The age-herald., 1899-12-17
FROM A BALL ROOM
 TO A CONVENT
Miss Drexel Will Only Follow in the Footsteps of Many Another Girl
 Who Has Tired of Society,".

The announcement that Miss Josephine Drexel, the daughter of the late Joseph ". Drexel of Philadelphia had determined to forsake the pleasure of society for the secluded life of convent has been received with regret in more than one city where the. name of Drexel is known and esteemed. This report has been denied by the family but repeated by friends.
 To Miss Drcxel herself however the opin- ion of society carries but little weight. They may speak of her regretfully as If her re- tirement from fashionable circles implied greater sacrifice than should be demanded of anyone but to her the complete aban- donment of everything worldly would be the greatest joy that life could give.
 Although Miss DreXel is still a young wo- man and but two years have passed since her formal introduction to society, her re- ngious devotion is intense. When a very young girl she determined that she would devote her life to the church and since that time nothing has been able to shake her purpose It has been the one ambition of her lifetime; the plan that she has pur- sued in the completion of her education has been with view to this object.
 Nearly all of Miss DrexeFs relatives are Roman Catholic and while they have eX- pressed the hope that she would be able to conciliate her piety with the manners of the world they compelled to admit that she has just the temperament for the vocation that she has decided upon. She would be one of the most patient of sisters one of the gentlest of religious teachers and no hand will be raised to stop her if she in- sists that her only happiness can be found within convent walls.
 As the daughter of Joseph Drexel Miss Josephine Drexel is one of the great heires- ses of Philadelphia At the present time her income is not less than $50 900 a year. It will not be long before she will come into possession of her fortune of $10,00O 00o
 If all these reports are true and Miss DreXel carries out her intention of retiring from the world she will not be the first flower of society who has found happiness in this strange way. Several years ago her aunt Miss Katherine Drexel, surprised so- ciety by taking the VOWS of the church. She, too, inherited great wealth and much of this property has been spent in carrying out the good works that she has decided upon. With a portion of her immense for tune she built St. Elizabeth's convent, about eighteen miles from Philadelphia, and it was in the chapel of this religious house that Miss Drexel made the vows that bound he1 forever to the cloister.
 Among the other works that she has performed has been the erection of a beau- tiful convent of Rock Castle, Hampton Roads, Va, and a home for colored boys which IS under the direction of the Chris tian Brothers. At present Miss Drexel is known Mother Mary Katherine of the Blessed Sacrament and is in charge of one of the convents of the Oruer at Pittsburg, Pa.
 During the past half century there have Abeen many notable instances of society girls who have found their career tout of the world' Miss Virginia Scott, the daughter of General Scott, died cloistered nun at Georgetown, and it was her memory that saved the Visitation convent from be-
 ing seized by the government during the Civil war.
 Miss Iturbide, the daughter of the Mex ican minister, once a belle of Washingt ton society, also withdrew from the world to the seclusion of the Georgetown convent, and Miss Marie Sands, the daughter of a Detroit heiress, whose coming out was one of the events of a brilliant social season, entered the Convert of the Sacred Heart at Kenwood, Albany, about year ago. An other debutante to take the Veil at the Ken wood Convent of the Sacred Heart was Miss Roselie Hill, the daughter of Mrs. Peter Heiskill HEM of Washington.