CHRISTMAS EVERY DAY
209
In any event, the celebration goes on.
My cousin Franz has taken an amazing step. He has been ac–
cepted as a lay brother in a nearby monastery. When I saw
him
for
the first time in a cowl I was startled: that large figure, with broken
nose, thickened lips and melancholy expression, reminded me more
of a prisoner than a monk. He seemed almost to have read my
thoughts. "Life is a prison sentence," he said softly. I followed him
into the interview room. We conversed haltingly, and he was ob–
viously relieved when the bell summoned him to the chapel for
prayers. I remained behind, thoughtful, as he departed: he went in
a great hurry, and his haste seemed genuine.
(Translated from the German by Denver Lindley)
