The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-05-26

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| great Cathedral Of the Holy Trinity
which the people cali 'pAbbaye .u,
Danes. The convent walls iuclos,
shady llme walks; and quadrangles, ani
galleries, and flights Of steps, along
which tho white nuns 60 drifting
The galleries lead to sick wards aut
dispensaries, to refugees and nurseries
The care Of the soldiers hospital il
given to the nuns, and 1t is almost {
city which you come to within tht
great outer gates. Life and prayer
and work, and faith, tho despair Of this
world, and the emblcns of the next,
meet you at every step in. the halls
and courts, and quiet gardens, IN the
sunshine and shadow, peopled by this
pathetic multitude-men, and women,
and children, who have fed hither 70,
refuge: They come up from the great
battle-felds OF the world, aud from the
narrow streets and dark tenements b..
low: Some 20 to the hospital, some to
the little graveyard upon the hillside,
from whence you may see the city IT,
ing in the plain, and the river shining
and flowing, and the distant curve Of
snoompassing hills painted with the
faint and delicate oolors Of the north.
De Tracy led the two C.tharine,sl,
Dick and Beamish tolling up the steep
streets with their rugged stones. They
crossed a lonely "Place": at last, where
Tie i. sun beat upon: the grass-grovn
pa1emeents, and 20 . one ne'> was to be seen
pt some masonns chipping at the great
blocks Of marble of the cathedral.
There II stood before them, high up
above tie town, SILENT. and : cleaning
white, and beyond it two. great gates,
closed and barred, With tie words no:
TEL D1Eu emblazonedd upon them.-
Refine h.d passed through the + gates. !, e :.
Butler was thiakiag As 10 stood wait
iog with the others for tie pporteress p to /:
come with the key and admit them in
to the precincts: 70 Butler there, was
an indescribable sadness about the place.
The monotonous sound Of the blows
from the workmel's mallets seemed to
6ll the air: He looked at the closed
way, ut the great silent cathedral, at
the distant. valley some presentiment
saddeued and oppressed him none of
the others felt as he did. Catharine
was in high spirits-gay in the passing:
excitement, thankful fol: relief after
her pain, happy in the consciousness Of
her husbands trust and Buffers friend
ship. -.
A. for Mrs. Beamish, every thing
was grist that came to her mill; she
Va. Z. one a'! Of thoMse M prinoesses Who know
how IS to Ag grind goa opt of e Istrrax.o ro Beam.
ish used e laugh 4 ber. energy and en-
thusiasm, but he loved her for it. Fos-
sils, doubtful relics, Bishop 0do's staff,
jolting omnibuses, long half-hours in
waiting-rooms-Mrs. Besmish laughed,
and enjoyed every thing untiringly.
She stood now leaning against the iron
gate, and holding one great bar in her
hand, as she chattered on il her pleas
ant way, while Cathariue, who had
perched herself upon block of stone,
sat listening to the talk Of the others.
1t was only woman's talk after all-of
needle-work, and of samplers, aud of
stitches, but the stitches had been set
eight hundred years ago, and the seam
stress was an empress, and the pattern
was the pattern Of her times: They
had just come from the Bayeux,l
tapestry. "I should as soon have
thought Of seeing the Gordian KNOT"
cried Mr.. Beamish flippantly.
"Or Penelope's web," SAID Dick.
"Hush," i" said Beamish. "uere comes
the abbess."
A little, bright-eyed, white.robed
sister, followed by an attendant ,ic a
blue cotton gown, nov oame TO- the
gate and unlocked it., t"Mademoiselle
will conduct !. yea ove'r e. the hospital j:
she said, in .psNer to their various re-
quests and inquiries, "You vish to go
M.demoiselle Chrehen,, madame? The
ladies here u xIhle l,l, ,re in1 retreat admit no
s.isats. ! .n s.!or1y 70 j refuse Jou, but
tho convent 4 is al closed se'al1 70 the public"
Then they .sksd y! laE faE M..zthe. II vas
f.st-d.y. and !i!,a ~ Eresetine had predict
ed, % 'k strangers could ND BE- i, allowed 70
.lee the. ladies. Any vague hopes which
might have brought p Diek II IL the way
tren Petitport xere quickly l eztingai.slhs: g! .l \
I'd BY the gentle 4 1ia lite e;l nun 81. Who slded
away from them = along the II 2 .rahsd
eloister, in and ont IT. Of ~ the shade % and
the light, with silent steps, like \
ghost. .r.. = ,.,..}t... =.
;o1 Then the lay sister took up tho story
in cheerful, sing-song voice, and BE-
gan to recite tho statistics Of his House