The menace. [volume] (Aurora, Mo.) 1911-1920, 1912-08-03

But, said the nay IN Nhltcs tooA-
Ing up from reading. 4 am not Sister
Xavier, I am Sister AurcliA-- Yea"
said I. 4 am 20 clad 70 meet you. for
have heard you spoken OF quite Of
ten. I believe you have charge Of the
smaller girls. the 'Prosorvatos.' do you
notl-
yea" said Sister Aurelia. -and I
shall be delighted 20 show you all
through my part Of the building. and
thep Introduce you 20 Sister Xavier,
who win be 30 pleased 10 show you all
the rest"
And with that she led the way 20
the maSslvoly arohed mont entrance
Of tho building. past a still lovelier
profuEion OF flowers. up the steps.
down n corridor. and then I was be
hind Convent Walls" The interior
OF this building IL rather plain In
finish, but is kept In the best OF re-
pair. Sister AureliA n soft OF
speech. her voice has the sweet lilt
OF old Ireland; she IL OF medium
helght, and. perhaps, forty years OF
age, and as she looked az me, as We
ascended tho stairs 10 the second
floor. I suddenly became aware that
her eyes were large, handsome, but
keenly gray.
I must hasten. and will be brief in
describing the younger girls depart
ment These girls. from six TO twelve
years OF age are classified a. Pro
servatss" and are supposed 70 be
kept separate from the older girls. l
noticed that every door. almost with
out exception. Is kept locked, and
Sister Aurelia had dihculty with
some OF the keys she carried-they
failed to ft some OF the locks.
Soon we encountered another lady
In white (white robes form the dis
tinctive garb OF the sisters OF the
Good Shepherd). She was introduced
70 me as Sister Vincent She was
evidently In Authority-I since
strongly suspect that she is In real
ity Sister Xavier herself-but who
ever or whatever she may be. shall
long remember her quiet dignity, her
gentle courtesy, and above all, her
deferential diplomacy.
She carried one key-and every
door opened TO that key. / was shown
the school rooms. Two small and one
rather large. Mentally and rapidly I
counted the small. plain. painted desks
not enough for a third OF the one
hundred and sixty 20 two hundred
little girls constantly In this depart
ment.
One after another I passed in and
keenly scanned the sleeping dormi.
tories-from thirty TO seventy small
iron beds In each, placed about two
feet apart painted windows, kept
closed. We passed into the 'recrea-
ton room"-a large, plain room filed
with empty chairs. At one end an
altar with sacred and wonderfully
sculptured images. A half dozen dis
oonsolCte little girls in checked calico
aprons, busily knitting red yarn win
ter caps.
We passed into the chapel-and
there, amid the dim religious light"
at the far end was Gods altar, gleam-
ing and glistening in white beauty.
Again the striking marble figures,
among them, even the Son OF God,
the true Good Shepherd" Save for
the figure Of woman in black robe
kneeling silently midway OF the room,
the chapel was deserted. Yet, as |
gazed, | wondered II God was in His
holy place behind that altar.
Some other time I may tell you all
l saw in this building, but Just now
Will omit all that intervened until
Sister Vincent said, Now, we will 20
to the other building. and we will
show you through our laundry and our
sewing rooms. You know We own the
Bank Street laundry. You under
stand, OF course. that children must
have some work for their own welfare
and development, so We provide them
employment for their own good"
] had the cue now, and diseoursed
so eloquently on the absolute neces.
sity for the employment OF children,
etc, ad ilb., that as We emerged from
the rear entrance Of the main build
Ing and made our way toward that
fateful red brick building, my com.
panions were Pctually delighted, and
We all three waxed quite enthusi
astio.
We paused by a large stone basin
where floated pond lilies. amids,
which many goldfish glided and
played. Beautiful Beautiful" I ex
claimed. YES" Sister Aurelia an.
swered in those eoft Irish accents
the children do so love to come here
and watch the ashland do you zee
our teeter-totters and our swings? oh
they have some grand times playing
here"
(There were two "teeter.totters, "
and I think three swingsD
Even here the ground under our feet
was trembling In unison with the con
slant rumble that surged and roared
from the other building.
Now Mr.. We will 20 In II
you like" said Sister Vincent, leading
the way. Being courteous by nature
(perhaps for other reasons also)
took pains 20 keep both my conductors
In front Of me whenever possible.
Very probably they will not even
dream, until they read this article,
how much really saw, nor how close
ly was watching.
The outer door was loeked-so was
the Inner. And now a deafening
crash smote our ears. and then died
away TO a steady hum, lbe some
giant bee above US. "Ahi" sasd Sister
Vincent "see they have shut .he pow.
er on-they are through for today
And Hnf 4 rAua,rEAA a.