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

A RETREAT AT LA TRAPPE.
vegetables of various kinds boiled in water, eked out with
coarse dry bread, a little salt, and a cup of water; or of boiled
rice and milk. Occasionally home-made cider is substituted for
the water. Meat he never tastes, unless while in the infirmary;
nor fish, butter, cheese, or eggs, although the last three are produced in plenty at the monastery. I can easily imagine the
thoughts of some of my readers, who perhaps were beginning
to think of a visit to Oka, at this recital; but let it not be
imagined that the Trappists restrict their guests to their own
meagre bill of fare. Meat they do not serve to any one in the
monastery, unless he be an invalid; but amid the abundance of
the menu I, for one, never missed it. Milk, butter, and eggs,
such as one gets only in the country; excellent bread; vegetables
of every variety and in every form; soup; stewed, fried, boiled,
etc., etc., and really most tastily done. Most delicious boiled
rice, cheese, fruit, both preserved and fresh, tea, cider-all find
a place on the hospitable board which the Trappist lays for
his guests. While in the monks' kitchen the sole aim seems to
be to provide what will sustain life, the cook of the hospice
has, on the other hand, apparently studied cooking as a fine art,
and brought his studies to considerable perfection. I can therefore promise that visitors to Oka, whatever else they may do,
will certainly not starve.
But to return to the daily life of the Trappists. The hours
for the several offices, prayers, and works vary with the varying
seasons and with the amount of work to be done on the farm;
but I will do my best to give a general idea of a day at the
monastery, choosing in preference the fall of the year, as that
was the season when I made both of my visits. Two o'clock in
the morning is, as I have said, the general hour for rising. On
Sundays, however, when Matins are sung instead of being merely
recited, they rise at one, and on special feasts, called " doubles,"
when the office is unusually long, they rise at midnight, and
are then, it must be remembered, up for the day. As the monks
sleep in the habit worn during the day, their toilet does not
occupy much time, and at five minutes after the ringing of the
bell for rising every monk is in his place in the chapel, ready
to commence the office. And here let me say that this sleeping in their habits is one of their severest penances. The guestmaster, who had been forty-six years inf the order, told me that
it was the only rule that he could never grow accustomed to.
The Trappists, before each portion of, the canonical office, re zite the corresponding portion of the "Little Office of the
Blessed Virgin," and their first duty on going to the chapel in
[Mar.,
874