Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-05-30
ST. CECILIA ACADEMY.

10 the Editors OF the Union anu american:
There is a spot near your city which |
love 10 visit whenever | come TO Nash
willie, and oyer its gates are 10 be placed
this inscription: abode of Innocenca =,
Peace and Happiness" Though within
sight of your noisy city, and in full view
of the warlike encsmpment in its suburbs,
yet all these worldly scenes aid noises are
shut out from my senses, as soon rs | enter
its sacred portals. II is there where noble
ladies have retired from the Vanities and
follIes of life, and are devotiDg themselves
to the care and guidance of the young,
and preparing them for life of duty and
usefulness. 1t is there,
Where Learning's gentle Genius stands
In golden garb arrsyedi
And surely, Mr.. Editor, it must be
golden garb, for never before saw such a sc
of happy end contended girls, as l found
yesterday in the study hall. and after
wards in their rambles through the beauti
full grounds. 1t seemed to be a second
paradise to them 10 their joy and innocence.
Paradise, indeed, for it is T remarkable
but we'll known fact that the angel of
death has never yet entered these sacred
precincts since the establishment of the
school 10 1850. While the war was going
on in all its terror, my good star led me to
commit one dearer than life to the guar
dianship of those good women, snd | can
assure you that | never had occasion to
regret the step took. The estab lishment
was then in the very midst of vast en-
campment, and thousands of soldiers in
all the pride and panoply of war" were
quartered up to Its very gates, and re-
manned there until gentle peace came with
her olive branch. And here we're nearly
two hundred girls and women entirely IN
protected | sm mistaken, for the honor
Of these men from the North be il said,
that they at once felt the refining infu.
ences of that sacred retreat and became lis
steadEest guardians and protectOrs. Not the
least disturbance took place during that
period, and its inmates remained AS safe as
if they had been in a citadel. ! was told
that not even q flower WAS taken from
those grounds, and peace and security
seemed TO reign supremely. The insiitu-
ton is now iu successful operation, and
has A number Of scholars from all parts Of
the South. Ii has been burthened with
quite large debt, (but working nobly
through caused 10 great extent by the
liberality and indulgence of the teachers
shown 10 their patrons IN the extreme
South. A number OF girls from Louisiana
and Mississippi we're sent here at the be-
ginning OF the war, and were afterwards
cut OF from all intercourse with their pa
rents and friends, and when the war closed.
many Of those had been ruined and were
insolvent To my certain knowledge, no
1 Ia LII ~
innocent pdifS of the war aud their more
fortunate sisters, and the rich and the poor
were all treated alike. All the branches
OF Il finished (sO called education are
taught here, and the greatest attention is
bestowed upon the rudimental branches,
and English" is Taught before French and
Italian. Many of the pupi are most exr
| cellenL extempOraneous readers, and their
penInanship il most excellent. Much At
| tention IL paid 10 arithmetic, science 80
| Indispensable in all the transactions Of life,
and TUIgdr fractions are mastered before
| algebra and trlgonometry are attempted.
The writing of original compositions is also
| pracliced daily, and some of the young
| ladies have recently demonstrated that
| they are not deficient in that useful ac-
| complement. The now somewhat neg
lecied domestic duties of woman are also in.
culcaled, as the pupils have charge Of their
own rooms and are taught practically all
the arts Of the thorough hOusekeeper; and
what is Ms important in this age Of folly,
extravaganza and mistaken gentllity, the
pupil is taught to believe that she can be q
good, useful, charming and distinguished
woman, without kid-gloves and camel
load of silks, satins, aud other fix
ings displayed upon her person
They are made TO believe that humility
modesty and simplicity are more becoming
TO lady, and more attractive 10 good an,
true men, than all the decorations the mos
artful toilette can furnish. But L mus
close as my letter is getting rather long
and find that have not, AS yet, men
tionod the name Of that "Oasis" in thi
worlds wilderness. Well, it is too lat
now, aud / will not tell you at all but lie
you fad il out for yourself. G.