Omaha daily bee., 1883-02-13

this grating Is a small window with
shutter of the same crossed bAr,
through which the nuns psttake e ia,
sacrament OF the Lords supper
Some four feet back Of this window
at 1880 yesterday morning kuelt Sis
tor Gabrielle of the white veil, alone.
After six months IT probation in the
cap of q novice and u year and a day
in the white veil, she had come to the
altar nh applicant for the black wi
and prepared to rsnounce the world
forever. In the world she had been
Miss Bonscsren, and is q sister of Mr.
Gus'sve Bonscaren, chief engineer of
the Cincinnati d Southern railroad.
She remained In society longer than
her impulse to devote her life to G d
would have dictated, through her
duty to an invalid mother, whom she
attended 10 the last. Further back
in the nuns chapel a few sisters in
black and white wells, and into the
public chapel a privileged few were
admitted. Among the latter were
the brother of the candidate, his sis.
ter.in. law, Mrs Robert G. Nj .chell,
nee Lincoln, her hu,bsnd, and
Mr.. Lsdysrd Lincoln, of Cincinnati
In the choir were Miss Rpsecrsns,
who has a daughter of I. ID Line In,
Esq , of Cincinnati, who hiss a dsugh.
ter in the Brown county iObio) con
vent. Nine. Godoy, wife of the Chi
liam minister, and a lady friend, were
also In the sanctuary. After the so "a
pro Nobis," In which Miss Lincoln's
rich aud cultured voice filled the
church with its feeling and power, and
wal admirably seconded by that of
Mss r ,secrans, Father j. j Murphy,
If the Society of Jesus, and president
of Gopzaga college, mounted the altar
steps and instructed Sister Gabrielle
from the text, "Hearken, oh dsugh.
ter and see! Incline thine ear! For.
get thy people and thy fathers housed
A king shall admire thy beauty" He
told her how she had come to make the
sscrifics # all there was in this life to
God, In her vows Of chastity, poverty
and obedience With an eloquenoe
whose simplicity was Its chief charm,
he told her she was not literally to
forget the holy affections of the fam
lily or her fathers house." but was to
ssnctify the memory of them by offer
ing them to God. She might, he said,
in virtue of her VOW Of obedience,
have her household duties to attend
to or be engaged in teaching not pure
ly religious works, but these could be-
made beautiful by her devotion o.
hem to the great honor and glory Of
God, even as ''cloth of gold" so lovely
to the eye was upon close inspection
ground of close material upon whict
g,ldsp thread upon golden thrsac
eAiIlfully woven, comp eSed its OK
quisite work. Her duly done, "a
king should admire her besuty-the
interior beauty Of her soul"
The instruction over, Sister Gabri.
els read her vows in a low, distinct
voice, and vas then ledto the window
by two sisters of the black veil,
Father Murphy, who was fully vest
cd, approaching onthe outside to com
plete the ceremoLy. The sisters back
in the chapel, with lighted candies in
their hands, chsnted the responses il
a low, peculiar way, in which melody
evidently was not consulted, but with
a weird and solemn effect that car.
ried ones thoughts far back into thu
centuries. The consent of the com
munity being formally asked and the
response given, the candidate wa
duly invested with the Cross, which
was put around her neck by a chair
and the black veil. Then the of
ficiating priest said In substance
"Sister, thou art dead to world; deat
to thyself. Live only to the Lord,
The sister then Withdrew a few PAGES
pr~ostrated herself, and wal covered b,
other sisters with q black veil, as
pail is covered. Then, after chanting
the priest said, substantially, "Awak,
thou that sleepest; come from tn
dead. The Lord shall enlightei
thee" Aglin approaching the win
dow, a lighted candle was placed Il
her hanl, and she was given, will
prescribed ceremonies, the crucifi
which the sisters of tho order wear IL
their belts. After Incense an,
prayer, the priest concluded with
go, sister, aud God have mercy upol
thee. Abide In the house which h
has preparedfo for thee" Abridal Gro WI
CT orange flowers was place
upon her over the black veil, and sh
was left kneelirg, with lighted caudI
in hand and alone, as at first. TIL
mass which followed was celebrate
by Father Denny, S j., of st. Alloys
las church. The music was agai
exquisite. The sister received tn
sacrament of the holy communion. A
the deeply impressed little congregs
ton dispersed it was a significant an
eloquent thing that the convent bel
rang out, summoning the sisters I
their daily labor, while several brigf
eyed little girla with their school bool
came skipping and laughing upon til
scene.