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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes index 6833f05..d7b82bc 100644 --- a/.gitattributes +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -1,3 +1,4 @@ -* text=auto -*.txt text -*.md text +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/38602-0.txt b/38602-0.txt index 49d6ab8..98b70b2 100644 --- a/38602-0.txt +++ b/38602-0.txt @@ -1,32 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Monk and The Hangman’s Daughter, by -Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Monk and The Hangman’s Daughter - -Author: Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -Release Date: January 17, 2012 [EBook #38602] -Last Updated: October 18, 2016 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MONK *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 38602 *** @@ -58,10 +30,10 @@ pleases me least is _my_ part (underscores Bierce’s). I am surprised that you should yield to the schoolgirl desire for that shallowest of all literary devices, a “happy ending,” by which all the pathos of the book is effaced to “make a woman holiday.” It is unworthy of you. So -much vii did I feel this unworthiness that I hesitated a long time -before even deciding to have so much of “odious ingenuity” and “mystery” - as your making Benedicta the daughter of the Saltmaster and inventing -her secret love for Ambrosius instead of Rochus. +much did I feel this unworthiness that I hesitated a long time before +even deciding to have so much of “odious ingenuity” and “mystery” as +your making Benedicta the daughter of the Saltmaster and inventing her +secret love for Ambrosius instead of Rochus. ‘“Dramatic action,” which is no less necessary in a story than in a play, requires that so far as is possible what takes place shall be @@ -2727,372 +2699,4 @@ Ambrosius was a faithful servant of the Lord. Pray for him, pray for him!] - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Monk and The Hangman’s Daughter, by -Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MONK *** - -***** This file should be named 38602-0.txt or 38602-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/6/0/38602/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 38602 *** diff --git a/38602-0.zip b/38602-0.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index d42db1a..0000000 --- a/38602-0.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/38602-8.txt b/38602-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d44c685..0000000 --- a/38602-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3097 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter, by -Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter - -Author: Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -Release Date: January 17, 2012 [EBook #38602] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MONK *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - - - - - -THE MONK AND THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER - -By Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -1911 - -Under the name of G. A. Danziger I wrote in the year 1889 a story -founded on a German tale, which I called _The Monk and the Hangman's -Daughter_. The story was tragic but I gave it a happy ending. Submitting -it to the late Ambrose Bierce, asking him to revise the story, he -suggested the retention of the tragic part and so revised it. The story -was published and the house failed. - -When in 1900 a publisher desired to bring out the story provided I gave -it a happy ending, I submitted the matter to Bierce and on August 21, -1900, he wrote me a long letter on the subject of which the following is -an extract: - -'I have read twice and carefully, your proposed addition to _The Monk_, -and you must permit me to speak plainly, if not altogether agreeably, of -it. It will not do for these reasons and others: - -'The book is almost perfect as you wrote it; the part of the work that -pleases me least is _my_ part (underscores Bierce's). I am surprised -that you should yield to the schoolgirl desire for that shallowest of -all literary devices, a "happy ending," by which all the pathos of the -book is effaced to "make a woman holiday." It is unworthy of you. So -much vii did I feel this unworthiness that I hesitated a long time -before even deciding to have so much of "odious ingenuity" and "mystery" -as your making Benedicta the daughter of the Saltmaster and inventing -her secret love for Ambrosius instead of Rochus. - -'"Dramatic action," which is no less necessary in a story than in a -play, requires that so far as is possible what takes place shall be -_seen_ to take place, not related as having previously taken place.... -Compare Shakespeare's _Cymbeline_ with his better plays. See how he -spoiled it the same way. You need not feel ashamed to err as Shakespeare -erred. Indeed, you did better than he, for his explanations were of -things already known to the reader, or spectator, of the play. _Your_ -explanations are needful to an understanding of the things explained; it -is _they_ that are needless. All "explanation" is unspeakably tedious, -and is to be cut as short as possible. Far better to have nothing to -explain--to _show_ everything that occurs, in the very act of occurring. -We cannot always do that, but we should come as near to doing it as we -can. Anyhow, the "harking back" should not be done at the end of the -book, when the dnouement is already known and the reader's interest in -the action exhausted.... - -'Ambrosius and Benedicta are unique in letters. Their nobility, their -simplicity, their sufferings--everything that is theirs stamps them -as "beings apart." They live in the memory sanctified and glorified by -these qualities and sorrows. They are, in the last and most gracious -sense, children of nature. Leave them lying there in the lovely valley -of the gallows, where Ambrosius shuddered as his foot fell on the spot -where he was destined to sleep.... - -'Let _The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter_ alone. It is great work and -_you_ should live to see the world confess it. Let me know if my faith -in your faith in me is an error. You once believed in my judgment; I -think it is not yet impaired by age. - -'Sincerely yours, - -'(Signed) Ambrose bierce.' - -I can only add that my faith in Bierce's judgment of letters is as firm -to-day as it was then, when I gave him power of attorney to place -my book with a publisher. This publisher embodied _The Monk and the -Hangman's Daughter_ in Bierce's collected works, then sold the right to -Messrs. Albert and Charles Boni who without knowledge of the true facts -brought out an edition under Bierce's name. - -ADOLPHE de CASTRO. - - - - -THE MONK AND THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER - -1 - -On the first day of May in the year of our Blessed Lord 1680, the -Franciscan monks gidius, Romanus and Ambrosius were sent by their -Superior from the Christian city of Passau to the Monastery of -Berchtesgaden, near Salzburg. I, Ambrosius, was the strongest and -youngest of the three, being but twenty-one years of age. - -The Monastery of Berchtesgaden was, we knew, in a wild and mountainous -country, covered with dismal forests, which were infested with bears -and evil spirits; and our hearts were filled with sadness to think what -might become of us in so dreadful a place. But since it is Christian -duty to obey the mandates of the Church, we did not complain, and were -even glad to serve the wish of our beloved and revered Superior. - -Having received the benediction, and prayed for the last time in the -church of our Saint, we tied up our cowls, put new sandals on our feet, -and set out, attended by the blessings of all. Although the way was -long and perilous, we did not lose our hope, for hope is not only the -beginning and the end of religion, but also the strength of youth and -the support of age. Therefore our hearts soon forgot the sadness of -parting, and rejoiced in the new and varying scenes that gave us our -first real knowledge of the beauty of the earth as God has made it. The -colour and brilliance of the air were like the garment of the Blessed -Virgin; the sun shone like the Golden Heart of the Saviour, from which -streameth light and life for all mankind; the dark blue canopy that hung -above formed a grand and beautiful house of prayer, in which every blade -of grass, every flower and living creature praised the glory of God. - -As we passed through the many hamlets, villages and cities that lay -along our way, the thousands of people, busy in all the vocations of -life, presented to us poor monks a new and strange spectacle, which -filled us with wonder and admiration. When so many churches came into -view as we journeyed on, and the piety and ardour of the people were -made manifest by the acclamations with which they hailed us and their -alacrity in ministering to our needs, our hearts were full of gratitude -and happiness. All the institutions of the Church were prosperous and -wealthy, which showed that they had found favour in the sight of the -good God whom we serve. The gardens and orchards of the monasteries -and convents were well kept, proving the care and industry of the pious -peasantry and the holy inmates of the cloisters. It was glorious to hear -the peals of bells announcing the hours of the day: we actually breathed -music in the air--the sweet tones were like the notes of angels singing -praise to the Lord. - -Wherever we went we greeted the people in the name of our patron Saint. -On all sides were manifest humility and joy: women and children hastened -to the wayside, crowding about us to kiss our hands and beseech a -blessing. It almost seemed as if we were no longer poor servitors of God -and man, but lords and masters of this whole beautiful earth. Let us, -however, not grow proud in spirit, but remain humble, looking carefully -into our hearts lest we deviate from the rules of our holy Order and sin -against our blessed Saint. - -I, Brother Ambrosius, confess with penitence and shame that my soul -caught itself upon exceedingly worldly and sinful thoughts. It seemed to -me that the women sought more eagerly to kiss my hands than those of my -companions--which surely was not right, since I am not more holy than -they; besides, I am younger and less experienced and tried in the fear -and commandments of the Lord. When I observed this error of the women, -and saw how the maidens kept their eyes upon me, I became frightened, -and wondered if I could resist should temptation accost me; and often I -thought, with fear and trembling, that vows and prayer and penance alone -do not make one a saint; one must be so pure in heart that temptation is -unknown. Ah me! - -At night we always lodged in some monastery, invariably receiving a -pleasant welcome. Plenty of food and drink was set before us, and as we -sat at table the monks would crowd about, asking for news of the great -world of which it was our blessed privilege to see and learn so much. -When our destination was learned we were usually pitied for being -doomed to live in the mountain wilderness. We were told of ice-fields, -snow-crowned mountains and tremendous rocks, roaring torrents, caves and -gloomy forests; also of a lake so mysterious and terrible that there was -none like it in the world. God be with us! - -On the fifth day of our journey, while but a short distance beyond the -city of Salzburg, we saw a strange and ominous sight. On the horizon, -directly in our front, lay a bank of mighty clouds, with many grey -points and patches of darker hue, and above, between them and the blue -sky, a second firmament of perfect white. This spectacle greatly puzzled -and alarmed us. The clouds had no movement; we watched them for hours -and could see no change. Later in the afternoon, when the sun was -sinking into the west, they became ablaze with light. They glowed and -gleamed in a wonderful manner, and looked at times as if they were on -fire! - -No one can imagine our surprise when we discovered that what we had -mistaken for clouds was simply earth and rocks. These, then, were the -mountains of which we had heard so much, and the white firmament was -nothing else than the snowy summit of the range--which the Lutherans say -their faith can remove. I greatly doubt it. - -2 - -When we stood at the opening of the pass leading into the mountains we -were overcome with dejection; it looked like the mouth of Hell. Behind -us lay the beautiful country through which we had come, and which now -we were compelled to leave forever; before us frowned the mountains with -their inhospitable gorges and haunted forests, forbidding to the sight -and full of peril to the body and the soul. Strengthening our hearts -with prayer and whispering anathemas against evil spirits, we entered -the narrow pass in the name of God, and pressed forward, prepared to -suffer whatever might befall. - -As we proceeded cautiously on our way giant trees barred our progress -and dense foliage almost shut out the light of day, the darkness being -deep and chill. The sound of our footfalls and of our voices, when we -dared to speak, was returned to us from the great rocks bordering the -pass, with such distinctness and so many repetitions, yet withal so -changed, that we could hardly believe we were not accompanied by troops -of invisible beings who mocked us and made sport of our fears. Great -birds of prey, startled from their nests in the treetops and the sides -of the cliffs, perched upon high pinnacles of rock and eyed us malignly -as we passed; vultures and ravens croaked above us in hoarse and savage -tones that made our blood run cold. Nor could our prayers and hymns -give us peace; they only called forth other fowl and by their own echoes -multiplied the dreadful noises that beset us. It surprised us to observe -that huge trees had been plucked out of the earth by the roots and -hurled down the sides of the hills, and we shuddered to think by what -powerful hands this had been done. At times we passed along the edges of -high precipices, and the dark chasms that yawned below were a terrible -sight. A storm arose, and we were half-blinded by the fires of heaven -and stunned by thunder a thousand times louder than we had ever heard. -Our fears were at last worked up to so great a degree that we expected -every minute to see some devil from Hell leap from behind a rock in our -front, or a ferocious bear appear from the undergrowth to dispute our -progress. But only deer and foxes crossed our path, and our fears were -somewhat quieted to perceive that our blessed Saint was no less powerful -in the mountains than on the plains below. - -At length we reached the bank of a stream whose silvery waters presented -a most refreshing sight. In its crystal depths between the rocks we -could see beautiful golden trout as large as the carp in the pond of -our monastery at Passau. Even in these wild places Heaven had provided -bountifully for the fasting of the faithful. - -Beneath the black pines and close to the large lichen-covered rocks -bloomed rare flowers of dark blue and golden yellow. Brother gidius, -who was as learned as pious, knew them from his herbarium and told us -their names. We were delighted by the sight of various brilliant beetles -and butterflies which had come out of their hiding-places after the -rain. We gathered handfuls of flowers and chased the pretty winged -insects, forgetting our fears and prayers, the bears and evil spirits, -in the exuberance of our joy. - -For many hours we had not seen a dwelling nor a human being. Deeper and -deeper we penetrated the mountain region; greater and greater became the -difficulties we experienced in forest and ravine, and all the horrors of -the wilderness that we had already passed were repeated, but without so -great an effect upon our souls, for we all perceived that the good God -was preserving us for longer service to His holy will. A branch of the -friendly river lay in our course, and, approaching it, we were delighted -to find it spanned by a rough but substantial bridge. As we were about -to cross I happened to cast my eyes to the other shore, where I saw a -sight that made my blood turn cold with terror. On the opposite bank -of the stream was a meadow, covered with beautiful flowers, and in the -centre a gallows upon which hung the body of a man! The face was turned -toward us, and I could plainly distinguish the features, which, though -black and distorted, showed unmistakable signs that death had come that -very day. - -I was upon the point of directing my companions' attention to the -dreadful spectacle, when a strange incident occurred: in the meadow -appeared a young girl, with long golden hair, upon which rested a wreath -of blossoms. She wore a bright red dress, which seemed to me to light up -the whole scene like a flame of fire. Nothing in her actions indicated -fear of the corpse upon the gallows; on the contrary, she glided toward -it barefooted through the grass, singing in a loud but sweet voice, and -waving her arms to scare away the birds of prey that had gathered -about it, uttering harsh cries and with a great buffeting of wings and -snapping of beaks. At the girl's approach they all took flight, except -one great vulture, which retained its perch upon the gallows and -appeared to defy and threaten her. She ran close up to the obscene -creature, jumping, dancing, screaming, until it, too, put out its wide -wings and flapped heavily away. Then she ceased her dancing, and, taking -a position at the gibbet's foot, calmly and thoughtfully looked up at -the swinging body of the unfortunate man. - -The maiden's singing had attracted the attention of my companions, and -we all stood watching the lovely child and her strange surroundings with -too much amazement to speak. - -While gazing on the surprising scene, I felt a cold shiver run through -my body. This is said to be a sure sign that someone has stepped upon -the spot which is to be your grave. Strange to say, I felt this chill at -the moment the maiden stepped under the gallows. But this only shows how -the true beliefs of men are mixed up with foolish superstitions; for how -could a sincere follower of Saint Franciscus possibly come to be buried -beneath a gallows? - -'Let us hasten,' I said to my companions, 'and pray for the soul of the -dead.' - -We soon found our way to the spot, and, without raising our eyes, said -prayers with great fervour; especially did I, for my heart was full of -compassion for the poor sinner who hung above. I recalled the words of -God, who said, 'Vengeance is mine,' and remembered that the dear Saviour -had pardoned the thief upon the cross at His side; and who knows that -there were not mercy and forgiveness for this poor wretch who had died -upon the gallows? - -On our approach the maiden had retired a short distance, not knowing -what to make of us and our prayers. Suddenly, however, in the midst of -our devotions, I heard her sweet, bell-like tones exclaim: 'The vulture! -the vulture!' and her voice was agitated, as if she felt great fear. I -looked up and saw a great grey bird above the pines, swooping downward. -It showed no fear of us, our sacred calling and our pious rites. My -brothers, however, were indignant at the interruption caused by the -child's voice, and scolded her. But I said: 'The girl is probably a -relation of the dead man. Now think of it, brothers; this terrible bird -comes to tear the flesh from his face and feed upon his hands and his -body. It is only natural that she should cry out.' - -One of the brothers said: 'Go to her, Ambrosius, and command her to be -silent that we may pray in peace for the departed soul of this sinful -man.' - -I walked among the fragrant flowers to where the girl stood with her -eyes still fixed upon the vulture, which swung in ever narrowing circles -about the gallows. Against a mass of silvery flowers on a bush by which -she stood the maid's exquisite figure showed to advantage, as I wickedly -permitted myself to observe. Perfectly erect and motionless, she watched -my advance, though I marked a terrified look in her large, dark eyes, as -if she feared that I would do her harm. Even when I was quite near her -she made no movement to come forward, as women and children usually did, -and kiss my hands. - -'Who are you?' I said, 'and what are you doing in this dreadful place -all alone?' - -She did not answer me, and made neither sign nor motion; so I repeated -my question: - -'Tell me, child, what are you doing here?' - -'Scaring away the vultures,' she replied, in a soft, musical voice, -inexpressibly pleasing. - -'Are you a relation of the dead man?' I asked. - -She shook her head. - -'You knew him?' I continued, 'and you pity his unchristian death?' - -But she was again silent, and I had to renew my questioning: 'What was -his name, and why was he put to death? What crime did he commit?' - -'His name was Nathaniel Alfinger, and he killed a man for a woman,' said -the maiden, distinctly and in the most unconcerned manner that it is -possible to conceive, as if murder and hanging were the commonest and -most uninteresting of all events. I was astounded, and gazed at her -sharply, but her look was passive and calm, denoting nothing unusual. -'Did you know Nathaniel Alfinger?' - -'No.' - -'Yet you came here to protect his corpse from the fowls?' - -'Yes.' - -'Why do you do that service to one whom you did not know?' - -'I always do so.' - -'How--!' - -'Always when any one is hanged here I come and frighten away the birds -and make them find other food. See--there is another vulture!' - -She uttered a wild, high scream, threw her arms above her head, and ran -across the meadow so that I thought her mad. The big bird flew away, -and the maiden came quietly back to me, and, pressing her sunburnt hands -upon her breast, sighed deeply, as from fatigue. With as much mildness -as I could put into my voice, I asked her: - -'What is your name?' - -'Benedicta.' - -'And who are your parents?' - -'My mother is dead.' - -'But your father--where is he?' - -She was silent. Then I pressed her to tell me where she lived, for -I wanted to take the poor child home and admonish her father to have -better care of his daughter and not let her stray into such dreadful -places again. - -'Where do you live, Benedicta? I pray you tell me.' - -'Here.' - -'What! here? Ah, my child, here is only the gallows.' - -She pointed toward the pines. Following the direction of her finger, I -saw among the trees a wretched hut which looked like a habitation more -fit for animals than human beings. Then I knew better than she could -have told me whose child she was. - -When I returned to my companions and they asked me who the girl was, I -answered: 'The hangman's daughter.' - -3 - -Having commended the soul of the dead man to the intercession of the -Blessed Virgin and the Holy Saints, we left the accursed spot, but as -we withdrew I looked back at the lovely child of the hangman. She stood -where I had left her, looking after us. Her fair white brow was still -crowned with the wreath of primroses, which gave an added charm to her -wonderful beauty of feature and expression, and her large, dark eyes -shone like the stars of a winter midnight. My companions, to whom the -hangman's daughter was a most unchristian object, reproved me for the -interest that I manifested in her; but it made me sad to think this -sweet and beautiful child was shunned and despised through no fault of -her own. Why should she be made to suffer blame because of her father's -dreadful calling? And was it not the purest Christian charity which -prompted this innocent maiden to keep the vultures from the body of a -fellow-creature whom in life she had not even known and who had been -adjudged unworthy to live? It seemed to me a more kindly act than that -of any professed Christian who bestows money upon the poor. Expressing -these feelings to my companions, I found, to my sorrow, that they did -not share them; on the contrary, I was called a dreamer and a fool who -wished to overthrow the ancient and wholesome customs of the world. -Everyone, they said, was bound to execrate the class to which the -hangman and his family belonged, for all who associated with such -persons would surely be contaminated. I had, however, the temerity to -remain steadfast in my conviction, and with due humility questioned the -justice of treating such persons as criminals because they were a part -of the law's machinery by which criminals were punished. Because in the -church the hangman and his family had a dark corner specially set apart -for them, that could not absolve us from our duty as servants of the -Lord to preach the gospel of justice and mercy and give an example of -Christian love and charity. But my brothers grew very angry with me, and -the wilderness rang with their loud vociferations, so that I began to -feel as if I were very wicked, although unable to perceive my error. I -could do nothing but hope that Heaven would be more merciful to us all -than we are to one another. In thinking of the maiden it gave me comfort -to know that her name was Benedicta. Perhaps her parents had so named -her as a means of blessing to one whom no one else would ever bless. - -But I must relate what a wonderful country it was into which we were now -arrived. Were we not assured that all the world is the Lord's, for He -made it, we might be tempted to think such a wild region the kingdom of -the Evil One. - -Far down below our path the river roared and foamed between great -cliffs, the grey points of which seemed to pierce the very sky. On our -left, as we gradually rose out of this chasm, was a black forest of -pines, frightful to see, and in front of us a most formidable peak. -This mountain, despite its terrors, had a comical appearance, for it was -white and pointed like a fool's cap, and looked as if some one had put a -flour-sack on the knave's head. After all, it was nothing but snow. Snow -in the middle of the glorious month of May!--surely the works of God are -wonderful and almost past belief! The thought came to me that if this -old mountain should shake his head the whole region would be full of -flying snow. - -We were not a little surprised to find that in various places along our -road the forest had been cleared away for a space large enough to build -a hut and plant a garden. Some of these rude dwellings stood where -one would have thought that only eagles would have been bold enough to -build; but there is no place, it seems, free from the intrusion of Man, -who stretches out his hand for everything, even that which is in the -air. When at last we arrived at our destination and beheld the temple -and the house erected in this wilderness to the name and glory of our -beloved Saint, our hearts were thrilled with pious emotions. Upon the -surface of a pine-covered rock was a cluster of huts and houses, the -monastery in the midst, like a shepherd surrounded by his flock. The -church and monastery were of hewn stone, of noble architecture, spacious -and comfortable. - -May the good God bless our entrance into this holy place. - -4 - -I have now been in this wilderness for a few weeks, but the Lord, too, -is here, as everywhere. My health is good, and this house of our beloved -Saint is a stronghold of the Faith, a house of peace, an asylum for -those who flee from the wrath of the Evil One, a rest for all who bear -the burden of sorrow. Of myself, however, I cannot say so much. I am -young, and although my mind is at peace, I have so little experience of -the world and its ways that I feel myself peculiarly liable to error and -accessible to sin. The course of my life is like a rivulet which draws -its silver thread smoothly and silently through friendly fields and -flowery meadows, yet knows that when the storms come and the rains fall -it may become a raging torrent, defiled with earth and whirling away to -the sea the wreckage attesting the madness of its passion and its power. - -Not sorrow nor despair drew me away from the world into the sacred -retreat of the Church, but a sincere desire to serve the Lord. My only -wish is to belong to my beloved Saint, to obey the blessed mandates of -the Church, and, as a servant of God, to be charitable to all mankind, -whom I dearly love. The Church is, in truth, my beloved mother, for, my -parents having died in my infancy I, too, might have perished without -care had she not taken pity on me, fed and clothed me and reared me as -her own child. And, oh, what happiness there will be for me, poor monk, -when I am ordained and receive holy orders as a priest of the Most High -God! Always I think and dream of it and try to prepare my soul for -that high and sacred gift. I know I can never be worthy of this great -happiness, but I do hope to be an honest and sincere priest, serving God -and Man according to the light that is given from above. I often pray -Heaven to put me to the test of temptation, that I may pass through -the fire unscathed and purified in mind and soul. As it is, I feel the -sovereign peace which, in this solitude, lulls my spirit to sleep, and -all life's temptations and trials seem far away, like perils of the sea -to one who can but faintly hear the distant thunder of the waves upon -the beach. - -5 - -Our Superior, Father Andreas, is a mild and pious gentleman. Our -brothers live in peace and harmony. They are not idle, neither are they -worldly nor arrogant. They are temperate, not indulging too much in the -pleasures of the table--a praiseworthy moderation, for all this region, -far and wide--the hills and the valleys, the river and forest, with all -that they contain--belongs to the monastery. The woods are full of all -kinds of game, of which the choicest is brought to our table, and we -relish it exceedingly. In our monastery a drink is prepared from malt -and barley--a strong, bitter drink, refreshing after fatigue, but not, -to my taste, very good. - -The most remarkable thing in this part of the country is the -salt-mining. I am told that the mountains are full of salt--how -wonderful are the works of the Lord! In pursuit of this mineral Man -has penetrated deep into the bowels of the earth by means of shafts and -tunnels, and brings forth the bitter marrow of the hills into the -light of the sun. The salt I have myself seen in red, brown and yellow -crystals. The works give employment to our peasants and their sons, with -a few foreign labourers, all under the command of an overseer, who is -known as the Saltmaster. He is a stern man, exercising great power, but -our Superior and the brothers speak little good of him--not from any -unchristian spirit, but because his actions are evil. The Saltmaster has -an only son. His name is Rochus, a handsome but wild and wicked youth. - -6 - -The people hereabout are a proud, stubborn race. I am told that in an -old chronicle they are described as descendants of the Romans, who -in their day drove many tunnels into these mountains to get out the -precious salt; and some of these tunnels are still in existence. From -the window of my cell I can see these giant hills and the black forests -which at sunset burn like great firebrands along the crests against the -sky. - -The forefathers of these people (after the Romans) were, I am told, more -stubborn still than they are, and continued in idolatry after all the -neighbouring peoples had accepted the cross of the Lord our Saviour. -Now, however, they bow their stiff necks to the sacred symbol and soften -their hearts to receive the living truth. Powerful as they are in body, -in spirit they are humble and obedient to the Word. Nowhere else did the -people kiss my hand so fervently as here, although I am not a priest--an -evidence of the power and victory of our glorious faith. - -Physically they are strong and exceedingly handsome in face and figure, -especially the young men; the elder men, too, walk as erect and proud as -kings. The women have long golden hair, which they braid and twist about -their heads very beautifully, and they love to adorn themselves with -jewels. Some have eyes whose dark brilliancy rivals the lustre of the -rubies and garnets they wear about their white necks. I am told that -the young men fight for the young women as stags for does. Ah, what -wicked passions exist in the hearts of men! But since I know nothing of -these things, nor shall ever feel such unholy emotions, I must not judge -and condemn. - -Lord, what a blessing is the peace with which Thou hast filled the -spirits of those who are Thine own! Behold, there is no turmoil in my -breast; all is calm there as in the soul of a babe which calls 'Abba,' -dear Father. And so may it ever be. - -7 - -I have again seen the hangman's beautiful daughter. As the bells were -chiming for mass I saw her in front of the monastery church. I had just -come from the bedside of a sick man, and as my thoughts were gloomy the -sight of her face was pleasant, and I should have liked to greet her, -but her eyes were cast down: she did not notice me. The square in front -of the church was filled with people, the men and youths on one side, on -the other the women and maidens all clad in their high hats and adorned -with their gold chains. They stood close together, but when the poor -child approached all stepped aside, whispering and looking askance at -her as if she were an accursed leper and they feared infection. - -Compassion filled my breast, compelling me to follow the maiden, and, -overtaking her, I said aloud: - -'God greet you, Benedicta.' - -She shrank away as if frightened, then, looking up, recognised me, -seemed astonished, blushed again and again and finally hung her head in -silence. - -'Do you fear to speak to me?' I asked. - -But she made no reply. Again I spoke to her: 'Do good, obey the Lord and -fear no one: then shall you be saved.' - -At this she drew a long sigh, and replied in a low voice, hardly more -than a whisper: 'I thank you, my lord.' - -'I am not a lord, Benedicta,' I said, 'but a poor servant of God, who -is a gracious and kind Father to all His children, however lowly their -estate. Pray to Him when your heart is heavy, and He will be near you.' - -While I spoke she lifted her head and looked at me like a sad child that -is being comforted by its mother. And, still speaking to her out of the -great compassion in my heart, I led her into the church before all the -people. - -But do thou, O holy Franciscus, pardon the sin that I committed during -that high sacrament! For while Father Andreas was reciting the solemn -words of the mass my eyes constantly wandered to the spot where the poor -child knelt in a dark corner set apart for her and her father, forsaken -and alone. She seemed to pray with holy zeal, and surely thou didst -grace her with a ray of thy favour, for it was through thy love of -mankind that thou didst become a great saint, and didst bring before the -Throne of Grace thy large heart, bleeding for the sins of all the world. -Then shall not I, the humblest of thy followers, have enough of thy -spirit to pity this poor outcast who suffers for no sin of her own? Nay, -I feel for her a peculiar tenderness, which I cannot help accepting as a -sign from Heaven that I am charged with a special mandate to watch over -her, to protect her, and finally to save her soul. - -8 - -Our Superior has sent for me and rebuked me. He told me I had caused -great ill-feeling among the brothers and the people, and asked what -devil had me in possession that I should walk into church with the -daughter of the public hangman. - -What could I say but that I pitied the poor maiden and could not do -otherwise than as I did? - -'Why did you pity her?' he asked. - -'Because all the people shun her,' I replied, 'as if she were mortal -sin itself, and because she is wholly blameless. It certainly is not her -fault that her father is a hangman, nor his either, since, alas, hangmen -must be.' - -Ah, beloved Franciscus, how the Superior scolded thy poor servant for -these bold words. - -'And do you repent?' he demanded at the close of his reproof. But how -could I repent of my compassion--incited, as I verily believe, by our -beloved Saint? - -On learning my obduracy, the Superior became very sad. He gave me a long -lecture and put me under hard penance. I took my punishment meekly -and in silence, and am now confined to my cell, fasting and chastising -myself. Nor in this do I spare myself at all, for it is happiness to -suffer for the sake of one so unjustly treated as the poor friendless -child. - -I stand at the grating of my cell, looking out at the high, mysterious -mountains showing black against the evening sky. The weather being mild, -I open the window behind the bars to admit the fresh air and better -to hear the song of the stream below, which speaks to me with a divine -companionship, gentle and consoling. - -I know not if I have already mentioned that the monastery is built upon -a rock high over the river. Directly under the windows of our cells are -the rugged edges of great cliffs, which none can scale but at the peril -of his life. Imagine, then, my astonishment when I saw a living figure -lift itself up from the awful abyss by the strength of its hands, and, -drawing itself across the edge, stand erect upon the very verge! In the -dusk I could not make out what kind of creature it was; I thought -it some evil spirit come to tempt me; so I crossed myself and said a -prayer. Presently there is a movement of its arm, and something flies -through the window, past my head, and lies upon the floor of my cell, -shining like a white star. I bend and pick it up. It is a bunch of -flowers such as I have never seen--leafless, white as snow, soft as -velvet, and without fragrance. As I stand by the window, the better to -see the wondrous flowers, my eyes turn again to the figure on the cliff, -and I hear a sweet, low voice, which says: 'I am Benedicta, and I thank -you.' - -Ah, Heaven! it was the child, who, that she might greet me in my -loneliness and penance, had climbed the dreadful rocks, heedless of the -danger. She knew, then, of my punishment--knew that it was for her. - -She knew even the very cell in which I was confined. O holy Saint! -surely she could not have known all this but from thee; and I were worse -than an infidel to doubt that the feeling which I have for her signifies -that a command has been laid upon me to save her. - -I saw her bending over the frightful precipice. She turned a moment and -waved her hand to me and disappeared. I uttered an involuntary cry--had -she fallen? I grasped the iron bars of my window and shook them with all -my strength, but they did not yield. In my despair I threw myself upon -the floor, crying and praying to all the saints to protect the dear -child in her dangerous descent if still she lived, to intercede for her -unshriven soul if she had fallen. I was still kneeling when Benedicta -gave me a sign of her safe arrival below. It was such a shout as these -mountaineers utter in their untamed enjoyment of life--only Benedicta's -shout, coming from far below in the gorge, and mingled with its own -strange echoes, sounded like nothing I had ever heard from any human -throat, and so affected me that I wept, and the tears fell upon the wild -flowers in my hand. - -9 - -As a follower of Saint Francisais, I am not permitted to own anything -dear to my heart, so I have disposed of my most precious treasure; I -have presented to my beloved Saint the beautiful flowers which were -Benedicta's offering. They are so placed before his picture in the -monastery church as to decorate the bleeding heart which he carries upon -his breast as a symbol of his suffering for mankind. - -I have learned the name of the flower: because of its colour, and -because it is finer than other flowers, it is called Edelweiss--noble -white. It grows in so rare perfection only upon the highest and wildest -rocks--mostly upon cliffs, over abysses many hundred feet in depth, -where one false step would be fatal to him who gathers it. - -These beautiful flowers, then, are the real evil spirits of this wild -region; they lure many mortals to a dreadful death. The brothers here -have told me that never a year passes but some shepherd, some hunter or -some bold youth, attracted by these wonderful blossoms, is lost in the -attempt to get them. - -May God be merciful to all their souls! - -10 - -I must have turned pale when one of the brothers reported at the supper -table that upon the picture of Saint Franciscus had been found a bunch -of edelweiss of such rare beauty as grows nowhere else in the country -but at the summit of a cliff which is more than a thousand feet high, -and overhangs a dreadful lake. The brothers tell wondrous tales of the -horrors of this lake--how wild its waters and how deep, and how the most -hideous spectres are seen along its shores or rising out of it. - -Benedicta's edelweiss, therefore, has caused great commotion and wonder, -for even among the boldest hunters there are few, indeed, who dare -to climb that cliff by the haunted lake. And the tender child has -accomplished the feat! She has gone quite alone to that horrible place, -and has climbed the almost vertical wall of the mountain to the green -spot where the flowers grow with which she was moved to greet me. I -doubt not that Heaven guarded her against mishap in order that I might -have a visible sign and token that I am charged with the duty of her -salvation. - -Ah, thou poor sinless child, accurst in the eyes of the people, God hath -signified His care of thee, and in my heart I feel already something of -that adoration which shall be thy due when for thy purity and holiness -He shall bestow upon thy relics some signal mark of His favour, and the -Church shall declare thee blessed! - -I have learned another thing that I will chronicle here. In this country -these flowers are the sign of a faithful love: the youth presents them -to his sweetheart, and the maidens decorate the hats of their lovers -with them. It is clear that, in expressing her gratitude to a humble -servant of the Church, Benedicta was moved, perhaps without knowing it, -to signify at the same time her love of the Church itself, although, -alas, she has yet too little cause. - -As I ramble about here, day after day, I am becoming familiar with -every path in the forest, in the dark pass, and on the slopes of the -mountains. - -I am often sent to the homes of the peasants, the hunters and the -shepherds, to carry either medicine to the sick or consolation to the -sad. The most reverend Superior has told me that as soon as I receive -holy orders I shall have to carry the sacraments to the dying, for I am -the youngest and the strongest of the brothers. In these high places it -sometimes occurs that a hunter or a shepherd falls from the rocks, -and after some days is found, still living. It is then the duty of the -priest to perform the offices of our holy religion at the bedside of -the sufferer, so that the blessed Saviour may be there to receive the -departing soul. - -That I may be worthy of such grace, may our beloved Saint keep my heart -pure from every earthly passion and desire! - -11 - -The monastery has celebrated a great festival, and I will report all -that occurred. - -For many days before the event the brothers were busy preparing for -it. Some decorated the church with sprays of pine and birch and with -flowers. - -They went with the other men and gathered the most beautiful Alpine -roses they could find, and as it is midsummer they grow in great -abundance. On the day before the festival the brothers sat in the -garden, weaving garlands to adorn the church; even the most reverend -Superior and the Fathers took pleasure in our merry task. They walked -beneath the trees and chatted pleasantly while encouraging the brother -butler to spend freely the contents of the cellars. - -The next morning was the holy procession. It was very beautiful to see, -and added to the glory of our holy Church. The Superior walked under a -purple silken canopy, surrounded by the worthy Fathers, and bore in his -hands the sacred emblem of the crucifixion of our Saviour. We brothers -followed, bearing burning candles and singing psalms. Behind us came a -great crowd of the people, dressed in their finest attire. - -The proudest of those in the procession were the mountaineers and the -salt-miners, the Saltmaster at their head on a beautiful horse adorned -with costly trappings. He was a proud-looking man, with his great sword -at his side and a plumed hat upon his broad, high brow. Behind him rode -Rochus, his son. When we had collected in front of the gate to form -a line I took special notice of that young man. I judged him to be -self-willed and bold. He wore his hat on the side of his head and cast -flaming glances upon the women and the maidens. He looked contemptuously -upon us monks. I fear he is not a good Christian, but he is the most -beautiful youth that I have ever seen: tall and slender like a young -pine, with light brown eyes and golden locks. - -The Saltmaster is as powerful in this region as our Superior. He is -appointed by the Duke and has judicial powers in all affairs. He has -even the power of life and death over those accused of murder or any -other abominable crime. But the Lord has fortunately endowed him with -good judgment and wisdom. - -Through the village the procession moved out into the valley and down to -the entrances of the great salt mines. In front of the principal mine an -altar was erected, and there our Superior read high mass, while all the -people knelt. I observed that the Salt-master and his son knelt and bent -their heads with visible reluctance and this made me very sad. After -the service the procession moved toward the hill called 'Mount Calvary,' -which is still higher than the monastery, and from the top of which one -has a good view of the whole country below. There the reverend Superior -displayed the crucifix in order to banish the evil powers which abound -in these terrible mountains; and he also said prayers and pronounced -anathemas against all demons infesting the valley below. The bells -chimed their praises to the Lord, and it seemed as if divine voices were -ringing through the wilderness. It was all, indeed, most beautiful and -good. - -I looked about me to see if the child of the hangman were present, but I -could not see her anywhere, and knew not whether to rejoice that she was -out of reach of the insults of the people or to mourn because deprived -of the spiritual strength that might have come to me from looking upon -her heavenly beauty. - -After the services came the feast. Upon a meadow sheltered by trees -tables were spread, and the clergy and the people, the most reverend -Superior and the great Saltmaster partook of the viands served by the -young men. It was interesting to see the young men make big fires of -pine and maple, put great pieces of beef upon wooden spits, turn them -over the coals until they were brown, and then lay them before the -Fathers and the mountaineers. They also boiled mountain trout and carp -in large kettles. The wheaten bread was brought in immense baskets, and -as to drink, there was assuredly no scarcity of that, for the Superior -and the Saltmaster had each given a mighty cask of beer. Both of these -monstrous barrels lay on wooden stands under an ancient oak. The boys -and the Saltmaster's men drew from the cask which he had given, while -that of the Superior was served by the brother butler and a number of -us younger monks. In honour of Saint Franciscus I must say that the -clerical barrel was of vastly greater size than that of the Saltmaster. - -Separate tables had been provided for the Superior and the Fathers, -and for the Saltmaster and the best of his people. The Saltmaster and -Superior sat upon chairs which stood upon a beautiful carpet, and -their seats were screened from the sun by a linen canopy. At the table, -surrounded by their beautiful wives and daughters, sat many knights, who -had come from their distant castles to share in the great festival. I -helped at table. I handed the dishes and filled the goblets and was able -to see how good an appetite the company had, and how they loved that -brown and bitter drink. I could see also how amorously the Saltmaster's -son looked at the ladies, which provoked me very much, as he could not -marry them all, especially those already married. - -We had music, too. Some boys from the village, who practise on various -instruments in their spare moments, were the performers. Ah, how they -yelled, those flutes and pipes, and how the fiddle bows danced and -chirped! I do not doubt the music was very good, but Heaven has not seen -fit to give me the right kind of ears. - -I am sure our blessed Saint must have derived great satisfaction from -the sight of so many people eating and drinking their bellies full. -Heavens! how they did eat--what unearthly quantities they did away with! -But that was nothing to their drinking. I firmly believe that if every -mountaineer had brought along a barrel of his own he would have emptied -it, all by himself. But the women seemed to dislike the beer, especially -the young girls. Usually before drinking a young man would hand his cup -to one of the maids, who barely touched it with her lips, and, making a -grimace, turned away her face. I am not sufficiently acquainted with the -ways of woman to say with certainty if this proved that at other times -they were so abstemious. - -After eating, the young men played at various games which exhibited -their agility and strength. Holy Franciscus! what legs they have, what -arms and necks! They leapt, they wrestled with one another; it was like -the fighting of bears. The mere sight of it caused me to feel great -fear. It seemed as if they would crush one another. But the maidens -looked on, feeling neither fear nor anxiety; they giggled and appeared -well pleased. It was wonderful, too, to hear the voices of these young -mountaineers; they threw back their heads and shouted till the echoes -rang from the mountain-sides and roared in the gorges as if from the -throats of a legion of demons. - -Foremost among all was the Saltmaster's son. He sprang like a deer, -fought like a fiend, and bellowed like a wild bull. Among these -mountaineers he was a king. I observed that many were jealous of his -strength and beauty, and secretly hated him; yet all obeyed. It was -beautiful to see how this young man bent his slender body while leaping -and playing the games--how he threw up his head like a stag at gaze, -shook his golden locks and stood in the midst of his fellows with -flaming cheeks and sparkling eyes. How sad to think that pride and -passion should make their home in so lovely a body, which seems created -for the habitation of a soul that would glorify its Maker! - -It was near dusk when the Superior, the Saltmaster, the Fathers and all -the distinguished guests parted and retired to their homes, leaving the -others at drink and dance. My duties compelled me to remain with the -brother butler to serve the debauching youths with beer from the great -cask. Young Rochus remained too. I do not know how it occurred, but -suddenly he stood before me. His looks were dark and his manner proud. - -'Are you,' he said, 'the monk who gave offence to the people the other -day?' - -I asked humbly--though beneath my monk's robe I felt a sinful anger: -'What are you speaking of?' - -'As if you did not know!' he said, haughtily. 'Now bear in mind what I -tell you; if you ever show any friendship toward that girl I shall teach -you a lesson which you will not soon forget. You monks are likely to -call your impertinence by the name of some virtue; but I know the trick, -and will have none of it. Make a note of that, you young cowl=wearer, -for your handsome face and big eyes will not save you.' - -With that he turned his back upon me and went away, but I heard his -strong voice ringing out upon the night as he sang and shouted with the -others. I was greatly alarmed to learn that this bold boy had cast his -eyes upon the hangman's lovely daughter. His feeling for her was surely -not honourable, or, instead of hating me for being kind to her, he would -have been grateful and would have thanked me. I feared for the child, -and again and again did I promise my blessed Saint that I would watch -over and protect her, in obedience to the miracle which he has wrought -in my breast regarding her. With that wondrous feeling to urge me on, -I cannot be slack in my duty, and, Benedicta, thou shalt be saved--thy -body and thy soul! - -12 - -Let me continue my report. - -The boys threw dry brushwood into the fire so that the flames -illuminated the whole meadow and shone red upon the trees. Then they -laid hands upon the village maidens and began to turn and swing them -round and round. Holy saints! how they stamped and turned and threw -their hats in the air, kicked up their heels, and lifted the girls from -the ground, as if the sturdy wenches were nothing but feather balls! -They shouted and yelled as if all the evil spirits had them in -possession, so that I wished a herd of swine might come, that the devils -might leave these human brutes and go into the four-legged ones. The -boys were quite full of the brown beer, which for its bitterness and -strength is a beastly drink. - -Before long the madness of intoxication broke out; they attacked one -another with fists and knives, and it looked as if they would do murder. -Suddenly the Saltmaster's son, who had stood looking on, leaped among -them, caught two of the combatants by the hair and knocked their heads -together with such force that the blood started from their noses, and I -thought surely their skulls had been crushed like egg-shells; but they -must have been very hard-headed, for on being released they seemed -little the worse for their punishment. After much shouting and -screaming, Rochus succeeded in making peace, which seemed to me, poor -worm, quite heroic. The music set in again: the fiddles scraped and -the pipes shrieked, while the boys with torn clothes and scratched and -bleeding faces, renewed the dance as if nothing had occurred. Truly, -this is a people that would gladden the heart of a Bramarbas or a -Holofernes! - -I had scarcely recovered from the fright which Rochus had given me, when -I was made to feel a far greater one. Rochus was dancing with a tall and -beautiful girl, who looked the very queen of this young king. They made -such mighty leaps and dizzy turns, but at the same time so graceful, -that all looked on with astonishment and pleasure. The girl had a -sensuous smile on her lips and a bold look in her brown face, which -seemed to say: 'See! I am the mistress of his heart!' But suddenly he -pushed her from him as in disgust, broke from the circle of dancers, and -cried to his friends: 'I am going to bring my own partner. Who will go -with me?' - -The tall girl, maddened by the insult, stood looking at him with the -face of a demon, her black eyes burning like flames of hell! But her -discomfiture amused the drunken youths, and they laughed aloud. - -Snatching a firebrand and swinging it about his head till the sparks -flew in showers, Rochus cried again: 'Who goes with me?' and walked -rapidly away into the forest. The others seizing firebrands also, ran -after him, and soon their voices could be heard far away, ringing out -upon the night, themselves no longer seen. I was still looking in the -direction which they had taken, when the tall girl whom Rochus had -insulted stepped to my side and hissed something into my ear. I felt her -hot breath on my cheek. - -'If you care for the hangman's daughter, then hasten and save her from -that drunken wretch. No woman resists him!' - -God! how the wild words of that woman horrified me! I did not doubt the -girl's words, but in my anxiety for the poor child I asked: 'How can I -save her?' - -'Run and warn her, monk,' the wench replied: 'she will listen to you.' - -'But they will find her sooner than I.' - -'They are drunk and will not go fast. Besides, I know a path leading to -the hangman's hut by a shorter route.' - -'Then show me and be quick!' I cried. - -She glided away, motioning me to follow. We were soon in the woods, -where it was so dark I could hardly see the woman's figure; but she -moved as fast and her step was as sure as in the light of day. Above us -we could see the torches of the boys, which showed that they had taken -the longer path along the mountain-side. I heard their wild shouts, and -trembled for the child. We had walked for some time in silence, having -left the youths far behind, when the young woman began speaking to -herself. At first I did not understand, but soon my ears caught every -passionate word: - -'He shall not have her! To the devil with the hangman's whelp! Every one -despises her and spits at the sight of her. It is just like him--he -does not care for what people think or say. Because they hate he loves. -Besides, she has a pretty face. I'll make it pretty for her! I'll mark -it with blood! But if she were the daughter of the devil himself he -would not rest until he had her. He shall not!' - -She lifted her arms and laughed wildly--I shuddered to hear her! I -thought of the dark powers that live in the human breast, though I know -as little of them, thank God, as a child. - -At length we reached the Galgenberg, where stands the hangman's hut, and -a few moments' climb brought us near the door. - -'There she lives,' said the girl, pointing to the hut, through the -windows of which shone the yellow light of a tallow candle; 'go warn -her. The hangman is ill and unable to protect his daughter, even if he -dared. You'd better take her away--take her to the Alpfeld on the Gll, -where my father has a house. They will not look for her up there.' - -With that she left me and vanished in the darkness. - -13 - -Looking in at the window of the hut, I saw the hangman sitting in a -chair, with his daughter beside him, her hand upon his shoulder. I could -hear him cough and groan, and knew that she was trying to soothe him -in his pain. A world of love and sorrow was in her face, which was more -beautiful than ever. - -Nor did I fail to observe how clean and tidy were the room and all in -it. The humble dwelling looked, indeed, like a place blessed by the -peace of God. Yet these blameless persons are treated as accurst and -hated like mortal sin! What greatly pleased me was an image of the -Blessed Virgin on the wall opposite the window at which I stood. The -frame was decorated with flowers of the field, and the mantle of the -Holy Mother festooned with edelweiss. - -I knocked at the door, calling out at the same time: 'Do not fear; it is -I--Brother Ambrosius.' - -It seemed to me that, on hearing my voice and name, Benedicta showed a -sudden joy in her face, but perhaps it was only surprise--may the saints -preserve me from the sin of pride. She came to the window and opened it. - -'Benedicta,' said I, hastily, after returning her greeting, 'wild and -drunken boys are on their way hither to take you to the dance. Rochus -is with them, and says that he will fetch you to dance with him. I have -come before them to assist you to escape.' At the name of Rochus I saw -the blood rise into her cheeks and suffuse her whole face with crimson. -Alas, I perceived that my jealous guide was right: no woman could resist -that beautiful boy, not even this pious and virtuous child. When her -father comprehended what I said he rose to his feet and stretched out -his feeble arms as if to shield her from harm, but, although his soul -was strong, his body, I knew, was powerless. I said to him: 'Let me take -her away; the boys are drunk and know not what they do. Your resistance -would only make them angry, and they might harm you both. Ah, look! -See their torches; hear their boisterous voices! Hasten, Benedicta--be -quick, be quick!' - -Benedicta sprang to the side of the now sobbing old man and tenderly -embraced him. Then she hurried from the room, and after covering my -hands with kisses ran away into the woods, disappearing in the night, -at which I was greatly surprised. I waited for her to return, for a -few minutes, then entered the cabin to protect her father from the wild -youths who, I thought, would visit their disappointment upon him. - -But they did not come. I waited and listened in vain. All at once I -heard shouts of joy and screams that made me tremble and pray to the -blessed Saint. But the sounds died away in the distance, and I knew that -the boys had retraced their steps down the Galgenberg to the meadow of -the fires. The sick man and I spoke of the miracle which had changed -their hearts, and we were filled with gratitude and joy. Then I returned -along the path by which I had come. As I arrived near the meadow, I -could hear a wilder and madder uproar than ever, and could see through -the trees the glare of greater fires, with the figures of the youths -and a few maids dancing in the open, their heads uncovered, their hair -streaming over their shoulders, their garments disordered by the fury -of their movements. They circled about the fires, wound in and out among -them, showing black or red according to how the light struck them, and -looking altogether like Demons of the Pit commemorating some infernal -anniversary or some new torment for the damned. And, holy Saviour! -there, in the midst of an illuminated space, upon which the others did -not trespass, dancing by themselves and apparently forgetful of all -else, were Rochus and Benedicta! - -14 - -Holy Mother of God! what can be worse than the fall of an angel? I -saw--I understood, then, that in leaving me and her father, Benedicta -had gone willingly to meet the very fate from which I had striven to -save her! - -'The accurst wench has run into Rochus' arms,' hissed someone at my -side, and, turning, I saw the tall brown girl who had been my guide, -her face distorted with hate. 