The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1872-09-29


a writer 10 the Pail Mall Gazette de-
scribes his visit to the Mount st. Bernard
Monastery, near Leicester. Although
written in somewhat Protestant style we
give it to >onr readers. His cond uctor 10
described as a very pleasant man, dressed
primarily in pair of huge spectacles, and
secondarily in q Trappist cowl. The
writer begins: q4
p saw the chapel, the chapter room, the
cloisters, the library, the museum, the
tailor's shop, the shoemaker's shop,
the brewhouse, the bakery, the forge
and the kitchen. But it was ia the
refractory and sleeping.room that my
with critical keenness which only long
worship of the great trinity, Ceres, Bacchus
aud Morpheus, can possibly impart. r
shall try to describe them.
The refectory is on the ground floor, and
Ii we'll lighted lofty room, about seventy
feet long BY twenty broad. About half
way up it and to its left side is a pulpit
whence member of the community reads
aloud during meals. Each monk has his
own fixed place at his own fixed table, aud
all the tables (bare of cloths but scrupu-
lousy cleau) are furnished 10 precisely the
same fashion. At each place there are
ranged a plain knife, wooden spoon,
WoOuC0 1OTNs mug auu bubsA uoYAA
wooden label laid upon the napkin
tells the name of the brother who takes his
rejection there. Each monk sits at table
on small, square stool. In tho summer
time the monks take two meals day, one
at half-past eleven in the forenoon, the
other at six in the evening. The frat meal
consists generally of o little boiled rice.
three or four potatoes, about an ounce of
cheese, some unutterable Trappist vegets-
BILE soup, of which, fortunately, Trappists
alone possess the reeipe, and solitary
glass (which 10 o little brown mug) OF most
Indifferent beer. The eecand meal 10 aimt-
lar to the Arst, the sole difference being
10 substituted for beer. No aesh meat no
fsh, NO butter, no eggss NO wine, no brandy,
no whiskey, mot q word Of speech all the
year round-nothingb ut what have men
TONED smootbes the Trappist's path TO
paradise: Pardon there are come exosp.
festivals Of their order, and these they
celebrate in y special way. IL Ss BY rising
two hours earlier than usual and eating
either ono apple, elk gooseberries, or eight
hazel nuts additional at dinner.
Toe dormitory lies immediately over tho
but it fs not at all rs cheerful room. The
sloepine- places are like email horse- boxes,
or stalls in pawnbroker's shop, with cur.
tains before them; and the two lines OF
them ranging on either side, from end to
end, 60 fill tho apartment a. to make the
central passage very narrow. You must
ind this place rather hot in snmmer," re-
marked to my conductor. "Well, perhaps
yes," was the reply; but We have hardly
time to think of the Temperature when we
come here. Besides" he went on, 80 our
couches are constructed to keep us cool.
Just examine one-whichever one you
please, they arc all alike" He drew aside
7 oAvoncah falk tha-ha6-
going to say, but l will not desecrate the
dear domestic name. The article upon
which rrappist takes HE latch of slum-
Der may be a mattress, and may have been
made by human hands but il has no moro
notion of elasticity than II it had been
pillow, I'tbink, was worse than the mat
tress for the mattress, though hard, was
smooth, but the pillow was bard and
iumpy. "How do you bear itf" asked,
in amaze. At frst he found it Gomez what
strarge, he said, but familiarity had bred
that when a man had from day to day and
from year to year just on the average about
six hours for sleeping out OF each twenty:
four; when, besldes, no has to give the
remaining eighteen either 20 formal manu-
al labor or to offices which, for the bodily
man, are just ae weakening, he Snines very
little ab01t the kipd Of place he has 10 sleeP
in. His only lookout 10 for the aignal
that givee him lea%e to close his eyes. Add
my oompGnion looked very sad bat very
Eeeaigued. In mo, no, think sOme oad-
ness began to be aPPSrent, 40 began In
more or Iess banging way 70 resracs ny
premise Co stop. "Wait minute" be in
eerru pied, "we arc on tho olOisters now,
and We do not talk there, you win remeOn.
Der. Lot me cOnduot y00 to the guests
QuarterS-"
In two minutes We have traversed cor
rider, crossed . equare, and entered @
modest parlor. Bloc HpeeeaeieS-TrapPtot
read nOthiaE cave what SAINTS have writ
ten. and 50 my nonastic friend can never
be ufE.udsd ny seeing hiOselF In PCint with
tilis appsIlative-Bi0s Speetaetes u1utiA'ned
the 10 . chair, laSghingly observing that
uow speeOh was free. I apOi"gt!sd for
having broken the silence of tilo GioistsT,
aud ~euG On to express ny sOTrGWF that
could not accept his hospitality TOR Shs
might. 81 AM AFRAID" sAid she genial fol-
To ser of st. BERNARD, ~ am afraid our p''"S
house has frightened you. Bs candid, n"wi
do you not dreA4 a. pive Hs even One
utyhts trislp a. WelI," { Trj1ineds " the
areAnSoaeH,s Of y"ar FeEeOGSry arts aS
dsubs, mSss exssIIO1e, OaS' "a 81 ees
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