The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-03-28
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confession like their servants, The Father
Superior laughed in his sleeve as he told
me of the wife and daughter of a we'll
known divine, who come every Sunday
afternoon to his church, of St. Charles.
and entered into the service. The old doc
tor rails and storms against such conduct
in his family, but then, if be hears con-
fession every Wednesday and Friday, why
should his family be prevented from
attending church, the main clause in the
creel of which is confession of sins and
absoution by the priest? What is England
coming to- Ere long the ghosts of some
OF the old Tudors may be seen at their
favorite pastime Of "priest hunting
But to our trip. We leave tie comfort
able parlor of the Oblates, with the fire.
light flashing in the broad chimney-piecc
and dancing on the pictures of saints and
martyrs and the golden vessels from holy
Rome, and strike through the chilly streets
in the direction of the Convent of Poor
Clares, a sisterhood of Franciscan Nuns
and the most rigid order in the world St
Francis, the patron. founded his sect IN the
early part Of the thirteenth century and
together with his companion St. Dominck,
numbered their converts by hundreds of
thousands these orders have since increas-
ed in Importance until to-day the word
Franciscan is synonym for true repent
ance and modification of the flesh, and
Dominican for oratory and persuasive
preaching.
There are two classes Of the Clarcs-the
inner and the outer nuns. The former are
those beings around whom romance has
woven such "A network of absurdity. and
who, upon taking the black veil, never re
turn to the world the latter are working
nuns who form the connecting link be
tween the cloisiered sisters and ordinary
mortals. We were received at the gate of
gloomy edilicc by Il young and pretty
nun who seemed oyer-joyed TO see the
Father superior, for she laughed ncessaut
ly, and when asked if the Mother
Abbess would speak with u posi-
lively screamed win hys;cric mirth.
Somewhat at a loss to account
for such antics, inquired of her if her
mirth were genuine. She REPLIED so,
yes. The children Of St. Francis are
always gay. This remark was followed
by such a hyena.lke burst thai She was
forced to retire to recover her risiblcs,
Subsequently, however, sae became so far
mistress of herself rs to he able to carry ON
quite Irritation with nc. We were con
Quoted through Wlnd-sWept corridors to a
little cheelless room, in the wall of which
there was an iron grating four feet square,
behind which hung blue curtain. This
we approached and the father superior in
stcntUrian tones cried, Mother Abbess,
are you there:" \ faint voice. in II for
eign accent replied; Yes. father supc-
rior. Father superior " 1 have brought
an American to see you. At this the cur
tain was drawn and 10 for moment
saw little buXom French woman
in q dress of brown camels hair,
with white cowl and blue flow
ing cloak. Before. however, ! was
aware | saw the curtain fall and another
maniacal laugh echoed through the dull
room. ! was then told that had seen
| sight which is seldom revealed to mcrtals
/ but am sure am not to he cnviod, rs the
woman | saw was no Venus.
The lycs of these women are so rigid AS
to appear wrctched to II chance observer.
They never eat meat, and SO strict is their
diet that the very sight of flesh creates
nausea. Bread and vegetables, and then,
only once day, compose their sustenance;
these they eat in enormous quantities and
vet have seldom seen such stout, healthy
faces They have two garments of brown
Camels hair one for the day, the other for
the night, and, &C 'ording to the Abbees,
ale ignorant of what shoes and stockings are
They retire so rest at seven O'Clock and
never reclinc at length, but lean against an
inclined plane, and rise for Mass at two
o'clock in the morning So accustomed
are they to the standing posture at night
that to Iecine causes them acute pain.
Wonderful stories wrec told me of cures
affected by this course in the cases of fee
BILE girls raised in luxury and totally unused
to hardships. Certainly the life is one of
CALLING pennance and must make saints il
anything III catholicism will. The Clares
beg for their living and work for the poor,
beside doing splendid embroidery for the
nobility. Although they work at very
low rate, their performances are exquisite.
Our next visit was at the Carmelita mOnas-
terry, where 1--we u brotherhood of monks
who date back then origin to Mount Car
mel and the days OF Elijah. The commit
nifty is decidedly cosmopolitan since it en-
, braces French, Italian, Spanish, Scotch,
Irish and Maltese ; and. rs the COngrega-
ton Of the church is mainly composed OF
: distinguished foreigners the services are
| performed alternately in French and ltali-
an The lives of the monks are even more
rlgd than the ClAres, since to Il diet OF
very garbage they add a certain disregard
| for the cleanliness of the toilet which cause,
a near view To he highly repusiye How
ever, they are Il robust set while then
voices in chant are most sonoruuS. Their
habit Is IN !mi'allon al mat OF Jonn th'
Baptist IN Tie wilderness, beiag hoWins
robe OF brown Gamers mar VAN "n'''
hoou Tor the head from when depends
cloak OF the same color 10 Inc gfouhd'
III lhese days OF if"cN coa's ana CONVEX
tlohai dresses, procession OF ,le hionN'
+ with iheir tIalIh9 fou'Sand clahhlhs r"saI
@ les' was Do'h refreshing ana picturesque
lhey were mafchIhS m inc uih' OF lh'
u evening to Vesper, service IN me churc,
I near by ana rs me maze OF lHe 'oiches i1'
{ upon their rudy faces framed IN the cows
, | was prone 1" oeiieFe lhat me ie'Shs g
- the henTles had returned WIN all 'hG pomi
ana circumstance OF mohNu.Hl Icy Il
e CLOSE or excursion Nl'a WISH 10 the NlN