Thomas County cat., 1890-07-24
A Close Secret.

A Close Secret.
Men have experimented with elixirs
of life for centuries and toyed with
perpetual motion since the time Of
Noah without achieving remarkable
success Neither has anybody dis
covered the secret by which the Chart
reuse monks compound a cordial over
which millions of lips close in bliss
every year.
1t was said not long ago that the
pope determined to have the secret and
that London bankers offered SIC, Co.,
600 for it, but chartreuse is not yet
manufactured by chemical companies
out of old boots and discarded tomato
cans. The monks still have monopoly
of the process, and they mingle their
mountain gathered herbs in the pro-
portions which many generations have
affirmed to be perfect.
The French government, which
receives s25OOOO yearly from the Car
thusian monks, has always protected
the monastery at Grenoble, although
religious houses have fallen in every
other part of the country. The profits
of the business are devoted to charity,
and there is no evidence that the
brothers share in the products of their
cellars.
Founded in 1854 by st. Bruno, the
order has ever been an ascetic one, and
from a belief that manual labor is more
profitable than meditation has grown
tse world famous industry of the mon
astery. The monks do not eat meat
and rarely taste fish; two days in the
week their fare is eggs and cheese; on
three others they eat pulse and boiled
herbs, and on Wednesdays and Fridays
they are restricted to a diet of bread
and water. One meal day is the rule
The monks sleep on beds without sheets,
wear rough hair shirts next their bodies,
and are awakened twice every night
to perform their devotiOns. They
wander over the hills collecting the fifty
ingredients from which their liquor is
supposed to be made, and most of them
are said to die of old age.
A TRAVELLERS ACCOUNT.
A traveller who recently visited the
monastery describes his experiences as
follows:
II was at once conducted to the recep-
tiOn room, when brother took me in
charge and told me that was welcome,
but that the duration of strangers
visits was always limited to forty-eight
hours. He then led the way to my cell,
which was very comfortable, though
uncarpeted, bedroom. Looking round
it as washed my hands before going
down to supper 1 found that it con-
tained good bedstead, large table
and an ample cupboard, inside which
the lay brother who escorted me showed
me some plates containing biscuits,
apples and raisins, together with bottles
of yellow and green chartreuse, which
he added, are at your disposal should
you feel faint during the night One
: thing the bedroom did not contain, this
being looking glass, and found that
none of them are to be seen in the mon
astery, because they are supposed to
minister toward vanity.
II was OF course aware that animal
food, or meat, to use the more COLO
quial expression, was not provided, even
for strangers; but there must be some
thing wrong with the appetite of the
man who cannot make a hearty and
satisfying meal off the fare provided
for him at the Grande Chartreusc.
Eggs, timed lobster, rice, vegetables
and fruit of various kinds become mo-
notonous by repetition, but the keen
mountain air gives them a wonderful
relish. while there is plenty of table
wine and at the end Of the meal chart
reuse at discretion. The meal was
served in one of the several refectOries
set apart for strangers. 1t was not
much more than 8 o'clock when our
supper was over, and the lay brother Of
fered to show us back to our rooms,
though, as he was careful to explain,
we were not expected to 60 to bed at
once unless we wished to do so. AS L
told him at once, one of the main
reasons which had attracted me to the
Grande Chartreuse was my desire
Protestant though was, to attend the
service of which had read so often,
and he then informed me that it would
begin at IL o'clock, and in case 1 should
fall asleep and not hear the chapel bell
1 should be warned half an hour be-
forehand
A NIGHT SERVICE.
"The service is very striking. Catho-
lies themselves, having no books to
guide them, and unable to hear more |
than a word here and there Of the voices |