, 1873-12-14
WITH ENGLISH TRAPPESTS.
A Viait to tho Vl0n:lstcry Of Mount St.
I1crnNtls

How uoH to I'LL Dill low VIII nc my RECOUNT O 4
spot IN "hlorr!o Euglanlo'' whore mirih is ,,n-
known, and w'.crc literally tlo inabltanta
tako their pleasure sadly! Lloak moor, on
tho 'lacus a non lftceado principle called
iorest whoao olCuB arc Btouo dykes, whose raro
pepulaeo iS clothed IN n; ~, nms9s gnr9 sasorlg
oltg. whito pottcoata. anrnounted by pointed
hood of the sanlo color, tho lnonotony Of tho
whole being only rollosod by broad black band,
which hangs down over tho Shoulders bu'oro nnd
behind. Hero mud thoro ii Q others in gaitnents
liko-faBllionod. but Of brown Or blacls lno. Aro
tl,oy conyicts. lbat tloir heads nro 80 closely
Clipped, aud that they GO to nut from thelr
labor lu gangs, ahouldorin9g tller spates
illg forth in sinsle-filo from that prison
liGo cdinco, oyts fixed Oil tho g,ouud, and lips
firmly closed, lcst word should oscnpe them ?
III penal scivitulo tloy arc. but Of no legal
sort, condemncd-not by Justice, but BY III ln-
just conviction! Of a tancea a,lthority-to wear
ont their simple lives IN solitary confinement, to
wllici, tho horrors Of Allllbank mud rcntonyillo
nlo III nothing.
Tint gloony-1ooking building, whoHo narrow
windows nnd buried gates loom up darktinE
aight for many q milo around, Is tho
I'rappist Monastery Of Mount st. bernard,
Bit,,niod OH Charnwooa Forest, Lo!eostershiro,
aud thore aro the monks, Bomo of them gentle.
1nen-one, at least, On Oxford m',l, Of good
habits men Of o certain amount Of higher edit
cation, sonlo priests, some preparing for tho
priesthood. Tiiat little ,nan, with piercing eyes
and hrmly-comprcsacd jaw, working il THO Held
Lord Abbot himself, who, . few. hours Lonec,
will bo roofing out tho thistea Of self from tho
Hou1 Of eome knccng noyico. or, inhsilling
the The pEinopSs a Of f. sE1irtss} E1i socfa hs0nngy r,
besonl, bnsily engaged wedding tie walks,, il
the Father Prior, priest Of blamoiess lifo, but
of most aHcetc habit. Turn to the loft, and ut
tho tup of pilo OF rocks stands lofty cruci!lx,
for for those y who would make Tic sway Of Tho
Cross" to the Calvary above, nid descend again
tho unexpectiug visitor ,fnll-length figure Of
Christ lying in tho tomb. Look to the llght; u
slnglo filo bark to the cloistor. ~ they
20 along aomc calves, frisking in NIL
the contrasts Of Freedom, ARC per-
forming, ao1no ungain!y auties a yo'ltth yti
raises his o;eaLel Tue f,rat 1aKnn at d tno ssne
all. makes u sign to hB neighbour who, however,
observes hig rulo TO the letter. and refuses oven
to look up.
Ne arc ioiucd by Brother Dartimcus, tho
courteous guest-maator, WHO. glaicng at our
letter Of introduction. conducts III within tho
guests lol,=o, which III separated from the main
building but united to llio church by cioistor.
Wo exprcsB dosiro to stny tho customary thrco
days. on which the Abbot is summoned. FIG ut
grants s tho required sa ~ th@ %S
somo of which nre dispensed with IN con-
aoaucnco Of our stern Professionalism Bang,
bai1g, bang goes groat boil. ''Wonld We like
to 60 to vespers 2" 10 yc8pers re bctaso onr-
tho choir, or rather tho nave of what. slcn fin
isheu, iH to be well-prorortioited monastlo
church. Gloomness il tho order Of tho tany, or
rather evoniug. Tho spaco. below 11H il empty,
til two youthful figures 6iido H. II, one OF whom
INK himself with arranging tho books: Present.
