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Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est filmi d partir de Tangle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 GLIMPSES OK TlIK MONASTERY m 1. ^ Vl. v>.,. ■":^^M^h I m m I VlCNl'.KAUM'; MOTinCR M..ir of tlic rrsiiline Convent of Onclifc i if>,\<)). I'loni ;i ])it'"l'"K I'y MoTioN'i, Rome, 1.S7S. GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY SCENES I'liOM THE IllSTOKV t>K TUB URSULINES OF QUEBEC DURING TWO HUNDRED YEARS i(;;5!) - in;5!) HY A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY h SECOND EDITION . A , <• I ' / - REVISED, AUOMF^NTEI) AND COMPLETED HY :nces of the last fifty YEARS 1 1839 -1889 .4 a.^Td.'^; - 1 „•' . !•■ - c - , r. ,(>■ • \ . . , „ ;. • ' o"' QUEBEC I PRINTED BY L. .1. DEMERS A FRERE ^'O 30, De la Fabrique street 4 1897 -^ U V -^.J"' ^ JmpriTnatur, + L, N., Archiep, Cyren., Adm. 30 Sept. 1897. • , >• • • .• •• • •••••• • • • v: .• •,- » • » . • ,.• • • ; • ••• •••• • * • • • • • •• • !• • • •• • .' • • • • • v-- J. M. J ANGKLA TO «)liR OGAIl MOTHKH VENERABLE MARIE ttUYART OF THE INCARNATION KIRST Siri'EKIOK AVn WITH MADAME DE LA PELTRIE JOINT-FOUNDRESS OF THE MONASTERY THIS LITTLE SKRTeH OK ITS HISTOKY IS MOST HL'.MBLY ANIi AFKEC'TIONATKLV DEDICATED. ! \f F» PREFACE Some twenty years ago the pages of the " Glimpses of the Monastery " were written to supply a want which had long been felt ; namely, that of possessing in English, and within a small compass, an account of the chief events that have marked the history of the Convent since its foundation. The object of the work suggested the plan. It was not to be a dry compendium of facts and dates. It should represent the character and spirit of the institution of which it treats, by presenting before the reader the varying vicissitudes through which it has passed from the tirst hazardous undertaking of its foundation to *he present day. It should introduce us not only to those '' valiant women " who shared the courage and long suffering of the holy priests and missionaries of the " heroic age " of Canada, but it should acquaint us also with some of those facts and incidents which occur to vary the uniformity of convent life, presenting us even the more intimate pictures of the lives of the nuns. Such was the plan of the work which, however, had / VIII PREFACE to be accomplished without the leisure that would have have been desirable, and without foregoing either the duties of the class-room or the stated religious exercises of the community. But it was intended for a class of rea'ders on whose unlimited indulgence we could depend. The little book treating of the Convent would be read by the friends and relatives of the nuns, by their pupils of present or former times, by persons young or old who love to meet in their reading the dear name of God and His Saints ; by strangers oven who know little of monastic life, and whose curiosity we are willing to gratify by showing them something of that little world which openly professes to be " unlike the world ". The chief documents and reliable writings which have preserved the early history of the monastery, are : I. The Relations of the Jesuits, published in France from 1632 to 1672. As reprinted by the Canadian gov- ernment in 1868, they form three large octavo volup'es. II. The life and Letters of Venerable Mother Marie Ouyard de I'lncarnation, first Superior of the Monastery, who died in 1672. During the space of some thirty years this admirable woman entertained, in the interests of religion and the good of souls, a vast correspondence with persons of various rank and condition in France, and especially with her son who became a Benedictine monk, and who after his mother's death, published a selection of her letters. ■ J <■ PREFACE IX III. For events of later years, for the lives of the nuns, etc., we have