Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1880-11-06
FATHER GAUcHER,s ELIxIR.
BY ALPHoNsE DAUDET.

of it."
The cure of Graveson began care
fully, as a lapidary counts his pearls
to pour out, drop by drop, thimble
fuls of a ''Iiqeur" of a golden greer
color, sparkling and most delicious
My blood was ali agl0w after this
delicious draught.
''This drink is Father Gaucher's
elixir; it is the joy and health ol
the whole country of Provence, .
continued the honest fellow trium.
phantly. cit is made in the mon
astery of the Premontres it is worth
all the Chartreuses in the world.
And if you only knew how enter
tanning the story of the elixir is
Listen, | will tell it to you.o
! Accordingly he began in the most
simple manner-in the dining-room
of the rectory, which was SO modest
and calm, and adorned with the
whole history of the cross and with
curtains starched out like surplices
Ito tell me the story, which was
somewhat irreVerent and skeptical,
and rather in the Erasmus or d. AS
somy's style:--
Twenty years ago, the order of
| the Premontres, or / should perhaps
call the White Fathers, for they
were always termed SO among the
PrOvencaux, were in great poverty
and misery. If you had seen their
monastery at that time you would
have been quite sorry for them.
The high wall and the Pacome tow
er were falling to pieces grass grow
ing all round the monastery the
pillars splitting; the stone saints
were topsy-turvy in their hooks
there was not window or door
in decent order. The breeZeS from
the Rhone 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 of all, was to see
the spire of the monastery as silent
as an abandoned pidgeon-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! / can still
see them. as they appeared at the
procession for the Fete-Dieu, and as
they passed along as sadly with
their hoods all patched, all so pale
and thin (for their only food was
pumpkinsand Watermelons). Bring
ing up the rear was the prior, all
abashed, with his head down, and
appearing quite ashamed to show
his ungilded crOsier and moth-eaten
mitre in white wool to the sun. The
ladies who belonged to the associa-
ton were actually crying for mere
PHYS sake, and the fat banner
bearers were joking among them
selves and pointing at the poor
monks. ''Starlings 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 a different direction in search
of gain. One day as this very sub
ject was being discussed in the
chapter-house, message was
brought to the prior, to ask him to
speak to Brother Gaucher, who was
anxious to be admitted to the coun-
ell.
You must know that this same
Brother Gaucher was the coW-herd
of the monastery that is to say that
he spent his days in driving, before
him, through the arches of the mon
astery, two thin cows, who sought
their food in the chinks of the pave
ment. 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 Begon afterWard he had been |
picked up by the White Fathers. |
The unfortunate cOW-herd had never |
been able to learn anything more
than to recite his Pater Noster (and |
that he could only recite in the
Provencal t0ngue), and look after
the COWS, for he was unusually |
thick k-headed and tas sharp as Il |
wooden BEETLE" 1t is true saying
that 'empty casks have the best
sound"
He was a fervent Christian, al
though somewhat dreamy; he wore
the sackcloth cheerfully, and gave |
himself the discipline with full |
assurance of its efficacy, and with |
such force. When he made |
his appearance in the ehapter-room
in simple awkward manner, bow
ing to the assembly with one leg |
behind, the prior, the canOns, the |
treasurer, all burst out laughing. |
This always happened when he APP |
peared with his gold old face, and
with his goat-beard and his foolish |
1Ssff Ch n
hilarity, Brother Qaueher was not |
troubled. "Reverend fathefs," ne
began, while he was twisting in his
fingers a rosary made of olive-stones,
"would you believe that by dint of
racking my poor head, which is
usually very empty, l think / have
discovered a way out of our diff |
culties? You all know my Aunt
Begon-that honest woman who |
cared for me when l was quite a
child (God preserve her soul the
old sinner, she used to sing shock
ing songs when she was drunk y l
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 10 prove 1t, she cCncOcted,
when she was dying, an admirable
elixir composed of five or six kinds
of herbs, which we used to go and
pick up together on the Applies. II
is a very long time ago, but be-
lieve with the help of ST. Augustine
and with the help of the prior |
could after diligent search find
this mysterious elixir. We could |
then bottle it /; and by selling it at
good price our monastery would be-
come 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 thrown /
himself on his neck. The monks
seized him by the hands; the treas
urer, more enthusiastic even than
the others, kissed with reverence /
the tattered border of his robe; then |
each one returned to his seat to dis
cuss the matter, and the chapter de- |
cided that Brother Thraysbule was
in future 10 look after the cows, in
order that Brother Gaucher might |
give up all hIs time to the concoc-
ton of his famous elixir.
How our good brother succeeded (
in finding the recipe belonging to |
his Aunt Begon, at what expense of /
time and trouble, history does not |
4oII -, o,,Ixy Opa fhiDag was oIlifn /