St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-16
rnE LITE OF A rRApp1sr.
A Tisft TO ths Monastery at Gefhsemane
kentucky.

bou On the LOUISVILLE q UreAl SOUihcrn fali-
road. half way between Lebanon Junction
and COvington. furnishes graphic descrip-
ton Of the far-famed Trappist Monastery,
the Abbey Of Gethsemane which is located
there. On alighting at the railroad station.
SAYS the writer, found a little negro boy
officiating as baggage master. depot master,
and general superintendent On my asking
for guide to the monastery, he said that be
was the only man in the place, aud that be
could not very wei leave the depot. Point
ing 10 some saddled horses across the road,
he added that either Of them with free rein
woulG tote me 20 the monastery. thanked
him, and started FOX the abbey on foot. AS
cending long hin, ! came 10 a dense forest
with roads branching right and left. The
stiffness was painful There was no birds
and not even the piping Of
cricket was heard. I followed the
best beaten path. There was a sue
cession Of sterile hills and lifeless swamps.
After walking about three miles / saw the
steeple Of the monastery from the top Of the
hill II was almost buried in dense foliage.
Ten minutes later passed an unoccupied
house and a dilapidated mill that looked as
though IL had not been used for more than a
century. Everything had a decaying look.
The monastery Is a large rectangular struc-
ture Of brick, enclosed within two walls. To
enter fl you pass through an archEay COW
cred with flowers. There are benches beneath
the archway. Everything looked neat and
trim. The outer gate II before you, with an
immense iron knoeker. ] raped the door
twice with the kuocler. An old man with a
brown habit hesitaungly opened II. He was
pleasant-spoken man. vita an Irish brogue.
After inquiring my business he preceded me
20 a second gate. where ne rang a bell.
second monk. similarity habited, took charge
Of me. l was il a garden Of flowers, sur
rounding statue Of the Virgin. The open
/ door Of the monastery was before
me. i was ushered into a parlor on
| the right Of the hall. II was scantilv
/ furnished. II contained only four hard deal
! chairs, primitive table, aud a wooden spit
toon filed with saWdust The walls were
/ bare, with the exception OF u placard near
! the door, ON which the rules OF the house had
/ been printed for the information Of those
! seekinga retreat from the world. Facing the
door leading into the hall we're stairs that led
20 the upper stories. The silence was so
/ deathly that almost fancied myself within
/ a tomb.
Presently heard heavy footsteps coming
I
echoed from the upper hall. They neared
/ the top OF the stairs. / saw an aged monk
with his cOwl drawn over his head slowly
| descending the steps. He crossed the hall
! and made me gracious bow. With a strong
foreign accent he told me that the Abbot
| would be pleased 10 see me In a few minutes.
Again he made a gracious bow. and then dis
appeared through an opposite door. He
moved so slow that noted his pale face,
| pinehed features and hard bony hands. His
costume was Of rough material that looked
like bagging Of a snufi-brown color. He
wore robe and over that a long strip of the
same material reaching 10 his feet both back
and front Beneath the strip was a black
leather girdle His feet was hidden in coarse
hob-nailed brogaus.
] waited some minutes. Then the door
was reOpened and another monk in spotless
white came into the psrlor. His movements
were quick, and he bore himself like a man
Of business. / asked whether 1 could see
the abbot. Il am the abbot, - he brusquey
| replied, gazing sternly into my eyes. / was
taken completely by surprise. He was by no
means my beau ideal OF an abbot. / had
pictured in my mind sanity, solemn aud
demure man, but found out very soon that
he was sharp, quick and observant. aud
thoroughly conversant with the manners and
customs of the outside world. His accent
was French. ! soon saw that he was highly
gifted and very clever. A large wooden cru
cifx attached 10 his neck by 4 cord was stuck
in his belt, and on one OF his fingers he
wore a huge wooden ring. / explained the
object of my mission. at is a favor very
seldom accorded 10 strangers he said.
''The monks are all at work. But as you
have come great distance, and might per-
haps feel bitter disappointment, viii send
one of them TO escort you through the house -
/ thanked him and he retired. In few
minutes another monk dressed in white APP
peared, saying Follow me-" / did so. We
went out into the hall and through a long
corridor, stopping before a large door. The
monk opened il and invited me 10 enter.
''You now stand" said he, ''within the pre-
cincts of the monastery reserved solely fol-
the monks" had been heretofore in the
outer or strangers apartments. Within these
walls all the monks were dressed in white.
They were the great friars. Those dressed in
brown were only lay brothers. / now stood
within vast hall. with numerous doors.
The walls were bare, the doors implanted
and everything had a cold and deathly ap
pearance. The echo Of my footsteps inspired
rae with awe. / thought how terrible Il
would be If was compelled TO spend my life
time in such place. II seemed worse than
prison.
Suddenly one Of the Imprinted doors was
opened. a young monk entered aud passed
down the nall He smiled aud bowed very DO
litely as he swept by us. Many a man Of the
world would give much 10 be able 20 make 81
exquisite a bow. Ny guide passed on anC
= opened a door at the other end of the hall
E There ] saw many monks dressed in white
E working in the open air at various trades
! Some were farming and others feeding hens
P ducks and geese. One was grooming
{ horse, another was blacksmithing aud
s third was showing plane at a carpenter
S table. All were busy, but not a word wa
e spoken. They smiled, however, and madi
D signs that were readily understood. The
j seemed TO be eontented and happy. Tbei
= bright, fresh faces and the remarkable white
s ness of their teeth impressed me.
u We reentered the hall. Nv guide IN forme,
d me that the life of these friars was one o
: almost perpetual silence. They never spok
y except when reciting the offices OF Ia
t church. On opening another door we de
S scended TO the kitchen. The first thing
t saw was large pile of vegetables. An oil
/. monk stood at n table with scales weighin.
d vegetables and triangular little pies Of blac
= bread that ratified in the scales like stones
: He was measuring the prescribed quantity o
food for each monk. For min
e months in each year the monk
e live on this breap and soub'made from
D the vegetables. Even this fare is rcdueeS
e for the other three months, when they ca
II only two meals day. it seemed impossibl
y that men could live TO be so old on such sus
Z. tenance. l saw one monk at least uinet
e years old, and several past fifty and all looke'
!, fresh and healthy.
We passeddnto the refectory. II had n
Il chairs. IL contained simply a long des