The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-12-10
FATHER GAUCHERs ELIXIR.
BY ALPHoNso EAUDET.

BY ALPHoNso EAUDET.
''Drink draught of this, my friend,
and tell me what you think of it"
The Cure of Graveson began carefully,
as a lapidary counts his pearls, to pour
out, drop by drop, thimblefuls OF
''liquer" of a golden green color, spark
ling and most delicious. My blood was
all aglow after this delicious draught.
s'This drink was Father Gaucher's
elixir, it is the Joy and health of the
whole country, of Provence" continued
the honest fellow triumphantly. ''It is
made in the monastery of the Premon-
tres; it is worth all the Chartreuses in
the world. And if you only knew how
entertaining the story of this elixir is!
Listen, I will tell it to you
Accordingly he began in the most sim
pie manner-in the dining-room of the
rectory, which was SO modest, and calm,
and adorned with the whole history of
like surplices-to tell me the story,
which was somewhat irreverent and
sceptical, and rather in the Erasmus OF
d'Assomy's style.
Twenty years ago, the order of the Pre-
INQUIRIES, or should perhaps call them
the White Fathers, for they were always
termed 80 amongst the Proveneaux, were
in great poverty and misery. If you had
seen monastery at that time you would
have been quite sorry for them. The
high wall and the Pacome tower were
falling to pieces; grass growing all
around the monastery; the pillars split
ting; the stone saints were topsy-turvey
in their hooks; there was not window
or door in decent order. The breezes
from the Rhoze blew as bleakly as in the
Camargue, blowing out the tapers and
breaking the leads round the windows,
and emptying the shells of the holy
water. But what was the saddest sight
fall, was to see the spire of the monas-
terry as silent as an abandoned pigeon
house, and the fathers, having no means
of buying bell, were reduced to ring
their mathis by changing pieces of wood
gathered from the almond tree.
Poor White Fathers! I can still see
them, as they appeared at the procession
for the Fete-Dieu, as they passed along
80 sadly with their hoods all patched, all
% pale and thin flor their only food was
pumpkins and watermelons) Bringing
ur the rear was the Prior, all abashed,
with his head down, and appearing quite
ashamed to show his unguilded crosier
and moth eaten mitre in white wool to
the sun. The ladies who belonged to the
association were actually crying for
mere PHYS sake, and the fat banner
bearers were joking among themselves
and pointing at the poor monks. ''Star-
lings are always thin when they go
about in bands"
The fact is, the unfortunate White
Monks, had more than once discussed
among themselves whether it would not
be better to separate and each start in
difficult direction in search of gain. One
day as this very subject was beng dis
cussed in the chapter-house, message
Masrbronght to the Prior, to ask him to
speak to Brother Gaucher, who was
anxious to be admitted to the council.
You must know that this same Brother
Gaucher was the cow-herd of the monas-
terry; that is to say he spent his days
in driving before him, through the
arches of the monastery. two thin cows.
who sought their food in the chinks of
the pavement He himself had been
brought up by an old woman who was
quite mad, in the country of Baux, and
she was known by the name of Aunt Be-
gon; afterward he had been picked up
by the White Fathers. The unfortunate
cow-herd had never been able to learn
timing more than to recite his Pater
NO land that he could only recite in
the Provencal tongue), and look after
the cows, for he was unusually thick
headed and "as sharp as wooden bee
tie. 1t is true saying that ssempty
casks have the best sound"
He was fervent Christian, although
somewhat dreamy; he wore sackcloth
cheerfully, and gave himself the discip-
line with a full assurance of it's efficacy.
and with considerable severity When
he made his appearance in the chapter
room, in simple, awkward manner,
bowing to the assembly with one leg be- 4
hind, the Prior, the canons, the treas
urer, all burst out laughing. This
always happened when he appeared with
his good old face, and with his goat-like
beard and foolish eyes; so, being accus.
toned to this hilarity, Brother Gaucher
was not troubled. Reverend fathers"
he began, while he was twisting in his
fingers rosary made of olive-stones.
would you believe that by dint of rack
ing my poor head which is usually very
empty. think have discovered a way
ont of the difficulties? You all know nv
Aunt Begon-athat honest woman who
cared for me when I was quite child
(God preserve her soul; the old sinner,
she used te sing shocking songs when
she was drunk. must tell you reverend
fathers, that my Aunt Begon was very
learned in mountain herbs, as much SO
as any cunning fellow in Corsica. In
order to prove it, she concocted, when
abe was dying, an elixir composed of
fyesor six kinds of herbs, which we used
10 go and pick up together on the
Applies. 1t is a very long time ago, and |
T believe with the help of st. Augustine |
and with the help of the Prior [ could |
after diIgent search find this mysteri-
Gus elixir. We could then bottle it, and |
by selling it at good price our monas-
terry would become rich by degrees, like
our brethren of the Trappe and of the
Grande."
He could not finish his sentence. for
the Prior had got up and had thrown
himself on his neck. The monks seized I
him by the hands; the treasurer, more
enthusiastic even than the others. kissed
with reverence the tattered border of his
robe; then each one returned to his seat
70 discuss the matter, and the chapter
decided that Brother Thrasybule was in
he future to look after the cows, in or
Ter thai Brother Gaucher might give up
il his time to the concoction of his /