Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-08-18

very Interesting Letter
NJ. ]. Leander Starr communicates to the
! Montreal journals the following staten ents made
by his daughter la so doing he says, They
were in no way written under my dietaton, and
are what they purpose TO be, Miss starr own
version ofthe circumstances which have oilate
unhappily caused so much notorety in the
world They were not written under any idea
Of their ever being published, but solely TO en-
able me to submit to my law advisers the real
facts of the case direct from herself but on con
suation Of some friends to day, am advised TO
publish them perbatim and to do so at once.
THE LETTER.
SARATOGA, 9d August 1859
Ny DEAR Para: The excitement and agita-
/ tion caused by the wrong step have taken IN
leaving my house without my parents consent,
and letting them suffer such agony on my ac-
count, makes me miserable, and preyss 80 deeply
on my heart that ! often think 1t will soon ter
inmate my life. l feel it almost Impossible to
uive YOU a clear statement Of facts, and am
deeply sorry for having destroyed tuose letters
written me by different priests, whose cores
pondence commenced while was IN Toronto
NAV, 1858 You remember we arrived from
England in November, and went to Toronto lu
December / did not attend the Catholic
church until the month Of May, and then wrote
to priest by the name of o REEVE; our servant
Maria gave me his name, aud carried hum my
letters; he sent me a verbal message saying he
would be happy to see me IN the vestry room
of the church, where | explained TO him my
wishes to become a Catholic and a Carnehto
nun; he then desiredme to call upon him at the
, Bishop's Palace, which l did, and, as l was
y coming away met the Bishop, and otmy own
accord turned back to speak to him, and opened
my mind fully to speak TO him. lie replied ne
would think about it; some time after tins
, went To the Bishops Palace TO see Mr. o REEVE,
when he was not there, and | saw III his alb
. sence Mr. J. }. Bruyere, who did not approve
: of nv plan, and said had better leave 1t T.,
Bishop Charbonnel to decide. Soon alter l
saw the Bishop, who did not give me posi-
tive answer, butremained outwaTdy passive, !
d knowing from my own observation he enoourag'
y ed it.
About a month after this l was introduced
: by Mr.. Bruyerc TO Madame Poisson, at the
Palace She was delighted to make my ac-
ouaiptqnce. and also charmed with the plan OF
nv becoming a Camelte nun, she and Mr.
P6ilbert who had recently arrived from farls
torethcr having lived four months amongst
the order Of Caimelites They two offered tC
take me to Paris-the Bishop, Charuonnel, hav
ing proposed the plan of Paris or England
NV being placed at Toledo was only temper
ary arrangement of Mr.. Granets. I've also sug
ueEteu my not lelllllb NY palNito h'''" '''NA'
/ was until had crossed the Atlantic OCEAN
. Bshop CharbOnuels first plan was TO send M
~ | To Baltimore and there to prepare Tor the ofde
id of Carmelites in England; but, hndng som
disputes had arisen in Baltimore amongst th'
nuns in the convent there, he changed his de
D cision and Mr. Granet took IT INTO ms owl
R hands to send me to Toledo, before he had re
ceiyed any orders from the Bishop-at Ieast
a. this is his story. My own statement TO lh'
y Bishop about my family was, that they ha'
Il ever been most indulgent and kind, aud haC
o treated me with entire ana devoted lection
b" and would allow me to do anything but OecOm'
- a Catholic | stated my obJectln becoming
Catholic was also to become Nun, ana was
H. perfectly certain they nCUer would consent t'
w. this Then he said it was my duty TO leave
ir- them Mr.. Granet then went TO the Grey Nun
nery in Montreal, and told Sister Slocombc
mistress of the Novlces, his plan as to my Jour
nev. The day after this visit, called at tn
CCpvrnt-gaw Sister SlOcom'e for the frs
time. and planned with her my dress, which sh
af got ready for me and gave me the mex dayi
To K il home and put it on On the Saturda.
nd morning | left Madame COntols at SIX IN Tn
morning, whence ! proceeded TO the SEMINARY
~ wherc Mr. Grauct was in waiting with ran
- road ticket in hand, and gave me some money
The money he gave me was to pay my cIpen
- sos from Toronto to Toledo The prlnclpa
priest who corresponded with me IN IOronl
was Mr. Philbert lie wrote me some elgll
letters, and had them left at the Convent ma
w med the House of Providence, and where sax
3D. him several times, when he conyeTsed with IN
we on the plan to be adopted,
55qe On leaving Toronto the last time be said
- had better destroy hts letters, but gave me n
u.s. reason for so doing. They were about my be
I. coming a Nun and leaving my parents, whlc
- he perfectly approved Of There was no {,
male companion provided for me to take charg
I'LL" of me from Montreal to Toledo, ! acted el
tirely under the advice of Mr.. Granet. Th
newspaper states that my arrival at Toledo VS.
I: a matter of surprise The Superior Of the II,
p ledO Convent was introduced TO me ut III
Grey Nunnery in Montreal, and actually olar
- dest;nely produced my carpet bag from rool
le in the convent, where II had been locked u
4, through mistake, and then made it appear
the paper, ! was unknown 10 them My hr
q letter, after leaving home, was written fro
40 no no Sandwich to my mother, sentto Mr. Philbe
.hcb at Toronto, and he enclosed it to Mr. Crane
who posted it in Montreal The second WI
written about week after | arrived at Iuied
- and sent to Mr.. Grauet direct, enclosing OF
\ ID for friend in England i believe Wrote tV
rgr other letters, which were sent in the same wa
aud / received two letters from Montreal while
d OF Toledo, one from Mr.. Bonnissant, informiI
~ me of the movements of my parents, but D.
expressing one word of anxiety; and the 9th
letter, from Mr.. Granet, on the same subjeC
telling me also not To write to my parents u
ill was safely landed on the other side Of Ii
water. | had never known Mr. BOnnissant b
a. fore the morning Of my departure for To. ont
- when he came and spoke 20 me whilst / vi
waiting to get railway ticket from Mr.. CIR
q net, he gave me a little book, and told IN, IN
eel he elt the highest interest in all that concern
any me. Z was 70 be sent 10 Paris in few wee
can with the proposal and entire consent OF BishC
%. Charbonnel, believe. / wrote these letters
Mr.. Granet from Toledo merely on religion
s51lI subjects, inquirng about my parents and 80
ing that felt myselfa burden at the Convcr
'dys / did not experience the sympathy l had hop
g. ti find in those who were espOused 10 Jesl
- Christ / was left sometimes nearly a d.
without being spoken to, and the cod-hoarte
ness of those sisters made my life miserabl
b, and | did not find them aotuated by loving d
iS positions, and ] soon was taught that il W
not necessary TO be in convent to beeor
IN religious, and that God had created me 10
him in the midst of this worlds temptations, a qo
Is, Christian girl, TO be faithful to Him, and a1e
nor tonate to my parents am sorry you paid
mi TO Madame Poisson, TO whom / did not o,
''sse one cent never wrote 10 her for any none
and when she offered me some in Toronto
"a'' refused IL.
Mr. Philbeh sent me the money already me
n e. toned when i was ia Toledo, without nv as
usl ing for it, saying he thought / might be in wa
\ p of summer apparel The day YOU came lorI
10 In had already given it to the Supereure 10 Ia
Term charge Of for me, and she has it sti in her p,
pal. session. She bought some articles of dress