The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-16


cided that Peter should devote his entire
time to the search for the marvellous elixir.
The care of the herd of two cows was Tor
mally turned over to Friar Hieronymus.
How did Friar Peter succeed in his
search? What vigils, what efforts did 1t
thing history does say-that in six months
time the Elixir Benedictine was known
through all the country round. Never
| sideboard was there that did not have one
of the squatty little TASKS with the ID. o.
M emblazoned on its sides.
And the monastery? All, the community
became rich Thanks to the famous elixir
the bell tower was repaired; new inter
was purchased for the abbot; the very finest
thing in stained windows was procured. And
as for the missing bell, why when Easter
morn arrived, whole chime of bells greeted
1t with q merry carol.
As for Friar Peter, the awkward fellow
who had been the butt of the monastery,
he had disappeared There was a certain
Reverend Father Peter whom every one
much apart from the others All day long
he was at work In his distiIery, While
score of monks secured the mountains IN
which no one except Peter had the right
to enter-was in an old and ruined chapel,
situated at the extreme end of the garden.
1t had been so long abandoned before Peter
occupied ii that the worthy trairs looked
on it with some little superstitious fear
Even after he was there they did not en-
tirely lose this feeling; and If occasionally
some headstrong monkling would Chamber
up the vines leading to the window VII tt pignt
with his long white beard, looked ike
necromancer as he stopped over his curious
vessels, gauge in hand; and then all around
tine tubes of crystal ana all sorts Oh I'M
canny things.
pealed forth from the great bell in the tow
err, Father Peter would quit his den and
repair to the chapel for evening l. PRAYER gs ,,r,
in line to allow him TO pass; how they would
whisper one to the other as 1.-The man with
the secret" went by Why, even the abbot
himself treated him with the greatest def
erence. And Father Peter, he glanced
around him. and saw the new, frocks of
steeple; as he heard the sound of the new
BELL as he gazed upon the newly fitted altar
alas! Father Peter was filled with pride;
and wont to murmur to himself: Ana!
it is to me that they owe all this!
But pride goeth before a fall. The good
man was punished-you will soon see how.
One evening the vesper service had be-
gun when Father Peter arrived. He seemed
much agitated; his face was flushed, and
stead of dipping his fingers into the holy
water at the door he thrust his arm In up
to the epow AT nrsd the W1Tdrny ir b
when they saw him make a genufiexion to
the organ instead of to the altar, wander
around the chapel for five minutes before
finding his stall. and finally seat himself,
with multitude of bows TO right and left,
and an expression of beatific repose, a muir
muir OF establishment ran around the chapel.
Twice did the abbot rap upon the stone
floor with his great cross before silence was
restored.
From the choir the psalms continued to
peal forth, but from the body of the chapel
the responses were somewhat feeble
Everybody was watching Father Peter.
Suddenly, in the midst of In exitu Israel de
Aegypto, that good father put his heels
upon the stall in front of him, and, with
a voice that made the windows rattle,
Numbered forth:
Oh, give me fiagon of Gascon wine,
roasted capon, SO brown AM, and ilne,
Internationally,
Rf-too-rul-loo,
i-too-rul-loo,
Ri-toO-rul-rul-layi
The utmost CONSERVATION prevailed. All the
monks rose to their feet. The abbot gazed
upon Father Peter, and said:
Verify, our brother is possessed Of
demon. Bear him away"
Two athletic monks endeavored to lead
Friar Peter without, but he vigorously re-
sisted, and before they reached the door
the movement degenerated into a scuffie.
And when, finally, they succeeded in get
ting. him outside the chapel, the refrain
of his strange chant was borne back to the
piouS ears within: ul-loo-rul-lay"
The next morning the unfortunate Father
Peter was in the abbot's oratOry, confess
ing his fault with streaming eyes.
All holy father" said he, lit was that
accursed elixir. which took me unaware
The good abbot was moved by his grief.
never mind-this scandal will be forgot
ten. 1t wasn't SO very bad, after ALL It's
true that song of yours was little-ah--
hum-hum-well only hope the novices
didn't hear it. Now let us see how the
mischief came about. 1t was in testing
the elixir suppose-your hand was lit
tie heavy in pouring. Well, well--you have
been the victim OF your invention, like
other inventors before you. Now, is it alb
upon yourself?"
UNFORTUNATELY, yes, reverend father The
gauge gives me the amount OF alcohol, but
for the fine, velvety taste have to rely on
Hum, hum Let us see. Now, let me
ask you something else When you are
thus compelled to taste the elixir, do you
take pleasure in it,"
Alas yes, reverend father" replied
Peter, reddening to his ears. For the last
two evenings I think that the demon has
tempted me, because find myself at it all
the time. / have about concluded to give
UP tasting it, and to rely only on the gauge
What matters it if the liquer is not so ex-
quisitely velvety, when my soul is In
DAN
Beware what you do, Brother Peter
interrupted the abbot, solemnly; I'VE must
not dissatisfy the customers. Now, mark
me-this is what you must do: Fifteen or
twenty drops are enough to test it, are they
not? Well confine yourself to that. The
devil will be very keen if he catches you
with that quantity; and, besides in order TO
service in the chapel You can say the
morning and evening prayers in the distil-
ltIy. AuU llOW 81 III pSdCSp OlOtASI CASA-
and count your drops.
During the daytime all went well with
Father Peter. but at sunset, when he would
go from vessel to vessel, testing the won
drOuS elixir his martyrdom began.
Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen twenty"
The drops fell slowly into the goblet. AS
for the twenty, the friar took them without
pleasure. But the twenty-frst-ah that
twentg-first DROP He couldn't help think
ing of it. So he would go to the end of his
laboratory and plunge himself into pater
nosters. But the fumes followed him and
fioated around his haven-directed nose.
All poor Father Peter! He would go and
take another drop-and then another--and
still another; and then he would fall into his
big elbow chair and take 1t by goblets say
ing to himself with fatuous remorse: "Ah,
/ am damning myself shall go to heili''
And then Mother Begon's wicked songs
would come to his memory, and ''Ri-too-
rul-lay'' would ring through the old chapel
Poor, poor Father Peter!
But all this time the monastery was
crowded with orders Scarcely were there
to pack it, to carry it to market 1t is true
that the service of the Lord suffered a lit
tie, perhaps, but that is neither here nor
there
Well, one morning F'riar Ansem was read
ing to the council the balance sheet for
the year. goodly sum was to be stored
away in the money chest, and smiles
wreathed the jolly faces Of the friars. But
a noise was heard. Friar Peter rushed into
the council chamber and said:
It's all over. 1 won't make any more