The Irish standard., 1908-11-21

large placards We're posted heaping
cal,mny upon female virtue and incit-
1y1n vain did the more tolerant and en-
ltghtcned seek to quell the tumult; in
ing the rabble to destroy the Nunnery.
In vain did the more tolerant and en-
lightened seek to quell the tumult; i'll
vain, too. did Fenwlck and the Ursu-
line, whose fight we mentioned, en-
deavor to present the truth to the pub
lie mind Old-time bitterness and big
otry were stirred to their very depths
and they must now run their course.
"To the NunEery" was the wild Cry
which echoed through the streets; it
was the cry to which minister, dema-
voices and on the night of August the
ninth it gathered a band of disguised
ruttians about the grounds of the acad-
erly. Bonnres were lighted. the fire
bells rang and in a short time thou
sands OF excited citizens were assem-
bled on Mount Benedict.
Frenzy could suffer no delay; the
work Of destruction was begun at
once. The windows of the Convent
were broken with stones; the fences
round about the grounds were torn UP
and cast about the street. and when
the village clocks sounded through the
uidnisht darkness, the mob now mad
dened from rum broke omen the doors
and sad scenes of destruction and
plunder followed, scenes too well
known to need description here. Amid
ieers and oaths. the furnishings were
demolished and what the axe left be.
hind the aames. glowing red against
the sky, came to consume. Nothing
escaped the madness and fury of the
crowd. Even the last resting place
of the lead was broken open and en-
tered, only to have Il collin invaded
and it's silver plates borne away. In
fear and terror, the Sisters fled from
their burning home and after applying
in vain al door after door, they found
refuge at last in the homes of the
more humane. There they remained
until their patron and friend found
protection for them away from such
violent and unholy men. Roughness
and rufianism ran rampant that night.
but even all the destruction to which
they led failed to satiate the frenzy
of the mob. For several nights follow
nd
boisterous denunciations of Rome they
paraded ;he streets of Boston, giving
the Catholics good grounds to fear for
the safety of their Cathedral, their
churches and their homes.
This was too much for the Catholics
to bear Their blood ran warm with
III them and their spirit of devotion
and love would not suffer them to
stand idly by and sec this tragedy,
committed upon holy women whom
they revered, go unavenged. Crowds
of Irish laborers. at work on the rail
roads, threw aside their tools and
started for the city. They were de-
ternlined to meet force with force but
Bishop Fenwick met them OH the way
and counselled meeker measures. A
painful cross had been laid upon his
shoulders, bitter chalice pressed
against his lips; he had seen the pride
and delight of his Diocese made the
victims of drunken mob and the hill
which bore his name covered with
blackened ruins. But his words were
words of sorrow. not Of wrath, and his
only answer forgiveness and forbear-
ancc. it was an attitude which en-
deared him to his people and it won
the love and the admiration of every
law-abiding citizen.
For Il time the storm abated, but
in the calm which followed the Bish.
ops heart was rent in twain with
grief. Iie saw his Ursuline Nuns far.
ing i'll, journeying hither and thither
in search of means and of school ac-
commodations and finally bidding fare
we'll forever to the city which even in
their day inconsistent men called the
"Cradle OF Liberty The native
American had done his work well and
with impunity. The courts of Massa-
chusetts could find no charge against
him, blinded as they were by that
strong public opinion which hailed the
"Nunnerys" destruction with applause
and now expressed regret that anyone
should pay the penalty for the crime
But dark days were still to come to
fill to the brim the Bishops cup of
bittel3 ess and grief, days on which
lie was to hear the sighs of sorrow
and the wailings of distress among
his people.
For two years more saddening sights
were to meet his eyes; the tearing of
crosses from the graveyard at Lowell,
the stoning of churches in Boston, the
Ne