He is obliged to continually punish him, with sentences of
seclusion, penance, and fasting; but methinks it goes against the
grain. He said, at once, that he was delighted to hear that he had
voluntarily undertaken some work that would keep him out of trouble,
and that he willingly, and indeed gladly, absolved him from attendance
in chapel, during the hours that he was occupied with you.
"'He is not without his uses,' he said. 'He is in special charge of the
garden, and looks after the lay brothers employed in it. I will put
someone else in charge, while he is busy, though I doubt if any will
get as much work out of the lay brothers as he does; and indeed, he
himself labours harder than any of them. With any other, I should say
that tucking his gown round his waist, and labouring with might and
main was unseemly; but as it works off some of his superabundant
energy, I do not interfere with him.'"
"How ever did he become a monk, Father?"
"It seems that he was a somewhat sickly child, and his father sent him
to the monastery to be taught, with a view to entering the Church. He
was quick and bright in his parts, but as his health improved he grew
restless, and at fifteen refused to follow the vocation marked out for
him, and returned home; where, as I have heard, he took part in various
daring forays across the border.
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