the aiuials of the monastery, the ohitr i;'y notices of the nuns, often sup|)lemented by reliable traditions, by letters, etc. The favorable reception that awaited the " Glimpses of the Monastery" on its first appearance leads us to expect it will obtain a wider circulation in its improved form. The history of Canada has become better known in the neighborinur Kepublic within a few years past, and neither our English nor our American friends are indifferent to the reputation of our educational institutions. They are interested to find that while the country was yet in its infancy, a feeble colony struggling for existence, the sacred fire, destined to enlighten the intelligences of future generations was carefullv maintained in the relisrious institutions already founded. On the other hand, we have been most fortunate in being permitted to submit the work, both the " Glimpses of the Monastery " and the " Reminiscences ", to the enlightened and judicious criticism of a Reverend friend, whose qualifications in all that relates to literature are 'Only equalled by his exquisite delicacy and readiness to oblige. '' V • UrsuUne Convent, Quebec, November 21st, 1897. .y ' \^ CONTENTS BOOK I THE KIUST FIFTY YEARS lbo9 - 1689 CHAPTER I KKOM THK I'KESKNT TO THK PAST PAGES. Introduotory I IN'STIIUCTION NKKDED IN NEW FRANCE Quebec before 103'.) Iiitcntior of the founder of the City First niissioiiaries Early letters The Christian village of Sillery 2 CHAPTER 11 THE WAYS OK DIVINE PKOVIDENOE Who Was Mother Marie Guyart of the Incarnation ? — Her apostolic spirit ; her call to found a Convent in Canada ^Iadame do la Peltrie The Archbishop of Tours. — Journey of the Foundresses to Paris, to Dieppe. — Mother Cecile de la Croi.\ Tiie departure. — The voyage. 5 CHAPTER HI AltKlVAI. OK THE UKSULINES IN CANADA i ' The harbor of Tadoussac First nij;ht on land The reception ' at Quebec A visit to the Indian hamlet— .11'.^ Hospital nuns and the Ursulines part 13 / • XII CONTENTS CHArTER IV THK LAHOK OP THREE YEAKS I'AHES. I ,. Study of tlie Imlian languages. — "The Louvre". — Malady among the '* seminarists " Nuns from Paris Mother St. Clare describes the little convent Poverty and other difficulties Corne»'-stone of a new Monastery laiil 19 CHAPTER V MADAMB HE I.A PEI.TKIB AND YllK INDIANS The foundress boar■' " XIV CONTENTS CHAPTER XIV THE INMATES OP THU MONASTEUY AOAIN PAOK8. A pict'ii' ! of lif« and manners Obligations of the Ursulines to tlie Marquis de Tracy. — New candidates for the novitiate. Instruction of the pupils UrsuUnes from France. — Their reception and visits List of the nuns in 1671 94 CHAPTER XV THE OLOSH OF WELL-SPENT YEAIJS Illness of Madame de la Peltrie — Her death. — Another <;reater sacrifice foreseen. — Last moments of Venerable Mother Marie de I'Incarnation Her burial Appreciations of her character 107 CHAPTER XVI IN AKTER YEARS The work of Mother Mary of the Incarnation continued Father Lalemant — Statistics .\ hallowed anniversary. — A beloved name. — The Indian pupils. — Constitutions of the Ursulines Election of a riuperior 113 M CHAPTER XVII A .MEMORABLE DATE 168() Laying the corner-stone of " La Sainte-Famille." — Death and burial of Agnes Weskives October; aspect of the Mon- astery. — The alarm, " All is lost ! " — Three of the specta- tors. — How the nuns bear the trial liy CHAPFER XVIII RESTORATION OK THE MONASTERY The Ursulines welcomed at the Hotel-Dieu. — The feast of St. Ursula — Incidents. — A little convent. — Friends in adver- sity ^The winter and spring pass away. — Classes opened for day pupils. — Mortal illness of Mother 8te. Croix — Fervor. — The restoration completed 127 f ■ ■■ •••v:/'"'. CONTENTS BOOK II DUUING SEVf]NTY YEARS — 1089-1759 XV . -V CHAPTER I CLOSE OK THE FIKST HALF OENTUKY I'AOKS. Coincidence of the restoration Vocations A new chapel. — Guardians of the Monastery Tlie country