'I wish that I had killed her. Why did you -suffer her to play us this trick, you fool of a monk?' - -I pushed her aside and ran toward the couple without thinking what I -did. But what could I do? Even at that instant, as though to prevent -my interference, though really unconscious of my presence, the drunken -youths formed a circle about them, bawling their admiration and clapping -their hands to mark the time. - -As these two beautiful figures danced they were a lovely picture. He, -tall, slender and lithe, was like a god of the heathen Greeks, while -Benedicta looked like a fairy. Seen through the slight mist upon the -meadows, her delicate figure, moving swiftly and swaying from side to -side, seemed veiled with a web of purple and gold. Her eyes were cast -modestly upon the ground; her motions, though agile, were easy and -graceful; her face glowed with excitement, and it seemed as if her whole -soul were absorbed in the dance. Poor, sweet child! her error made me -weep, but I forgave her. Her life was so barren and joyless; why should -she not love to dance? Heaven bless her! But Rochus--ah, God forgive -him! - -While I was looking on at all this, and thinking what it was my duty to -do, the jealous girl--she is called Amula--had stood near me, cursing -and blaspheming. When the boys applauded Benedicta's dancing Amula made -as if she would spring forward and strangle her. But I held the furious -creature back, and, stepping forward, called out: 'Benedicta!' - -She started at the sound of my voice, but though she hung her head a -little lower, she continued dancing. Amula could control her rage no -longer, and rushed forward with a savage cry, trying to break into -the circle. But the drunken boys prevented. They jeered at her, which -maddened her the more, and she made effort after effort to reach her -victim. The boys drove her away with shouts, curses and laughter. Holy -Franciscus, pray for us!--when I saw the hatred in Amula's eyes a cold -shudder ran through my body. God be with us! I believe the creature -capable of killing the poor child with her own hands, and glorying in -the deed! - -I ought now to have gone home, but I remained, I thought of what might -occur when the dance was over, for I had been told that the youths -commonly accompanied their partners home, and I was horrified to think -of Rochus and Benedicta alone together in the forest and the night. - -Imagine my surprise when all at once Benedicta lifted her head, stopped -dancing, and, looking kindly at Rochus, said in her sweet voice, so like -the sound of silver bells: 'I thank you, sir, for having chosen me for -your partner in the dance in such a knightly way.' - -Then, bowing to the Saltmaster's son, she slipped quickly through the -circle, and, before anyone could know what was occurring, disappeared -in the black spaces of the forest. Rochus at first seemed stupefied with -amazement, but when he realized that Benedicta was gone he raved like a -madman. He shouted: 'Benedicta!' He called her endearing names; but all -to no purpose--she had vanished. Then he hurried after her and wanted -to search the forest with torches, but the other youths dissuaded him. -Observing my presence, he turned his wrath upon me; I think if he had -dared he would have struck me. He cried: 'I'll make you smart for this, -you miserable cowl-wearer!' - -But I do not fear him. Praise be to God! Benedicta is not guilty, and -I can respect her as before. Yet I tremble to think of the many perils -which beset her. She is defenceless against the hate of Amula as well as -against the lust of Rochus. Ah, if I could be ever at her side to -watch over and protect her! But I commend her to Thee, O Lord: the poor -motherless child shall surely not trust to Thee in vain. - -15 - -Alas! my unhappy fate!--again punished and again unable to find myself -guilty. - -It seems that Amula has talked about Benedicta and Rochus. The brown -wench strolled from house to house telling how Rochus went to the -gallows for his partner in the dance. And she added that Benedicta -had acted in the most shameless manner with the drunken boys. When the -people spoke to me of this I enlightened them regarding the facts, as it -seemed to me my duty to do, and told all as it had occurred. - -By this testimony, in contradiction of one who broke the Decalogue by -bearing false witness against her neighbour I have, it seems, offended -the Superior. I was summoned before him and accused of defending the -hangman's daughter against the statements of an honest Christian girl. I -asked, meekly, what I should have done--whether I should have permitted -the innocent and defenceless to be calumniated. - -'Of what interest,' I was asked, 'can the hangman's daughter be to you? -Moreover, it is a fact that she went of her own will to associate with -the drunken boys.' - -To this I replied: 'She went out of love to her father, for if the -intoxicated youths had not found her they would have maltreated him--and -she loves the old man, who is ill and helpless. Thus it happened, and -thus I have testified.' - -But His Reverence insisted that I was wrong, and put me under severe -penance. I willingly undergo it: I am glad to suffer for the sweet -child. Nor will I murmur against the revered Superior, for he is my -master, against whom to rebel, even in thought, is sin. Is not obedience -the foremost commandment of our great saint for all his disciples? Ah, -how I long for the priestly ordination and the holy oil! Then I -shall have peace and be able to serve Heaven better and with greater -acceptance. - -I am troubled about Benedicta. If not confined to my cell I should go -toward the Galgenberg: perhaps I should meet her. I grieve for her as if -she were my sister. - -Belonging to the Lord, I have no right to love anything but Him who died -upon the cross for our sins--all other love is evil. O blessed Saints in -Heaven! what if it be that this feeling which I have accepted as a sign -and token that I am charged with the salvation of Benedicta's soul is -but an earthly love? - -Pray for me, O dear Franciscus, that I may have the light, lest I stray -into the road which leads down to Hell. Light and strength, beloved -Saint, that I may know the right path, and walk therein forever! - -16 - -I stand at the window of my cell. The sun sinks and the shadows creep -higher on the sides of the mountains beyond the abyss. The abyss itself -is filled with a mist whose billowy surface looks like a great lake. I -think how Benedicta climbed out of these awful depths to fling me the -edelweiss; I listen for the sound of the stones displaced by her daring -little feet and plunging into the chasm below. But night after night has -passed. I hear the wind among the pines; I hear the water roaring in the -deeps; I hear the distant song of the nightingale; but her voice I do -not hear. - -Every evening the mist rises from the abyss. It forms billows; then -rings; then flakes, and these rise and grow and darken until they are -great clouds. They cover the hill and the valley, the tall pines and the -snow-pointed mountains. They extinguish the last remaining touches of -sunlight on the higher peaks, and it is night. Alas, in my soul also -there is night--dark, starless and without hope of dawn! - -To-day is Sunday. Benedicta was not in church--'the dark corner' -remained vacant. I was unable to keep my mind upon the service, a sin -for which I shall do voluntary penance. - -Amula was among the other maidens, but I saw nothing of Rochus. It -seemed to me that her watchful black eyes were a sufficient guard -against any rival, and that in her jealousy Benedicta would find -protection. God can make the basest passions serve the most worthy ends, -and the reflection gave me pleasure, which, alas, was of short life. - -The services being at an end, the Fathers and friars left the church -slowly in procession, moving through the vestry, while the people went -out at the main entrance. From the long covered gallery leading out of -the vestry one has a full view of the public square of the village. As -we friars, who were behind the Fathers, were in the gallery, something -occurred which I shall remember even to the day of my death as an unjust -deed which Heaven permitted for I know not what purpose. It seems that -the Fathers must have known what was coming, for they halted in the -gallery, giving us all an opportunity to look out upon the square. - -I heard a confused noise of voices. It came nearer, and the shouting and -yelling sounded like the approach of all the fiends of Hell. Being at -the farther end of the gallery I was unable to see what was going on -in the square, so I asked a brother at a window near by what it was all -about. - -'They are taking a woman to the pillory,' he answered. - -'Who is it?' - -'A girl.' - -'What has she done?' - -'You ask a foolish question. Whom are pillories and whipping-posts for -but fallen women?' - -The howling mob passed farther into the square, so that I had a full -view. In the front were boys, leaping, gesticulating and singing vile -songs. They seemed mad with joy and made savage by the shame and pain of -their fellow-creature. Nor did the maids behave much better. 'Fie upon -the outcast!' they cried. 'See what it is to be a sinner! Thank heaven, -we are virtuous.' - -In the rear of these yelling boys, surrounded by this mob of screaming -women and girls--O God! how can I write it? How can I express the -horror of it? In the midst of it all--she, the lovely, the sweet, the -immaculate Benedicta! - -O my Saviour! how did I see all this, yet am still living to relate -it? I must have come near to death. The gallery, the square, the people -seemed whirling round and round; the earth sank beneath my feet, and, -although I strained my eyes open to see, yet all was dark. But it must -have been for but a short time; I recovered, and, on looking down into -the square, saw her again. - -They had clothed her in a long gray cloak, fastened at the waist with a -rope. Her head bore a wreath of straw, and on her breast, suspended by -a string about the neck, was a black tablet bearing in chalk the word -'Buhle'--harlot. - -By the end of the rope about her waist a man led her. I looked at him -closely, and--O most holy Son of God, what brutes and beasts Thou didst -come to save!--it was Benedicta's father! They had compelled the poor -old man to perform one of the duties of his office by leading his own -child to the pillory! I learned later that he had implored the Superior -on his knees not to lay this dreadful command upon him, but all in vain. - -The memory of this scene can never leave me. The hangman did not remove -his eyes from his daughter's face, and she frequently nodded at him and -smiled. By the grace of God, the maiden smiled! - -The mob insulted her, called her vile names and spat upon the ground in -front of her feet. Nor was this all. Observing that she took no notice -of them, they pelted her with dust and grass. This was more than the -poor father could endure, and, with a faint, inarticulate moan, he fell -to the ground in a swoon. - -Oh, the pitiless wretches!--they wanted to lift him up and make him -finish his task, but Benedicta stretched out her arm in supplication, -and with an expression of so ineffable tenderness upon her beautiful -face that even the brutal mob felt her gentle power and recoiled before -her, leaving the unconscious man upon the ground. She knelt and took -her father's head in her lap. She whispered in his ear words of love and -comfort. She stroked his gray hair and kissed his pale lips until she -had coaxed him into consciousness and he had opened his eyes. Benedicta, -thrice blessed Benedicta, thou surely art born to be a saint, for thou -didst show a divine patience like that with which our Saviour bore His -cross and with it all the sins of the world! - -She helped her father to rise, and smiled brightly in his face when he -made out to stand. She shook the dust from his clothing, and then, still -smiling and murmuring words of encouragement, handed him the rope. The -boys yelled and sang, the women screamed, and the wretched old man led -his innocent child to the place of shame. - -17 - -When I was back again in my cell I threw myself upon the stones -and cried aloud to God against the injustice and misery that I had -witnessed, and against the still greater misery of which I had been -spared the sight. I saw in my mind the father binding his child to the -post. I saw the brutal populace dance about her with savage delight. -I saw the vicious Amula spit in the pure one's face. I prayed long and -earnestly that the poor child might be made strong to endure her great -affliction. - -Then I sat and waited. I waited for the setting of the sun, for at -that time the sufferer is commonly released from the whipping-post. The -minutes seemed hours, the hours eternities. The sun did not move; the -day of shame was denied a night. - -It was in vain that I tried to understand it all; I was stunned and -dazed. Why did Rochus permit Benedicta to be so disgraced? Does he think -the deeper her shame the more easily he can win her? I know not, nor do -I greatly care to search out his motive. But, God help me! I myself feel -her disgrace, most keenly. - -And, Lord, Lord, what a light has come into the understanding of Thy -servant! It has come to me like a revelation out of Heaven that my -feeling for Benedicta is more and less than what I thought it. It is -an earthly love--the love of a man for a woman. As first this knowledge -broke into my consciousness my breath beat quick and hard; it seemed to -me that I should suffocate. Yet such was the hardness of my heart from -witnessing so terrible an injustice tolerated by Heaven, that I was -unable wholly to repent. In the sudden illumination I was blinded: I -could not clearly see my degree of sin. The tumult of my emotions was -not altogether disagreeable; I had to confess to myself that I would not -willingly forego it even if I knew it wicked. May the Mother of Mercy -intercede for me! - -Even now I cannot think that in supposing myself to have a divine -mandate to save the soul of Benedicta, and prepare her for a life of -sanctity, I was wholly in error. This other human desire--comes it not -also of God? Is it not concerned for the good of its object? And what -can be a greater good than salvation of the soul?--a holy life on earth, -and in Heaven eternal happiness and glory to reward it. Surely the -spiritual and the carnal love are not so widely different as I have been -taught to think them. They are, perhaps, not antagonistic, and are but -expressions of the same will. O holy Franciscus, in this great light -that has fallen about me, guide thou my steps. Show to my dazzled eyes -the straight, right way to Benedicta's good! - -At length the sun disappeared behind the cloister. The flakes and -cloudlets gathered upon the horizon; the haze rose from the abyss and, -beyond, the purple shadow climbed higher and higher, the great slope of -the mountain, extinguishing at last the gleam of light upon the summit. -Thank God, oh, thank God, she is free! - -18 - -I have been very ill, but by the kind attention of the brothers am -sufficiently recovered to leave my bed. It must be God's will that I -live to serve Him, for certainly I have done nothing to merit His great -mercy in restoring me to health. Still, I feel a yearning in my soul for -a complete dedication of my poor life to Him and His service. To embrace -Him and be bound up in His love are now the only aspirations that I -have. As soon as the holy oil is on my brow, these hopes, I am sure, -will be fulfilled, and, purged of my hopeless earthly passion for -Benedicta, I shall be lifted into a new and diviner life. And it may be -that then I can, without offence to Heaven or peril to my soul, watch -over and protect her far better than I can now as a wretched monk. - -I have been weak. My feet, like those of an infant, failed to support -my body. The brothers carried me into the garden. With what gratitude -I again looked upward into the blue of the sky! How rapturously I gazed -upon the white peaks of the mountains and the black forests on their -slopes! Every blade of grass seemed to me of special interest, and I -greeted each passing insect as if it were an old acquaintance. - -My eyes wander to the south, where the Galgenberg is, and I think -unceasingly of the poor child of the hangman. What has become of her? -Has she survived her terrible experience in the public square? What is -she doing? Oh, that I were strong enough to walk to the Galgenberg! But -I am not permitted to leave the monastery, and there is none of whom I -dare ask her fate. The friars look at me strangely; it is as if they -no longer regarded me as one of them. Why is this so? I love them, and -desire to live in harmony with them. They are kind and gentle, yet they -seem to avoid me as much as they can. What does it all mean? - -19 - -I have been in the presence of the most reverend Superior, Father -Andreas. 'Your recovery was miraculous,' said he. 'I wish you to be -worthy of such mercies, and to prepare your soul for the great blessing -that awaits you. I have, therefore, my son, ordained that you leave us -for a season, to dwell apart in the solitude of the mountains, for the -double purpose of restoring your strength and affording you an -insight into your own heart. Make a severe examination apart from any -distractions, and you will perceive, I do not doubt, the gravity of your -error. Pray that a divine light may be shed upon your path, that you may -walk upright in the service of the Lord as a true priest and apostle, -with immunity from all base passions and earthly desires.' - -I had not the presumption to reply. I submit to the will of His -Reverence without a murmur, for obedience is a rule of our Order. Nor -do I fear the wilderness, although I have heard that it is infested with -wild beasts and evil spirits. Our superior is right: the time passed in -solitude will be to me a season of probation, purification and healing, -of which I am doubtless in sore need. So far I have progressed in sin -only; for in confession I have kept back many things. Not from the fear -of punishment, but because I could not mention the name of the maiden -before any other than my holy and blessed Francisais, who alone can -understand. He looks kindly down upon me from the skies, listening to -my sorrow; and whatever of guilt there may be in my compassion for the -innocent and persecuted child he willingly overlooks for the sake of our -blessed Redeemer, who also suffered injustice and was acquainted with -grief. - -In the mountains it will be my duty to dig certain roots and send them -to the monastery. From such roots as I am instructed to gather the -Fathers distil a liquor which has become famous throughout the land, -even as far, I have been told, as the great city of Munich. This liquor -is so strong and so fiery with spices that after drinking it one feels -a burning in his throat as if he had swallowed a flame from Hell; yet it -is held in high esteem everywhere by reason of its medicinal properties, -it being a remedy for many kinds of ills and infirmities; and it is said -to be good also for the health of the soul, though I should suppose -a godly life might be equally efficacious in places where the liquor -cannot be obtained. However this may be, from the sale of the liquor -comes the chief revenue of the monastery. - -The root from which it is chiefly made is that of an Alpine plant -called _gentiana_, which grows in great abundance on the sides of the -mountains. In the months of July and August the friars dig the roots and -dry them by fire in the mountain cabins, and they are then packed and -sent to the monastery. The Fathers have the sole right to dig the root -in this region, and the secret of manufacturing the liquor is jealously -guarded. - -As I am to live in the high country for some time, the Superior -has directed me to collect the root from time to time as I have the -strength. A boy, a servant in the monastery, is to guide me to my -solitary station, carrying up my provisions and returning immediately. -He will come once a week to renew my supply of food and take away the -roots that I shall have dug. - -No time has been lost in dispatching me on my penitential errand. This -very evening I have taken leave of the Superior, and, retiring to -my cell, have packed my holy books, the _Agnus_ and the _Life of St. -Franciscus_, in a bag. Nor have I forgotten my writing-materials with -which to continue my diary. These preparations made, I have fortified my -soul with prayer, and am ready for any fate, even an encounter with the -beasts and demons. - -Beloved Saint, forgive the pain I feel in going away without having seen -Benedicta, or even knowing what has become of her since that dreadful -day. Thou knowest, O glorious one, and humbly do I confess, that I long -to hasten to the Galgenberg, if only to get one glimpse of the hut -which holds the fairest and best of her sex. Take me not, holy one, too -severely to task, I beseech thee, for the weakness of my erring human -heart! - -20 - -As I left the monastery with my young guide all was quiet within its -walls; the holy Brotherhood slept the sleep of peace, which had so long -been denied to me. It was early dawn, and the clouds in the east were -beginning to show narrow edges of gold and crimson as we ascended the -path leading to the mountain. My guide, with bag upon his shoulder, led, -and I followed, with my robe fastened back and a stout stick in my hand. -This had a sharp iron point which might be used against wild beasts. - -My guide was a light-haired, blue-eyed young fellow with a cheerful and -amiable face. He evidently found a keen delight in climbing his native -hills toward the high country whither we were bound. He seemed not to -feel the weight of the burden that he bore; his gait was light and -free, his footing sure. He sprang up the steep and rugged way like a -mountain-goat. - -The boy was in high spirits. He told me strange tales of ghosts and -goblins, witches and fairies. These last he seemed to be very well -acquainted with. He said they appeared in shining garments, with bright -hair and beautiful wings, and this description agrees very nearly with -what is related of them in books by certain of the Fathers. Anyone to -whom they take a fancy, says the boy, they are able to keep under their -spell, and no one can break the enchantment, not even the Holy Virgin. -But I judge that this is true of only such as are in sin, and that the -pure in heart have nothing to fear from them. - -We travelled up hill and down, through forests and blooming meadows and -across ravines. The mountain-streams, hastening down to the valleys, -full-banked and noisy, seemed to be relating the wonderful things that -they had seen and the strange adventures they had met with on their way. -Sometimes the hillsides and the woods resounded with nature's various -voices, calling, whispering, sighing, chanting praises to the Lord of -all. Now and again we passed a mountaineer's cabin, before which played -children, yellow-haired and unkempt. On seeing strangers, they ran away. -But the women came forward, with infants in their arms, and asked for -benedictions. They offered us milk, butter, green cheese, and black -bread. We frequently found the men seated in front of their huts, -carving wood, mostly images of the Saviour upon the cross. These are -sent to the city of Munich, where they are offered for sale, bringing, I -am told, considerable money and much honour to their pious makers. - -At last we arrived at the shore of a lake, but a dense fog prevented a -clear view of it. A clumsy little boat was found moored to the bank; my -guide bade me enter it, and presently it seemed as if we were gliding -through the sky in the midst of the clouds. I had never before been -on the water, and felt a terrible misgiving lest we should capsize and -drown. We heard nothing but the sound of the ripples against the sides -of the boat. Here and there, as we advanced, some dark object became -dimly visible for a moment, then vanished as suddenly as it had -appeared, and we seemed gliding again through empty space. As the mist -at times lifted a little, I observed great black rocks protruding from -the water, and not far from shore were lying giant trees half submerged, -with huge limbs that looked like the bones of some monstrous skeleton. -The scene was so full of horrors that even the joyous youth was silent -now, his watchful eye ever seeking to penetrate the fog in search of new -dangers. - -By all these signs I knew that we were crossing that fearful lake which -is haunted by ghosts and demons, and I therefore commended my soul to -God. The power of the Lord overcomes all evil. Scarcely had I said my -prayer against the spirits of darkness, when suddenly the veil of fog -was rent asunder, and like a great rose of fire the sun shone out, -clothing the world in garments of colour and gold! - -Before this glorious eye of God the darkness fled and was no more. The -dense fog, which had changed to a thin, transparent mist, lingered a -little on the mountain-sides, then vanished quite away. Except in the -black clefts of the hills, no vestige of it stayed. The lake was as -liquid silver; the mountains were gold, bearing forests that were like -flames of fire. My heart was filled with wonder and gratitude. - -As our boat crept on I observed that the lake filled a long, narrow -basin. On our right the cliffs rose to a great height, their tops -covered with pines, but to the left and in front lay a pleasant land, -where stood a large building. This was Saint Bartholom, the summer -residence of his Reverence, Superior Andreas. - -This garden spot was of no great extent: it was shut in on all sides but -that upon which the lake lay by cliffs that rose a thousand feet into -the air. High in the front of this awful wall was set a green meadow, -which seemed like a great jewel gleaming upon the gray cloak of the -mountain. My guide pointed it out as the only place in all that region -where the edelweiss grew. This, then, was the very place where Benedicta -had culled the lovely flowers that she had brought to me during my -penance. I gazed upward to that beautiful but terrible spot with -feelings that I have no words to express. The youth, his mood -sympathetic with the now joyous aspect of nature, shouted and sang, but -I felt the hot tears rise into my eyes and flow down upon my cheeks, and -concealed my face in my cowl. - -21 - -After leaving the boat we climbed the mountain. Dear Lord, nothing comes -from Thy hand without a purpose and a use, but why Thou shouldst have -piled up these mountains, and why Thou shouldst have covered them -with so many stones, is a mystery to me, since I can see no purpose in -stones, which are a blessing to neither man nor beast. - -After hours of climbing we reached a spring, where I sat down, faint -and footsore and out of breath. As I looked about me the scene fully -justified all that I had been told of these high solitudes. Wherever I -turned my eyes was nothing but gray, bare rocks streaked with red and -yellow and brown. There were dreary wastes of stones where nothing -grew--no single plant nor blade of grass--dreadful abysses filled with -ice, and glittering snowfields sloping upward till they seemed to touch -the sky. - -Among the rocks I did, however, find a few flowers. It seemed as if -the Creator of this wild and desolate region had Himself found it too -horrible, and, reaching down to the valleys, had gathered a handful -of flowers and scattered them in the barren places. These flowers, so -distinguished by the Divine hand, have bloomed with a celestial beauty -that none others know. The boy pointed out the plant whose root I am to -dig, as well as several strong and wholesome herbs serviceable to man, -among them the golden-flowered arnica. - -After an hour we continued our journey, which we pursued until I was -hardly able to drag my feet along the path. At last we reached a lonely -spot surrounded by great black rocks. In the centre was a miserable hut -of stones, with a low opening in one side for an entrance, and this, the -youth told me, was to be my habitation. We entered, and my heart sank to -think of dwelling in such a place. There was no furniture of any kind. A -wide bench, on which was some dry Alpine grass, was to be my bed. -There was a fireplace, with some wood for fuel, and a few simple -cooking-utensils. - -The boy took up a pan and ran away with it, and, throwing myself down in -front of the hut, I was soon lost in contemplation of the wildness and -terror of the place in which I was to prepare my soul for service of -the Lord. The boy soon returned, bearing the pan in both hands, and on -seeing me he gave a joyful shout, whose echoes sounded like a hundred -voices babbling among the rocks on every side. After even so short a -period of solitude I was so happy to see a human face that I came near -answering his greeting with unbecoming joy. How, then, could I hope to -sustain a week of isolation in that lonely spot? - -When the boy placed the pan before me it was full of milk, and he -brought forth from his clothing a pat of yellow butter, prettily adorned -with Alpine flowers, and a cake of snow-white cheese wrapped in aromatic -herbs. The sight delighted me, and I asked him, jokingly: 'Do butter -and cheese, then, grow on stones up here, and have you found a spring of -milk?' - -'You might accomplish such a miracle,' he replied, 'but I prefer to -hasten to the Black Lake and ask this food of the young women who live -there.' He then got some flour from a kind of pantry in the hut, and, -having kindled a fire on the hearth, proceeded to make a cake. - -'Then we are not alone in this wilderness,' I said. 'Tell me where is -that lake on the shore of which these generous people dwell?' - -'The Black Lake,' he replied, blinking his eyes, which were full of -smoke, 'is behind that _Kogel_ yonder, and the dairy-house stands on the -edge of the cliff above the water. It is a bad place. The lake reaches -clear down to Hell, and you can hear, through the fissures of the rocks, -the roaring and hissing of the flames and the groans of the souls. And -in no other place in all this world are there so many fierce and -evil spirits. Beware of it! You might fall ill there in spite of your -sanctity. Milk and butter and cheese can be obtained at the Green Lake -lower down; but I will tell the women to send up what you require. They -will be glad to oblige you; and if you will preach them a sermon every -Sunday, they will fight the very devil for you!' - -After our meal, which I thought the sweetest I had ever eaten, the boy -stretched himself in the sunshine and straightway fell asleep, snoring -so loudly that, tired as I was, I could hardly follow his example. - -22 - -When I awoke the sun was already behind the mountains, whose tops were -fringed with fire. I felt as one in a dream, but was soon recalled to my -senses, and made to feel that I was alone in the wilderness by shouts -of the young man in the distance. Doubtless he had pitied my condition, -for, instead of disturbing me, he had gone away without taking leave, -being compelled to reach the dairy on the Green Lake before nightfall. -Entering the cabin, I found a fire burning lustily and a quantity of -fuel piled beside it. Nor had the thoughtful youth forgotten to prepare -my supper of bread and milk. He had also shaken up the grass on my hard -bed, and covered it with a woollen cloth, for which I was truly grateful -to him. - -Refreshed by my long sleep, I remained outside the cabin till late in -the evening. I said my prayers in view of the gray rocks beneath the -black sky, in which the stars blinked merrily. They seemed much more -brilliant up here than when seen from the valley, and it was easy to -imagine that, standing on the extreme summit, one might touch them with -his hands. - -Many hours of that night I passed under the sky and the stars, examining -my conscience and questioning my heart. I felt as if in church, kneeling -before the altar and feeling the awful presence of the Lord. And at last -my soul was filled with a divine peace, and as an innocent child presses -its mother's breast, even so I leaned my head upon thine, O Nature, -mother of us all! - -23 - -I had not before seen a dawn so glorious! The mountains were rose-red, -and seemed almost transparent. The atmosphere was of a silver lucidity, -and so fresh and pure that with every breath I seemed to be taking new -life. The dew, heavy and white, clung to the scanty grass-blades like -rain and dripped from the sides of the rocks. - -It was while engaged in my morning devotions that I involuntarily became -acquainted with my neighbours. All night long the marmots had squealed, -greatly to my dismay, and they were now capering to and fro like hares. -Overhead the brown hawks sailed in circles with an eye to the birds -flitting among the bushes and the wood-mice racing along the rocks. -Now and again a troop of chamois passed near, on their way to the -feeding-grounds on the cliffs, and high above all I saw a single eagle -rising into the sky, higher and higher, as a soul flies heavenward when -purged of sin. - -I was still kneeling when the silence was broken by the sound of voices. -I looked about, but, although I could distinctly hear the voices and -catch snatches of song, I saw no one. The sounds seemed to come from the -heart of the mountain and, remembering the malevolent powers that infest -the place, I repeated a prayer against the Evil One and awaited the -event. - -Again the singing was heard, ascending from a deep chasm, and presently -I saw rising out of it three female figures. As soon as they saw me they -ceased singing and uttered shrill screams. By this sign I knew them to -be daughters of the earth, and thought they might be Christians, and so -waited for them to approach. - -As they drew near I observed that they carried baskets on their heads, -and that they were tall, good-looking lasses, light-haired, brown in -complexion and black-eyed. Setting their baskets upon the ground, they -greeted me humbly and kissed my hands, after which they opened the -baskets and displayed the good things they had brought me--milk, cream, -cheese, butter and cakes. - -Seating themselves upon the ground, they told me they were from the -Green Lake, and said they were glad to have a 'mountain brother' again, -especially so young and handsome a one; and in saying so there were -merry twinkles in their dark eyes and smiles on their red lips, which -pleased me exceedingly. - -I inquired if they were not afraid to live in the wilderness, at which -they laughed, showing their white teeth. They said they had a hunter's -gun in their cabin to keep off bears, and knew several powerful -sentences and anathemas against demons. Nor were they very lonely, they -added, for every Saturday the boys from the valley came up to hunt wild -beasts, and then all made merry. I learned from them that meadows and -cabins were common among the rocks, where herdsmen and herdswomen lived -during the whole summer. The finest meadows, they said, belonged to the -monastery, and lay but a short distance away. - -The pleasant chatting of the maidens greatly delighted me, and the -solitude began to be less oppressive. Having received the benediction, -they kissed my hand and went away as they had come, laughing, singing -and shouting in the joy of youth and health. So much I have already -observed: the people in the mountains lead a better and happier life -than those in the damp, deep valleys below. Also, they seem purer in -heart and mind, and that may be due to their living so much nearer to -Heaven, which some of the brothers say approaches more closely to the -earth here than at any other place in the world excepting Rome. - -24 - -The maidens having gone, I stowed away the provisions which they had -brought me, and, taking a short pointed spade and a bag, went in search -of the gentiana roots. They grew in abundance, and my back soon began -to ache from stooping and digging; but I continued the labour, for I -desired to send a good quantity to the monastery to attest my zeal and -obedience. I had gone a long distance from my cabin without observing -the direction which I had taken, when suddenly I found myself on the -brink of an abyss so deep and terrible that I recoiled with a cry of -horror. At the bottom of this chasm, so far below my feet that I was -giddy to look down, a small circular lake was visible, like the eye of -a fiend. On the shore of it, near a cliff overhanging the water, stood a -cabin, from the stone-weighted roof of which rose a thin column of blue -smoke. About the cabin, in the narrow and sterile pasture, a few cows -and sheep were grazing. What a dreadful place for a human habitation! - -I was still gazing down with fear into this gulf when I was again -startled: I heard a voice distinctly call a name! The sound came from -behind me, and the name was uttered with so caressing sweetness that I -hastened to cross myself as a protection from the wiles of the fairies -with their spells and enchantments. Soon I heard the voice again, and -this time it caused my heart to beat so that I was near suffocation, for -it was Benedicta's! Benedicta in this wilderness, and I alone with her! -Surely I now had need of thy guidance, blessed Franciscus, to keep, my -feet in the path of the Divine purpose. - -I turned about and saw her. She was now springing from rock to rock, -looking backward and calling the name that was strange to me. When she -saw that I looked at her she stood motionless. I walked to her, greeting -her in the name of the Blessed Virgin, though, God forgive me! hardly -able in the tumult of my emotions to articulate that holy title. - -Ah, how changed the poor child was! The lovely face was as pale as -marble; the large eyes were sunken and inexpressibly sad. Her beautiful -hair alone was unaltered, flowing over her shoulders like threads of -gold. We stood looking at each other, silent from surprise; then I again -addressed her: 'Is it, then, you, Benedicta, who live in the cabin down -there by the Black Lake--near the waters of Avemus? And is your father -with you?' - -She made no reply, but I observed a quivering about her delicate mouth, -as when a child endeavours to refrain from weeping. I repeated my -question: 'Is your father with you?' - -She answered faintly, in a tone that was hardly more than a sigh: - -'My father is dead.' - -I felt a sudden pain in my very heart, and was for some moments unable -to speak further, quite overcome by compassion. Benedicta had turned -away her face to hide her tears, and her fragile frame was shaken by her -sobs. I could no longer restrain myself. Stepping up to her, I took her -hand in mine, and, trying to crush back into my secret heart every human -desire, and address her in words of religious consolation, said: 'My -child--dear Benedicta--your father is gone from you, but another Father -remains who will protect you every day of your life. And as far as may -accord with His holy will I, too, good and beautiful maiden, help you to -endure your great affliction. He whom you mourn is not lost; he is gone -to the mercy seat, and God will be gracious to him.' - -But my words seemed only to awaken her sleeping grief. She threw herself -upon the ground and gave way to her tears, sobbing so violently that I -was filled with alarm. O Mother of Mercy! how can I bear the memory -of the anguish I suffered in seeing this beautiful and innocent child -overwhelmed with so great a flood of grief? I bent over her, and my own -tears fell upon her golden hair. My heart urged me to lift her from -the earth, but my hands were powerless to move. At length she composed -herself somewhat and spoke, but as if she were talking to herself rather -than to me: 'Oh, my father, my poor, heart-broken father! Yes, he is -dead--they killed him--he died long ago of grief. My beautiful mother, -too, died of grief--of grief and remorse for some great sin, I know -not what, which he had forgiven her. He could only be compassionate and -merciful. His heart was too tender to let him kill a worm or a beetle, -and he was compelled to kill men. His father and his father's father had -lived and died in the Galgenberg. They were hangmen all, and the awful -inheritance fell to him: there was no escape, for the terrible people -held him to the trade. I have heard him say that he was often tempted to -kill himself, and but for me I am sure he would have done so. He could -not leave me to starve, though he had to see me reviled, and at last, O -Holy Virgin! publicly disgraced for that of which I was not guilty.' - -As Benedicta made this reference to the great injustice that she had -been made to suffer, her white cheeks kindled to crimson with the -recollection of the shame which for her father's sake she had, at the -time of it, so differently endured. - -During the narrative of her grief she had partly risen and had turned -her beautiful face more and more toward me as her confidence had grown; -but now she veiled it with her hair, and would have turned her back but -that I gently prevented her and spoke some words of comfort, though God -knows my own heart was near breaking through sympathy with hers. After -a few moments she resumed: 'Alas, my poor father! he was unhappy every -way. Not even the comfort of seeing his child baptised was granted him. -I was a hangman's daughter, and my parents were forbidden to present me -for baptism; nor could any priest be found who was willing to bless me -in the name of the Holy Trinity. So they gave me the name Benedicta, and -blessed me themselves, over and over again. - -'I was only an infant when my beautiful mother died. They buried her -in unconsecrated ground. She could not go to the Heavenly Father in the -mansions above, but was thrust into the flames. While she was dying my -father had hastened to the Reverend Superior, imploring him to send a -priest with the sacrament. His prayer was denied. No priest came, and my -poor father closed her eyes himself, while his own were blind with tears -of anguish for her terrible fate. - -'And all alone he had to dig her grave. He had no other place than near -the gallows, where he had so often buried the hanged and the accurst. -With his own hands he had to place her in that unholy ground, nor could -any masses be said for her suffering soul. - -'I well remember how my dear father took me then to the image of the -Holy Virgin and bade me kneel, and, joining my little hands, taught me -to pray for my poor mother, who had stood undefended before the terrible -Judge of the Dead. This I have done every morning and evening since that -day, and now I pray for both; for my father also has died unshriven, and -his soul is not with God, but burns in unceasing fire. - -'When he was dying I ran to the Superior, just as he had done for my -dear mother. I besought him on my knees. I prayed and wept and embraced -his feet, and would have kissed his hand but that he snatched it away. -He commanded me to go.' - -As Benedicta proceeded with her narrative she gained courage. She rose -to her feet and stood erect, threw back her beautiful head and lifted -her eyes to the heavens as if recounting her wrongs to God's high angels -and ministers of doom. She stretched forth her bare arms in gestures of -so natural force and grace that I was filled with astonishment, and -her unstudied words came from her lips with an eloquence of which I had -never before had any conception. I dare not think it inspiration, for, -God forgive us all! every word was an unconscious arraignment of Him and -His Holy Church; yet surely no mortal with lips untouched by a live coal -from the altar ever so spake before! In the presence of this strange and -gifted being I so felt my own unworth that I had surely knelt, as before -a blessed saint, but that she suddenly concluded, with a pathos that -touched me to tears. - -'The cruel people killed him,' she said, with a sob in the heart of -every word. 'They laid hands upon me whom he loved. They charged me -falsely with a foul crime. They attired me in a garment of dishonour, -and put a crown of straw upon my head, and hung about my neck the black -tablet of shame. They spat upon me and reviled me, and compelled him -to lead me to the pillory, where I was bound and struck with whips -and stones. That broke his great, good heart, and so he died, and I am -alone.' - -25 - -When Benedicta had finished I remained silent, for in the presence of -such a sorrow what could I say? For such wounds as hers religion has -no balm. As I thought of the cruel wrongs of this humble and harmless -family there came into my heart a feeling of wild rebellion against -the world, against the Church, against God! They were brutally unjust, -horribly, devilishly unjust!--God, the Church, and the world. - -Our very surroundings--the stark and soulless wilderness, perilous with -precipices and bleak with everlasting snows--seemed a visible embodiment -of the woeful life to which the poor child had been condemned from -birth; and truly this was more than fancy, for since her father's death -had deprived her of even so humble a home as the hangman's hovel she had -been driven to these eternal solitudes by the stress of want. But below -us were pleasant villages, fertile fields, green gardens, and homes -where peace and plenty abided all the year. - -After a time, when Benedicta was somewhat composed, I asked her if she -had anyone with her for protection. - -'I have none,' she replied. But observing my look of pain, she added: -'I have always lived in lonely, accurst places; I am accustomed to that. -Now that my father is dead, there is no one who cares even to speak to -me, nor any whom I care to talk with--except you.' After a pause she -said: 'True, there is one who cares to see me, but he----' - -Here she broke off, and I did not press her to explain lest it should -embarrass her. Presently she said: 'I knew yesterday that you were here. -A boy came for some milk and butter for you. If you were not a holy man -the boy would not have come to me for your food. As it is, you cannot -be harmed by the evil which attaches to everything I have or do. Are -you sure, though, that you made the sign of the cross over the food -yesterday?' - -'Had I known that it came from you, Benedicta, that precaution would -have been omitted,' I answered. - -She looked at me with beaming eyes, and said: - -'Oh, dear sir, dear Brother!' - -And both the look and the words gave me the keenest delight--as, in -truth, do all this saintly creature's words and ways. - -I inquired what had brought her to the cliff-top, and who the person was -that I had heard her calling. - -'It is no person,' she answered, smiling; 'it is only my goat. She has -strayed away, and I was searching for her among the rocks.' - -Then nodding to me as if about to say farewell, she turned to go, but I -detained her, saying that I would assist her to look for the goat. - -We soon discovered the animal in a crevice of rock, and so glad was -Benedicta to find her humble companion that she knelt by its side, put -her arms about its neck and called it by many endearing names. I thought -this very charming, and could not help looking upon the group with -obvious admiration. - -Benedicta, observing it, said: 'Her mother fell from a cliff and broke -her neck. I took the little one and brought it up on milk, and she -is very fond of me. One who lives alone as I do values the love of a -faithful animal.' - -When the maiden was about to leave me I gained courage to speak to her -of what had been so long in my mind. I said: 'It is true, is it not, -Benedicta, that on the night of the festival you went to meet the -drunken boys in order to save your father from harm?' - -She looked at me in great astonishment. 'For what other reason could you -suppose I went?' - -'I could not think of any other,' I replied, in some confusion. - -'And now good-bye, Brother,' she said, moving away. - -'Benedicta,' I cried. She paused and turned her head. - -'Next Sunday I shall preach to the dairy women at the Green Lake; will -you come?' - -'Oh, no, dear Brother,' she replied hesitating and in low tones. - -'You will not come?' - -'I should like to come, but my presence would frighten away the dairy -women and others whom your goodness would bring there to hear you. Your -charity to me would cause you trouble. I pray you, sir, accept thanks, -but I cannot come.' - -'Then I shall come to you.' - -'Beware, oh pray, beware!' - -'I shall come.' - -26 - -The boy had taught me how to prepare a cake. I knew all that went to the -making of it, and the right proportions, yet when I tried to make it I -could not. All that I was able to make was a smoky, greasy pap, more fit -for the mouth of Satan than for a pious son of the Church and follower -of Saint Franciscus. My failure greatly discouraged me, yet it did not -destroy my appetite; so, taking some stale bread, I dipped it in sour -milk and was about to make my stomach do penance for its many sins, when -Benedicta came with a basketful of good things from her dairy. Ah, the -dear child! I fear that it was not with my heart only that I greeted her -that blessed morning. - -Observing the smoky mass in the pan, she smiled, and quietly throwing -it to the birds (which may Heaven guard!) she cleansed the pan at the -spring, and, returning arranged the fire. She then prepared the material -for a fresh cake. Taking two handfuls of flour, she put it into an -earthen bowl, and upon the top of it poured a cup of cream. Adding a -pinch of salt, she mixed the whole vigorously with her slender white -hands until it became a soft, swelling dough. She next greased the pan -with a piece of yellow butter, and, pouring the dough into it, placed -it on the fire. When the heat had penetrated the dough, causing it to -expand and rise above the sides of the pan, she deftly pierced it here -and there that it should not burst, and when it was well browned she -took it up and set it before me, all unworthy as I was. I invited her -to share the meal with me, but she would not. She insisted, too, that I -should cross myself before partaking of anything that she had brought me -or prepared, lest some evil come to me because of the ban upon her; -but this I would not consent to do. While I ate she culled flowers from -among the rocks, and, making a wreath, hung it upon the cross in front -of the cabin; after which, when I had finished, she employed herself in -cleansing the dishes and arranging everything in order as it should -be, so that I imagined myself far more comfortable than before, even in -merely looking about me. When there was nothing more to be done, and my -conscience would not permit me to invent reasons for detaining her, she -went away, and O my Saviour! how dismal and dreary seemed the day when -she was gone. Ah, Benedicta, Benedicta, what is this that thou hast done -to me?