The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1916-01-13
THE MONK AND THE STRANGER


the Certosa monastery, near Florence
: Tor many years, was known to be on
OF the most thoughtful in all tina
ptalanstery, and one Of those least be
loved of his brethren. There was
fine curl to his upper lip, which, if /
/ was not contempt-since that woulc
!, have been un-Christian-at least be
trayed his aloofness, by sheer force O.
mental capacity, from the simple mer
OF his house n habit. 1t CHANGED tina
seemingly the narrowest cell in the
monastery had been the one assigned
to lgnatius, and so rare are the changes
at the Ccrtosa that, after a lapse OF
years, the narrowest cell was still his
own. He had never complained; he
mad never even mentioned it. How
could he? Life is short, work plenti-
full, and the domain of thought Him
table.
One day 4 sprained ankle that kept
him in his cell give him the occasion
to realize that his cell was too narrow
Tor him. He lay upon his pallet, think
ing with sl1arpened faculties and, sud-
denly. 1t struck him that his mind was
cramped by the very cioseness of his
quarters. The our gray walls seemed
TO press In upon his mind and give him
the effect of being imprisoned. To the
ofher monks he knew such conditions
mattered nothing, for most non are,
like most men, very simple. But not
SO Ignatius.
AS Don as he could Walk he went
to Father Geronimo, the prior, and
begged for the favor of a roomier cell.
Old Father Geronimo smiled gently and
granted the request.
NO brother within my memory" re-
Elected the prior. has ever complained
OF his cell on the ground of size. Can
1t be that the good Ignatius' heart has
drifted away from prayer and medita-
ton ?''
Nothing more was made of the mat
ter and the placid life of the monastery
rolled on. The seasons changed. Olives
grew and ripened as of yore; busy
hands titled and cultivated those rich
upland acres of Tuscany that lay above
the Certosa, and mathis and vespers
We're sung after the ancient way. If any
brother there We're troubled by unhap-
piness. then no n knew it. The Ger
tosa is a spot dedicated to neither hap
| piness nor u~nhappiness in the worldly
sense, but only to pious work and
prayer.
One sweet day in April the prior
glanced up from a sacred parchment
upon the leggio before him to find
Brother Ignatius in his presence.
Again" said he, Il stand before
you a suppliant, my father. l feel my
self a prisoner in my cell. The walls
seem to press upon me and hinder my
thought. 1 seek the ind .lgence of a
larger and roomier cell"
The prior smiled soberly.
your thought" he repeated
slowly after Ignatius, as though tast-
ing the words upon his tongue. Well"
he added with decision, II shall make
you the porter, the keeper of the gate,
my brother, and you will have the
gate house TO yourself. the constant
freedom of the court yard and the
grounds. and a free view at all times
OF the plains and roads of Tuscany
your indulgence, my father. is
greater than 1 deserve the monk re-
piled contritely. Hat he been asking
too much? But his spirit exulted III
the change. His mind should now have
a free range like the very clouds
overhead. 1t was undreamed of free
dom.
Time slipped on. The TRANQUIL life
of the Certosa that knows no change.
nor wishes any,. glided away into the
hopeful future, of which alone it takes
but his eyes told of a deepening spir-
itual welfare with the years and a
greater readiness for the heaven to
which all aspired. Brother Ignatiu
alone remained unchanged. An eager
ness had indeed crept into his eyes.
but it was not toward heaven. As
keeper OF the gate he was in closer.
touch with mundane life thar were
any of his brothers.
Pilgrims passed his door and wan
derers, strangers, pressing on, whipped
perhaps by rain or cares, horses driven
by impatient drivers, all the busy life
of h world whose urge is other than
that OF the Certosa, folk to whom
prayer and meditation are words rather
than the daily portion of life.
Ignatius, / say. saw all this end
less pageant of days and an eagerness
crept into his eyes. 1t seemed to him
that after all he was bound. He was
bound to his gate as a hind is bound
70 his glebe, as a slave to his gal
ley. How could thought range with
SUCH C0nEfr1 inf 2 &# If nv,1x, 1,n ~ 11..J1a
wander into the freedom of the plains.
nay, more, IL only he could lose him
SELF in the l~abyrinthine city below
where the multitudes dwelt In per-
petual rejoicing, in eternal freedom to
think, to range. to go and to return!
That We're indeed to live. One night
after vespers %Ignatius inscribed a let
ter to the prior because OF a diff
len he had to face him again,
MY son" the prior told Ignatius
heAt morning with q shining face. 81
nave prayed for guidance during the
night n my way is clear before me.
When you came TO this monastery you
We're little more than a boy. liz the
walls OF this house now constrain you.
you must leave them. Nay, / am moi
being harsh" lie added with the be.
nign smile that was his. as he noted
q hadow OF the face of Ignatius. Il
am not expelling. Co. and IL you list.
after g time. return. The gates are
OPSA w J0n.4 IQQeeQ, my earnest
counsel is. 60"
Contrition mingled with gratitude in
the heart of Brother Ignatius as he
hanke the prior. and without fur
ther d he turned his back upon the
Old walls and wandered down to
Florence.
Marvellous was the life of the city.
Az first a kind OF tumultuous happi-
ness seemed to blow perpetually about
MS ears like q wind. SO that he hardly
knew what he was about. He had
all but forgotten that there were SO.
many women and little children in the
world. They filled the atreets with q
strange Hyeliness that was part or
their ineffable loneliness and, as for
the men.-weii. the monastery seem
ingiy q no monopoly of grave and
sober men. He feil into talk with q
t~iorentine watchman one day near the
paptistery and discovered In that
simple servitor q truly profound think
er. Besides. that watchmars seemed to5
pc greeting pleasantly hair the people
that passed his station.
- fhnf - q, lfv- 1ALAAsrt