She has knelt close to the Pope, and declares his mode of giving the Benediction the most sublime thing on earth.

The good lady has spared neither time nor money in order to carry home a choice collection of _relics_.

Among other objects of adoration she has a bone of St.
Perpetua, and a real bit of the real Cross.

Not satisfied with these, she is bent on obtaining the Pope's palm-branch, the very identical palm-branch which his Holiness has carried in his own sacred hand.
This is with her a fixed idea, a positive question of salvation.

The poor old soul has not the smallest doubt, that this bit of stick will open for her the gates of Paradise.