--making that sole service of the Lord to which I am dedicated -seem less happy and less holy than a herdsman's humble life here in the -wilderness with thee! - -27 - -Life up here is less disagreeable than I thought. What seemed to me -a dreary solitude seems now less dismal and desolate. This mountain -wilderness, which at first filled me with awe, gradually reveals its -benign character. It is marvellously beautiful in its grandeur, with a -beauty which purifies and elevates the soul. One can read in it, as in a -book, the praises of its Creator. Daily, while digging gentiana roots, I -do not fail to listen to the voice of the wilderness and to compose and -chasten my soul more and more. - -In these mountains are no feathered songsters. The birds here utter only -shrill cries. The flowers, too, are without fragrance, but wondrously -beautiful, shining with the fire and gold of stars. I have seen slopes -and heights here which doubtless were never trodden by any human foot. -They seem to me sacred, the touch of the Creator still visible upon -them, as when they came from His hand. - -Game is in great abundance. Chamois are sometimes seen in such droves -that the very hillsides seem to move. There are steinbocks, veritable -monsters, but as yet, thank Heaven, I have seen no bears. Marmots play -about me like kittens, and eagles, the grandest creatures in this high -world, nest in the cliffs to be as near the sky as they can get. - -When fatigued, I stretch myself on the Alpine grass, which is as -fragrant as the most precious spices. I close my eyes and hear the wind -whisper through the tall stems, and in my heart is peace. Blessed be the -Lord! - -28 - -Every morning the dairy women come to my cabin, their merry shouts -ringing in the air and echoed from the hills. They bring fresh milk, -butter and cheese, chat a little while and go away. Each day they relate -something new that has occurred in the mountains or been reported from -the villages below. They are joyous and happy, and look forward with -delight to Sunday, when there will be divine service in the morning and -a dance in the evening. - -Alas, these happy people are not free of the sin of bearing -false witness against their neighbour. They have spoken to me of -Benedicta--called her a disgraceful wench, a hangman's daughter and (my -heart rebels against its utterance) the mistress of Rochus! The pillory, -they said, was made for such as she. - -Hearing these maidens talk so bitterly and falsely of one whom they so -little knew, it was with difficulty that I mastered my indignation. But -in pity of their ignorance I reprimanded them gently and kindly. It was -wrong, I said, to condemn a fellow-being unheard. It was unchristian to -speak ill of any one. - -They do not understand. It surprises them that I defend a person like -Benedicta--one who, as they truly say, has been publicly disgraced and -has not a friend in the world. - -29 - -This morning I visited the Black Lake. It is indeed an awful and -accursed place, fit for the habitation of the damned. And there lives -the poor forsaken child! Approaching the cabin, I could see a fire -burning on the hearth, and over it was suspended a kettle. Benedicta was -seated on a low stool, looking into the flames. Her face was illuminated -with a crimson glow, and I could observe heavy tear-drops on her cheeks. - -Not wishing to see her secret sorrow, I hastened to make known my -presence, and addressed her as gently as I could. She was startled, but -when she saw who it was, smiled and blushed. She rose and came to greet -me, and I began speaking to her almost at random, in order that she -might recover her composure. I spoke as a brother might speak to his -sister, yet earnestly, for my heart was full of compassion. - -'O Benedicta,' I said, I know your heart, and it has more love for that -wild youth Rochus than for our dear and blessed Saviour. I know how -willingly you bore infamy and disgrace, sustained by the thought that he -knew you innocent. Far be it from me to condemn you, for what is holier -or purer than a maiden's love? I would only warn and save you from the -consequence of having given it to one so unworthy.' - -She listened with her head bowed, and said nothing, but I could hear -her sighs. I saw, too, that she trembled. I continued: 'Benedicta, the -passion which fills your heart may prove your destruction in this life -and hereafter. Young Rochus is not one who will make you his wife in the -sight of God and Man. Why did he not stand forth and defend you when you -were falsely accused?' - -'He was not there,' she said, lifting her eyes to mine; 'he and his -father were at Salzburg. He knew nothing till they told him.' - -May God forgive me if at this I felt no joy in another's acquittal of -the heavy sin with which I had charged him. I stood a moment irresolute, -with my head bowed, silent. - -'But, Benedicta,' I resumed, 'will he take for a wife one whose good -name has been blackened in the sight of his family and his neighbours? -No, he does not seek you with an honourable purpose. O Benedicta, -confide in me. Is it not as I say?' - -But she remained silent, nor could I draw from her a single word. She -would only sigh and tremble; she seemed unable to speak. I saw that she -was too weak to resist the temptation to love young Rochus; nay, I saw -that her whole heart was bound up in him, and my soul melted with pity -and sorrow--pity for her and sorrow for myself, for I felt that my power -was unequal to the command that had been laid upon me. My agony was so -keen that I could hardly refrain from crying out. - -I went from her cabin, but did not return to my own. I wandered about -the haunted shore of the Black Lake for hours, without aim or purpose. - -Reflecting bitterly upon my failure, and beseeching God for greater -grace and strength, it was revealed to me that I was an unworthy -disciple of the Lord and a faithless son of the Church. I became more -keenly conscious than I ever had been before of the earthly nature of my -love for Benedicta, and of its sinfulness. I felt that I had not given -my whole heart to God, but was clinging to a temporal and human hope. -It was plain to me that unless my love for the sweet child should be -changed to a purely spiritual affection, purified from all the dross of -passion, I could never receive holy orders, but should remain always a -monk and always a sinner. These reflections caused me great torment, -and in my despair I cast myself down upon the earth, calling aloud to -my Saviour. In this my greatest trial I clung to the Cross. 'Save me, O -Lord!' I cried. 'I am engulfed in a great passion--save me, oh, save me, -or I perish forever!' - -All that night I struggled and prayed and fought against the evil -spirits in my soul, with their suggestions of recreancy to the dear -Church whose child I am. - -'The Church,' they whispered, 'has servants enough. You are not as yet -irrevocably bound to celibacy. You can procure a dispensation from your -monastic vows and remain here in the mountains, a layman. You can learn -the craft of the hunter or the herdsman, and be ever near Benedicta to -guard and guide her--perhaps in time to win her love from Rochus and -take her for your wife.' - -To these temptations I opposed my feeble strength and such aid as -the blessed Saint gave me in my great trial. The contest was long and -agonising, and more than once, there in the darkness and the wilderness, -which rang with my cries, I was near surrender; but at the dawning of -the day I became more tranquil, and peace once more filled my heart, -even as the golden light filled the great gorges of the mountain where -but a few moments before were the darkness and the mist. I thought then -of the suffering and death of our Saviour, who died for the redemption -of the world, and most fervently I prayed that Heaven would grant me the -great boon to die likewise, in a humbler way, even though it were for -but one suffering being--Benedicta. - -May the Lord hear my prayer! - -30 - -The night before the Sunday on which I was to hold divine service great -fires were kindled on the cliffs--a signal for the young men in the -valley to come up to the mountain dairies. They came in great numbers, -shouting and screaming, and were greeted with songs and shrill cries by -the dairy maidens, who swung flaming torches that lit up the faces -of the great rocks and sent gigantic shadows across them. It was a -beautiful sight. These are indeed a happy people. - -The monastery boy came in with the rest. He will remain over Sunday, -and, returning, will take back the roots that I have dug. He gave me -much news from the monastery. The reverend Superior is living at Saint -Bartholom, fishing and hunting. Another thing--one which gives me great -alarm--is that the Saltmaster's son, young Rochus, is in the mountains -not far from the Black Lake. It seems he has a hunting-lodge on the -upper cliff, and a path leads from it directly to the lake. The boy told -me this, but did not observe how I trembled when hearing it. Would that -an angel with a flaming sword might guard the path to the lake, and to -Benedicta! - -The shouting and singing continued during the whole night, and between -this and the agitation in my soul I did not close my eyes. Early the -next morning the boys and girls arrived in crowds from all directions. -The maidens wore silken kerchiefs twisted prettily about their heads, -and had decorated themselves and their escorts with flowers. - -Not being an ordained priest, it was not permitted me either to read -mass or to preach a sermon, but I prayed with them and spoke to them -whatever my aching heart found to say. I spoke to them of our sinfulness -and God's great mercy; of our harshness to one another and the Saviour's -love for us all; of His infinite compassion. As my words echoed from the -abyss below and the heights above I felt as if I were lifted out of -this world of suffering and sin and borne away on angel's wings to the -radiant spheres beyond the sky! It was a solemn service, and my little -congregation was awed into devotion and seemed to feel as if it stood in -the Holy of Holies. - -The service being concluded, I blessed the people and they quietly went -away. They had not been long gone before I heard the lads send forth -ringing shouts, but this did not displease me. Why should they not -rejoice? Is not cheerfulness the purest praise a human heart can give? - -In the afternoon I went down to Benedicta's cabin and found her at the -door, making a wreath of edelweiss for the image of the Blessed Virgin, -intertwining the snowy flowers with a purple blossom that looked like -blood. - -Seating myself beside her, I looked on at her beautiful work in silence, -but in my soul was a wild tumult of emotion and a voice that cried: -'Benedicta, my love, my soul, I love you more than life! I love you -above all things on earth and in Heaven!' - -31 - -The Superior sent for me, and with a strange foreboding I followed his -messenger down the difficult way to the lake and embarked in the boat. -Occupied with gloomy reflections and presentiments of impending evil, -I hardly observed that we had left the shore before the sound of merry -voices apprised me of our arrival at St. Bartholom. On the beautiful -meadow surrounding the dwelling of the Superior were a great number of -people--priests, friars, mountaineers and hunters. Many were there who -had come from afar with large retinues of servants and boys. In the -house was a great bustle--a confusion and a hurrying to and fro, as -during a fair. The doors stood wide open, and people ran in and out, -clamouring noisily. The dogs yelped and howled as loud as they could. On -a stand under the oak was a great cask of beer, and many of the people -were gathered about it, drinking. Inside the house, too, there seemed to -be much drinking, for I saw many men near the windows with mighty cups -in their hands. On entering, I encountered throngs of servants carrying -dishes of fish and game. I asked one of them when I could see the -Superior. He answered that His Reverence would be down immediately after -the meal, and I concluded to wait in the hall. The walls were hung with -pictures of some large fish which had been caught in the lake. Below -each picture the weight of the monster and the date of its capture, -together with the name of the person taking it, were inscribed in -large letters. I could not help interpreting these records--perhaps -uncharitably--as intimations to all good Christians to pray for the -souls of those whose names were inscribed. - -After more than an hour the Superior descended the stairs. I stepped -forward, saluting him humbly, as became my position. He nodded, eyed -me sharply, and directed me to go to his apartment immediately after -supper. This I did. - -'How about your soul, my son Ambrosius?' he asked me, solemnly. 'Has the -Lord shown you grace? Have you endured the probation?' Humbly, with my -head bowed, I answered: 'Most reverend Father, God in my solitude has -given me knowledge.' - -'Of what? Of your guilt?' This I affirmed. - -'Praise be to God!' exclaimed the Superior. 'I knew, my son, that -solitude would speak to your soul with the tongue of an angel. I have -good tidings for you. I have written in your behalf to the Bishop of -Salzburg. He summons you to his palace. He will consecrate you and give -you holy orders in person, and you will remain in his city. Prepare -yourself, for in three days you are to leave us.' - -The Superior looked sharply into my face again, but I did not permit him -to see into my heart. I asked for his benediction, bowed and left him. -Ah, then, it was for this that I was summoned! I am to go away forever. -I must leave my very life behind me; I must renounce my care and -protection of Benedicta. God help her and me! - -32 - -I am once more in my mountain home, but tomorrow I leave it forever. But -why am I sad? Does not a great blessing await me? Have I not ever looked -forward to the moment of my consecration with longing, believing it -would bring me the supreme happiness of my life? And now that this great -joy is almost within my grasp, I am sad beyond measure. - -Can I approach the altar of the Lord with a lie on my lips? Can I -receive the holy sacrament as an impostor? The holy oil upon my forehead -would turn to fire and burn into my brain, and I should be for ever -damned. - -I might fall upon my knees before the Bishop and say: 'Expel me, for -I do not seek after the love of Christ, nor after holy and heavenly -things, but after the things of this world.' - -If I so spoke, I should be punished, but I could endure that without a -murmur. - -If only I were sinless and could rightly become a priest, I could be of -great service to the poor child. I should be able to give her infinite -blessings and consolations. I could be her confessor and absolve her -from sin, and, if I should outlive her--which God forbid!--might by my -prayers even redeem her soul from Purgatory. I could read masses for the -souls of her poor dead parents, already in torment. - -Above all, if I succeeded in preserving her from that one great and -destructive sin for which she secretly longs; if I could take her with -me and place her under thy protection, O Blessed Virgin, that would be -happiness indeed. - -But where is the sanctuary that would receive the hangman's daughter? -I know it but too well: when I am gone from here, the Evil One, in the -winning shape he has assumed, will prevail, and she will be lost in time -and in eternity. - -33 - -I have been at Benedicta's cabin. - -'Benedicta,' I said, 'I am going away from here--away from the -mountains--away from you.' - -She grew pale, but said nothing. For a moment I was overcome with -emotion; I seemed to choke, and could not continue. Presently I said: -'Poor child, what will become of you? I know that your love for Rochus -is strong and, love is like a torrent which nothing can stay. There is -no safety for you but in clinging to the cross of our Saviour. Promise me -that you will do so--do not let me go away in misery, Benedicta.' - -'Am I, then, so wicked?' she said, without lifting her eyes from the -ground. 'Can I not be trusted?' - -'Ah, but, Benedicta, the enemy is strong, and you have a traitor to -unbar the gates. Your own heart, poor child, will at last betray you.' - -'He will not harm me,' she murmured. 'You wrong him, sir, indeed you -do.' - -But I knew that I did not, and was all the more concerned to judge that -the wolf would use the arts of the fox. Before the sacred purity of -this maiden the base passions of the youth had not dared to declare -themselves. But none the less I knew that an hour would come when she -would have need of all her strength, and it would fail her. I grasped -her arm and demanded that she take an oath that she would throw herself -into the waters of the Black Lake rather than into the arms of Rochus. -But she would not reply. She remained silent, her eyes fixed upon mine -with a look of sadness and reproach which filled my mind with the most -melancholy thoughts, and, turning away, I left her. - -34 - -Lord, Saviour of my soul, whither hast Thou led me? Here am I in the -culprit's tower, a condemned murderer, and to-morrow at sunrise I shall -be taken to the gallows and hanged! For who so slays a fellow being, he -shall be slain; that is the law of God and man. - -On this the last day of my life I have asked that I be permitted to -write, and my prayer is granted. In the name of God and in the truth I -shall now set down all that occurred. - -Leaving Benedicta, I returned to my cabin, and, having packed -everything, waited for the boy. But he did not come: I should have to -remain in the mountains another night. I grew restless. The cabin seemed -too narrow to hold me; the air was too heavy and hot to sustain life. -Going outside, I lay upon a rock and looked up at the sky, dark and -glittering with stars. But my soul was not in the heavens; it was at the -cabin by the Black Lake. - -Suddenly I heard a faint, distant cry, like a human voice. I sat upright -and listened, but all was still. It may have been, I thought, the note -of some night-bird. I was about to lie down again, when the cry was -repeated, but it seemed to come from another direction. It was the -voice of Benedicta! It sounded again, and now it seemed to come from the -air--from the sky above my head, and distinctly it called my name; but, -O Mother of God, what anguish was in those tones! - -I leapt from the rock. 'Benedicta, Benedicta!' I cried aloud. There was -no reply. - -'Benedicta, I am coming to thee, child!' - -I sprang away in the darkness, along the path to the Black Lake. I ran -and leapt, stumbling and falling over rocks and stumps of trees. My -limbs were bruised, my clothing was torn, but I gave no heed; Benedicta -was in distress, and I alone could save and guard her. I rushed on until -I reached the Black Lake. But at the cabin all was quiet; there was -neither light nor sound; everything was as peaceful as a house of God. - -After waiting a long time I left. The voice that I had heard calling me -could not have been Benedicta's, but must have been that of some evil -spirit mocking me in my great sorrow. I meant to return to my cabin, but -an invisible hand directed my steps another way; and although it led me -to my death, I know it to have been the hand of the Lord. - -Walking on, hardly knowing whither, and unable to find the path by which -I had descended, I found myself at the foot of a precipice. Here was a -narrow path leading steeply upward along the face of the cliff, and I -began ascending it. After I had gone up some distance I looked above, -and saw outlined against the starry sky a cabin perched upon the very -verge. It flashed through my mind that this was the hunting-lodge of -the Saltmaster's son, and this the path by which he visited Benedicta. -Merciful Father! he, Rochus, was certain to come this way; there could -be no other. I would wait for him here. - -I crouched in the shadow and waited, thinking what to say to him and -imploring the Lord for inspiration to change his heart and turn him from -his evil purpose. - -Before long I heard him approaching from above. I heard the stones -displaced by his foot roll down the steep slopes and leap into the lake -far below. Then I prayed God that if I should be unable to soften the -youth's heart he might miss his footing and fall, too, like the stones; -for it would be better that he should meet a sudden and impenitent -death, and his soul be lost, than that he should live to destroy the -soul of an innocent girl. - -Turning at an angle of the rock, he stood directly before me as, rising, -I stepped into the faint light of the new moon. He knew me at once, and -in a haughty tone asked me what I wanted. - -I replied mildly, explaining why I had barred his way, and begging him -to go back. He insulted and derided me. - -'You miserable towler,' he said, 'will you never cease meddling in my -affairs? Because the mountain maids are so foolish as to praise your -white teeth and your big black eyes, must you fancy yourself a man, and -not a monk? You are no more to women than a goat!' - -I begged him to desist and to listen to me. I threw myself on my knees -and implored him, however he might despise me and my humble though holy -station, to respect Benedicta and spare her. But he pushed me from -him with his foot upon my breast. No longer master of myself, I sprang -erect, and called him an assassin and a villain. - -At this he pulled a dagger from his belt, saying: 'I will send you to -Hell!' - -Quick as a flash of lightning my hand was upon his wrist. I wrested the -knife from him and flung it behind me, crying: 'Not with weapons, -but unarmed and equal, we will fight to the death, and the Lord shall -decide!' - -We sprang upon each other with the fury of wild animals, and were -instantly locked together with arms and hands. We struggled upward and -downward along the path, with the great wall of rock on one side, and -on the other the precipice, the abyss, the waters of the Black Lake! We -writhed and strained for the advantage; but the Lord was against me for -He permited my enemy to overcome me and throw me down on the edge of the -precipice. I was in the grasp of a strong enemy, whose eyes glowed -like coals of fire. His knee was on my breast and my head hung over the -edge--my life was in his hands. I thought he would push me over, but he -made no attempt to do so. He held me there between life and death for a -dreadful time, then said, in a low, hissing voice: 'You see, monk, if I -but move I can hurl you down the abyss like a stone. But I care not to -take your life, for it is no impediment to me. The girl belongs to me, -and to me you shall leave her; do you understand?' - -With that he rose and left me, going down the path toward the lake. His -footfalls had long died away in the silent night before I was able to -move hand or foot. Great God! I surely did not deserve such defeat, -humiliation and pain. I had but wished to save a soul, yet Heaven -permitted me to be conquered by him who would destroy it! - -Finally I was able to rise, although in great pain, for I was bruised by -my fall, and could still feel the fierce youth's knee upon my breast -and his fingers about my throat. I walked with difficulty back along -the path, downward toward the lake. Wounded as I was, I would return to -Benedicta's cabin and interpose my body between her and harm. But my -progress was slow, and I had frequently to rest; yet it was near dawn -before I gave up the effort, convinced that I should be too late to do -the poor child the small service of yielding up my remnant of life in -her defence. - -At early dawn I heard Rochus returning, with a merry song upon his lips. -I concealed myself behind a rock, though not in fear, and he passed -without seeing me. - -At this point there was a break in the wall of the cliff, the path -crossing a great crevice that clove the mountain as by a sword-stroke -from the arm of a Titan. The bottom was strewn with loose boulders and -overgrown with brambles and shrubs, through which trickled a slender -stream of water fed by the melting snows above. Here I remained for -three days and two nights. I heard the boy from the monastery calling -my name as he traversed the path searching for me, but I made no answer. -Not once did I quench my burning thirst at the brook nor appease my -hunger with blackberries that grew abundantly on every side. Thus I -mortified the sinful flesh, killed rebellious nature and subdued my -spirit to the Lord until at last I felt myself delivered from all evil, -freed from the bondage of an earthly love and prepared to devote my -heart and soul and life to no woman but thee, O Blessed Virgin! - -The Lord having wrought this miracle, my soul felt as light and free -as if wings were lifting me to the skies. I praised the Lord in a loud -voice, shouting and rejoicing till the rocks rang with the sound. I -cried: 'Hosanna! Hosanna! I was now prepared to go before the altar and -receive the holy oil upon my head. I was no longer myself. Ambrosius, -the poor erring monk, was dead; I was an instrument in the right hand of -God to execute His holy will. I prayed for the delivery of the soul of -the beautiful maiden, and as I prayed, behold! there appeared to me -in the splendour and glory of Heaven the Lord Himself, attended by -innumerable angels, filling half the sky! A great rapture enthralled my -senses; I was dumb with happiness. With a smile of ineffable benignity -God spake to me: - -'Because that thou hast been faithful to thy trust, and through all the -trials that I have sent upon thee hast not faltered, the salvation of -the sinless maiden's soul is now indeed given into thy hand.' - -'Thou, Lord, knowest,' I replied, 'that I am without the means to do -this work, nor know I how it is to be done.' - -The Lord commanded me to rise and walk on, and, turning my face away -from the glorious Presence, which filled the heart of the cloven -mountain with light, I obeyed, leaving the scene of my purgation and -regaining the path that led up the face of the cliff. I began the -ascent, walking on and on in the splendour of the sunset, reflected from -crimson clouds. - -Suddenly I felt impelled to stop and look down, and there at my feet, -shining red in the cloudlight, as if stained with blood, lay the sharp -knife of Rochus. Now I understood why the Lord had permitted that wicked -youth to conquer me, yet had moved him to spare my life. I had been -reserved for a more glorious purpose. And so was placed in my hands the -means to that sacred end. My God, my God, how mysterious are Thy ways! - -35 - -'You shall leave her to me.' So had spoken the wicked youth while -holding me between life and death at the precipice. He permitted me -to live, not from Christian mercy, but because he despised my life, a -trivial thing to him, not worth taking. He was sure of his prey; it did -not matter if I were living or dead. - -'You shall leave her to me.' Oh, arrogant fool! Do you not know that the -Lord holds His hand over the flowers of the field and the young birds -in the nest? Leave Benedicta to you?--permit you to destroy her body and -her soul? Ah, you shall see how the hand of God shall be spread above -her to guard and save. There is yet time--that soul is still spotless -and undefiled. Forward, then, to fulfil the command of the Most High -God! - -I knelt upon the spot where God had given into my hand the means of her -deliverance. My soul was wholly absorbed in the mission entrusted to -me. My heart was in ecstasy, and I saw plainly, as in a vision, the -triumphant completion of the act which I had still to do. - -I arose, and, concealing the knife in my robe, retraced my steps, going -downward toward the Black Lake. The new moon looked like a divine wound -in the sky, as if some hand had plunged a dagger into Heaven's holy -breast. - -Benedicta's door was ajar, and I stood outside a long time, gazing upon -the beautiful picture presented to my eyes. A bright fire on the hearth -lit up the room. Opposite the fire sat Benedicta, combing her long -golden hair. Unlike what it was the last time I had stood before her -cabin and gazed upon it, her face was full of happiness and had a glory -that I had never imagined in it. A sensuous smile played about her -lips while she sang in a low, sweet voice the air of a love song of the -people. Ah me! she was beautiful; she looked like a bride of Heaven. But -though her voice was that of an angel, it angered me, and I called out -to her: 'What are you doing, Benedicta, so late in the evening? You sing -as if you expected your lover, and arrange your hair as for a dance. It -is but three days since I, your brother and only friend, left you, in -sorrow and despair. And now you are as happy as a bride.' - -She sprang up and manifested great joy at seeing me again, and hastened -to kiss my hands. But she had no sooner glanced into my face than she -uttered a scream of terror and recoiled from me as if I had been a fiend -from Hell! - -But I approached her and asked: 'Why do you adorn yourself so late in -the night?--why are you so happy? Have the three days been long enough -for you to fall? Are you the mistress of Rochus?' She stood staring at -me in horror. She asked: 'Where have you been and why do you come? You -look so ill! Sit, sir, I pray you, and rest. You are pale and you shake -with cold. I will make you a warm drink and you will feel better.' - -She was silenced by my stern gaze. 'I have not come to rest and be -nursed by you,' I said. 'I am here because the Lord commands. Tell me -why you sang.' - -She looked up at me with the innocent expression of a babe, and replied: -'Because I had for the moment forgotten that you were going away, and I -was happy.' - -'Happy?' - -'Yes--he has been here.' - -'Who? Rochus?' - -She nodded. 'He was so good,' she said. 'He will ask his father to -consent to see me, and perhaps take me to his great house and persuade -the Reverend Superior to remove the curse from my life. Would not that -be fine? But then.' she added, with a sudden change of voice and manner, -lowering her eyes, 'perhaps you would no longer care for me. It is -because I am poor and friendless.' - -'What! he will persuade his father to befriend you?--to take you to his -home?--you, the hangman's daughter? He, this reckless youth, at war -with God and God's ministers, will move the Church! Oh, lie, lie, lie! O -Benedicta--lost, betrayed Benedicta! By your smiles and by your tears I -know that you believe the monstrous promises of this infamous villain.' - -'Yes,' she said, inclining her head as if she were making a confession -of faith before the altar of the Lord, 'I believe him.' - -'Kneel, then,' I cried, 'and praise the Lord for sending one of His -chosen to save your soul from temporal and eternal perdition!' - -At these words she trembled as in great fear. - -'What do you wish me to do?' she exclaimed. - -'To pray that your sins may be forgiven.' - -A sudden rapturous impulse seized my soul. 'I am a priest,' I cried, -'anointed and ordained by God Himself, and in the name of the Father, -and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, I forgive you your only sin, -which is your love. I give you absolution without repentance. I free -your soul from the taint of sin because you will atone for it with your -blood and life.' - -With these words, I seized her and forced her down upon her knees. But -she wanted to live; she cried and wailed. She clung to my knees and -entreated and implored in the name of God and the Blessed Virgin. Then -she sprang to her feet and attempted to run away. I seized her again, -but she broke away from my grasp and ran to the open door, crying: -'Rochus! Rochus! help, oh help!' - -Springing after her, I grasped her by the shoulder, turned her -half-round and plunged the knife into her breast. - -I held her in my arms, pressed her against my heart and felt her warm -blood upon my body. She opened her eyes and fixed upon me a look of -reproach, as if I had robbed her of a life of happiness. Then her eyes -slowly closed, she gave a long, shuddering sigh, her little head turned -upon her shoulder, and so she died. - -I wrapped the beautiful body in a white sheet, leaving the face -uncovered, and laid it upon the floor. But the blood tinged the linen, -so I parted her long golden hair, spreading it over the crimson roses -upon her breast. As I had made her a bride of Heaven, I took from the -image of the Virgin the wreath of edelweiss and placed it on Benedicta's -brow; and now I remembered the edelweiss which she had once brought me -to comfort me in my penance. - -Then I stirred the fire, which cast upon the shrouded figure and the -beautiful face a rich red light, as if God's glory had descended there -to enfold her. It was caught and tangled in the golden tresses that lay -upon her breast, so that they looked a mass of curling flame. - -And so I left her. - -36 - -I descended the mountain by precipitous paths, but the Lord guided my -steps so that I neither stumbled nor fell into the abyss. At the dawning -of the day I arrived at the monastery, rang the bell and waited until -the gate was opened. The brother porter evidently thought me a fiend, -for he raised a howl that aroused the whole monastery. I went straight -to the room of the Superior, stood before him in my bloodstained -garments, and, telling him for what deed the Lord had chosen me, -informed him that I was now an ordained priest. At this they seized me, -put me into the tower, and, holding court upon me, condemned me to death -as if I were a murderer. Oh, the fools, the poor demented fools! - -One person has come to me to-day in my dungeon, who fell upon her -knees before me, kissed my hands and adored me as God's chosen -instrument--Amula, the brown maiden. She alone has discovered that I -have done a great and glorious deed. - -I have asked Amula to chase away the vultures from my body, for -Benedicta is in Heaven. - -I shall soon be with her. Praise be to God! Hosanna! Amen. - -***** - -[To this old manuscript are added the following lines in another hand: -'On the fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord, 1680, in this -place, Brother Ambrosius was hanged, and on the following day his body -was buried under the gallows, close to that of the girl Benedicta, whom -he killed. This Benedicta, though called the hangman's daughter, was (as -is now known through declarations of the youth Rochus) the bastard child -of the Saltmaster by the hangman's wife. It is also veritably attested -by the same youth that the maiden cherished a secret and forbidden love -for him who slew her in ignorance of her passion. In all else Brother -Ambrosius was a faithful servant of the Lord. Pray for him, pray for -him!] - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter, by -Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MONK *** - -***** This file should be named 38602-8.txt or 38602-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/6/0/38602/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/38602-8.zip b/38602-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 260ddb0..0000000 --- a/38602-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/38602-h.zip b/38602-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 9ba726e..0000000 --- a/38602-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/38602-h/38602-h.htm b/38602-h/38602-h.htm index e973906..764e5d8 100644 --- a/38602-h/38602-h.htm +++ b/38602-h/38602-h.htm @@ -1,19 +1,15 @@ -<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> +<!DOCTYPE html> -<!DOCTYPE html - PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd" > - -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" lang="en"> +<html lang="en"> <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=UTF-8" /> + <meta charset="utf-8"> + <title> - The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter, by Adolphe Danziger de Castro and - Ambrose Bierce + The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter | Project Gutenberg </title> - <style type="text/css" xml:space="preserve"> + <style> - body { margin:5%; background:#faebd0; text-align:justify} + body { margin:5%; text-align:justify} P { text-indent: 1em; margin-top: .25em; margin-bottom: .25em; } H1,H2,H3,H4,H5,H6 { text-align: center; margin-left: 15%; margin-right: 15%; } hr { width: 50%; text-align: center;} @@ -34,64 +30,31 @@ </style> </head> <body> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter, by -Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter - -Author: Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -Release Date: January 17, 2012 [EBook #38602] -Last Updated: October 18, 2016 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MONK *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - - - -</pre> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 38602 ***</div> <div style="height: 8em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + <br ><br ><br ><br ><br ><br ><br ><br > </div> <h1> THE MONK AND THE HANGMAN’S DAUGHTER </h1> <p> - <br /> + <br > </p> <h2> By Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce </h2> <p> - <br /> + <br > </p> <h3> 1911 </h3> <p> - <br /> <br /> + <br > <br > </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> - <br /> <br /> + <br > <br > </p> <p> Under the name of G. A. Danziger I wrote in the year 1889 a story founded @@ -117,7 +80,7 @@ Produced by David Widger pleases me least is <i>my</i> part (underscores Bierce’s). I am surprised that you should yield to the schoolgirl desire for that shallowest of all literary devices, a “happy ending,” by which all the pathos of the book is - effaced to “make a woman holiday.” It is unworthy of you. So much vii did + effaced to “make a woman holiday.” It is unworthy of you. So much did I feel this unworthiness that I hesitated a long time before even deciding to have so much of “odious ingenuity” and “mystery” as your making Benedicta the daughter of the Saltmaster and inventing her secret love for @@ -162,11 +125,11 @@ Produced by David Widger ‘(Signed) Ambrose Bierce.’ </p> <p> - <br /> <br /> + <br > <br > </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> - <br /> <br /> + <br > <br > </p> <p> I can only add that my faith in Bierce’s judgment of letters is as firm @@ -180,18 +143,18 @@ Produced by David Widger ADOLPHE de CASTRO. </p> <p> - <br /> <br /> + <br > <br > </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> - <br /> <br /> + <br > <br > </p> <h2> THE MONK AND THE HANGMAN’S DAUGHTER </h2> - <p> + <h3> 1 - </p> + </h3> <p> On the first day of May in the year of our Blessed Lord 1680, the Franciscan monks Ægidius, Romanus and Ambrosius were sent by their @@ -289,9 +252,9 @@ Produced by David Widger nothing else than the snowy summit of the range—which the Lutherans say their faith can remove. I greatly doubt it. </p> - <p> + <h3> 2 - </p> + </h3> <p> When we stood at the opening of the pass leading into the mountains we were overcome with dejection; it looked like the mouth of Hell. Behind us @@ -540,9 +503,9 @@ Produced by David Widger When I returned to my companions and they asked me who the girl was, I answered: ‘The hangman’s daughter.’ </p> - <p> + <h3> 3 - </p> + </h3> <p> Having commended the soul of the dead man to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and the Holy Saints, we left the accursed spot, but as we @@ -614,9 +577,9 @@ Produced by David Widger <p> May the good God bless our entrance into this holy place. </p> - <p> + <h3> 4 - </p> + </h3> <p> I have now been in this wilderness for a few weeks, but the Lord, too, is here, as everywhere. My health is good, and this house of our beloved @@ -651,9 +614,9 @@ Produced by David Widger seem far away, like perils of the sea to one who can but faintly hear the distant thunder of the waves upon the beach. </p> - <p> + <h3> 5 - </p> + </h3> <p> Our Superior, Father Andreas, is a mild and pious gentleman. Our brothers live in peace and harmony. They are not idle, neither are they worldly nor @@ -680,9 +643,9 @@ Produced by David Widger actions are evil. The Saltmaster has an only son. His name is Rochus, a handsome but wild and wicked youth. </p> - <p> + <h3> 6 - </p> + </h3> <p> The people hereabout are a proud, stubborn race. I am told that in an old chronicle they are described as descendants of the Romans, who in their @@ -719,9 +682,9 @@ Produced by David Widger is calm there as in the soul of a babe which calls ‘Abba,’ dear Father. And so may it ever be. </p> - <p> + <h3> 7 - </p> + </h3> <p> I have again seen the hangman’s beautiful daughter. As the bells were chiming for mass I saw her in front of the monastery church. I had just @@ -782,9 +745,9 @@ Produced by David Widger that I am charged with a special mandate to watch over her, to protect her, and finally to save her soul. </p> - <p> + <h3> 8 - </p> + </h3> <p> Our Superior has sent for me and rebuked me. He told me I had caused great ill-feeling among the brothers and the people, and asked what devil had me @@ -870,9 +833,9 @@ Produced by David Widger affected me that I wept, and the tears fell upon the wild flowers in my hand. </p> - <p> + <h3> 9 - </p> + </h3> <p> As a follower of Saint Francisais, I am not permitted to own anything dear to my heart, so I have disposed of my most precious treasure; I have @@ -898,9 +861,9 @@ Produced by David Widger <p> May God be merciful to all their souls! </p> - <p> + <h3> 10 - </p> + </h3> <p> I must have turned pale when one of the brothers reported at the supper table that upon the picture of Saint Franciscus had been found a bunch of @@ -956,9 +919,9 @@ Produced by David Widger That I may be worthy of such grace, may our beloved Saint keep my heart pure from every earthly passion and desire! </p> - <p> + <h3> 11 - </p> + </h3> <p> The monastery has celebrated a great festival, and I will report all that occurred. @@ -1137,9 +1100,9 @@ Produced by David Widger in my duty, and, Benedicta, thou shalt be saved—thy body and thy soul! </p> - <p> + <h3> 12 - </p> + </h3> <p> Let me continue my report. </p> @@ -1254,9 +1217,9 @@ Produced by David Widger <p> With that she left me and vanished in the darkness. </p> - <p> + <h3> 13 - </p> + </h3> <p> Looking in at the window of the hut, I saw the hangman sitting in a chair, with his daughter beside him, her hand upon his shoulder. I could hear him @@ -1325,9 +1288,9 @@ Produced by David Widger space, upon which the others did not trespass, dancing by themselves and apparently forgetful of all else, were Rochus and Benedicta! </p> - <p> + <h3> 14 - </p> + </h3> <p> Holy Mother of God! what can be worse than the fall of an angel? I saw—I understood, then, that in leaving me and her father, Benedicta had gone @@ -1409,9 +1372,9 @@ Produced by David Widger protect her! But I commend her to Thee, O Lord: the poor motherless child shall surely not trust to Thee in vain. </p> - <p> + <h3> 15 - </p> + </h3> <p> Alas! my unhappy fate!—again punished and again unable to find myself guilty. @@ -1469,9 +1432,9 @@ Produced by David Widger into the road which leads down to Hell. Light and strength, beloved Saint, that I may know the right path, and walk therein forever! </p> - <p> + <h3> 16 - </p> + </h3> <p> I stand at the window of my cell. The sun sinks and the shadows creep higher on the sides of the mountains beyond the abyss. The abyss itself is @@ -1604,9 +1567,9 @@ Produced by David Widger boys yelled and sang, the women screamed, and the wretched old man led his innocent child to the place of shame. </p> - <p> + <h3> 17 - </p> + </h3> <p> When I was back again in my cell I threw myself upon the stones and cried aloud to God against the injustice and misery that I had witnessed, and @@ -1662,9 +1625,9 @@ Produced by David Widger the mountain, extinguishing at last the gleam of light upon the summit. Thank God, oh, thank God, she is free! </p> - <p> + <h3> 18 - </p> + </h3> <p> I have been very ill, but by the kind attention of the brothers am sufficiently recovered to leave my bed. It must be God’s will that I live @@ -1697,9 +1660,9 @@ Produced by David Widger live in harmony with them. They are kind and gentle, yet they seem to avoid me as much as they can. What does it all mean? </p> - <p> + <h3> 19 - </p> + </h3> <p> I have been in the presence of the most reverend Superior, Father Andreas. ‘Your recovery was miraculous,’ said he. ‘I wish you to be worthy of such @@ -1775,9 +1738,9 @@ Produced by David Widger holds the fairest and best of her sex. Take me not, holy one, too severely to task, I beseech thee, for the weakness of my erring human heart! </p> - <p> + <h3> 20 - </p> + </h3> <p> As I left the monastery with my young guide all was quiet within its walls; the holy Brotherhood slept the sleep of peace, which had so long @@ -1873,9 +1836,9 @@ Produced by David Widger aspect of nature, shouted and sang, but I felt the hot tears rise into my eyes and flow down upon my cheeks, and concealed my face in my cowl. </p> - <p> + <h3> 21 - </p> + </h3> <p> After leaving the boat we climbed the mountain. Dear Lord, nothing comes from Thy hand without a purpose and a use, but why Thou shouldst have @@ -1960,9 +1923,9 @@ Produced by David Widger stretched himself in the sunshine and straightway fell asleep, snoring so loudly that, tired as I was, I could hardly follow his example. </p> - <p> + <h3> 22 - </p> + </h3> <p> When I awoke the sun was already behind the mountains, whose tops were fringed with fire. I felt as one in a dream, but was soon recalled to my @@ -1990,9 +1953,9 @@ Produced by David Widger its mother’s breast, even so I leaned my head upon thine, O Nature, mother of us all! </p> - <p> + <h3> 23 - </p> + </h3> <p> I had not before seen a dawn so glorious! The mountains were rose-red, and seemed almost transparent. The atmosphere was of a silver lucidity, and so @@ -2062,9 +2025,9 @@ Produced by David Widger the brothers say approaches more closely to the earth here than at any other place in the world excepting Rome. </p> - <p> + <h3> 24 - </p> + </h3> <p> The maidens having gone, I stowed away the provisions which they had brought me, and, taking a short pointed spade and a bag, went in search of @@ -2225,9 +2188,9 @@ Produced by David Widger pillory, where I was bound and struck with whips and stones. That broke his great, good heart, and so he died, and I am alone.’ </p> - <p> + <h3> 25 - </p> + </h3> <p> When Benedicta had finished I remained silent, for in the presence of such a sorrow what could I say? For such wounds as hers religion has no balm. @@ -2349,9 +2312,9 @@ Produced by David Widger <p> ‘I shall come.’ </p> - <p> + <h3> 26 - </p> + </h3> <p> The boy had taught me how to prepare a cake. I knew all that went to the making of it, and the right proportions, yet when I tried to make it I @@ -2392,9 +2355,9 @@ Produced by David Widger which I am dedicated seem less happy and less holy than a herdsman’s humble life here in the wilderness with thee! </p> - <p> + <h3> 27 - </p> + </h3> <p> Life up here is less disagreeable than I thought. What seemed to me a dreary solitude seems now less dismal and desolate. This mountain @@ -2425,9 +2388,9 @@ Produced by David Widger as the most precious spices. I close my eyes and hear the wind whisper through the tall stems, and in my heart is peace. Blessed be the Lord! </p> - <p> + <h3> 28 - </p> + </h3> <p> Every morning the dairy women come to my cabin, their merry shouts ringing in the air and echoed from the hills. They bring fresh milk, butter and @@ -2456,9 +2419,9 @@ Produced by David Widger Benedicta—one who, as they truly say, has been publicly disgraced and has not a friend in the world. </p> - <p> + <h3> 29 - </p> + </h3> <p> This morning I visited the Black Lake. It is indeed an awful and accursed place, fit for the habitation of the damned. And there lives the poor @@ -2564,9 +2527,9 @@ Produced by David Widger <p> May the Lord hear my prayer! </p> - <p> + <h3> 30 - </p> + </h3> <p> The night before the Sunday on which I was to hold divine service great fires were kindled on the cliffs—a signal for the young men in the @@ -2624,9 +2587,9 @@ Produced by David Widger ‘Benedicta, my love, my soul, I love you more than life! I love you above all things on earth and in Heaven!’ </p> - <p> + <h3> 31 - </p> + </h3> <p> The Superior sent for me, and with a strange foreboding I followed his messenger down the difficult way to the lake and embarked in the boat. @@ -2683,9 +2646,9 @@ Produced by David Widger leave my very life behind me; I must renounce my care and protection of Benedicta. God help her and me! </p> - <p> + <h3> 32 - </p> + </h3> <p> I am once more in my mountain home, but tomorrow I leave it forever. But why am I sad? Does not a great blessing await me? Have I not ever looked @@ -2727,9 +2690,9 @@ Produced by David Widger winning shape he has assumed, will prevail, and she will be lost in time and in eternity. </p> - <p> + <h3> 33 - </p> + </h3> <p> I have been at Benedicta’s cabin. </p> @@ -2768,9 +2731,9 @@ Produced by David Widger reproach which filled my mind with the most melancholy thoughts, and, turning away, I left her. </p> - <p> + <h3> 34 - </p> + </h3> <p> Lord, Saviour of my soul, whither hast Thou led me? Here am I in the culprit’s tower, a condemned murderer, and to-morrow at sunrise I shall be @@ -2967,9 +2930,9 @@ Produced by David Widger reserved for a more glorious purpose. And so was placed in my hands the means to that sacred end. My God, my God, how mysterious are Thy ways! </p> - <p> + <h3> 35 - </p> + </h3> <p> ‘You shall leave her to me.’ So had spoken the wicked youth while holding me between life and death at the precipice. He permitted me to live, not @@ -3121,9 +3084,9 @@ Produced by David Widger <p> And so I left her. </p> - <p> + <h3> 36 - </p> + </h3> <p> I descended the mountain by precipitous paths, but the Lord guided my steps so that I neither stumbled nor fell into the abyss. At the dawning @@ -3150,11 +3113,11 @@ Produced by David Widger I shall soon be with her. Praise be to God! Hosanna! Amen. </p> <p> - <br /> <br /> + <br > <br > </p> - <hr /> + <hr > <p> - <br /> <br /> + <br > <br > </p> <p> [To this old manuscript are added the following lines in another hand: ‘On @@ -3169,378 +3132,8 @@ Produced by David Widger was a faithful servant of the Lord. Pray for him, pray for him!] </p> <div style="height: 6em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> + <br ><br ><br ><br ><br ><br > </div> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Monk and The Hangman’s Daughter, by -Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MONK *** - -***** This file should be named 38602-h.htm or 38602-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/6/0/38602/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. - - -</pre> +<div style='text-align:center'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 38602 ***</div> </body> </html> diff --git a/38602.txt b/38602.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f8eaa1f..0000000 --- a/38602.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3097 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter, by -Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter - -Author: Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -Release Date: January 17, 2012 [EBook #38602] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MONK *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - - - - - -THE MONK AND THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER - -By Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -1911 - -Under the name of G. A. Danziger I wrote in the year 1889 a story -founded on a German tale, which I called _The Monk and the Hangman's -Daughter_. The story was tragic but I gave it a happy ending. Submitting -it to the late Ambrose Bierce, asking him to revise the story, he -suggested the retention of the tragic part and so revised it. The story -was published and the house failed. - -When in 1900 a publisher desired to bring out the story provided I gave -it a happy ending, I submitted the matter to Bierce and on August 21, -1900, he wrote me a long letter on the subject of which the following is -an extract: - -'I have read twice and carefully, your proposed addition to _The Monk_, -and you must permit me to speak plainly, if not altogether agreeably, of -it. It will not do for these reasons and others: - -'The book is almost perfect as you wrote it; the part of the work that -pleases me least is _my_ part (underscores Bierce's). I am surprised -that you should yield to the schoolgirl desire for that shallowest of -all literary devices, a "happy ending," by which all the pathos of the -book is effaced to "make a woman holiday." It is unworthy of you. So -much vii did I feel this unworthiness that I hesitated a long time -before even deciding to have so much of "odious ingenuity" and "mystery" -as your making Benedicta the daughter of the Saltmaster and inventing -her secret love for Ambrosius instead of Rochus. - -'"Dramatic action," which is no less necessary in a story than in a -play, requires that so far as is possible what takes place shall be -_seen_ to take place, not related as having previously taken place.... -Compare Shakespeare's _Cymbeline_ with his better plays. See how he -spoiled it the same way. You need not feel ashamed to err as Shakespeare -erred. Indeed, you did better than he, for his explanations were of -things already known to the reader, or spectator, of the play. _Your_ -explanations are needful to an understanding of the things explained; it -is _they_ that are needless. All "explanation" is unspeakably tedious, -and is to be cut as short as possible. Far better to have nothing to -explain--to _show_ everything that occurs, in the very act of occurring. -We cannot always do that, but we should come as near to doing it as we -can. Anyhow, the "harking back" should not be done at the end of the -book, when the denouement is already known and the reader's interest in -the action exhausted.... - -'Ambrosius and Benedicta are unique in letters. Their nobility, their -simplicity, their sufferings--everything that is theirs stamps them -as "beings apart." They live in the memory sanctified and glorified by -these qualities and sorrows. They are, in the last and most gracious -sense, children of nature. Leave them lying there in the lovely valley -of the gallows, where Ambrosius shuddered as his foot fell on the spot -where he was destined to sleep.... - -'Let _The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter_ alone. It is great work and -_you_ should live to see the world confess it. Let me know if my faith -in your faith in me is an error. You once believed in my judgment; I -think it is not yet impaired by age. - -'Sincerely yours, - -'(Signed) Ambrose bierce.' - -I can only add that my faith in Bierce's judgment of letters is as firm -to-day as it was then, when I gave him power of attorney to place -my book with a publisher. This publisher embodied _The Monk and the -Hangman's Daughter_ in Bierce's collected works, then sold the right to -Messrs. Albert and Charles Boni who without knowledge of the true facts -brought out an edition under Bierce's name. - -ADOLPHE de CASTRO. - - - - -THE MONK AND THE HANGMAN'S DAUGHTER - -1 - -On the first day of May in the year of our Blessed Lord 1680, the -Franciscan monks AEgidius, Romanus and Ambrosius were sent by their -Superior from the Christian city of Passau to the Monastery of -Berchtesgaden, near Salzburg. I, Ambrosius, was the strongest and -youngest of the three, being but twenty-one years of age. - -The Monastery of Berchtesgaden was, we knew, in a wild and mountainous -country, covered with dismal forests, which were infested with bears -and evil spirits; and our hearts were filled with sadness to think what -might become of us in so dreadful a place. But since it is Christian -duty to obey the mandates of the Church, we did not complain, and were -even glad to serve the wish of our beloved and revered Superior. - -Having received the benediction, and prayed for the last time in the -church of our Saint, we tied up our cowls, put new sandals on our feet, -and set out, attended by the blessings of all. Although the way was -long and perilous, we did not lose our hope, for hope is not only the -beginning and the end of religion, but also the strength of youth and -the support of age. Therefore our hearts soon forgot the sadness of -parting, and rejoiced in the new and varying scenes that gave us our -first real knowledge of the beauty of the earth as God has made it. The -colour and brilliance of the air were like the garment of the Blessed -Virgin; the sun shone like the Golden Heart of the Saviour, from which -streameth light and life for all mankind; the dark blue canopy that hung -above formed a grand and beautiful house of prayer, in which every blade -of grass, every flower and living creature praised the glory of God. - -As we passed through the many hamlets, villages and cities that lay -along our way, the thousands of people, busy in all the vocations of -life, presented to us poor monks a new and strange spectacle, which -filled us with wonder and admiration. When so many churches came into -view as we journeyed on, and the piety and ardour of the people were -made manifest by the acclamations with which they hailed us and their -alacrity in ministering to our needs, our hearts were full of gratitude -and happiness. All the institutions of the Church were prosperous and -wealthy, which showed that they had found favour in the sight of the -good God whom we serve. The gardens and orchards of the monasteries -and convents were well kept, proving the care and industry of the pious -peasantry and the holy inmates of the cloisters. It was glorious to hear -the peals of bells announcing the hours of the day: we actually breathed -music in the air--the sweet tones were like the notes of angels singing -praise to the Lord. - -Wherever we went we greeted the people in the name of our patron Saint. -On all sides were manifest humility and joy: women and children hastened -to the wayside, crowding about us to kiss our hands and beseech a -blessing. It almost seemed as if we were no longer poor servitors of God -and man, but lords and masters of this whole beautiful earth. Let us, -however, not grow proud in spirit, but remain humble, looking carefully -into our hearts lest we deviate from the rules of our holy Order and sin -against our blessed Saint. - -I, Brother Ambrosius, confess with penitence and shame that my soul -caught itself upon exceedingly worldly and sinful thoughts. It seemed to -me that the women sought more eagerly to kiss my hands than those of my -companions--which surely was not right, since I am not more holy than -they; besides, I am younger and less experienced and tried in the fear -and commandments of the Lord. When I observed this error of the women, -and saw how the maidens kept their eyes upon me, I became frightened, -and wondered if I could resist should temptation accost me; and often I -thought, with fear and trembling, that vows and prayer and penance alone -do not make one a saint; one must be so pure in heart that temptation is -unknown. Ah me! - -At night we always lodged in some monastery, invariably receiving a -pleasant welcome. Plenty of food and drink was set before us, and as we -sat at table the monks would crowd about, asking for news of the great -world of which it was our blessed privilege to see and learn so much. -When our destination was learned we were usually pitied for being -doomed to live in the mountain wilderness. We were told of ice-fields, -snow-crowned mountains and tremendous rocks, roaring torrents, caves and -gloomy forests; also of a lake so mysterious and terrible that there was -none like it in the world. God be with us! - -On the fifth day of our journey, while but a short distance beyond the -city of Salzburg, we saw a strange and ominous sight. On the horizon, -directly in our front, lay a bank of mighty clouds, with many grey -points and patches of darker hue, and above, between them and the blue -sky, a second firmament of perfect white. This spectacle greatly puzzled -and alarmed us. The clouds had no movement; we watched them for hours -and could see no change. Later in the afternoon, when the sun was -sinking into the west, they became ablaze with light. They glowed and -gleamed in a wonderful manner, and looked at times as if they were on -fire! - -No one can imagine our surprise when we discovered that what we had -mistaken for clouds was simply earth and rocks. These, then, were the -mountains of which we had heard so much, and the white firmament was -nothing else than the snowy summit of the range--which the Lutherans say -their faith can remove. I greatly doubt it. - -2 - -When we stood at the opening of the pass leading into the mountains we -were overcome with dejection; it looked like the mouth of Hell. Behind -us lay the beautiful country through which we had come, and which now -we were compelled to