Litchfield enquirer., 1853-01-06

coined the sight Of any green thing; as
old Noah did the olive branch. And this
was in midsummer, and few hours walk
would bring us TO where birds were
singing. and fields waving, and fruit
hanging ripe upon the bough.
We exchanged greetings in TIE receP~
ton room WIN our fellow guests OF the
niuht before, and sat down to our SIM
ple breakfast of bread and butter and
coffee. believe it is no longer the Gus"
tom, as formerly, for strangers to SIT at
+. the same table with the Monks. After
breakfast, We employed ourselves in
looking about ths Convent, The ChaS
petis small and contains monument to
s. General Dessaix, who fell at Marengo'
: 4t.s-ihe chapel, no! the monuments
disfigured BY the tawdrv style OF orna'
ment SO common in churches OF the a
tholic faith, and has a peculiar odor OF
incense, reminding me ol that intensely
vegetable smell, so common ina New
England farm house. thought it sin
guiar,- In place so fragrant Of good
(. deeds. but had it been ten times worse.
The place where monks Of St. Bernard
worship, is not one for making structures
upon. In the church is a small box 10
hold contributions for the poor. One
can do as he likes about giving anything
and nobody will be the wiser, but all de-
cen: people are in the habit OF depositlng
at leos. full price for their accommodate
ton, and as much more as they THINK
proper.
Ia order TINT access to the convent may
be had at all hours of the night. the outs
er door is never closed and a single stroke
upon the bell in the hall, summons the
j. monks TO travellers assistance. And
could not help picturing some Wanutfef,
way. worn and benighted, ii might Dc
mother W ith IA child ia her arms, guided
through the deep SHOWS OF winter, and
gloom of night by the tainl light gum"
nering from the Hospice-she reaches IL,
perhaps, ippg after the inmates are BURIED
in sleep. If the door were shut, she would
not have strength enough remaining to
make her voice heard through the thick
walls Of the building. and morning might
find both mother and child. lying stif aud
frozen at The door. But it stands, wide,
vide open the light that has guided her is
burning in the hail, and with ell the little
strength left her, she crawls mp the steps,
and within The building, clutches at the
BELL rope, aud then swoons upon the floor.
Ihe door is speedily opened, and the child
is found slenpipg upon the breast OF its
= unconscious mother, in WiiOse benumbed
and icy fingers, the bell rope is still tightly
elasped.
: The dogs Of St.. Bernard, are entirely
different in appearance, from what many
? suppose. tits common impression, be~
!. .i,eye. that they IRE of the Newfoundland
breed, and it is true that newfoundland
doks are empIQyed upon some OF the pass
Is. Ruf the genuine St. Bernard, resern-
bles an ilnmense. mastif. is of tawny
. color. and straight hair. They. are prodi-
- gfously strong and .sagacious, but all those
-" touchihg pictures of a boy clinging to the
= ueck of a>curly; haired animal, with corr
q. DIAL bottle about his neck, and barking at
=, a convent door. are very pretty specimens
of fet,un founded on fiction. The dogs
never 90 alone ia search OF travellers. but
are companions of the monks, who 60 out
:. amid Storms. in search of of Travellers
They are invaluable assistants. for tGeir
: bark would be signal Of relief-they will
cross snow heaps too light to bear the
~ weight Of q man, and their sense of smell
lis SO strong, it is said they can scent a
,frave Ter at the distance of league.
There are very many interesting facts
connected with the Hospice which should
:" like to communicate had time. sup
= pose you know, there is no mountain na~
a med ST. Bernard. The name, like that of
~ St. Gothard. is given merely to the pass.
: y I.,eannot forbear, however, mentioning
what no one can forget that has seen it,
the Morgue, or receptacle for the dead. 1t
Is q low hut Of stone, situated few yards
S0in the conyeat, and we walked to il
through the rain. Upon the rocky and
frozen SOL of st. Bernard, it would be inns
possible 10 bury .the dead, so that bodies
found frozen and not reclaimed are placed
h. this receptacle, and in two smaller ones
lever down the pass. When we entered
It. the.f floor WIS thickly covered with bones
while skeletons were arranged along the
sides as nearly as possible, In the position
IN which they were found. Their only
winding sheet was the time worn clothes in
which they had persisted and which now
hung in tatiers their Wondering bones
The skeletons were some 10 in number
and there was great valiety-both of po-
sition and expression. Fhe skeleton of
piolher clasped the skeleton of chih to
the breast. The hands of some were fod-
ed, as if in resgnalion. The head of an
other vas bent away. as if from the vic
lence of some terrible blast, that had
bourne death upon its wings to him. Aud
there was one, an awful figure of man,
Atall man, whose bleaching bones were al
post as expressive Of the agony in which
he had died, as ii not al atom of his poor
aesh had crumbled, The face was up>
iurued, and the mouth wide opened. as if
ia great agony Of his despair he had gath
cred nil his strength for one last shrek for
help. and while the lips were parted, aud
ore the sound Of his voice had died sway,
bis limbs had sfffened in the double frosls
Qf death ) Anithere these figures remain.
IN this, clear apper air. gradually drying
up without Rulrefac,ion or decay. mill at
length bone drops from bone. and each
bone is resolved to dust. No one knows
their history Nyha tho