The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-03-17
SHAKE AND GOLF.
Renee L. to Blanche s.:

Renee L. to Blanche s.:
Anglers, May Is, 1871
Here we are, my dear Blanche, comfort
ably established in country house neal
Anglers belonging TO Mere Ste Ursulc'.
brother-in-law, and have been here for the
past week. But l am still so bcwildercd
by all that has happened that l feel as il
awakening from dream. As you know
remained ut the convent at Neuilly 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 anG 1o.r large girls At first al
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 % 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 clappCr sounded again and rec.
reatiOn was resumed. This WIS 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-thc 25th of March, l re.
member-we were about to play hide and
seek, when Mere Ste. Angelo came out
with her clapper. Clack clack! Every.
body stood still. The mother began "What
shall it profit a man if he gain the whole
world"-
Boum, boum! 1t was u shell, my dear,
thrown by the commune. 1t burst in n
Tree not ten feet away. Mere Ste An.
gele had not the courage to finish her sen.
tence. The clapper fell from her hand.
The little ones began to cry. 1 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 refectory
and the soup had just been served:
Boum, boum! A shell burst on the roof
of an adjoining house.
10 the cellars, children quick, quick, u
cried the superior, Mere Ste. Ursule
Take your plates and napkinsv' And
down the stairs we rushed, plate in hand,
splll1ng half our soup on the steps. The
little ones thought it very amusing this
time, and Lii was delighted
Into the coal cellar-that is safcstl"
crled the mother superior from above.
Inc Lay sisters spread sheets on the ground
and we seated ourselves on sticks of wood
thrown down here and there and finished
10 hifr,1 al
rily. Not the least sign of shell till night.
fall. We went to bed in the dormitory.
as usual; but, as 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
Il great blaze of light suddenly illumined
our windows. Almost at the same moment
the glass was shivercd to atoms by a VIC. !
lent explosion
"Jesus-Mariap cried Mere Ste Ur.
sule, whose bed was near ours. ''Quick. |
TO the p&rlor, children!" A new process |
sion was formed, more melancholy than 1
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 onlya moment
and had fallen asleep again at once We
arranged our beds in the great parlor and
lay down as we were told 10 do
But further explosions were heard near
by.
ITO the cellars, TO the cellars!" cried
the superior again. "You will be safer
there BE good little girls and pray to
Godr'
We staid there IA fortnight. The noise
d firing was almost continuous. We saw
through the loopholos the beautiful trees
N our park shattered by shells. We read,
we, played games, even blind mans buff
md hide and seek, for there were good
hiding places behind the piles of wood and
rubbish only, unfortunately we knew
hem all in few days, The little ones
grew very weary, and the big girls cried
low and then l controlled myself not to
Harm little Lii Sometimes between
loon and O'Clock there was little lull,
nd we stole cautiously out and picked up /
'ieces of exploded shells in the garden.
The time was very long Fat Mere
'te. Felicite-you remember her, she who
vent through the Crimean war-could not
ear the sitting air of the cellar and said
ute seriously to the mother superior, !
Pray, mother, let me go out; | will take
n umbrella" We had been four or five
avs In hiding, when company of Yer.
allies soldiers took possession of the CON :
ent, The captain paid us visit to en- '
ourage us, as he said, but partly, l fancy, J.
crafty his curiosity. He was very nice u
ndeed, this captain, and quite aristocrat.
looking. Not very good looking, per-
APPS, but with a slender, graceful figure
nd an air Of goodness, frankness and en- a