leave forever; before us frowned the mountains with -their inhospitable gorges and haunted forests, forbidding to the sight -and full of peril to the body and the soul. Strengthening our hearts -with prayer and whispering anathemas against evil spirits, we entered -the narrow pass in the name of God, and pressed forward, prepared to -suffer whatever might befall. - -As we proceeded cautiously on our way giant trees barred our progress -and dense foliage almost shut out the light of day, the darkness being -deep and chill. The sound of our footfalls and of our voices, when we -dared to speak, was returned to us from the great rocks bordering the -pass, with such distinctness and so many repetitions, yet withal so -changed, that we could hardly believe we were not accompanied by troops -of invisible beings who mocked us and made sport of our fears. Great -birds of prey, startled from their nests in the treetops and the sides -of the cliffs, perched upon high pinnacles of rock and eyed us malignly -as we passed; vultures and ravens croaked above us in hoarse and savage -tones that made our blood run cold. Nor could our prayers and hymns -give us peace; they only called forth other fowl and by their own echoes -multiplied the dreadful noises that beset us. It surprised us to observe -that huge trees had been plucked out of the earth by the roots and -hurled down the sides of the hills, and we shuddered to think by what -powerful hands this had been done. At times we passed along the edges of -high precipices, and the dark chasms that yawned below were a terrible -sight. A storm arose, and we were half-blinded by the fires of heaven -and stunned by thunder a thousand times louder than we had ever heard. -Our fears were at last worked up to so great a degree that we expected -every minute to see some devil from Hell leap from behind a rock in our -front, or a ferocious bear appear from the undergrowth to dispute our -progress. But only deer and foxes crossed our path, and our fears were -somewhat quieted to perceive that our blessed Saint was no less powerful -in the mountains than on the plains below. - -At length we reached the bank of a stream whose silvery waters presented -a most refreshing sight. In its crystal depths between the rocks we -could see beautiful golden trout as large as the carp in the pond of -our monastery at Passau. Even in these wild places Heaven had provided -bountifully for the fasting of the faithful. - -Beneath the black pines and close to the large lichen-covered rocks -bloomed rare flowers of dark blue and golden yellow. Brother AEgidius, -who was as learned as pious, knew them from his herbarium and told us -their names. We were delighted by the sight of various brilliant beetles -and butterflies which had come out of their hiding-places after the -rain. We gathered handfuls of flowers and chased the pretty winged -insects, forgetting our fears and prayers, the bears and evil spirits, -in the exuberance of our joy. - -For many hours we had not seen a dwelling nor a human being. Deeper and -deeper we penetrated the mountain region; greater and greater became the -difficulties we experienced in forest and ravine, and all the horrors of -the wilderness that we had already passed were repeated, but without so -great an effect upon our souls, for we all perceived that the good God -was preserving us for longer service to His holy will. A branch of the -friendly river lay in our course, and, approaching it, we were delighted -to find it spanned by a rough but substantial bridge. As we were about -to cross I happened to cast my eyes to the other shore, where I saw a -sight that made my blood turn cold with terror. On the opposite bank -of the stream was a meadow, covered with beautiful flowers, and in the -centre a gallows upon which hung the body of a man! The face was turned -toward us, and I could plainly distinguish the features, which, though -black and distorted, showed unmistakable signs that death had come that -very day. - -I was upon the point of directing my companions' attention to the -dreadful spectacle, when a strange incident occurred: in the meadow -appeared a young girl, with long golden hair, upon which rested a wreath -of blossoms. She wore a bright red dress, which seemed to me to light up -the whole scene like a flame of fire. Nothing in her actions indicated -fear of the corpse upon the gallows; on the contrary, she glided toward -it barefooted through the grass, singing in a loud but sweet voice, and -waving her arms to scare away the birds of prey that had gathered -about it, uttering harsh cries and with a great buffeting of wings and -snapping of beaks. At the girl's approach they all took flight, except -one great vulture, which retained its perch upon the gallows and -appeared to defy and threaten her. She ran close up to the obscene -creature, jumping, dancing, screaming, until it, too, put out its wide -wings and flapped heavily away. Then she ceased her dancing, and, taking -a position at the gibbet's foot, calmly and thoughtfully looked up at -the swinging body of the unfortunate man. - -The maiden's singing had attracted the attention of my companions, and -we all stood watching the lovely child and her strange surroundings with -too much amazement to speak. - -While gazing on the surprising scene, I felt a cold shiver run through -my body. This is said to be a sure sign that someone has stepped upon -the spot which is to be your grave. Strange to say, I felt this chill at -the moment the maiden stepped under the gallows. But this only shows how -the true beliefs of men are mixed up with foolish superstitions; for how -could a sincere follower of Saint Franciscus possibly come to be buried -beneath a gallows? - -'Let us hasten,' I said to my companions, 'and pray for the soul of the -dead.' - -We soon found our way to the spot, and, without raising our eyes, said -prayers with great fervour; especially did I, for my heart was full of -compassion for the poor sinner who hung above. I recalled the words of -God, who said, 'Vengeance is mine,' and remembered that the dear Saviour -had pardoned the thief upon the cross at His side; and who knows that -there were not mercy and forgiveness for this poor wretch who had died -upon the gallows? - -On our approach the maiden had retired a short distance, not knowing -what to make of us and our prayers. Suddenly, however, in the midst of -our devotions, I heard her sweet, bell-like tones exclaim: 'The vulture! -the vulture!' and her voice was agitated, as if she felt great fear. I -looked up and saw a great grey bird above the pines, swooping downward. -It showed no fear of us, our sacred calling and our pious rites. My -brothers, however, were indignant at the interruption caused by the -child's voice, and scolded her. But I said: 'The girl is probably a -relation of the dead man. Now think of it, brothers; this terrible bird -comes to tear the flesh from his face and feed upon his hands and his -body. It is only natural that she should cry out.' - -One of the brothers said: 'Go to her, Ambrosius, and command her to be -silent that we may pray in peace for the departed soul of this sinful -man.' - -I walked among the fragrant flowers to where the girl stood with her -eyes still fixed upon the vulture, which swung in ever narrowing circles -about the gallows. Against a mass of silvery flowers on a bush by which -she stood the maid's exquisite figure showed to advantage, as I wickedly -permitted myself to observe. Perfectly erect and motionless, she watched -my advance, though I marked a terrified look in her large, dark eyes, as -if she feared that I would do her harm. Even when I was quite near her -she made no movement to come forward, as women and children usually did, -and kiss my hands. - -'Who are you?' I said, 'and what are you doing in this dreadful place -all alone?' - -She did not answer me, and made neither sign nor motion; so I repeated -my question: - -'Tell me, child, what are you doing here?' - -'Scaring away the vultures,' she replied, in a soft, musical voice, -inexpressibly pleasing. - -'Are you a relation of the dead man?' I asked. - -She shook her head. - -'You knew him?' I continued, 'and you pity his unchristian death?' - -But she was again silent, and I had to renew my questioning: 'What was -his name, and why was he put to death? What crime did he commit?' - -'His name was Nathaniel Alfinger, and he killed a man for a woman,' said -the maiden, distinctly and in the most unconcerned manner that it is -possible to conceive, as if murder and hanging were the commonest and -most uninteresting of all events. I was astounded, and gazed at her -sharply, but her look was passive and calm, denoting nothing unusual. -'Did you know Nathaniel Alfinger?' - -'No.' - -'Yet you came here to protect his corpse from the fowls?' - -'Yes.' - -'Why do you do that service to one whom you did not know?' - -'I always do so.' - -'How--!' - -'Always when any one is hanged here I come and frighten away the birds -and make them find other food. See--there is another vulture!' - -She uttered a wild, high scream, threw her arms above her head, and ran -across the meadow so that I thought her mad. The big bird flew away, -and the maiden came quietly back to me, and, pressing her sunburnt hands -upon her breast, sighed deeply, as from fatigue. With as much mildness -as I could put into my voice, I asked her: - -'What is your name?' - -'Benedicta.' - -'And who are your parents?' - -'My mother is dead.' - -'But your father--where is he?' - -She was silent. Then I pressed her to tell me where she lived, for -I wanted to take the poor child home and admonish her father to have -better care of his daughter and not let her stray into such dreadful -places again. - -'Where do you live, Benedicta? I pray you tell me.' - -'Here.' - -'What! here? Ah, my child, here is only the gallows.' - -She pointed toward the pines. Following the direction of her finger, I -saw among the trees a wretched hut which looked like a habitation more -fit for animals than human beings. Then I knew better than she could -have told me whose child she was. - -When I returned to my companions and they asked me who the girl was, I -answered: 'The hangman's daughter.' - -3 - -Having commended the soul of the dead man to the intercession of the -Blessed Virgin and the Holy Saints, we left the accursed spot, but as -we withdrew I looked back at the lovely child of the hangman. She stood -where I had left her, looking after us. Her fair white brow was still -crowned with the wreath of primroses, which gave an added charm to her -wonderful beauty of feature and expression, and her large, dark eyes -shone like the stars of a winter midnight. My companions, to whom the -hangman's daughter was a most unchristian object, reproved me for the -interest that I manifested in her; but it made me sad to think this -sweet and beautiful child was shunned and despised through no fault of -her own. Why should she be made to suffer blame because of her father's -dreadful calling? And was it not the purest Christian charity which -prompted this innocent maiden to keep the vultures from the body of a -fellow-creature whom in life she had not even known and who had been -adjudged unworthy to live? It seemed to me a more kindly act than that -of any professed Christian who bestows money upon the poor. Expressing -these feelings to my companions, I found, to my sorrow, that they did -not share them; on the contrary, I was called a dreamer and a fool who -wished to overthrow the ancient and wholesome customs of the world. -Everyone, they said, was bound to execrate the class to which the -hangman and his family belonged, for all who associated with such -persons would surely be contaminated. I had, however, the temerity to -remain steadfast in my conviction, and with due humility questioned the -justice of treating such persons as criminals because they were a part -of the law's machinery by which criminals were punished. Because in the -church the hangman and his family had a dark corner specially set apart -for them, that could not absolve us from our duty as servants of the -Lord to preach the gospel of justice and mercy and give an example of -Christian love and charity. But my brothers grew very angry with me, and -the wilderness rang with their loud vociferations, so that I began to -feel as if I were very wicked, although unable to perceive my error. I -could do nothing but hope that Heaven would be more merciful to us all -than we are to one another. In thinking of the maiden it gave me comfort -to know that her name was Benedicta. Perhaps her parents had so named -her as a means of blessing to one whom no one else would ever bless. - -But I must relate what a wonderful country it was into which we were now -arrived. Were we not assured that all the world is the Lord's, for He -made it, we might be tempted to think such a wild region the kingdom of -the Evil One. - -Far down below our path the river roared and foamed between great -cliffs, the grey points of which seemed to pierce the very sky. On our -left, as we gradually rose out of this chasm, was a black forest of -pines, frightful to see, and in front of us a most formidable peak. -This mountain, despite its terrors, had a comical appearance, for it was -white and pointed like a fool's cap, and looked as if some one had put a -flour-sack on the knave's head. After all, it was nothing but snow. Snow -in the middle of the glorious month of May!--surely the works of God are -wonderful and almost past belief! The thought came to me that if this -old mountain should shake his head the whole region would be full of -flying snow. - -We were not a little surprised to find that in various places along our -road the forest had been cleared away for a space large enough to build -a hut and plant a garden. Some of these rude dwellings stood where -one would have thought that only eagles would have been bold enough to -build; but there is no place, it seems, free from the intrusion of Man, -who stretches out his hand for everything, even that which is in the -air. When at last we arrived at our destination and beheld the temple -and the house erected in this wilderness to the name and glory of our -beloved Saint, our hearts were thrilled with pious emotions. Upon the -surface of a pine-covered rock was a cluster of huts and houses, the -monastery in the midst, like a shepherd surrounded by his flock. The -church and monastery were of hewn stone, of noble architecture, spacious -and comfortable. - -May the good God bless our entrance into this holy place. - -4 - -I have now been in this wilderness for a few weeks, but the Lord, too, -is here, as everywhere. My health is good, and this house of our beloved -Saint is a stronghold of the Faith, a house of peace, an asylum for -those who flee from the wrath of the Evil One, a rest for all who bear -the burden of sorrow. Of myself, however, I cannot say so much. I am -young, and although my mind is at peace, I have so little experience of -the world and its ways that I feel myself peculiarly liable to error and -accessible to sin. The course of my life is like a rivulet which draws -its silver thread smoothly and silently through friendly fields and -flowery meadows, yet knows that when the storms come and the rains fall -it may become a raging torrent, defiled with earth and whirling away to -the sea the wreckage attesting the madness of its passion and its power. - -Not sorrow nor despair drew me away from the world into the sacred -retreat of the Church, but a sincere desire to serve the Lord. My only -wish is to belong to my beloved Saint, to obey the blessed mandates of -the Church, and, as a servant of God, to be charitable to all mankind, -whom I dearly love. The Church is, in truth, my beloved mother, for, my -parents having died in my infancy I, too, might have perished without -care had she not taken pity on me, fed and clothed me and reared me as -her own child. And, oh, what happiness there will be for me, poor monk, -when I am ordained and receive holy orders as a priest of the Most High -God! Always I think and dream of it and try to prepare my soul for -that high and sacred gift. I know I can never be worthy of this great -happiness, but I do hope to be an honest and sincere priest, serving God -and Man according to the light that is given from above. I often pray -Heaven to put me to the test of temptation, that I may pass through -the fire unscathed and purified in mind and soul. As it is, I feel the -sovereign peace which, in this solitude, lulls my spirit to sleep, and -all life's temptations and trials seem far away, like perils of the sea -to one who can but faintly hear the distant thunder of the waves upon -the beach. - -5 - -Our Superior, Father Andreas, is a mild and pious gentleman. Our -brothers live in peace and harmony. They are not idle, neither are they -worldly nor arrogant. They are temperate, not indulging too much in the -pleasures of the table--a praiseworthy moderation, for all this region, -far and wide--the hills and the valleys, the river and forest, with all -that they contain--belongs to the monastery. The woods are full of all -kinds of game, of which the choicest is brought to our table, and we -relish it exceedingly. In our monastery a drink is prepared from malt -and barley--a strong, bitter drink, refreshing after fatigue, but not, -to my taste, very good. - -The most remarkable thing in this part of the country is the -salt-mining. I am told that the mountains are full of salt--how -wonderful are the works of the Lord! In pursuit of this mineral Man -has penetrated deep into the bowels of the earth by means of shafts and -tunnels, and brings forth the bitter marrow of the hills into the -light of the sun. The salt I have myself seen in red, brown and yellow -crystals. The works give employment to our peasants and their sons, with -a few foreign labourers, all under the command of an overseer, who is -known as the Saltmaster. He is a stern man, exercising great power, but -our Superior and the brothers speak little good of him--not from any -unchristian spirit, but because his actions are evil. The Saltmaster has -an only son. His name is Rochus, a handsome but wild and wicked youth. - -6 - -The people hereabout are a proud, stubborn race. I am told that in an -old chronicle they are described as descendants of the Romans, who -in their day drove many tunnels into these mountains to get out the -precious salt; and some of these tunnels are still in existence. From -the window of my cell I can see these giant hills and the black forests -which at sunset burn like great firebrands along the crests against the -sky. - -The forefathers of these people (after the Romans) were, I am told, more -stubborn still than they are, and continued in idolatry after all the -neighbouring peoples had accepted the cross of the Lord our Saviour. -Now, however, they bow their stiff necks to the sacred symbol and soften -their hearts to receive the living truth. Powerful as they are in body, -in spirit they are humble and obedient to the Word. Nowhere else did the -people kiss my hand so fervently as here, although I am not a priest--an -evidence of the power and victory of our glorious faith. - -Physically they are strong and exceedingly handsome in face and figure, -especially the young men; the elder men, too, walk as erect and proud as -kings. The women have long golden hair, which they braid and twist about -their heads very beautifully, and they love to adorn themselves with -jewels. Some have eyes whose dark brilliancy rivals the lustre of the -rubies and garnets they wear about their white necks. I am told that -the young men fight for the young women as stags for does. Ah, what -wicked passions exist in the hearts of men! But since I know nothing of -these things, nor shall ever feel such unholy emotions, I must not judge -and condemn. - -Lord, what a blessing is the peace with which Thou hast filled the -spirits of those who are Thine own! Behold, there is no turmoil in my -breast; all is calm there as in the soul of a babe which calls 'Abba,' -dear Father. And so may it ever be. - -7 - -I have again seen the hangman's beautiful daughter. As the bells were -chiming for mass I saw her in front of the monastery church. I had just -come from the bedside of a sick man, and as my thoughts were gloomy the -sight of her face was pleasant, and I should have liked to greet her, -but her eyes were cast down: she did not notice me. The square in front -of the church was filled with people, the men and youths on one side, on -the other the women and maidens all clad in their high hats and adorned -with their gold chains. They stood close together, but when the poor -child approached all stepped aside, whispering and looking askance at -her as if she were an accursed leper and they feared infection. - -Compassion filled my breast, compelling me to follow the maiden, and, -overtaking her, I said aloud: - -'God greet you, Benedicta.' - -She shrank away as if frightened, then, looking up, recognised me, -seemed astonished, blushed again and again and finally hung her head in -silence. - -'Do you fear to speak to me?' I asked. - -But she made no reply. Again I spoke to her: 'Do good, obey the Lord and -fear no one: then shall you be saved.' - -At this she drew a long sigh, and replied in a low voice, hardly more -than a whisper: 'I thank you, my lord.' - -'I am not a lord, Benedicta,' I said, 'but a poor servant of God, who -is a gracious and kind Father to all His children, however lowly their -estate. Pray to Him when your heart is heavy, and He will be near you.' - -While I spoke she lifted her head and looked at me like a sad child that -is being comforted by its mother. And, still speaking to her out of the -great compassion in my heart, I led her into the church before all the -people. - -But do thou, O holy Franciscus, pardon the sin that I committed during -that high sacrament! For while Father Andreas was reciting the solemn -words of the mass my eyes constantly wandered to the spot where the poor -child knelt in a dark corner set apart for her and her father, forsaken -and alone. She seemed to pray with holy zeal, and surely thou didst -grace her with a ray of thy favour, for it was through thy love of -mankind that thou didst become a great saint, and didst bring before the -Throne of Grace thy large heart, bleeding for the sins of all the world. -Then shall not I, the humblest of thy followers, have enough of thy -spirit to pity this poor outcast who suffers for no sin of her own? Nay, -I feel for her a peculiar tenderness, which I cannot help accepting as a -sign from Heaven that I am charged with a special mandate to watch over -her, to protect her, and finally to save her soul. - -8 - -Our Superior has sent for me and rebuked me. He told me I had caused -great ill-feeling among the brothers and the people, and asked what -devil had me in possession that I should walk into church with the -daughter of the public hangman. - -What could I say but that I pitied the poor maiden and could not do -otherwise than as I did? - -'Why did you pity her?' he asked. - -'Because all the people shun her,' I replied, 'as if she were mortal -sin itself, and because she is wholly blameless. It certainly is not her -fault that her father is a hangman, nor his either, since, alas, hangmen -must be.' - -Ah, beloved Franciscus, how the Superior scolded thy poor servant for -these bold words. - -'And do you repent?' he demanded at the close of his reproof. But how -could I repent of my compassion--incited, as I verily believe, by our -beloved Saint? - -On learning my obduracy, the Superior became very sad. He gave me a long -lecture and put me under hard penance. I took my punishment meekly -and in silence, and am now confined to my cell, fasting and chastising -myself. Nor in this do I spare myself at all, for it is happiness to -suffer for the sake of one so unjustly treated as the poor friendless -child. - -I stand at the grating of my cell, looking out at the high, mysterious -mountains showing black against the evening sky. The weather being mild, -I open the window behind the bars to admit the fresh air and better -to hear the song of the stream below, which speaks to me with a divine -companionship, gentle and consoling. - -I know not if I have already mentioned that the monastery is built upon -a rock high over the river. Directly under the windows of our cells are -the rugged edges of great cliffs, which none can scale but at the peril -of his life. Imagine, then, my astonishment when I saw a living figure -lift itself up from the awful abyss by the strength of its hands, and, -drawing itself across the edge, stand erect upon the very verge! In the -dusk I could not make out what kind of creature it was; I thought -it some evil spirit come to tempt me; so I crossed myself and said a -prayer. Presently there is a movement of its arm, and something flies -through the window, past my head, and lies upon the floor of my cell, -shining like a white star. I bend and pick it up. It is a bunch of -flowers such as I have never seen--leafless, white as snow, soft as -velvet, and without fragrance. As I stand by the window, the better to -see the wondrous flowers, my eyes turn again to the figure on the cliff, -and I hear a sweet, low voice, which says: 'I am Benedicta, and I thank -you.' - -Ah, Heaven! it was the child, who, that she might greet me in my -loneliness and penance, had climbed the dreadful rocks, heedless of the -danger. She knew, then, of my punishment--knew that it was for her. - -She knew even the very cell in which I was confined. O holy Saint! -surely she could not have known all this but from thee; and I were worse -than an infidel to doubt that the feeling which I have for her signifies -that a command has been laid upon me to save her. - -I saw her bending over the frightful precipice. She turned a moment and -waved her hand to me and disappeared. I uttered an involuntary cry--had -she fallen? I grasped the iron bars of my window and shook them with all -my strength, but they did not yield. In my despair I threw myself upon -the floor, crying and praying to all the saints to protect the dear -child in her dangerous descent if still she lived, to intercede for her -unshriven soul if she had fallen. I was still kneeling when Benedicta -gave me a sign of her safe arrival below. It was such a shout as these -mountaineers utter in their untamed enjoyment of life--only Benedicta's -shout, coming from far below in the gorge, and mingled with its own -strange echoes, sounded like nothing I had ever heard from any human -throat, and so affected me that I wept, and the tears fell upon the wild -flowers in my hand. - -9 - -As a follower of Saint Francisais, I am not permitted to own anything -dear to my heart, so I have disposed of my most precious treasure; I -have presented to my beloved Saint the beautiful flowers which were -Benedicta's offering. They are so placed before his picture in the -monastery church as to decorate the bleeding heart which he carries upon -his breast as a symbol of his suffering for mankind. - -I have learned the name of the flower: because of its colour, and -because it is finer than other flowers, it is called Edelweiss--noble -white. It grows in so rare perfection only upon the highest and wildest -rocks--mostly upon cliffs, over abysses many hundred feet in depth, -where one false step would be fatal to him who gathers it. - -These beautiful flowers, then, are the real evil spirits of this wild -region; they lure many mortals to a dreadful death. The brothers here -have told me that never a year passes but some shepherd, some hunter or -some bold youth, attracted by these wonderful blossoms, is lost in the -attempt to get them. - -May God be merciful to all their souls! - -10 - -I must have turned pale when one of the brothers reported at the supper -table that upon the picture of Saint Franciscus had been found a bunch -of edelweiss of such rare beauty as grows nowhere else in the country -but at the summit of a cliff which is more than a thousand feet high, -and overhangs a dreadful lake. The brothers tell wondrous tales of the -horrors of this lake--how wild its waters and how deep, and how the most -hideous spectres are seen along its shores or rising out of it. - -Benedicta's edelweiss, therefore, has caused great commotion and wonder, -for even among the boldest hunters there are few, indeed, who dare -to climb that cliff by the haunted lake. And the tender child has -accomplished the feat! She has gone quite alone to that horrible place, -and has climbed the almost vertical wall of the mountain to the green -spot where the flowers grow with which she was moved to greet me. I -doubt not that Heaven guarded her against mishap in order that I might -have a visible sign and token that I am charged with the duty of her -salvation. - -Ah, thou poor sinless child, accurst in the eyes of the people, God hath -signified His care of thee, and in my heart I feel already something of -that adoration which shall be thy due when for thy purity and holiness -He shall bestow upon thy relics some signal mark of His favour, and the -Church shall declare thee blessed! - -I have learned another thing that I will chronicle here. In this country -these flowers are the sign of a faithful love: the youth presents them -to his sweetheart, and the maidens decorate the hats of their lovers -with them. It is clear that, in expressing her gratitude to a humble -servant of the Church, Benedicta was moved, perhaps without knowing it, -to signify at the same time her love of the Church itself, although, -alas, she has yet too little cause. - -As I ramble about here, day after day, I am becoming familiar with -every path in the forest, in the dark pass, and on the slopes of the -mountains. - -I am often sent to the homes of the peasants, the hunters and the -shepherds, to carry either medicine to the sick or consolation to the -sad. The most reverend Superior has told me that as soon as I receive -holy orders I shall have to carry the sacraments to the dying, for I am -the youngest and the strongest of the brothers. In these high places it -sometimes occurs that a hunter or a shepherd falls from the rocks, -and after some days is found, still living. It is then the duty of the -priest to perform the offices of our holy religion at the bedside of -the sufferer, so that the blessed Saviour may be there to receive the -departing soul. - -That I may be worthy of such grace, may our beloved Saint keep my heart -pure from every earthly passion and desire! - -11 - -The monastery has celebrated a great festival, and I will report all -that occurred. - -For many days before the event the brothers were busy preparing for -it. Some decorated the church with sprays of pine and birch and with -flowers. - -They went with the other men and gathered the most beautiful Alpine -roses they could find, and as it is midsummer they grow in great -abundance. On the day before the festival the brothers sat in the -garden, weaving garlands to adorn the church; even the most reverend -Superior and the Fathers took pleasure in our merry task. They walked -beneath the trees and chatted pleasantly while encouraging the brother -butler to spend freely the contents of the cellars. - -The next morning was the holy procession. It was very beautiful to see, -and added to the glory of our holy Church. The Superior walked under a -purple silken canopy, surrounded by the worthy Fathers, and bore in his -hands the sacred emblem of the crucifixion of our Saviour. We brothers -followed, bearing burning candles and singing psalms. Behind us came a -great crowd of the people, dressed in their finest attire. - -The proudest of those in the procession were the mountaineers and the -salt-miners, the Saltmaster at their head on a beautiful horse adorned -with costly trappings. He was a proud-looking man, with his great sword -at his side and a plumed hat upon his broad, high brow. Behind him rode -Rochus, his son. When we had collected in front of the gate to form -a line I took special notice of that young man. I judged him to be -self-willed and bold. He wore his hat on the side of his head and cast -flaming glances upon the women and the maidens. He looked contemptuously -upon us monks. I fear he is not a good Christian, but he is the most -beautiful youth that I have ever seen: tall and slender like a young -pine, with light brown eyes and golden locks. - -The Saltmaster is as powerful in this region as our Superior. He is -appointed by the Duke and has judicial powers in all affairs. He has -even the power of life and death over those accused of murder or any -other abominable crime. But the Lord has fortunately endowed him with -good judgment and wisdom. - -Through the village the procession moved out into the valley and down to -the entrances of the great salt mines. In front of the principal mine an -altar was erected, and there our Superior read high mass, while all the -people knelt. I observed that the Salt-master and his son knelt and bent -their heads with visible reluctance and this made me very sad. After -the service the procession moved toward the hill called 'Mount Calvary,' -which is still higher than the monastery, and from the top of which one -has a good view of the whole country below. There the reverend Superior -displayed the crucifix in order to banish the evil powers which abound -in these terrible mountains; and he also said prayers and pronounced -anathemas against all demons infesting the valley below. The bells -chimed their praises to the Lord, and it seemed as if divine voices were -ringing through the wilderness. It was all, indeed, most beautiful and -good. - -I looked about me to see if the child of the hangman were present, but I -could not see her anywhere, and knew not whether to rejoice that she was -out of reach of the insults of the people or to mourn because deprived -of the spiritual strength that might have come to me from looking upon -her heavenly beauty. - -After the services came the feast. Upon a meadow sheltered by trees -tables were spread, and the clergy and the people, the most reverend -Superior and the great Saltmaster partook of the viands served by the -young men. It was interesting to see the young men make big fires of -pine and maple, put great pieces of beef upon wooden spits, turn them -over the coals until they were brown, and then lay them before the -Fathers and the mountaineers. They also boiled mountain trout and carp -in large kettles. The wheaten bread was brought in immense baskets, and -as to drink, there was assuredly no scarcity of that, for the Superior -and the Saltmaster had each given a mighty cask of beer. Both of these -monstrous barrels lay on wooden stands under an ancient oak. The boys -and the Saltmaster's men drew from the cask which he had given, while -that of the Superior was served by the brother butler and a number of -us younger monks. In honour of Saint Franciscus I must say that the -clerical barrel was of vastly greater size than that of the Saltmaster. - -Separate tables had been provided for the Superior and the Fathers, -and for the Saltmaster and the best of his people. The Saltmaster and -Superior sat upon chairs which stood upon a beautiful carpet, and -their seats were screened from the sun by a linen canopy. At the table, -surrounded by their beautiful wives and daughters, sat many knights, who -had come from their distant castles to share in the great festival. I -helped at table. I handed the dishes and filled the goblets and was able -to see how good an appetite the company had, and how they loved that -brown and bitter drink. I could see also how amorously the Saltmaster's -son looked at the ladies, which provoked me very much, as he could not -marry them all, especially those already married. - -We had music, too. Some boys from the village, who practise on various -instruments in their spare moments, were the performers. Ah, how they -yelled, those flutes and pipes, and how the fiddle bows danced and -chirped! I do not doubt the music was very good, but Heaven has not seen -fit to give me the right kind of ears. - -I am sure our blessed Saint must have derived great satisfaction from -the sight of so many people eating and drinking their bellies full. -Heavens! how they did eat--what unearthly quantities they did away with! -But that was nothing to their drinking. I firmly believe that if every -mountaineer had brought along a barrel of his own he would have emptied -it, all by himself. But the women seemed to dislike the beer, especially -the young girls. Usually before drinking a young man would hand his cup -to one of the maids, who barely touched it with her lips, and, making a -grimace, turned away her face. I am not sufficiently acquainted with the -ways of woman to say with certainty if this proved that at other times -they were so abstemious. - -After eating, the young men played at various games which exhibited -their agility and strength. Holy Franciscus! what legs they have, what -arms and necks! They leapt, they wrestled with one another; it was like -the fighting of bears. The mere sight of it caused me to feel great -fear. It seemed as if they would crush one another. But the maidens -looked on, feeling neither fear nor anxiety; they giggled and appeared -well pleased. It was wonderful, too, to hear the voices of these young -mountaineers; they threw back their heads and shouted till the echoes -rang from the mountain-sides and roared in the gorges as if from the -throats of a legion of demons. - -Foremost among all was the Saltmaster's son. He sprang like a deer, -fought like a fiend, and bellowed like a wild bull. Among these -mountaineers he was a king. I observed that many were jealous of his -strength and beauty, and secretly hated him; yet all obeyed. It was -beautiful to see how this young man bent his slender body while leaping -and playing the games--how he threw up his head like a stag at gaze, -shook his golden locks and stood in the midst of his fellows with -flaming cheeks and sparkling eyes. How sad to think that pride and -passion should make their home in so lovely a body, which seems created -for the habitation of a soul that would glorify its Maker! - -It was near dusk when the Superior, the Saltmaster, the Fathers and all -the distinguished guests parted and retired to their homes, leaving the -others at drink and dance. My duties compelled me to remain with the -brother butler to serve the debauching youths with beer from the great -cask. Young Rochus remained too. I do not know how it occurred, but -suddenly he stood before me. His looks were dark and his manner proud. - -'Are you,' he said, 'the monk who gave offence to the people the other -day?' - -I asked humbly--though beneath my monk's robe I felt a sinful anger: -'What are you speaking of?' - -'As if you did not know!' he said, haughtily. 'Now bear in mind what I -tell you; if you ever show any friendship toward that girl I shall teach -you a lesson which you will not soon forget. You monks are likely to -call your impertinence by the name of some virtue; but I know the trick, -and will have none of it. Make a note of that, you young cowl=wearer, -for your handsome face and big eyes will not save you.' - -With that he turned his back upon me and went away, but I heard his -strong voice ringing out upon the night as he sang and shouted with the -others. I was greatly alarmed to learn that this bold boy had cast his -eyes upon the hangman's lovely daughter. His feeling for her was surely -not honourable, or, instead of hating me for being kind to her, he would -have been grateful and would have thanked me. I feared for the child, -and again and again did I promise my blessed Saint that I would watch -over and protect her, in obedience to the miracle which he has wrought -in my breast regarding her. With that wondrous feeling to urge me on, -I cannot be slack in my duty, and, Benedicta, thou shalt be saved--thy -body and thy soul! - -12 - -Let me continue my report. - -The boys threw dry brushwood into the fire so that the flames -illuminated the whole meadow and shone red upon the trees. Then they -laid hands upon the village maidens and began to turn and swing them -round and round. Holy saints! how they stamped and turned and threw -their hats in the air, kicked up their heels, and lifted the girls from -the ground, as if the sturdy wenches were nothing but feather balls! -They shouted and yelled as if all the evil spirits had them in -possession, so that I wished a herd of swine might come, that the devils -might leave these human brutes and go into the four-legged ones. The -boys were quite full of the brown beer, which for its bitterness and -strength is a beastly drink. - -Before long the madness of intoxication broke out; they attacked one -another with fists and knives, and it looked as if they would do murder. -Suddenly the Saltmaster's son, who had stood looking on, leaped among -them, caught two of the combatants by the hair and knocked their heads -together with such force that the blood started from their noses, and I -thought surely their skulls had been crushed like egg-shells; but they -must have been very hard-headed, for on being released they seemed -little the worse for their punishment. After much shouting and -screaming, Rochus succeeded in making peace, which seemed to me, poor -worm, quite heroic. The music set in again: the fiddles scraped and -the pipes shrieked, while the boys with torn clothes and scratched and -bleeding faces, renewed the dance as if nothing had occurred. Truly, -this is a people that would gladden the heart of a Bramarbas or a -Holofernes! - -I had scarcely recovered from the fright which Rochus had given me, when -I was made to feel a far greater one. Rochus was dancing with a tall and -beautiful girl, who looked the very queen of this young king. They made -such mighty leaps and dizzy turns, but at the same time so graceful, -that all looked on with astonishment and pleasure. The girl had a -sensuous smile on her lips and a bold look in her brown face, which -seemed to say: 'See! I am the mistress of his heart!' But suddenly he -pushed her from him as in disgust, broke from the circle of dancers, and -cried to his friends: 'I am going to bring my own partner. Who will go -with me?' - -The tall girl, maddened by the insult, stood looking at him with the -face of a demon, her black eyes burning like flames of hell! But her -discomfiture amused the drunken youths, and they laughed aloud. - -Snatching a firebrand and swinging it about his head till the sparks -flew in showers, Rochus cried again: 'Who goes with me?' and walked -rapidly away into the forest. The others seizing firebrands also, ran -after him, and soon their voices could be heard far away, ringing out -upon the night, themselves no longer seen. I was still looking in the -direction which they had taken, when the tall girl whom Rochus had -insulted stepped to my side and hissed something into my ear. I felt her -hot breath on my cheek. - -'If you care for the hangman's daughter, then hasten and save her from -that drunken wretch. No woman resists him!' - -God! how the wild words of that woman horrified me! I did not doubt the -girl's words, but in my anxiety for the poor child I asked: 'How can I -save her?' - -'Run and warn her, monk,' the wench replied: 'she will listen to you.' - -'But they will find her sooner than I.' - -'They are drunk and will not go fast. Besides, I know a path leading to -the hangman's hut by a shorter route.' - -'Then show me and be quick!' I cried. - -She glided away, motioning me to follow. We were soon in the woods, -where it was so dark I could hardly see the woman's figure; but she -moved as fast and her step was as sure as in the light of day. Above us -we could see the torches of the boys, which showed that they had taken -the longer path along the mountain-side. I heard their wild shouts, and -trembled for the child. We had walked for some time in silence, having -left the youths far behind, when the young woman began speaking to -herself. At first I did not understand, but soon my ears caught every -passionate word: - -'He shall not have her! To the devil with the hangman's whelp! Every one -despises her and spits at the sight of her. It is just like him--he -does not care for what people think or say. Because they hate he loves. -Besides, she has a pretty face. I'll make it pretty for her! I'll mark -it with blood! But if she were the daughter of the devil himself he -would not rest until he had her. He shall not!' - -She lifted her arms and laughed wildly--I shuddered to hear her! I -thought of the dark powers that live in the human breast, though I know -as little of them, thank God, as a child. - -At length we reached the Galgenberg, where stands the hangman's hut, and -a few moments' climb brought us near the door. - -'There she lives,' said the girl, pointing to the hut, through the -windows of which shone the yellow light of a tallow candle; 'go warn -her. The hangman is ill and unable to protect his daughter, even if he -dared. You'd better take her away--take her to the Alpfeld on the Goell, -where my father has a house. They will not look for her up there.' - -With that she left me and vanished in the darkness. - -13 - -Looking in at the window of the hut, I saw the hangman sitting in a -chair, with his daughter beside him, her hand upon his shoulder. I could -hear him cough and groan, and knew that she was trying to soothe him -in his pain. A world of love and sorrow was in her face, which was more -beautiful than ever. - -Nor did I fail to observe how clean and tidy were the room and all in -it. The humble dwelling looked, indeed, like a place blessed by the -peace of God. Yet these blameless persons are treated as accurst and -hated like mortal sin! What greatly pleased me was an image of the -Blessed Virgin on the wall opposite the window at which I stood. The -frame was decorated with flowers of the field, and the mantle of the -Holy Mother festooned with edelweiss. - -I knocked at the door, calling out at the same time: 'Do not fear; it is -I--Brother Ambrosius.' - -It seemed to me that, on hearing my voice and name, Benedicta showed a -sudden joy in her face, but perhaps it was only surprise--may the saints -preserve me from the sin of pride. She came to the window and opened it. - -'Benedicta,' said I, hastily, after returning her greeting, 'wild and -drunken boys are on their way hither to take you to the dance. Rochus -is with them, and says that he will fetch you to dance with him. I have -come before them to assist you to escape.' At the name of Rochus I saw -the blood rise into her cheeks and suffuse her whole face with crimson. -Alas, I perceived that my jealous guide was right: no woman could resist -that beautiful boy, not even this pious and virtuous child. When her -father comprehended what I said he rose to his feet and stretched out -his feeble arms as if to shield her from harm, but, although his soul -was strong, his body, I knew, was powerless. I said to him: 'Let me take -her away; the boys are drunk and know not what they do. Your resistance -would only make them angry, and they might harm you both. Ah, look! -See their torches; hear their boisterous voices! Hasten, Benedicta--be -quick, be quick!' - -Benedicta sprang to the side of the now sobbing old man and tenderly -embraced him. Then she hurried from the room, and after covering my -hands with kisses ran away into the woods, disappearing in the night, -at which I was greatly surprised. I waited for her to return, for a -few minutes, then entered the cabin to protect her father from the wild -youths who, I thought, would visit their disappointment upon him. - -But they did not come. I waited and listened in vain. All at once I -heard shouts of joy and screams that made me tremble and pray to the -blessed Saint. But the sounds died away in the distance, and I knew that -the boys had retraced their steps down the Galgenberg to the meadow of -the fires. The sick man and I spoke of the miracle which had changed -their hearts, and we were filled with gratitude and joy. Then I returned -along the path by which I had come. As I arrived near the meadow, I -could hear a wilder and madder uproar than ever, and could see through -the trees the glare of greater fires, with the figures of the youths -and a few maids dancing in the open, their heads uncovered, their hair -streaming over their shoulders, their garments disordered by the fury -of their movements. They circled about the fires, wound in and out among -them, showing black or red according to how the light struck them, and -looking altogether like Demons of the Pit commemorating some infernal -anniversary or some new torment for the damned. And, holy Saviour! -there, in the midst of an illuminated space, upon which the others did -not trespass, dancing by themselves and apparently forgetful of all -else, were Rochus and Benedicta! - -14 - -Holy Mother of God! what can be worse than the fall of an angel? I -saw--I understood, then, that in leaving me and her father, Benedicta -had gone willingly to meet the very fate from which I had striven to -save her! - -'The accurst wench has run into Rochus' arms,' hissed someone at my -side, and, turning, I saw the tall brown girl who had been my guide, -her face distorted with hate. 'I wish that I had killed her. Why did you -suffer her to play us this trick, you fool of a monk?' - -I pushed her aside and ran toward the couple without thinking what I -did. But what could I do? Even at that instant, as though to prevent -my interference, though really unconscious of my presence, the drunken -youths formed a circle about them, bawling their admiration and clapping -their hands to mark the time. - -As these two beautiful figures danced they were a lovely picture. He, -tall, slender and lithe, was like a god of the heathen Greeks, while -Benedicta looked like a fairy. Seen through the slight mist upon the -meadows, her delicate figure, moving swiftly and swaying from side to -side, seemed veiled with a web of purple and gold. Her eyes were cast -modestly upon the ground; her motions, though agile, were easy and -graceful; her face glowed with excitement, and it seemed as if her whole -soul were absorbed in the dance. Poor, sweet child! her error made me -weep, but I forgave her. Her life was so barren and joyless; why should -she not love to dance? Heaven bless her! But Rochus--ah, God forgive -him! - -While I was looking on at all this, and thinking what it was my duty to -do, the jealous girl--she is called Amula--had stood near me, cursing -and blaspheming. When the boys applauded Benedicta's dancing Amula made -as if she would spring forward and strangle her. But I held the furious -creature back, and, stepping forward, called out: 'Benedicta!' - -She started at the sound of my voice, but though she hung her head a -little lower, she continued dancing. Amula could control her rage no -longer, and rushed forward with a savage cry, trying to break into -the circle. But the drunken boys prevented. They jeered at her, which -maddened her the more, and she made effort after effort to reach her -victim. The boys drove her away with shouts, curses and laughter. Holy -Franciscus, pray for us!--when I saw the hatred in Amula's eyes a cold -shudder ran through my body. God be with us! I believe the creature -capable of killing the poor child with her own hands, and glorying in -the deed! - -I ought now to have gone home, but I remained, I thought of what might -occur when the dance was over, for I had been told that the youths -commonly accompanied their partners home, and I was horrified to think -of Rochus and Benedicta alone together in the forest and the night. - -Imagine my surprise when all at once Benedicta lifted her head, stopped -dancing, and, looking kindly at Rochus, said in her sweet voice, so like -the sound of silver bells: 'I thank you, sir, for having chosen me for -your partner in the dance in such a knightly way.' - -Then, bowing to the Saltmaster's son, she slipped quickly through the -circle, and, before anyone could know what was occurring, disappeared -in the black spaces of the forest. Rochus at first seemed stupefied with -amazement, but when he realized that Benedicta was gone he raved like a -madman. He shouted: 'Benedicta!' He called her endearing names; but all -to no purpose--she had vanished. Then he hurried after her and wanted -to search the forest with torches, but the other youths dissuaded him. -Observing my presence, he turned his wrath upon me; I think if he had -dared he would have struck me. He cried: 'I'll make you smart for this, -you miserable cowl-wearer!' - -But I do not fear him. Praise be to God! Benedicta is not guilty, and -I can respect her as before. Yet I tremble to think of the many perils -which beset her. She is defenceless against the hate of Amula as well as -against the lust of Rochus. Ah, if I could be ever at her side to -watch over and protect her! But I commend her to Thee, O Lord: the poor -motherless child shall surely not trust to Thee in vain. - -15 - -Alas! my unhappy fate!--again punished and again unable to find myself -guilty. - -It seems that Amula has talked about Benedicta and Rochus. The brown -wench strolled from house to house telling how Rochus went to the -gallows for his partner in the dance. And she added that Benedicta -had acted in the most shameless manner with the drunken boys. When the -people spoke to me of this I enlightened them regarding the facts, as it -seemed to me my duty to do, and told all as it had occurred. - -By this testimony, in contradiction of one who broke the Decalogue by -bearing false witness against her neighbour I have, it seems, offended -the Superior. I was summoned before him and accused of defending the -hangman's daughter against the statements of an honest Christian girl. I -asked, meekly, what I should have done--whether I should have permitted -the innocent and defenceless to be calumniated. - -'Of what interest,' I was asked, 'can the hangman's daughter be to you? -Moreover, it is a fact that she went of her own will to associate with -the drunken boys.' - -To this I replied: 'She went out of love to her father, for if the -intoxicated youths had not found her they would have maltreated him--and -she loves the old man, who is ill and helpless. Thus it happened, and -thus I have testified.' - -But His Reverence insisted that I was wrong, and put me under severe -penance. I willingly undergo it: I am glad to suffer for the sweet -child. Nor will I murmur against the revered Superior, for he is my -master, against whom to rebel, even in thought, is sin. Is not obedience -the foremost commandment of our great saint for all his disciples? Ah, -how I long for the priestly ordination and the holy oil! Then I -shall have peace and be able to serve Heaven better and with greater -acceptance. - -I am troubled about Benedicta. If not confined to my cell I should go -toward the Galgenberg: perhaps I should meet her. I grieve for her as if -she were my sister. - -Belonging to the Lord, I have no right to love anything but Him who died -upon the cross for our sins--all other love is evil. O blessed Saints in -Heaven! what if it be that this feeling which I have accepted as a sign -and token that I am charged with the salvation of Benedicta's soul is -but an earthly love? - -Pray for me, O dear Franciscus, that I may have the light, lest I stray -into the road which leads down to Hell. Light and strength, beloved -Saint, that I may know the right path, and walk therein forever! - -16 - -I stand at the window of my cell. The sun sinks and the shadows creep -higher on the sides of the mountains beyond the abyss. The abyss itself -is filled with a mist whose billowy surface looks like a great lake. I -think how Benedicta climbed out of these awful depths to fling me the -edelweiss; I listen for the sound of the stones displaced by her daring -little feet and plunging into the chasm below. But night after night has -passed. I hear the wind among the pines; I hear the water roaring in the -deeps; I hear the distant song of the nightingale; but her voice I do -not hear. - -Every evening the mist rises from the abyss. It forms billows; then -rings; then flakes, and these rise and grow and darken until they are -great clouds. They cover the hill and the valley, the tall pines and the -snow-pointed mountains. They extinguish the last remaining touches of -sunlight on the higher peaks, and it is night. Alas, in my soul also -there is night--dark, starless and without hope of dawn! - -To-day is Sunday. Benedicta was not in church--'the dark corner' -remained vacant. I was unable to keep my mind upon the service, a sin -for which I shall do voluntary penance. - -Amula was among the other maidens, but I saw nothing of Rochus. It -seemed to me that her watchful black eyes were a sufficient guard -against any rival, and that in her jealousy Benedicta would find -protection. God can make the basest passions serve the most worthy ends, -and the reflection gave me pleasure, which, alas, was of short life. - -The services being at an end, the Fathers and friars left the church -slowly in procession, moving through the vestry, while the people went -out at the main entrance. From the long covered gallery leading out of -the vestry one has a full view of the public square of the village. As -we friars, who were behind the Fathers, were in the gallery, something -occurred which I shall remember even to the day of my death as an unjust -deed which Heaven permitted for I know not what purpose. It seems that -the Fathers must have known what was coming, for they halted in the -gallery, giving us all an opportunity to look out upon the square. - -I heard a confused noise of voices. It came nearer, and the shouting and -yelling sounded like the approach of all the fiends of Hell. Being at -the farther end of the gallery I was unable to see what was going on -in the square, so I asked a brother at a window near by what it was all -about. - -'They are taking a woman to the pillory,' he answered. - -'Who is it?' - -'A girl.' - -'What has she done?' - -'You ask a foolish question. Whom are pillories and whipping-posts for -but fallen women?' - -The howling mob passed farther into the square, so that I had a full -view. In the front were boys, leaping, gesticulating and singing vile -songs. They seemed mad with joy and made savage by the shame and pain of -their fellow-creature. Nor did the maids behave much better. 