Year: 1859

Persons long kept in solitary confinement


or wrecked upon desolate islands and after


wards restored to society, have been excited al


most to phrensy at the first tones of the hu
man voice which greeted their return to social
| life. Akin to this sensation is that of a trav
| eller, who for months has held cold and forma
intercourse with the labored utterance of hal
understood phrases, when the sound of his ma
tive language falls upon his ear. l have turn
ed at such times and perfectly overwhelmed
both my auditor and myself by lightning like
l'apidity of utterance, partly inspired by the
en- thusiasm of the moment but much quicken
ed by the lighter labor of the organ of speech
after the constant strain of uttering foreign
words.


This rapid utterance have observed in many
instances, but / wish now to illustrate rather
the enthusiasm. I will take the Pope's Ger
man soldiers as an example. German is a very
unpopular language in Italy, and although
many can speak it, yet all appear to avoid do
ing so there. The Swiss and sometimes other
of the Pope's soldiers know but little italian
and feel no social union with the people. Their
hearts are in their native homes, and when
thoughts of these are awakened, those hands
which murdered the women and infants Of Pc
rugia in cold blood will be stretched out to
deeds of charity and mercy.


On christmas morning st. Peters contained
nearly twenty thousand persons Of all classes
and from score of different countries. Sew
eral thousand soldiers were present as specta-
tors and guards of honor. A double line of
these hireling Swiss was formed from the grand
entrance. Through this passage the Pope was
to enter, seated in his thronelike chair upon
platform borne on the shoulders of men
and followed by the long retinue of the College
of Cardinals.


The enthusiastic mass pressed unon the arm
ed soldiers and were crowded or beaten back
by main force only to return as soon as that
force was removed. Insolence on the one hand
and endurance on the other were manifested
except where English or Americans formed
part of the line These unused to such treat
ment in their own country, could hardly re-
frain from striking, even in the sacred temple,
the soldiers who dared to lay hands upon them.
l stood in a company of these and saw their
useless remonstrance and rage, for the Swiss
did not understand word of their threuts and
faithful to his duty, only pressed us back the
more rudely for the resistance offered. | saw
by the dark countenanees of our party that
force might keep order, but could not keep
peace. The firm attitude of the guards oppo-
site US confined our part of the line to more
rigid and painful order than was insisted on
where the submissive Italians yielded to every
force and won by endurance better place
than we. In this manner we would see moth
ing, and certainly enjoy nothirg. | concluded
in this emergency to try the force of their ma
tive language. Approaching an under officer,
who had charge of this part of the line | said
Are you German? " I am Swiss he re-
piled mildly. Then, replied you should be
more friendly, We are Americans here and will
do what you tell us, rather than what you force
us to do. He at once apologized for the rude
ness, and became rather our protector, for he
allowed our part of the line to advance beyond
the rest and kindly answered many curious
questions of our party. During the hour and
a half, which the entry of the Pope, his exer-
eises and his departure occupied, we were trea-
ted with much consideration, and the dark
countenances on either hand, were exchanged
for smiling faces, and each of US at parting felt
friendly interest in the soldier whom not uu-
derstanding, we had deemed insoent and tyran-
ical, while he no doubt was better pleased to
consider lis reasonable men, than obstinate and
factious disturbers of order.


/ will add in my next, other instances of the
effect produced on these soldiers by hearing
their native tongue.


Yours truly, P. c. WILSON.