Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1837-02-08

menfs 40 an ordinarily comfortable dwell |
ing house, even In the country.
"A particular description Of the building |
would Be unnecessary, as there could
ssayesly Aass been another building re-
Iseisd IN Montreal. haring any prsirn-
sions 20 hs Bams Of a house, more SnIiks
Msris MOags description or plan, or more
nniiks ihs Hotsi Dies. fkSs thiS. Il had
no wall around Il, but the very ordinary |
board fsnce which eneloses Mrs. MeDon- |
nslrs lot We were conducted through |
lhs building, and assured we were shown |
the whole OF il. which / do not doubt, by
\ girl called Jane Ray, one Of the Mag
dalens, as we understood; bot who was
llmost As dissimilar in appearance and
manners. 10 the Jane Ray, so eonspicu ous
in Maria Monks book, as the Magdalen
Asylum e unlike the Hotel Dieu 1t
was q matter Of establishment to US both,
how respectable persons, who had any re-
gard for public opinion or their own dis
rernmsnt could attempt to palm on the
public, an idea 80 a5surIly ridiculous, as
that Maria Monks description Of the
building which she calls the Hotel Dieu
Millinery, is at oil applicable to MrssMc-
DonnelPs asylum. Even our conductress,
seemed plainly to betray her want offai.h
IN the pretended resemblance. I was here
forcibly impressed with the conviction,
that the advocates Of the nunnery. with
whom the idea originated. felt that some
effort must be made 10 sustain desperate
cause.
Ny next object was to ascertain whe,h.
er the Hotel Dieu, and the other establish
ments, described by Miss Monk, CORES
ponded IN any reasonable degree to her de-
ecrlption Of them. l neither sought nor
desired an internal examination of any OF
them. for the purposes Of testing the truth
OF Maria Monks statement. 1t would be
both idle and arrogant for any person,
however experienced, even in the art OF
building. to attempt TO examine the inter-
orofa building OF such extent as the Ho-
tel Dieu, with such a view at present. un-
less they have been formerly familiar with
every part Of it. If one moiety Of the
eharges in Maria Monks book be true,
no ratIonat person can doubt, but those
eoncerned will endeavor 10 conceal the
evidences of their guilt, by making every
possible alteration in the building. |,
would weaken, but little, the credit of Ma.
ria Monks testimony. if she should even
now, De OF q loss in recognizing the differ
ent apaFmenn Of the building. admitting
shc has been what she processes to have
been, an inmate Of the building. There
- has bsro ample time fnr making any alter
alton that could be effected by stone, pas
ter, and wood. An examination. imnedi
ately after the charges were made public
would have been satisfactory and conclu
sfvs 90 the one side or the other but car
now have but little weight IN invalidatins
Mss Monks testimony, If the interior o
the building should not be found as repre-
srnted By her
After taking view Of the location o
the principal monastie establishments, m,
attention was chiefly directed to the Hole
Dieu. This building. according 10 Bou
chstte's typographical description Of Low,
er Canada, published in 1915, extends il
fton;. on s.. Paul's st. 324 feet, and in tn,
depth, on St. Joseph's st. 46s feet pre-
sdme the dimensions here given, TO b.
correct, judging merely by the eye. but tn,
extent along 81. Joseph's st. is the exten
ofthe exterior wall. The buildings, yart
and garden, occupy nearly the outer blocI
: ofthc lots, between St. Paups st. and No
ire Dime, running parallel 10 it, and be
tween 81. Joseph and St. Jean Baptist,
streets, running from St. PduI's at RICH
anglesto Notre Dame. The whole front
32l feet, on ST.. Pau's street, Is occupiet
by the main building and three wings, il
Appearance not much inferior, in size, L
the main building. extending back toward
Notre Dame street. From the position
from which have reviewed those wings
= would not speak positively Of thei
n length but Al the time, had no doub
they greatly exceeded one hundred fee
I. each. This, however, is not a point O
much Importance 10 any opinion whicI
the public may form on the subject, excep
20 mr. a. IL goes; 10 show the absurdity q
stranger preten1ing to have thoroughly
examined builling so extensive in tn
spaee ofthree hours or less, which Col
I, IA Stone processes to hare done. I beiiev
that none ofthese buildings, that is, III
front and back wings, is less than thre
stories shove ground, and IL my recollec
ton does not greatly deceive me, the from
is four story, as il faces on St. Paul's g
l did not note down the number of storie
atthe time, not anticipating that this poiu
would be eontroverted. But another refles
tion which the size ofthe buildings force
on the observer. is, what can be the ne
eessity or theuse Of such buildings Tor h
accommodation Of thirty-slx nuns, f.,
novices TO keep up the number of nun,
and 20 accommodate the few sick whic
arcthete atuny one time2
On looking over the New York Spec
tator Of Oct. IL, l was utterly astonishe
"a find thar C,nl g.. III -.