Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-03-26

1t struck me that also ssdetested
the prcsci t." and would have been
glad to get on into the future. lean
not tell what it was that possessed me
70 accompany this genile,s an to the
rloister save that curious and in.
lefinablc fascination 70 which have
llready alluded. The sirens were
tabled 10 attract poor mariners by
sweet voices to inevitable shipwreck,
out this man had not sweet ,ice.
There is, too, all allusion in some
natural histories to the "cvil eye'' OF
the snake; though Mr.. Waterton SAYS
this is all nonsense, and that the eye
of the snake cannot move. Yet this
man had not an "cvil eye" There
must, then, be charms of the diabolic
kind which admit not of featured ex-
preston. You are conscious in such
charms of neither pleasure nor harm;
you are conscious of nothing but the
charm. Ovid calls certain kinds of
witchment, which are not of the
virtuous kind, '.jucmdum nahum;
but then, though the '.jucundum" be
present, and the s'malum" come later,
you are conscious Of both fiom the
beginning. Yetthis man had neither
'.jucundum" nor "malum," at least in
his sensible attractiveness. gave it
up. Certain 1t is that in our journey
through life, more influence for evil
are without clear expression than
such as bear their meaning on the
front.
"AIight I venture to inquire" asked
my friend at this moment, when we
we've just going out of the Abbey,
"1f it is not taking too greata liberty
Which university were you att"
conceived the inquiry supertluous;
the more so as nothing had been said
which brought the subject irto
parlcy.
"Cambridgc," I replied, rather
shortly.
81 thought So" he answered.
"Some remarks which fell from you
in respect to the monuments implied
the mathematical mind. I was at
Oxford myself, though previously at
Dublin. think Oxford promotes a
theological turn Cambridge rather
RATIONAL"
did not see the drift of this par
ticular comment, which my friend
delivered sententiously; but l was
pleased to think that he was theolo-
gical and that I was so ostensibly
mathematical.
We had now got out into the open.
The air was keen and frosty, the
wind was blowing from the east, and
we both put our handkerchiefs up to
our faces as we issued from the great
west door. Then, entering the arch
way which leads to Dean's-yard, we
took the turn to the left and in the
course of few moments we stood on
the threshold of the really beautiful
cloisters. The porter might possibly
be sanctuarized in his own little
house hard by; but we saw no sign
oflite save the milk-boy and a very
old woman.
1t wasjust in the interim between
the ecllse of day and the lighting of
the lamps for the night. The lamp
lighter would be round in a few
minutes. He had not come yet.
should have hailed his approach with
pleasure. My friend was exuber-
antly talky, and ran over with pro-
found cogitation. He was so glad
to have me for a companion. An
intelligent acquaintance was such an
infinite treat in the world where one
met SO few.
"You have mind" he said warm.
ly. "a mind is the luxury of life, to
others as well as yourself. | should
prefer your companionship to that OF
the canons who inhabit this comforta.
Bile close. They read Greek and
drink port; but mind, sir, mind is the
thing"
Could l doubt him to be man OF
observation ?
"1ow domestic this seems" contin.
ued my friend, as we stood at the en-.
trance to the cloisters. 1--WE san
hardly imagine that the home-lovine
clergy who live in these nests of re
pose are successors OF the men who
prayed half the night for the souls OF
the living and the dead. Times
change, like cities. Since the nigh,
when, as the legend assures us, the
fishermen, fishing in the Thames
caught sight of st. Peter and his
companions and ferried them across
the river to consecrate the Abbey
which then was but partially built
London is not more changed in char
acter and area than her people in
faith and habit"
This was really too much for a
cold afternoon. But before / had
time to suggest our return, my friend
proceeded to rave:
"Do you know," (he had Il constant
habit of saying "Do you know" as
though he would convey real sympa
thy and an intui'ive apprehension OF
me) "w henever | come here always
regret that l did not live and die a
monk. My father was u clergyman
of the Church of England. He WA.
rector Of Broadstonc, in Suffolk, and
he wrote the lives Of some saints
which l used to read when a boy -
l always believed that to be a monk
was the most thoughtful and philo
sophical life; but l married when ]
was only nineteen; so, you see, ! was
born to be Benedict
Like good many Others" re
piled, "who are monks in theory OF
sentiment, you were eminently con
nubial in fact. Celibacy is a charm
ing abstraction, but il not untre
quently ends in twins"
"Ah, true" he continued. "My
brother wrote a book on the blessing,
Of cclibacy, but his wife was tn.
plettiest woman to be found in tn.
county of Dorset"
And then We stood still in I'll.
cloistcr. Nor can ! tell why l did
not move away.
l scarcely know what it was tha,
aroused my suspicious in this very
remarkable man. He was gentle
man. and evidently erlucafti. In,