the people rushed to
the bridges and along shore to salute
him. The women would cry GOD
bless the patriarch of venicer' His
popular diversion was these goDdola
trips, and he would lane at some point
to pay surprise visits to the priests
under his jurisdiction. At 6 o'clock ev'
cry morning he went for walk, quite
often TO the sandy islands of Lido
which separate the lagoons of Venice
from the Adriatic. Frequently he
would visit his home village. Riese
where he brought sunshine and as
sistance to many an afflicted family.
Beloved by Pope Leo.
Pope Leo in his last talk with the
patriarch of Venice was quoted as hav
ing said. referring to his own ap
preaching end and consequent impend
ing change in the pontificate: You
may perhaps be that man. We know
my son. that you would be In posi-
ton to render great service to the
church, for you possess qualities
which would render you precious tt
her"
Commenting on the fact that the pa
triarch of Venice. upon discovering
that his name was mounting to the toI
in the conclave that chose him pope
had broken down with alarm at thu
sense of his "unworthiness" and tha
1t required overwhelming persuasion
to overcome his objections. one bfog
rapher said: T have little doubt tina
Cardinal Sarto genuinely felt himsel
, unequal to the great responsibility
One of his difficulties was small ant
yet an important one. Never out o
his parish until he was more thar
forty. never trained in Rome. never ,
representative of the holy see as nun
clio in the courts of Europe. he had no
learned any of the arts or the Ian
guage of courts, He spoke only hi
native Venetian tongue"
Devoted to Spinster Sisters.
The devotion of the spinster sisters
Maria. Rosa and Anna, who move
to Rome to be near their "Beppo
when he entered the Vatican, wa
touching. They had ministered to hi
every want when he was bishop O
Mantua and patriarch of Venice, an
when he became pope he sent 70
them. intending they should have
villa in the Vatican park. But tn
sisters for some reason chose to occu
by fiat in an apartment house With
ten minutes walk of St Peters palace