The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-02-19

1.-THE ESCAPED Nun. We doubt If
there was ever such a display or gath.
ering of female dry goods unmixed
with broadcloth, vest patterns and
whiskers, as in Washington Hall on
Saturday afternoon. In some parts Of
the city women were scarcer than in
California in its early days, while
Washington Hall looked like Salt Lake
with Brigham Young dead. All the
women were there who could possibly
get there. The occasion was lecture
to Ladies' Only" on convent life, by
Edith OGorman, the Escaped Nun.
The lecturer, after speaking Of the
life of q nun on women of ardent
temperament and loving disposition
in having all the warm feelings Of the
heart suddenly chilled, went on to tell
all she knew Of the inner life of the
nuns. Her illusions to indicate
matters were couched in very modest
language, and while there were many
matter. mentioned that were ill-suited
to the ears OF an unmarried woman
there was nothing said that might not
have been repeated before the husbands
of the married women then present
She said that she had seen many lewd
acts perpetrated by nuns and priests
and was on one occasion 80 punished
for discovering the mother Superior OF
her convent in criminality that she was
not able to walk for week. Shespoke
OF infants being born and their dlsap-
pearance, and many other matters
affecting the chastity Of some OF the
sisters. She did not pretend to say that
all were bad, but presented few facts
(iffacts they were) which che said had
come under her notice, and out of them
created the lecture delivered on Satur-
day. Her idea is that human nature
is Just the same whether under the
nuns veil, the priests habit, or the
every day garb Of ordinary MORALS.
Just as she had concluded her lecture,
a Catholic lady, who had sat very
FESTIVE under the assault made on her
belief, rushed towards the stage with an
umbrella poised as il to shoot her with
it, and cried, Look here. you-you-
thing; you lying. brazen'faced hussy /;
how dare you lie this way about your
betters you-you-you-" and here her
rage choked her utterance, and she
broke down. In a moment all was con-
fusion, and such a fluttering OF laces
and ribbons never was seen. One lady,
in her fright mistook the wildly agitated
umbrella for gun, and hid under one
of the chairs until the hostile weapon
should 90 off. Foolish threats were
made that Miss OGorman should not
live to deliver her lecture at night, and
the lady with the umbrella declared her
intention of remaining until the audi
ence was gone, for the purpose OF whip
ping 1.-The lying hussy." After the little
excitement was over reason prevailed
and quiet was restored.
We don't think we are liable to the
charge of being a Catholic, or OF hold
ing any one point Of belief in common
with the members Of that faith, yet we
cannot believe q word of the charges
made by Miss O'Gorman against the
Sisters of Charity. OF their rules and
regulations, of their daily avocatlons
and of their convent life we, OF course,
know nothing, but memory brings to
us the forms of black-robed angel-iaced
Sisters moving among the horrible
scenes of a battle field; OF their efforts
for the relief of the wounded boys OF
either army; Of long and thankless
vigils performed by them at the bedsldes
of soldiers in hospitals, OF such devo-
ton TO the relief Of poor humanity as
man never dreamed Of and woman
rarely essayed, and We ask ourself can
these women be but as sepulchres, all
lair and white and beautiful without,
while all within is rottenness and decay Z
We cannot believe it. Our belief IN
woman and woman's innate goodness
is too strong for that.
At night Miss OGorman delivered
her last lecture to quite a large audi
ence. 1t was but q repetition OF her
previous lectures with certain very in
teresting additions describing how she
escaped from the nunnery.
The chorus of Wheeling Musical In
stitute will meet tonight.