Year: 1869

BY MME OCTAVIA WALTON LIE VERT.


A cordial letter from our excellent friend, Mon
seigneur PORTER, Bishop of Mobile, introduced US
to the Secretary Of the Propaganda Fsde, Mon
siegneur Barnebo, who was exceedingly kind to US,
and to whom we were indebted for the happiness
of a private audience with His Holiness, Pho Mono.
Soon after the impressive ceremonies Of the Holy
Week were over q charming note came from the
Count Boromeo, the Lord Chamberlain, inform
ing us that His Holiness would receive us the next
day at four o'clock in the afternoon.


At the hour appointed, we drove to the Vatican,
attired in accordance with the Court etiquette, in
deep black, with long black wells covering the
head


An officer of the Swiss Guards conducted us up
the grand stairway, along the broad corridors,
through several immense apartments, to the ante
chamber. The walls of this room were radiant with
some of the most glorious pictures OF Raphael, OF
Ttian of Guido and Murilio.


In few moments, Monseigneur Talbot, an
English Bishop, joined US; and we proceeded, to
the reception room-a long saloon, with the ex-
ouistey frescoed ceiling but with very little adorn-
ment of furniture.


His Holiness was seated at a small table. He
arose as we entered, and Monseigneur Talbot, after
presenting US, retired. As we approached him, he
held out his hands, and said in sweet toned voice:


"Welcome to Rome, my friends!"


So genial and captivating was his manner, that
we soon glided into conversation.


He was dressed in long white robe with gold
en- embroidery around the hem and around the
cape. A cross hung from his girdle and superb
ring adorned his hand.


Although more than sixty, he was still an un-
commonly handsome man. His eyes were won
drously beautiful large, soft, brown eyes-they
certainly, possessed magnetic power, tor our
hearts were quickly drawn toward him. His be-
nignant smile and kind words soon revealed that
sympathetic nature, so gentle and good, which
would gladly shield every human creature from sin
suffering, and sorrow.


This interview was peculiarly interesting to us,
not only from the pleasant greeting we received,
but from the many expressions ofapprecaton and
admiration for our dear country, which he called
'the land of the great Washington, and the home
of so many of my dear children.


At first we conversed in French and Spanish
English, he remarked, he could never pronounce
correctly but as neither Of these languages ap
peared very familiar to him, he returned to the
Italian greatly to my delight for his voice was so
rich and melodous it was like the sweetest strains
of music Although the Italian language is some
what changed, it may still be called Daughter of
the Latin, for it retains the majestic grandeur Of
the parent tongue Hence we could readily i'm
agine the flowing eloquence of Cicero in his ora
tions, and of Virgil in his poems.


During our interview with His Holiness, he told
us many incidents of his residence in South Amer
lea, where the early days of his life as priest had
been passed The field of his missionary labors had
cen in Buenos Ayres. He had travelled over the
vast Pampas, and wherever he found the Indians
most numerous, gathering them around him, and
preaching the Gospel of the blessed Saviour.


After he had traversed these trackless wastes, he
had crossed the Andes to Peru and Chill; and
while he still fingered along the Pacific coast he had
been recalled to Italy by Pope Gregory, and made
the Bishop of fImola.


1t was really enchanting to hear him describe
the sublime scenery of the Andes, whose SUBMITS
are nearest heaven He surely possessed a wonder
full talent for work pictures so clear and we'll de-
fined we're they that panorama Of those distant
regions seemed to pass before us as we listened to
him. The vast Pampas of Buenos Ayres, bound
less and painless as the ocean; the glory of morn
ing on the topmost peak of the Andes; the frail
bridge of vines across the wild chasms, thousands
of feet in depth the little valleys shut in by noun
tains of enormous height, where he had met tribes
of Indians, said to be fierce and warlike but gen.
tie to him-and when he told them of Gods love
for them, and all the human race, they had gladly
received the sign of the cross upon their dusky
brows; then the first view of the calm Pacific,
not one wave breaking its mirror-like surface


"Ah the New World was very dear to me, and l
regretted to leave t!' he exclaimed, as the con-
versation drifted back to the Old World.


Four days before our audience with His Holiness
frightful accident had taken place at the Monas-