The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-11
MONASTIC LIFE.


recalled to my mind an incident long past,
which made an impression ou me that can
never forget, | mad the singular good for
tune, more especially for Protestant and
woman, of meeting and conversing with a
monk of La Trappe, then ont on a mission
from his convent and [ could not but speou-
late on the sinner lie" of one living under
such abnormal conditions, who, nevertheless,
appeared to me TO be actuated by much the
same feelings and motives as ordinary
mortals. .... ......
My host on this occasion was man of con-
siderable note, the spiritual director OF large
rural district in Normandy, and one OF those
truly sincere and estimable Roman Catholic
priests of whom little is known in England.
At the time l speak of-thirty years ago-he
was venerable silver haired cure, nearly
eighty wears of age, but with all the vivaoity
OF youth; a man OF oourtly manners, united
with the greatest simplicity and kindness.
In oOuntenRnce he strongly resembled the por-
traits OF F6uelon, and there was resemblance
in character also, as regarded iervid piety aud
unbounded charity. At the time of the Ftenoh
Revolution of 1889 he was private secretary
to the Archbishop of Paris, and he steadily
resisted all the personal efforts aud batteries
OF Taley rand, who wished him to take the
oath of allegiance to the Constitution, and was
consequently obliged to fly for his life. After
many narrow escapes he got safe to England,
panions (who expected but very brief exie),
he no sooner landed than he set to work in
earnest to learn English, and established him
self as a teacher of languages near Barnet. lie
was soon on friendly terms with the Protestant
clergym man of the place, with Mr.. Byng, the
member, and with other neighboring families,
and was universally esteemed and beloved.
Among his friends was Mr.. Salomons, who
invited him to dinner, "if he would not object
to eat with a Jew, who said 3 prayer and
washed hands before meat" The Abb5
replied that he was always glad to wash
his hands, and that as to the prayer, he would
say his own while they recited theirs and 80
the Jew aud the Catholic sat down cordially
together; but though freely associating with
Protestant or Jew, the Abb6 held firmly to his
own faith. Gratitude for kindness received
in England during ten years of exile induced
him, after his return to France, to seek out
the few English who came into his neighbor-
hood, and thus became acquainted with him.
Often had | heard his Hertfordshre friends
speak of him with warm regard, and when he
sent to offer his services, on hearing that an
English family had taken a chateau near st.
D6sir (where he had been long cur6), great
Was his delight on finding amongst them
one who knew his old friends,
aud we were soon on intimate
terms. Liberal as he was, he naturally de-
sired that We should embrace what he held to
be the true faith, and he eXerted himself to
show us all that was best and most interesting
In the Roman Catholic system. He Introduced
US to many clever priests and nuns-cloistered
as well az hospital sisters-for being arch
deacon of the diocese aud director of all the
converts, he could take US into the interiors;
where few PrOtestants are admitted. O may
add that he was no great advocate for conven-
tuai life; its narrOwness was displeasing to
him-though he honOred those who had ga
true VOCATION" and he once owned to me
that nothing was so irksome to him as hearing
the confessions Of nuns, who had little to con-
fess but petty jealousies.) He once took us to
see the ordination of fifty priests in Bayeux
Cathedral-a grand spectacle-and l re-
member the fervor with which he de-
scribed that part of the ceremony
where the candidates take the one step for
ward which seals their fate for life. Many
have drawn back at that decisive moment,
"and those not the worst either" said my
good old friend, who deserves ever grateful
remembrance from one who, though in his
eyes a hereto, was treated by him as a daugh-
ter, and honored by his friendship. A few
years later, he dictated, on his death bed,
letter to me which he signed with his own
trembling hand, "Ion ami pour la 0ie et pour
P6terniiG."
To return to the monk of La Trappe. AS
special favor, two of our party were invited to
meet him at dinner, but the illness of my in-
tended companion obliged me TO 60 alone. l
was quite at home at the preSbytere (where
my little nephew was boarding., and although
the position of one lady at table with
twelve priests and a monk of La Trappe
was somewhat novel one, yet such
thoroughly Christian gentlemen were my host
and his guests that felt not the slightest en-
barrassment. AS the place of honor, l was
seated next the monk who conversed most
agreeably, with a sort of quiet oheerfulness,
sometimes directing his conversation to me,
sometimes to the company generally. His
language was the most choice and beautiful
ever heard in common discourse, and he was
evidently man OF great cultivation and re-
dDement. He was finely formed, in the prime
of life, and apparently in perfect health of
body and mind; with a noble head and coun-
tenance full of intelligence and feeling. He
had been a professor at Bordeaux, and was
remarkable for elOquence and ability. What
induced him to become a Trsppist was not
known to the cure, who always ad-
dressed him with profound respect as
"mon pere," which sounded rather odd
from a man twice his age. He had
often been sent out by the superior of his
convent on the affairs of the community, as one
of it abl9st members; aud on the present occa-
sions he was returning from Paris, whore he
had been to solicit funds for rebuilding thsir
church after fire. While in the world he
was not required to keep up the asoetic habits
of the order.
He told me that he had known many OF my
nation at Bordeaux, aud that it was pleasant
to hear his own language spoken with an
English accent. He related with much grace
several anecdotes of the treatment which his
community had met with during the Revolu-
tion, and something having been said of the
abundance of game in a place named, he
mentioned having been formerly a keen