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The Holy Mountain of La Salette.pdf - the Catholic Kingdom!

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old man, upon whom has descended through<br />

so long and holy a line, <strong>the</strong> authority <strong>of</strong> St.<br />

Bruno. We spoke <strong>of</strong> that sainted founder, <strong>of</strong><br />

his rule and <strong>of</strong> his disciples, and <strong>the</strong>n <strong>of</strong> <strong>La</strong><br />

<strong>Salette</strong> and its mystery. <strong>The</strong> General knew<br />

its history well, and <strong>the</strong> children thoroughly,<br />

and confided his remarks to <strong>the</strong> pilgrim. We<br />

walked toge<strong>the</strong>r through those long and<br />

vacant cloisters. Two <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>m extended seven<br />

hundred feet in visible perspective, and <strong>the</strong><br />

human form at <strong>the</strong> opposite extremity seemed<br />

almost lost from sight. No one was visible<br />

except <strong>the</strong> guest-master, and now and <strong>the</strong>n a<br />

single lay-bro<strong>the</strong>r, going on his errand recollectedly,<br />

with a beard like a prophet. <strong>The</strong>re<br />

were forty monks still in <strong>the</strong> monastery, and<br />

eleven novices. But <strong>the</strong>y were in <strong>the</strong>ir solitary<br />

cdla, or in <strong>the</strong> equally solitary gcrrdens<br />

allotted to each cell. Except in <strong>the</strong> choir at <strong>the</strong><br />

divine <strong>of</strong>fices, <strong>the</strong>se contemplatives meet toge<strong>the</strong>r<br />

but on apecial days for a time. From <strong>the</strong><br />

hour <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> midnight <strong>of</strong>fice, and after <strong>the</strong> short<br />

repnse allo~ved between, <strong>the</strong>ir whole morning<br />

until mid-day is spent in pious exercises. <strong>The</strong>re<br />

is no refectory. Each one's meal <strong>of</strong> meagre diet<br />

is passed by a lay-bro<strong>the</strong>r from <strong>the</strong> cloister,<br />

through a little turn into his cell. We .<br />

entered one which was unoccupied. Its two<br />

rooms were <strong>of</strong> fair size, were paved with old<br />

brick, and <strong>the</strong> plain walls were whitewashed.<br />

<strong>The</strong> magnificent library was plundered by<br />

,<br />

<strong>the</strong> revolutionists. It now forms <strong>the</strong> public<br />

library <strong>of</strong> Grenoble, one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> finest provincial<br />

libraries in .France. <strong>The</strong> present collection<br />

at <strong>the</strong> monastery requires but a moderate-<br />

I<br />

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