The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-05-13
THE SILENT SISTERS.
Never Word Is Spoken In This Gloomy
French Convent Near Biarritz.

y
bordered convent of the silent wom-
en-, the spurs silencieuses,
Here, not far from the sounding
waters of the bay of Biscay, 81 la
dies of birth and breeding have seen
fit to immure themselves in what is
nothing less than a living tomb.
Woman's tongue has, justly or un-
Justly, been a centuried byword, yet
the snurs silencieuses voluntarily
resign their right to speak and SEN
tence themselves for the rest OF
their natural lives to absolute, un-
broken silence.
The convent, which is modelled on
that for men at La Trarpe, was
founded many years ago by lady
of the French court who, in COM
pany with some friends, sought this
solitude and gave her life to God.
Who she was, her very identity, is
in dispute. Indeed it was her own
wish that the authorities of the
Catholic church should preserve her
name a secret and all the women
who have followed her into seclu-
sion here have likewise endeavored
to sink their identity.
A league from Biarritz, in the di-
rection of the Pyrenees, one turns
aside from the direct road and en-
ters a narrow ravine stretching to-
ward Mauleon. Through woods OF
beech and wild olive an i'll kept,
deeply rutted lane leads to a high
walled inclosure. Over the walls
there is a glimpse of yew trees, and
if the visitor be a man that is all
he can see of the silent sisters
home. Even women travellers are
rarely admitted past the heavy
wooden gates, with their lunettes
for lay sisters to peer through.
The convent walk is laid out in
long, straight walks, planted on
each side by yew trees. Each nun
has walk to herself. 1t is allotted
her when she enters, and she PAGES
it until her death. Up and down
the walk she goes, with silent tread,
never raising her eyes, save in
prayer, and never exchanging a syl-
liable with mortal being.
A recent visitor to the convent
thus describes what she saw:
1.-The lay sister who received us
day sisters do all the household and
garden work and are allowed to
talk) would not allow us to ap-
proaoh near enough to the nuns to
get even a glimpse of their down
cast faces. We saw, however, thar
they wore long black oowls, with
great white crosses between the
shoulders and reaching to the hem
of the gown. Save for the crosses,
they were arrayed wholly in black,
and black wells draped their faces.
"As we watched the chapel bell
tolled out, and the seurs silencieuses
moved toward its open door. We
were admitted to the ganery and
saw them kneeling in the half light
below US. A man S voice was read
ing prayers, but no man could we
see. Afterward we learned that he
spoke from behind a screen. He
was admitted to the convent chapel
by an underground passageway
leading beyond the walls
"At present the chaplain is rev.
erend abbe of nearly 80 years of
age, who enjoys reputation for
ascetic 1anctity throughout Ma
varle. The only time the nuns see
him is when he celebrates mass.
"In chapel they bend almost to
the floor, their hands crossed upon
their breasts. They eat only vege-
tables and drink only water. In the
entire history of the order, it is
said, there was but one nun who
failed to oaey the rules of silence
and submission. The poor women
dig their own graves, and, when
they are buried, no cross or monu-
ment of any kind marks thel rest
ing place
1T is very wholesome for the gay
bellies of Biarritz and Pau to visit
the seurs silencieuses and their con-
vent occasionally. Our party could
not get the remembrance out OF
their heads for weeks after. 1t pur-
sued us like haunting horror.