Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 30, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1896 — FUNERAL OF PIUS IX. [ARTICLE]

FUNERAL OF PIUS IX.

The Body Lay in btate Four Day* in the Chapel of lht> Sacrament. I t was la the Chapel of the Macruineut that the body of the good Pope Pius IX. was laid la state for several days. That was a strange a'ntl solemn sight, too. The gaty.n>£. the church were all shut hut one, and that was pnly.ji little opened, so that the people passed in one at a time from the great, wedgeshaped crowd outside—a crowd that began at the foot, of Um broad steps in the Piazza, and struggled upward all the afternoon, ddser and closer toward the single entrance. For in the morning only the Roman nobleib and the prelates and high ecclesiastics were admitted, by another way. Within the church the thin stream of men and women passed quickly between a double tile of Italian soldier*. That was the first and last time since IN7O that Italian troops were under arms within the consecrated precincts. It was still winter, and the afternoon light was dirn, and It seemed a long way to the chapel. The good man lay low, with his slippered feet between the bars of the closed gate. The people paused as they passed the embroidered cross and looked at the still features before they went on. It was dim, but the six tall waxen torches threw a warm light on the quiet face, and the white robes reflected It around. There were three torches qn each side, and on each side, too. there werfe* three Noble Guards In full dress, motionless. with drawn swords, as though on parade. But no ode looked at-them. Only, the marble .face, with Its kind, ’far-away sipile, fixed itself In” each man’s eyes, and its memory remained with each whpn he had gonq .away. It was very solemn and simple, pud 9 There were no other lights in the church save the little lamps about the. Confession and before the altars/" Tli,e long, thin stfream of people WtfttOon swiftly, and out by the all the short afternoon, till it was'flight, and the rest of the unsatisfied crowd was left outside as the single gate was closed.—Century. , \ -a 1.. i Some people are never contented ’unless in controversy.. Like tHe f <tormy petrel, they are ever flying ifVs&rttpii of a tempest. it \ ‘ V 9