THE ABBEY OF GETHSEMANI.



pecially fits them for this office. They
memorize the Psalms in Latin, and
chant the entire Book of Psalms twice
a week. Their garb is a white cassock,
which in length barely escapes the
ground, with a black scapular over
it. Their vows are for life.  The
vow lay brothers, as their name indi-
cates, are the working class of the
order who have taken life vows. They
sow, plant, reap, cut wood and perform
all sorts of manual labor. Their cas-
sock is brown. The oblate lay brothers'
duties are identical with the vow lay
brothers, the only difference being
that the former are not bound, and may
leave the monastery whenever they
please. The entire brotherhood wear
cowls, and are girt about the waist
with a broad leathern belt. Their vow
is poverty, obedience and silence.
When they meet each other, they



salute by bending the head.  They
cannot speak except by permission of
the Superior, and when one brother
knocks at the door of a room where
another brother may be, a stamp of
the foot is the sign for him to enter,
instead of speaking. During the "Great
Silence," which lasts from six in the
evening till six in the morning, not a
word is spoken by any. And in the
cloisters eternal silence reigns, not
even the Superior speaking there.
  When any one comes and seeks ad-
mission into the order, the rule by
which they live is first explained to
hint. If he expresses himself willing
to abide by it, a room is given him, and
he becomes a postulant. At the ex-
piration of two weeks he is given the
dress of the order. His novitiate lasts
two years. During this time he is free
to leave if he should so desire. When
two years are gone he takes the vows,
and the world is lost.
  It seems strange to us of the world



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