Evening star., 1901-01-05

marry well. They are still under the old
regime at Saint-Denis. The naughty ad-
jective of sly has even been applied to the
poor dears.
That any little American girl should OF
her own will choose to be imprisoned FOR
her own good at Saint-Denis, with the
rainbow promise of high jinks and dolls
house comforts of the boarding school of
her native land before her eyes, is already
proof of her worthiness to belong" 1t IS
religious system cold routine, with
more rice and prunes than turkey and
mince.
At SaintDenis, with its military tradi-
ton, the girls still sleep in unheated dormi-
tories, great high-ceilinged halls with high
French windows abounding in draughts.
They are awakened at AMIN winter by
gaslght, over which they warm their cold
little hands while hustling into their
clothes There is no luxurious bath, no lin
gering in the boudoir. At 6:30 they are
marching downstairs in ranks to the study
hall, there to put in solid hour on empty
stomachs, the ideal physical condition for
memorizing, 1t appears. At 1880 they march
to the immense refractory of the old Bene-
dctine monks, its tiled floor uncarpeted, its
bare walls echoing back forbidden whis-
pers. For conversation at meals is forbid
den, whispering is a chief source of pun
ishments, and the deaf and dumb alphabet,
also forbidden constitutes the safety valve
of youthful high spirits. At tables of
twelve they sit. each dozen presided over
by two teachers or apprentice teachers On
Thursdays and Sundays only the rule OF
silence is dispensed with. Silently, there
fore, they eat their morning bread and
soup three times a week varied by choco-
late and milk or cafe au lait, always with.
out butter. From this little breakfast
they go to chapel. according to their re-
lgious denomination, and from chapel to
the recreation halls for half an hour to
Exchange condolences for the first time
in the day The morning Is not at all taken
up with the classes. Visits to the kltcnen
and talks about domestic economy in this
school replace in half the monotonous
"cramming' of more up-to-date 1nstltu-
tons Besides. there is a second half hour S
recreation before dinner time-at noon
Plain Living.
The girls dinner is a plain though solid
meal of soup, boiled meat garnished with
vegetable, baked meat accompanied py
another vegetable or salad, cheese ana
fruit or stewed fruit (prunes) and that thin
French boarding school vintage called
..abundance''-water colored red with wine.
The medical faculties of all France in vain
protest against it as the unique and fertile
cause of the acid stomachs and fatuiences
that scourge this fair land; French routine
will not listen to them, but goes It's way
The long recreation following on the dinner
is spent, by regulation. in the open air.
The afternoon classes are Varled py III
dulgence in sewing circles. music ana danc-
irg There is full hour for recreation be-
tween and o'clock, and another just be-
fore supper at o'clock. During the for
mer they have afternoon team France an
old institution with new name. The sup
per is almost an exact reproduction of the
dinner with respect to the number of
courses. and the study hour and short rec
reation following on 1t lead the girls gently
to bed at pm. precisely. There are no
pillow fights.
Thus the time passes for the demoiselles
of Saint-Denis in its natural employment
in solid and useful things 1t Is to be
feared. nevertheless. that the two little
American girls who are to be the first of
their race to make experience of the regime
may drop some natural tears.
STERLING HEILIG.