The Washington times., 1934-12-08

t0Ken Ner UGugHteT ULOTtU
at 10.
Gloria Morgan and her twin Sis
ter, Thelma, were little more than
ten years old when they came, to-
gether, one morning in September,
1915, to the Convent of the Sacred
Heart, Manhattanville, New York,
seeking acceptance as pupils for
the ensuing scholastic term.
The Mistress General, whose
charge it is to interview, during
the summer holidays, prospective
pupils and their parents, glanced
in silent amazement at the youth
full applicants. They were beautl-
full and lively children, but frailly
built, speaking with slight lisp
their dark hair cut in Dutch bob.
Mother Dammann asked:
"Where is your mOther?"
The astonishing reply was:
"In Brussels"
They then related how they had
conferred together and decided
that they wanted to be educated
as American girls. Since their
father, Harry Hays Morgan, was
United States minister to Bel
GUM and their mother had voiced
her preference for European
schools, the independent and
patriotic misses determined to
make all the necessary arrange
ments before informing their
parents of their plan. They en-
gagged passage for New York, OBJ
tanned their passports through a
conniving friend. and the night
before the boat sailed startled
their parents into, at least. re-
luctant permission to do as they
chose.
Cross Sea Alone
They crossed the ocean under
the watchful eye of the captain
and were met in New York by
their elder sister, Consuelo. who
was later to become Mrs. Benja.
min Thaw, jr.
Mother Dammann, then mis-,
treSS general of Manhattanville
took the attractive twins to her
maternal heart, and thus began
their convent education.
They were brilliant students
full of zest at play and very
popular with the other students
Their loyalty to each other ano
their mutual affection was. even
then, an outstanding feature OF
their companionship. One coulo
hardly have called them mode
pupils but, on the other hand
they were not really difficult
characters. A mischievous veir
and a keen sense Of humor some
times led to slight infractionS o1
discipline.
Mischief Innocent
A thoroughly characteristic il
lustration of the innocence o1
their mischief may be seen ir
the following instance:
The majority of the pupils slept
In dornitories of 80 to 40 al
coves - tremendous rooms they
were. A nun was in charge anc
slept at the end nearest the cor
ridor. One of the strictest rule!
Of the school was that. once the
last bell had rung. which sig
nailed the extinguishing of thu
lights, not a sound must be hearo
and all the girls must imme
diately get into their beds. Gloria
and Thelma had beds at the enc
farthest from the little chair
where the nun worked under {
shaded light, at correction O.
themes, ETC., until another bel
announced the cessation of worl
for her. Just when everything
would have quieted down ant
one could have heard pin drop
two little heads would poke
through the curtain and call ou
in unison, the full length of thu
huge dormitory:
"Nighty-night!"
A "sh-sh!' from the nun onl!
brought a repetition of the greet
ing in a higher pitch. Perhap
they were lonely; perhaps the.
wanted a little extra attention
but the only way their irrepres
sible friendliness could be sub
Gued was by going to their a.
coves and tucking each in he
bed, with a whispered good
fiphtI"