THE IRRIGATION AGE. 



285 



town. It is the royal tree of which 

 the Bible tells us: "The trees 

 went forth on a time to anoint a 

 king over them; and they said unto 

 the olive tree, reign thou over us." 

 (Judges ix, 8). Below the vener- 

 able olive, almost hidden in its 

 shadow, the lemon tree displays its 

 hue of lustrous green ladened, 

 with its golden fruit and fragrant 

 flowers. Flowers wild and culti- 

 vated grow in profusion every- 

 where. There everything com- 

 bines to rouse the imagination to 

 dazzle and fascinate. Waters fall- 

 ing in foaming cascades from pro- 

 digious height; rocks as warm in 

 tone, so extravagant in form, and 

 everywhere glimpses of mysterious 

 growths; wild plants clinging to 

 the steep crags so many wonders 

 assembled within such narrow 

 limits, are enough to make one's 

 head swim. 



In addition to the railways which 

 take one rapidly from point to 

 point in addition to a great num- 

 ber of capital roads for driving, 

 Mentone offers to the admirers of 

 natural charms a great variety of 

 walks, which, radiating in all di- 

 rections, seek the dappled shade; 

 narrow pathways which wind 

 among the evergreen, orange and 

 lemon trees. If the climate is mild 

 and kindlv, so are the people. 

 Their manners are simple and art- 

 less, and to all comers they show 

 the same polite, amiable and hos- 

 pitable disposition. 



Of all the roads that wind around 

 Mentone, that leading to Monte 

 Carlo and on to Nice is the most 

 frequented. Monte Carlo is but a 

 half hour's drive from Mentone. 

 Everyone is familiar with its un- 



rivaled situation on the sunny hill 

 slopes overlooking the blue Med- 

 iterranean. Here one can enjoy, 

 afternoon and evening, one of the 

 best orchestras in Europe, and the 

 opera presents the best talent of 

 world. The grounds are enchant- 

 ing beyond discription. 



Cocoanut palms, coffee plants, 

 sugar canes, clumps of chamaerops, 

 tall bamboos, date palms, aloes, 

 cacti, and prickly pears make up 

 the tropical flora of this, the most 

 enticing of resorts for those who 

 would enjoy the gaity of such life. 

 Surely Elisee Reclus, the geogra- 

 pher, was right when he said, 

 "Mentone is the Pearl of Prance. 



Pope Leo XIII. 



The year of 1900 is Holy year in 

 the calendar of the Catholic Church 

 and pilgrimages from all parts of 

 the world are flocking to Rome to 

 be blessed by the Holy Father. 

 Fifty thousand pilgrims were re- 

 ceived by the Pope in the months 

 of January, February and March, 

 and every week finds thousands 

 crowding at the doors of the Vati- 

 can. It was the privilege of the 

 writer to be present at one of these 

 pilgrimages. Seventeen thousand 

 men and women crowded into the 

 church of St. Peters. The Pope 

 was borne through the crowd to the 

 high altar, and as he sat in a sedan 

 chair, carried on the shoulders of 

 ten men, it seemed that his strength 

 could not endure the excitement of 

 the greeting of the pilgrims. 

 Never have I looked upon such a 

 kindly, radiant face; and his whole 

 body seemed too frail and delicate 

 to be human. As he was borne, to 

 the altar he gasped for breath, and 