lv another boil, and snndly cowlcd ghosts stea
IN and occupy their stalIs, which We
may observe are. so arranged as 70
raider sitting down an impoaEibili-
ton, then the Abbot lliinholf bcsins tho office IN
u stentorian voice. iii antipllon is ntoiiod by two
noyiccs. aud t1on the fnll ci'olr bursts out with
tho "Dixit DomintlH." taken TO- Gfcgof'an
" l,e roads that card? Tho cl.ois-mostcr las
taken this un-Enesn method OF Informing him
that l,o has sung the wong verse;, on which the
offendor leaves his 9tAll aud proBtfAtes himself
before tho altar, whoro the Abbnt suffers linn to
lie for fully tl.rco minutes, and thcn knocks for
him to return, Which he uces In oil humility.
Like all tho otsicos, except tho maBs anil tho
lessons In the Droylary, yespers aro sung without
| book; in fact, the strict rule OF tho order
| il that mono can bo admitted as profcsscd
! monks till they know the psalter by lleurt our
wontlee therofo,e, was that tho PROSTATE was
not the normal attitude III choir. Vespers over,
We welo hospitality, but plainly, entertained by
tbs Tn1 bo1G afG o
though wo must eay TINT ne '.'okcd Us il II little
! ten and brend md butter would do him no harm.
"Our tea? Wo hnve none. We shall shortly
| hnvo our supper Of dry bread. cut oil from our
Is concession to English stou'acl,A. Properly
spcaking, Trappist " like Il ra'igiotls bon,
| constrictor: he eats hut once, nNl that al
noon. Tomorrow yon shall indigo for yourselves
how NC fure." Another bell. "llats tol
accuse ourselves Of our fanlts wo do not Hcrurie
to ayail ourselves Of tile permission, just M VIZ
do IN choir the only other place, except tue III
Urinary. where are allowed the tAo Of our I'M
ruly n!o,nbor. Farewell till ConTln.' At this
service tho whole community, including tho In.
brothers, calno troop!ng IN. nor could alsthl''t
exceed Tho solcnuity Of the dark choir. the mo
tonlcsB kneeling Figures, the awful silence, nj
each examined himself oil his own behavior dur
were our feelings Of relief when, wo hcarel th'
knock which sGnaed tho conclusion OF the iu.lc
tion and allowed ouch monk to gllo, rnht th
Abbot as With low hoH TO received holy wate %
er silouco rcined around, both outside md III
side; We lseiuok ourselves to lcd-yory clca1
mud very hartl-and woro just aHIeop, when al
inoxorable boll nwoto thu ecllcea. Our ilrs
Thought was fire.; hit tho htol1er's voice cryn
ont ~ lie knocked nt tho door. "Reledicamn
Domino reminded lis whore wo wc'e
Starting up we lrcs;cd-it WIS ! a. m
compared to tho hitinf; frigltl,t
Of tho church. Verify, II tho Tlappist
hayn the tr1.l, sho Hen in we'll. viii 1t bo By
lieyed. night after night, every night of tlloi
iiyeg, winter and summer, THIS ordeal is gon
through, and Tor two, mortal hours, somot'ne
throu, tl,ese wratched men aud boya sing tl'
,rt5,, f1
to warm them sayo the ilro nf devotion. lgt
glad wero "e to get haell 10 beti; for th
'lrappist tlere was no. moro bed I'LL til
noon heata-prayer, study, Or meditation u'.,t
occupy his thoughts till Primo at 4 A, II
Once again wo turn out sorely unwlllngly, w.t.
ditto. repeated. At 7:ao comes anoll'er II
! novation Oh tho Trappist rule, nnn'c1y,
, "mlxt" or breakfast, consisting of hllnc
y (yory sroalD or bread, aud sou!e new milk
then more !" "CAnptnr;' then Iorco with 1nnAs
Q and then tho lay'H work fully ltegills. 80,
wolls III no fouls play said tho Abbot. Look Il
round OH tllpgs hundreds Of ucrcH, now fully TILE
| nt11 n,t1, IN