Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-15
OUR FRENCH.
CONTINUED from page 81

gatory; nor is ii believed IN ,neir nie
that a rational amusement SunuaA ai'c;
moons, so long as tner viii II az NJ Cod or the
forms of good taste: and to these people.
confined AS most OF them are ~ 'ns
mills. rational open air . ~ ~
Sunday afternoon Is cei'a'h'! "'' ~
Naturally in a certain way these people |
are clannish and adhere TO Hach ,h ",mei
not that feeling among tnem Una. IL -
necessary TO mix up with tne Ehensh
speaking people SO mucn as wo ,,', os ,ro
time they are continually widening out
their circle of acquaintance ana lri'hu-
ciailv. Intellectually. and materially As
has been suggested above. they admire
american ways and quickly adopt them:
and with usual French feeling are in-
and those who look back for the fifteen
wears and note the condition OF IN"
French when first arriving in Augusta.
compared with what we see daily before
us can but wonder at the rapid advance IN
in material prosperity. both individually
and as a whole. stores. business books
farms. houses. all now under frencn
ownership. rapidly increase and as rap
idly improve: these people being mostly
from country places and villages nave an
intense desire 10 possess their own homes,
Independent of and yet closely allied -
this growth Of the French settlement in
our midst. has been the grow II and pros
peritv of the Catholic church in it,
midst: and perhaps. they may ne regard
ed.as a fair example of the advance Of
the whole: people here.
We have seen that when Father liamcl
reached here twelve years ago his PARISH
was deeply in debt for an diminished
church. and the outlook was gloomy.
With wonderful energy and persuasive
ness the new priest took up his allotted
work and infused new courage ana spirit
into the hearts of his people soon the
church was built ana CHtireiE Paiu lo' 10y
these efforts.
The story is one of entering into a
struggle which al the time seemed To DC
develop the powers of the father ana
awaken the energies OF his people C"m,.
mencing with small story ana nai.
cottage as property. in the twelve years
of Father Hamcl's passionate theN nay
finished and entirely furnished the %:
Augustine church. in which ere me me
several rooms of the rarochial school a,
cost of over S2o.w.
In chronological order. then. the next
step the bringing or roar lrSuiiiic
sisters as teachers who organized the
school with about ITO scholars. A private
house was purchased. ana Immediately
ganized. To this consecrated tract or
land We're removed most of the remains
of the dead French then in Augusta: Inc
entire cost of this cemetery with Its
fences, gates, etc, was something over
$1,000.
After this was the building Of the new
convent where the Ursulne sisters are
clustered and where they pass all their
time excepting when engaged s, IN me
contains a very beautiful chapel. recita-
ton. community and reception rooms. a
library. and the cells for the sisters. ~ Is
scrupulously neat and clean, ana us airy
chambers are well lighted. The building
is steam heated. The value or the!r
church property is about si',op in all.
The most interesting part OF the visi-
tors time will be spent in the school
room. and great will be his amazement a t
dren who range from the kinderSarten
grade to the same relative ranks as in
our graded schools. The average aIten-
dance this year is 30. with 30 registered
AZ a general thing the first class gets
badly broken about this time Of the year
on account of the children reaching the
working age and leaving school for all
time: otherwise the attendance is pune
tual and regular
The entire teaching is dore by tine
.mothers' who have special training and
special fitting for their various lines The
energy. spirit. life and rhythm that vibrate
in every movement of Mother SIC.
HeleneS whole person as she leads her
music are an index of the rare proficiency
of her scholars. who are swung along by
the force of her leading. And, 30 too. the
personal effect of each mother is seen in
every class The studies are carried on
in two languages, which are proiiciently
learned at once. and comprise arithmetic.
and kindred studies. BY the admixture
of English and French, and under the
careful instruction of the sisters the
patois and accent disappear, and pronun-
citation of both languages improves. The
French of the mothers is very. pure. and
their English contains scarcely any ac-
cent after little study.
\ visit to the school signally illustrates
the latent grace of French politeness.
and the conduct and manners of the chill
dren in the visitors presence should be
lesson TO young Americans. who are
apt to be q tritie unrefiectns in what con-
stitutes well bred behavior. AS the vis-
roy fnr fhD fha ont 1.-Two oil ri- "a
in their seats, and stand and make a
graceful bow in unison. in which they
are led by the mother in charge of the
room. With politencss charming in L.
self. the mother makes the visitor wei
come. and in some of the grades the cnl-
dren even sing "A song of welcome in
English French to the visitor. The
only difficulty that the writer found was
that the Supcrabundancc of welcome was
almost embarrassing. when he Ielt him
self under the bright eyes of 20 or 81
ing inadequate return.
Little more remains to be said Of the
exercises, which are carried in the
TWO languages. and are interesting IN all
ways. They contain few things that
are strange to the English eye. but are
quickly recognized as relies of French
training. ana which add quaintncss to
what would be the ordinary exercises of
any school. There is one room devoted
as vet attained efficient uuickness OF
proficiency to b. taught in English. and
singing. To the more reserved American
observer, q certain amount of gesture am,
facial expression is observable in ihei!
singing-a sort of acting which is not
seen in the English schools generally.
The sisters. of whom there are nine, are
named by the church: Rev. Mother Ste
Louise. Superior; Assistant Ste. Marie
des Anges: Zeatrice. Ste. Helene: Ste
Madeleine Ste Familc: Ste. Elizabeth
Ste. Sacre Occur; Ste. Dominique: and
Ste. FRANCHISE.
These nuns on entering the church
have two years novitiate during which
they can at any time return to III" world
AT the end of three years they take final
vows and become dead to the world
There are certain sisters called lay and
choir sisters who are not allowed t.
teach. but the remainder now devot,
their lives to this branch, the hospital
service of the trsulineS having been
abandoned few years ago.
state that these Ursuline sisters como
from the convent at Three Rivers. ,an-
ada which has been in existence for -04
wears The order originated in that Do
minion about 40 years ago and at the
house at Three Rivers are about 100 SIS
ters under the charge of the bishop
There are about 400 children living at the
convent OF the teaching sisters special
requirements are made as, to abb ity and
proficiency: but the lay sisters and cnoir
sisters are those that do other work