The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-08-23
IMMURED
IN HONOL III j
Nuns Who Have
Been RecIuses
a Lifetime.
IFORTY-TWO YEARS
INSIDE FOUR WALLS
Some of These Sisters Have Not
Left the Convent in a
Generation.
A THE Catholic convent, WHICH is
III hidden away behind the walls

n
u hidden away behind the walls
along Fort and Union streets,
there are a number of women who
have dwelt within the place for from
thirty to forty-two years, without a
glimpse of the outside world during
the time, save that given from rarely
visited windows.
To these meek and unworldly sisters.
the existence year after year within
the narrow confines of the walls, has
been matter of fact, and they have
gone about their duties contentedly.
teaching the pupils of the convent and
conducting their devotions, without
heed to the progress of the city or the
happenings Of the external world. They
take no newspapers and read few Sec
ular books. The little children who
have been sent to them for education
have grown up and departed, giving
way to the succeeding generations in
the old fashioned little school rooms of
the convent, the sisters continuing to
instil@in the minds of their pupils the
same conventional stipends of learning
in accordance with the methods of fifty
years ago, regardless of the march of
progress in educational methods
The coming and going of pupils have
brought to the sisters almost their only
glimpses of the outside world, and the
changing atmosphere of things beyond
the wall The first party of ten nuns
came across from France in 1859, i'm
mediately entering the convent, the
Oldest one among them being forty
years of age, and the youngest, efgh-
teen. Since the day they passed de-
murely into the convent gate, when
Honolulu was a mere village of grass
huts and small wooden dwellings, these
women have remained within the four
walls Of the place. only going forth on
the occasion of funeral of one of their
being driven in hacks to the
cemetery. Some of the sisters have
not even attended funeral, among
these being two @Se original party
who entered the convent forty-two |
years ago. One of these is now over
eighty years of age, and though fraiI /
and faded, is still active in the work
Of teaching, and by her exemplary de-
Votion and humility gives example to 7
the younger mothers and sisters.
Six of the original ten have passed !
away and been carried out through the !
gates and laid away in the /
cemetery -Four remain. The original
party We're followed by number OF +
other sisters in 1864, and in 1870 anoth-
er party came over the waters from
france. Others have come from time I
TO time, and death has claimed many !
IF them.
The others will continue to live with t
n the confines of the four walls, at t
lending to the duties of the school
DOM, and embroidering sacred heart
7mblems for their raiment, until they,
90, shall be carried over the thresh-
lold to the cemetery.
AT the present time rebuilding is go
ng on, and the quiet of the silent place I
S broken. 1t is vacation time, and the
school rooms are empty The sisters
lave sought the rooms farthest from
ne NOISE OF the. hammer and saw.
" hen they go out into the grounds
heir white gowns are covered with
BACK, age-greened mantle, and their
loods drawn low over their faces as
Hey pass the workmen who are at
ending TO the rebuilding When the
YORK IN completed the unusual atnos-
here of disturbance Will depart, the
listers again settling down TO quiet and /
oittude, with the hurrying and pro
ressfye world outside.
On blackboard in one of the school
ooms is written in steep old fashion
q hand, for the guidance of the stu
ents Of history who are now frisking
bout IN the iiveliness of vacation. the
undisputed fact: Columbus,
n Italian Catholic, discovered the new
rorld in 1892" L
This Is typical of the quaint old
lethods OF teaching which are still ad-
cred to by the isolated nuns who have
charge the education Of the small.
aggressive and up-to-date urchins and
tile girls OF the Catholic persuasion
Tell me" asked a sister not long
CO. In which direction from here is
he harbor?"