The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-07-17
The Exhibition and Distribution Of Pre-,
miams at st. Joseph's Parochial School
for Girls.

i, lUT OAr1S. ss5s8
|, In an age precipitate as ours, when event
tread on each others heels in such con
founded hurry, and what took place but
few days ago is remembered with only tn
vague indistinctness associated With
boys recollection of his first historical
readings, we certainly run the risk of being
considered, by our telegraphic generation
AZ antiquated in referring at this time o
day to celebration brilnfal ct once O
interest and of meaning, at which we had
the honor and satisfaction to assist at the
remote epoch of the 30th of last june. We
hope the dear Sisters will pardon MS for an
omission, the responsibility for which does
not, however, rest on oursweak shoulders.
We are at home in theology and philosophy,
but in the finer delineations Of art, as ex-
hibited in contemporary events, we gladly
surrender the right of way to better quail
fed members of our fraternity. Moreover,
as the simple truthful expression of the
high estimate we long since formed Of the
Sisters of Charity might be interpreted by
those who do not know us as the language
of exaggeration, we were anxious that
others should assume task our. zeal to
perform which outsiders may rashly put
down as an ipfallible proof of our incom-
petence.
That we were pleased with the exhibi-
ton it is unnecessary to affirm; that any
one of taste could be displeased with it we
deny to be possible. Everything connect
ed with it was in keeping with the propri-
eties of the occasion. The Sisters handed
a venerable priest the list of names to be
proclaimed as deserving the honors of the
school, and to another priest, not less ven
cradle fell the duty of distributing the
premiums and honorary distinctions. AS
the successful competitors in each depart
ment retired, to count over their newly
received treasures among their companions.
where, however, their intense qualification
made momentary covey house for them,
the solitude of which they enjoyed to their
innocent hearts, content; others of their
schoolmates, on the temporary platform,
entertained the visitors with the plays and
sports peculiar to their tender age, on wit
Messing which the moist eye of age grew
moister with happy though regretful recol-
lections, and the heart, perhaps harden ed
in LIES severe trials, grew soft in contem-
plating the picture of it's former purity.
During the whole time that our duties per-
mitted us to be present at this exhibition,
the terrible question was asking itself or
its answer in our mind, What would be-
come of those hundreds of girls if they |
were deprived of the advantages they now |
eDjoyf Imagination recoils from pictur-
ing, and the heart sickens at conceivinp,
the disastrous consequences. Fine selec-
tions from the best musical compositions
added peculiar attraction to this interest
ing ceremony. The performers were sim
ply learners; yet in old practitioners, nay
even in professors of that heavenliest of
arts, we have often detected less just pre-
cision of touch, a less finished execution, a
more incomplete fulness of melodious
sounds, all dissolving into one liquid har-
mony, than we heard that day from unpre-
tending little girls. This, of course, is due
to their gifted instructress but of her,
since she can be but humble Sister of
Charity, we may not speak. The Sister of
Charity, in becoming one, sewers every tie
Of family, of kindred and of home; she
abdicates her very name, and be she princes
'r PEASANTS daughter, her only aim in life
IS to mingle with the democracy of the
faithful on earth, while she borrows as her 1
'ole designation on earth the name of some :
recognized dignitary of heaven. For US, 1
therefore, it would border on sacrilege to !,
ntrude on the unearthly anonymousness o
# Sisters life. G
Among all the children we saw there ,
hat day we did not discern single bold '
ace; every child in that multitude of chill '
lren wore the ethereal veil of modesty, +,
which is the appropriate garment of either, = =
nut particularly of the female, sex. Thanks c
o the Sisters excellent judgment, there 8
we're none of those drowsy examinations, t
which the teachers vanity, not the pu- 7
IFS progress, is manifested; neither were :
re bored with those abominable screech- a
pgs, euphemiously styled declarations, 8
7hich, albeit tolerable perhaps in the case n
1nchoate men, since all conversation
ow-a-days in our country is declama- i,
ion, is simply outrageous in the other sex, q
hose distinctive and most attractive quail n
y is its old-fashioned modesty. For the n
fe of us we cannot see what business e
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