The Sun.
London, England, 1831-08-02 00:00:00

TAKING THE VEIL.

How many strange, wild, and romantic associ-
ations are connected with " taking the veil !" Th.
romances of our early days,—the tales, that pro-
fessed to reveal the mysteries of the cloister, crowd
-.upon our memory ; we see standing before us the
creatures of our imagination—the inflexible lady
abyss—the trembling nun—we hear the authorita
Live question, and the timid reply—we see the mid-
night procession, and hear the anthem of sweet and,
holy voices—and a crowd of mysterious and half-
forgotten dreams and visions I had learned to doubt
the reality of,—l had already caught occasional
glimpses of those mysterious creatures who inhabit
convent walls, without finding any realization of MN
vision of charms more than mortal. I had learned
to know that nuns grow old, and that the veil does
not always shadow loveliness; but having under-
stood that the victim about to sacrifice herself wat:
scarcely seventeen, I dismissed from my mind all
the realities that warred with my romantic illusions,
and recurred to the dream of my earlier days.
At the hour appointed, the abbess entered the
room on the other side of the grating, accompanied
by all the nuns, and by several ladies, friends and
relatives of the novice, She entered a moment

after; and immediately knelt down, with her face
towards the grating, so that I had a near and dis-
tinct view of her. Se was attired in the novice's
robe of pure white, and wore a crown of flowers
upon her head. She seemed scarcely more than
sixteen. Her countenace was gentle, sweet, and
interesting; there was an expression of seriousness,
but not of sadness in her face; and a skin, fairer
than usually falls t 9 the lot of Spanish women,
was sensibly coloured with a fine carnation,—the
glow of youth, and health, and happiness, yet lin-
gering on her cheek, end connecting her with the
world of light, and life, and freedom, about to close
upon her for ever.
The administrator now entered by the chapel,
and placed himself in a chair close to where I Was
stationed, and at the side of an opening in the
grating of about a foot square. The novice then,
rose, and walking forward to the grating, presented
him with a paper, which he read aloud : this was
the act of renunciation of all property, then and for
ever; and during this ceremony the novice retired
and knelt as before, holding in her hand a long
lighted taper, with which the abbess presented her.
The preparatory service then commenced by reading
and chanting ; and this, although monotonous, was
pleasing and impressive, according well with the so-
lemnity of the scene that had introduced it ; and in
this service the novice joined, with a clear sweet
voice, in which nothing of emotion could be dis-
tinguished. When this was concluded, the novice
again rose, and advanced to the grating, and pro-
nounced slowly and distinctly the three vows than
separate her from the world,—chastity, poverty, and
obedience. Her voice never faltered; nor could I
perceive the slightest change of countenance; the
colour only, seemed to be gradually forsaking her.
The lady abbess, who stood close by her side, wept
all the while. Ah ! if each tear could have told why
it flowed, what a history might have been unfolded.
Indignation was the feeling produced in my mind.
I wished for the cannon of the Constitutionalists, to
throw down these most odious of prisons; and even
to the priest, who stood by me in his crimson and
gilded surplice, I could not restrain myself from say-
ing, half audibly, Que infamia!
When the vows that could never be recalled had
been pronounced by this misguided child, she
stepped back, and threw herself prostrate upon the
ground,—this is the act confirmatory of her vows,—
symbolical of death, and signifying that she is dead
to the world. The service was then resumed,—a
bell continued slowly to toll ; and the priest read :
while the nuns who stood around their new-made

