The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-07-08
WOMAN'S
WORLD.

IN a secluded and beautiful place over
liking the Hudson river. amongst tree,
A,uers and splendid cloisters, more than
"a Now York women, many of them from
me highest social circles, spent the last
usok in June as participants in the an
,uaj Retreat of the Sisters of ST. Mary,
.t. Anglican Order of the Protestant
Episcopal Church
This annual Retreat" is unique. With
bss.ory Of only few years, it has al
r.,dy taken its place as one of the more
ir,,ortant as we'll as attractive seasons
Of nrayer and pentitence in the Episcopal
,,burch. The Retreat just ended was.
On the number of participants, the largest
ever conducted
Al St. Gabriers Convent, which is under
.ba auspices of the Ssterhood Of st.
Mary the Retreats" are held every year.
The convent grounds enclose about fifty
ooras They command view of the Hud-
en- for many miles. The village of Peeks-
kill is just under the nil on Whlch the
grounds are located.
These grounds are laid off with the fin
isbed art of a landscape gardener. Five
lin buildings are surrounded by pro-
seiou of flower beds and carefully cult
rated trees and shrubs, with numerous
valks winding in and about the entire
place. 4o., 49,
grounds is the little home OF the chap
lain of the convent, the Rev. Father Hen
~ Mead Just beyond is the home of the
sisters where during the winter months
ExyA Of
instruction to the girls in attendance
mon St Mary's School.
In this home Sister Superior Esther re-
ceiyed the associates" of the order, VINO
had signltied Their intention of be ng pres
ant at the Retreat" The women came
t,on all over the East, but most of them
were from New York city.
# is usually anticipated that large
number of the women at the retreats
will SPEND the summer at the seashofe
and at other places away from home, so
'ha caIebration is set for the last week
in lime. IT being expected that this viii
enable the associates" to attend the
oRetreat" on their way to their summer
places.
Among those who were received by Sis
cor Esther last Tuesday were the follow
;re New York women Miss Daisy POST
Mrs O. H p. Belmont, Miss Ehzapeth
Arnold. Mrs. Beekman de Peyster MIS-
philip Hubert Mrs. Alfred LOOMS, Miss
Livingston, Miss Franklin Delano, MISS
Tuen Middlebrook, Miss Grace Schuyler
Miss Mary Morgan, Miss Ellen hemoIe'
Miss M Stuyvesant, Mrs. {. II. Ames
and Miss Annie Houghton.
Az the women were received by the SIS
Ter Superior they were each assigned 10
small alcove in the school ouIaihs,
where the girls stay during the school
season Each of these alcoVes IS curtalll-
ed off by itself, contains a small oeu anu
is supplied with only the necessarleS u
the toilet. The building is in charge OF
sn,..roi of the Sisters. and there are
many private rooms for prayer anu nieu-
itation. .t.o.,, are
associates" of the order. They nave
manifested their interest in the slsteI-
hood in some practical way.
Dnrin, the Retreat" season the "asso-
cstes" wear the ordinary clothing u
their homes, except that on their heaos'
instead of a hat, they have small "hite
lawn caps. ,.
Zach morning the mathis bell summons
u,a Sistars and associates to morning
nraver and instruction at O'Clock Inc
rvices are held in the little st. Gaprlel
Chanel. and this year were conducted py
the Rev. Father f. A. Osborne OF bos-
ton ,.a, -
In the chanel. which is splendidly APP
nrin,ed the Sisters take seats III ca
stalls on each side of the altar, anu III
the body of the church the associates si'
Tbs music of the services, when IS pm
r,na1iI, made up of chants is sung en-
tirely bv the participants III Ni0
treat" There is no cholr. 4 soi
After this service there is breakfast III
lowed nv a walk through the erouIiuS'
The weather was perfect, ana THESE M =,
ING neditative strolls were lmIneiseS
loved. AT lois o'clock the peh asat tl
sounds. and the priest once more cohu0O''
a service of prayer. .,...,,s ara
Dinner is at o'clock. All the ileai0 a.
very simple, though of careIulIy (.o,'
food At 2 o'clock there is another eei
,joS in Tho chanel. another at ana an
other at 7. The O'Clock service -
b-ief excent for such as wish 10 REMAIN
afer /, for a cial season of prayer anu
devotion. ,a,ool, and
The vesper bell sounds at o'clock, anu
ugh+s are expected to be out at tlae 49,.
D,riro tho Retreat" the participants
never leave the convent grounds ana nave
no communication with the
world .,. r,,ass
At the last service, the morhiiis 4rih,,'
zach NJ the associates makes cont -
,t Nv " ~ order No one knows what
INV ono else donates, but some Oh 'ne
s,r,s contributed are understood 10 De
svcoedirolv liberal. These conulou'iou .
defrav the expense of the SEASON "a i,ra4tor
err and penance, and no othef N0i'N
Is made. = .ba high
The sisterhood of St. Mary is the I nien-
est orqanization of this kind IN the o
conaI Church. Branches are at ~
Nemnhis and Kenosha, Wisconsin
ss,erhood il very exclusive ana sepoi
Itself and it's work as much as
from the world at large -. .ha wavs
Some interesting notes apout INC IN
and customs of the Dutch laoles nppN,,dant
the Rritish weekly from a corresPoilo 90
who snent some time in Boer mouse -
IN the Wakkerstroom district u
Transvaal. The ladies, we are 'o,u' n"
very nele complexions, in the WI -.
Of which they take their price ~ -,
off the scorching suns rays they ehso,U 49,,
their heads in white linen scars W.
like tho nuns and Sisters of Mercy anu
over this year either the sun bonnet "
the "cannie" or a large straw nat ueu
under the chin with strlhss. I,oclx ="
the impression that they pui , iroyvr,
and know nothing of the oecoi,lhe .ot
sunburn which English girls nhe " a..
In most Boer houses OF the pe'uei Ii,
there is an American organ, or -
Inc" and the girls are generaHy Az ~
play simple tunes and accompany eols9
sud hymns Four girls in one Hou@e'
where the correspondent was staying gu H,
prised their visitors by singing the Ia
lar old songs, I'm the Gloamlhs'