Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-02-12
shake AND Golf.

Anglers, May 10, 1871.
Here we are, my dear Blanche, comfort
ably established in country house neal
Anglers belonging to Mere Ste Ursule's
brothcr-in-law, and have been here for the
past week But l am still so bewildered
by all that has happened that feel as il
awakening from a dream. As you know
/ remained at the convent at Ncuilly with
my little sister Lii and six other boarders
orphans like ourselves, or whose parents
living in foreign parts, could not come tc
take them away. There were in all four
little and four large girls. At first all
went smoothly-no more lessons or tasks {;
only short recitation in the afternoon
for fun. We spent the day in the park,
playing or reading amusing books. But
the mothers looked sad and worried and
to be sure our quiet did not last long.
Although you have been year in so.
ciety, you have not, l am sure forgotten
one of the oldest customs at the dear old
convent.
Every little while, you remember, dur
ing recreation one of the mothers crossed
the court and sounded her clapper.
This was a signal to stop our play and
remain silent while the mother repeated a
verse or two Of the gospel or the "Imita-
ton
Then the clapper sounded again and rec
reation was resumed. This was to remind
us that we have souls to save and that
our games of croquet or ball must not
make us forget it,
Well, one day-the 25th of March, re
member-wc were about to play hide and
seek, when Mere Ste. Angelo came out
with her clapper. Clack, clackl Every.
body stood still. The mother began, "What
shall it profit II man if he gain the whole
world
Boum, boum 1t was she'll my dear,
thrown by the commune. 1t burst in a
tree not ten feet away. Mere Ste. An.
gele had not the courage to finish her sen.
tcnce The clapper fell from her hand.
The little ones began to cry l took Lii
in my arms and we ran to the study room
The rest Of the day and the night passed
without incident, and we began to quiet
down, but when we were in the rcfectory
and the soup had just been served:
Boum, bouml A shell burst on the root
of an adjoining house
To the cellars, children, quick, quick, -
cried the superior, Mere Ste. Ursule
Take your plates and napkins" And
down the stairs we rushed, plate in hand,
splitting half our soup on the steps The
little ones thought it very amusing this
time, and Lii was delighted.
Into the coal ccllar-that is safcstri
cried the mother superior from above
The lay sisters spread sheets on the ground.
and we seated ourselves on sticks of wood
thrown down here and there and finished
this highly dramatic breakfast right mer.
rily. Not the least sign of a shell till night.
fall We went to bed in the dormitory
as usual but, Is you may suppose we did
not sleep much, excepting Lii, whom
had taken into my little bed. The lights
had been eXtinguished, and we were much
more afraid in the dark. About 10 o'clock
great blaze of light suddenly illumned
our windows. Almost at the same moment
the glass was shivered to atoms by a VIC.
lent explosion
"Jesus-Marial cried Mere Ste. Ur.
sule, whose bed was near ours Quick.
to the parlor, children!" A new process.
sion was formed, more melancholy than
that of the morning The lay sisters fol.
lowed, carrying our mattresses, while we
dragged our sheets and coverlids along by
the light Of the dim lantern.
carried Lii, for in all this noise and
confusion she had Weakened only moment
ana had fallen asleep again at once. We
arranged our beds in the great parlor and
lay down as we were told to do.
But further explosions were heard neal
by.
ITO the cellars, to the cellarsl" cried
the superior again. "You will be safer
there BE good little girls and pray tc
Godr
We staid there a fortnight. The noise
OF firing was almost continuous We saw
through the loopholes the beautiful trees
In our park shattered by shells We read,
we played games, even blind mans buff
and hide and seek, for there were good
hiding places behind the piles of wood and
rubbish, only unfortunately, we knew
them all in IA few days The little ones
grew very weary, and the big girls cried
now and then. l controlled myself not to
alarm little Lii. Sometimes between
noon and 2 o'clock there was a little lull,
and we stole cautiously out and picked up
pieces of exploded shells in the garden.
The time was very long Fat Mere
Ste. Felicite--yOu remember her, she who
went through the Crimean war-could not
bear the sitting air of the cellar and said
quite seriously to the mother superior,
"Pray, mother let me go out; / will take
an umbrella" We had been four or five
days in hiding, when company of Yer.
sailles soldiers took possession of the con.
vent. The captain paid us visit to en-.
courage us, as he said, but partly, fancy,
to crafty his curiosity He was very nice
indeed, this captain, and quite aristocrat-
ic looking. Not very good looking, per.
haps, but with a slender, graceful figure
and an air of goodness, frankness and en-