, 1869-04-25
THE CONVERTS OF CHICAGO.


There has ever been veil OF fomAncc and nlyS.
teEy bctwccn tho clolstercd inm1tea OF convent
md the practical everyday people whose religion
Affords them no such rettrat, In which they can
forget tho world and ta temptations nnt surround
themselves with the teanementa OF spiritual lie.
Ono would imagine Il impossible to Ind spot In
this turbulent city. psopIcd by actlvc living be.
tngs, over which TIM dove Of peace pcFyctuaily
hrools; yet the pale gentle sisters ot charity L.
surc IN with that Rwcck sulIe 10 chdkc md
+jd1,psll<, that they arc nescr disturbed BY thu
vsnlt!cs and rcxAtiona Of this worlA for, In giving
Ep its rlrasufra, they loso lis pain each electinR
hrrrell \ p1tcsteas Of Heaven and wearing The
rotsz Of her once with dignity AMI faith. Let u,
Iook over tue different institutions which, here tn
our midst, silently anil unoutruslvc1y, prfrrtaatc
their urslcr and raIry on, ID their llattrnt wnJA
ihelr special vUtatiouA
TttR cusrKSr Or TIE HACRKn H1AR1
II mat n, ! Fuus.atory building OH the West sldc,
cs,rucr ot aJior street nuh Centre avenue. 1t1 cx
tcual1c grounds nru IAL out with scientific
carr, and cnsirunr4l hy high walk, wcl'xuar,ill
ty !run rcEtlucI. to keep pnt possible intrnlcfA
The convent buildings lncint1e Il largo parish
s4hooi which accommodates daily sevon hundrsdL
any sch'1n uf Tho poorer clAaA4 Tho malt hutId-
Ing, nm iH1NAlnR ctl,cn Of briCk and stone, front4
tnr street. and II reached hy hight nj steiN,
whctr tho ,.Itof pulls silver iioor Oelt a.l iooks
y, tho surroundings while awaiting entrancn. Ths
site u vcEJ nno nno, commanding al Immense
extent II cultivated rrnlru And tho best part uf The
uaf,len City. The ar Ia rurr, Tho shaded w.ilA
Just vtxllao III the ruAT, CLEAN aud we'll grA.ccl
| the coavent drg&-And d0ga arc not ycitel nar
| dcHifc! tLero, and hnvt, therefore, hhrA,
| worldly, iii.ustd lpoI--dra~ near and snII saA
| 1lciouhly, WHEN the door In ailrnpy Uptnct, hJ
acme unsetn &Hrncy, Alli tic xsx1tor cutters \
| AMsl vrsIthtllc Trading Into larger hail Tht
sisser y ho opens the Aoas, now stcIM lrop beh!nl
| r, ami coufteouRtY lnvitnA an entrance iutp tho
rarior-oT 1uthnr onu nf tue pafinfs--os TIM house.
and rccs away to call tho rnrior n!strc.A Of
| Mother Superior Tho convent Ii furnished tux.
! uI1ulAly throughout They mako great ulstaka
| who imagine lhr inmAtoA Aru ln cnussaat stats
Of renal modification. TheIE tnoes arc softly
csrpcted; their lcdS arc fAtr aai c1nf sttlhc a1l
they cat Of Tie bcst the A,kct affords on all such
days - arc exempt from fasting. 1t has been my
own Eooal fortune To be benShted al convent nn'l
never did l alt down to 50 luxurious breakfast
IN nodel hotel, Is n the aauasS-eovcred
boArd OF the Hnd astef who,
apohtAte sa I wRs, tired only to win nc through
love. Golden coffee and rare yenlson, hot wat.lee
and amber lellics, With china and silver service,
rendered eating the teanement Of luxury. put
ste nioue; II WAS not permissible for the Gente
madame to Sit nj meat With me, though she nlxh1
wit on me With her Own tntr hands Ncr vas
better served than tho rcriest beSgar want EaIsat
bring to their door, Rnd who, from his ncceSsttics
but the guest Of tho Lord
The Sacrsd Heart II N educational establish
ment 1t Is sixty-nlnt years since the o.lef ~:
founded In France By AAhame Bsrret, who died
IN ls63 at the advanced age Of 50 years
Its members never 50 Into tho world after masiue
their profession, nor ontAl0c the limits Of tacli
own enclosures, except 10 20 In Silence hud &c
crecy to their own houses In other towns The.
