The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1915-03-05
REFUGEE NUNS.
Belgians Seek Refuge in Boutwell,,
Scotland.

Mr. Robert Garth hands us the fol-
lowing from the Record and Mail,
Glasgow, Scotland, in connection
with the European war:
Outside the beautiful policies of
Boutwell, Castle, Lanarkshire, a
group of school children might have
been heard yesterday singing Brit
ons never shall be slaves" They
sang in innocent exuberance Of
heart, and perhaps would not have
understood, even had they been told,
how pathetic an echo their song
would have made in the ears of the
present occupants of the historic
house.
Authorities on etymology assert
that the word Boutwell, is equiva-
lent to "The Dwelling Of the Strang-
err" Whatever the derivation it
might we'll be contended that at
present no more acceptable meaning
of the name might be found, for
within the ancient demense there
are being harboured about a score
of those unfortunate victims of leu
tonic ferocity who have had to flee
the fair plains of Belgium for the
safety of our island home.
The company comprises seventeen
nuns and one lady refugee, who,
thanks to the hospitality of the Earl
and Countess of Home, have found
temporary refuge from the insolen-
cies of the Germans in the quiet sur
roundings of Boutwell, Castle.
The arrival of the little company
has occasioned no little interest in
the communities of Boutwell, and
Uddingston, between which the his
toric building is situated. The Earl
and Countess, who, it is understood,
are at present in residence at The
Hirsel, Coldstream, have extended to
them the best Scottish hospitality,
and, for the nonce, Boutwell, Castle
may be regarded as their home.
The plight of the eighteen refu-
gees is one of the most pathetic in
the history of the war. Living in
quiet and contemplative seclusion in
Belgium, and full of good works,
they were suddenly confronted with
the full horrors of war.
The nuns, it is understood, belong |
to various "Orders," and some con-
ception of the feriocity and heinous-
ness of the German onslaught may
be gathered from the fact that out
of fifteen converts in one part of
Belgium to which some of them be-
long no fewer than ten were utterly
The Germans are somewhat fond
Of quoting the phrase military ne
in justification of many of
heir destructive acts, but so far as
hose converts were concerned the
phrase is obviously unwarranted.
One of the nuns, for instance, has
explained that their convent was
oombarded while they were in oc-
;upancy of the building. The shells
ell like rain, and they had to run
or their lives, as the edifice was
'alling about them. The hurried
lature of their departure may be
gagged when it is explained that
hey arrived at Boutwell, Castle /
penniless, and denuded
f all but what they were wearing. !!
Their grief has been made all the :
1ore poignant from the fact that
hey had considered themselves COM
aratively RICH and were able at {
IL times to distribute largesse to /
he poor, while now they found 9
themselves not only outcasts from
heir beloved homes but dependent =
pom the kindness of the stranger. !
Many of the nuns have relations n
4 Belgium, but of the fate which Il
as befallen them they do not know.
he father of one of them, it is be- P
leved, is at present compulsorily \
-orking under German rule in the n
md of his birth, while her mother t
obliged to cook the meals of the
ated intruder.
Despite the tragic nature of their =
zile the members of the little col T
ny, which includes a Mother Su-
erior, have begun to adapt them
lives to their surroundings. Their
nowledge of English is fragmen-
Try, but they are showing extreme
lxiety not only to learn the Ian
Iage but to make themselves use