A GARDEN IN VENICE 



We have Cucine Economiche at Venice and 

 on the Giudecca, which do much good, but the 

 Redentore monk is not behind in the same service. 

 The Padre and his fellows go out far and near, 

 as do their brother monks of San Francesco nel 

 Deserto, collecting everything that can help their 

 poor, excepting money. 



One summer evening years ago we had a picnic 

 dinner at San Francesco with many other residents 

 and friends. It came on to storm and the party 

 sought refuge, that was most kindly given, in the 

 part of the monastery that women are allowed to 

 enter. It was proposed by one who knew much 

 of monks, as he knew of many things in Italy, 

 Spain, and the East, to make a collection that 

 would show some return for the hospitality we 

 had received. But the money for the monks' dis- 

 tribution to their poor, that we should have been 

 glad to leave behind, had to be taken to Venice 

 and spent in provisions before it could be accepted. 



One day, some time ago, I was told at Salce 

 near Belluno, sixty miles away, where we pass the 

 hot part of the summer, that a Venetian acquaint- 



47 



