The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-10-25
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LA TRAPPE DIE sTAOUELI.
The Famous BIonastery-A Paradise
of Peace.
From the London World.

or FeAGRs
From the London World.
If Algiers Is at present a rather law
less paradise, the famous monastery Of
La Trappe de Staoueh is paradise
of peace. In winter many passing
travellers come over from Algiers to visit
the church, the garden, the cloisters the
farms, and the pathetic cemetery shroud-
ed by gigantic Expresses on the hill. But
In summer when the hot ground is purple
with the bloom of The grapes, and the
scarlet geraniums make a glory round the
fountain in the court of the monks, there
are but few visitors. And at present, besides
myself, there Is only one who is staying
at the monastery-a French priest who Is
making a retreat, and who appears but
seldom. Really to appreciate the calm
and luxuriant beauty of La Trappe In
Africa you must stay at least for one
night. For Il is when night falls that one
realizes the secluslon of this haven-at
night, when the Stars come up over the
giant palms that guard the statue of the
virgin, and the breeze steals over the Vine
yards from the sea, and the moon shines
above the avenues Of expresses and The
thickets Of the tail eucalyptus trees. The
Spanish workmen and the Arabs have
ceased from their long labors In the fields
and have departed to The village Of staoue-
II or 10 their hamlets in the hills. The
monastery bell has sounded. and the pious
monks are gathered In the chapel saying
their evening office in the twilight
Often / walk up the long cypress ave-
nue. to spend an hour in the churchyard
Gray could have written another lovely
meditation here, among those wooden
crosses, on which are Inscribed the names
In religion of the dead monks. Their
names in the world are unknown at La
Trappe. Beyond the crosses l see the
great cultivated plain-formeriy savage
desert, haunted by Wild beasts; I see the
everlasting vineyards; ! see the great and
distant mountains; 4 hear the songs of
hidden Arabs working in the fields;
feel, In the wind, the presence OF the sea !;
and II seems to me, az 90 many others,
thaf-it must be sweet TO be put into the
live earth here when one Is dead. like the
monks, hooded but not pent within the
walls OF any coffin. They give their bodies
thus TO the ground TO which they give all
those hours which are not spent in prayer.
IN meditation, and IN sleep
For the life Of the Trapp4st monk IS
no idle dream He Is the hardest laborer
one can imagine. As ! stroll about the
farms and plantations / see monks dig
cling potatoes chopping wood gathering
grapes drawing water, wheeling huge
ers In the vineyards, planting, hoeing, de-
stroying weeds, trimming flower beds
toillng In the dishllery. carpenterng, bot
Ting wine-doing a thousand things. GEN
orally they are clad In sober brown or
and big straw hats. But some times
when their labors are very mental they
cover themselves up in a sort OF loose
blouse, such Vas a butcher might wear In
this they are unrecognl1a Die. A day or
two ago ] was on the farm, watching
herd Of little black pigs fighting over
their food when a young laborer came
up and began to talk-about pigs. natural
~. He told me that he looked after them,
and invited me 10 make the tour OF the
piggeries The conversation slipped from
the subject of pigs 70 that of bulls from
bulls to bull fights. Thinking the young
man wae a Spanish werkman--half the
world is Spanish at La Trappe de StaaueH
i drew out my cigarette case and offered
him a cigarette. He refused gently, say
ing, ut is forbidden. I have not smOked
have not been outside Of these walls FOR
fifteen years. And turning Up his blouse
with a smile, he showed me his monkish
habit underneath. / learned afterwards
that he and his father had been monks
together at La Trappe. The father is
buried now In the cemetery end the son
presidee over the destinles OF the Trap
pist pigs