The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-07-28

Ia his cell. and because OF his humility
and his unflagglng industry, this
shortcoming In a brother whose fell.
lows we're all full beared, was readily
forgiven.
A PASSION FOR KNOWLEDGE.
Not only did he pray In his cell;
he studied-studied passionately.
And before five years had come and
gone Brother Basile" had become o
regularly initiated monk and was
loved in and out Of the monastery as
GOOD Father Basile."
No one was SO ready as he to 20
among the poor Of the villages, to
watch beside sick peasants, to bring
food to the starving, to comfort the
dying and support the spirits Of the
bercaved. For this the people came
to love him with a devotion which no
other monk enjoyed. All through the
district the name Of Father Basile was
known and revered.
Yet at times he was a strange being
whom no one could fathom. There
we're times when his prayers were
mingled with heart. rendinG groans.
With face CHASTITY pale and his fea.
lures writhing as though in NANTES.
tation OF some almost insUpportable
mental agony, he would stop beside
the road at dusk, his eyes apparently
liked upon some object miles away.
AT such times no one accosted him.
1t was something no one tried to UNI
derstand, but all respected the cause,
whatever it was, for all knew that
night good Father Basile would re.
main the whole night on his knees In
his bare cell.
WENT HUNGRY TO FEED OTHERS.
Nowhere In the world Is there a
monastery whose regulations are more
severe than arc these Of Tziducaui.
Unless he were i'll Father Basile didn't
know the taste Of tea, coffee or cocoa.
Like the other monks he slept In q
cold. bare cell. At 6 a. no, he rose from
his narrow, hard bed and said prayers
for half an hour, until the ringing OF
the Angelus. After that until 8
O'Clock, without a morsel Of food, he
attended various services. Then med
itation for half an hour, another half
hour at work In the garden, or at some
other kind OF manual labor. Now there
is q meal Of the most frugal descrlp.
tion-never a morsel Of flesh meat,
al during Lent not even eggs, cheese,
milk or butter.
Coarse bread, q little fish, some
times two eggs and n salad, with the
nhninn r { u,i,n ~ hoor lI.t ,.,, ~
fare OF Father Basile. And because
almost daily he would lay aside some
portion OF it TO relieve the III iger CT
some poor villagcr he was more often
hungry himself than any other monk.
Such self. denial, and SUCH deeds OF
kindness to all In the district who
ever appealed to him caused Faith
Basile'S fame to spread all over Europe.
When he grew too old to leave the
monastery gfoun is peasants and ever
rich and powerful persons made pill
grlmagcs, even from great distances to,
obtain the blessing OF the hottest OF
monks.
a little more than two months age
Father Bisile was ninety years old.
The visitors who did him honor On
that day were SO numerous that the
monastery Enclosure could hardly hold
thtm. His place in the monastery,
unotliclally, was higher than that OF
the abbot, for it was the fame OF
Father Is ISLES piety and long ascetic
life that had caused Tziducani to rise
from obscurity and take it's place
among the most celebrated homes OF
religious orders.
Father Basile, on his ninetieth
birthday, was still active, but d .af and
partly blind. The outlines OF his
wrinklcd face were softened by long
struggling hairs barely enough OF
them to be called by courtesy a beard.
For the last half dozen years he had
remained mostly in his cell, praying
more hours than ever. But he was
more cheerful than formerly. What.
ever had been the crime which he had
confessed to the old abbot, nov dead,
he seemed to feel that it had been
fully expiated.
DEAD AND A WOMAN.
Less than "a m%ontblatef good Father
BAaile was fourd dead in MS cell.
ltardly had the sad news reached the
ncighborln9 villages where it was fol.
lcwad by the startling report that / IN
preparing the monks body for burial
Tue fathers had made the di! very
thAt had thrown the monastery into
uncomfortable cXcitement-that Fa.
cher BaSile vas D woman!
There had never been any suspic.
ions OF this to give rise TO a false re.
port, and the very reticcncc OF the all
bot and all the fathers when "details
we're sought tended to give the first
report stronger credencc. Naturally
The aobot would shield the monastery
from gossip so damaging to It's fame.
ana naturally the life long companions
OF Father Basile would strive to ha We
his fame continue unimpaired. And
ihuS there is only the first significant
lame OF excitement, and the first In.
cautious admission Of the fact to SUP.
port what everybody believes to be
rfe truth-that Father Basile was re-.
ally o woman.
Why should 1t occur to a woman to
such a step, considering the risk
OF discovery? She was a fugitive from
Justice. Where else could she better
bury herself? What other disguise
be more secure? Did she not
confess TO the abbot her commission OF
some crime?
SOLVES AN OLD MYSTERY.
And so, piece by piece, the old men
ana m Of the district have built
~ fltn InD.. 49,. 4 a II