Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-11-06

with the arms OF provence, al
with a picture of a monk in ecst
sizes on the silver ticket. Thanks
the sale of the elixir, the monastei
of the Prem0ntres became rapid
very rich ; the monks were able
have the Pac0me tower raised ii
prior brought a new mitre; tt
church was ornamented with prett
carved windows and in the finel
lace-sculptured steeple peal
bells, both small and large, rang OF
glad sound on Easter morning.
As to Brother Gaucher-he VIII
till now had been the butt of tn
monastery on account of his ur
calmly ways-the jokes had entirel
ceased he was now known as tn
Reverend Father Gaucher, ma
Of much learning and a great mind
who lived quite apart, and was n
more to occupy himself with tn
various occupations of his monasti
calling. He lived shut up in hi
distillery, while thirty monks wer
collecting herbs for him. This dis
tillery, which was so private tha
not even the prior was admitted
into it, was an old abandoned chap
ell, quite ut the extremity of tn,
canon's garden.
The monks in their simplicity
had worked themselves up to con
slider it quite a mysterious anC
formidable place, and if by acciden
any curious and adventurous young
monk reached as far as the roS0ce O
the door he came down in great
haste, quite frightened at the sight
of Father Gaueher, with his al
chemists beard, STOPPING over his
ovens. InhaEing the grateful steam
and slowly stirring it with his pipe
he seemed to recognize the mali
cious eyes of Aunt Begon in the
small gIistening spangles that float
ed over the emerald mixture they
seemed as if laughing at him, and
to say: "COme! take another dropp'
Drop added to drop at last filed
the goblet to overhoWing. The ex-
hausted monk fell down in a large
armchair, his body quite powerless,
his eye-lids half closed. He remem-
bered his sins, by fits and starts re-
peating in low tone in delight
full, penitent way: "Ah! / am
damning myself! / am damning
myselfv' But what was worst of
all was that he found written at the
bottom of this diabolical elixir by
some foul means all the bad songs
that Aunt Begon used to sing:
''Three old little women who liked
a feast" or Bergerette (maitre An
dre's friend), "Does she ever go to
the woods alone?' and always the
one relating to the White
Fathers, ''Patatin, Patatan." Only
imagine what a noise and confusion
this must have created. His neigh
bors in the nearest cells looked at
him with a sly air. ''Ah! ah !
Father Gaucher, you had some bees
in your bonnet last night as you un-
Then he would begin to
despair, and to cry, and to fast, and
to use sackcloth and the discipline.
could succeed against this
devil in the form of the elixir, and
every night at the same hour the
same play was enacted; and, an
in his hand and surround
ed with cucurbites made in pink
gigantic alembics, crystal
it was a strange mix.
ture, ,anda beWitching light cleaned
forth through the window. Ateven
when the last Angelus was rung,
the door of this mysterious place
was discreetly opened, and the rev.
erend father went to church to at
tend the evening service, you should
,.nnnDfinva
given him whan he crossed the
The brothers formed a
line to let him pass they bade each
other keep silence. "Chut-he has
the secret ~ The treasurer followed
him and spoke with bated breath,
and with his head down. Amidst
all these adulations the reverend
father passed by sponging his fore
head, his broad-brimmed, three
hood on the back of his
head like a halo, and looking with
delight around him at the great
courts, thickIy planted with orange
trees, the blue roofs (where weather
cocks were turning round); and in
the glistening clOisters, between
whose elegant pillars the canOns,
newly clad, were defling two by
two with restful countenances.
"They owe all this to mel" said
the reverend father to himself, and
even the very thought of it puffed
him up with pride. You see how
the poor man was punished for it.
Would you believe me, one evening
Turing the divine service he arrived
IN the chapel in very agitated
spirit, very red, and out of breath,
with his hood awry, he was so much
shaken that when he took holy
water he plunged in his arms up to
MS very elbows. At first this mis-
hap was put down to his being late,
out when he began to make eKag-
yerated bows to the organ loft and
he galleries around, instead of to
he high altar, and to rush through !
he church like a madman, and
stroll hither and thither in search OF
MS place in the stalls, and when
1nce seated he bowed TO right and
eft, smiling with an imbecile look
m his face, a hum of astonishment
il!ed the three Haves. The monks
we're whispering to each other over
heir breviaries: "What is the mat
.er with Father Gaucher? What |
S the matter with Father Gaucher?
The prior twice, with an impa-
,ient movement, let his crosier fall
N order to impose silence. 1t is
rue that the Psalms were still being
heartily chanted at the extremity
If the choir, but the responses were
not so spirited. Suddenly, in the
midst of the Ave Verum, Father
1aucher falls from his seat, and be-
gins intoning in a clear voice;
There lived once upon time in
Paris White Monk, Palatin, Pal
ltan, Tarabiu, Taraban," etc. This |
asst act caused general dismay. Ev-
eryone got up. Cries of "Remove !
him he is possessed with devil ~
The canons crossed themselves. The
1rior's crosier began to exert itself.
But Father Gaucher did not observe
,r hear anything, and two monks |
we're Obliged to drag him out by the
title door of the choir. He was
kicking like one pos
essed, and continued with renewed |
zeal his song of Patatin and Ia
'abin.
The next day at dawn the unfort- |
mate man was on his knees in the |
lrior's Oralory, and was performing
lis penance amid floods of tears /! |
ET H. ,xlsx & N ~