years hence it might answer well enough; | asylum; he may be rich or poor, Christian, but not now.'

"Eight or nine years hence wouldn't answer particularly well for Miss Holland, though," Lord Borroughdale replied decisively, with which remark he picked up his big stick and collected himself gradually together to depart.

From Good Words.

AMONG THE TRAPPISTS.

A GLIMPSE OF LIFE AT LE PORT DU SALUT.

BY SURGEON-GENERAL H. L. COWEN, * THE monastic order of Trappists branch of the Cistercian

a

possesses

monasteries in many parts of Europe, one, composed of German brethren, being in Turkey. Some of these establishments are agricultural or industrial associations; others are reformatories for juvenile delinquents; while some have been instituted for effecting works that might be dangerous to health and life, such as draining marshy lands where the fatal malaria broods.

The Monastery of La Trappe du Port du Salut, the subject of the present description, stands near the village of Entrammes, at Port Raingeard, on the river Mayenne, on the borders of Maine, Anjou, and Brittany. Its site has been most picturesquely chosen in a charming nook, where the stream having rapidly passed through some rocky cliffs suddenly expands, and flows slowly through rich pasture lands. With its church, farms, water-mill, cattle-sheds, gardens, and orchards, the whole settlement looks like a hamlet surrounded with an enclosure (clôture) marking the limits of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction. A narrow passage between two high walls leads to the entrance gate, bearing the inscription, "Hic est Portus Salutis," "Here is the haven of safety." A long chain with an iron cross for a handle being pulled and a bell rung, a porter opens a wicket, bows his the obligatory salutation of the Trappistand in silence awaits the ringer's interrogation. The latter may have come simply from curiosity, or he may be a traveller seeking for shelter and hospitality, a beggar asking alms, or even a wrong-doer in search of an

head down to his knees

The writer is greatly indebted for the substance of the information this article contains, to his friend, Professor E. S., who has resided in the monastery of Le Port du Salut, both as a guest and as a temporary secretary to its abbot, Dom. H. M.

Jew, or Mohammedan - -no matter! the porter at once grants admittance, conducts him to the guests' reception-room, and summons the hostelier.

A monk in white robes appears, his head shaven with the exception of a ring of hair. He bows as did the porter. If the visitor only contemplates a stay of a few hours no formality is gone through; a meal and refreshments are offered, and he is conducted over the monastery. But if he proposes to sleep there, the monk, whose rules are to consider that every guest has been guided to the place by our Lord himself, says, "I must worship in your person Jesus Christ, suffering and asking hospitality; pray do not heed what I am about to do." He then falls prostrate on the ground, and so remains for a short time, in silent devotion. After this he leads the way to an adjoining room, and requests the visitor to write his name in a book, open here, as elsewhere in France, for the inspection of the police. The entry made, the father hostelier (as he is called) reads from the "Imitation of Jesus Christ" the first passage that attracts his eye. In the case of our informant it was, "I come to you, my son, because you have called me." But whatever the text may be, he adds, Let these words form the subject of your meditations during your stay at La Trappe."

The communauté is the name of the monks' private buildings, where no stran gers are permitted to penetrate, except by special permission and accompanied by a father. Here perpetual silence is prescribed, save during the times of religious service, and the visitor is warned that in his tour around the domicile he is to kneel, pray, and make the sign of the cross when and where he sees his companion do so. This proceeding would at first sight seem to exclude from the monastery all nonRoman Catholics. The member of any religious communion, however, is welcome, provided he pays a certain deference to the rules, and as the Trappist guide walks in advance, and never turns round to observe how his guest is engaged, all derelictions in minor matters are purposely allowed to escape his notice. Were it otherwise, he would at once retrace his steps, lead the way to the entrance door, show the visitor out, and without uttering a single word, bow and leave him there.