'Fie upon -the outcast!' they cried. 'See what it is to be a sinner! Thank heaven, -we are virtuous.' - -In the rear of these yelling boys, surrounded by this mob of screaming -women and girls--O God! how can I write it? How can I express the -horror of it? In the midst of it all--she, the lovely, the sweet, the -immaculate Benedicta! - -O my Saviour! how did I see all this, yet am still living to relate -it? I must have come near to death. The gallery, the square, the people -seemed whirling round and round; the earth sank beneath my feet, and, -although I strained my eyes open to see, yet all was dark. But it must -have been for but a short time; I recovered, and, on looking down into -the square, saw her again. - -They had clothed her in a long gray cloak, fastened at the waist with a -rope. Her head bore a wreath of straw, and on her breast, suspended by -a string about the neck, was a black tablet bearing in chalk the word -'Buhle'--harlot. - -By the end of the rope about her waist a man led her. I looked at him -closely, and--O most holy Son of God, what brutes and beasts Thou didst -come to save!--it was Benedicta's father! They had compelled the poor -old man to perform one of the duties of his office by leading his own -child to the pillory! I learned later that he had implored the Superior -on his knees not to lay this dreadful command upon him, but all in vain. - -The memory of this scene can never leave me. The hangman did not remove -his eyes from his daughter's face, and she frequently nodded at him and -smiled. By the grace of God, the maiden smiled! - -The mob insulted her, called her vile names and spat upon the ground in -front of her feet. Nor was this all. Observing that she took no notice -of them, they pelted her with dust and grass. This was more than the -poor father could endure, and, with a faint, inarticulate moan, he fell -to the ground in a swoon. - -Oh, the pitiless wretches!--they wanted to lift him up and make him -finish his task, but Benedicta stretched out her arm in supplication, -and with an expression of so ineffable tenderness upon her beautiful -face that even the brutal mob felt her gentle power and recoiled before -her, leaving the unconscious man upon the ground. She knelt and took -her father's head in her lap. She whispered in his ear words of love and -comfort. She stroked his gray hair and kissed his pale lips until she -had coaxed him into consciousness and he had opened his eyes. Benedicta, -thrice blessed Benedicta, thou surely art born to be a saint, for thou -didst show a divine patience like that with which our Saviour bore His -cross and with it all the sins of the world! - -She helped her father to rise, and smiled brightly in his face when he -made out to stand. She shook the dust from his clothing, and then, still -smiling and murmuring words of encouragement, handed him the rope. The -boys yelled and sang, the women screamed, and the wretched old man led -his innocent child to the place of shame. - -17 - -When I was back again in my cell I threw myself upon the stones -and cried aloud to God against the injustice and misery that I had -witnessed, and against the still greater misery of which I had been -spared the sight. I saw in my mind the father binding his child to the -post. I saw the brutal populace dance about her with savage delight. -I saw the vicious Amula spit in the pure one's face. I prayed long and -earnestly that the poor child might be made strong to endure her great -affliction. - -Then I sat and waited. I waited for the setting of the sun, for at -that time the sufferer is commonly released from the whipping-post. The -minutes seemed hours, the hours eternities. The sun did not move; the -day of shame was denied a night. - -It was in vain that I tried to understand it all; I was stunned and -dazed. Why did Rochus permit Benedicta to be so disgraced? Does he think -the deeper her shame the more easily he can win her? I know not, nor do -I greatly care to search out his motive. But, God help me! I myself feel -her disgrace, most keenly. - -And, Lord, Lord, what a light has come into the understanding of Thy -servant! It has come to me like a revelation out of Heaven that my -feeling for Benedicta is more and less than what I thought it. It is -an earthly love--the love of a man for a woman. As first this knowledge -broke into my consciousness my breath beat quick and hard; it seemed to -me that I should suffocate. Yet such was the hardness of my heart from -witnessing so terrible an injustice tolerated by Heaven, that I was -unable wholly to repent. In the sudden illumination I was blinded: I -could not clearly see my degree of sin. The tumult of my emotions was -not altogether disagreeable; I had to confess to myself that I would not -willingly forego it even if I knew it wicked. May the Mother of Mercy -intercede for me! - -Even now I cannot think that in supposing myself to have a divine -mandate to save the soul of Benedicta, and prepare her for a life of -sanctity, I was wholly in error. This other human desire--comes it not -also of God? Is it not concerned for the good of its object? And what -can be a greater good than salvation of the soul?--a holy life on earth, -and in Heaven eternal happiness and glory to reward it. Surely the -spiritual and the carnal love are not so widely different as I have been -taught to think them. They are, perhaps, not antagonistic, and are but -expressions of the same will. O holy Franciscus, in this great light -that has fallen about me, guide thou my steps. Show to my dazzled eyes -the straight, right way to Benedicta's good! - -At length the sun disappeared behind the cloister. The flakes and -cloudlets gathered upon the horizon; the haze rose from the abyss and, -beyond, the purple shadow climbed higher and higher, the great slope of -the mountain, extinguishing at last the gleam of light upon the summit. -Thank God, oh, thank God, she is free! - -18 - -I have been very ill, but by the kind attention of the brothers am -sufficiently recovered to leave my bed. It must be God's will that I -live to serve Him, for certainly I have done nothing to merit His great -mercy in restoring me to health. Still, I feel a yearning in my soul for -a complete dedication of my poor life to Him and His service. To embrace -Him and be bound up in His love are now the only aspirations that I -have. As soon as the holy oil is on my brow, these hopes, I am sure, -will be fulfilled, and, purged of my hopeless earthly passion for -Benedicta, I shall be lifted into a new and diviner life. And it may be -that then I can, without offence to Heaven or peril to my soul, watch -over and protect her far better than I can now as a wretched monk. - -I have been weak. My feet, like those of an infant, failed to support -my body. The brothers carried me into the garden. With what gratitude -I again looked upward into the blue of the sky! How rapturously I gazed -upon the white peaks of the mountains and the black forests on their -slopes! Every blade of grass seemed to me of special interest, and I -greeted each passing insect as if it were an old acquaintance. - -My eyes wander to the south, where the Galgenberg is, and I think -unceasingly of the poor child of the hangman. What has become of her? -Has she survived her terrible experience in the public square? What is -she doing? Oh, that I were strong enough to walk to the Galgenberg! But -I am not permitted to leave the monastery, and there is none of whom I -dare ask her fate. The friars look at me strangely; it is as if they -no longer regarded me as one of them. Why is this so? I love them, and -desire to live in harmony with them. They are kind and gentle, yet they -seem to avoid me as much as they can. What does it all mean? - -19 - -I have been in the presence of the most reverend Superior, Father -Andreas. 'Your recovery was miraculous,' said he. 'I wish you to be -worthy of such mercies, and to prepare your soul for the great blessing -that awaits you. I have, therefore, my son, ordained that you leave us -for a season, to dwell apart in the solitude of the mountains, for the -double purpose of restoring your strength and affording you an -insight into your own heart. Make a severe examination apart from any -distractions, and you will perceive, I do not doubt, the gravity of your -error. Pray that a divine light may be shed upon your path, that you may -walk upright in the service of the Lord as a true priest and apostle, -with immunity from all base passions and earthly desires.' - -I had not the presumption to reply. I submit to the will of His -Reverence without a murmur, for obedience is a rule of our Order. Nor -do I fear the wilderness, although I have heard that it is infested with -wild beasts and evil spirits. Our superior is right: the time passed in -solitude will be to me a season of probation, purification and healing, -of which I am doubtless in sore need. So far I have progressed in sin -only; for in confession I have kept back many things. Not from the fear -of punishment, but because I could not mention the name of the maiden -before any other than my holy and blessed Francisais, who alone can -understand. He looks kindly down upon me from the skies, listening to -my sorrow; and whatever of guilt there may be in my compassion for the -innocent and persecuted child he willingly overlooks for the sake of our -blessed Redeemer, who also suffered injustice and was acquainted with -grief. - -In the mountains it will be my duty to dig certain roots and send them -to the monastery. From such roots as I am instructed to gather the -Fathers distil a liquor which has become famous throughout the land, -even as far, I have been told, as the great city of Munich. This liquor -is so strong and so fiery with spices that after drinking it one feels -a burning in his throat as if he had swallowed a flame from Hell; yet it -is held in high esteem everywhere by reason of its medicinal properties, -it being a remedy for many kinds of ills and infirmities; and it is said -to be good also for the health of the soul, though I should suppose -a godly life might be equally efficacious in places where the liquor -cannot be obtained. However this may be, from the sale of the liquor -comes the chief revenue of the monastery. - -The root from which it is chiefly made is that of an Alpine plant -called _gentiana_, which grows in great abundance on the sides of the -mountains. In the months of July and August the friars dig the roots and -dry them by fire in the mountain cabins, and they are then packed and -sent to the monastery. The Fathers have the sole right to dig the root -in this region, and the secret of manufacturing the liquor is jealously -guarded. - -As I am to live in the high country for some time, the Superior -has directed me to collect the root from time to time as I have the -strength. A boy, a servant in the monastery, is to guide me to my -solitary station, carrying up my provisions and returning immediately. -He will come once a week to renew my supply of food and take away the -roots that I shall have dug. - -No time has been lost in dispatching me on my penitential errand. This -very evening I have taken leave of the Superior, and, retiring to -my cell, have packed my holy books, the _Agnus_ and the _Life of St. -Franciscus_, in a bag. Nor have I forgotten my writing-materials with -which to continue my diary. These preparations made, I have fortified my -soul with prayer, and am ready for any fate, even an encounter with the -beasts and demons. - -Beloved Saint, forgive the pain I feel in going away without having seen -Benedicta, or even knowing what has become of her since that dreadful -day. Thou knowest, O glorious one, and humbly do I confess, that I long -to hasten to the Galgenberg, if only to get one glimpse of the hut -which holds the fairest and best of her sex. Take me not, holy one, too -severely to task, I beseech thee, for the weakness of my erring human -heart! - -20 - -As I left the monastery with my young guide all was quiet within its -walls; the holy Brotherhood slept the sleep of peace, which had so long -been denied to me. It was early dawn, and the clouds in the east were -beginning to show narrow edges of gold and crimson as we ascended the -path leading to the mountain. My guide, with bag upon his shoulder, led, -and I followed, with my robe fastened back and a stout stick in my hand. -This had a sharp iron point which might be used against wild beasts. - -My guide was a light-haired, blue-eyed young fellow with a cheerful and -amiable face. He evidently found a keen delight in climbing his native -hills toward the high country whither we were bound. He seemed not to -feel the weight of the burden that he bore; his gait was light and -free, his footing sure. He sprang up the steep and rugged way like a -mountain-goat. - -The boy was in high spirits. He told me strange tales of ghosts and -goblins, witches and fairies. These last he seemed to be very well -acquainted with. He said they appeared in shining garments, with bright -hair and beautiful wings, and this description agrees very nearly with -what is related of them in books by certain of the Fathers. Anyone to -whom they take a fancy, says the boy, they are able to keep under their -spell, and no one can break the enchantment, not even the Holy Virgin. -But I judge that this is true of only such as are in sin, and that the -pure in heart have nothing to fear from them. - -We travelled up hill and down, through forests and blooming meadows and -across ravines. The mountain-streams, hastening down to the valleys, -full-banked and noisy, seemed to be relating the wonderful things that -they had seen and the strange adventures they had met with on their way. -Sometimes the hillsides and the woods resounded with nature's various -voices, calling, whispering, sighing, chanting praises to the Lord of -all. Now and again we passed a mountaineer's cabin, before which played -children, yellow-haired and unkempt. On seeing strangers, they ran away. -But the women came forward, with infants in their arms, and asked for -benedictions. They offered us milk, butter, green cheese, and black -bread. We frequently found the men seated in front of their huts, -carving wood, mostly images of the Saviour upon the cross. These are -sent to the city of Munich, where they are offered for sale, bringing, I -am told, considerable money and much honour to their pious makers. - -At last we arrived at the shore of a lake, but a dense fog prevented a -clear view of it. A clumsy little boat was found moored to the bank; my -guide bade me enter it, and presently it seemed as if we were gliding -through the sky in the midst of the clouds. I had never before been -on the water, and felt a terrible misgiving lest we should capsize and -drown. We heard nothing but the sound of the ripples against the sides -of the boat. Here and there, as we advanced, some dark object became -dimly visible for a moment, then vanished as suddenly as it had -appeared, and we seemed gliding again through empty space. As the mist -at times lifted a little, I observed great black rocks protruding from -the water, and not far from shore were lying giant trees half submerged, -with huge limbs that looked like the bones of some monstrous skeleton. -The scene was so full of horrors that even the joyous youth was silent -now, his watchful eye ever seeking to penetrate the fog in search of new -dangers. - -By all these signs I knew that we were crossing that fearful lake which -is haunted by ghosts and demons, and I therefore commended my soul to -God. The power of the Lord overcomes all evil. Scarcely had I said my -prayer against the spirits of darkness, when suddenly the veil of fog -was rent asunder, and like a great rose of fire the sun shone out, -clothing the world in garments of colour and gold! - -Before this glorious eye of God the darkness fled and was no more. The -dense fog, which had changed to a thin, transparent mist, lingered a -little on the mountain-sides, then vanished quite away. Except in the -black clefts of the hills, no vestige of it stayed. The lake was as -liquid silver; the mountains were gold, bearing forests that were like -flames of fire. My heart was filled with wonder and gratitude. - -As our boat crept on I observed that the lake filled a long, narrow -basin. On our right the cliffs rose to a great height, their tops -covered with pines, but to the left and in front lay a pleasant land, -where stood a large building. This was Saint Bartholomae, the summer -residence of his Reverence, Superior Andreas. - -This garden spot was of no great extent: it was shut in on all sides but -that upon which the lake lay by cliffs that rose a thousand feet into -the air. High in the front of this awful wall was set a green meadow, -which seemed like a great jewel gleaming upon the gray cloak of the -mountain. My guide pointed it out as the only place in all that region -where the edelweiss grew. This, then, was the very place where Benedicta -had culled the lovely flowers that she had brought to me during my -penance. I gazed upward to that beautiful but terrible spot with -feelings that I have no words to express. The youth, his mood -sympathetic with the now joyous aspect of nature, shouted and sang, but -I felt the hot tears rise into my eyes and flow down upon my cheeks, and -concealed my face in my cowl. - -21 - -After leaving the boat we climbed the mountain. Dear Lord, nothing comes -from Thy hand without a purpose and a use, but why Thou shouldst have -piled up these mountains, and why Thou shouldst have covered them -with so many stones, is a mystery to me, since I can see no purpose in -stones, which are a blessing to neither man nor beast. - -After hours of climbing we reached a spring, where I sat down, faint -and footsore and out of breath. As I looked about me the scene fully -justified all that I had been told of these high solitudes. Wherever I -turned my eyes was nothing but gray, bare rocks streaked with red and -yellow and brown. There were dreary wastes of stones where nothing -grew--no single plant nor blade of grass--dreadful abysses filled with -ice, and glittering snowfields sloping upward till they seemed to touch -the sky. - -Among the rocks I did, however, find a few flowers. It seemed as if -the Creator of this wild and desolate region had Himself found it too -horrible, and, reaching down to the valleys, had gathered a handful -of flowers and scattered them in the barren places. These flowers, so -distinguished by the Divine hand, have bloomed with a celestial beauty -that none others know. The boy pointed out the plant whose root I am to -dig, as well as several strong and wholesome herbs serviceable to man, -among them the golden-flowered arnica. - -After an hour we continued our journey, which we pursued until I was -hardly able to drag my feet along the path. At last we reached a lonely -spot surrounded by great black rocks. In the centre was a miserable hut -of stones, with a low opening in one side for an entrance, and this, the -youth told me, was to be my habitation. We entered, and my heart sank to -think of dwelling in such a place. There was no furniture of any kind. A -wide bench, on which was some dry Alpine grass, was to be my bed. -There was a fireplace, with some wood for fuel, and a few simple -cooking-utensils. - -The boy took up a pan and ran away with it, and, throwing myself down in -front of the hut, I was soon lost in contemplation of the wildness and -terror of the place in which I was to prepare my soul for service of -the Lord. The boy soon returned, bearing the pan in both hands, and on -seeing me he gave a joyful shout, whose echoes sounded like a hundred -voices babbling among the rocks on every side. After even so short a -period of solitude I was so happy to see a human face that I came near -answering his greeting with unbecoming joy. How, then, could I hope to -sustain a week of isolation in that lonely spot? - -When the boy placed the pan before me it was full of milk, and he -brought forth from his clothing a pat of yellow butter, prettily adorned -with Alpine flowers, and a cake of snow-white cheese wrapped in aromatic -herbs. The sight delighted me, and I asked him, jokingly: 'Do butter -and cheese, then, grow on stones up here, and have you found a spring of -milk?' - -'You might accomplish such a miracle,' he replied, 'but I prefer to -hasten to the Black Lake and ask this food of the young women who live -there.' He then got some flour from a kind of pantry in the hut, and, -having kindled a fire on the hearth, proceeded to make a cake. - -'Then we are not alone in this wilderness,' I said. 'Tell me where is -that lake on the shore of which these generous people dwell?' - -'The Black Lake,' he replied, blinking his eyes, which were full of -smoke, 'is behind that _Kogel_ yonder, and the dairy-house stands on the -edge of the cliff above the water. It is a bad place. The lake reaches -clear down to Hell, and you can hear, through the fissures of the rocks, -the roaring and hissing of the flames and the groans of the souls. And -in no other place in all this world are there so many fierce and -evil spirits. Beware of it! You might fall ill there in spite of your -sanctity. Milk and butter and cheese can be obtained at the Green Lake -lower down; but I will tell the women to send up what you require. They -will be glad to oblige you; and if you will preach them a sermon every -Sunday, they will fight the very devil for you!' - -After our meal, which I thought the sweetest I had ever eaten, the boy -stretched himself in the sunshine and straightway fell asleep, snoring -so loudly that, tired as I was, I could hardly follow his example. - -22 - -When I awoke the sun was already behind the mountains, whose tops were -fringed with fire. I felt as one in a dream, but was soon recalled to my -senses, and made to feel that I was alone in the wilderness by shouts -of the young man in the distance. Doubtless he had pitied my condition, -for, instead of disturbing me, he had gone away without taking leave, -being compelled to reach the dairy on the Green Lake before nightfall. -Entering the cabin, I found a fire burning lustily and a quantity of -fuel piled beside it. Nor had the thoughtful youth forgotten to prepare -my supper of bread and milk. He had also shaken up the grass on my hard -bed, and covered it with a woollen cloth, for which I was truly grateful -to him. - -Refreshed by my long sleep, I remained outside the cabin till late in -the evening. I said my prayers in view of the gray rocks beneath the -black sky, in which the stars blinked merrily. They seemed much more -brilliant up here than when seen from the valley, and it was easy to -imagine that, standing on the extreme summit, one might touch them with -his hands. - -Many hours of that night I passed under the sky and the stars, examining -my conscience and questioning my heart. I felt as if in church, kneeling -before the altar and feeling the awful presence of the Lord. And at last -my soul was filled with a divine peace, and as an innocent child presses -its mother's breast, even so I leaned my head upon thine, O Nature, -mother of us all! - -23 - -I had not before seen a dawn so glorious! The mountains were rose-red, -and seemed almost transparent. The atmosphere was of a silver lucidity, -and so fresh and pure that with every breath I seemed to be taking new -life. The dew, heavy and white, clung to the scanty grass-blades like -rain and dripped from the sides of the rocks. - -It was while engaged in my morning devotions that I involuntarily became -acquainted with my neighbours. All night long the marmots had squealed, -greatly to my dismay, and they were now capering to and fro like hares. -Overhead the brown hawks sailed in circles with an eye to the birds -flitting among the bushes and the wood-mice racing along the rocks. -Now and again a troop of chamois passed near, on their way to the -feeding-grounds on the cliffs, and high above all I saw a single eagle -rising into the sky, higher and higher, as a soul flies heavenward when -purged of sin. - -I was still kneeling when the silence was broken by the sound of voices. -I looked about, but, although I could distinctly hear the voices and -catch snatches of song, I saw no one. The sounds seemed to come from the -heart of the mountain and, remembering the malevolent powers that infest -the place, I repeated a prayer against the Evil One and awaited the -event. - -Again the singing was heard, ascending from a deep chasm, and presently -I saw rising out of it three female figures. As soon as they saw me they -ceased singing and uttered shrill screams. By this sign I knew them to -be daughters of the earth, and thought they might be Christians, and so -waited for them to approach. - -As they drew near I observed that they carried baskets on their heads, -and that they were tall, good-looking lasses, light-haired, brown in -complexion and black-eyed. Setting their baskets upon the ground, they -greeted me humbly and kissed my hands, after which they opened the -baskets and displayed the good things they had brought me--milk, cream, -cheese, butter and cakes. - -Seating themselves upon the ground, they told me they were from the -Green Lake, and said they were glad to have a 'mountain brother' again, -especially so young and handsome a one; and in saying so there were -merry twinkles in their dark eyes and smiles on their red lips, which -pleased me exceedingly. - -I inquired if they were not afraid to live in the wilderness, at which -they laughed, showing their white teeth. They said they had a hunter's -gun in their cabin to keep off bears, and knew several powerful -sentences and anathemas against demons. Nor were they very lonely, they -added, for every Saturday the boys from the valley came up to hunt wild -beasts, and then all made merry. I learned from them that meadows and -cabins were common among the rocks, where herdsmen and herdswomen lived -during the whole summer. The finest meadows, they said, belonged to the -monastery, and lay but a short distance away. - -The pleasant chatting of the maidens greatly delighted me, and the -solitude began to be less oppressive. Having received the benediction, -they kissed my hand and went away as they had come, laughing, singing -and shouting in the joy of youth and health. So much I have already -observed: the people in the mountains lead a better and happier life -than those in the damp, deep valleys below. Also, they seem purer in -heart and mind, and that may be due to their living so much nearer to -Heaven, which some of the brothers say approaches more closely to the -earth here than at any other place in the world excepting Rome. - -24 - -The maidens having gone, I stowed away the provisions which they had -brought me, and, taking a short pointed spade and a bag, went in search -of the gentiana roots. They grew in abundance, and my back soon began -to ache from stooping and digging; but I continued the labour, for I -desired to send a good quantity to the monastery to attest my zeal and -obedience. I had gone a long distance from my cabin without observing -the direction which I had taken, when suddenly I found myself on the -brink of an abyss so deep and terrible that I recoiled with a cry of -horror. At the bottom of this chasm, so far below my feet that I was -giddy to look down, a small circular lake was visible, like the eye of -a fiend. On the shore of it, near a cliff overhanging the water, stood a -cabin, from the stone-weighted roof of which rose a thin column of blue -smoke. About the cabin, in the narrow and sterile pasture, a few cows -and sheep were grazing. What a dreadful place for a human habitation! - -I was still gazing down with fear into this gulf when I was again -startled: I heard a voice distinctly call a name! The sound came from -behind me, and the name was uttered with so caressing sweetness that I -hastened to cross myself as a protection from the wiles of the fairies -with their spells and enchantments. Soon I heard the voice again, and -this time it caused my heart to beat so that I was near suffocation, for -it was Benedicta's! Benedicta in this wilderness, and I alone with her! -Surely I now had need of thy guidance, blessed Franciscus, to keep, my -feet in the path of the Divine purpose. - -I turned about and saw her. She was now springing from rock to rock, -looking backward and calling the name that was strange to me. When she -saw that I looked at her she stood motionless. I walked to her, greeting -her in the name of the Blessed Virgin, though, God forgive me! hardly -able in the tumult of my emotions to articulate that holy title. - -Ah, how changed the poor child was! The lovely face was as pale as -marble; the large eyes were sunken and inexpressibly sad. Her beautiful -hair alone was unaltered, flowing over her shoulders like threads of -gold. We stood looking at each other, silent from surprise; then I again -addressed her: 'Is it, then, you, Benedicta, who live in the cabin down -there by the Black Lake--near the waters of Avemus? And is your father -with you?' - -She made no reply, but I observed a quivering about her delicate mouth, -as when a child endeavours to refrain from weeping. I repeated my -question: 'Is your father with you?' - -She answered faintly, in a tone that was hardly more than a sigh: - -'My father is dead.' - -I felt a sudden pain in my very heart, and was for some moments unable -to speak further, quite overcome by compassion. Benedicta had turned -away her face to hide her tears, and her fragile frame was shaken by her -sobs. I could no longer restrain myself. Stepping up to her, I took her -hand in mine, and, trying to crush back into my secret heart every human -desire, and address her in words of religious consolation, said: 'My -child--dear Benedicta--your father is gone from you, but another Father -remains who will protect you every day of your life. And as far as may -accord with His holy will I, too, good and beautiful maiden, help you to -endure your great affliction. He whom you mourn is not lost; he is gone -to the mercy seat, and God will be gracious to him.' - -But my words seemed only to awaken her sleeping grief. She threw herself -upon the ground and gave way to her tears, sobbing so violently that I -was filled with alarm. O Mother of Mercy! how can I bear the memory -of the anguish I suffered in seeing this beautiful and innocent child -overwhelmed with so great a flood of grief? I bent over her, and my own -tears fell upon her golden hair. My heart urged me to lift her from -the earth, but my hands were powerless to move. At length she composed -herself somewhat and spoke, but as if she were talking to herself rather -than to me: 'Oh, my father, my poor, heart-broken father! Yes, he is -dead--they killed him--he died long ago of grief. My beautiful mother, -too, died of grief--of grief and remorse for some great sin, I know -not what, which he had forgiven her. He could only be compassionate and -merciful. His heart was too tender to let him kill a worm or a beetle, -and he was compelled to kill men. His father and his father's father had -lived and died in the Galgenberg. They were hangmen all, and the awful -inheritance fell to him: there was no escape, for the terrible people -held him to the trade. I have heard him say that he was often tempted to -kill himself, and but for me I am sure he would have done so. He could -not leave me to starve, though he had to see me reviled, and at last, O -Holy Virgin! publicly disgraced for that of which I was not guilty.' - -As Benedicta made this reference to the great injustice that she had -been made to suffer, her white cheeks kindled to crimson with the -recollection of the shame which for her father's sake she had, at the -time of it, so differently endured. - -During the narrative of her grief she had partly risen and had turned -her beautiful face more and more toward me as her confidence had grown; -but now she veiled it with her hair, and would have turned her back but -that I gently prevented her and spoke some words of comfort, though God -knows my own heart was near breaking through sympathy with hers. After -a few moments she resumed: 'Alas, my poor father! he was unhappy every -way. Not even the comfort of seeing his child baptised was granted him. -I was a hangman's daughter, and my parents were forbidden to present me -for baptism; nor could any priest be found who was willing to bless me -in the name of the Holy Trinity. So they gave me the name Benedicta, and -blessed me themselves, over and over again. - -'I was only an infant when my beautiful mother died. They buried her -in unconsecrated ground. She could not go to the Heavenly Father in the -mansions above, but was thrust into the flames. While she was dying my -father had hastened to the Reverend Superior, imploring him to send a -priest with the sacrament. His prayer was denied. No priest came, and my -poor father closed her eyes himself, while his own were blind with tears -of anguish for her terrible fate. - -'And all alone he had to dig her grave. He had no other place than near -the gallows, where he had so often buried the hanged and the accurst. -With his own hands he had to place her in that unholy ground, nor could -any masses be said for her suffering soul. - -'I well remember how my dear father took me then to the image of the -Holy Virgin and bade me kneel, and, joining my little hands, taught me -to pray for my poor mother, who had stood undefended before the terrible -Judge of the Dead. This I have done every morning and evening since that -day, and now I pray for both; for my father also has died unshriven, and -his soul is not with God, but burns in unceasing fire. - -'When he was dying I ran to the Superior, just as he had done for my -dear mother. I besought him on my knees. I prayed and wept and embraced -his feet, and would have kissed his hand but that he snatched it away. -He commanded me to go.' - -As Benedicta proceeded with her narrative she gained courage. She rose -to her feet and stood erect, threw back her beautiful head and lifted -her eyes to the heavens as if recounting her wrongs to God's high angels -and ministers of doom. She stretched forth her bare arms in gestures of -so natural force and grace that I was filled with astonishment, and -her unstudied words came from her lips with an eloquence of which I had -never before had any conception. I dare not think it inspiration, for, -God forgive us all! every word was an unconscious arraignment of Him and -His Holy Church; yet surely no mortal with lips untouched by a live coal -from the altar ever so spake before! In the presence of this strange and -gifted being I so felt my own unworth that I had surely knelt, as before -a blessed saint, but that she suddenly concluded, with a pathos that -touched me to tears. - -'The cruel people killed him,' she said, with a sob in the heart of -every word. 'They laid hands upon me whom he loved. They charged me -falsely with a foul crime. They attired me in a garment of dishonour, -and put a crown of straw upon my head, and hung about my neck the black -tablet of shame. They spat upon me and reviled me, and compelled him -to lead me to the pillory, where I was bound and struck with whips -and stones. That broke his great, good heart, and so he died, and I am -alone.' - -25 - -When Benedicta had finished I remained silent, for in the presence of -such a sorrow what could I say? For such wounds as hers religion has -no balm. As I thought of the cruel wrongs of this humble and harmless -family there came into my heart a feeling of wild rebellion against -the world, against the Church, against God! They were brutally unjust, -horribly, devilishly unjust!--God, the Church, and the world. - -Our very surroundings--the stark and soulless wilderness, perilous with -precipices and bleak with everlasting snows--seemed a visible embodiment -of the woeful life to which the poor child had been condemned from -birth; and truly this was more than fancy, for since her father's death -had deprived her of even so humble a home as the hangman's hovel she had -been driven to these eternal solitudes by the stress of want. But below -us were pleasant villages, fertile fields, green gardens, and homes -where peace and plenty abided all the year. - -After a time, when Benedicta was somewhat composed, I asked her if she -had anyone with her for protection. - -'I have none,' she replied. But observing my look of pain, she added: -'I have always lived in lonely, accurst places; I am accustomed to that. -Now that my father is dead, there is no one who cares even to speak to -me, nor any whom I care to talk with--except you.' After a pause she -said: 'True, there is one who cares to see me, but he----' - -Here she broke off, and I did not press her to explain lest it should -embarrass her. Presently she said: 'I knew yesterday that you were here. -A boy came for some milk and butter for you. If you were not a holy man -the boy would not have come to me for your food. As it is, you cannot -be harmed by the evil which attaches to everything I have or do. Are -you sure, though, that you made the sign of the cross over the food -yesterday?' - -'Had I known that it came from you, Benedicta, that precaution would -have been omitted,' I answered. - -She looked at me with beaming eyes, and said: - -'Oh, dear sir, dear Brother!' - -And both the look and the words gave me the keenest delight--as, in -truth, do all this saintly creature's words and ways. - -I inquired what had brought her to the cliff-top, and who the person was -that I had heard her calling. - -'It is no person,' she answered, smiling; 'it is only my goat. She has -strayed away, and I was searching for her among the rocks.' - -Then nodding to me as if about to say farewell, she turned to go, but I -detained her, saying that I would assist her to look for the goat. - -We soon discovered the animal in a crevice of rock, and so glad was -Benedicta to find her humble companion that she knelt by its side, put -her arms about its neck and called it by many endearing names. I thought -this very charming, and could not help looking upon the group with -obvious admiration. - -Benedicta, observing it, said: 'Her mother fell from a cliff and broke -her neck. I took the little one and brought it up on milk, and she -is very fond of me. One who lives alone as I do values the love of a -faithful animal.' - -When the maiden was about to leave me I gained courage to speak to her -of what had been so long in my mind. I said: 'It is true, is it not, -Benedicta, that on the night of the festival you went to meet the -drunken boys in order to save your father from harm?' - -She looked at me in great astonishment. 'For what other reason could you -suppose I went?' - -'I could not think of any other,' I replied, in some confusion. - -'And now good-bye, Brother,' she said, moving away. - -'Benedicta,' I cried. She paused and turned her head. - -'Next Sunday I shall preach to the dairy women at the Green Lake; will -you come?' - -'Oh, no, dear Brother,' she replied hesitating and in low tones. - -'You will not come?' - -'I should like to come, but my presence would frighten away the dairy -women and others whom your goodness would bring there to hear you. Your -charity to me would cause you trouble. I pray you, sir, accept thanks, -but I cannot come.' - -'Then I shall come to you.' - -'Beware, oh pray, beware!' - -'I shall come.' - -26 - -The boy had taught me how to prepare a cake. I knew all that went to the -making of it, and the right proportions, yet when I tried to make it I -could not. All that I was able to make was a smoky, greasy pap, more fit -for the mouth of Satan than for a pious son of the Church and follower -of Saint Franciscus. My failure greatly discouraged me, yet it did not -destroy my appetite; so, taking some stale bread, I dipped it in sour -milk and was about to make my stomach do penance for its many sins, when -Benedicta came with a basketful of good things from her dairy. Ah, the -dear child! I fear that it was not with my heart only that I greeted her -that blessed morning. - -Observing the smoky mass in the pan, she smiled, and quietly throwing -it to the birds (which may Heaven guard!) she cleansed the pan at the -spring, and, returning arranged the fire. She then prepared the material -for a fresh cake. Taking two handfuls of flour, she put it into an -earthen bowl, and upon the top of it poured a cup of cream. Adding a -pinch of salt, she mixed the whole vigorously with her slender white -hands until it became a soft, swelling dough. She next greased the pan -with a piece of yellow butter, and, pouring the dough into it, placed -it on the fire. When the heat had penetrated the dough, causing it to -expand and rise above the sides of the pan, she deftly pierced it here -and there that it should not burst, and when it was well browned she -took it up and set it before me, all unworthy as I was. I invited her -to share the meal with me, but she would not. She insisted, too, that I -should cross myself before partaking of anything that she had brought me -or prepared, lest some evil come to me because of the ban upon her; -but this I would not consent to do. While I ate she culled flowers from -among the rocks, and, making a wreath, hung it upon the cross in front -of the cabin; after which, when I had finished, she employed herself in -cleansing the dishes and arranging everything in order as it should -be, so that I imagined myself far more comfortable than before, even in -merely looking about me. When there was nothing more to be done, and my -conscience would not permit me to invent reasons for detaining her, she -went away, and O my Saviour! how dismal and dreary seemed the day when -she was gone. Ah, Benedicta, Benedicta, what is this that thou hast done -to me?--making that sole service of the Lord to which I am dedicated -seem less happy and less holy than a herdsman's humble life here in the -wilderness with thee! - -27 - -Life up here is less disagreeable than I thought. What seemed to me -a dreary solitude seems now less dismal and desolate. This mountain -wilderness, which at first filled me with awe, gradually reveals its -benign character. It is marvellously beautiful in its grandeur, with a -beauty which purifies and elevates the soul. One can read in it, as in a -book, the praises of its Creator. Daily, while digging gentiana roots, I -do not fail to listen to the voice of the wilderness and to compose and -chasten my soul more and more. - -In these mountains are no feathered songsters. The birds here utter only -shrill cries. The flowers, too, are without fragrance, but wondrously -beautiful, shining with the fire and gold of stars. I have seen slopes -and heights here which doubtless were never trodden by any human foot. -They seem to me sacred, the touch of the Creator still visible upon -them, as when they came from His hand. - -Game is in great abundance. Chamois are sometimes seen in such droves -that the very hillsides seem to move. There are steinbocks, veritable -monsters, but as yet, thank Heaven, I have seen no bears. Marmots play -about me like kittens, and eagles, the grandest creatures in this high -world, nest in the cliffs to be as near the sky as they can get. - -When fatigued, I stretch myself on the Alpine grass, which is as -fragrant as the most precious spices. I close my eyes and hear the wind -whisper through the tall stems, and in my heart is peace. Blessed be the -Lord! - -28 - -Every morning the dairy women come to my cabin, their merry shouts -ringing in the air and echoed from the hills. They bring fresh milk, -butter and cheese, chat a little while and go away. Each day they relate -something new that has occurred in the mountains or been reported from -the villages below. They are joyous and happy, and look forward with -delight to Sunday, when there will be divine service in the morning and -a dance in the evening. - -Alas, these happy people are not free of the sin of bearing -false witness against their neighbour. They have spoken to me of -Benedicta--called her a disgraceful wench, a hangman's daughter and (my -heart rebels against its utterance) the mistress of Rochus! The pillory, -they said, was made for such as she. - -Hearing these maidens talk so bitterly and falsely of one whom they so -little knew, it was with difficulty that I mastered my indignation. But -in pity of their ignorance I reprimanded them gently and kindly. It was -wrong, I said, to condemn a fellow-being unheard. It was unchristian to -speak ill of any one. - -They do not understand. It surprises them that I defend a person like -Benedicta--one who, as they truly say, has been publicly disgraced and -has not a friend in the world. - -29 - -This morning I visited the Black Lake. It is indeed an awful and -accursed place, fit for the habitation of the damned. And there lives -the poor forsaken child! Approaching the cabin, I could see a fire -burning on the hearth, and over it was suspended a kettle. Benedicta was -seated on a low stool, looking into the flames. Her face was illuminated -with a crimson glow, and I could observe heavy tear-drops on her cheeks. - -Not wishing to see her secret sorrow, I hastened to make known my -presence, and addressed her as gently as I could. She was startled, but -when she saw who it was, smiled and blushed. She rose and came to greet -me, and I began speaking to her almost at random, in order that she -might recover her composure. I spoke as a brother might speak to his -sister, yet earnestly, for my heart was full of compassion. - -'O Benedicta,' I said, I know your heart, and it has more love for that -wild youth Rochus than for our dear and blessed Saviour. I know how -willingly you bore infamy and disgrace, sustained by the thought that he -knew you innocent. Far be it from me to condemn you, for what is holier -or purer than a maiden's love? I would only warn and save you from the -consequence of having given it to one so unworthy.' - -She listened with her head bowed, and said nothing, but I could hear -her sighs. I saw, too, that she trembled. I continued: 'Benedicta, the -passion which fills your heart may prove your destruction in this life -and hereafter. Young Rochus is not one who will make you his wife in the -sight of God and Man. Why did he not stand forth and defend you when you -were falsely accused?' - -'He was not there,' she said, lifting her eyes to mine; 'he and his -father were at Salzburg. He knew nothing till they told him.' - -May God forgive me if at this I felt no joy in another's acquittal of -the heavy sin with which I had charged him. I stood a moment irresolute, -with my head bowed, silent. - -'But, Benedicta,' I resumed, 'will he take for a wife one whose good -name has been blackened in the sight of his family and his neighbours? -No, he does not seek you with an honourable purpose. O Benedicta, -confide in me. Is it not as I say?' - -But she remained silent, nor could I draw from her a single word. She -would only sigh and tremble; she seemed unable to speak. I saw that she -was too weak to resist the temptation to love young Rochus; nay, I saw -that her whole heart was bound up in him, and my soul melted with pity -and sorrow--pity for her and sorrow for myself, for I felt that my power -was unequal to the command that had been laid upon me. My agony was so -keen that I could hardly refrain from crying out. - -I went from her cabin, but did not return to my own. I wandered about -the haunted shore of the Black Lake for hours, without aim or purpose. - -Reflecting bitterly upon my failure, and beseeching God for greater -grace and strength, it was revealed to me that I was an unworthy -disciple of the Lord and a faithless son of the Church. I became more -keenly conscious than I ever had been before of the earthly nature of my -love for Benedicta, and of its sinfulness. I felt that I had not given -my whole heart to God, but was clinging to a temporal and human hope. -It was plain to me that unless my love for the sweet child should be -changed to a purely spiritual affection, purified from all the dross of -passion, I could never receive holy orders, but should remain always a -monk and always a sinner. These reflections caused me great torment, -and in my despair I cast myself down upon the earth, calling aloud to -my Saviour. In this my greatest trial I clung to the Cross. 'Save me, O -Lord!' I cried. 'I am engulfed in a great passion--save me, oh, save me, -or I perish forever!' - -All that night I struggled and prayed and fought against the evil -spirits in my soul, with their suggestions of recreancy to the dear -Church whose child I am. - -'The Church,' they whispered, 'has servants enough. You are not as yet -irrevocably bound to celibacy. You can procure a dispensation from your -monastic vows and remain here in the mountains, a layman. You can learn -the craft of the hunter or the herdsman, and be ever near Benedicta to -guard and guide her--perhaps in time to win her love from Rochus and -take her for your wife.' - -To these temptations I opposed my feeble strength and such aid as -the blessed Saint gave me in my great trial. The contest was long and -agonising, and more than once, there in the darkness and the wilderness, -which rang with my cries, I was near surrender; but at the dawning of -the day I became more tranquil, and peace once more filled my heart, -even as the golden light filled the great gorges of the mountain where -but a few moments before were the darkness and the mist. I thought then -of the suffering and death of our Saviour, who died for the redemption -of the world, and most fervently I prayed that Heaven would grant me the -great boon to die likewise, in a humbler way, even though it were for -but one suffering being--Benedicta. - -May the Lord hear my prayer! - -30 - -The night before the Sunday on which I was to hold divine service great -fires were kindled on the cliffs--a signal for the young men in the -valley to come up to the mountain dairies. They came in great numbers, -shouting and screaming, and were greeted with songs and shrill cries by -the dairy maidens, who swung flaming torches that lit up the faces -of the great rocks and sent gigantic shadows across them. It was a -beautiful sight. These are indeed a happy people. - -The monastery boy came in with the rest. He will remain over Sunday, -and, returning, will take back the roots that I have dug. He gave me -much news from the monastery. The reverend Superior is living at Saint -Bartholomae, fishing and hunting. Another thing--one which gives me great -alarm--is that the Saltmaster's son, young Rochus, is in the mountains -not far from the Black Lake. It seems he has a hunting-lodge on the -upper cliff, and a path leads from it directly to the lake. The boy told -me this, but did not observe how I trembled when hearing it. Would that -an angel with a flaming sword might guard the path to the lake, and to -Benedicta! - -The shouting and singing continued during the whole night, and between -this and the agitation in my soul I did not close my eyes. Early the -next morning the boys and girls arrived in crowds from all directions. -The maidens wore silken kerchiefs twisted prettily about their heads, -and had decorated themselves and their escorts with flowers. - -Not being an ordained priest, it was not permitted me either to read -mass or to preach a sermon, but I prayed with them and spoke to them -whatever my aching heart found to say. I spoke to them of our sinfulness -and God's great mercy; of our harshness to one another and the Saviour's -love for us all; of His infinite compassion. As my words echoed from the -abyss below and the heights above I felt as if I were lifted out of -this world of suffering and sin and borne away on angel's wings to the -radiant spheres beyond the sky! It was a solemn service, and my little -congregation was awed into devotion and seemed to feel as if it stood in -the Holy of Holies. - -The service being concluded, I blessed the people and they quietly went -away. They had not been long gone before I heard the lads send forth -ringing shouts, but this did not displease me. Why should they not -rejoice? Is not cheerfulness the purest praise a human heart can give? - -In the afternoon I went down to Benedicta's cabin and found her at the -door, making a wreath of edelweiss for the image of the Blessed Virgin, -intertwining the snowy flowers with a purple blossom that looked like -blood. - -Seating myself beside her, I looked on at her beautiful work in silence, -but in my soul was a wild tumult of emotion and a voice that cried: -'Benedicta, my love, my soul, I love you more than life! I love you -above all things on earth and in Heaven!' - -31 - -The Superior sent for me, and with a strange foreboding I followed his -messenger down the difficult way to the lake and embarked in the boat. -Occupied with gloomy reflections and presentiments of impending evil, -I hardly observed that we had left the shore before the sound of merry -voices apprised me of our arrival at St. Bartholomae. On the beautiful -meadow surrounding the dwelling of the Superior were a great number of -people--priests, friars, mountaineers and hunters. Many were there who -had come from afar with large retinues of servants and boys. In the -house was a great bustle--a confusion and a hurrying to and fro, as -during a fair. The doors stood wide open, and people ran in and out, -clamouring noisily. The dogs yelped and howled as loud as they could. On -a stand under the oak was a great cask of beer, and many of the people -were gathered about it, drinking. Inside the house, too, there seemed to -be much drinking, for I saw many men near the windows with mighty cups -in their hands. On entering, I encountered throngs of servants carrying -dishes of fish and game. I asked one of them when I could see the -Superior. He answered that His Reverence would be down immediately after -the meal, and I concluded to wait in the hall. The walls were hung with -pictures of some large fish which had been caught in the lake. Below -each picture the weight of the monster and the date of its capture, -together with the name of the person taking it, were inscribed in -large letters. I could not help interpreting these records--perhaps -uncharitably--as intimations to all good Christians to pray for the -souls of those whose names were inscribed. - -After more than an hour the Superior descended the stairs. I stepped -forward, saluting him humbly, as became my position. He nodded, eyed -me sharply, and directed me to go to his apartment immediately after -supper. This I did. - -'How about your soul, my son Ambrosius?' he asked me, solemnly. 'Has the -Lord shown you grace? Have you endured the probation?' Humbly, with my -head bowed, I answered: 'Most reverend Father, God in my solitude has -given me knowledge.' - -'Of what? Of your guilt?' This I affirmed. - -'Praise be to God!' exclaimed the Superior. 'I knew, my son, that -solitude would speak to your soul with the tongue of an angel. I have -good tidings for you. I have written in your behalf to the Bishop of -Salzburg. He summons you to his palace. He will consecrate you and give -you holy orders in person, and you will remain in his city. Prepare -yourself, for in three days you are to leave us.' - -The Superior looked sharply into my face again, but I did not permit him -to see into my heart. I asked for his benediction, bowed and left him. -Ah, then, it was for this that I was summoned! I am to go away forever. -I must leave my very life behind me; I must renounce my care and -protection of Benedicta. God help her and me! - -32 - -I am once more in my mountain home, but tomorrow I leave it forever. But -why am I sad? Does not a great blessing await me? Have I not ever looked -forward to the moment of my consecration with longing, believing it -would bring me the supreme happiness of my life? And now that this great -joy is almost within my grasp, I am sad beyond measure. - -Can I approach the altar of the Lord with a lie on my lips? Can I -receive the holy sacrament as an impostor? The holy oil upon my forehead -would turn to fire and burn into my brain, and I should be for ever -damned. - -I might fall upon my knees before the Bishop and say: 'Expel me, for -I do not seek after the love of Christ, nor after holy and heavenly -things, but after the things of this world.' - -If I so spoke, I should be punished, but I could endure that without a -murmur. - -If only I were sinless and could rightly become a priest, I could be of -great service to the poor child. I should be able to give her infinite -blessings and consolations. I could be her confessor and absolve her -from sin, and, if I should outlive her--which God forbid!--might by my -prayers even redeem her soul from Purgatory. I could read masses for the -souls of her poor dead parents, already in torment. - -Above all, if I succeeded in preserving her from that one great and -destructive sin for which she secretly longs; if I could take her with -me and place her under thy protection, O Blessed Virgin, that would be -happiness indeed. - -But where is the sanctuary that would receive the hangman's daughter? -I know it but too well: when I am gone from here, the Evil One, in the -winning shape he has assumed, will prevail, and she will be lost in time -and in eternity. - -33 - -I have been at Benedicta's cabin. - -'Benedicta,' I said, 'I am going away from here--away from the -mountains--away from you.' - -She grew pale, but said nothing. For a moment I was overcome with -emotion; I seemed to choke, and could not continue. Presently I said: -'Poor child, what will become of you? I know that your love for Rochus -is strong and, love is like a torrent which nothing can stay. There is -no safety for you but in clinging to the cross of our Saviour. Promise me -that you will do so--do not let me go away in misery, Benedicta.' - -'Am I, then, so wicked?' she said, without lifting her eyes from the -ground. 