The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1870-05-26

dren all about them, and sanity hslo'
round about their worn old heads
They were not saints, only old women
as yet Though, indeed, 1t is not more
difficult to imagine them as saints and
angels one day yet to come, than to
think Of them like the children round
aoout-yoang, golden-haired, round
eyed. One Of the children, little boy
called Henri, took great fancy to
Dick, and trottcd up to him with a
sticky piece Of sugar, which he silently
thrust .iuto his hand. A Laby, who
was sitting upon the floor, began to
make cooling noise as if to call atten-
tion, but when Mrs. Beamish stopped
to take her-up into her arms she saw
that the poor little thing was blind.
"Blind from her BIRTH" the nurse
cried, "but a little angel Of goodness" !"
~ think if I had not married /
should have liked this life," said Mrs.
Beamish thoughtfully. "And you,
Madame Fontaine ?"
Z" Little Catharine flushed up, and
shook her head gently.
"our sisters are very happy" said
their conductress. awe have three VII o
are over eighty years Of age. They
never come out ofthe convent, where
they remain with tho novices."
*"Do any Of them ever go back into
the world ?" asked Beamish in / John
Bull sort cf tone.
"Last year novice came" said the
conductress.; "therc was grand cerc-
mony at her reception. She came,
dressed as bride, in a great carriage
with two horses, and many gentlemen
and ladies' were present to take leave of
her. Then her mother. came and cried,
and threw herself at her feet. The
unfortunate glrl's courage failed; ap-
parently hers was no real vocation. She
lett IN common hackneycoach next
morning, disgraced and pitied by US all.
:. This is the Abbaye, which is, as
you see, in reparation."
Matilda and her successors have
raised the church upon tall apspringing
arches, SO light, so beautiful, that they
strike one like the vibrations of music
as ono enters. If our faith of late
years had been shown by such. works
as these, what strange creeds and be-
iefs would have seemed represented by
the Egyptian mausoleums, the stucco,
the Grecian temples, in which We have
been content to assemble. "Here,
through side-door in the massive
wall, they entered in among the spring-
ing forest of arches, first passing
through 4, small outer chapel which
seemed echolng with distant chant,
and where coffin was lying on the
marble pavement. The lay sister quiet
ly pointed to it, saying, "The bearers
will be presently here to take it away. |
1t is young man who died in the hos
pital two days ago. We do not know
his name" And then she opened
grating and led them into the church. |
They were all silent as they moved |
about ; the whlteness and cheerfulness
Of the place seemed at once lovely and
sad to Catharine she was glad to be
there. ''Tho tomb Of the empress is
in the choir" their conductress contin-
ned, "behind that black curtain. You
have seen her topisseie, no doubt. I |
can not take you in, for, as told you,
the service is going on, but, if you
like, I may raise the curtain tor an in-
stant."
She was quite at home and matter
of:taet. Catharine Beamish was silent
and1mpressed Catharine Fontaine felt
as it. it was a sort Of allegorical vision
passing before her she could hardly
believe in the reality of this calm oasis
in tho midst of the roaring work-a-day
world !: the coffin, tho children, the sick
people, all seemed Ike dream some
how.'3 She was thinking this when the
sister called them to the grating which
separsted the choir from tie nave, and
raised ths eurtain, and as she did so a
flood Of yellow light from the west. win
dow came pouring through the bars,
apd then the most unreal sight Of all
met Catharine's eyes. Il vas like soms
vision Of saint in ecstasy. In the
midst Of the choir stood the: great black
tomb ~ round aboutsthe praying nuns
: tnnelt motipnless in their: white gar
ments. The priests at-ths altar were
intoniog2in . low sing-sone voice. All
the faces were toward them closed
eyes,; some hands clasped, some crossed
devoutly, some outstretched in suppli-
cation: --::aGatharine suddenly seized
Dicks arm "Look p she whispered.
"Do you see her ?" he asked, eager
ly, in low voice, turning to Madame.
Fontaine but the curtain fell almost
at that instant, and it was TOO !ate.
"No, madame" said the lay sister,
decid idedl5, "ss1 must not do it again; it
is impossible "a ..'.. =. . ~. -. :.
She : vas s. deaf t. all their entreaties,
4 ana i stood & before & tho pully y 70 prevent
any one attempting to look again
S:"she saw you," said Catharine to
Butler As they walked away At once,
touched, Impressed, and curious, with
+ ~. =. A. g