The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-05-31

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the least. The world for them has neithe
cares nor attractions; they move, live
and have their being in an atmosphere o
order, prayer, and tranquility, their YER!
appearance being in itself homiiy of obe
dience and cheerful reliance on the good
ness of their Maker.
Even though the educational establish
| IDents Of the nuns and Sisters are in thei
| infancy, there are few parents who need de
prive their children of the advantages Il
be gained only in them. A quarter Of 4
century ago, we could only boast of sixty
six such institut iops, while now we have
nearly four hundred academies alone
What excuse, therefore, is there for q
piously -inclined mother or discriminating
father to imperil the happiness and faith o.
secular schools where the training they
receive is worse than artificialf In the
converts they can be taught every accom-
plishment that BELTS a young lady, NO
matter how high her station in life, without
being made the shallow creature, the mere
puppet of fashion, which we find SO often
turned out" by the modern secular
heart, feeling, and, we might almost say,
with NO fixed perception of right and wrong.
Then we have two hundred and forty
select schools, or an average of four for
each diocese, attended by boarders or those
living with their relations. These differ
from the academies only in degree, being
intended for the benefit of children whose
position in life does not demand the same
elaborate mental culture, or whose school
days are necessarily short. Still, they re-
ceive the same attention, and are subjected
to precisely similar moral influences, as the
others. But the poor-those whose parents
are unable to pay for their education
hnC fO how 81 81
freely accorded their wealthy neighbors
Must they be thrust into the tainted atmos-
phere of our public schools, and left to
shift for themselvesf Not so. The poor
have ever been the primary objects of the
good Sisters solicitude; and though they
count their academies by hundreds, the
number of their free schools, parish,
orphan, aud Industrial, may be reckoned by
thousands, and the pupils by myriads.
In the Diocese of New York there are
forth six of these female schools, with over
twenty thousand children, whose tuition 10
gratuitious, besides some three Thousand
inmates of orphan Asylums and other
charitable institutions for juveniles. In
the philadelphia diocese there are thirty
tive Sisters free schools, containing nearly
ten thousand scholars, in addition to the
orphans. In Cincinnati, where the school
system has been brought to q state of great
efficiency, the proportion of the attendants
to the Catholic population is much greater
We have no means of ascertaining the
total number of pupils in the entire
country but if we take the three do
ceses above men tioned as criterion, it
will be found that in the United States
there are nearly three hundred thousand
girls daily receiving at the hands of the
Sisters OF various congregations a free,
thorough, and practical Catholic education.
The expense alone of this great work of
charity, If not performed without coDpen-
sation, would be, judging from the cost of
the public schools of New York, at least
eight millions of dollars annually. If we
add to the number of girls in the free
schools the fifty or sixty thousand pupils
In the six hundred and forty academies and
select schools, we will find that about three
hundred and fifty thousand female children
are, in this year of grace 1874, under the
more than maternal care of the religious of
the Catholic Church.
Who can estimate the immense amount
of good which is accomplished In this
manDer7 Who can measure the benefcent
effects to the country produced by these
of learning, which annually
send to their homes SO many thousands of
children to gladden. the hearts of fond
parents, not 80 much by their varied ac-
qulrements, as by their gentleness of dis
not gauge the merits of the Sisters by what
We see before us, how much less capable
are we of estimating the reward which
their long years of devotion will receive
from Him who said of little children, "Of|
such is the kingdom of heaven"
As to the efficiency of the nuns and
Sisters as teachers of the young people of
their own sex, there ia scarcely u second
opinion, even among nom Catholics. Many
Protestants and unbelievers, while profess
sing little or no religion themselves, but
who would not see their fair daughters
follow their example, are careful to place
them under the charge of the daughters of
the church, we'll knowing that, while their
minds will be amply stored with useful and
elegant knowledge, their impressionable
hearts will be guarded against the follies
and sins Of the world. If all the com
munities In the country-in number about |
torty- hve-were to devote their entire |
labor alone to this great work of education. |
what benediction would they deserve |
from untold millions!
Concluded next week.