Weekly Trinity journal., 1870-02-19
NUMBER 7.
An American Convent.

writer in late number of Putndms Monthly
has an article on " With the Nuns" from which
we cut the following account of the convental
school at Hochelaga, near Montreal
! Within three hundred yards of the st. Law
renee river commanding from its upper stories
a view of the city and mountain of Montreal, the
islands, and Victoria bridge-a vista thirty miles
in all directions, of as fine prospect as can be
seen in North America-stands the church. con-
vent and school, in a single building with hun
dred acres o: grove and garden attached. The
school alone is larger than any female college [
know of, except Vassar the halls say, fifteen
feet wide by nineteen feet high balconies and
i bay windows in abundance on the roof a prom
enade deck, covering an eighth of an acre, sur
rounded by balustrade separate study and
recitation rooms for each branch every apart
ment heated with steam and thoroughly venti-
lated ample space and provision for calisthenics
and indoor exercises generally library, restrict
ed OF course in range, but large organ, twelve
grand pianos, and all other means for musical
accomplishment of every kin6-t had az least
all the Instrumentation necessary for the physi-
cal comfort and esthetcal culture of its inmates
The two extensive dormitories were particularly
| admirable. Here the genius OF order appeared
to reign supreme The bed linen on the couches
was as white as swans down, II clothes-pres Mt
the head of each bed, the contents of which,
opened at random, were found arranged with
perfect system and neatness, a separate lavatory
ana furniture for each pupil in like condition
In word, complete expression of just the
habits for the young ladies attend to all them
selves) which the best of mothers try to teach
their daughters often with limited success. AS
we eutered each room, all the inmates rose
bowed, aud remained standing until we retired
The culture of manners is specially at all Cath
ohc schools. young woman may come out
of such an institution Ounce but hardly
gawk or slattern. Aud some of us who think
IT u quite venal deficiency that Il good wife or
hpr ghOu11 ha ai,ta aH ,,-ttl tka
sections in geometry, and the theory of COM
pound radicals in chemistry, will regard the
habit OF order, cultivated so assiduOusly with
regard to both time and tangible things, at these
seminares, as more helpful and valuable than
all the mastery of French and wax-work pastel
abbeys and worsted Howers, patiently and
successfully communicated. Our visit was made
on Sunday afternoon. The girls scattered
through the recitation rooms, mostly engaged7in
writing to their parents and friends The spa
cious and elegant reception room the first
hoor was filled with happy children and their
relatives, who had come from the city Tor fur
ther than that) to see them. Whatever of idoa-
try may be charged against the ancient faith,
there is none on the Lords day. There was per-
feet decorum but all as cheerful and
many as merry, as If they had been at May
party.
One great attractian of these convental schools
is their cheapness You can educate your
daughter Mt the best institute of the kind in
Canada, for about one-third of what 10 would
cost you at n Protestant seminary of q similar
grade ir the United States. Aud with this tho
Catholic school will grow rich at its business
while the Protestant one, unless amply endowed
is begging donotions. The secret of the differ
erence is 10 the conjoint vows of celibacy and
poverty resting on the nuns
Whatever diversity OF views there may be as
to the moral value of these restrictions, there
can be none MS to their economy. The teachers
get salary for their labor, and cost their eui-
ployer-he church-nothing but the absolute
necessities OF a most frugal life. Those who
have to do with the building up of Protestant
churches can realize the superiority of the Rom
ish system in these particulars. Every brick
and beam, every shovel of earth, or trowelful of
mortar in the Protestant house costs money,
And when the edifce Is completed and you get
| young minister (without incumbrance) on a
small salary, he marres the prettiest girl in the
| congregation within year, and you are in for n
parsonage. Then, of course, the salary must go
up, and in a little while, beside the minister you
will be supporting the gospel in the shape of his
matronly help-mate, half dozen unpromisng
scoins, and two servant girls
more apparently cheerful class of people
than the nuns have yet to see. They seem to
have buried with the excitements most of the
annoyances of life. "Those who do not know
us, said one of the Superors of the Loretto
order to me, "think our lives one monotonous
vigil and prayer. If such was the case we
There but few minds so constituted as to
bear the perpetual contemplation of spiritual
subjects without injury. The most of our duties
are active, and sufficiently varied to give health
fnl enjoyment and exercise to the different facul-
| ties of the mind, in attendance on the sick In
mnisterng in various ways to human want and
suffering, in teaching children such knowledge
| as will make them safe and useful in this world,
and happy ia the next. We find great deal to
do besides telling our beads. Why, NJ"
she continued, "wheu was sent from Dublin,
with others, to establish the Loretto order in
Canada, 1t was part of my instructions to visit
and inspect every church and convent when |
stopped on my route, to mmiliarZe myself with
plans, materials and prices, that | might better
understand how TO erect, as well conduct, n
school of this kind. | built this house IA large
and substantial stone structure, admirably To-
Gated !, and think it well built as far as it goes
but our order In this country was new and poor.
Ii we had more money, it would have been larger
and better"
/ ORIENTAL ExPLoRATIoNs..-Abana and Pharpar
rivers, of Damascus, mentioned in the Scrip
lures, have recently been thGoughy explored
by Macgregor the famous canoe traveller Mac
gregor, after going from Cairo TO Suez, and ex-
ploring the delta of the Nile, had his canoe car
ried by land to Beyrout, thence over Mount Leb-
anon, and finally launched in the river ALBANIA,
on which he padded to the plains of Damascus.
The rivers ALBANIA and Pharpar, in consequence
OF the wlld beasts, ueeP Jungles ana savage
Arabs, have heretofore been laid down naccu-
ratey on the maps by travellers. Maegregor
gives an interesting account of q "gant stone
town." with stone doors, rafters and window
shutters, covered with Greek inscriptions, dat
ing before the Christian era.
IT is extraordinary fact in this world that
every man woman who wants something done
for nothing goes straightway to the publisher of
a newspaper. He is the free bridge over which
merit and demerit propose to pass the stream of
trouble. He is the free horse that every man