Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1922-05-12
Lndysmith Boy Has Audi
ence With Pope Benedict


which has fallen to but comparatively
few Americans. While sojourning
with his parents in Italy Bruce Smith
was granted an audience with His
Holiness, the late Pope Benedict XIV,
but short time before his fatal ILL
ness Bruce wrote the following ac-
count of his presentation to the Pope
to the Herald of Miami, Fla, where
the Smith family have been winter
| ing:
| | was fortunate enough to be pres
ent at the semi-public audience given
by the late Benedict XIV. This I was
able to manage with the aid of my in
trOductOry letter from Secretary
Hughes, a potent document that APP
pears to open those doors that are
generally closed to travellers in Eu-
rope.
The audience was appointed for u
o'clock. l felt that every glance my
way was a ridicule. Therefore, many
times did [ pull up the collar of my
coat and shift my braided trousered
legs into another position. And if the
glance turned into stare l would look
back after my carriage rolled by to see
if the stare turned into smile It
was a new thing for me to plunge
through the streets of city at midday
dressed in evening clothes. I don't
know if a person is supposed to have
luncheon before or after, luckily my bit
of dry toast and cup of tea that con-
breakfast, had arrived in my room
late.
The pope resides in the west wing on
the fourth floor of the Vatican. The
entrance to the chambers is at the end
of Bernini's imposing cOlonnade to the
right Of the Piazza di San PietrO. My
carriage came to stop before the
Piazza di Bronco which is the door
way to the private apartments. A
footman helped me out. / gave him
few Tires anti he paid the driver for
me. After being thoroughly scrut-
inized by several deliberately uniformed
gendarmes ] was permitted to enter.
A long white hall supported by dOric
columns, confronted me- At the end
was a wide marble staircase giving a
magnificent distance to the room Swiss
guards were posted in every conspicu-
Gus place giving an air of stateliness.
The uniform, said to have been planned
by Michael Angelo, is most peculiar and
picturesque. These regimentals made
of red, white, blue, green and yellow
flaring stripes. consist of short jack
ct. knickerbockers and striped leg
gings covering the shoes. A jaunty
blue velvet turban finishes the cos
tune
Helmet and Feathers
From the immense oblong vestibule
passed through the first right hand
arch which is at the foot of a broad
marble balustrade. A special guard
was the same as that of the others,
only instead of a turban a black steel
helmet was worn fringed with red
ostrich feathers on top. And by this
dignitary not rifle but a Roman gilt
spear was carried. There were three
flights of this marb1e-paneled gran
ite-slabbed staircase. The ceiling was
highly frescoed and adorned now and
then with an Egyptian rose
Plus TX planned and executed it,
naming it the scala regia or royal
staircase. At the top it led onto a
.rOIIph cOhhln-StOue cOurt
1 then passed along pillared arcade
and entered a door which was the
landing to another stairway. This
was scarcely less elaborate. The walls
were painted to initiate Siena granite
flint. On each of the four landings
there were several gorgeously stained
windows representing scenes from
sainted lives. This brought me to the
other waiting room. 1t was imposing
in size and beautiful in decoration
The floor was a mass of mOsaicS and
the ceiling was frescoed in oval celes-
tial designs The company of Swiss
guards completed the variation in col
ors
Here | was presented to the cam
merlengO, the official custodian of the
popes household. After exchanging a
few courtesies he examined my creden-
tials I could rot but note the fine
courtly manners of the eminent car
dinal. He signed to an usher and I
was presently conducted to the in
terror waiting salon. This room was
! finished differently, being in a rich
j brown. The floor was solid gray gran
tie, the balls were brown stucco and