Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1854-10-05


Condemned him to such a life rs this
Father Maillard presided at the table. and
was very coaversable with the guests;
cheerfully imparting such information Is
we desired.
of the eight or ten monks here, not one
Of them speaks the English language;
but the French, Italian, and German are
all IN use among them. l inquired OF
Father Maillard if those terrible disasters
of which We formerly read so much
travellers perishing in the snow-are Of
frequent occurrence. He told me that
rarely, think he said never, does a win
ter pass, without some accident of the
sort. Hundreds Of the peasantry en-
gagged in trade, or for the sake Of visiting
friends, will make the pass. and though
the paths are marked by high poles set
up in summer, these are sometimes COM
pletely buried under mountains of snow,
and the poor traveller loses his way and
sinks as he would in the sea. He also
told me that after his brethren reside in
this cold climate for a few years, they
find their health giving way, and they
are oblIt ed 10 retire TO some other field
OF labor, aid usually with broken con-
siitutionS. Yet there are always some
VINO are willing, at this hazard, to devote
tie best years of their life TO the noble
work of saving the lives of others. Houor
to the men, whether their faith be ours
or not.
Our dinner, this being our only dinner
where monks were our hosts and SER
wants, is worth being reported. We had
no printed bill of fare; but my young
friends helped me 10 make out the next
day as follows: L. termicelli soup. 2.
Beef la mode. 3. Potatoes. 4. Roast
lamb. 6. Dessert Of nuts, figs, cheese,
&c. This. with plenty of wine, for which
tie cellars of St. Bernard arc famous,
was dinner and supper enough for any:
certainly we were prepared to do it jus
tice as TO a table spread in the wilder
ness.
After dinner, the party now number
Ing fifty or more assembled from the two
OF three refectories in the drawing room,
and the many languages spoken gave US
small idea of Babel. One of the priests
took his seat at poor piano, sadly out
of tune, aud commenced playing some
lively airs. The two Swiss maidens who
had come up with him to visit the hos
pice, stood one on each side Of him at
the piano, and sang with great glee to
his music, and at the close Of every song
the party applauded with hearty clapping
of hands that would have pleased Mario
and Grisi. l asked Father MailIard, who
stood by me all the evening, and with
whom formed very pleasant acqusint-
ance, if they had such gay times every
night He said that during the summer
travel they had many pleasant people
who enjoyed themselves much during
their brief visit, We certainly did. And
at an hour later than usual, we retired to
our chambers. 1t was so cold that had
b take my Glasgow blanket ard wrap
myselfwell up in it before turning in,
but l slept soundly, and was awakened
by the Convent bell, before daylight,
calling the monks to morning prayers.
[ rose, and hastily dressing, hurried 10
the chapel. The priests, The servants,
and thirty or forty muleteers who had
come with the travellers were on their
knees on the stone door of very pretty
chapel, devoudy worshipping. None Of
the travellers were here but those who
entertained and served them, had left
their beds before dawn to pray.
Breakfast was not prepared Tor all at
once, but each person as he was ready
called for his coffee and rolls, and they
were Immediately brought.
The celebrated dogs Of St. Bernard
were pla, ing in the snow as | stepped
out after breakfast : noble set Of fellows
they were, and invested with a sort Of
romantic nobility, when We thought Of
them plowing their way through drifts,
leading on the search for lost travellers,
and carrying on their necks basket Of
bread and wine which may be as life to
the dead.
The dead come and see them. Close
by the hOspice is q square stone house,
into which are carried the llielesS b0dies
of those who perish in the snow, and are
found by the dogs, or on the melting Of
the snow in the summer. They cannot
dig graves on these rocky heights, and it
is always so cold that rhe bodies do ne
rot, but they are placed in this ch-fpelr-
house just as they are found, apf are lett
to dIy up and gradually - ilrh 70 dust
[ counted thirty sLafs lying on the
ground in the aidst of ribs, arms and
legs and ewenty skeletons were bang
inS around the room, ghastly sight.
I'm one corner dead mother cld the
bones of her dead child in her arms as
she perjshed SO she stood. 10 be recog-
nized if she might he, by anxious friends,
but none had ever come to claim her.
What a tale of tender anu tragic interest
We read in these bones. Sad and sick
ening the sight is, and ain willing to
get away.
Father Msillard walked with M into
the chapel, showed me the paintings, and
the monument TO General Dessaix, and
when asked him for the box into which
aims are put, he pointed to it, and has
tened away that he might not see whatI
put in. They make no charge for enter
tanning travellers; but every honest man
will give at least as much in the way OF
q donation, as he would pay at hotel.
My friend, as now called him, Father
Maiilard, embraced me tenderly, and
even kissed me, when / babe him fare
well, and mounting my horse, set of at
eight in the morning, with bright sun
shine, to descend the mountain.