The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-31

such b,ch.born TEACHERS as the Addresses DO
found. Tho combination OF piety ana good
breeding could not but pervade the education
OF tho convent pupils. They learned many
accomplishments: Latin ana the harpsi.
chord; to make jams. mo1icines' ana per
fumes; to embroider, TO sing. and 10
form their STYLE upon Bossuet. They were
taught. however. two things above all others;
to wit, department and kindness. Kindness, In.
decd. was ono OF tho conspicuous features OF tho
nris,ocratic women In those days; kindness TO
each other. kindness TO those below them. Suav.
tty was expected Of them both In word and
act. Good deeds to tho poor were made part OF
their daily discipline and practice, as a matter
OF course. They fed Lazarus ut their gates. and
healed his sores with ointmtnts from their W
harmacics. Here we read OF a parnlyzcd beg
gar brought weekly In her pristine condition TO
be washed, coiGGc, and fed by an aris-
t~ocratic pensionnaire; madcmoisellc's chiof
punishment. indeed. was to be considered un-
worthy OF this office. There, again. we SEQ q
fashionable Abbess in long robes OF becoming
gray trudging across tho fields, with n pupil by
her side, to bear soup and comfort to tho sick Of
the parish. The recluses were, in truth, for the
most part, as innocent as they were worldly.
They made intense friendships with each other.
and managed to combine humility with grace,
and routine with gayety.
As for their department., 1t included every do
gree Of mental and physical control. from the
hne shades OF conduct under emotion to
the most orimitive rules of behavior. The
latter they imbibod from q primer of Ell
quetto thcn in vogue. "Civilities PuGrilcs
ct Honnetcs,' which exhortod tho youth Of
tho time to many social duties. such as to prefer
knives TO fingers. to use pocket handkerc icfs.
| md, II possible, not to comb their hair In church.
Models of decorum were not wanting; they had
before their eyes not only their Mother Su.
pcriors, but also tho great ladies who came
to lodge among them end often adopted
, them as protesGes. Tho conyonts of TINT age
o cupied, indeed, a strange position; they filled
tho place of hotels and lodgings Mt a time
when the only existing inns were impossible for
women. and when tho genteol lsndlady as yet
was not. Widows and spinsters OF blue blood
and slender incomes took apartments In them;
among them, for example, Nine. du Deffand.
whose habits were by no means monastic.
Ladies' whose husbands were away on embassies
or other state business were kept safe there dur
ing their absence; as was tho brilliant Mime. dc
Genlis, who loved converts and worldly holiness
almost as much as she loved herself. These
grand folk had their own apartments, their own
suites of retainers, their own evening parties
and theatricals; they mixed az much or
as little as they pleased with tho rest
Of the conventual household. They consti-
tuted, however, Its great excitement; the Vanity
Fair Of Its pupils and OF the smooth-cheeked
nuns who were simpler and moro pious than
their Lady Superior. Nine. dc Gonlls used even
| to give carnival balls to the children and the Sis.
tiers. balls to which only one man was admitted
and he the one-eyed convent steward, aged 20.
The inmates of the convent loved dancing with
each other. and making tarts and cider for 70.
freshment. 1t was at such epicene entertain.
mania tha ynunn lahiaS lnnr nad m haar thap,.
selves, to converse and matriculate In bonton
before their entrance into the great world.
Whom they did emerge, 1t was into n vortex Of
gayety. At first sight there was nothing TO 10
seen but enchanting ~frivolity and graceful ex-
travagancc. When a certain great lady once
expressed a casual wish for a painting Of her
canary, small enough to be put into a ring. the
Prince dc Cont, who WAS present, Immediately
offered her one. She dcmurred; he insisted. A
compromise was at last effected by the aRsur-
ancc that the painting should have no setting.
He kept his word, but had the canary covered
W til a dinmoad. cut so finely that 1t acted MS n
glass over the miniature. Inccnsed at what she
considered a breach OF his word. the lady re
turned the gift He took 1t. ground the diamond
to powder. and used tho dust for drying tho
note he wrote her on tho occasion. As for the
fetcs, they wero endless and multiforin.
Their, were acted maxims and proverb-
QuRQrtllHB, In which the partners repro
scented sayings In appropriate costumes;
there wore moonlight operas and Vatican
picnics in groves that sprang up for the occa.
sion; shepherd sses in blue and pink satin were
perpetually arriving in roseladen boats at their
relatives houses, to sing tad verses and receive
diamond earrings In return. or perhaps they
would fish for bouquets with silken nets and de-
claim in blank verso their amazement at their
success. Once a party of beauties were informed
by their host that they were to be made vestal
virgins that night. He led them to u temple
built in one day in his forest. While they were
undergoing the most frolic rites there, u let
ter WAS brought warning them that the Grand
Turk and his suite meant to descend on them
and carry them of. A moment after these
Ottoman pirates appeared. blacked, bedia-
monded. and bojewelled. Every maRnlh.
cent turban yelled b lover. There was a
rape of the Sabines in fancy dress. The chief
lover, clad MS Il sultan. bore away the chief
lady and deposited her before a gorgeous
midnight banquet, where each Turk finally
put down his fair. The evening ended
in mad revelry. There were, on the other
hand. miscarriages in festivals. even then. One
fete was given by n pathetic lady who has come
down to postcrity as pretty without seeming
80, and clever with the knack OF appearing
silly" She had planned a ball In a room lined
with mirrors leading into n real wood. AT u
given moment Of the dance a flock of live sheep
WAS to cross the landscape. led by an opera
singer, who was to be dressed as a shcpherdess,
and to regale the guests with melody. The
opera singer, utter her kind, was unpunctuai,
and the pent-up sheep. growing FESTIVE. did not
await tho They suddenly rushed In
among tho dancers. scattering or upsetting
them, and smashing tho mirrors to atoms.
Leisure. in truth, seemed endless then, and Tho
chateRux were 80 vast that each sues: had her
suite of rooms. where she received her friends.
and could dine apart II she chose. At ono time
ladies' dinner parties were fashionable. and
were given by five intimate Ariadnos, whose
husbands had to leave them for the Couchee
at Versailles hcfore the Royal Hunt Another
hostess was famed for her intellectual games.
Her favorito jcm d'csIrit was an imitation OF n
wits supper. at which ono OF tho habitufs acted
Voltairc. the hostess herself his divine Emily.
and all the company had TO DO in character, More
often they refreshed themselves with lighter