.sister, responded,—" dead to the world—separated
top from kindred—bride of heaven and the nun who
tji lies prostrate is supposed, at the same time, to repeat
4-.0". to God-in secret, the vows she has already pro-
- S bounced aloud. When this was concluded, a slow
organ ptel, and a solemn swell of voices rose, and
died away ; and the abbess then raised the nun from
the ground, and embraced her; and all the other
nuns and her relations also embraced her. I saw no
tear upon any cheek, excepting upon the cheek of
the abbess, whose face was so full cf benignity,
that it half reconciled me to the fate of the young
initiated who had vowed obedience to her. When
she had embraced every one, she again knelt
for a few moments, and then approached the
grating along with the abbess; and the priest
handed to the abbess, through the opening
the vestments of a nun. Then came the last
act of the drama :—the crown was lifted from her
head; the black vestment was put on, and the girdle
and the rosary ; and the black hood was drawn over
her head ; she was now a nun, and she again em-
braced the abbess and all the sisters. St,ll I could
not discover a single tear, excepting on the cheek of
the abbess, who continued to weep almost without
ceas'ng to the very end : the countenance of the
young nun remained unmoved. The crown was
again replaced upon her head, to be worn all that
day ; the sacrament was administered, and one last
embrace by friends and relations terminated the scene.
I had thus seen what I had long felt so much
anxiety to see,—" taking the veil ;" and I found it,
at the same time, a stirring and a melancholy spec.
tacle : stirring, because it filled the mind with indig-
nation against those whose cruel and insidious
counsel had misled an innocent girl ; and melan-
choly, because it pointed to a life uncheered by life's
sweetest charities,—unblest by its holiest ties,—life
without interest, without change, without hope ; its
sources of enjoyment dried up ; and its wells of
affection frozen over.—Spain in 1830.

KENNOWAY.—In almost every city, town,
village and parish of the kingdom, according to the late
census, the female= outnumber the males by a great ma-
jority. This parish, however, is an exception, there
being more males than females; and this circumstance,
it is said, has excited new hopes in the bosoms of many
spinsters, who were beginning to despir of ever enjoying
the sweets of connubial felicity.--Sco!smatt.

MUSICAL TEST OF THE FEMALE VOICE.-
The influence of the temper upon tone deserves much con-
sideration. Habits of querulousness or ill-nature will
communicate a cat-like quality to the singing, as infallibly
as they give a peculiar quality to the speaking voice.—
That there really exist amiable tones is not an unfounded
opinion. In the voice there is no deception ; it is, to
many, the index of the mind, denoting moral qualities ;
and it may be remarked that the low soft tones of gentle
and amiable beings, whatever their musical endowments
may be, seldom fail to please; besides which, the singing
of ladies indicates the cultivation of their taste generally,
and the embellishment of the mind. For an instant com-
pare the vulgarity of a ballad-singer, her repulsive tone of
voice and hideous graces, to the manner of an equally un-
cultivated singer in good society ; or watch the treatment
of a pretty melody from the concert-room, at the west-end
of London, until it roaches the ears from under the parlour
window, and observe how it gains something new of vul.
gatity with every fresh degradation.—Harmonicon for
August 1.

'Two
SOLDIERS DROWNED.—The bodies
of two fine-madestoutmen were brought to the Lying-in
(one of the Ilo•pital
receiving houses for all cases of ap-
parent death) on Thursdayevening, about half-past nine
o'clock. It appears that the unfortunate men, who were
comrades in the rifle corps stationed in the barracks
of this town, were bathing now
atThrostle Nest, about a mile
and a half down the river. One,
One, not bring able to swim,
and having unfortunately got
u
ing, when the ether, a good swimmer,
of his depth, was drown-
mm
assistance, but after many vain atetemos4pd struggles
they both sunk. They were
immediatelyr'jumped in to his
after he
minutes sought
for, and the first was taken out about five
sink. The body of the other was not found tilt a quarter
of an hour or more bad elapsed. They were then placed
on a flat of the Old Quay, and brought to Manchester
with all possible speed. On their approach to the hospi-
tal, messengers were despatched .for all -the neighbouring
surgeons. 11Iessr9. RADFORD, HUNT, JORDAN, and STE-
THENs, were promptly on the spot. The twoo surgeons of
er
the regiment also speedily arrived. But ent
that little or no hopes could be entertained of resuscitating
them, there not appearing the least spark of life.--Man.
cheater Guardian.