The Washington herald., 1912-10-08
FOREIGN GOSSIP.

-
svery year help q .euq1l ~ 2 t5de FL
seysey at Haassjts ase a1nse fhak ~ .
aAort Distance IRON. Sianp aha&Aee, anA
husAtsr. thsrs b : eoalnsnisy e woaa1n.
with voaces - musical - thslF own. whoI
pAo Sheir lives In unhgo6eo rallence-i
not - penancs Tor the1ks GlnA bat q theerl
own free vfn- Tho anQt1e ny Gm11o
tncreduously at the vay suggsst3oa that
woman Who has Q voeeo en- -ex1oe
without uaing e: bot . Wit b ~ sCon-
vent Of the GlIsat elitsrss would sDen
are not only content bot 01aA 70 pass
through LIFE without uttsEing weed.
even tn the solitude Of Their oellA
xos nearly Q century thio Gtrango0e
community In the world has haA IL home
within sight Of one Of 1Wops's most
famous oentsss Of fffvulity. ON the. ate
on which Wellington's soldiers hAA their
loo: and their long tradition Of Silence u
- unbroken to-day a. when the frSt
vows were taken. Let % take peep
ct this sanctuary Of dumb women. A.
we enter the gats and make our way up
The long. dark avenue which leads to
the convent. the spirit Of the place sesms
to euvelop u. Outside the world 70 full
Of sunshine and life: here no sound. but
the crunching Of the sand beneath your
feet. falls on the ear. Tho very birds
are mute; the hush of . great silence
surrHunds all On each side are tower.
Ing pines and thick hedges of cactus,
Through which NO curious eye can psne-
trata
In the distance you catch Q giimpss Of
. procession of black and white-robed
figures In single nls. passing ghost-like
ACROSS the end Of the avenue. the sun
lighting up tho crosses which sleam
white from the somber black Of their
cowiS. They arc the Silent Sisters on
their way to chapel. refectofy. or cell.
with bowed heads and downcaSt eyes.
telling their beads with mutely moving
lips Here and there In the distance. as
We emerge at last from the avenue. we
SEQ solitary figures with large straw
hats STOPPING industriously over their
garden work. but no eye turns to note
the coming Of strangers.
visitorS guides-two sisters from Q
neighboring convent. who are under no
pledge Of silence-conduct the tourist drst
to q chapel. . plain. almost bare build
ing, part Of which II screened from view
by white curtains- Hero tho sisters per-
form their daily devotions. where no eye
can see them. At o'clock. winter and
summer. they leave their hare cells and
for three unbroken hours they tell their
beads and say their prayers until they
are summoned to their frugal breakfast.
Two more hours they spend. later In the
day. with their rosaries and prayers in
this secluded corner Of the chapel. the
remainder Of the dsy being devoted to
work OF various kinds and to medita-
tion.
From the chapel you are conducted to
the refectory. q dark. uninviting cham
ber with sanded floor. along which run
wooden tables and benches. Outside the
roses are blooming. and the air Is fra
grant with the perfume Of flowers; but
no gleam OF sun and no scent Of odor
enter this dismal dining-room. The bare
deal tables are spread for the midday
meal. with an array OF brown water Jugs
and wooden spoons and forks displayed
on coarse serviettes. But no tableclotha.
During the meals not a sound Is heard
a whisper even would be q grave ohense.
bringing swift penance: and every FRI
day the Sisters eat their meals on their
knees. At any moment. too. the mother
superior may ring her bell. and at the
sound each sister must remain abso-
lutely motionless in the position she Is
in at the moment, however uncomfort-
able or even ludicrous It may he.
The sisters. tho guides say. must first
spend two years on probation. at the
end Of which they are free to depart II
they wish. II they decide to take the
vows, they can never pass beyond the
convent walls again. even In death; Tor
then they are laid to rest in the little
cemetery whose rows Of mounds mark
the sleeping place Of generations Of 81
lent sisters The survivors dig the
graves and heap the earth on their de-
parted sister, No headstone. not even
flower. may mark the place where she
lies: q few shells sprinkled over It are
her only memorial.
Before you pass out again you catch
nearer glimpse OF two Of the silent Sis
tiers, who pass with bent heads. as OBJ
livious Of our presence as II We did not
exist. They wear dresses and aprons OF
white flannel. secured at the waist with
a girdle Of rope. Clumsy sabots are on
their feet: their heads are covered with
tight-fitting caps Of linen, and over all
Is a black cowl, draped so as to conceal
the face. with a large white linen cross
on its back. A large rosary hangs at
the side Of the skirt. and a cross Of
metal CLEANS on the breast.
When at last you emerge with blinking
eyes into the glare OF the light you are
shown a curious structure Of grass and
plaster. with q floor of sand. which was
the converts first chapel. and close by
the original cells-small. gloomy huts Of
grass and branches. each furnished with
an iron bed. basin. and a jug standing
on a box. and a solitary wooden chair
the homes in which sisters Of the long
ago told their beads. said their prayers.
and slept. and from which they were
carried to their unmarked graves.
st. Bartholomew, whose festival has
been q sinister anniversary for Protes-
tants and Puritans, once did good ser
vice to London. By appearing in a Wis
ion to the court Jester of Henry I, he
10 said to have brought about the
founding Of St Bartholomew Hospital.
The ejectment Of the 1000 nonconform-
ing ministers from the Established
Church. Of which this Ii the 250th an
niversary, appears to have been very
popular, probably because the victims
were mostly Presbyterian intruders.
There was no disturbance, except at the
City Church Of St Matthew, Friday
Street. where some Of the people cried
out "Porridge," which was the Puritan
nickname for the Prayer Book.
DR.. Sheldon. the Bishop Of London and
builder Of the Sheldonian Theater Of Ok
ford. who had been the main promoter
of the prosecuting measure. was himself
virtually an agnostic. with no deep
sense Of religion. II any at all, according
to q contemporary writer.
BLACK Bartholomew anciently brought
BLACK Bartholomew anciently brought
the great carnival Of the year for Lon
doners by the opening Of the famous fair
held in the precincts Of the priority