The church is a part of the communauté, and is plain in architecture and simple in ornamentation. Here it is that

each Trappist is brought to die. When- | Antony carried a load that was too heavy,
ever any monk is in the throes of death, and I did not assist him." These and
an assistant of the hospital runs about the suchlike self-accusations may seem puer-
monastery striking with a stick on a board. ile, but they lead up to the preservation
At that well-known summons the brethren of some of the essential precepts of the
flock to the church, where their dying order, unremitting attention while at labor,
brother has been already laid on ashes deferential demeanor and Christian cour-
strewn on the stones in the shape of a tesy towards brethren.
cross, and covered with a bundle of straw.
A solemn joy lights up every face, and
the Trappist passes away amid the thanks-
giving of his companions who envy his
happiness. It is the finis coronat opus of
his lifework.

The Trappist must always be ready for the grave, and as he is to be buried in his religious vestments, so he is bound to sleep in those same vestments, even to the extent of keeping his shoes on. The dormitory is common to all, the abbot included. The beds are made of quilted straw, as hard as a board, and are separated by a wooden partition, without doors, reaching more than half-way to the ceiling. There is not the least distinction of accommodation. The superior rests not more luxuriously than the brethren, because equality rules here as elsewhere in the monastery. For La Trappe is a republic governed by a chapter, the abbot being only the executive for all temporal affairs, and wielding absolute power in spiritual matters alone. But although he holds authority from the see of Rome, yet he is elected by the brethren, who may if they choose elevate the humblest official of the monastery. There are no menial Occupations, as the world esteems them, inside the religious houses of the order. The commonest duties may be performed by inmates of the highest social rank.

The chapter house answers the double
purpose of a hall for meetings and of a
reading room. The chapter assembles
daily at 5 A.M. the fathers in their white
gowns, the brethren in their brown ones -
in order to discuss any matter, temporal
or spiritual, interesting to the general
community. When the secular business
of the day has been gone through the ab-
bot says,
"Let us speak concerning our
rules,"
implying that any derelictions
which may have occurred during the past
twenty-four hours are to be considered.
Then all the monks in succession, as they
may have occasion, accuse themselves of
any neglect, even the most trivial. One
may say, "Reverend father," addressing
the abbot, "I accidentally dropped my
tools when working; " another, "I did
not bow low enough when Brother Joseph
passed me; "a third, “I saw that Brother

But if any brother may have omitted to mention derelictions of which he himself was not aware it then devolves upon his companions, with the view of maintaining rules, on the observance of which the happiness of all is concerned, to state to the abbot what those faults may have been. For instance, one will say, "When Brother Simeon comes to the chapter he sometimes forgets to make the sign for the brethren who stood up on his arrival to sit down again, and yesterday Brother Peter remained standing for one hour, until another brother came in and made the sign to be seated." Thus warned Brother Simeon rises and kisses the informant, thanking him in this way for kindly reproving him. These accusations are considered by the brethren as showing their zeal for reciprocal improvement.

The Trappist is bound to make the abbot acquainted at once with everything that occurs within the precinct of the monastery, and minutiæ of the most trifling and sometimes even ludicrous nature must be reported without delay. To the same ear, and in private, must also be communicated those confessions in which personal feelings. even against himself. cerned. To quote a single instance. It once so happened that a brother of Le Port du Salut took a dislike to Dom. H. M., the abbot, and came to tell him of it. "Reverend father, I am very unhappy."

Why so, brother?"

are con

"Reverend father, I cannot bear the sight of you."

66

Why so?"

"I do not know; but when I see you, I feel hatred towards you, and it destroys my peace of mind."

"It is a temptation as bad, but not worse, than any other," replied the abbot; "bear it patiently; do not heed it; and whenever you feel it again, come at once and tell me, and especially warn me if I say or do anything that displeases you."

