The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-11-17

Grant Mrs. Sartoris). Father Joseph has
| only been three years in the monastery,
| but is full grown in his enthusiasm. He
extoiled the mode of life on every occasion,
and to show how even in extreme cases
sinners could be made happy by forsaking
the world, he told me how bad he himself
bad been. Dear, simple, old Father Jo
seph; / dare say that the worst thing he
ever did in all his life an ordinary man of
the world would regard as something su-
perlatively virtuous.
The buildings do not need any particu
lar mention, as they are devoid of all
architectural pretensions. They are large,
however, and will doubtless need no ex'
tensions for q number of years. The
farm, from which the monastery draws it's
principal revenue, contains about seven
teen hundred acres of land, not by any
means first-rate from Kentucky stand
point, though the industry and economy
of the monks make it yield more than
many of the plantations in the blue grass
region. An avenue of Eogiish eims in
four rows leading from the "big gate" in
the country road to the lodge door is the
only really pretty feature of the whole es-
tablishment. AS these trees are yet quite
young and seem very healthy, the Geth-
semane Trappists of fifty years hence,
when the repulsive newness of the red
brick walls of the abbey will have become
weather stained and softeped in colorng,
have in prospect really grand avenue.
The occupants of the monastery are divi-
ded into five orders. The first are those
monks who are sufficiently educated to be.
come members of the choir-the Choir
Religious or Fathers. Their dress is of
white flannel, a gown with q hood and
buckled at the waist with coarse leather
belt. The Trappists are not, as many think,
"bare footed MONKS" for they wear shoes
of the stoQtest and coarsest make. The
fathers are awakened at 2 O'Clock in the
morning and go at once to the chapel, where
they remain in religious service for several
hours. Daring all the day and until in
the evening, which is bed time, there is no
time of recreation all the seventeen hours
are given to work, study and prayer. At
2:3O in the afternoon during that part of
the year between the 18th of September
Il forget what saints day that is-and
Easter, the only meal of the day is served.
During this meal, at which both the lay
brothers and the choir religious sit, one of
the monks reads from pulpit above the
tables and no other one speaks word.
The mea' the day of my arrival-for Father
Joseph took me into the dining room after
dinner-consisted for each monk of q
liberal bowl of vegetable soup, half dozen
sweet potatoes, and several apples and
punches of grapes. The only beverage ia
a pint of cider to each man. All fish, fowl
or meat of any kind is forbidden, as are
sickness the severity of this diet is modi-
fed to suit the necessities of the ailing
monk. From Easter to the l5sh of Sep
tember light breakfast is served at
O'Clock in the morning. The second order
of monks are the ''lay brothers )" they
serve in the choir. To their lot falls the
larger part of the manual labor performed.
They sleep one hour longer, going to bed
at in the evening, and have breakfast
every morning of the year. The gown OF
the lay brother is of brown flannel, as is
also the hood, and the larger number of
them wear top boots. The third class are
the obates-persons who wish to become
Trappst monks, but whom, because of
something in their lives, it is not deemed
proper to take into the order until after
long season of probation. The first VOW
of an. ohlate is for three years, at the ex-
piration of which time, if all the monks of
the community consent, he may renew his
VOW for three years longer or retire, as be
chooses. Ifhe renews the vow, at the end
of six years the same ceremony ls gone
through with, aud at the end of nine years,
if the oblate has been found proper kind
of person, be is allowed to become a monk
and enjoy all the privileges of the monas
tic life. During the time that an oblate
Is in q monastery he dresses like lay
brother and performe the duty either of
lay brother or of a choir religious, as he
happens to be qualified. The next in order
are the Familiar Brothers. These are Ca.
tholics who wish to retire from the world,
either for a time or forever, but do not
care to become monks. They dress as
ordinary country 1aborers do, and are en-
ployed at farm work. Their mode of life
is not nearly 80 austere as that of the
monks, being in effect that of the farm
hand who works from dawn till dark. The
last are the boarders, most of whom, as
matter of course. are penitents in retreat.
Each is regulated by the rules of the mo-
mastery alluded to above and by the in
structions of his confessor.
l diDed at the same table with the
boarders, aud in all my life 1 never got
into just such another company. Each
one of them looked as though he had stepped
out of one of Levers novels, aud will
wager my head that each one of them
though did not hear one of them speak
was true born Irishman. The person Op
posite me was surely schoolmaster with
out school, and he snapped his food from
his fork with an energy not unlike that OF a