Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-03-30

Grand Hotel Flora,
Rome, Italy,
February d, 1921.
My dearest Mother:
When we reached Rome last nigh
at six o'clock, it seemed as if W,
would have to spend the night on the
streets for it was twelve o'clock be
fore we. could find any sort of place
to sleep. 1t seems that all of Italy
is over crowded with visitors now
and Rome most of all. In addition tc
the crowds, a strike among all hote,
servants is on now, so between the
two, our prospects for getting shell.
ter looked pretty gloomy for while,
but at last this hotel offered us one
small single room and we grabbed it
thankfully. There are three reasons
to account for the unusual crowds
here now; first, it has been long
time since people over here were al
lowed to travel at all; second, South
ern Europe is the playground of the
world, and last, Easter time is ,ap-
preaching, and the Catholics natural
ly congregate in Rome for the occa-
sion. We could not have chosen a
worse time to visit ''the Eternal
City"
We began the day by rising late,
as we were so tired after last nights
strenuous efforts, but spent the rest
of it at the Vatican and St. Peters,
as these two places are the chief in
terest to all visitors.
With the help of guide books,
managed to see the principal works
of art, but what is day there when
it would take months to see all the
beauties of the place? The Sistine
chapel is all that has been represent
ed-and then some. st. Peters was
more of wonder to me than even the
Vatican. Pictures leave you utterly
unprepared for its immense size, and
you find it hard to realize that human
hands could build anything so beauti-
full. We were permitted to go down
and view the tomb of St. Peter him
self, and it certainly gives you pc
culiar feeling to view all these an
tiquities and realize that two thou
sand centuries lie back of them.
In one part of the church were
crowds of priests (they may have
been cardinals or bishops for all I
know going through prayer SER
vice in Latin and in spite of the GU
rious crowds, they continued their
devotions as though oblivious of all
else. The city is literally filled with
priests. Some are quite young and
look like students, while others look
like they might have worn away
stone floors with their knees.
The whole scene is very pictures
que to look at. Everywhere you turn
people are pouring over guide books
or studying over some memorial of
"the grandeur that was Rome" Every
now and then the bells of st. Peters
would ring out in deep, rich, mellow
tones different from any l had ever
heard before, and everywhere you
turned your eyes, quiet priests or
monks were kneeling at their devo-
tions or walking around oblivious of
everything not connected with their
spiritual life.
As we walked home we crossed the
'Tiber at the bridge Victor Emanuel,
passed along the way to the Castle
Angelo built by the Emperor Adrian,
strolled past the Borghese palace
with it's ninety-six columns, but made
no attempt to get nearer view. We
postponed that pleasure fo ranother
Z day. The palace was well-guarded and
l understand one of the guards to say
the Borghese prince made that his
home, and we would not be permitted
to enter, but my knowledge of Italian
is so limited, get things pretty well
mixed at times.
On the way from Pisa yesterday
we passed immense hocks Of sheep.
Shepherds assisted by dogs guarded
each flock, and some of the dogs were
huge white collies just like Bob. They
were right on the job and it made me
right homesick to see them.
1t is hard to reconcile the love of
art and beauty that these people pos
sess with the filth and dirt you find
everywhere. They are doing won
derful work in sculpture that not an