Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1924-12-12

nsed to stand to be crowned. 1t
is a huge circle of colored stone,
with Latin inscription around
the edge, and in the centre the
Papal creed, ST. Peters Keys to
Heaven and the Papal crown,
the Papal coat of arms. and
below them a white dove of
peace with an olive branch in it's
mouth-a huge candelabra of
wrought iron, with crystal globes
hung from the ceiling. This
room is the ante-chamber to the
audience hall. so it was filled
with Swiss guards.
At one end of the room was an
open door, and a tall major
domo in black silk coat and knee
breeches stood in tive went
froward and she took our invita-.
ton from us and ushered us into
the audience hall. We were
quite early, so we stared boldly.
We were in an enorm Gus room.
with a high ceiling Of dull blue
carved in squares of gilded wood,
and the Papal arms. The walls
were covered with crimson silk
and on them were hung six huge
murals, three on side. The
windows were clear glass. with
long crimson silk curtains. The
floor was covered with a gray
green carpet, with design of
scroll work and crowns. There
was little furniture in rows along
the walls were Chairs of polish
ed satiu.wood with red velvet
seats, and in front of the win
dows, low benches of satin wood.
AT one end was the Papal throne,
ON a dias of three red carpeted
steps-a beautiful gilded chair
with tapestry seat and back,
the tapestry exquistely worked
in svmbolical seems. Over the
throne hung canopy OF red
velvet embroidered with the Pa
pal arms, and at the other end
OF the room was a beautiful
crucifix with a golden angel
kneeling before it.
1t was a motley assemblage.
Everyoneilooked haggard andisick
in their heavy black wrappings,
except QUE young girl with a
beautiful, pale face-who looked
radiant. Next to us was an
American commission of somel
sort. all glancing at their watches
every five secondS-oppoSite was
a prosperous Italian family with
medicine bottles protruding from
every pocket-for some sick rela-|
tive / suppose, and perfect
web, of rosaries on each arm. LII
the Pope says a blessing in the
room. everything in it shares the
blessing-so everyone brings
with them whatever they want
to have blessed.
A tall. gaunt woman stalked in
with an enormous crueifix under
her arm-sat down tucked the
crucifix under the chair, and
proceeded to remove her rub
bers Why sthe servants could
not be trusted with the rub
bers, I cannot imagine, but she
tucked the m under with the
crucifix.
A thin young priest entered,
followed by a wliite-faced, eager
eyed boy in muddy boots aud a
shabby tan coat then two
foreign monks i'll brown and
white robes, their arms full of
little, cheap paper packages.
They Sat near the door, and the
whole room proceeded to watch
them. It was evidently the
supreme moment of their lives
they were radiant with joy fur
filled. and as unselfconsciouss
children. They got out all their
little packages and admired them
and tried new ways of holding
them. then they would put them
away. and pray little, then the
youngest monk would hep up and
peek out the door to see if the
Pope was not in sight, and then
they would arrange their pack
ages again.
Finally tile two servants closed
the door by which we had en-
tered. drew over 1t sileavy silk
curtain, and turned on a flood of
hard. clear light. They told us
to rise, and we stood in hollow
square, while they went quickly
around, looking snxiously at
each one,t and here and there
asking people to- fasten higher
the wrappings around their
Itltoats.
Presently there was a quick,
martial tread, the door next the