The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1907-07-13
1.-THE BEAUTIFUL NUN"
Ethan Aliens Daughter Saved From
Monster-Her Miraculous
Conversion,


Conversion.
OF Ethan Aliens daughter, Fanny.
the following interesting story is thus
told by the Rt. Rev. Louis de Goes
BRAND, bishop of Vermont. After the
War of the Revolution. General Allen
came to reside in his farm dwelling.
One spring morning his 9-year-old
daughter, Fanny, was gathering wild
flowers on the river bank. She was
| startled by the sight of a monster
which was rustling through the water,
apparently to devour her.
Stricken with fear she was unable to
move, and utterly helpless. Just as the
savage beast was about to tear her
with its ferocious claws, she heard a
Kind and gentle voice saying, Have no
fear, my daughter, the monster has no
power over you" Raising her eyes
she saw standing by her side an aged
man of venerable aspect, white hair
and beard, wearing long cloak and
carrying long staff in his hand
His words treasured the frightened
maid; her fears departed And she
went home. There she related her fear
full adventure and described the ap-
pearance of her deliverer. Her father
and mother Immediately went in search
of MIN, but he was neither to be found
nor heard of. No one had seen him,
and the parents gave UP the search,
believing that the daughter was the
victim of her own imagination, and
that no such person existed as she be-
lieved she had seen. The incident passed
from their minds and was for the time
forgotten.
The bishops account then proceeds
rr-s4I h.
into a beautiful woman and became en-
gagged to the son of a wealthy Boston
merchant. Miss Allen had received an
excellent EnEglish education, but when
Is years old she conceived IAN irresis-
tible desire" to acquire the French Ian
guage. This wish was opposed by her
mother and her affianced.
AS further resistance promised to i'm
peril the health of Miss Allen, her step
father (Mrs. Allen having remarried)
Welded, and her mother accompanied
her to Montreal, Canada. Their final
visit to the converts was to the cele-
brated sisterhood known as the Con-
vent Hotel Dieu" They entered its
chapel, walked up one of the aisles I'M
til they stood before a large painting
near the altar.
To the mothers amazement, the
daughter suddenly fell upon her knees,
bowed her head in prayerful alteration,
and. pointing to figure in the painting,
exclaimed: There is the man who
saved me from the monster!" 1t was
the figure OF st. Joseph in a large paint
ing of the Holy Family.
Miss Allen became a student at the |
convent, and there a new life began for |
her. The unselfish piety of the sisters |
her and she determined to |
enter the sisterhod Her mother, |
friends affianced, tried to dissuade her |
In the hope of diverting her mind she |
was taken from the convent into the |
most fashionable circle of city life, |
where her beauty attracted admiration. |
Her affianced made of her the most
tender appeals. If she longed to be-
come a minister of charity like the
good sisters, his fortune was hers. All
he asked was that he might work be-
side her and sustain her strength.
But Miss Allen was inf1exible. She
had the energy. decision and firmness
of her father, controlled by the gentle
ness of q trustful nature In due time
Fanny Allen, confident of her CONVEX
sion to The Catholic faith, returned to
the convent TO prepare for her final
from the world. Her life at
the convent Hotel Dieu" was an ex-
ceedingly happy one. She became
known IaT ana wac, ana every VlSltOJ' !
to Montreal was drawn to pay a visit
to the Beautiful American Nun"
After assuming the religious habit she
lived eleven years, and came to the
end of her beautiful life at the age of
35. These eleven years witnessed SO
many conversions of her relatives and
to The Catholic faith
IS to establish the miraculous char
lcter of her own experience. The ply
sician who attended her last hours, a
Protestant, was so touched by her
faith that, when at the last moment
Ter confessor said. Come to her
assistance, all We saints of God" he fell
1pon his knees and made a solemn
promise, which was executed by leav-
ng his profession, Joining the church
md entering a religious community.
Her intended husband sold what he
lad and gave it to the poor and himself
o the services Of the Church. The
Rev. Mr. Barber, the Episcopal minis
er who baptized Miss Allen, became a
Catholic, and his son and grandson
became Jesuits and missionaries to the
indians. Miss Aliens relations and
Ter friends. almost without exception
ollowed her example, and even to this
Law the example set by the ''Beauti-
ul American Nun has not yet lost its
power. for many conversions from
among the descendants
# her family continue to occur.