do not .,sIs or minglc with The Sisters @, Chs.ty
or With 1ny religious oTder being strictly clo.s
tered The term Of poyttAte u Two ycsFA. Tht
uosice then becomes an asplrAnt and wcars tht
white yell for eve yea1A During any Of taost
seven yearS Of waiting she Is Al liberty to return
to tho worli and re1act her VOWS; but II Is rarely
this happens for the n.st step Is not taken without
an earnest and pEaye11ul examination ioto tht
realities OF such life The nuns themselves AZ
insenslb1e to that charm which, uEt
Incense, fingers around the conrentuGl precincts
| to IN outsider the su1e.st!dons md The faith
than which there caN be none gfeAtef-lf
Catholic, both point to lie Of holiness, spent Il
nonAstic seclusion. It Is = far higher honor to-
them to VICAR llfeumcs mourning for stn. 4.
the Artlcs elect Of Heaven, than to Be The pozses
sors Of tho highest earthly QooL There are eight.
or mo,c pupils tn the Convent Of the 6acret
HesEs-thudren Of merchants, lawyers, editor.
doetors md cle1yJmen. The religious tendcnc,
Of the school u OF course, Catholic, many Of III
chllIrca ate Catholic, but fully hAaf are Protest
/, ant noted Catha!lc oace said: "C!ve me
, child untl he Ia scven, and yuu cso never make
. Protestant Of him" Parents who feas I'll
power Of RonAnlsus. will not be likely to Gen
. | their children there.
, The children art ct1aca;el IA al the branches q
! u complete education Then Il une E!s.sa9 a
) in tho week, when parensA ard guardians ar pc.
!, | Inltted to sec them
6 The chapel OF the conreus Il rp-Btails II til
4 ceITe Of the haNd!Eg. There Is 4 half EaAer1
containing the organ. eeAts for the ss.e4a md su
+ dents, and altar decorated with statues Of II
Virgin, and ST. Joseph. the patron Saint Of cathe
, llca The EHss maAs Is sung II hslf-nas1 & In III
Q morning. ard Ia fully attended, though the sleep
!. eyes Of the children wander tr.eyerrut1J ttpy
priest to patron with, fear, but little Interest
|, either.
9 "WhIle the nrn s low hymn is heard the wnIls,
q Sung low In the dim. my steytous a1Ale.''
= And the ecene, to Protestant cyes IL weird .na g,
II chanting. The Gsters, IN their white c1lmpe
e,pa and long black Ecs their serene, white face
r sud folded hands, through the psle onxers {
which trc rosatJ sitps they count od their mn,
u er TIC impressive Latin chanting OF the sutu,ce
Il priest, the softscensed waves Of incense min
J. and falling In harmony with the low organ TINE.
n tho "dtm religious Light" Of the eonsecrste
4 tapezs nAks picture Of romantic interest % On
,e outElde Of the faith
- And It u not without tts charms for ,he m,
I, devotecs themselves, who look with earnest en-
through the tnoks Of the incense to see the eate
y a}F, and wosshlp With such patient, absolute fa!t
T. fha memory Of = WOMAN who died eighteen hnn
t. dred ycas1 aGu
TIE Order Of the eacrcd Heart Is Of French O,
gin, and is Mother superioEs and rica. Genera
:. nc French; but, among tie Sisters are taoeo {
~ ali ns.tons and msny OF them are converts 10 RI
mAnism frotn the Protestant Ecct
y n1 sls7Kks Or kK1cY.
E 1wcnt one COOL plessaut morning to vtd. It
, g. 1Ar.er Convent, on Wabash aveaue, with
r distinct feeling that had no hlghc. motive TIL
f. that of curiosity to SEC the inside working ol II
y conEcntual sJs'cm IN America had sut1c
d ps:ed stern REFUSAL Or At least reluctant ca,
10 hcnt to my ti4t, which VA not ncesttyed by I,
n vesJ eooer fsoe Of the pretty ststcr who acted
l. posseaa and admitted me to he reception narlo
h where amused n.seu, while waiting, In ioottr
q II the handsome pictures os salnsz aad pstro,
10 which decorated Il md the Art,c,es n, r4-t, nu
lay IN careless psousaoa on ths eade t.h,,s rhs,