Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1893-06-12

| yours. / should like to do as you do,
father, and sing, the Office every
day, especially the Office of the most
holy virgin, to whom I have vowed
particular devotion. would willing
ly give up the art in which I am
known from scissors to Beauvais, in
more than six hundred villages and
cities, if l could be monk"
The juggler's simplicity touched the
monk; and, as he was not wanting in
shrewdness, he recognized in Barna-
be one of those men of good will of
whom the Lord has said, "Peace be
to them on the earth," and SO he re-
sponded; sFriend Barnabe, come with
me, and I will have you accepted in
the convent of which am prior. He
who led Mary to Egypt has led me to
you, so that might guide your feet
into the way of salvation"
And thus Barnabe became a monk.
In his convent the brothers devoted
themselves more than in any other
to the worship of the holy virgin, each
using for her glory all the knowledge
and skill which had been given him
by God. The prior as his part wrote
books treated according to scholastic
rules the virtues of the mother of
God, and Brother Maurice copied with
a mastery hand on parchment these
treatises, which Brother Alexander
Illuminated with fine miniatures. There
was the queen of heaven on Solomon's
throne, at the feet of which watched
four lions, while around her glorified
head fluttered seven doves, typifying
the seven gifts of the spirit-fear,
goodness, knowledge, strength, coun-
sci, understanding and wisdom. For
her companions she had six virgins
with golden hair-Humility, Prudence,
Modesty, Respect, Virginity and Obe-
dience. At her feet two little figures
naked and beautifully white, were
standing in an attitude of supplica-
ton. These represented souls who
were imploring, and certainly not in
vain, her all-powerful intercession
for their salvation. Brother Alexan-
der would then paint an another page
Eve and Mary together, showing at
the same time sin and redemption,
the woman humilitated and the vir-
gin exalted In this book were also
to be seen the we'll of living water,
the fountain, the lily, the moon, the
sun, and the enclosed garden of Solo
omon's Song, the gate of heaven, the
city of God, and many pictures OF the
virgin.
Brother Marbode was seemingly
one of the most loving children of
Mary. He spent all his time cutting
stone images, SO that his beard, eye
brows, and hair were always white
with dust, and his eyes perpetually
swollen and running with tears; but
he was full of strength and joy in
spite of his great age, and it was plain
to see that the queen of paradise was
graciously guarding the last days of her
child. Marbode sculptured her sitting
on a throne, with nimbus around
her head; aud he was always care
full that the folds of her robe should
cover the feet of her of whom the
prophet said, ga garden inclosed is
my sister, my spouse" And then
sometimes he would represent her as
graceful child, and she seemed to
be saying, ooh Lord, thou art my
Lord!" "Di1i de centre noatris nsee:
Dens nseus es tot." psalms XXI, III
In the convent there were also
poets, and they would compose in
Latin prose and verse hymns in honor
of the blessed virgin Mary; and there
was even one monk from Picardy who
used to put the miracle of our lady
into the language of the common peo-
pie and in rhyme.
When he saw such rivalry of
praises and SO great a harvest Of
tributes, Barnabe was always lament
ing his ignorance and stupidity.
"Alas!" he would sigh, as he walked
alone in the little shadeless garden Of
the convent; 81 am very unhappy
that cannot, like lay brothers worth
lily praise the holy mother of God, to
whom | have vowed the tenderness
of my heart. Alas! Alas! I am
rough man and without skill; and I |
have for your service, Madame Vir
gin, neither learned sermons nor
treatises divided according to rules,
nor fine paintings, nor beautifully cut
statues, nor verses counted out into
feet and marching by measure. I
have nothing, alas" And then he
would groan, and give himself up to
sadness. One day while the brothers
were talking during their recreation