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Show Smoothing: thn Way. The Duke of Cambridge is a brave soldier and a kind-hearted gentleman, but he is not a scholar. He has been recently Jn Rome, aud one of his experiences ex-periences there is toll in the London Chronicle as specially characteristic of all persons concerned. On the occasion of a visit to the Vatican, the duke, hearing from a friend that it was proper to ta'.k Latin there, rather nervously nerv-ously brushed up a few phases and passwords. The Vatican, on its part, hearing that the duke spoke nothing but English, was equally punctilious. All guards who could speak English were ordered to the front. The chamberlains cham-berlains of English nationality or speech were requirel to attend, and the pope himself practiced the English sentences he had learned from an English Eng-lish resident in Brussels fifty years ago. The gallant duke, when he arrived ar-rived at the outer portals of the Vatican, Vati-can, was addressed by a guard, who said, "This way, your Royal Highness." High-ness." The duke started with relief he was rid, for a moment, of his Latin. The same experience met him at each turn, and In the ante-rooms it was repeated. Reaching at last the doors of the pope's private apartment, the duke was met by a monsignor, whose mother was English and whose own accent is native, wno orxerea w take His Royal Highness' hat. Presently Pres-ently the pope, evidently priding himself him-self on the vernacular, asked his visitor vis-itor to "seat down." "Well, I'll be hanged!" blurted out the astounded duke. Youths' Companion. |