Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-23
La vie dun bon Chartreux doit etre
Ufle Oraison Dres0ue continueIIe


for those who have done you wrong; to pray
for those who sin every hour of their lives;
to pray for all sorts and conditions of men,
no matter what their color, no matter what
their creed; to pray that God will remove
doubt and skepticism from the world, and
open all human eyes to the way of faith and
salvation. Such is the chief duty of the
Chartreux. That the lives of these men is a
continual prayer would seem to be an un-
doubted fact; but they are more than that
they are lives of silence, that must
not be broken, save under ex-
ceptional circumstances. Time has
been when they were surrounded
by their families, their friends, when
perhaps they had ambitions like other men,
hopes like other men, and, it may be, have
given their love to women. But then some
thing has happened to change the current of
their lives, the course of their thought the
mundane world has become distasteful, and
with heavy hearts and weary feet they have
sought the lonely monastery, and, having
once entered, the door has closed upon them
forever. Henceforth the horizon of their
world is the monastery WALL and the only
sounds they will hear save the wind when it
eternal tolling of the bell, and the wall and
chant of the monotOnOus prayers. 1t is
difficult to understand how men, young,
rich, well-favored, can seclude themselves
in this busy and wonderful age; and re-
nouncing all the pleasures and gaiety of
the world, take upon themselves solemn
VOWS of chastity and silence, which, once
taken, are devOutly Kept To God and
Gods service they dedicate themselves; and
though on the earth, they are scarcely of it.
They live, but for them it is the beginning
of eternity; the passion and fret of the world
will never more disturb them, and their one
longing is to change the finite for the in
finite. 1t is surely no ordinary faith that
impels men to
Enter Into Living Death
of this kind, nor is it fanaticism, but de-
votion too deep for words, too mysterious
for ordinary comprehensions to grasp. One
must go back to the eleventh century for
the beginning of the history of this strange
order. 1t was founded by st.
Bruno, of Cologne, who imposed
upon his votaries Solitude ''Si-
lence" and Fasting" For above
800 years the Carthusians have been true to
their saint, and wherever they have estab-
lished themselves they have lived their
lives of silence, knowing nothing of the Sc
ductive and tender influence of women, or
the love and sweetness of children; dying,
when their time came, without pang of
regret at leaving the world, and with moth
ing to perpetuate their memories, save a
tiny wooden cross, on which a number is
painted. But in half a dozen years or so
the cross rOts away and is never renewed,
and the dead brother is referred to no more
The lonely convent of the Grande Char
treuse is as old as the order, although it has
undergone considerable change. 1t is now
great building, occupying considerable
extent OF ground, but originally it must
have been single small house. 1t stands
in a detile in q region Of utter loneliness
Gradually 1t has grown and expanded, and
in order to protect it against the attacks of
thieves and marauders, it is surrounded by
a massive wall that is loopholed and en-
brasured. For what purpose it is difficult
to say, for these monks would never take
human life, not even to save their own. So
far, however, as 1 have been able to learn
there is no record ofthe convent having
been seriously attacked during any period
of its history But in the Revolution of
1892 the monks were cruelty expelled, and
their most valuable library was destroyed
They separated in little groups, and found
refuge in holy houses of their order in diff
ferent parts of Europe, until the restoration
of 1S1j-that memorable year-when they
reunited and returned to their beloved mon
astery amid the solitude of the eternal
mountains.
Mid Scenes of Savage Grandeur.
La Grande Chartreuse is situated amid
scenes of savage grandeur, $500 feet above
the sea- at the foot of the Mont Grand Som.
which reaches a height of 6,66S feet, and
commands view of surprising magnifcence.
1t is i'll the Department of Isere, France;
and eight hours journey from Grenoble,
which is the capital of the Department and |
station is q five hours journey away, and |
there is no other human habitation within |
many miles of the convent. The approaches |
are by wild and rugged gorges, through |
which excellent roads have of late years |
been made, but formerly these gorges might |
have been held by handful of men against |
a host. In the winter the roads are blocked |
with snow, and between the lonely convent |
and the outer world there is little COM
munication. In summer the pine woods
look solemn and dark, and the ravines are
filed with the music of falling waters
There is a strange absence of bird melody,
and the wind signs among the pines, and
means around the rocks And vet the
Of dreamy repose that makes its influence
felt.
To this lonely convent L travelled one
lay in the late autumn, when the falling
leaves spoke sadly of departed summer
slories, and the shrill blasts that came down
the glens were messengers from the regions
Of ice and snow. L had gone by train to
Voiron, between Rives and GrenOble, and
thence had tramped through the beautiful
gOrges of Crossev for five hours The
afternoon had been sullen, and bitterly
,old and the shades of night were fast fall
ing as, weary and hungry, L rang the great
bell at the convent gate, and begged for
A tall, cowled monk received
NE, but uttered no word. He merely made
! sign for me to follow him, and, closing the
gate and shooting the massive bolts, he led
he way across a court, where ]. was met by
mother monk, who was allowed to break
The Rigid Vow of Silence
10 far that he could inquire of strangers
what their business was He asked me if
lesired food and rest, and on my answering
n the affirmative he led me to a third and
silent brother, and by him was conducted
20 cell with whitewashed walls. 1t con-
aimed a small bed of unpainted pine wood,
md tiny table, on which was an iron
,asin and jug of water A
rucifx hung on the wall, and
,eneath it was prie-dieu. The
ell was somewhat suggestive of prison,
much comfort to be found in it as prison
ell affords in these humanitarian times.
Everything about the Grande Chartreuse
S of Spartan-like simplicity. There the
,ody is mortified for the souls sake, and
othinr that could pander in the least de-