Washington telegraph., 1849-09-26
A STRANGE STORY.

A STRANGE STORY.
A Paris correspondent of the st. Louis
Republican relates the following strange
but interesting story:
Several years ago, a rich miller, living
in one of the provinces, became so unhap-
py by the death of his wife, that placing
his only child, girl of ten years of age,
in a convent, he repaired to monastery
near Paris and became a monk. During
six or seven years he led most pious life,
but. from the gloom of his cell he thought
often of his daughter. The desire to see
her grew so much upon him, that he at
last resolved to open correspondence
with her; the answers he received to his
letters were such as to re-awaken all the
affections of other days within his bosom.
The young girl on her side was no less
eager to see once more parent whose
sarlv tenderness she still remembered
With resolution surprising to one OF her
age, she quilted the convent, dressed her
self in male attire, and sought the monas-
tery in which her father resided. She
there resumed the habit of the order, and
was named brother Robert. She was
then but seventeen years OF age. She
took care not to reveal herself to her faith
er until the irrevocable vow had been
pronounced; when at last she followed
him to his cell and told her story. The
iov he expressed at holding his beloved
child once more to his heart, and the re-
pret which her act of devotion caused
him, brought on fever which ended his
life in few days.
The Young girl found herself now in a
situation which nothing but the religious
education she had received could have
enabled her to bear. Deprived of the sup
port which the daily sight of her father
would have given her, she valiantly for
tilted herself in every possible way in Or
der to keep down the worldly regrets
which arose in her heart. She became
the example in the convent, and the sane
tity of triar Robert was spread abroad in
all France. The most holy Offices were
confded principally to her; it was she
who was sent to pray by the bedside of
the diving, and to console the afflicted
But she did an immense deal of good
among the young gills of Paris. whom
the world and its pleasures had drawn
from the path of duty. To these she
never wearied of talking; her humility
surprised them, the simplicity of her soul
and the sweetness of her voice charmed
them completely; and Friar Robert
rarely failed in bringing these wanderers
back to the right way.
At last, however SANDER attacked the
fair fame of Friar Robert, and he was ac-
cused of being too fond of visiting female
sinners. The Abbe of the monastery i'm
posed upon the pretended brother, as pen
nance, to serve the whole community,
and to do the most repugnant and toughest
work. She did all without murmur,
and during three years accomplished the
rude duties laid upon her without talter-
ing in single one.
Last week she died, and the remorse of
the monks may well be imagined when 1t
was discovered that it was sister IN
stead of brother whom they had been
Furnishing so long.
One more saint will now, doubtless,
be added to the already overfowing cal
endar.
The Journal OF Commerce says that
the U. >. steamship OuSquehdhnd' d'
Philadelphia, will be ready for launching
early in the spring. She is thirty feet
longer than the great ship of the line, the
Pennsylvania. Her breadth OF beam is
much less, and her tonnage is but 25OO.
She will carry but eight guns OF heavy
calibre-one of them, which will be placed
upon her bow, will throw hollow shot
weighing 2O6 pounds. Her machinery
will cost $500. .0OO-the four boilers alone
$4,000 each-and the whole vessel. when
completed, about $6OOOOO Her crew
will consist of about 800 men.
An official report of the Camden and
Amboy Rail Road Company states, that
during a period of seventeen years past,
the number of persons killed on the roads
of that company was twenty. Upon all
the rail roads in Massachusetts there
were killed, in 1S47, forty four persons,