'Can I not be trusted?' - -'Ah, but, Benedicta, the enemy is strong, and you have a traitor to -unbar the gates. Your own heart, poor child, will at last betray you.' - -'He will not harm me,' she murmured. 'You wrong him, sir, indeed you -do.' - -But I knew that I did not, and was all the more concerned to judge that -the wolf would use the arts of the fox. Before the sacred purity of -this maiden the base passions of the youth had not dared to declare -themselves. But none the less I knew that an hour would come when she -would have need of all her strength, and it would fail her. I grasped -her arm and demanded that she take an oath that she would throw herself -into the waters of the Black Lake rather than into the arms of Rochus. -But she would not reply. She remained silent, her eyes fixed upon mine -with a look of sadness and reproach which filled my mind with the most -melancholy thoughts, and, turning away, I left her. - -34 - -Lord, Saviour of my soul, whither hast Thou led me? Here am I in the -culprit's tower, a condemned murderer, and to-morrow at sunrise I shall -be taken to the gallows and hanged! For who so slays a fellow being, he -shall be slain; that is the law of God and man. - -On this the last day of my life I have asked that I be permitted to -write, and my prayer is granted. In the name of God and in the truth I -shall now set down all that occurred. - -Leaving Benedicta, I returned to my cabin, and, having packed -everything, waited for the boy. But he did not come: I should have to -remain in the mountains another night. I grew restless. The cabin seemed -too narrow to hold me; the air was too heavy and hot to sustain life. -Going outside, I lay upon a rock and looked up at the sky, dark and -glittering with stars. But my soul was not in the heavens; it was at the -cabin by the Black Lake. - -Suddenly I heard a faint, distant cry, like a human voice. I sat upright -and listened, but all was still. It may have been, I thought, the note -of some night-bird. I was about to lie down again, when the cry was -repeated, but it seemed to come from another direction. It was the -voice of Benedicta! It sounded again, and now it seemed to come from the -air--from the sky above my head, and distinctly it called my name; but, -O Mother of God, what anguish was in those tones! - -I leapt from the rock. 'Benedicta, Benedicta!' I cried aloud. There was -no reply. - -'Benedicta, I am coming to thee, child!' - -I sprang away in the darkness, along the path to the Black Lake. I ran -and leapt, stumbling and falling over rocks and stumps of trees. My -limbs were bruised, my clothing was torn, but I gave no heed; Benedicta -was in distress, and I alone could save and guard her. I rushed on until -I reached the Black Lake. But at the cabin all was quiet; there was -neither light nor sound; everything was as peaceful as a house of God. - -After waiting a long time I left. The voice that I had heard calling me -could not have been Benedicta's, but must have been that of some evil -spirit mocking me in my great sorrow. I meant to return to my cabin, but -an invisible hand directed my steps another way; and although it led me -to my death, I know it to have been the hand of the Lord. - -Walking on, hardly knowing whither, and unable to find the path by which -I had descended, I found myself at the foot of a precipice. Here was a -narrow path leading steeply upward along the face of the cliff, and I -began ascending it. After I had gone up some distance I looked above, -and saw outlined against the starry sky a cabin perched upon the very -verge. It flashed through my mind that this was the hunting-lodge of -the Saltmaster's son, and this the path by which he visited Benedicta. -Merciful Father! he, Rochus, was certain to come this way; there could -be no other. I would wait for him here. - -I crouched in the shadow and waited, thinking what to say to him and -imploring the Lord for inspiration to change his heart and turn him from -his evil purpose. - -Before long I heard him approaching from above. I heard the stones -displaced by his foot roll down the steep slopes and leap into the lake -far below. Then I prayed God that if I should be unable to soften the -youth's heart he might miss his footing and fall, too, like the stones; -for it would be better that he should meet a sudden and impenitent -death, and his soul be lost, than that he should live to destroy the -soul of an innocent girl. - -Turning at an angle of the rock, he stood directly before me as, rising, -I stepped into the faint light of the new moon. He knew me at once, and -in a haughty tone asked me what I wanted. - -I replied mildly, explaining why I had barred his way, and begging him -to go back. He insulted and derided me. - -'You miserable towler,' he said, 'will you never cease meddling in my -affairs? Because the mountain maids are so foolish as to praise your -white teeth and your big black eyes, must you fancy yourself a man, and -not a monk? You are no more to women than a goat!' - -I begged him to desist and to listen to me. I threw myself on my knees -and implored him, however he might despise me and my humble though holy -station, to respect Benedicta and spare her. But he pushed me from -him with his foot upon my breast. No longer master of myself, I sprang -erect, and called him an assassin and a villain. - -At this he pulled a dagger from his belt, saying: 'I will send you to -Hell!' - -Quick as a flash of lightning my hand was upon his wrist. I wrested the -knife from him and flung it behind me, crying: 'Not with weapons, -but unarmed and equal, we will fight to the death, and the Lord shall -decide!' - -We sprang upon each other with the fury of wild animals, and were -instantly locked together with arms and hands. We struggled upward and -downward along the path, with the great wall of rock on one side, and -on the other the precipice, the abyss, the waters of the Black Lake! We -writhed and strained for the advantage; but the Lord was against me for -He permited my enemy to overcome me and throw me down on the edge of the -precipice. I was in the grasp of a strong enemy, whose eyes glowed -like coals of fire. His knee was on my breast and my head hung over the -edge--my life was in his hands. I thought he would push me over, but he -made no attempt to do so. He held me there between life and death for a -dreadful time, then said, in a low, hissing voice: 'You see, monk, if I -but move I can hurl you down the abyss like a stone. But I care not to -take your life, for it is no impediment to me. The girl belongs to me, -and to me you shall leave her; do you understand?' - -With that he rose and left me, going down the path toward the lake. His -footfalls had long died away in the silent night before I was able to -move hand or foot. Great God! I surely did not deserve such defeat, -humiliation and pain. I had but wished to save a soul, yet Heaven -permitted me to be conquered by him who would destroy it! - -Finally I was able to rise, although in great pain, for I was bruised by -my fall, and could still feel the fierce youth's knee upon my breast -and his fingers about my throat. I walked with difficulty back along -the path, downward toward the lake. Wounded as I was, I would return to -Benedicta's cabin and interpose my body between her and harm. But my -progress was slow, and I had frequently to rest; yet it was near dawn -before I gave up the effort, convinced that I should be too late to do -the poor child the small service of yielding up my remnant of life in -her defence. - -At early dawn I heard Rochus returning, with a merry song upon his lips. -I concealed myself behind a rock, though not in fear, and he passed -without seeing me. - -At this point there was a break in the wall of the cliff, the path -crossing a great crevice that clove the mountain as by a sword-stroke -from the arm of a Titan. The bottom was strewn with loose boulders and -overgrown with brambles and shrubs, through which trickled a slender -stream of water fed by the melting snows above. Here I remained for -three days and two nights. I heard the boy from the monastery calling -my name as he traversed the path searching for me, but I made no answer. -Not once did I quench my burning thirst at the brook nor appease my -hunger with blackberries that grew abundantly on every side. Thus I -mortified the sinful flesh, killed rebellious nature and subdued my -spirit to the Lord until at last I felt myself delivered from all evil, -freed from the bondage of an earthly love and prepared to devote my -heart and soul and life to no woman but thee, O Blessed Virgin! - -The Lord having wrought this miracle, my soul felt as light and free -as if wings were lifting me to the skies. I praised the Lord in a loud -voice, shouting and rejoicing till the rocks rang with the sound. I -cried: 'Hosanna! Hosanna! I was now prepared to go before the altar and -receive the holy oil upon my head. I was no longer myself. Ambrosius, -the poor erring monk, was dead; I was an instrument in the right hand of -God to execute His holy will. I prayed for the delivery of the soul of -the beautiful maiden, and as I prayed, behold! there appeared to me -in the splendour and glory of Heaven the Lord Himself, attended by -innumerable angels, filling half the sky! A great rapture enthralled my -senses; I was dumb with happiness. With a smile of ineffable benignity -God spake to me: - -'Because that thou hast been faithful to thy trust, and through all the -trials that I have sent upon thee hast not faltered, the salvation of -the sinless maiden's soul is now indeed given into thy hand.' - -'Thou, Lord, knowest,' I replied, 'that I am without the means to do -this work, nor know I how it is to be done.' - -The Lord commanded me to rise and walk on, and, turning my face away -from the glorious Presence, which filled the heart of the cloven -mountain with light, I obeyed, leaving the scene of my purgation and -regaining the path that led up the face of the cliff. I began the -ascent, walking on and on in the splendour of the sunset, reflected from -crimson clouds. - -Suddenly I felt impelled to stop and look down, and there at my feet, -shining red in the cloudlight, as if stained with blood, lay the sharp -knife of Rochus. Now I understood why the Lord had permitted that wicked -youth to conquer me, yet had moved him to spare my life. I had been -reserved for a more glorious purpose. And so was placed in my hands the -means to that sacred end. My God, my God, how mysterious are Thy ways! - -35 - -'You shall leave her to me.' So had spoken the wicked youth while -holding me between life and death at the precipice. He permitted me -to live, not from Christian mercy, but because he despised my life, a -trivial thing to him, not worth taking. He was sure of his prey; it did -not matter if I were living or dead. - -'You shall leave her to me.' Oh, arrogant fool! Do you not know that the -Lord holds His hand over the flowers of the field and the young birds -in the nest? Leave Benedicta to you?--permit you to destroy her body and -her soul? Ah, you shall see how the hand of God shall be spread above -her to guard and save. There is yet time--that soul is still spotless -and undefiled. Forward, then, to fulfil the command of the Most High -God! - -I knelt upon the spot where God had given into my hand the means of her -deliverance. My soul was wholly absorbed in the mission entrusted to -me. My heart was in ecstasy, and I saw plainly, as in a vision, the -triumphant completion of the act which I had still to do. - -I arose, and, concealing the knife in my robe, retraced my steps, going -downward toward the Black Lake. The new moon looked like a divine wound -in the sky, as if some hand had plunged a dagger into Heaven's holy -breast. - -Benedicta's door was ajar, and I stood outside a long time, gazing upon -the beautiful picture presented to my eyes. A bright fire on the hearth -lit up the room. Opposite the fire sat Benedicta, combing her long -golden hair. Unlike what it was the last time I had stood before her -cabin and gazed upon it, her face was full of happiness and had a glory -that I had never imagined in it. A sensuous smile played about her -lips while she sang in a low, sweet voice the air of a love song of the -people. Ah me! she was beautiful; she looked like a bride of Heaven. But -though her voice was that of an angel, it angered me, and I called out -to her: 'What are you doing, Benedicta, so late in the evening? You sing -as if you expected your lover, and arrange your hair as for a dance. It -is but three days since I, your brother and only friend, left you, in -sorrow and despair. And now you are as happy as a bride.' - -She sprang up and manifested great joy at seeing me again, and hastened -to kiss my hands. But she had no sooner glanced into my face than she -uttered a scream of terror and recoiled from me as if I had been a fiend -from Hell! - -But I approached her and asked: 'Why do you adorn yourself so late in -the night?--why are you so happy? Have the three days been long enough -for you to fall? Are you the mistress of Rochus?' She stood staring at -me in horror. She asked: 'Where have you been and why do you come? You -look so ill! Sit, sir, I pray you, and rest. You are pale and you shake -with cold. I will make you a warm drink and you will feel better.' - -She was silenced by my stern gaze. 'I have not come to rest and be -nursed by you,' I said. 'I am here because the Lord commands. Tell me -why you sang.' - -She looked up at me with the innocent expression of a babe, and replied: -'Because I had for the moment forgotten that you were going away, and I -was happy.' - -'Happy?' - -'Yes--he has been here.' - -'Who? Rochus?' - -She nodded. 'He was so good,' she said. 'He will ask his father to -consent to see me, and perhaps take me to his great house and persuade -the Reverend Superior to remove the curse from my life. Would not that -be fine? But then.' she added, with a sudden change of voice and manner, -lowering her eyes, 'perhaps you would no longer care for me. It is -because I am poor and friendless.' - -'What! he will persuade his father to befriend you?--to take you to his -home?--you, the hangman's daughter? He, this reckless youth, at war -with God and God's ministers, will move the Church! Oh, lie, lie, lie! O -Benedicta--lost, betrayed Benedicta! By your smiles and by your tears I -know that you believe the monstrous promises of this infamous villain.' - -'Yes,' she said, inclining her head as if she were making a confession -of faith before the altar of the Lord, 'I believe him.' - -'Kneel, then,' I cried, 'and praise the Lord for sending one of His -chosen to save your soul from temporal and eternal perdition!' - -At these words she trembled as in great fear. - -'What do you wish me to do?' she exclaimed. - -'To pray that your sins may be forgiven.' - -A sudden rapturous impulse seized my soul. 'I am a priest,' I cried, -'anointed and ordained by God Himself, and in the name of the Father, -and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, I forgive you your only sin, -which is your love. I give you absolution without repentance. I free -your soul from the taint of sin because you will atone for it with your -blood and life.' - -With these words, I seized her and forced her down upon her knees. But -she wanted to live; she cried and wailed. She clung to my knees and -entreated and implored in the name of God and the Blessed Virgin. Then -she sprang to her feet and attempted to run away. I seized her again, -but she broke away from my grasp and ran to the open door, crying: -'Rochus! Rochus! help, oh help!' - -Springing after her, I grasped her by the shoulder, turned her -half-round and plunged the knife into her breast. - -I held her in my arms, pressed her against my heart and felt her warm -blood upon my body. She opened her eyes and fixed upon me a look of -reproach, as if I had robbed her of a life of happiness. Then her eyes -slowly closed, she gave a long, shuddering sigh, her little head turned -upon her shoulder, and so she died. - -I wrapped the beautiful body in a white sheet, leaving the face -uncovered, and laid it upon the floor. But the blood tinged the linen, -so I parted her long golden hair, spreading it over the crimson roses -upon her breast. As I had made her a bride of Heaven, I took from the -image of the Virgin the wreath of edelweiss and placed it on Benedicta's -brow; and now I remembered the edelweiss which she had once brought me -to comfort me in my penance. - -Then I stirred the fire, which cast upon the shrouded figure and the -beautiful face a rich red light, as if God's glory had descended there -to enfold her. It was caught and tangled in the golden tresses that lay -upon her breast, so that they looked a mass of curling flame. - -And so I left her. - -36 - -I descended the mountain by precipitous paths, but the Lord guided my -steps so that I neither stumbled nor fell into the abyss. At the dawning -of the day I arrived at the monastery, rang the bell and waited until -the gate was opened. The brother porter evidently thought me a fiend, -for he raised a howl that aroused the whole monastery. I went straight -to the room of the Superior, stood before him in my bloodstained -garments, and, telling him for what deed the Lord had chosen me, -informed him that I was now an ordained priest. At this they seized me, -put me into the tower, and, holding court upon me, condemned me to death -as if I were a murderer. Oh, the fools, the poor demented fools! - -One person has come to me to-day in my dungeon, who fell upon her -knees before me, kissed my hands and adored me as God's chosen -instrument--Amula, the brown maiden. She alone has discovered that I -have done a great and glorious deed. - -I have asked Amula to chase away the vultures from my body, for -Benedicta is in Heaven. - -I shall soon be with her. Praise be to God! Hosanna! Amen. - -***** - -[To this old manuscript are added the following lines in another hand: -'On the fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord, 1680, in this -place, Brother Ambrosius was hanged, and on the following day his body -was buried under the gallows, close to that of the girl Benedicta, whom -he killed. This Benedicta, though called the hangman's daughter, was (as -is now known through declarations of the youth Rochus) the bastard child -of the Saltmaster by the hangman's wife. It is also veritably attested -by the same youth that the maiden cherished a secret and forbidden love -for him who slew her in ignorance of her passion. In all else Brother -Ambrosius was a faithful servant of the Lord. Pray for him, pray for -him!] - - - - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter, by -Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MONK *** - -***** This file should be named 38602.txt or 38602.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/6/0/38602/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Monk and The Hangman's Daughter - -Author: Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -Release Date: January 17, 2012 [EBook #38602] -Last Updated: October 18, 2016 - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MONK *** - - - - -Produced by David Widger - - - - - -</pre> - <div style="height: 8em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> - <h1> - THE MONK AND THE HANGMAN’S DAUGHTER - </h1> - <p> - <br /> - </p> - <h2> - By Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - </h2> - <p> - <br /> - </p> - <h3> - 1911 - </h3> - <p> - <br /> <br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <br /> <br /> - </p> - <p> - Under the name of G. A. Danziger I wrote in the year 1889 a story founded - on a German tale, which I called <i>The Monk and the Hangman’s Daughter</i>. - The story was tragic but I gave it a happy ending. Submitting it to the - late Ambrose Bierce, asking him to revise the story, he suggested the - retention of the tragic part and so revised it. The story was published - and the house failed. - </p> - <p> - When in 1900 a publisher desired to bring out the story provided I gave it - a happy ending, I submitted the matter to Bierce and on August 21, 1900, - he wrote me a long letter on the subject of which the following is an - extract: - </p> - <p> - ‘I have read twice and carefully, your proposed addition to <i>The Monk</i>, - and you must permit me to speak plainly, if not altogether agreeably, of - it. It will not do for these reasons and others: - </p> - <p> - ‘The book is almost perfect as you wrote it; the part of the work that - pleases me least is <i>my</i> part (underscores Bierce’s). I am surprised - that you should yield to the schoolgirl desire for that shallowest of all - literary devices, a “happy ending,” by which all the pathos of the book is - effaced to “make a woman holiday.” It is unworthy of you. So much vii did - I feel this unworthiness that I hesitated a long time before even deciding - to have so much of “odious ingenuity” and “mystery” as your making - Benedicta the daughter of the Saltmaster and inventing her secret love for - Ambrosius instead of Rochus. - </p> - <p> - ‘“Dramatic action,” which is no less necessary in a story than in a play, - requires that so far as is possible what takes place shall be <i>seen</i> - to take place, not related as having previously taken place.... Compare - Shakespeare’s <i>Cymbeline</i> with his better plays. See how he spoiled - it the same way. You need not feel ashamed to err as Shakespeare erred. - Indeed, you did better than he, for his explanations were of things - already known to the reader, or spectator, of the play. <i>Your</i> - explanations are needful to an understanding of the things explained; it - is <i>they</i> that are needless. All “explanation” is unspeakably - tedious, and is to be cut as short as possible. Far better to have nothing - to explain—to <i>show</i> everything that occurs, in the very act of - occurring. We cannot always do that, but we should come as near to doing - it as we can. Anyhow, the “harking back” should not be done at the end of - the book, when the dénouement is already known and the reader’s interest - in the action exhausted.... - </p> - <p> - ‘Ambrosius and Benedicta are unique in letters. Their nobility, their - simplicity, their sufferings—everything that is theirs stamps them - as “beings apart.” They live in the memory sanctified and glorified by - these qualities and sorrows. They are, in the last and most gracious - sense, children of nature. Leave them lying there in the lovely valley of - the gallows, where Ambrosius shuddered as his foot fell on the spot where - he was destined to sleep.... - </p> - <p> - ‘Let <i>The Monk and the Hangman’s Daughter</i> alone. It is great work - and <i>you</i> should live to see the world confess it. Let me know if my - faith in your faith in me is an error. You once believed in my judgment; I - think it is not yet impaired by age. - </p> - <p> - ‘Sincerely yours, - </p> - <p> - ‘(Signed) Ambrose Bierce.’ - </p> - <p> - <br /> <br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <br /> <br /> - </p> - <p> - I can only add that my faith in Bierce’s judgment of letters is as firm - to-day as it was then, when I gave him power of attorney to place my book - with a publisher. This publisher embodied <i>The Monk and the Hangman’s - Daughter</i> in Bierce’s collected works, then sold the right to Messrs. - Albert and Charles Boni who without knowledge of the true facts brought - out an edition under Bierce’s name. - </p> - <p> - ADOLPHE de CASTRO. - </p> - <p> - <br /> <br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <br /> <br /> - </p> - <h2> - THE MONK AND THE HANGMAN’S DAUGHTER - </h2> - <p> - 1 - </p> - <p> - On the first day of May in the year of our Blessed Lord 1680, the - Franciscan monks Ægidius, Romanus and Ambrosius were sent by their - Superior from the Christian city of Passau to the Monastery of - Berchtesgaden, near Salzburg. I, Ambrosius, was the strongest and youngest - of the three, being but twenty-one years of age. - </p> - <p> - The Monastery of Berchtesgaden was, we knew, in a wild and mountainous - country, covered with dismal forests, which were infested with bears and - evil spirits; and our hearts were filled with sadness to think what might - become of us in so dreadful a place. But since it is Christian duty to - obey the mandates of the Church, we did not complain, and were even glad - to serve the wish of our beloved and revered Superior. - </p> - <p> - Having received the benediction, and prayed for the last time in the - church of our Saint, we tied up our cowls, put new sandals on our feet, - and set out, attended by the blessings of all. Although the way was long - and perilous, we did not lose our hope, for hope is not only the beginning - and the end of religion, but also the strength of youth and the support of - age. Therefore our hearts soon forgot the sadness of parting, and rejoiced - in the new and varying scenes that gave us our first real knowledge of the - beauty of the earth as God has made it. The colour and brilliance of the - air were like the garment of the Blessed Virgin; the sun shone like the - Golden Heart of the Saviour, from which streameth light and life for all - mankind; the dark blue canopy that hung above formed a grand and beautiful - house of prayer, in which every blade of grass, every flower and living - creature praised the glory of God. - </p> - <p> - As we passed through the many hamlets, villages and cities that lay along - our way, the thousands of people, busy in all the vocations of life, - presented to us poor monks a new and strange spectacle, which filled us - with wonder and admiration. When so many churches came into view as we - journeyed on, and the piety and ardour of the people were made manifest by - the acclamations with which they hailed us and their alacrity in - ministering to our needs, our hearts were full of gratitude and happiness. - All the institutions of the Church were prosperous and wealthy, which - showed that they had found favour in the sight of the good God whom we - serve. The gardens and orchards of the monasteries and convents were well - kept, proving the care and industry of the pious peasantry and the holy - inmates of the cloisters. It was glorious to hear the peals of bells - announcing the hours of the day: we actually breathed music in the air—the - sweet tones were like the notes of angels singing praise to the Lord. - </p> - <p> - Wherever we went we greeted the people in the name of our patron Saint. On - all sides were manifest humility and joy: women and children hastened to - the wayside, crowding about us to kiss our hands and beseech a blessing. - It almost seemed as if we were no longer poor servitors of God and man, - but lords and masters of this whole beautiful earth. Let us, however, not - grow proud in spirit, but remain humble, looking carefully into our hearts - lest we deviate from the rules of our holy Order and sin against our - blessed Saint. - </p> - <p> - I, Brother Ambrosius, confess with penitence and shame that my soul caught - itself upon exceedingly worldly and sinful thoughts. It seemed to me that - the women sought more eagerly to kiss my hands than those of my companions—which - surely was not right, since I am not more holy than they; besides, I am - younger and less experienced and tried in the fear and commandments of the - Lord. When I observed this error of the women, and saw how the maidens - kept their eyes upon me, I became frightened, and wondered if I could - resist should temptation accost me; and often I thought, with fear and - trembling, that vows and prayer and penance alone do not make one a saint; - one must be so pure in heart that temptation is unknown. Ah me! - </p> - <p> - At night we always lodged in some monastery, invariably receiving a - pleasant welcome. Plenty of food and drink was set before us, and as we - sat at table the monks would crowd about, asking for news of the great - world of which it was our blessed privilege to see and learn so much. When - our destination was learned we were usually pitied for being doomed to - live in the mountain wilderness. We were told of ice-fields, snow-crowned - mountains and tremendous rocks, roaring torrents, caves and gloomy - forests; also of a lake so mysterious and terrible that there was none - like it in the world. God be with us! - </p> - <p> - On the fifth day of our journey, while but a short distance beyond the - city of Salzburg, we saw a strange and ominous sight. On the horizon, - directly in our front, lay a bank of mighty clouds, with many grey points - and patches of darker hue, and above, between them and the blue sky, a - second firmament of perfect white. This spectacle greatly puzzled and - alarmed us. The clouds had no movement; we watched them for hours and - could see no change. Later in the afternoon, when the sun was sinking into - the west, they became ablaze with light. They glowed and gleamed in a - wonderful manner, and looked at times as if they were on fire! - </p> - <p> - No one can imagine our surprise when we discovered that what we had - mistaken for clouds was simply earth and rocks. These, then, were the - mountains of which we had heard so much, and the white firmament was - nothing else than the snowy summit of the range—which the Lutherans - say their faith can remove. I greatly doubt it. - </p> - <p> - 2 - </p> - <p> - When we stood at the opening of the pass leading into the mountains we - were overcome with dejection; it looked like the mouth of Hell. Behind us - lay the beautiful country through which we had come, and which now we were - compelled to leave forever; before us frowned the mountains with their - inhospitable gorges and haunted forests, forbidding to the sight and full - of peril to the body and the soul. Strengthening our hearts with prayer - and whispering anathemas against evil spirits, we entered the narrow pass - in the name of God, and pressed forward, prepared to suffer whatever might - befall. - </p> - <p> - As we proceeded cautiously on our way giant trees barred our progress and - dense foliage almost shut out the light of day, the darkness being deep - and chill. The sound of our footfalls and of our voices, when we dared to - speak, was returned to us from the great rocks bordering the pass, with - such distinctness and so many repetitions, yet withal so changed, that we - could hardly believe we were not accompanied by troops of invisible beings - who mocked us and made sport of our fears. Great birds of prey, startled - from their nests in the treetops and the sides of the cliffs, perched upon - high pinnacles of rock and eyed us malignly as we passed; vultures and - ravens croaked above us in hoarse and savage tones that made our blood run - cold. Nor could our prayers and hymns give us peace; they only called - forth other fowl and by their own echoes multiplied the dreadful noises - that beset us. It surprised us to observe that huge trees had been plucked - out of the earth by the roots and hurled down the sides of the hills, and - we shuddered to think by what powerful hands this had been done. At times - we passed along the edges of high precipices, and the dark chasms that - yawned below were a terrible sight. A storm arose, and we were - half-blinded by the fires of heaven and stunned by thunder a thousand - times louder than we had ever heard. Our fears were at last worked up to - so great a degree that we expected every minute to see some devil from - Hell leap from behind a rock in our front, or a ferocious bear appear from - the undergrowth to dispute our progress. But only deer and foxes crossed - our path, and our fears were somewhat quieted to perceive that our blessed - Saint was no less powerful in the mountains than on the plains below. - </p> - <p> - At length we reached the bank of a stream whose silvery waters presented a - most refreshing sight. In its crystal depths between the rocks we could - see beautiful golden trout as large as the carp in the pond of our - monastery at Passau. Even in these wild places Heaven had provided - bountifully for the fasting of the faithful. - </p> - <p> - Beneath the black pines and close to the large lichen-covered rocks - bloomed rare flowers of dark blue and golden yellow. Brother Ægidius, who - was as learned as pious, knew them from his herbarium and told us their - names. We were delighted by the sight of various brilliant beetles and - butterflies which had come out of their hiding-places after the rain. We - gathered handfuls of flowers and chased the pretty winged insects, - forgetting our fears and prayers, the bears and evil spirits, in the - exuberance of our joy. - </p> - <p> - For many hours we had not seen a dwelling nor a human being. Deeper and - deeper we penetrated the mountain region; greater and greater became the - difficulties we experienced in forest and ravine, and all the horrors of - the wilderness that we had already passed were repeated, but without so - great an effect upon our souls, for we all perceived that the good God was - preserving us for longer service to His holy will. A branch of the - friendly river lay in our course, and, approaching it, we were delighted - to find it spanned by a rough but substantial bridge. As we were about to - cross I happened to cast my eyes to the other shore, where I saw a sight - that made my blood turn cold with terror. On the opposite bank of the - stream was a meadow, covered with beautiful flowers, and in the centre a - gallows upon which hung the body of a man! The face was turned toward us, - and I could plainly distinguish the features, which, though black and - distorted, showed unmistakable signs that death had come that very day. - </p> - <p> - I was upon the point of directing my companions’ attention to the dreadful - spectacle, when a strange incident occurred: in the meadow appeared a - young girl, with long golden hair, upon which rested a wreath of blossoms. - She wore a bright red dress, which seemed to me to light up the whole - scene like a flame of fire. Nothing in her actions indicated fear of the - corpse upon the gallows; on the contrary, she glided toward it barefooted - through the grass, singing in a loud but sweet voice, and waving her arms - to scare away the birds of prey that had gathered about it, uttering harsh - cries and with a great buffeting of wings and snapping of beaks. At the - girl’s approach they all took flight, except one great vulture, which - retained its perch upon the gallows and appeared to defy and threaten her. - She ran close up to the obscene creature, jumping, dancing, screaming, - until it, too, put out its wide wings and flapped heavily away. Then she - ceased her dancing, and, taking a position at the gibbet’s foot, calmly - and thoughtfully looked up at the swinging body of the unfortunate man. - </p> - <p> - The maiden’s singing had attracted the attention of my companions, and we - all stood watching the lovely child and her strange surroundings with too - much amazement to speak. - </p> - <p> - While gazing on the surprising scene, I felt a cold shiver run through my - body. This is said to be a sure sign that someone has stepped upon the - spot which is to be your grave. Strange to say, I felt this chill at the - moment the maiden stepped under the gallows. But this only shows how the - true beliefs of men are mixed up with foolish superstitions; for how could - a sincere follower of Saint Franciscus possibly come to be buried beneath - a gallows? - </p> - <p> - ‘Let us hasten,’ I said to my companions, ‘and pray for the soul of the - dead.’ - </p> - <p> - We soon found our way to the spot, and, without raising our eyes, said - prayers with great fervour; especially did I, for my heart was full of - compassion for the poor sinner who hung above. I recalled the words of - God, who said, ‘Vengeance is mine,’ and remembered that the dear Saviour - had pardoned the thief upon the cross at His side; and who knows that - there were not mercy and forgiveness for this poor wretch who had died - upon the gallows? - </p> - <p> - On our approach the maiden had retired a short distance, not knowing what - to make of us and our prayers. Suddenly, however, in the midst of our - devotions, I heard her sweet, bell-like tones exclaim: ‘The vulture! the - vulture!’ and her voice was agitated, as if she felt great fear. I looked - up and saw a great grey bird above the pines, swooping downward. It showed - no fear of us, our sacred calling and our pious rites. My brothers, - however, were indignant at the interruption caused by the child’s voice, - and scolded her. But I said: ‘The girl is probably a relation of the dead - man. Now think of it, brothers; this terrible bird comes to tear the flesh - from his face and feed upon his hands and his body. It is only natural - that she should cry out.’ - </p> - <p> - One of the brothers said: ‘Go to her, Ambrosius, and command her to be - silent that we may pray in peace for the departed soul of this sinful - man.’ - </p> - <p> - I walked among the fragrant flowers to where the girl stood with her eyes - still fixed upon the vulture, which swung in ever narrowing circles about - the gallows. Against a mass of silvery flowers on a bush by which she - stood the maid’s exquisite figure showed to advantage, as I wickedly - permitted myself to observe. Perfectly erect and motionless, she watched - my advance, though I marked a terrified look in her large, dark eyes, as - if she feared that I would do her harm. Even when I was quite near her she - made no movement to come forward, as women and children usually did, and - kiss my hands. - </p> - <p> - ‘Who are you?’ I said, ‘and what are you doing in this dreadful place all - alone?’ - </p> - <p> - She did not answer me, and made neither sign nor motion; so I repeated my - question: - </p> - <p> - ‘Tell me, child, what are you doing here?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Scaring away the vultures,’ she replied, in a soft, musical voice, - inexpressibly pleasing. - </p> - <p> - ‘Are you a relation of the dead man?’ I asked. - </p> - <p> - She shook her head. - </p> - <p> - ‘You knew him?’ I continued, ‘and you pity his unchristian death?’ - </p> - <p> - But she was again silent, and I had to renew my questioning: ‘What was his - name, and why was he put to death? What crime did he commit?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘His name was Nathaniel Alfinger, and he killed a man for a woman,’ said - the maiden, distinctly and in the most unconcerned manner that it is - possible to conceive, as if murder and hanging were the commonest and most - uninteresting of all events. I was astounded, and gazed at her sharply, - but her look was passive and calm, denoting nothing unusual. ‘Did you know - Nathaniel Alfinger?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘No.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Yet you came here to protect his corpse from the fowls?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Yes.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Why do you do that service to one whom you did not know?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘I always do so.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘How—!’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Always when any one is hanged here I come and frighten away the birds and - make them find other food. See—there is another vulture!’ - </p> - <p> - She uttered a wild, high scream, threw her arms above her head, and ran - across the meadow so that I thought her mad. The big bird flew away, and - the maiden came quietly back to me, and, pressing her sunburnt hands upon - her breast, sighed deeply, as from fatigue. With as much mildness as I - could put into my voice, I asked her: - </p> - <p> - ‘What is your name?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Benedicta.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘And who are your parents?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘My mother is dead.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘But your father—where is he?’ - </p> - <p> - She was silent. Then I pressed her to tell me where she lived, for I - wanted to take the poor child home and admonish her father to have better - care of his daughter and not let her stray into such dreadful places - again. - </p> - <p> - ‘Where do you live, Benedicta? I pray you tell me.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Here.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘What! here? Ah, my child, here is only the gallows.’ - </p> - <p> - She pointed toward the pines. Following the direction of her finger, I saw - among the trees a wretched hut which looked like a habitation more fit for - animals than human beings. Then I knew better than she could have told me - whose child she was. - </p> - <p> - When I returned to my companions and they asked me who the girl was, I - answered: ‘The hangman’s daughter.’ - </p> - <p> - 3 - </p> - <p> - Having commended the soul of the dead man to the intercession of the - Blessed Virgin and the Holy Saints, we left the accursed spot, but as we - withdrew I looked back at the lovely child of the hangman. She stood where - I had left her, looking after us. Her fair white brow was still crowned - with the wreath of primroses, which gave an added charm to her wonderful - beauty of feature and expression, and her large, dark eyes shone like the - stars of a winter midnight. My companions, to whom the hangman’s daughter - was a most unchristian object, reproved me for the interest that I - manifested in her; but it made me sad to think this sweet and beautiful - child was shunned and despised through no fault of her own. Why should she - be made to suffer blame because of her father’s dreadful calling? And was - it not the purest Christian charity which prompted this innocent maiden to - keep the vultures from the body of a fellow-creature whom in life she had - not even known and who had been adjudged unworthy to live? It seemed to me - a more kindly act than that of any professed Christian who bestows money - upon the poor. Expressing these feelings to my companions, I found, to my - sorrow, that they did not share them; on the contrary, I was called a - dreamer and a fool who wished to overthrow the ancient and wholesome - customs of the world. Everyone, they said, was bound to execrate the class - to which the hangman and his family belonged, for all who associated with - such persons would surely be contaminated. I had, however, the temerity to - remain steadfast in my conviction, and with due humility questioned the - justice of treating such persons as criminals because they were a part of - the law’s machinery by which criminals were punished. Because in the - church the hangman and his family had a dark corner specially set apart - for them, that could not absolve us from our duty as servants of the Lord - to preach the gospel of justice and mercy and give an example of Christian - love and charity. But my brothers grew very angry with me, and the - wilderness rang with their loud vociferations, so that I began to feel as - if I were very wicked, although unable to perceive my error. I could do - nothing but hope that Heaven would be more merciful to us all than we are - to one another. In thinking of the maiden it gave me comfort to know that - her name was Benedicta. Perhaps her parents had so named her as a means of - blessing to one whom no one else would ever bless. - </p> - <p> - But I must relate what a wonderful country it was into which we were now - arrived. Were we not assured that all the world is the Lord’s, for He made - it, we might be tempted to think such a wild region the kingdom of the - Evil One. - </p> - <p> - Far down below our path the river roared and foamed between great cliffs, - the grey points of which seemed to pierce the very sky. On our left, as we - gradually rose out of this chasm, was a black forest of pines, frightful - to see, and in front of us a most formidable peak. This mountain, despite - its terrors, had a comical appearance, for it was white and pointed like a - fool’s cap, and looked as if some one had put a flour-sack on the knave’s - head. After all, it was nothing but snow. Snow in the middle of the - glorious month of May!—surely the works of God are wonderful and - almost past belief! The thought came to me that if this old mountain - should shake his head the whole region would be full of flying snow. - </p> - <p> - We were not a little surprised to find that in various places along our - road the forest had been cleared away for a space large enough to build a - hut and plant a garden. Some of these rude dwellings stood where one would - have thought that only eagles would have been bold enough to build; but - there is no place, it seems, free from the intrusion of Man, who stretches - out his hand for everything, even that which is in the air. When at last - we arrived at our destination and beheld the temple and the house erected - in this wilderness to the name and glory of our beloved Saint, our hearts - were thrilled with pious emotions. Upon the surface of a pine-covered rock - was a cluster of huts and houses, the monastery in the midst, like a - shepherd surrounded by his flock. The church and monastery were of hewn - stone, of noble architecture, spacious and comfortable. - </p> - <p> - May the good God bless our entrance into this holy place. - </p> - <p> - 4 - </p> - <p> - I have now been in this wilderness for a few weeks, but the Lord, too, is - here, as everywhere. My health is good, and this house of our beloved - Saint is a stronghold of the Faith, a house of peace, an asylum for those - who flee from the wrath of the Evil One, a rest for all who bear the - burden of sorrow. Of myself, however, I cannot say so much. I am young, - and although my mind is at peace, I have so little experience of the world - and its ways that I feel myself peculiarly liable to error and accessible - to sin. The course of my life is like a rivulet which draws its silver - thread smoothly and silently through friendly fields and flowery meadows, - yet knows that when the storms come and the rains fall it may become a - raging torrent, defiled with earth and whirling away to the sea the - wreckage attesting the madness of its passion and its power. - </p> - <p> - Not sorrow nor despair drew me away from the world into the sacred retreat - of the Church, but a sincere desire to serve the Lord. My only wish is to - belong to my beloved Saint, to obey the blessed mandates of the Church, - and, as a servant of God, to be charitable to all mankind, whom I dearly - love. The Church is, in truth, my beloved mother, for, my parents having - died in my infancy I, too, might have perished without care had she not - taken pity on me, fed and clothed me and reared me as her own child. And, - oh, what happiness there will be for me, poor monk, when I am ordained and - receive holy orders as a priest of the Most High God! Always I think and - dream of it and try to prepare my soul for that high and sacred gift. I - know I can never be worthy of this great happiness, but I do hope to be an - honest and sincere priest, serving God and Man according to the light that - is given from above. I often pray Heaven to put me to the test of - temptation, that I may pass through the fire unscathed and purified in - mind and soul. As it is, I feel the sovereign peace which, in this - solitude, lulls my spirit to sleep, and all life’s temptations and trials - seem far away, like perils of the sea to one who can but faintly hear the - distant thunder of the waves upon the beach. - </p> - <p> - 5 - </p> - <p> - Our Superior, Father Andreas, is a mild and pious gentleman. Our brothers - live in peace and harmony. They are not idle, neither are they worldly nor - arrogant. They are temperate, not indulging too much in the pleasures of - the table—a praiseworthy moderation, for all this region, far and - wide—the hills and the valleys, the river and forest, with all that - they contain—belongs to the monastery. The woods are full of all - kinds of game, of which the choicest is brought to our table, and we - relish it exceedingly. In our monastery a drink is prepared from malt and - barley—a strong, bitter drink, refreshing after fatigue, but not, to - my taste, very good. - </p> - <p> - The most remarkable thing in this part of the country is the salt-mining. - I am told that the mountains are full of salt—how wonderful are the - works of the Lord! In pursuit of this mineral Man has penetrated deep into - the bowels of the earth by means of shafts and tunnels, and brings forth - the bitter marrow of the hills into the light of the sun. The salt I have - myself seen in red, brown and yellow crystals. The works give employment - to our peasants and their sons, with a few foreign labourers, all under - the command of an overseer, who is known as the Saltmaster. He is a stern - man, exercising great power, but our Superior and the brothers speak - little good of him—not from any unchristian spirit, but because his - actions are evil. The Saltmaster has an only son. His name is Rochus, a - handsome but wild and wicked youth. - </p> - <p> - 6 - </p> - <p> - The people hereabout are a proud, stubborn race. I am told that in an old - chronicle they are described as descendants of the Romans, who in their - day drove many tunnels into these mountains to get out the precious salt; - and some of these tunnels are still in existence. From the window of my - cell I can see these giant hills and the black forests which at sunset - burn like great firebrands along the crests against the sky. - </p> - <p> - The forefathers of these people (after the Romans) were, I am told, more - stubborn still than they are, and continued in idolatry after all the - neighbouring peoples had accepted the cross of the Lord our Saviour. Now, - however, they bow their stiff necks to the sacred symbol and soften their - hearts to receive the living truth. Powerful as they are in body, in - spirit they are humble and obedient to the Word. Nowhere else did the - people kiss my hand so fervently as here, although I am not a priest—an - evidence of the power and victory of our glorious faith. - </p> - <p> - Physically they are strong and exceedingly handsome in face and figure, - especially the young men; the elder men, too, walk as erect and proud as - kings. The women have long golden hair, which they braid and twist about - their heads very beautifully, and they love to adorn themselves with - jewels. Some have eyes whose dark brilliancy rivals the lustre of the - rubies and garnets they wear about their white necks. I am told that the - young men fight for the young women as stags for does. Ah, what wicked - passions exist in the hearts of men! But since I know nothing of these - things, nor shall ever feel such unholy emotions, I must not judge and - condemn. - </p> - <p> - Lord, what a blessing is the peace with which Thou hast filled the spirits - of those who are Thine own! Behold, there is no turmoil in my breast; all - is calm there as in the soul of a babe which calls ‘Abba,’ dear Father. - And so may it ever be. - </p> - <p> - 7 - </p> - <p> - I have again seen the hangman’s beautiful daughter. As the bells were - chiming for mass I saw her in front of the monastery church. I had just - come from the bedside of a sick man, and as my thoughts were gloomy the - sight of her face was pleasant, and I should have liked to greet her, but - her eyes were cast down: she did not notice me. The square in front of the - church was filled with people, the men and youths on one side, on the - other the women and maidens all clad in their high hats and adorned with - their gold chains. They stood close together, but when the poor child - approached all stepped aside, whispering and looking askance at her as if - she were an accursed leper and they feared infection. - </p> - <p> - Compassion filled my breast, compelling me to follow the maiden, and, - overtaking her, I said aloud: - </p> - <p> - ‘God greet you, Benedicta.’ - </p> - <p> - She shrank away as if frightened, then, looking up, recognised me, seemed - astonished, blushed again and again and finally hung her head in silence. - </p> - <p> - ‘Do you fear to speak to me?’ I asked. - </p> - <p> - But she made no reply. Again I spoke to her: ‘Do good, obey the Lord and - fear no one: then shall you be saved.’ - </p> - <p> - At this she drew a long sigh, and replied in a low voice, hardly more than - a whisper: ‘I thank you, my lord.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘I am not a lord, Benedicta,’ I said, ‘but a poor servant of God, who is a - gracious and kind Father to all His children, however lowly their estate. - Pray to Him when your heart is heavy, and He will be near you.’ - </p> - <p> - While I spoke she lifted her head and looked at me like a sad child that - is being comforted by its mother. And, still speaking to her out of the - great compassion in my heart, I led her into the church before all the - people. - </p> - <p> - But do thou, O holy Franciscus, pardon the sin that I committed during - that high sacrament! For while Father Andreas was reciting the solemn - words of the mass my eyes constantly wandered to the spot where the poor - child knelt in a dark corner set apart for her and her father, forsaken - and alone. She seemed to pray with holy zeal, and surely thou didst grace - her with a ray of thy favour, for it was through thy love of mankind that - thou didst become a great saint, and didst bring before the Throne of - Grace thy large heart, bleeding for the sins of all the world. Then shall - not I, the humblest of thy followers, have enough of thy spirit to pity - this poor outcast who suffers for no sin of her own? Nay, I feel for her a - peculiar tenderness, which I cannot help accepting as a sign from Heaven - that I am charged with a special mandate to watch over her, to protect - her, and finally to save her soul. - </p> - <p> - 8 - </p> - <p> - Our Superior has sent for me and rebuked me. He told me I had caused great - ill-feeling among the brothers and the people, and asked what devil had me - in possession that I should walk into church with the daughter of the - public hangman. - </p> - <p> - What could I say but that I pitied the poor maiden and could not do - otherwise than as I did? - </p> - <p> - ‘Why did you pity her?’ he asked. - </p> - <p> - ‘Because all the people shun her,’ I replied, ‘as if she were mortal sin - itself, and because she is wholly blameless. It certainly is not her fault - that her father is a hangman, nor his either, since, alas, hangmen must - be.’ - </p> - <p> - Ah, beloved Franciscus, how the Superior scolded thy poor servant for - these bold words. - </p> - <p> - ‘And do you repent?’ he demanded at the close of his reproof. But how - could I repent of my compassion—incited, as I verily believe, by our - beloved Saint? - </p> - <p> - On learning my obduracy, the Superior became very sad. He gave me a long - lecture and put me under hard penance. I took my punishment meekly and in - silence, and am now confined to my cell, fasting and chastising myself. - Nor in this do I spare myself at all, for it is happiness to suffer for - the sake of one so unjustly treated as the poor friendless child. - </p> - <p> - I stand at the grating of my cell, looking out at the high, mysterious - mountains showing black against the evening sky. The weather being mild, I - open the window behind the bars to admit the fresh air and better to hear - the song of the stream below, which speaks to me with a divine - companionship, gentle and consoling. - </p> - <p> - I know not if I have already mentioned that the monastery is built upon a - rock high over the river. Directly under the windows of our cells are the - rugged edges of great cliffs, which none can scale but at the peril of his - life. Imagine, then, my astonishment when I saw a living figure lift - itself up from the awful abyss by the strength of its hands, and, drawing - itself across the edge, stand erect upon the very verge! In the dusk I - could not make out what kind of creature it was; I thought it some evil - spirit come to tempt me; so I crossed myself and said a prayer. Presently - there is a movement of its arm, and something flies through the window, - past my head, and lies upon the floor of my cell, shining like a white - star. I bend and pick it up. It is a bunch of flowers such as I have never - seen—leafless, white as snow, soft as velvet, and without fragrance. - As I stand by the window, the better to see the wondrous flowers, my eyes - turn again to the figure on the cliff, and I hear a sweet, low voice, - which says: ‘I am Benedicta, and I thank you.’ - </p> - <p> - Ah, Heaven! it was the child, who, that she might greet me in my - loneliness and penance, had climbed the dreadful rocks, heedless of the - danger. She knew, then, of my punishment—knew that it was for her. - </p> - <p> - She knew even the very cell in which I was confined. O holy Saint! surely - she could not have known all this but from thee; and I were worse than an - infidel to doubt that the feeling which I have for her signifies that a - command has been laid upon me to save her. - </p> - <p> - I saw her bending over the frightful precipice. She turned a moment and - waved her hand to me and disappeared. I uttered an involuntary cry—had - she fallen? I grasped the iron bars of my window and shook them with all - my strength, but they did not yield. In my despair I threw myself upon the - floor, crying and praying to all the saints to protect the dear child in - her dangerous descent if still she lived, to intercede for her unshriven - soul if she had fallen. I was still kneeling when Benedicta gave me a sign - of her safe arrival below. It was such a shout as these mountaineers utter - in their untamed enjoyment of life—only Benedicta’s shout, coming - from far below in the gorge, and mingled with its own strange echoes, - sounded like nothing I had ever heard from any human throat, and so - affected me that I wept, and the tears fell upon the wild flowers in my - hand. - </p> - <p> - 9 - </p> - <p> - As a follower of Saint Francisais, I am not permitted to own anything dear - to my heart, so I have disposed of my most precious treasure; I have - presented to my beloved Saint the beautiful flowers which were Benedicta’s - offering. They are so placed before his picture in the monastery church as - to decorate the bleeding heart which he carries upon his breast as a - symbol of his suffering for mankind. - </p> - <p> - I have learned the name of the flower: because of its colour, and because - it is finer than other flowers, it is called Edelweiss—noble white. - It grows in so rare perfection only upon the highest and wildest rocks—mostly - upon cliffs, over abysses many hundred feet in depth, where one false step - would be fatal to him who gathers it. - </p> - <p> - These beautiful flowers, then, are the real evil spirits of this wild - region; they lure many mortals to a dreadful death. The brothers here have - told me that never a year passes but some shepherd, some hunter or some - bold youth, attracted by these wonderful blossoms, is lost in the attempt - to get them. - </p> - <p> - May God be merciful to all their souls! - </p> - <p> - 10 - </p> - <p> - I must have turned pale when one of the brothers reported at the supper - table that upon the picture of Saint Franciscus had been found a bunch of - edelweiss of such rare beauty as grows nowhere else in the country but at - the summit of a cliff which is more than a thousand feet high, and - overhangs a dreadful lake. The brothers tell wondrous tales of the horrors - of this lake—how wild its waters and how deep, and how the most - hideous spectres are seen along its shores or rising out of it. - </p> - <p> - Benedicta’s edelweiss, therefore, has caused great commotion and wonder, - for even among the boldest hunters there are few, indeed, who dare to - climb that cliff by the haunted lake. And the tender child has - accomplished the feat! She has gone quite alone to that horrible place, - and has climbed the almost vertical wall of the mountain to the green spot - where the flowers grow with which she was moved to greet me. I doubt not - that Heaven guarded her against mishap in order that I might have a - visible sign and token that I am charged with the duty of her salvation. - </p> - <p> - Ah, thou poor sinless child, accurst in the eyes of the people, God hath - signified His care of thee, and in my heart I feel already something of - that adoration which shall be thy due when for thy purity and holiness He - shall bestow upon thy relics some signal mark of His favour, and the - Church shall declare thee blessed! - </p> - <p> - I have learned another thing that I will chronicle here. In this country - these flowers are the sign of a faithful love: the youth presents them to - his sweetheart, and the maidens decorate the hats of their lovers with - them. It is clear that, in expressing her gratitude to a humble servant of - the Church, Benedicta was moved, perhaps without knowing it, to signify at - the same time her love of the Church itself, although, alas, she has yet - too little cause. - </p> - <p> - As I ramble about here, day after day, I am becoming familiar with every - path in the forest, in the dark pass, and on the slopes of the mountains. - </p> - <p> - I am often sent to the homes of the peasants, the hunters and the - shepherds, to carry either medicine to the sick or consolation to the sad. - The most reverend Superior has told me that as soon as I receive holy - orders I shall have to carry the sacraments to the dying, for I am the - youngest and the strongest of the brothers. In these high places it - sometimes occurs that a hunter or a shepherd falls from the rocks, and - after some days is found, still living. It is then the duty of the priest - to perform the offices of our holy religion at the bedside of the - sufferer, so that the blessed Saviour may be there to receive the - departing soul. - </p> - <p> - That I may be worthy of such grace, may our beloved Saint keep my heart - pure from every earthly passion and desire! - </p> - <p> - 11 - </p> - <p> - The monastery has celebrated a great festival, and I will report all that - occurred. - </p> - <p> - For many days before the event the brothers were busy preparing for it. - Some decorated the church with sprays of pine and birch and with flowers. - </p> - <p> - They went with the other men and gathered the most beautiful Alpine roses - they could find, and as it is midsummer they grow in great abundance. On - the day before the festival the brothers sat in the garden, weaving - garlands to adorn the church; even the most reverend Superior and the - Fathers took pleasure in our merry task. They walked beneath the trees and - chatted pleasantly while encouraging the brother butler to spend freely - the contents of the cellars. - </p> - <p> - The next morning was the holy procession. It was very beautiful to see, - and added to the glory of our holy Church. The Superior walked under a - purple silken canopy, surrounded by the worthy Fathers, and bore in his - hands the sacred emblem of the crucifixion of our Saviour. We brothers - followed, bearing burning candles and singing psalms. Behind us came a - great crowd of the people, dressed in their finest attire. - </p> - <p> - The proudest of those in the procession were the mountaineers and the - salt-miners, the Saltmaster at their head on a beautiful horse adorned - with costly trappings. He was a proud-looking man, with his great sword at - his side and a plumed hat upon his broad, high brow. Behind him rode - Rochus, his son. When we had collected in front of the gate to form a line - I took special notice of that young man. I judged him to be self-willed - and bold. He wore his hat on the side of his head and cast flaming glances - upon the women and the maidens. He looked contemptuously upon us monks. I - fear he is not a good Christian, but he is the most beautiful youth that I - have ever seen: tall and slender like a young pine, with light brown eyes - and golden locks. - </p> - <p> - The Saltmaster is as powerful in this region as our Superior. He is - appointed by the Duke and has judicial powers in all affairs. He has even - the power of life and death over those accused of murder or any other - abominable crime. But the Lord has fortunately endowed him with good - judgment and wisdom. - </p> - <p> - Through the village the procession moved out into the valley and down to - the entrances of the great salt mines. In front of the principal mine an - altar was erected, and there our Superior read high mass, while all the - people knelt. I observed that the Salt-master and his son knelt and bent - their heads with visible reluctance and this made me very sad. After the - service the procession moved toward the hill called ‘Mount Calvary,’ which - is still higher than the monastery, and from the top of which one has a - good view of the whole country below. There the reverend Superior - displayed the crucifix in order to banish the evil powers which abound in - these terrible mountains; and he also said prayers and pronounced - anathemas against all demons infesting the valley below. The bells chimed - their praises to the Lord, and it seemed as if divine voices were ringing - through the wilderness. It was all, indeed, most beautiful and good. - </p> - <p> - I looked about me to see if the child of the hangman were present, but I - could not see her anywhere, and knew not whether to rejoice that she was - out of reach of the insults of the people or to mourn because deprived of - the spiritual strength that might have come to me from looking upon her - heavenly beauty. - </p> - <p> - After the services came the feast. Upon a meadow sheltered by trees tables - were spread, and the clergy and the people, the most reverend Superior and - the great Saltmaster partook of the viands served by the young men. It was - interesting to see the young men make big fires of pine and maple, put - great pieces of beef upon wooden spits, turn them over the coals until - they were brown, and then lay them before the Fathers and the - mountaineers. They also boiled mountain trout and carp in large kettles. - The wheaten bread was brought in immense baskets, and as to drink, there - was assuredly no scarcity of that, for the Superior and the Saltmaster had - each given a mighty cask of beer. Both of these monstrous barrels lay on - wooden stands under an ancient oak. The boys and the Saltmaster’s men drew - from the cask which he had given, while that of the Superior was served by - the brother butler and a number of us younger monks. In honour of Saint - Franciscus I must say that the clerical barrel was of vastly greater size - than that of the Saltmaster. - </p> - <p> - Separate tables had been provided for the Superior and the Fathers, and - for the Saltmaster and the best of his people. The Saltmaster and Superior - sat upon chairs which stood upon a beautiful carpet, and their seats were - screened from the sun by a linen canopy. At the table, surrounded by their - beautiful wives and daughters, sat many knights, who had come from their - distant castles to share in the great festival. I helped at table. I - handed the dishes and filled the goblets and was able to see how good an - appetite the company had, and how they loved that brown and bitter drink. - I could see also how amorously the Saltmaster’s son looked at the ladies, - which provoked me very much, as he could not marry them all, especially - those already married. - </p> - <p> - We had music, too. Some boys from the village, who practise on various - instruments in their spare moments, were the performers. Ah, how they - yelled, those flutes and pipes, and how the fiddle bows danced and - chirped! I do not doubt the music was very good, but Heaven has not seen - fit to give me the right kind of ears. - </p> - <p> - I am sure our blessed Saint must have derived great satisfaction from the - sight of so many people eating and drinking their bellies full. Heavens! - how they did eat—what unearthly quantities they did away with! But - that was nothing to their drinking. I firmly believe that if every - mountaineer had brought along a barrel of his own he would have emptied - it, all by himself. But the women seemed to dislike the beer, especially - the young girls. Usually before drinking a young man would hand his cup to - one of the maids, who barely touched it with her lips, and, making a - grimace, turned away her face. I am not sufficiently acquainted with the - ways of woman to say with certainty if this proved that at other times - they were so abstemious. - </p> - <p> - After eating, the young men played at various games which exhibited their - agility and strength. Holy Franciscus! what legs they have, what arms and - necks! They leapt, they wrestled with one another; it was like the - fighting of bears. The mere sight of it caused me to feel great fear. It - seemed as if they would crush one another. But the maidens looked on, - feeling neither fear nor anxiety; they giggled and appeared well pleased. - It was wonderful, too, to hear the voices of these young mountaineers; - they threw back their heads and shouted till the echoes rang from the - mountain-sides and roared in the gorges as if from the throats of a legion - of demons. - </p> - <p> - Foremost among all was the Saltmaster’s son. He sprang like a deer, fought - like a fiend, and bellowed like a wild bull. Among these mountaineers he - was a king. I observed that many were jealous of his strength and beauty, - and secretly hated him; yet all obeyed. It was beautiful to see how this - young man bent his slender body while leaping and playing the games—how - he threw up his head like a stag at gaze, shook his golden locks and stood - in the midst of his fellows with flaming cheeks and sparkling eyes. How - sad to think that pride and passion should make their home in so lovely a - body, which seems created for the habitation of a soul that would glorify - its Maker! - </p> - <p> - It was near dusk when the Superior, the Saltmaster, the Fathers and all - the distinguished guests parted and retired to their homes, leaving the - others at drink and dance. My duties compelled me to remain with the - brother butler to serve the debauching youths with beer from the great - cask. Young Rochus remained too. I do not know how it occurred, but - suddenly he stood before me. His looks were dark and his manner proud. - </p> - <p> - ‘Are you,’ he said, ‘the monk who gave offence to the people the other - day?’ - </p> - <p> - I asked humbly—though beneath my monk’s robe I felt a sinful anger: - ‘What are you speaking of?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘As if you did not know!’ he said, haughtily. ‘Now bear in mind what I - tell you; if you ever show any friendship toward that girl I shall teach - you a lesson which you will not soon forget. You monks are likely to call - your impertinence by the name of some virtue; but I know the trick, and - will have none of it. Make a note of that, you young cowl=wearer, for your - handsome face and big eyes will not save you.’ - </p> - <p> - With that he turned his back upon me and went away, but I heard his strong - voice ringing out upon the night as he sang and shouted with the others. I - was greatly alarmed to learn that this bold boy had cast his eyes upon the - hangman’s lovely daughter. His feeling for her was surely not honourable, - or, instead of hating me for being kind to her, he would have been - grateful and would have thanked me. I feared for the child, and again and - again did I promise my blessed Saint that I would watch over and protect - her, in obedience to the miracle which he has wrought in my breast - regarding her. With that wondrous feeling to urge me on, I cannot be slack - in my duty, and, Benedicta, thou shalt be saved—thy body and thy - soul! - </p> - <p> - 12 - </p> - <p> - Let me continue my report. - </p> - <p> - The boys threw dry brushwood into the fire so that the flames illuminated - the whole meadow and shone red upon the trees. Then they laid hands upon - the village maidens and began to turn and swing them round and round. Holy - saints! how they stamped and turned and threw their hats in the air, - kicked up their heels, and lifted the girls from the ground, as if the - sturdy wenches were nothing but feather balls! They shouted and yelled as - if all the evil spirits had them in possession, so that I wished a herd of - swine might come, that the devils might leave these human brutes and go - into the four-legged ones. The boys were quite full of the brown beer, - which for its bitterness and strength is a beastly drink. - </p> - <p> - Before long the madness of intoxication broke out; they attacked one - another with fists and knives, and it looked as if they would do murder. - Suddenly the Saltmaster’s son, who had stood looking on, leaped among - them, caught two of the combatants by the hair and knocked their heads - together with such force that the blood started from their noses, and I - thought surely their skulls had been crushed like egg-shells; but they - must have been very hard-headed, for on being released they seemed little - the worse for their punishment. After much shouting and screaming, Rochus - succeeded in making peace, which seemed to me, poor worm, quite heroic. - The music set in again: the fiddles scraped and the pipes shrieked, while - the boys with torn clothes and scratched and bleeding faces, renewed the - dance as if nothing had occurred. Truly, this is a people that would - gladden the heart of a Bramarbas or a Holofernes! - </p> - <p> - I had scarcely recovered from the fright which Rochus had given me, when I - was made to feel a far greater one. Rochus was dancing with a tall and - beautiful girl, who looked the very queen of this young king. They made - such mighty leaps and dizzy turns, but at the same time so graceful, that - all looked on with astonishment and pleasure. The girl had a sensuous - smile on her lips and a bold look in her brown face, which seemed to say: - ‘See! I am the mistress of his heart!’ But suddenly he pushed her from him - as in disgust, broke from the circle of dancers, and cried to his friends: - ‘I am going to bring my own partner. Who will go with me?’ - </p> - <p> - The tall girl, maddened by the insult, stood looking at him with the face - of a demon, her black eyes burning like flames of hell! But her - discomfiture amused the drunken youths, and they laughed aloud. - </p> - <p> - Snatching a firebrand and swinging it about his head till the sparks flew - in showers, Rochus cried again: ‘Who goes with me?’ and walked rapidly - away into the forest. The others seizing firebrands also, ran after him, - and soon their voices could be heard far away, ringing out upon the night, - themselves no longer seen. I was still looking in the direction which they - had taken, when the tall girl whom Rochus had insulted stepped to my side - and hissed something into my ear. I felt her hot breath on my cheek. - </p> - <p> - ‘If you care for the hangman’s daughter, then hasten and save her from - that drunken wretch. No woman resists him!’ - </p> - <p> - God! how the wild words of that woman horrified me! I did not doubt the - girl’s words, but in my anxiety for the poor child I asked: ‘How can I - save her?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Run and warn her, monk,’ the wench replied: ‘she will listen to you.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘But they will find her sooner than I.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘They are drunk and will not go fast. Besides, I know a path leading to - the hangman’s hut by a shorter route.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Then show me and be quick!’ I cried. - </p> - <p> - She glided away, motioning me to follow. We were soon in the woods, where - it was so dark I could hardly see the woman’s figure; but she moved as - fast and her step was as sure as in the light of day. Above us we could - see the torches of the boys, which showed that they had taken the longer - path along the mountain-side. I heard their wild shouts, and trembled for - the child. We had walked for some time in silence, having left the youths - far behind, when the young woman began speaking to herself. At first I did - not understand, but soon my ears caught every passionate word: - </p> - <p> - ‘He shall not have her! To the devil with the hangman’s whelp! Every one - despises her and spits at the sight of her. It is just like him—he - does not care for what people think or say. Because they hate he loves. - Besides, she has a pretty face. I’ll make it pretty for her! I’ll mark it - with blood! But if she were the daughter of the devil himself he would not - rest until he had her. He shall not!’ - </p> - <p> - She lifted her arms and laughed wildly—I shuddered to hear her! I - thought of the dark powers that live in the human breast, though I know as - little of them, thank God, as a child. - </p> - <p> - At length we reached the Galgenberg, where stands the hangman’s hut, and a - few moments’ climb brought us near the door. - </p> - <p> - ‘There she lives,’ said the girl, pointing to the hut, through the windows - of which shone the yellow light of a tallow candle; ‘go warn her. The - hangman is ill and unable to protect his daughter, even if he dared. You’d - better take her away—take her to the Alpfeld on the Göll, where my - father has a house. They will not look for her up there.’ - </p> - <p> - With that she left me and vanished in the darkness. - </p> - <p> - 13 - </p> - <p> - Looking in at the window of the hut, I saw the hangman sitting in a chair, - with his daughter beside him, her hand upon his shoulder. I could hear him - cough and groan, and knew that she was trying to soothe him in his pain. A - world of love and sorrow was in her face, which was more beautiful than - ever. - </p> - <p> - Nor did I fail to observe how clean and tidy were the room and all in it. - The humble dwelling looked, indeed, like a place blessed by the peace of - God. Yet these blameless persons are treated as accurst and hated like - mortal sin! What greatly pleased me was an image of the Blessed Virgin on - the wall opposite the window at which I stood. The frame was decorated - with flowers of the field, and the mantle of the Holy Mother festooned - with edelweiss. - </p> - <p> - I knocked at the door, calling out at the same time: ‘Do not fear; it is I—Brother - Ambrosius.’ - </p> - <p> - It seemed to me that, on hearing my voice and name, Benedicta showed a - sudden joy in her face, but perhaps it was only surprise—may the - saints preserve me from the sin of pride. She came to the window and - opened it. - </p> - <p> - ‘Benedicta,’ said I, hastily, after returning her greeting, ‘wild and - drunken boys are on their way hither to take you to the dance. Rochus is - with them, and says that he will fetch you to dance with him. I have come - before them to assist you to escape.’ At the name of Rochus I saw the - blood rise into her cheeks and suffuse her whole face with crimson. Alas, - I perceived that my jealous guide was right: no woman could resist that - beautiful boy, not even this pious and virtuous child. When her father - comprehended what I said he rose to his feet and stretched out his feeble - arms as if to shield her from harm, but, although his soul was strong, his - body, I knew, was powerless. I said to him: ‘Let me take her away; the - boys are drunk and know not what they do. Your resistance would only make - them angry, and they might harm you both. Ah, look! See their torches; - hear their boisterous voices! Hasten, Benedicta—be quick, be quick!’ - </p> - <p> - Benedicta sprang to the side of the now sobbing old man and tenderly - embraced him. Then she hurried from the room, and after covering my hands - with kisses ran away into the woods, disappearing in the night, at which I - was greatly surprised. I waited for her to return, for a few minutes, then - entered the cabin to protect her father from the wild youths who, I - thought, would visit their disappointment upon him. - </p> - <p> - But they did not come. I waited and listened in vain. All at once I heard - shouts of joy and screams that made me tremble and pray to the blessed - Saint. But the sounds died away in the distance, and I knew that the boys - had retraced their steps down the Galgenberg to the meadow of the fires. - The sick man and I spoke of the miracle which had changed their hearts, - and we were filled with gratitude and joy. Then I returned along the path - by which I had come. As I arrived near the meadow, I could hear a wilder - and madder uproar than ever, and could see through the trees the glare of - greater fires, with the figures of the youths and a few maids dancing in - the open, their heads uncovered, their hair streaming over their - shoulders, their garments disordered by the fury of their movements. They - circled about the fires, wound in and out among them, showing black or red - according to how the light struck them, and looking altogether like Demons - of the Pit commemorating some infernal anniversary or some new torment for - the damned. And, holy Saviour! there, in the midst of an illuminated - space, upon which the others did not trespass, dancing by themselves and - apparently forgetful of all else, were Rochus and Benedicta! - </p> - <p> - 14 - </p> - <p> - Holy Mother of God! what can be worse than the fall of an angel? I saw—I - understood, then, that in leaving me and her father, Benedicta had gone - willingly to meet the very fate from which I had striven to save her! - </p> - <p> - ‘The accurst wench has run into Rochus’ arms,’ hissed someone at my side, - and, turning, I saw the tall brown girl who had been my guide, her face - distorted with hate. ‘I wish that I had killed her. Why did you suffer her - to play us this trick, you fool of a monk?’ - </p> - <p> - I pushed her aside and ran toward the couple without thinking what I did. - But what could I do? Even at that instant, as though to prevent my - interference, though really unconscious of my presence, the drunken youths - formed a circle about them, bawling their admiration and clapping their - hands to mark the time. - </p> - <p> - As these two beautiful figures danced they were a lovely picture. He, - tall, slender and lithe, was like a god of the heathen Greeks, while - Benedicta looked like a fairy. Seen through the slight mist upon the - meadows, her delicate figure, moving swiftly and swaying from side to - side, seemed veiled with a web of purple and gold. Her eyes were cast - modestly upon the ground; her motions, though agile, were easy and - graceful; her face glowed with excitement, and it seemed as if her whole - soul were absorbed in the dance. Poor, sweet child! her error made me - weep, but I forgave her. Her life was so barren and joyless; why should - she not love to dance? Heaven bless her! But Rochus—ah, God forgive - him! - </p> - <p> - While I was looking on at all this, and thinking what it was my duty to - do, the jealous girl—she is called Amula—had stood near me, - cursing and blaspheming. When the boys applauded Benedicta’s dancing Amula - made as if she would spring forward and strangle her. But I held the - furious creature back, and, stepping forward, called out: ‘Benedicta!’ - </p> - <p> - She started at the sound of my voice, but though she hung her head a - little lower, she continued dancing. Amula could control her rage no - longer, and rushed forward with a savage cry, trying to break into the - circle. But the drunken boys prevented. They jeered at her, which maddened - her the more, and she made effort after effort to reach her victim. The - boys drove her away with shouts, curses and laughter. Holy Franciscus, - pray for us!—when I saw the hatred in Amula’s eyes a cold shudder - ran through my body. God be with us! I believe the creature capable of - killing the poor child with her own hands, and glorying in the deed! - </p> - <p> - I ought now to have gone home, but I remained, I thought of what might - occur when the dance was over, for I had been told that the youths - commonly accompanied their partners home, and I was horrified to think of - Rochus and Benedicta alone together in the forest and the night. - </p> - <p> - Imagine my surprise when all at once Benedicta lifted her head, stopped - dancing, and, looking kindly at Rochus, said in her sweet voice, so like - the sound of silver bells: ‘I thank you, sir, for having chosen me for - your partner in the dance in such a knightly way.’ - </p> - <p> - Then, bowing to the Saltmaster’s son, she slipped quickly through the - circle, and, before anyone could know what was occurring, disappeared in - the black spaces of the forest. Rochus at first seemed stupefied with - amazement, but when he realized that Benedicta was gone he raved like a - madman. He shouted: ‘Benedicta!’ He called her endearing names; but all to - no purpose—she had vanished. Then he hurried after her and wanted to - search the forest with torches, but the other youths dissuaded him. - Observing my presence, he turned his wrath upon me; I think if he had - dared he would have struck me. He cried: ‘I’ll make you smart for this, - you miserable cowl-wearer!’ - </p> - <p> - But I do not fear him. Praise be to God! Benedicta is not guilty, and I - can respect her as before. Yet I tremble to think of the many perils which - beset her. She is defenceless against the hate of Amula as well as against - the lust of Rochus. Ah, if I could be ever at her side to watch over and - protect her! But I commend her to Thee, O Lord: the poor motherless child - shall surely not trust to Thee in vain. - </p> - <p> - 15 - </p> - <p> - Alas! my unhappy fate!—again punished and again unable to find - myself guilty. - </p> - <p> - It seems that Amula has talked about Benedicta and Rochus. The brown wench - strolled from house to house telling how Rochus went to the gallows for - his partner in the dance. And she added that Benedicta had acted in the - most shameless manner with the drunken boys. When the people spoke to me - of this I enlightened them regarding the facts, as it seemed to me my duty - to do, and told all as it had occurred. - </p> - <p> - By this testimony, in contradiction of one who broke the Decalogue by - bearing false witness against her neighbour I have, it seems, offended the - Superior. I was summoned before him and accused of defending the hangman’s - daughter against the statements of an honest Christian girl. I asked, - meekly, what I should have done—whether I should have permitted the - innocent and defenceless to be calumniated. - </p> - <p> - ‘Of what interest,’ I was asked, ‘can the hangman’s daughter be to you? - Moreover, it is a fact that she went of her own will to associate with the - drunken boys.’ - </p> - <p> - To this I replied: ‘She went out of love to her father, for if the - intoxicated youths had not found her they would have maltreated him—and - she loves the old man, who is ill and helpless. Thus it happened, and thus - I have testified.’ - </p> - <p> - But His Reverence insisted that I was wrong, and put me under severe - penance. I willingly undergo it: I am glad to suffer for the sweet child. - Nor will I murmur against the revered Superior, for he is my master, - against whom to rebel, even in thought, is sin. Is not obedience the - foremost commandment of our great saint for all his disciples? Ah, how I - long for the priestly ordination and the holy oil! Then I shall have peace - and be able to serve Heaven better and with greater acceptance. - </p> - <p> - I am troubled about Benedicta. If not confined to my cell I should go - toward the Galgenberg: perhaps I should meet her. I grieve for her as if - she were my sister. - </p> - <p> - Belonging to the Lord, I have no right to love anything but Him who died - upon the cross for our sins—all other love is evil. O blessed Saints - in Heaven! what if it be that this feeling which I have accepted as a sign - and token that I am charged with the salvation of Benedicta’s soul is but - an earthly love? - </p> - <p> - Pray for me, O dear Franciscus, that I may have the light, lest I stray - into the road which leads down to Hell. Light and strength, beloved Saint, - that I may know the right path, and walk therein forever! - </p> - <p> - 16 - </p> - <p> - I stand at the window of my cell. The sun sinks and the shadows creep - higher on the sides of the mountains beyond the abyss. The abyss itself is - filled with a mist whose billowy surface looks like a great lake. I think - how Benedicta climbed out of these awful depths to fling me the edelweiss; - I listen for the sound of the stones displaced by her daring little feet - and plunging into the chasm below. But night after night has passed. I - hear the wind among the pines; I hear the water roaring in the deeps; I - hear the distant song of the nightingale; but her voice I do not hear. - </p> - <p> - Every evening the mist rises from the abyss. It forms billows; then rings; - then flakes, and these rise and grow and darken until they are great - clouds. They cover the hill and the valley, the tall pines and the - snow-pointed mountains. They extinguish the last remaining touches of - sunlight on the higher peaks, and it is night. Alas, in my soul also there - is night—dark, starless and without hope of dawn! - </p> - <p> - To-day is Sunday. Benedicta was not in church—‘the dark corner’ - remained vacant. I was unable to keep my mind upon the service, a sin for - which I shall do voluntary penance. - </p> - <p> - Amula was among the other maidens, but I saw nothing of Rochus. It seemed - to me that her watchful black eyes were a sufficient guard against any - rival, and that in her jealousy Benedicta would find protection. God can - make the basest passions serve the most worthy ends, and the reflection - gave me pleasure, which, alas, was of short life. - </p> - <p> - The services being at an end, the Fathers and friars left the church - slowly in procession, moving through the vestry, while the people went out - at the main entrance. From the long covered gallery leading out of the - vestry one has a full view of the public square of the village. As we - friars, who were behind the Fathers, were in the gallery, something - occurred which I shall remember even to the day of my death as an unjust - deed which Heaven permitted for I know not what purpose. It seems that the - Fathers must have known what was coming, for they halted in the gallery, - giving us all an opportunity to look out upon the square. - </p> - <p> - I heard a confused noise of voices. It came nearer, and the shouting and - yelling sounded like the approach of all the fiends of Hell. Being at the - farther end of the gallery I was unable to see what was going on in the - square, so I asked a brother at a window near by what it was all about. - </p> - <p> - ‘They are taking a woman to the pillory,’ he answered. - </p> - <p> - ‘Who is it?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘A girl.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘What has she done?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘You ask a foolish question. Whom are pillories and whipping-posts for but - fallen women?’ - </p> - <p> - The howling mob passed farther into the square, so that I had a full view. - In the front were boys, leaping, gesticulating and singing vile songs. - They seemed mad with joy and made savage by the shame and pain of their - fellow-creature. Nor did the maids behave much better. ‘Fie upon the - outcast!’ they cried. ‘See what it is to be a sinner! Thank heaven, we are - virtuous.’ - </p> - <p> - In the rear of these yelling boys, surrounded by this mob of screaming - women and girls—O God! how can I write it? How can I express the - horror of it? In the midst of it all—she, the lovely, the sweet, the - immaculate Benedicta! - </p> - <p> - O my Saviour! how did I see all this, yet am still living to relate it? I - must have come near to death. The gallery, the square, the people seemed - whirling round and round; the earth sank beneath my feet, and, although I - strained my eyes open to see, yet all was dark. But it must have been for - but a short time; I recovered, and, on looking down into the square, saw - her again. - </p> - <p> - They had clothed her in a long gray cloak, fastened at the waist with a - rope. Her head bore a wreath of straw, and on her breast, suspended by a - string about the neck, was a black tablet bearing in chalk the word - ‘Buhle’—harlot. - </p> - <p> - By the end of the rope about her waist a man led her. I looked at him - closely, and—O most holy Son of God, what brutes and beasts Thou - didst come to save!—it was Benedicta’s father! They had compelled - the poor old man to perform one of the duties of his office by leading his - own child to the pillory! I learned later that he had implored the - Superior on his knees not to lay this dreadful command upon him, but all - in vain. - </p> - <p> - The memory of this scene can never leave me. The hangman did not remove - his eyes from his daughter’s face, and she frequently nodded at him and - smiled. By the grace of God, the maiden smiled! - </p> - <p> - The mob insulted her, called her vile names and spat upon the ground in - front of her feet. Nor was this all. Observing that she took no notice of - them, they pelted her with dust and grass. This was more than the poor - father could endure, and, with a faint, inarticulate moan, he fell to the - ground in a swoon. - </p> - <p> - Oh, the pitiless wretches!—they wanted to lift him up and make him - finish his task, but Benedicta stretched out her arm in supplication, and - with an expression of so ineffable tenderness upon her beautiful face that - even the brutal mob felt her gentle power and recoiled before her, leaving - the unconscious man upon the ground. She knelt and took her father’s head - in her lap. She whispered in his ear words of love and comfort. She - stroked his gray hair and kissed his pale lips until she had coaxed him - into consciousness and he had opened his eyes. Benedicta, thrice blessed - Benedicta, thou surely art born to be a saint, for thou didst show a - divine patience like that with which our Saviour bore His cross and with - it all the sins of the world! - </p> - <p> - She helped her father to rise, and smiled brightly in his face when he - made out to stand. She shook the dust from his clothing, and then, still - smiling and murmuring words of encouragement, handed him the rope. The - boys yelled and sang, the women screamed, and the wretched old man led his - innocent child to the place of shame. - </p> - <p> - 17 - </p> - <p> - When I was back again in my cell I threw myself upon the stones and cried - aloud to God against the injustice and misery that I had witnessed, and - against the still greater misery of which I had been spared the sight. I - saw in my mind the father binding his child to the post. I saw the brutal - populace dance about her with savage delight. I saw the vicious Amula spit - in the pure one’s face. I prayed long and earnestly that the poor child - might be made strong to endure her great affliction. - </p> - <p> - Then I sat and waited. I waited for the setting of the sun, for at that - time the sufferer is commonly released from the whipping-post. The minutes - seemed hours, the hours eternities. The sun did not move; the day of shame - was denied a night. - </p> - <p> - It was in vain that I tried to understand it all; I was stunned and dazed. - Why did Rochus permit Benedicta to be so disgraced? Does he think the - deeper her shame the more easily he can win her? I know not, nor do I - greatly care to search out his motive. But, God help me! I myself feel her - disgrace, most keenly. - </p> - <p> - And, Lord, Lord, what a light has come into the understanding of Thy - servant! It has come to me like a revelation out of Heaven that my feeling - for Benedicta is more and less than what I thought it. It is an earthly - love—the love of a man for a woman. As first this knowledge broke - into my consciousness my breath beat quick and hard; it seemed to me that - I should suffocate. Yet such was the hardness of my heart from witnessing - so terrible an injustice tolerated by Heaven, that I was unable wholly to - repent. In the sudden illumination I was blinded: I could not clearly see - my degree of sin. The tumult of my emotions was not altogether - disagreeable; I had to confess to myself that I would not willingly forego - it even if I knew it wicked. May the Mother of Mercy intercede for me! - </p> - <p> - Even now I cannot think that in supposing myself to have a divine mandate - to save the soul of Benedicta, and prepare her for a life of sanctity, I - was wholly in error. This other human desire—comes it not also of - God? Is it not concerned for the good of its object? And what can be a - greater good than salvation of the soul?—a holy life on earth, and - in Heaven eternal happiness and glory to reward it. Surely the spiritual - and the carnal love are not so widely different as I have been taught to - think them. They are, perhaps, not antagonistic, and are but expressions - of the same will. O holy Franciscus, in this great light that has fallen - about me, guide thou my steps. Show to my dazzled eyes the straight, right - way to Benedicta’s good! - </p> - <p> - At length the sun disappeared behind the cloister. The flakes and - cloudlets gathered upon the horizon; the haze rose from the abyss and, - beyond, the purple shadow climbed higher and higher, the great slope of - the mountain, extinguishing at last the gleam of light upon the summit. - Thank God, oh, thank God, she is free! - </p> - <p> - 18 - </p> - <p> - I have been very ill, but by the kind attention of the brothers am - sufficiently recovered to leave my bed. It must be God’s will that I live - to serve Him, for certainly I have done nothing to merit His great mercy - in restoring me to health. Still, I feel a yearning in my soul for a - complete dedication of my poor life to Him and His service. To embrace Him - and be bound up in His love are now the only aspirations that I have. As - soon as the holy oil is on my brow, these hopes, I am sure, will be - fulfilled, and, purged of my hopeless earthly passion for Benedicta, I - shall be lifted into a new and diviner life. And it may be that then I - can, without offence to Heaven or peril to my soul, watch over and protect - her far better than I can now as a wretched monk. - </p> - <p> - I have been weak. My feet, like those of an infant, failed to support my - body. The brothers carried me into the garden. With what gratitude I again - looked upward into the blue of the sky! How rapturously I gazed upon the - white peaks of the mountains and the black forests on their slopes! Every - blade of grass seemed to me of special interest, and I greeted each - passing insect as if it were an old acquaintance. - </p> - <p> - My eyes wander to the south, where the Galgenberg is, and I think - unceasingly of the poor child of the hangman. What has become of her? Has - she survived her terrible experience in the public square? What is she - doing? Oh, that I were strong enough to walk to the Galgenberg! But I am - not permitted to leave the monastery, and there is none of whom I dare ask - her fate. The friars look at me strangely; it is as if they no longer - regarded me as one of them. Why is this so? I love them, and desire to - live in harmony with them. They are kind and gentle, yet they seem to - avoid me as much as they can. What does it all mean? - </p> - <p> - 19 - </p> - <p> - I have been in the presence of the most reverend Superior, Father Andreas. - ‘Your recovery was miraculous,’ said he. ‘I wish you to be worthy of such - mercies, and to prepare your soul for the great blessing that awaits you. - I have, therefore, my son, ordained that you leave us for a season, to - dwell apart in the solitude of the mountains, for the double purpose of - restoring your strength and affording you an insight into your own heart. - Make a severe examination apart from any distractions, and you will - perceive, I do not doubt, the gravity of your error. Pray that a divine - light may be shed upon your path, that you may walk upright in the service - of the Lord as a true priest and apostle, with immunity from all base - passions and earthly desires.’ - </p> - <p> - I had not the presumption to reply. I submit to the will of His Reverence - without a murmur, for obedience is a rule of our Order. Nor do I fear the - wilderness, although I have heard that it is infested with wild beasts and - evil spirits. Our superior is right: the time passed in solitude will be - to me a season of probation, purification and healing, of which I am - doubtless in sore need. So far I have progressed in sin only; for in - confession I have kept back many things. Not from the fear of punishment, - but because I could not mention the name of the maiden before any other - than my holy and blessed Francisais, who alone can understand. He looks - kindly down upon me from the skies, listening to my sorrow; and whatever - of guilt there may be in my compassion for the innocent and persecuted - child he willingly overlooks for the sake of our blessed Redeemer, who - also suffered injustice and was acquainted with grief. - </p> - <p> - In the mountains it will be my duty to dig certain roots and send them to - the monastery. From such roots as I am instructed to gather the Fathers - distil a liquor which has become famous throughout the land, even as far, - I have been told, as the great city of Munich. This liquor is so strong - and so fiery with spices that after drinking it one feels a burning in his - throat as if he had swallowed a flame from Hell; yet it is held in high - esteem everywhere by reason of its medicinal properties, it being a remedy - for many kinds of ills and infirmities; and it is said to be good also for - the health of the soul, though I should suppose a godly life might be - equally efficacious in places where the liquor cannot be obtained. However - this may be, from the sale of the liquor comes the chief revenue of the - monastery. - </p> - <p> - The root from which it is chiefly made is that of an Alpine plant called - <i>gentiana</i>, which grows in great abundance on the sides of the - mountains. In the months of July and August the friars dig the roots and - dry them by fire in the mountain cabins, and they are then packed and sent - to the monastery. The Fathers have the sole right to dig the root in this - region, and the secret of manufacturing the liquor is jealously guarded. - </p> - <p> - As I am to live in the high country for some time, the Superior has - directed me to collect the root from time to time as I have the strength. - A boy, a servant in the monastery, is to guide me to my solitary station, - carrying up my provisions and returning immediately. He will come once a - week to renew my supply of food and take away the roots that I shall have - dug. - </p> - <p> - No time has been lost in dispatching me on my penitential errand. This - very evening I have taken leave of the Superior, and, retiring to my cell, - have packed my holy books, the <i>Agnus</i> and the <i>Life of St. - Franciscus</i>, in a bag. Nor have I forgotten my writing-materials with - which to continue my diary. These preparations made, I have fortified my - soul with prayer, and am ready for any fate, even an encounter with the - beasts and demons. - </p> - <p> - Beloved Saint, forgive the pain I feel in going away without having seen - Benedicta, or even knowing what has become of her since that dreadful day. - Thou knowest, O glorious one, and humbly do I confess, that I long to - hasten to the Galgenberg, if only to get one glimpse of the hut which - holds the fairest and best of her sex. Take me not, holy one, too severely - to task, I beseech thee, for the weakness of my erring human heart! - </p> - <p> - 20 - </p> - <p> - As I left the monastery with my young guide all was quiet within its - walls; the holy Brotherhood slept the sleep of peace, which had so long - been denied to me. It was early dawn, and the clouds in the east were - beginning to show narrow edges of gold and crimson as we ascended the path - leading to the mountain. My guide, with bag upon his shoulder, led, and I - followed, with my robe fastened back and a stout stick in my hand. This - had a sharp iron point which might be used against wild beasts. - </p> - <p> - My guide was a light-haired, blue-eyed young fellow with a cheerful and - amiable face. He evidently found a keen delight in climbing his native - hills toward the high country whither we were bound. He seemed not to feel - the weight of the burden that he bore; his gait was light and free, his - footing sure. He sprang up the steep and rugged way like a mountain-goat. - </p> - <p> - The boy was in high spirits. He told me strange tales of ghosts and - goblins, witches and fairies. These last he seemed to be very well - acquainted with. He said they appeared in shining garments, with bright - hair and beautiful wings, and this description agrees very nearly with - what is related of them in books by certain of the Fathers. Anyone to whom - they take a fancy, says the boy, they are able to keep under their spell, - and no one can break the enchantment, not even the Holy Virgin. But I - judge that this is true of only such as are in sin, and that the pure in - heart have nothing to fear from them. - </p> - <p> - We travelled up hill and down, through forests and blooming meadows and - across ravines. The mountain-streams, hastening down to the valleys, - full-banked and noisy, seemed to be relating the wonderful things that - they had seen and the strange adventures they had met with on their way. - Sometimes the hillsides and the woods resounded with nature’s various - voices, calling, whispering, sighing, chanting praises to the Lord of all. - Now and again we passed a mountaineer’s cabin, before which played - children, yellow-haired and unkempt. On seeing strangers, they ran away. - But the women came forward, with infants in their arms, and asked for - benedictions. They offered us milk, butter, green cheese, and black bread. - We frequently found the men seated in front of their huts, carving wood, - mostly images of the Saviour upon the cross. These are sent to the city of - Munich, where they are offered for sale, bringing, I am told, considerable - money and much honour to their pious makers. - </p> - <p> - At last we arrived at the shore of a lake, but a dense fog prevented a - clear view of it. A clumsy little boat was found moored to the bank; my - guide bade me enter it, and presently it seemed as if we were gliding - through the sky in the midst of the clouds. I had never before been on the - water, and felt a terrible misgiving lest we should capsize and drown. We - heard nothing but the sound of the ripples against the sides of the boat. - Here and there, as we advanced, some dark object became dimly visible for - a moment, then vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, and we seemed - gliding again through empty space. As the mist at times lifted a little, I - observed great black rocks protruding from the water, and not far from - shore were lying giant trees half submerged, with huge limbs that looked - like the bones of some monstrous skeleton. The scene was so full of - horrors that even the joyous youth was silent now, his watchful eye ever - seeking to penetrate the fog in search of new dangers. - </p> - <p> - By all these signs I knew that we were crossing that fearful lake which is - haunted by ghosts and demons, and I therefore commended my soul to God. - The power of the Lord overcomes all evil. Scarcely had I said my prayer - against the spirits of darkness, when suddenly the veil of fog was rent - asunder, and like a great rose of fire the sun shone out, clothing the - world in garments of colour and gold! - </p> - <p> - Before this glorious eye of God the darkness fled and was no more. The - dense fog, which had changed to a thin, transparent mist, lingered a - little on the mountain-sides, then vanished quite away. Except in the - black clefts of the hills, no vestige of it stayed. The lake was as liquid - silver; the mountains were gold, bearing forests that were like flames of - fire. My heart was filled with wonder and gratitude. - </p> - <p> - As our boat crept on I observed that the lake filled a long, narrow basin. - On our right the cliffs rose to a great height, their tops covered with - pines, but to the left and in front lay a pleasant land, where stood a - large building. This was Saint Bartholomæ, the summer residence of his - Reverence, Superior Andreas. - </p> - <p> - This garden spot was of no great extent: it was shut in on all sides but - that upon which the lake lay by cliffs that rose a thousand feet into the - air. High in the front of this awful wall was set a green meadow, which - seemed like a great jewel gleaming upon the gray cloak of the mountain. My - guide pointed it out as the only place in all that region where the - edelweiss grew. This, then, was the very place where Benedicta had culled - the lovely flowers that she had brought to me during my penance. I gazed - upward to that beautiful but terrible spot with feelings that I have no - words to express. The youth, his mood sympathetic with the now joyous - aspect of nature, shouted and sang, but I felt the hot tears rise into my - eyes and flow down upon my cheeks, and concealed my face in my cowl. - </p> - <p> - 21 - </p> - <p> - After leaving the boat we climbed the mountain. Dear Lord, nothing comes - from Thy hand without a purpose and a use, but why Thou shouldst have - piled up these mountains, and why Thou shouldst have covered them with so - many stones, is a mystery to me, since I can see no purpose in stones, - which are a blessing to neither man nor beast. - </p> - <p> - After hours of climbing we reached a spring, where I sat down, faint and - footsore and out of breath. As I looked about me the scene fully justified - all that I had been told of these high solitudes. Wherever I turned my - eyes was nothing but gray, bare rocks streaked with red and yellow and - brown. There were dreary wastes of stones where nothing grew—no - single plant nor blade of grass—dreadful abysses filled with ice, - and glittering snowfields sloping upward till they seemed to touch the - sky. - </p> - <p> - Among the rocks I did, however, find a few flowers. It seemed as if the - Creator of this wild and desolate region had Himself found it too - horrible, and, reaching down to the valleys, had gathered a handful of - flowers and scattered them in the barren places. These flowers, so - distinguished by the Divine hand, have bloomed with a celestial beauty - that none others know. The boy pointed out the plant whose root I am to - dig, as well as several strong and wholesome herbs serviceable to man, - among them the golden-flowered arnica. - </p> - <p> - After an hour we continued our journey, which we pursued until I was - hardly able to drag my feet along the path. At last we reached a lonely - spot surrounded by great black rocks. In the centre was a miserable hut of - stones, with a low opening in one side for an entrance, and this, the - youth told me, was to be my habitation. We entered, and my heart sank to - think of dwelling in such a place. There was no furniture of any kind. A - wide bench, on which was some dry Alpine grass, was to be my bed. There - was a fireplace, with some wood for fuel, and a few simple - cooking-utensils. - </p> - <p> - The boy took up a pan and ran away with it, and, throwing myself down in - front of the hut, I was soon lost in contemplation of the wildness and - terror of the place in which I was to prepare my soul for service of the - Lord. The boy soon returned, bearing the pan in both hands, and on seeing - me he gave a joyful shout, whose echoes sounded like a hundred voices - babbling among the rocks on every side. After even so short a period of - solitude I was so happy to see a human face that I came near answering his - greeting with unbecoming joy. How, then, could I hope to sustain a week of - isolation in that lonely spot? - </p> - <p> - When the boy placed the pan before me it was full of milk, and he brought - forth from his clothing a pat of yellow butter, prettily adorned with - Alpine flowers, and a cake of snow-white cheese wrapped in aromatic herbs. - The sight delighted me, and I asked him, jokingly: ‘Do butter and cheese, - then, grow on stones up here, and have you found a spring of milk?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘You might accomplish such a miracle,’ he replied, ‘but I prefer to hasten - to the Black Lake and ask this food of the young women who live there.’ He - then got some flour from a kind of pantry in the hut, and, having kindled - a fire on the hearth, proceeded to make a cake. - </p> - <p> - ‘Then we are not alone in this wilderness,’ I said. ‘Tell me where is that - lake on the shore of which these generous people dwell?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘The Black Lake,’ he replied, blinking his eyes, which were full of smoke, - ‘is behind that <i>Kogel</i> yonder, and the dairy-house stands on the - edge of the cliff above the water. It is a bad place. The lake reaches - clear down to Hell, and you can hear, through the fissures of the rocks, - the roaring and hissing of the flames and the groans of the souls. And in - no other place in all this world are there so many fierce and evil - spirits. Beware of it! You might fall ill there in spite of your sanctity. - Milk and butter and cheese can be obtained at the Green Lake lower down; - but I will tell the women to send up what you require. They will be glad - to oblige you; and if you will preach them a sermon every Sunday, they - will fight the very devil for you!’ - </p> - <p> - After our meal, which I thought the sweetest I had ever eaten, the boy - stretched himself in the sunshine and straightway fell asleep, snoring so - loudly that, tired as I was, I could hardly follow his example. - </p> - <p> - 22 - </p> - <p> - When I awoke the sun was already behind the mountains, whose tops were - fringed with fire. I felt as one in a dream, but was soon recalled to my - senses, and made to feel that I was alone in the wilderness by shouts of - the young man in the distance. Doubtless he had pitied my condition, for, - instead of disturbing me, he had gone away without taking leave, being - compelled to reach the dairy on the Green Lake before nightfall. Entering - the cabin, I found a fire burning lustily and a quantity of fuel piled - beside it. Nor had the thoughtful youth forgotten to prepare my supper of - bread and milk. He had also shaken up the grass on my hard bed, and - covered it with a woollen cloth, for which I was truly grateful to him. - </p> - <p> - Refreshed by my long sleep, I remained outside the cabin till late in the - evening. I said my prayers in view of the gray rocks beneath the black - sky, in which the stars blinked merrily. They seemed much more brilliant - up here than when seen from the valley, and it was easy to imagine that, - standing on the extreme summit, one might touch them with his hands. - </p> - <p> - Many hours of that night I passed under the sky and the stars, examining - my conscience and questioning my heart. I felt as if in church, kneeling - before the altar and feeling the awful presence of the Lord. And at last - my soul was filled with a divine peace, and as an innocent child presses - its mother’s breast, even so I leaned my head upon thine, O Nature, mother - of us all! - </p> - <p> - 23 - </p> - <p> - I had not before seen a dawn so glorious! The mountains were rose-red, and - seemed almost transparent. The atmosphere was of a silver lucidity, and so - fresh and pure that with every breath I seemed to be taking new life. The - dew, heavy and white, clung to the scanty grass-blades like rain and - dripped from the sides of the rocks. - </p> - <p> - It was while engaged in my morning devotions that I involuntarily became - acquainted with my neighbours. All night long the marmots had squealed, - greatly to my dismay, and they were now capering to and fro like hares. - Overhead the brown hawks sailed in circles with an eye to the birds - flitting among the bushes and the wood-mice racing along the rocks. Now - and again a troop of chamois passed near, on their way to the - feeding-grounds on the cliffs, and high above all I saw a single eagle - rising into the sky, higher and higher, as a soul flies heavenward when - purged of sin. - </p> - <p> - I was still kneeling when the silence was broken by the sound of voices. I - looked about, but, although I could distinctly hear the voices and catch - snatches of song, I saw no one. The sounds seemed to come from the heart - of the mountain and, remembering the malevolent powers that infest the - place, I repeated a prayer against the Evil One and awaited the event. - </p> - <p> - Again the singing was heard, ascending from a deep chasm, and presently I - saw rising out of it three female figures. As soon as they saw me they - ceased singing and uttered shrill screams. By this sign I knew them to be - daughters of the earth, and thought they might be Christians, and so - waited for them to approach. - </p> - <p> - As they drew near I observed that they carried baskets on their heads, and - that they were tall, good-looking lasses, light-haired, brown in - complexion and black-eyed. Setting their baskets upon the ground, they - greeted me humbly and kissed my hands, after which they opened the baskets - and displayed the good things they had brought me—milk, cream, - cheese, butter and cakes. - </p> - <p> - Seating themselves upon the ground, they told me they were from the Green - Lake, and said they were glad to have a ‘mountain brother’ again, - especially so young and handsome a one; and in saying so there were merry - twinkles in their dark eyes and smiles on their red lips, which pleased me - exceedingly. - </p> - <p> - I inquired if they were not afraid to live in the wilderness, at which - they laughed, showing their white teeth. They said they had a hunter’s gun - in their cabin to keep off bears, and knew several powerful sentences and - anathemas against demons. Nor were they very lonely, they added, for every - Saturday the boys from the valley came up to hunt wild beasts, and then - all made merry. I learned from them that meadows and cabins were common - among the rocks, where herdsmen and herdswomen lived during the whole - summer. The finest meadows, they said, belonged to the monastery, and lay - but a short distance away. - </p> - <p> - The pleasant chatting of the maidens greatly delighted me, and the - solitude began to be less oppressive. Having received the benediction, - they kissed my hand and went away as they had come, laughing, singing and - shouting in the joy of youth and health. So much I have already observed: - the people in the mountains lead a better and happier life than those in - the damp, deep valleys below. Also, they seem purer in heart and mind, and - that may be due to their living so much nearer to Heaven, which some of - the brothers say approaches more closely to the earth here than at any - other place in the world excepting Rome. - </p> - <p> - 24 - </p> - <p> - The maidens having gone, I stowed away the provisions which they had - brought me, and, taking a short pointed spade and a bag, went in search of - the gentiana roots. They grew in abundance, and my back soon began to ache - from stooping and digging; but I continued the labour, for I desired to - send a good quantity to the monastery to attest my zeal and obedience. I - had gone a long distance from my cabin without observing the direction - which I had taken, when suddenly I found myself on the brink of an abyss - so deep and terrible that I recoiled with a cry of horror. At the bottom - of this chasm, so far below my feet that I was giddy to look down, a small - circular lake was visible, like the eye of a fiend. On the shore of it, - near a cliff overhanging the water, stood a cabin, from the stone-weighted - roof of which rose a thin column of blue smoke. About the cabin, in the - narrow and sterile pasture, a few cows and sheep were grazing. What a - dreadful place for a human habitation! - </p> - <p> - I was still gazing down with fear into this gulf when I was again - startled: I heard a voice distinctly call a name! The sound came from - behind me, and the name was uttered with so caressing sweetness that I - hastened to cross myself as a protection from the wiles of the fairies - with their spells and enchantments. Soon I heard the voice again, and this - time it caused my heart to beat so that I was near suffocation, for it was - Benedicta’s! Benedicta in this wilderness, and I alone with her! Surely I - now had need of thy guidance, blessed Franciscus, to keep, my feet in the - path of the Divine purpose. - </p> - <p> - I turned about and saw her. She was now springing from rock to rock, - looking backward and calling the name that was strange to me. When she saw - that I looked at her she stood motionless. I walked to her, greeting her - in the name of the Blessed Virgin, though, God forgive me! hardly able in - the tumult of my emotions to articulate that holy title. - </p> - <p> - Ah, how changed the poor child was! The lovely face was as pale as marble; - the large eyes were sunken and inexpressibly sad. Her beautiful hair alone - was unaltered, flowing over her shoulders like threads of gold. We stood - looking at each other, silent from surprise; then I again addressed her: - ‘Is it, then, you, Benedicta, who live in the cabin down there by the - Black Lake—near the waters of Avemus? And is your father with you?’ - </p> - <p> - She made no reply, but I observed a quivering about her delicate mouth, as - when a child endeavours to refrain from weeping. I repeated my question: - ‘Is your father with you?’ - </p> - <p> - She answered faintly, in a tone that was hardly more than a sigh: - </p> - <p> - ‘My father is dead.’ - </p> - <p> - I felt a sudden pain in my very heart, and was for some moments unable to - speak further, quite overcome by compassion. Benedicta had turned away her - face to hide her tears, and her fragile frame was shaken by her sobs. I - could no longer restrain myself. Stepping up to her, I took her hand in - mine, and, trying to crush back into my secret heart every human desire, - and address her in words of religious consolation, said: ‘My child—dear - Benedicta—your father is gone from you, but another Father remains - who will protect you every day of your life. And as far as may accord with - His holy will I, too, good and beautiful maiden, help you to endure your - great affliction. He whom you mourn is not lost; he is gone to the mercy - seat, and God will be gracious to him.’ - </p> - <p> - But my words seemed only to awaken her sleeping grief. She threw herself - upon the ground and gave way to her tears, sobbing so violently that I was - filled with alarm. O Mother of Mercy! how can I bear the memory of the - anguish I suffered in seeing this beautiful and innocent child overwhelmed - with so great a flood of grief? I bent over her, and my own tears fell - upon her golden hair. My heart urged me to lift her from the earth, but my - hands were powerless to move. At length she composed herself somewhat and - spoke, but as if she were talking to herself rather than to me: ‘Oh, my - father, my poor, heart-broken father! Yes, he is dead—they killed - him—he died long ago of grief. My beautiful mother, too, died of - grief—of grief and remorse for some great sin, I know not what, - which he had forgiven her. He could only be compassionate and merciful. - His heart was too tender to let him kill a worm or a beetle, and he was - compelled to kill men. His father and his father’s father had lived and - died in the Galgenberg. They were hangmen all, and the awful inheritance - fell to him: there was no escape, for the terrible people held him to the - trade. I have heard him say that he was often tempted to kill himself, and - but for me I am sure he would have done so. He could not leave me to - starve, though he had to see me reviled, and at last, O Holy Virgin! - publicly disgraced for that of which I was not guilty.’ - </p> - <p> - As Benedicta made this reference to the great injustice that she had been - made to suffer, her white cheeks kindled to crimson with the recollection - of the shame which for her father’s sake she had, at the time of it, so - differently endured. - </p> - <p> - During the narrative of her grief she had partly risen and had turned her - beautiful face more and more toward me as her confidence had grown; but - now she veiled it with her hair, and would have turned her back but that I - gently prevented her and spoke some words of comfort, though God knows my - own heart was near breaking through sympathy with hers. After a few - moments she resumed: ‘Alas, my poor father! he was unhappy every way. Not - even the comfort of seeing his child baptised was granted him. I was a - hangman’s daughter, and my parents were forbidden to present me for - baptism; nor could any priest be found who was willing to bless me in the - name of the Holy Trinity. So they gave me the name Benedicta, and blessed - me themselves, over and over again. - </p> - <p> - ‘I was only an infant when my beautiful mother died. They buried her in - unconsecrated ground. She could not go to the Heavenly Father in the - mansions above, but was thrust into the flames. While she was dying my - father had hastened to the Reverend Superior, imploring him to send a - priest with the sacrament. His prayer was denied. No priest came, and my - poor father closed her eyes himself, while his own were blind with tears - of anguish for her terrible fate. - </p> - <p> - ‘And all alone he had to dig her grave. He had no other place than near - the gallows, where he had so often buried the hanged and the accurst. With - his own hands he had to place her in that unholy ground, nor could any - masses be said for her suffering soul. - </p> - <p> - ‘I well remember how my dear father took me then to the image of the Holy - Virgin and bade me kneel, and, joining my little hands, taught me to pray - for my poor mother, who had stood undefended before the terrible Judge of - the Dead. This I have done every morning and evening since that day, and - now I pray for both; for my father also has died unshriven, and his soul - is not with God, but burns in unceasing fire. - </p> - <p> - ‘When he was dying I ran to the Superior, just as he had done for my dear - mother. I besought him on my knees. I prayed and wept and embraced his - feet, and would have kissed his hand but that he snatched it away. He - commanded me to go.’ - </p> - <p> - As Benedicta proceeded with her narrative she gained courage. She rose to - her feet and stood erect, threw back her beautiful head and lifted her - eyes to the heavens as if recounting her wrongs to God’s high angels and - ministers of doom. She stretched forth her bare arms in gestures of so - natural force and grace that I was filled with astonishment, and her - unstudied words came from her lips with an eloquence of which I had never - before had any conception. I dare not think it inspiration, for, God - forgive us all! every word was an unconscious arraignment of Him and His - Holy Church; yet surely no mortal with lips untouched by a live coal from - the altar ever so spake before! In the presence of this strange and gifted - being I so felt my own unworth that I had surely knelt, as before a - blessed saint, but that she suddenly concluded, with a pathos that touched - me to tears. - </p> - <p> - ‘The cruel people killed him,’ she said, with a sob in the heart of every - word. ‘They laid hands upon me whom he loved. They charged me falsely with - a foul crime. They attired me in a garment of dishonour, and put a crown - of straw upon my head, and hung about my neck the black tablet of shame. - They spat upon me and reviled me, and compelled him to lead me to the - pillory, where I was bound and struck with whips and stones. That broke - his great, good heart, and so he died, and I am alone.’ - </p> - <p> - 25 - </p> - <p> - When Benedicta had finished I remained silent, for in the presence of such - a sorrow what could I say? For such wounds as hers religion has no balm. - As I thought of the cruel wrongs of this humble and harmless family there - came into my heart a feeling of wild rebellion against the world, against - the Church, against God! They were brutally unjust, horribly, devilishly - unjust!—God, the Church, and the world. - </p> - <p> - Our very surroundings—the stark and soulless wilderness, perilous - with precipices and bleak with everlasting snows—seemed a visible - embodiment of the woeful life to which the poor child had been condemned - from birth; and truly this was more than fancy, for since her father’s - death had deprived her of even so humble a home as the hangman’s hovel she - had been driven to these eternal solitudes by the stress of want. But - below us were pleasant villages, fertile fields, green gardens, and homes - where peace and plenty abided all the year. - </p> - <p> - After a time, when Benedicta was somewhat composed, I asked her if she had - anyone with her for protection. - </p> - <p> - ‘I have none,’ she replied. But observing my look of pain, she added: ‘I - have always lived in lonely, accurst places; I am accustomed to that. Now - that my father is dead, there is no one who cares even to speak to me, nor - any whom I care to talk with—except you.’ After a pause she said: - ‘True, there is one who cares to see me, but he——’ - </p> - <p> - Here she broke off, and I did not press her to explain lest it should - embarrass her. Presently she said: ‘I knew yesterday that you were here. A - boy came for some milk and butter for you. If you were not a holy man the - boy would not have come to me for your food. As it is, you cannot be - harmed by the evil which attaches to everything I have or do. Are you - sure, though, that you made the sign of the cross over the food - yesterday?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Had I known that it came from you, Benedicta, that precaution would have - been omitted,’ I answered. - </p> - <p> - She looked at me with beaming eyes, and said: - </p> - <p> - ‘Oh, dear sir, dear Brother!’ - </p> - <p> - And both the look and the words gave me the keenest delight—as, in - truth, do all this saintly creature’s words and ways. - </p> - <p> - I inquired what had brought her to the cliff-top, and who the person was - that I had heard her calling. - </p> - <p> - ‘It is no person,’ she answered, smiling; ‘it is only my goat. She has - strayed away, and I was searching for her among the rocks.’ - </p> - <p> - Then nodding to me as if about to say farewell, she turned to go, but I - detained her, saying that I would assist her to look for the goat. - </p> - <p> - We soon discovered the animal in a crevice of rock, and so glad was - Benedicta to find her humble companion that she knelt by its side, put her - arms about its neck and called it by many endearing names. I thought this - very charming, and could not help looking upon the group with obvious - admiration. - </p> - <p> - Benedicta, observing it, said: ‘Her mother fell from a cliff and broke her - neck. I took the little one and brought it up on milk, and she is very - fond of me. One who lives alone as I do values the love of a faithful - animal.’ - </p> - <p> - When the maiden was about to leave me I gained courage to speak to her of - what had been so long in my mind. I said: ‘It is true, is it not, - Benedicta, that on the night of the festival you went to meet the drunken - boys in order to save your father from harm?’ - </p> - <p> - She looked at me in great astonishment. ‘For what other reason could you - suppose I went?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘I could not think of any other,’ I replied, in some confusion. - </p> - <p> - ‘And now good-bye, Brother,’ she said, moving away. - </p> - <p> - ‘Benedicta,’ I cried. She paused and turned her head. - </p> - <p> - ‘Next Sunday I shall preach to the dairy women at the Green Lake; will you - come?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Oh, no, dear Brother,’ she replied hesitating and in low tones. - </p> - <p> - ‘You will not come?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘I should like to come, but my presence would frighten away the dairy - women and others whom your goodness would bring there to hear you. Your - charity to me would cause you trouble. I pray you, sir, accept thanks, but - I cannot come.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Then I shall come to you.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Beware, oh pray, beware!’ - </p> - <p> - ‘I shall come.’ - </p> - <p> - 26 - </p> - <p> - The boy had taught me how to prepare a cake. I knew all that went to the - making of it, and the right proportions, yet when I tried to make it I - could not. All that I was able to make was a smoky, greasy pap, more fit - for the mouth of Satan than for a pious son of the Church and follower of - Saint Franciscus. My failure greatly discouraged me, yet it did not - destroy my appetite; so, taking some stale bread, I dipped it in sour milk - and was about to make my stomach do penance for its many sins, when - Benedicta came with a basketful of good things from her dairy. Ah, the - dear child! I fear that it was not with my heart only that I greeted her - that blessed morning. - </p> - <p> - Observing the smoky mass in the pan, she smiled, and quietly throwing it - to the birds (which may Heaven guard!) she cleansed the pan at the spring, - and, returning arranged the fire. She then prepared the material for a - fresh cake. Taking two handfuls of flour, she put it into an earthen bowl, - and upon the top of it poured a cup of cream. Adding a pinch of salt, she - mixed the whole vigorously with her slender white hands until it became a - soft, swelling dough. She next greased the pan with a piece of yellow - butter, and, pouring the dough into it, placed it on the fire. When the - heat had penetrated the dough, causing it to expand and rise above the - sides of the pan, she deftly pierced it here and there that it should not - burst, and when it was well browned she took it up and set it before me, - all unworthy as I was. I invited her to share the meal with me, but she - would not. She insisted, too, that I should cross myself before partaking - of anything that she had brought me or prepared, lest some evil come to me - because of the ban upon her; but this I would not consent to do. While I - ate she culled flowers from among the rocks, and, making a wreath, hung it - upon the cross in front of the cabin; after which, when I had finished, - she employed herself in cleansing the dishes and arranging everything in - order as it should be, so that I imagined myself far more comfortable than - before, even in merely looking about me. When there was nothing more to be - done, and my conscience would not permit me to invent reasons for - detaining her, she went away, and O my Saviour! how dismal and dreary - seemed the day when she was gone. Ah, Benedicta, Benedicta, what is this - that thou hast done to me?—making that sole service of the Lord to - which I am dedicated seem less happy and less holy than a herdsman’s - humble life here in the wilderness with thee! - </p> - <p> - 27 - </p> - <p> - Life up here is less disagreeable than I thought. What seemed to me a - dreary solitude seems now less dismal and desolate. This mountain - wilderness, which at first filled me with awe, gradually reveals its - benign character. It is marvellously beautiful in its grandeur, with a - beauty which purifies and elevates the soul. One can read in it, as in a - book, the praises of its Creator. Daily, while digging gentiana roots, I - do not fail to listen to the voice of the wilderness and to compose and - chasten my soul more and more. - </p> - <p> - In these mountains are no feathered songsters. The birds here utter only - shrill cries. The flowers, too, are without fragrance, but wondrously - beautiful, shining with the fire and gold of stars. I have seen slopes and - heights here which doubtless were never trodden by any human foot. They - seem to me sacred, the touch of the Creator still visible upon them, as - when they came from His hand. - </p> - <p> - Game is in great abundance. Chamois are sometimes seen in such droves that - the very hillsides seem to move. There are steinbocks, veritable monsters, - but as yet, thank Heaven, I have seen no bears. Marmots play about me like - kittens, and eagles, the grandest creatures in this high world, nest in - the cliffs to be as near the sky as they can get. - </p> - <p> - When fatigued, I stretch myself on the Alpine grass, which is as fragrant - as the most precious spices. I close my eyes and hear the wind whisper - through the tall stems, and in my heart is peace. Blessed be the Lord! - </p> - <p> - 28 - </p> - <p> - Every morning the dairy women come to my cabin, their merry shouts ringing - in the air and echoed from the hills. They bring fresh milk, butter and - cheese, chat a little while and go away. Each day they relate something - new that has occurred in the mountains or been reported from the villages - below. They are joyous and happy, and look forward with delight to Sunday, - when there will be divine service in the morning and a dance in the - evening. - </p> - <p> - Alas, these happy people are not free of the sin of bearing false witness - against their neighbour. They have spoken to me of Benedicta—called - her a disgraceful wench, a hangman’s daughter and (my heart rebels against - its utterance) the mistress of Rochus! The pillory, they said, was made - for such as she. - </p> - <p> - Hearing these maidens talk so bitterly and falsely of one whom they so - little knew, it was with difficulty that I mastered my indignation. But in - pity of their ignorance I reprimanded them gently and kindly. It was - wrong, I said, to condemn a fellow-being unheard. It was unchristian to - speak ill of any one. - </p> - <p> - They do not understand. It surprises them that I defend a person like - Benedicta—one who, as they truly say, has been publicly disgraced - and has not a friend in the world. - </p> - <p> - 29 - </p> - <p> - This morning I visited the Black Lake. It is indeed an awful and accursed - place, fit for the habitation of the damned. And there lives the poor - forsaken child! Approaching the cabin, I could see a fire burning on the - hearth, and over it was suspended a kettle. Benedicta was seated on a low - stool, looking into the flames. Her face was illuminated with a crimson - glow, and I could observe heavy tear-drops on her cheeks. - </p> - <p> - Not wishing to see her secret sorrow, I hastened to make known my - presence, and addressed her as gently as I could. She was startled, but - when she saw who it was, smiled and blushed. She rose and came to greet - me, and I began speaking to her almost at random, in order that she might - recover her composure. I spoke as a brother might speak to his sister, yet - earnestly, for my heart was full of compassion. - </p> - <p> - ‘O Benedicta,’ I said, I know your heart, and it has more love for that - wild youth Rochus than for our dear and blessed Saviour. I know how - willingly you bore infamy and disgrace, sustained by the thought that he - knew you innocent. Far be it from me to condemn you, for what is holier or - purer than a maiden’s love? I would only warn and save you from the - consequence of having given it to one so unworthy.’ - </p> - <p> - She listened with her head bowed, and said nothing, but I could hear her - sighs. I saw, too, that she trembled. I continued: ‘Benedicta, the passion - which fills your heart may prove your destruction in this life and - hereafter. Young Rochus is not one who will make you his wife in the sight - of God and Man. Why did he not stand forth and defend you when you were - falsely accused?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘He was not there,’ she said, lifting her eyes to mine; ‘he and his father - were at Salzburg. He knew nothing till they told him.’ - </p> - <p> - May God forgive me if at this I felt no joy in another’s acquittal of the - heavy sin with which I had charged him. I stood a moment irresolute, with - my head bowed, silent. - </p> - <p> - ‘But, Benedicta,’ I resumed, ‘will he take for a wife one whose good name - has been blackened in the sight of his family and his neighbours? No, he - does not seek you with an honourable purpose. O Benedicta, confide in me. - Is it not as I say?’ - </p> - <p> - But she remained silent, nor could I draw from her a single word. She - would only sigh and tremble; she seemed unable to speak. I saw that she - was too weak to resist the temptation to love young Rochus; nay, I saw - that her whole heart was bound up in him, and my soul melted with pity and - sorrow—pity for her and sorrow for myself, for I felt that my power - was unequal to the command that had been laid upon me. My agony was so - keen that I could hardly refrain from crying out. - </p> - <p> - I went from her cabin, but did not return to my own. I wandered about the - haunted shore of the Black Lake for hours, without aim or purpose. - </p> - <p> - Reflecting bitterly upon my failure, and beseeching God for greater grace - and strength, it was revealed to me that I was an unworthy disciple of the - Lord and a faithless son of the Church. I became more keenly conscious - than I ever had been before of the earthly nature of my love for - Benedicta, and of its sinfulness. I felt that I had not given my whole - heart to God, but was clinging to a temporal and human hope. It was plain - to me that unless my love for the sweet child should be changed to a - purely spiritual affection, purified from all the dross of passion, I - could never receive holy orders, but should remain always a monk and - always a sinner. These reflections caused me great torment, and in my - despair I cast myself down upon the earth, calling aloud to my Saviour. In - this my greatest trial I clung to the Cross. ‘Save me, O Lord!’ I cried. - ‘I am engulfed in a great passion—save me, oh, save me, or I perish - forever!’ - </p> - <p> - All that night I struggled and prayed and fought against the evil spirits - in my soul, with their suggestions of recreancy to the dear Church whose - child I am. - </p> - <p> - ‘The Church,’ they whispered, ‘has servants enough. You are not as yet - irrevocably bound to celibacy. You can procure a dispensation from your - monastic vows and remain here in the mountains, a layman. You can learn - the craft of the hunter or the herdsman, and be ever near Benedicta to - guard and guide her—perhaps in time to win her love from Rochus and - take her for your wife.’ - </p> - <p> - To these temptations I opposed my feeble strength and such aid as the - blessed Saint gave me in my great trial. The contest was long and - agonising, and more than once, there in the darkness and the wilderness, - which rang with my cries, I was near surrender; but at the dawning of the - day I became more tranquil, and peace once more filled my heart, even as - the golden light filled the great gorges of the mountain where but a few - moments before were the darkness and the mist. I thought then of the - suffering and death of our Saviour, who died for the redemption of the - world, and most fervently I prayed that Heaven would grant me the great - boon to die likewise, in a humbler way, even though it were for but one - suffering being—Benedicta. - </p> - <p> - May the Lord hear my prayer! - </p> - <p> - 30 - </p> - <p> - The night before the Sunday on which I was to hold divine service great - fires were kindled on the cliffs—a signal for the young men in the - valley to come up to the mountain dairies. They came in great numbers, - shouting and screaming, and were greeted with songs and shrill cries by - the dairy maidens, who swung flaming torches that lit up the faces of the - great rocks and sent gigantic shadows across them. It was a beautiful - sight. These are indeed a happy people. - </p> - <p> - The monastery boy came in with the rest. He will remain over Sunday, and, - returning, will take back the roots that I have dug. He gave me much news - from the monastery. The reverend Superior is living at Saint Bartholomæ, - fishing and hunting. Another thing—one which gives me great alarm—is - that the Saltmaster’s son, young Rochus, is in the mountains not far from - the Black Lake. It seems he has a hunting-lodge on the upper cliff, and a - path leads from it directly to the lake. The boy told me this, but did not - observe how I trembled when hearing it. Would that an angel with a flaming - sword might guard the path to the lake, and to Benedicta! - </p> - <p> - The shouting and singing continued during the whole night, and between - this and the agitation in my soul I did not close my eyes. Early the next - morning the boys and girls arrived in crowds from all directions. The - maidens wore silken kerchiefs twisted prettily about their heads, and had - decorated themselves and their escorts with flowers. - </p> - <p> - Not being an ordained priest, it was not permitted me either to read mass - or to preach a sermon, but I prayed with them and spoke to them whatever - my aching heart found to say. I spoke to them of our sinfulness and God’s - great mercy; of our harshness to one another and the Saviour’s love for us - all; of His infinite compassion. As my words echoed from the abyss below - and the heights above I felt as if I were lifted out of this world of - suffering and sin and borne away on angel’s wings to the radiant spheres - beyond the sky! It was a solemn service, and my little congregation was - awed into devotion and seemed to feel as if it stood in the Holy of - Holies. - </p> - <p> - The service being concluded, I blessed the people and they quietly went - away. They had not been long gone before I heard the lads send forth - ringing shouts, but this did not displease me. Why should they not - rejoice? Is not cheerfulness the purest praise a human heart can give? - </p> - <p> - In the afternoon I went down to Benedicta’s cabin and found her at the - door, making a wreath of edelweiss for the image of the Blessed Virgin, - intertwining the snowy flowers with a purple blossom that looked like - blood. - </p> - <p> - Seating myself beside her, I looked on at her beautiful work in silence, - but in my soul was a wild tumult of emotion and a voice that cried: - ‘Benedicta, my love, my soul, I love you more than life! I love you above - all things on earth and in Heaven!’ - </p> - <p> - 31 - </p> - <p> - The Superior sent for me, and with a strange foreboding I followed his - messenger down the difficult way to the lake and embarked in the boat. - Occupied with gloomy reflections and presentiments of impending evil, I - hardly observed that we had left the shore before the sound of merry - voices apprised me of our arrival at St. Bartholomæ. On the beautiful - meadow surrounding the dwelling of the Superior were a great number of - people—priests, friars, mountaineers and hunters. Many were there - who had come from afar with large retinues of servants and boys. In the - house was a great bustle—a confusion and a hurrying to and fro, as - during a fair. The doors stood wide open, and people ran in and out, - clamouring noisily. The dogs yelped and howled as loud as they could. On a - stand under the oak was a great cask of beer, and many of the people were - gathered about it, drinking. Inside the house, too, there seemed to be - much drinking, for I saw many men near the windows with mighty cups in - their hands. On entering, I encountered throngs of servants carrying - dishes of fish and game. I asked one of them when I could see the - Superior. He answered that His Reverence would be down immediately after - the meal, and I concluded to wait in the hall. The walls were hung with - pictures of some large fish which had been caught in the lake. Below each - picture the weight of the monster and the date of its capture, together - with the name of the person taking it, were inscribed in large letters. I - could not help interpreting these records—perhaps uncharitably—as - intimations to all good Christians to pray for the souls of those whose - names were inscribed. - </p> - <p> - After more than an hour the Superior descended the stairs. I stepped - forward, saluting him humbly, as became my position. He nodded, eyed me - sharply, and directed me to go to his apartment immediately after supper. - This I did. - </p> - <p> - ‘How about your soul, my son Ambrosius?’ he asked me, solemnly. ‘Has the - Lord shown you grace? Have you endured the probation?’ Humbly, with my - head bowed, I answered: ‘Most reverend Father, God in my solitude has - given me knowledge.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Of what? Of your guilt?’ This I affirmed. - </p> - <p> - ‘Praise be to God!’ exclaimed the Superior. ‘I knew, my son, that solitude - would speak to your soul with the tongue of an angel. I have good tidings - for you. I have written in your behalf to the Bishop of Salzburg. He - summons you to his palace. He will consecrate you and give you holy orders - in person, and you will remain in his city. Prepare yourself, for in three - days you are to leave us.’ - </p> - <p> - The Superior looked sharply into my face again, but I did not permit him - to see into my heart. I asked for his benediction, bowed and left him. Ah, - then, it was for this that I was summoned! I am to go away forever. I must - leave my very life behind me; I must renounce my care and protection of - Benedicta. God help her and me! - </p> - <p> - 32 - </p> - <p> - I am once more in my mountain home, but tomorrow I leave it forever. But - why am I sad? Does not a great blessing await me? Have I not ever looked - forward to the moment of my consecration with longing, believing it would - bring me the supreme happiness of my life? And now that this great joy is - almost within my grasp, I am sad beyond measure. - </p> - <p> - Can I approach the altar of the Lord with a lie on my lips? Can I receive - the holy sacrament as an impostor? The holy oil upon my forehead would - turn to fire and burn into my brain, and I should be for ever damned. - </p> - <p> - I might fall upon my knees before the Bishop and say: ‘Expel me, for I do - not seek after the love of Christ, nor after holy and heavenly things, but - after the things of this world.’ - </p> - <p> - If I so spoke, I should be punished, but I could endure that without a - murmur. - </p> - <p> - If only I were sinless and could rightly become a priest, I could be of - great service to the poor child. I should be able to give her infinite - blessings and consolations. I could be her confessor and absolve her from - sin, and, if I should outlive her—which God forbid!—might by - my prayers even redeem her soul from Purgatory. I could read masses for - the souls of her poor dead parents, already in torment. - </p> - <p> - Above all, if I succeeded in preserving her from that one great and - destructive sin for which she secretly longs; if I could take her with me - and place her under thy protection, O Blessed Virgin, that would be - happiness indeed. - </p> - <p> - But where is the sanctuary that would receive the hangman’s daughter? I - know it but too well: when I am gone from here, the Evil One, in the - winning shape he has assumed, will prevail, and she will be lost in time - and in eternity. - </p> - <p> - 33 - </p> - <p> - I have been at Benedicta’s cabin. - </p> - <p> - ‘Benedicta,’ I said, ‘I am going away from here—away from the - mountains—away from you.’ - </p> - <p> - She grew pale, but said nothing. For a moment I was overcome with emotion; - I seemed to choke, and could not continue. Presently I said: ‘Poor child, - what will become of you? I know that your love for Rochus is strong and, - love is like a torrent which nothing can stay. There is no safety for you - but in clinging to the cross of our Saviour. Promise me that you will do - so—do not let me go away in misery, Benedicta.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Am I, then, so wicked?’ she said, without lifting her eyes from the - ground. ‘Can I not be trusted?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Ah, but, Benedicta, the enemy is strong, and you have a traitor to unbar - the gates. Your own heart, poor child, will at last betray you.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘He will not harm me,’ she murmured. ‘You wrong him, sir, indeed you do.’ - </p> - <p> - But I knew that I did not, and was all the more concerned to judge that - the wolf would use the arts of the fox. Before the sacred purity of this - maiden the base passions of the youth had not dared to declare themselves. - But none the less I knew that an hour would come when she would have need - of all her strength, and it would fail her. I grasped her arm and demanded - that she take an oath that she would throw herself into the waters of the - Black Lake rather than into the arms of Rochus. But she would not reply. - She remained silent, her eyes fixed upon mine with a look of sadness and - reproach which filled my mind with the most melancholy thoughts, and, - turning away, I left her. - </p> - <p> - 34 - </p> - <p> - Lord, Saviour of my soul, whither hast Thou led me? Here am I in the - culprit’s tower, a condemned murderer, and to-morrow at sunrise I shall be - taken to the gallows and hanged! For who so slays a fellow being, he shall - be slain; that is the law of God and man. - </p> - <p> - On this the last day of my life I have asked that I be permitted to write, - and my prayer is granted. In the name of God and in the truth I shall now - set down all that occurred. - </p> - <p> - Leaving Benedicta, I returned to my cabin, and, having packed everything, - waited for the boy. But he did not come: I should have to remain in the - mountains another night. I grew restless. The cabin seemed too narrow to - hold me; the air was too heavy and hot to sustain life. Going outside, I - lay upon a rock and looked up at the sky, dark and glittering with stars. - But my soul was not in the heavens; it was at the cabin by the Black Lake. - </p> - <p> - Suddenly I heard a faint, distant cry, like a human voice. I sat upright - and listened, but all was still. It may have been, I thought, the note of - some night-bird. I was about to lie down again, when the cry was repeated, - but it seemed to come from another direction. It was the voice of - Benedicta! It sounded again, and now it seemed to come from the air—from - the sky above my head, and distinctly it called my name; but, O Mother of - God, what anguish was in those tones! - </p> - <p> - I leapt from the rock. ‘Benedicta, Benedicta!’ I cried aloud. There was no - reply. - </p> - <p> - ‘Benedicta, I am coming to thee, child!’ - </p> - <p> - I sprang away in the darkness, along the path to the Black Lake. I ran and - leapt, stumbling and falling over rocks and stumps of trees. My limbs were - bruised, my clothing was torn, but I gave no heed; Benedicta was in - distress, and I alone could save and guard her. I rushed on until I - reached the Black Lake. But at the cabin all was quiet; there was neither - light nor sound; everything was as peaceful as a house of God. - </p> - <p> - After waiting a long time I left. The voice that I had heard calling me - could not have been Benedicta’s, but must have been that of some evil - spirit mocking me in my great sorrow. I meant to return to my cabin, but - an invisible hand directed my steps another way; and although it led me to - my death, I know it to have been the hand of the Lord. - </p> - <p> - Walking on, hardly knowing whither, and unable to find the path by which I - had descended, I found myself at the foot of a precipice. Here was a - narrow path leading steeply upward along the face of the cliff, and I - began ascending it. After I had gone up some distance I looked above, and - saw outlined against the starry sky a cabin perched upon the very verge. - It flashed through my mind that this was the hunting-lodge of the - Saltmaster’s son, and this the path by which he visited Benedicta. - Merciful Father! he, Rochus, was certain to come this way; there could be - no other. I would wait for him here. - </p> - <p> - I crouched in the shadow and waited, thinking what to say to him and - imploring the Lord for inspiration to change his heart and turn him from - his evil purpose. - </p> - <p> - Before long I heard him approaching from above. I heard the stones - displaced by his foot roll down the steep slopes and leap into the lake - far below. Then I prayed God that if I should be unable to soften the - youth’s heart he might miss his footing and fall, too, like the stones; - for it would be better that he should meet a sudden and impenitent death, - and his soul be lost, than that he should live to destroy the soul of an - innocent girl. - </p> - <p> - Turning at an angle of the rock, he stood directly before me as, rising, I - stepped into the faint light of the new moon. He knew me at once, and in a - haughty tone asked me what I wanted. - </p> - <p> - I replied mildly, explaining why I had barred his way, and begging him to - go back. He insulted and derided me. - </p> - <p> - ‘You miserable towler,’ he said, ‘will you never cease meddling in my - affairs? Because the mountain maids are so foolish as to praise your white - teeth and your big black eyes, must you fancy yourself a man, and not a - monk? You are no more to women than a goat!’ - </p> - <p> - I begged him to desist and to listen to me. I threw myself on my knees and - implored him, however he might despise me and my humble though holy - station, to respect Benedicta and spare her. But he pushed me from him - with his foot upon my breast. No longer master of myself, I sprang erect, - and called him an assassin and a villain. - </p> - <p> - At this he pulled a dagger from his belt, saying: ‘I will send you to - Hell!’ - </p> - <p> - Quick as a flash of lightning my hand was upon his wrist. I wrested the - knife from him and flung it behind me, crying: ‘Not with weapons, but - unarmed and equal, we will fight to the death, and the Lord shall decide!’ - </p> - <p> - We sprang upon each other with the fury of wild animals, and were - instantly locked together with arms and hands. We struggled upward and - downward along the path, with the great wall of rock on one side, and on - the other the precipice, the abyss, the waters of the Black Lake! We - writhed and strained for the advantage; but the Lord was against me for He - permited my enemy to overcome me and throw me down on the edge of the - precipice. I was in the grasp of a strong enemy, whose eyes glowed like - coals of fire. His knee was on my breast and my head hung over the edge—my - life was in his hands. I thought he would push me over, but he made no - attempt to do so. He held me there between life and death for a dreadful - time, then said, in a low, hissing voice: ‘You see, monk, if I but move I - can hurl you down the abyss like a stone. But I care not to take your - life, for it is no impediment to me. The girl belongs to me, and to me you - shall leave her; do you understand?’ - </p> - <p> - With that he rose and left me, going down the path toward the lake. His - footfalls had long died away in the silent night before I was able to move - hand or foot. Great God! I surely did not deserve such defeat, humiliation - and pain. I had but wished to save a soul, yet Heaven permitted me to be - conquered by him who would destroy it! - </p> - <p> - Finally I was able to rise, although in great pain, for I was bruised by - my fall, and could still feel the fierce youth’s knee upon my breast and - his fingers about my throat. I walked with difficulty back along the path, - downward toward the lake. Wounded as I was, I would return to Benedicta’s - cabin and interpose my body between her and harm. But my progress was - slow, and I had frequently to rest; yet it was near dawn before I gave up - the effort, convinced that I should be too late to do the poor child the - small service of yielding up my remnant of life in her defence. - </p> - <p> - At early dawn I heard Rochus returning, with a merry song upon his lips. I - concealed myself behind a rock, though not in fear, and he passed without - seeing me. - </p> - <p> - At this point there was a break in the wall of the cliff, the path - crossing a great crevice that clove the mountain as by a sword-stroke from - the arm of a Titan. The bottom was strewn with loose boulders and - overgrown with brambles and shrubs, through which trickled a slender - stream of water fed by the melting snows above. Here I remained for three - days and two nights. I heard the boy from the monastery calling my name as - he traversed the path searching for me, but I made no answer. Not once did - I quench my burning thirst at the brook nor appease my hunger with - blackberries that grew abundantly on every side. Thus I mortified the - sinful flesh, killed rebellious nature and subdued my spirit to the Lord - until at last I felt myself delivered from all evil, freed from the - bondage of an earthly love and prepared to devote my heart and soul and - life to no woman but thee, O Blessed Virgin! - </p> - <p> - The Lord having wrought this miracle, my soul felt as light and free as if - wings were lifting me to the skies. I praised the Lord in a loud voice, - shouting and rejoicing till the rocks rang with the sound. I cried: - ‘Hosanna! Hosanna! I was now prepared to go before the altar and receive - the holy oil upon my head. I was no longer myself. Ambrosius, the poor - erring monk, was dead; I was an instrument in the right hand of God to - execute His holy will. I prayed for the delivery of the soul of the - beautiful maiden, and as I prayed, behold! there appeared to me in the - splendour and glory of Heaven the Lord Himself, attended by innumerable - angels, filling half the sky! A great rapture enthralled my senses; I was - dumb with happiness. With a smile of ineffable benignity God spake to me: - </p> - <p> - ‘Because that thou hast been faithful to thy trust, and through all the - trials that I have sent upon thee hast not faltered, the salvation of the - sinless maiden’s soul is now indeed given into thy hand.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Thou, Lord, knowest,’ I replied, ‘that I am without the means to do this - work, nor know I how it is to be done.’ - </p> - <p> - The Lord commanded me to rise and walk on, and, turning my face away from - the glorious Presence, which filled the heart of the cloven mountain with - light, I obeyed, leaving the scene of my purgation and regaining the path - that led up the face of the cliff. I began the ascent, walking on and on - in the splendour of the sunset, reflected from crimson clouds. - </p> - <p> - Suddenly I felt impelled to stop and look down, and there at my feet, - shining red in the cloudlight, as if stained with blood, lay the sharp - knife of Rochus. Now I understood why the Lord had permitted that wicked - youth to conquer me, yet had moved him to spare my life. I had been - reserved for a more glorious purpose. And so was placed in my hands the - means to that sacred end. My God, my God, how mysterious are Thy ways! - </p> - <p> - 35 - </p> - <p> - ‘You shall leave her to me.’ So had spoken the wicked youth while holding - me between life and death at the precipice. He permitted me to live, not - from Christian mercy, but because he despised my life, a trivial thing to - him, not worth taking. He was sure of his prey; it did not matter if I - were living or dead. - </p> - <p> - ‘You shall leave her to me.’ Oh, arrogant fool! Do you not know that the - Lord holds His hand over the flowers of the field and the young birds in - the nest? Leave Benedicta to you?—permit you to destroy her body and - her soul? Ah, you shall see how the hand of God shall be spread above her - to guard and save. There is yet time—that soul is still spotless and - undefiled. Forward, then, to fulfil the command of the Most High God! - </p> - <p> - I knelt upon the spot where God had given into my hand the means of her - deliverance. My soul was wholly absorbed in the mission entrusted to me. - My heart was in ecstasy, and I saw plainly, as in a vision, the triumphant - completion of the act which I had still to do. - </p> - <p> - I arose, and, concealing the knife in my robe, retraced my steps, going - downward toward the Black Lake. The new moon looked like a divine wound in - the sky, as if some hand had plunged a dagger into Heaven’s holy breast. - </p> - <p> - Benedicta’s door was ajar, and I stood outside a long time, gazing upon - the beautiful picture presented to my eyes. A bright fire on the hearth - lit up the room. Opposite the fire sat Benedicta, combing her long golden - hair. Unlike what it was the last time I had stood before her cabin and - gazed upon it, her face was full of happiness and had a glory that I had - never imagined in it. A sensuous smile played about her lips while she - sang in a low, sweet voice the air of a love song of the people. Ah me! - she was beautiful; she looked like a bride of Heaven. But though her voice - was that of an angel, it angered me, and I called out to her: ‘What are - you doing, Benedicta, so late in the evening? You sing as if you expected - your lover, and arrange your hair as for a dance. It is but three days - since I, your brother and only friend, left you, in sorrow and despair. - And now you are as happy as a bride.’ - </p> - <p> - She sprang up and manifested great joy at seeing me again, and hastened to - kiss my hands. But she had no sooner glanced into my face than she uttered - a scream of terror and recoiled from me as if I had been a fiend from - Hell! - </p> - <p> - But I approached her and asked: ‘Why do you adorn yourself so late in the - night?—why are you so happy? Have the three days been long enough - for you to fall? Are you the mistress of Rochus?’ She stood staring at me - in horror. She asked: ‘Where have you been and why do you come? You look - so ill! Sit, sir, I pray you, and rest. You are pale and you shake with - cold. I will make you a warm drink and you will feel better.’ - </p> - <p> - She was silenced by my stern gaze. ‘I have not come to rest and be nursed - by you,’ I said. ‘I am here because the Lord commands. Tell me why you - sang.’ - </p> - <p> - She looked up at me with the innocent expression of a babe, and replied: - ‘Because I had for the moment forgotten that you were going away, and I - was happy.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Happy?’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Yes—he has been here.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Who? Rochus?’ - </p> - <p> - She nodded. ‘He was so good,’ she said. ‘He will ask his father to consent - to see me, and perhaps take me to his great house and persuade the - Reverend Superior to remove the curse from my life. Would not that be - fine? But then.’ she added, with a sudden change of voice and manner, - lowering her eyes, ‘perhaps you would no longer care for me. It is because - I am poor and friendless.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘What! he will persuade his father to befriend you?—to take you to - his home?—you, the hangman’s daughter? He, this reckless youth, at - war with God and God’s ministers, will move the Church! Oh, lie, lie, lie! - O Benedicta—lost, betrayed Benedicta! By your smiles and by your - tears I know that you believe the monstrous promises of this infamous - villain.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Yes,’ she said, inclining her head as if she were making a confession of - faith before the altar of the Lord, ‘I believe him.’ - </p> - <p> - ‘Kneel, then,’ I cried, ‘and praise the Lord for sending one of His chosen - to save your soul from temporal and eternal perdition!’ - </p> - <p> - At these words she trembled as in great fear. - </p> - <p> - ‘What do you wish me to do?’ she exclaimed. - </p> - <p> - ‘To pray that your sins may be forgiven.’ - </p> - <p> - A sudden rapturous impulse seized my soul. ‘I am a priest,’ I cried, - ‘anointed and ordained by God Himself, and in the name of the Father, and - of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, I forgive you your only sin, which is - your love. I give you absolution without repentance. I free your soul from - the taint of sin because you will atone for it with your blood and life.’ - </p> - <p> - With these words, I seized her and forced her down upon her knees. But she - wanted to live; she cried and wailed. She clung to my knees and entreated - and implored in the name of God and the Blessed Virgin. Then she sprang to - her feet and attempted to run away. I seized her again, but she broke away - from my grasp and ran to the open door, crying: ‘Rochus! Rochus! help, oh - help!’ - </p> - <p> - Springing after her, I grasped her by the shoulder, turned her half-round - and plunged the knife into her breast. - </p> - <p> - I held her in my arms, pressed her against my heart and felt her warm - blood upon my body. She opened her eyes and fixed upon me a look of - reproach, as if I had robbed her of a life of happiness. Then her eyes - slowly closed, she gave a long, shuddering sigh, her little head turned - upon her shoulder, and so she died. - </p> - <p> - I wrapped the beautiful body in a white sheet, leaving the face uncovered, - and laid it upon the floor. But the blood tinged the linen, so I parted - her long golden hair, spreading it over the crimson roses upon her breast. - As I had made her a bride of Heaven, I took from the image of the Virgin - the wreath of edelweiss and placed it on Benedicta’s brow; and now I - remembered the edelweiss which she had once brought me to comfort me in my - penance. - </p> - <p> - Then I stirred the fire, which cast upon the shrouded figure and the - beautiful face a rich red light, as if God’s glory had descended there to - enfold her. It was caught and tangled in the golden tresses that lay upon - her breast, so that they looked a mass of curling flame. - </p> - <p> - And so I left her. - </p> - <p> - 36 - </p> - <p> - I descended the mountain by precipitous paths, but the Lord guided my - steps so that I neither stumbled nor fell into the abyss. At the dawning - of the day I arrived at the monastery, rang the bell and waited until the - gate was opened. The brother porter evidently thought me a fiend, for he - raised a howl that aroused the whole monastery. I went straight to the - room of the Superior, stood before him in my bloodstained garments, and, - telling him for what deed the Lord had chosen me, informed him that I was - now an ordained priest. At this they seized me, put me into the tower, - and, holding court upon me, condemned me to death as if I were a murderer. - Oh, the fools, the poor demented fools! - </p> - <p> - One person has come to me to-day in my dungeon, who fell upon her knees - before me, kissed my hands and adored me as God’s chosen instrument—Amula, - the brown maiden. She alone has discovered that I have done a great and - glorious deed. - </p> - <p> - I have asked Amula to chase away the vultures from my body, for Benedicta - is in Heaven. - </p> - <p> - I shall soon be with her. Praise be to God! Hosanna! Amen. - </p> - <p> - <br /> <br /> - </p> - <hr /> - <p> - <br /> <br /> - </p> - <p> - [To this old manuscript are added the following lines in another hand: ‘On - the fifteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord, 1680, in this - place, Brother Ambrosius was hanged, and on the following day his body was - buried under the gallows, close to that of the girl Benedicta, whom he - killed. This Benedicta, though called the hangman’s daughter, was (as is - now known through declarations of the youth Rochus) the bastard child of - the Saltmaster by the hangman’s wife. It is also veritably attested by the - same youth that the maiden cherished a secret and forbidden love for him - who slew her in ignorance of her passion. In all else Brother Ambrosius - was a faithful servant of the Lord. Pray for him, pray for him!] - </p> - <div style="height: 6em;"> - <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> - </div> -<pre xml:space="preserve"> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Monk and The Hangman’s Daughter, by -Adolphe Danziger De Castro and Ambrose Bierce - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MONK *** - -***** This file should be named 38602-h.htm or 38602-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/3/8/6/0/38602/ - -Produced by David Widger - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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