The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1899-08-18

| stool a few minutes rapt in a,lmira-
ton of the seuneS!ered spot and its
quiet repostiu! beauty, when an old,
bent prasant-man passed. "Nhy that
be the Catholic seminary of Rcdmere,
was his Wheeling answer to my query,
and instantly it struck me that this
must be the very place where my Old
college mate, Hugh Digby, must have
located himself. You have often heard
me speak OF him scholar, a religious
enthusiast, and real gentleman to
boot. He was at Oxford with me, but
coming under certain influences,
branched off to the Roman way.
This discovery of Redmere i'll the
gathering twilight came at lucky
moment, and determined my course.
| moved on, passed through little
wicket-satc and shruhbery, and came
out in front of the monasterial residence,
for such the "seminary" proved to be.
There was light enough to take in at a
glance large new building, and, flank
inc it, Il small, but handsome, church
ornamented with cross and some can
opted statuettes, and, just outside it, a
tall Calvary with spear and reed.
Next to the church came an ivy-clad
ruin, with the fragment of a fine arch
visible, and 4 few gravestones round
about \ little farther on was long
two storied building with mullioncd
windows and row of grifiinish heads
along the caves. In answer to my
summoning ring at the main entrance
of the "seminary," an attendant in
monkish garh made his appearanlc c.
Yes, Father Digby-that is, Brother
Crispin-could be seen presently: he
was now at vespers. Would 1'comc
in and wait? | was then shown along
lengthy rambling passage: past two
shrincs of saints lighted up with tapcrs,
to a bare-boar,lcd waiting-room where
my conductor left me.
So my old comrade. Hugh Digby,
was really here, and, as | learned after
wards, was now in religion Brother
Crispin, canon of the Order OF st.
Gildas. Soon he appeared, changed in
garb and somewhat in countenance;
bat with the old kindly smile he wei
coined me most warmly. The father
superior, he said, was away, but was
expected back that evening. Ofcourse
they would house me for the night
somehow, but, to say truth, the resi-
dence was very full, some stranger
brethren of the order being here already
for a great function Oh the morrow, the
festival of All Saints, and also the dedi-
cation of their new domicilc to the SER
vice of their own patron saint; and
most likely Father Cyril would bring
with him several more clerics. "Who
would have thought" added Hugh,
':wc should ever meet here. !, you see,
have at last found my way into the
fold Of the faithful; it may be, dear old
friend, you will one day do the same.
.Super hanc Pcham od:fcaLo ecclesians
mean, ct porte mferi non prerUalcbunt
adccrs cam" A rattle of rain against
the window-panes of the room we were
sitting in, and sarging gust of wind
down the chimney, here appraised lis Of
the rising gale.
a stormy night for the vigil of All
Hailows," put in Brother Crispin;
''yol have come to us ust in time. y
After some relreshmcnt given. |
begged my friend to excuse me, as |
was tired after my long days stretch.
I'VE shall have to put you" said
Diyhy, ''in one of the. dormitories just
vacated, for the old gucst-llousc is
cleared out, and every cubiculum i'll
our new quarters is occupied for to-
night Iou see, We have only just
left the real ori ginal m onastcry, one of
TIL? earliest buildings OF the kind in
this country, and full OF the genuine
medieval work You used to delight in,
which | shall hope to show You to-mor-
row. When our community acquired
this site, the ruins, except the burial
urOun'1. were made over with it, and
the old lomicilc house WAS patched up
and rc-rootrd to serve our temporary
uses. Some OF our furniture, in fact,
is still in the building; so you won't be
so badly off, after all. You will, ex-
pcct, see our superior, Father Cyril, in
the morning"
Shortly after this, escorted by Hugh
and lay scrvitor brother bearing 4
lantern, | was taken a short distance
across quadrangle to q door in a wing
of the antique building which had
caught my eye in the waning light of
lowering sunset. The night was
very dark; yet one could make out
great waving trce-iorms in the back
ground, and hear the wind sobbing
through them. We entered the build
ing, and Immediately on the right was
the doorway Of large and lofty
chamber. Through this doorway we
passed, and at sign from Digby the
attendant held the lantern aloft, and |
could see the room had been dismantled,
and was nearly empty. There was,
however, long oak dresser, like 4
sideboard, at one end, a large crucitix