Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1879-08-16

word which he actually used was
not miserable" but accursed, and
began with ID, but there is no need
to repeat it here.
"Call me sBrOther.'n said Am
brose mildly. ave are all brethren
here. You can sing, can you not ?"
say" said Mr.. Knuckbowne, in
a sullen sort of way, as if his ac-
complishment recalled bitter MEM
cries. I've been a sailor, and I've
sung on the f0c'sle at nights so that
the captain could hear me in his
cabin, and used to pass the word to
the marine at his door to go and ask
what all that believing was about;
and I've been a solder, and sung at
at free-and-easies so that the perlice
would come rushing up from tother
end of the street to inquire what
was up"
Dear me! a chequered career I"
exclaimed Brother Ambrose with
surprise.
'|And I've been a pitman," con-
tinued Mr.. KnuckbOwne, stolidly,
in a bawling tone. land you'd no
need of a signal bell at the bottom
of the shaft when / was there, for
I'd only to hOllar: Hoy, there "
there Mr.. X. gave a howl which
forced the brother to plug both his
ears with his forefingers in a fright
ssand the cage had come rafting
down in no time; and I've been a
comic singer, and sang tom Bowl
ing,' not to mention other things,
at penny gaffs, till what between
the people who rushed in at the
doors to hear me, and those who
wanted to bolt out, saying l deaf
ened them, there used to be a row
at the entrance every night"
''Iear me, dear me! !" repeated
Brother Ambrose; "and pray what
might a penny gait be?"
fWell, a gaff's a music hall in a
kind O. way" said Mr.. Knuckbowne
sadly; and it was at one of those
places that / was collared one night
for being drunk and disorderly and
assaulting the perlice. The beaks
gave me six weeks hard labor,
without the option of fine"
"AhP' calculated Brother Am
brose compassionately, like a ply
stefan who sees a sore exposed.
"And-and you are an organist, l
believer"
"I'm the son of an Organist, and
bred an organist myself" answered
Mr.. Knuckbowne. 81 used to strun
away in our parish church o. Sun
days when / was no higher than
two quart pots placed one on top o.
t'other, and when / was in quOd |
used to play t. organ in the prison
chapel, so that one day the chaplain
saws to me, 'KnuckbOWne,' says he,
"a religious life is the thing for you.
You've gone. wrong eos O. the
worlds temptations. Just you go
and call on my friend Mr.. Brown,
at the Monastery of St. Ascetus,
and he'll set you on the straight
road that leads you to the 'appy
land. And so here | am" con-
cluded Mr.. KnuckboWne, passing
his sleeve over his eyes, and emit
ting a SWIVEL.
'sMy dear, dear friendW said
Brother Ambrose, greatly touched
and advancing toward him with
hands extended, sit is for recovered
sheep like you that our monastery
has been founded. You will find us
all brethren ready to treat you like
one of ourselves"
eyes, you seem good sort o.
chaps" replied Mr.. KnuckbOwne
pensively; and that bitter beer %
yourn is the best I've ever tasted"
Soon afterwards Mr.. KnuckbOwne
was duly installed as a novice in
the monastery, under the name of
Brother Hilarius and about six
months after his admission when he
had had sufficient practice at the
organ and with the choir, his fame
as a player and singer began to
spread far and wide. His bass voice
was compared with that of the late
Signor Lablache. 1t was not only
loud and pure, having notes like
those of a cavalry trumpet, but 1t
could compass the whole octave
without effort-now deepas trOm-
bone, now exquisite in its modula-
tions as a Well-toned flute. The
crowds who came to attend the
mOnastic services, went away much
impressed with the new monks
grand rendering of the GregOrian
chants; and they were not less
pleased by his performances on the
organ. Brother Hilarius was not
one of those players who revel in
difficult VariatiOnS-buth how clearly
he brought out a tune; and what a
rOusing effect the big organ had
when he brought down his broad
fingers on its keyboard, seeming to
splash out music in bold, brilliant
/ 10 vii
mighty well in his cOnVentusl garb.
He was the talleSt of the monks,
towering above them all by head
and shoulders, and there was a maj
esty in his massive stride which
made behOlders think it was truly
an edifying thing to see so we'll
favored a man take to the priva-
tions of a religious life, Some, in
deed, among those who admired
him may have wondered how any
man could prosper as he did on the
roots and salt fish which they inn
agined 10 be the staple of the noun
tain diet; unfortunately, though none
knew this but his brother friars and
superiors, Brother Hilarius did not
live an exemplary life at all. Not
to put too fine point upon it, he
was continually drunk. When not
musically employed, his daily task
consisted in bOttling beer, and, one
is sorry to state, it soon became evil
dent to the meanest observer that
many bottles were reported by
Brother Hilarius as broken, when
it was but too evident that the con-
tents of them had been poured down
his own throat. The brother worked
in cellar by himself, 40 he could
easily dissemble his tipplings, hut
he could not so easily dissemble the
discreditable condition to which
they reduced him. When merry
he would joke like pagan, and
sing songs not suited to the decOrum
of any convent, One day Brother
Ambrose felt the thing had gone
too far, and sent for Hilarius.
Brother" said he sternly, "your
conduct is a scandal. We are going
to remove you from the beer-cellar."
eff you cut off my beer l can't
sing" answered the Brother dog
gedly. "I'm a bird who wants his
whistle wetted."
LET me demonstrate" said
Brother Ambrose. "You must
surely feel that you did not come
here to be drunken ;" and he went
] e.. e havrV. IN n