The common belief that Trappists never speak is altogether erroneous. They do speak at stated times and under certain conditions, and they make use besides of most expressive signs, each of which is symbolical. Thus joining the fingers

of both hands at a right angle, imitating his exit. I say guest advisedly, for it is as it does the roof of a house, means the privilege of all who receive hospitality house; touching the forehead signifies at La Trappe to dine once—not oftener the abbot; the chin, a stranger; the-in the monks' refectory. During meals heart, a brother; the eyes, to sleep, and one of the brotherhood reads aloud, in so on with some hundreds of like signs accordance with Cistercian practice. invented by Abbé de Rancé, the founder The dinner at Le Port du Salut consists of the order. Trappists converse in this generally of vegetable soup, salad without manner with amazing rapidity, and may oil, whole-meal bread, cheese, and a modibe heard laughing heartily at the comical- cum of light beer. Though the cooking ity of a story told entirely by signs. is of the plainest description the quality of Strange to say, there is no austere gloom the vegetables is excellent, and the cheese about the Trappist. His face invariably has become quite famous. The meal bears the stamp of serenity, often that of never lasts longer than twenty minutes, half-subdued gaiety. The life he leads is and when over, all remaining scraps are nevertheless a very hard one. No fire is distributed to the poor assembled at the allowed in the winter except in the chaufgate. Six hundred pounds weight of foir or stove-room, and there the monks bread and several casks of soup are also are permitted during excessive cold distributed weekly, besides what the abweather to come in for fifteen minutes bot may send to any sick person in the only, the man nearest the stove yielding vicinity. his place to the new-comer. The chauf foir and the hospital are the only artificially heated apartments in the building.

The Trappist takes but one meal and a slight refection per day. He is the strictest of all vegetarians, for he is not allowed to partake of any other food except milk and cheese. From the 14th of September to the Saturday in Passion week, he must not even touch milk. Vegetables cooked in water with a little salt, together with some cider apples, pears, and almonds, being all that is permitted him, and during that long period he takes food but once daily. The diet is not precisely the same in all monasteries, certain modifications being authorized, according to the produce of the monastic lands. Thus at Le Port du Salut they brew and drink beer, and at other places where wine is made, they use that in very limited quantities, largely diluted with water.

The ailing Trappist is allowed to indulge in what is called le soulagement, viz., two eggs taken early in the morning. In cases of very severe illness, and when under medical treatment in the hospital, animal food may be used; but the attachment to rules is so great that the authority of the superiors has frequently to be exercised in order to enforce the doctor's prescription. In the words of Father Martin, the attendant of the hospital, "When a Trappist consents to eat meat he is at death's very door."

The cemetery is surrounded on all sides by the buildings of the communauté, so that from every window the monks may see their last resting-place. The graves are indicated by a slight rising of the grass and by a cross bearing the saint's name assumed by the brother on his profession. Nothing else is recorded save his age and the date of his death. ThreeTrappists wait in turn at table upon score years and ten seem to be the minitheir brethren. No one, not even the mum of life at La Trappe, and astonishing abbot, is to ask for anything for himself, as this longevity may appear primâ facic, but each monk is bound to see that those it is more so when one considers that the seated on either side of him get every-vocation of most postulants has been dething they are entitled to, and to give no-termined by a desire to separate themtice of any omission by giving a slight selves from a world, in which they had tap upon the table and pointing with the previously lost their peace of soul and finger to the neglected brother. their bodily health.

Any monk arriving in the refectory after grace prostrates himself in the middle of the room and remains there until the abbot knocks with a small hammer and thus liberates him. A graver punishment is inflicted now and again at the conclusion of dinner. The culprit, so called, lies flat on the stones across the doorway, and each brother and guest is compelled to step over him as he makes

Out of

Under the regularity of monastic life, its labor, its tranquillity, and either despite the severity of the diet or in virtue of it, it is wonderful how soon the dejected and feeble become restored to health. fifteen novices, statistics show that only one remains to be what is called a profès, the other fourteen leaving the monastery before the expiration of two years. A touching custom may be here mentioned.

Trappists are told in their chapter meet- | intervals during seven hours per diem ing, "Brethren, one of us has lost a father proves a greater fatigue than even manual (or any other relation); let us pray for the departed soul." But none know the name of the bereft brother.