The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-09-02
IN A OLOISTER.

In A OLOISTER.
How Novices Live and How They spend
Their Time.
From the New York Mail and Express.
/ had been invited by the master OF
novices of well-known Jesuit institu-
tion, some distance from New York,
to spend a few days in the novitiate
as his guest. The invitation was &C.
cepted with pleasure, mingled with a
slight misgiving at the thought of the
uninteresting solitude of the place
was going to. The misgiving was
speedily allayed ON arriving at my
destination, and the new sphere OF
life in which l found myself proved
interesting beyond measure. I met a
hospitable welcome, was politely es-
corted to one OF theguest chambers and
requested to make myself as com
Portable as possible. The apartment
to which I had been allotted was
marked by the simplicity which char
acterizes the establishment. No car
pet covered the bare, Immediately
clean floor, and the walls were inno-
cent of paper. The furniture consist
ed of a stove, @ desk, three chairs,
one of them a rocker, bed and a
wardrobe. Over the head of the bed
beamed the mild countenance of the
virgin; an agonized Christ faced it on
an opposite wall, and above the writ.
ing desk, looking forth from cheap
frame, was the wrinkled face of St.
jeremiah. In his aged hands he
clasped q skull-pleasant food for
meditation. Hardly had I disposed
of my goods and chattels, when a
light knock called me to the door.
opened it to admit q welcome friend
a young man who had once been a
prime social favorite, the life OF recep-
tions and germans, and who had
one day disappeared from his usual
haunts to startle his circle later with
the surprising intelligence that he had
decided to forsake the world and lse.
come q Jesuit. The pleasure OF the
meeting was mutual, and grew even
greater when I discovered that my
former chum had been appointed
chaperon to me during my visit. He
wore the regulation dress OF the Jesuits,
a flowing black robe, belted at the
waist, from the girdle of which hung a
rosary of large brown beads. say
the robe was black, but must qualify
that remark by the statement that it
had been black originally. Long usage
had transformed it into q decidedly
faded and shabby garment. My friend
evidently noticed my scrutiny of his
attire, for he remarked, laughingly:
"We do not get new garments every
day. received this one a year ago,
and hardly think it had come fresh
from the maker even then. One thing
certain is that I never felt happier
than the day 1 donned it and during
the entire time I have worn it,"
"Tell me-" I said, chow did you
happen to come here?"
He laughed again the laugh of an
amused boy, and he replied. ut was
very simple. had been leading a use.
less sort of a life, doing as ! pleased
and going pretty much where my fancy
led me. Naturally my mother began
to worry, but she did not talk relig.
ion. One day I received letter from
a schoolfellow who had become anov.
ice here. 1t was full of good advice,
and contained, beside, an invitation
to visit him. l smiled at the advice,
but accepted the invitation, as the
latter might possibly be productive ol
novelty. It was in reality an indirect
call from heaven. came to be anus.
ed, but remained to think seriously
of the new and strange life which ]
saw unfolded before me. The more ]
saw of it, the more inclined toward
it. Finally I concluded to make a
three days retreat, to isolate myself
completely from all distracting influ.
ences, and to mediate attentively on
the future welfare of my soul. The
result of my retreat was determine
tion to become Jesuit. wanted tc
enter the nov;tiate at once, and spoke
to one of the superiors OF the order
His advice discouraged me for the mo.
ment. He said: DO not decide has
tily. Return to the world for six
months, revive your classical studies
during that period, and then we will
talk the matter over again. You will
be surprised when l tell you that it
seemed to ME as if the six months
would never end. When they had
passed, my dicision was frmer than
ever. and here am"
"How do you employ your timer
In a variety OF ways. There is al
ways plenty to do, particuly as all the
work pertaining to the house is looked
after by the novices and lay brothers
We employ no female servants OF any
description, nor do any of the insti
tutions belonging to the order. Our
work is varied constantly. One week
I may be sent to the kitchen to assist
the cook, the week following may be
appointed porter at the door, and
then I may be transferred to the max
ing of beds in the dormitory, or tC
help in the garden. You see. body
has to make himself useful, and in do
ing 50 he gets some effective lessons ir
humility"
"Is there much studyW
"Not among the novices. Weusually
commit q certain number of lines daily
in order to keep the memory in good
condition. The real study comes
after the two years of novitiate. To
enter here one is obliged to have
reached o certain point in classica
course OF education. Teaching be
ing the principal object OF the Jesuits
they accept on probation only
such young men as promise to bt
sefviceable in the higher branches q
education, and the classics particular
", Another requisite is that where
parents refuse their consent to q sons
embracing this lie, the applicant must