New-York tribune., 1908-06-21

proving everything. Those who know anything
of the internal economy of these religious houses
know that they have preserved all the caste dis
tnctions of pre-Revolution days. birth and
breeding queenng it over the bourgeoisie. But
these are democratic days, and outwardly no
distinctions must be shown. When I have
party of my relatives and friends at luncheon"
said the clever head of the Poissy house to her
visitors recently, Il give to my nuns exactly the
same fare L serve to my guests We live
very plainly. very economically. here. but
such an occasion the present you would see
on the common table in my convent exactly the
same wines and dishes as on my own In this
way the head of the house guarded against jeal-
ousy. from which nuns are apparently no more
immune than any others of their sex.
Luncheon in a French convent is a pleasant
entertainment The waiting is done by pupil.
who places the dishes the table and takes
and gives the plates. etc. disappearing between
times. The men of the party open the wines
and help generally. and this nfornnality gives
pleasant. intimate air to the feast. The fare is
the best, There will be many @hors d'oeuvres."
such as sardines in OIL slices OF sausage of many
kinds, truffied gaiantines. ham. olives and
pickles. followed by some nicely cooked dish of
meat with sauce and vegetable garnish After
this come the roast chicken and salad which in
vaTiably figure in a French meal, and they in
turn yield 10 wonderful cream cheeses fruits and
black coffee. The convent wine cellars are al
ways well stocked Not that the nuns purchase
much beyond the light wine they drink at their
meals but pupils and friends send in cases of
something specially good as a present to the
head of the house. Marvellous Burgundies will
be passed around. and equally marvellous Span
ish wines perhaps, and green or golden nqueurs
all of x-hjc he
though she urges her friends to spare nothing
Outside the windows, in the quiet garden with
its Towering trees and nicely kept borders the
bees are humming and thrush is singing
Against one wall is grotto crowned by a tiny
image Of the Virgin Each child in the school
contributed stone, and the house is proud of
the structure
The education given by the nuns is chiefly
free, though there is one paying classroom As
the fees only three cents a week however
this classroom scarcely can be said to pay its
expenses The different school buildings are
grouped around the garden, making with the
convent, a quadrangle of stone walls It is to
this school that the order owes its present lease
of life At any moment it may be closed
Another convent in critical position to-day
is the Jesuit monastery near Bourges A curious
situation exists here by reason of the spirited
action taken by the mother of the head of the
house. woman Of large private fortune. The
government ordered the convent to be closed
the monks TO be expelled, and the house to be
offered at auction The first part of the order
was executed at o'clock one morning recently
when the monks were in bed. They were all
assembled and put out the house closed,
the government seals were placed on the doors,
and the buildings and grounds put up at auction.
Then the mother Of the superior threw herself
into the breach and bought the property. Hav-
ing entered into possession, she invited her son
TO return with his monks and left them in
charge For the moment the has sue
ceeded, but the mayor finding himself without
authority to eject the party. has appealed to the
prefect for instructions. and. pending further
action on the part of the state. the Jesuits have
come by their again. C. l. 3.