The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-02-13

Gaucher sees nothing, hears sots.sE. sss sings on merrily uatil two stalwart monks capture and bear him struggling like . madman out at the little door of entrance to the choir.
 Next morning at dawn the unhappy monk was On his knees in the prior's ora tory, making confession of his sins amid a Tivulet of tears. 1t was the elixir, monseigneur, that accursed elixir that got the better of me-" he cried, beating his breast. At seeing his genuine despair, the good prior was himself moved to weeping.
 "Come, come, Father Catcher, calm yourself, and your sin will be exhaled like morning dew. After all, the scandal cannot we'll go further. To be sure the song was little hum l-hum l-but we must hope that our novices failed to catch the words. Nov, try to tell me how this misfortune overcame you. In test. ing the strength of your elixir, no doubt Like Brother Schwartz, the inventor of powder, you fell victim to your own de. vices. Accidents will happen, but don't you think you could dispense with tast- ing it yourself, this terrible elixir ?"
 Unfortunately, monseigneur, it is im- possible. The gauge tells me the strength and degree of the alcohol use. But for that final touch, that velvet softness, which is the charm of our liqueur, can rely only on my tongue"
 Hum," said the prior. "No doubt it is as you say. But when you taste the elixir, as 1t were. of necessity, it surely don't seem good to you. You don't take pleasure in it, hey2'
 "Alas, monseigneur," faltered the monk, growing crimson, l do. For the last 70 days have thought it absolutely delicious. It certainly is the devil who has played this trick on me For the future will leave it to my gauge. No matter if the quality of the liqueur is a triAe coarser, if the beads gather less buoyantly upon the surface"
 "Stop, stop r cried the prior in great excitement. "Think what you are talk. ing about. What ruin the reputation of d liqueur that is making all our fortunes Set our customers to grumbling, and then to falling offS This can't be trlfled with What you have to do now is to keep on your guard and not suffer yourself to be overpowered by miserable weakness of the flesh. Come, how much need you drink to test it2 Fifteen or twenty drops should be enough-say twenty, and never overstep the limit. The devil will have to go pretty quick it he entraps you with twenty drops. Another thing, I'll dispense with your attendance at yes pers. You can say the office of the eve ming in your distillery. And now, go in peace, my good friend, but above all, mind your twenty drops."
 During the day from that time forth things went quietly enough with Father Gaucher. But at evening, alas l it was we'll for him that most people held the ruined chapel in awe, so that visitors were un- known.
 All the morning Father Gauch CT pre- pared his retorts, his stills, sorted his herbs true herbs of fair Provence those were, fine, succulent, aromatic, watered with rich dews, and ripened by burning sunshine-but during the long evening hours, when the simples were properly infused, and the elixir was slowly sim mering in its great copper vessels, the martyrdom of our poor Catcher set in
 Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twen- ty," the drops fell from crystal tube into ruby goblet, to be swallowed by Father Gaucher with almost no sense of pleasure. What he would really have enjoyed would have been the one-and twentieth drop 1 At this point to escape temptation, he usually retired to a remote corner of the room, and buried himselfin pater nosters. But up from the mellowing liquid in the eoppes cauldron arose faint, sweet, aro- matic odor irresistibly provoking the de- sire to taste again. At least be might en- joy it with his nostrils. The liquid was of beautiful golden-green hue. When, leaning over 1t, the monk would stir the surface gently with his test tube, little sparks flew out of it that dazz' ed him.
 "Oae drop more l must have," cried the poor fellow desperately, and from a drop he proce eeded to a gobletful
 Next day there were tears, and despair, and hair-cloth vests, and fastings, and aagellations in plenty, but again at night the wicked spirits in the elixir resumed their sway. During this time orders for the celebrated elixir of Premontres came pouring in upon the brothers at tremen. dous rate. People sent for it from Nlmes from Aix, from Avignon. from Marseilles, and those who bought first bought again speedily. The convent assumed the air of manufactory in full blast. Here were seen brothers packing, there broth. CTS engaged in pasting on labels; others addressed packages, others loaded the carts that carried of their treasures. It you ask me who pro6ted by the wealth thus suddenly accuring to the order, I can answer you without delay-the poor for miles around the scene of Father Gaucher's labors. One Sunday morning, while the treasurer was reading aloud, be. tore the chapter his inventory of their possessions at the close of the year, and while the good monks listened to him with smiliDg lips and sparkling eyes. into the middle of the circle burst Father Gaucher, crying aloud. cts over. Give me back my COWS. shall make no more elixir"
 :" My dear Father Gaucher," exclaimed the prior in soothing accents. "vhat can