Evening star., 1905-09-30
How the Black Sheep Came Forth
From the Fold.


The great bell of Beauleu was ringing
Far away through the forest might be heard
its musical clangor and swell Peat-cutters
on blackdown and fishers upon the ENC
heard the distant throbbing rising and fall
ing upon the sultry summer air. 1t was a
common sound in those parts-as common
as the chatter of the jays and the booming
of the bittern. Yet the fishers and the peas
ants raised their heads and looked questions
at each other. for the angelus had already
gone and vespers was still far off. Why
should the great bell of Beaulieu toll when
the shadows were neither short nor long?
All around the abbey the monks were
trooping in. Under the long green-paved
avenues of gnarled oaks and lchened
beeches the white-robed brothers gathered
to the sound. From the vineyard and the
vine press, from the bouvary or OK farm,
from the mari pits and salterns. even from
the distant iron works of Sowley and the
outlying grange of St. Leonard's they had
all turned their steps homeward. 1t had
been no sudden call A swift messenger had
the night before sped round to the outlying
dependencies of the abbey and had left the
summons for every monk to be back In the
clolsters by the third hour after noontide.
So urgent a message had not been issued
within the memory of old lay brother Atha-
nasus who had cleaned the abbey knocker
since the year after the battle of Bannock-
burn.
stranger who knew nothing either Of
the abbey or of its immense resources might
have gathered from the appearance of the
brothers some conception of the varied du-
ties which they were called upon to per-
form. and of the busy widespread life which
centered in the old monastery. As they
swept gravely in by twoS and by threeS,
with bended heads and muttering lips. there
were few who did not bear upon them some
signs of their daily toll. Here were two
with wrists and sleeves all spotted with the
ruddy grape juice. There again was a
bearded brother with a broad-headed ak and
q bundle of faGgOts upon his shoulder. While
beside him walked another with the shears
under his arm and the white wool still cling
ing to his whittier gown. A long, struggling
troop bore spades and mattocks, while the
two rearmost of all staggered along under a
huge basket of fresh-caught carp, for the
morrow was Friday, and there were nifty
platters to be filled and many sturdy
trenchermen behind them. OF all the throag
there was scarce one who was not labor
stained and weary, for Abbot Berghersh
was a hard man TO himself and to others.
Meanwhile, in the broad and lofty cham
ber set apart for occasions of import, the
abbot himself was pacing impatiently back
ward and forward with his long, white, ner-
vous hands clasped in front of him His
thin, thought-worn features and sunken,
h2ggard cheeks bespoke one who had indeed
beaten down that inner foe whom every
man must face. but had none the less sui
fered sorely in the contest. In crushing
lis passions he had wel-nigh crushed him
self. Yet, frail was his person. there
cleaned out ever and anon from under his
dropping brow a flash of fierce energy,
which recalled to mems minds that he came
of a fighting stock, and that even now his
twin brother. Sir Bartholomew Berghersh,
was one of the most famous of those stern
warriors who had planted the Cross of st.
George before the gates of Paris. With lips
compressed and clouded brow. he strobe up
and down the oaken floor. the very genius
and impersonation of asceticism while the
great bell still thundered and Changed above
his head. At last the uproar died away in
three last measured throbs, and ere their
echo had ceased the abbot struck a small
gong which summoned a lay brother to his
presence.
Have the brethren come?' he asked. in
the Anglo-French dialect used In religious
houses.
They are here" the other answered, with
his eyes cast down and his hands crossed
upon his chest.
'An?''
Two and thirty of the seniors and fifteen
of the noyices, most holy father. Brother
Mark of the Spicarium is sore smitten with
a fever and could not come. He said
that"
1T boots not what he said. Fever or no,
he should have come at my call. His spirit
must be chastened, as must that of many
more In this abbey. You yourself. Brother
Francis. have twice raised your voice, so it
hath come to my ears when the reader in
the refectory hath been dealing with the