Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1830-08-11
BY the Req. G. II. .Noturin.


evening, on purpose to make their escape
from a monastery. The parrcidc, afteI
the commission ofthe dreadful crime, haC
found shelter in this monastery, and, b,
the most depraved services, had endeav.
orcd to recommend himselfto his Superb
or, and, at the same time, to glut his
iiendish passions by making others as mis-.
cradle as himself This is relation from
his own mouth, Of one ofhis deeds, while
IL servant in the monastery
| was desired to attach myself to q
young monk of distinguished family, who
had lately taken the vows, and who per-
formed his duties with that hcartlcss pune
tualty that intimated to the community
that his heart was elsewhere. | was soon
put in possession of the business; from
their ordering me to aiiach mysclfto him,
| instantly conceived was bound to the
most deadly hostility against him. The
friendship Of the convent is always a
treachrOus slcaguc-wc watch, suspect land
torment each other, for the love Of God. -
This young monk only crime was, that
he was suspected of chcrishing an earthly
passion. lie was, in fact, the son of IA
distinguished family, who (for the fear of
contracting, what is called "A degrading
marriage, 1. e. of marrying woman of
inferior rank whom he loved, and who
would have made himhappy, as fools, that
is, halimankind, estimate happiness, for
ced him to take the vows. lie appeared
at times hcart-broken, but at times there
was light hope in his eye, that look
ed somewhat ominous in the eyes of the
community. 1t is certain, that hope be-
ing an Indigenous plant in the partcrre
of convent, must excite suspicion with
regard both to its origin and its growth
Some time after, Il young novice enter
ed the convent. From the moment he
did so, Il change the most striking took
place in the young monk. He and the
novice became inseparable companions
there was something suspicious in that.
My eyes were on the watch in moment
Eyes arc particularly sharpened in dis
covering misery when they can hope to
aggravatc it. The attachment between
the young monk and the novice went on
They were forever in the garden togcth-
Ier--they inhaled the odours of the flow
crs-they cultivated the same cluster of
Icarnations-they cntwincd themselves as
they walked togethcr-whcn they were
in the choir, their voices were like mixed
incense. Friendship is often carried to
ieXccss in convcntual life, but this friend
ship was too like love. For instance, the
psalms sung in the choir sometimes
breathe certain language; at these
words the young monk s the novice would
dircctthcir voices to each other in sounds
that could not be misunderstood. If the
intreat to undergo it for the other fla
day Of relaxation was allowed, whatever
presents were sent to the cell of one, were
sure to be found in the cell of the other
This was enough for me. | saw that ST.
ret ofmy happiness, which is the
greatest misery to those who cannot share
i'll it. My vigilance was rcdoubled, and
it resulted in the discovery of secret
a secret that ! had to communicate and
raise my consequence by. You cannot
guess the Importance attached to the dis
cOvery of n secret in convent, (particu
larly when the remission of our own Of
fences depends on the discovery ofthosc
of others
One evening, when the young monk
and his darling novice were in the gar
den, the former plucked a peach, which he
Immediately offered to his siavoritc; the lat
ter accepted it with movement thought
rather awkward-it seemed like what |
imagined to be the reverence of female.
The young monk divided the peach with
a knife in so doing, the knife grazcd the
finger of the novice, and the monk, in ag-
itation inexprcssible, tore his habit to bind
up the wound. saw it all-my mind
was made up on the business went toI
the Superior that night. The result may
be conceived. They were watched; but
cautiously at first. They were probably
on their guard: for some time, it dcficd
even my vigilance to make the slightest
discovery. 1t is situation nincomparably,
tantallzlng, when suspicion is satisfied of
her own suggestions, as the truth of the
gospel, but still wants the HHic fact to
make them credible to others. One
night that | had, by direction of the Su-
perior, taken my stand in the gallery,
(whcrc ! was contentcd to remain hour
after hour, and night after night, amid
solitude, darkness, and cold, for the
chance ofthc power ofrctaliating on 9th
crs the misery inflicted on myself one. /.
night ] thought ! heard a step in the gal
lery-l have told you that ! was in the
dark-a light step passed by me. ] could
hear the broken and palpitatng rcspira-
tion of the person. A few moments AZ
ter, heard door open, and knew it to
be the door ofthe yo,,nr monk. | knew