The Irish standard., 1892-08-13
SCHOOLS
An Accomplished Protestant Lady
Gives an Interesting Descrip-
ton Of Them.
PROSELYTIZING UNKNOWN.

Not Permitted to Embrace Cat1O-
licity Without the Sanction Of
Parents or Guardians.
! Miss Ethel Ingalls,, daughter OF ex~
Senator John J. Ingalls,, of Kansas, con-
tributes to the August number OF the
Ladies' Home Journal an interesting
article on "Life in Convent School,
from which the following passages are
selected:
There clings to the convent, even in
these days, much Of legendary romance,
aiding the belief, even among intelligent
people, that the c]ojster is at best but q
prison house in which many woman
lives out miserable existence. But
this is not the case The woman who
enters convent in this nineteenth CEN
tury does it not only of her own free
will, and because she is actuated to lead
life Of sacrifice and .seclusion from
purely religious motives, but does so af-
ter the prolonged trial of the noyitiate.
Should she find, during this time, that
she cannot be content with the life she
is purposing to lead, she is urged to re-
turn to the world by the advice and
with the assistance of the religious order
| to which she has belon ged.
| To the majority Of the converts Of the
religious orders in the United States are
attached schools, usually called acade~
mics, and although the number of nuns
in the convent community may be great,
| but small portion are commonly en-
ployed on the faculties of these acade-
! mics. The latter comprises the direct
ress, who superintends the entire school,
an assistant, projects, and teachers Of
English and the accomplishments.
To the uninitiated there is no distinc-
t1on between the terms academy and
convent; but the pupils of the former
speedily learn to distinguish between
them. They, although actual inmates of
IAS COHVohb 6ClAoOl, EiS s1llo"0u w CAOo1
the threshold into the convent proper
but once year, just prior to the annual
closing exercises. This interior is for
bidding and gloomy, but only because of
the absence of decoration and luxury
which startles the unaccustomed eye,
and is more than compensated by the
exquisite cleanliness and order which
pervade every corner. But it is not Of
the lives within the convent that we are
to speak, but CT the pupils life in a con-
vent school, under the supervision of
these religious women. The great out
cry against convent education is the
proselyting of which the nuns are so fre-
quently and upjust]y accused. During
my entire school life, and out of proba-
BILE thousand souls that we're sheltered
within the clustered walls, there were
but two converts, and neither of these
had been previously united with any
church, nor had they ever been baptized.
Under no circumstances will pupil be
permitted to embrace the faith without
the entire sanction of the parents Or
guardians; and even when consent is
given, 1t is preferred that the step be
postponed until the girl has entered the
world and can determine for herself
whether she has merely been fascinated
by the religion, which is seen under such
spiritual surroundings in a convent, or
whether she was sincerely converted.
The women placed at the head of these
institutions are of the highest order in
tellectualIy; wise, judicious, and thor
oughly conscious of the fact that prose-
lyting would seriously injure the future
of their schools.
It has been claimed by careful obser-
vers that a Protestant, educated with
Catholics, either becomes an ardent adj
vocate of her own belief, or develops
total lack of religious fervor, and some
times becomes even skeptical. But as
there are many skeptics In the world who
have never been within the portals of a
convent, this skepticism may not neces-
sarily have been born of conventual
training. But even should her ardor
cool, she never forgets that the utmost
respect IS due to all sacred things; and
she always retains that vsneration for
them that was required OF her at school.
Convent girls, as rule, are never guilty
Of levity or disrespect. That is truth
which no student Of convent training
can gainsay, Whatever aconvent girl
may fail to learn, she never fails to i'm
bibe. a wholesome religious spirit.
There can be no life more regular ia
it's routine than q. a.conyent, unlessit 5is
that Of 9 military academy. From the
rising Of the sun until dark, every hour
has its special task; AMI 90 intimately are
these duties associated with the hours 70