A Retreat at La Trappe [pp. 862-883]

A RE TREAT AT LA TRAPPE.
with which the oldest records of the mission are but of yesterday-back for twelve hundred years before the first Sulpician
grounded his canoe on the shore of the Ottawa; back far into
the dawn of Christianity, into the beautiful ages of faith!
I had frequently heard of the monastery on the shores of
the Lake of Two Mountains, and had formed a vague idea
that a visit to it would be likely to prove interesting; but it
was left for a chance journey of pleasure in the summer to
bring this about.
August of that year found a party, of whom I was one, encamped on an island in the Ottawa not far from Oka, and a
trip to the monastery was naturally looked forward to as one
of the chief features of our visit. Accordingly, one beautiful
summer morning we set out in our canoes, and after a paddle
of five miles arrived at Oka village, where we easily obtained
conveyances to carry us on to our destination. Arriving there
we saw before us a long, narrow, two-storied wooden building
standing in the centre of a very considerable vegetable garden,
IN THE NEW STONE MONASTERY ONE WING IS SET APART FOR GUESTS.
every part of which, even to the refuse-heap, was neatness itself; and where might be seen, here and there, a white or brownrobed figure patiently laboring at his silent task, but with a
look of perfect peace and contentment shining from his countenance, such as is not often found outside the cloister.
I 894.3
863