The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-03-12
Fron The Catholic, Boston,

Il From The Catholic, Boston.
The great and manifest superiority of
Nuus' schools over those of other denoinina-
tons is beginning to force itself on the CON
sideration of respectable non-catholic pa
rents. These schools have labored hereto
fore under many and serious disadvantages.
They were all recently comparatively nm
known outside their immediate vicinity.
As another cause which contributed, in no
small degree, to impede their usefulness,
may be mentioned the SANDER and I'M
founded reports spread abroad concerning
| them, by fanatical preachers whom God or
nature very slenderly endowed with brains
IF any kind. Every succeeding year
sees their halls thronged with the daughters
of these men, who have sent them there as
| to places in which can be obtained that edu-
| cation and training which they sought for
| in vain in schools of their own communion.
II They (the nuns) are not like some
others who open schools because, having
failed in worldly role, they adopt the course
| as a der.nier resort for gaming livelihood.
| Nor AGAIN are they like to those hireling
| teachers whose interest in the welfare OF
their pupils is in direct ratio of the pension
| which is brought them. In convent
| schools provision is made for the most ex
tensiye and complete female education that
is possible. They possess. as educators. this
| great advantage over other schools, that, al
a rule, the modern languages are taught te
| them by native teachers. Converts through
out the country generally comprise among
| their members nuns of different natlonalities
! French, Italian. Spanish and German.
| The same may be said of other branches
especially of music, whether Of vocal or in
| +harnprh oil fra, in
| ing in the science, together with unlimited
/ opportunities of instrumental practice, have
rendered the graduates of nuns schools
| quite accomplished musicians, as may b.
witnessed by their performances on exhibi
| ton dav. Elsewhere music may be eultiva
|! ted for the purpose of avoiding the disgrace
| the ignorance Of it would entail; but here i
| is attended to for its own sake, for the ra
tional pleasure it affords, and this with s,
much success that we have always consid
cred converts as the consecrated home o
song. Nuns act on the principle o
blending the useful with the agreeable, anC
with how much success many OF our reader
are competent to bear witness. Though pa
rents very properly wish that their children
receive a full equivalent in good educatio,
for the expenses occurred on their accoun,
we cannot suppose that this is the only, o
| indeed the chief, reason why nuns school
are patronized by professionals. 1t would b.
of little advantage to them that their daugh
tiers were well educated, unless they ais
learned to be better christians, more modest
more virtuous, better in every respect
Where the influence of good example i
wanting, where vanity and selfimportanc'
are rather engendered than suppressed
learning only serves to render its possesso
more ridiculous and intolerable. 1t is be
cause in nuns schools the heart as well a
the head is filled with virtuous principles
less by precept than by the influence of
consistent life, that professionals naturally turl
TO them in preference to all others; it is tha
they are the nurseries at once of virtue ant
education. We have reason to think tina
results have fully justified this preference
Their daughters are more obedient NOR
useful, less frivolous, less the creature 0
fashion, than if they had been brought u
under other influences. Where so man
real and lasting advantages are to be OF
tanned, and where any young protestan
ladys religion is never interfered with, it i
not strange that these opportunities ar
| availad of