threatened by the Indians Preparations for war 137 CHAPTER 11 THE AI/AKMS OF WAR Contrast of the present with the past The annals give an account of the siege Our Lady of Victory lHow the nuns keep a festival 148 CHAPTER III mother DE FLECELLES of ST. ATHANASIU3 The second Superior of the Monastery Her youth. — Her vocation to Canada Mother St. Clare " Uur most honored and beloved Mother" described by the Annals. — The Constitutions of Paris adopted 149 CHAPTER IV THE URSULINE CONVENT OF THREE RIVERS Educational institutions in Canada. — Project of Bishop Saint- Valier. — Consultations and journeys. — Prosperity of the new Convent Trials of a later day 156 CHAPTER V FEAST OP THE SACRED HEART ESTABLISHED Origin of the Feast of the Sacred Heart The devotion already known in the Monastery Establishment of the Feast in the Convent — The Hist shrine. — The Association..... 131 -aiUMMPi MM i. ■ ' XVI CONTENTS CH\PTEn VI THK LAST SURVIVOR OK 1639 PAGKS. Biographical notice of Mother Charlotte Barr6 of St. Ignatius Early ^jiety, generosity — Her edifying life. — Linkn in the chain of tradition 167 it ' 11 CIIAPIER Vll DAWN OF TIIK EUlHTKBNTIl OEXTUKY The colony menaced by famine, sickness and war Epidemy in Quebec and in the Convent. — Other maladies. — Disasterr. and sutterings. — Return of Bishop de tSt. Valier after his long captivity 170 CHAPTER VI 11 TIIK THKKK UAPTIVKS MISS WHKKLWHKiHT HKCUMRS AN UKSL'MNK The Wheelwright family The hamlet of Wells, Maine The onset oi' the Indians. — Esther taken captive. — Father Bigot discovers and rescues her. — She is received by Gov- ernor 185 CHAPTER X yUEIlEC IX 1720: run NOVITIATE OF THE URSfClNES ' AT THE SAME DATE Charlevoix' picture of life and manneis in Quebec. — The novic- es introduccul. — Miss Wheelwriglit Mi.ss ue Muy. — Miss de Boucherville and Missde Itamesay Mi^s desMeloises. — The Misses (iaiilard and other novices ; — More young ladies from Montreal, ami fiom the environs of Quebec Thoughts on the religious liie 189 .1.1 (CONTENTS XVII on A ITER XI TUB CHAPKI, OF THK SAINTS PAOKS. Our Lady of (Irout Power Uolics and other sacrod objects — Exvotos — Tho " Votivo Lamp." — Tlie do Ropentigny family Mother de Ilept^ntigiiy of St. Agatha 201 (MIAPTKR XII BDfOATIOX l\ THK OONVKNT Tlie relation between pn|)il (in CIIAITER XIII AVOIKXT SUPKIUORS OP THK COMMOVITY \ « MAUY, I'KKrKTI' VI, SUI'ERIilK (IK THK lltSUI.lNKS The first ten Superiors A l)rief notice oteach Our Perpetual Superior Act of consecration 221 CHAPTER XIV THK OKNTKMNIAI, AXMVKRSARY Celebration of religious festivals in the olden times Prepara- tions for the Centennial. — Tlie Triduum of Masses The Indians at High Mass Some of the inscriptions 232 CHAPTER XV . • DKPARTUKKS DUKINCJ THK OENTKN^f I AI, YKAK ^ COIKCn)KNCE OF NAMES Statistics of the Community Mother Catherine Pinguet of the Incarnation Her youth Her life in the cloister Mother d'Ailleboust of Ste. Croix Mother Amiot ot the Conception — Other aged nuns Golden Jubilees 237 » r XVIII CONTENTS CHAPTER XVI H' PKIMITIVK TtMR3 AND MANNKRS CANAniAN HKinNIOUH. MiSH I)K IIECANCdCK , M IRS UK HIXICHKRVILLK TAOBH. Mother MarieAnno RobiiiPau of tho Trinity, — The Seignior Pierre Bouolier de Bouclierviile His legacy His estates. His relatives among the nuns 245 CHAPTER XVII AKIUVAI. OK lUSHOl' UK I'ONTBKIANI* Count Henri de Pontbriand's arrival in 1741 Progress of the colony under the Marquis de Beauharnais.-. Establishments of education Extent and aspect of the diocese of Quebec. 252 CHAPTER XVJII THK Mt'SKS IN TKK CLOISTER Old manuscripts A visit from the Marquis Duqueane ; an ode in his honor Other poems in honor of tho Bishop 256 CHAPTER XIX THE OUKSTS OF THK URSUL1NK9 The Hotel-Dieu of Quebec destroyed by fire The peril The dying nun Three weeks at the Ursulines 2^2 CHAPTER XX ( ■ • • ■ I'RELUDES OF THK ORE AT CRISIS ' Troubles along the frontier Loss of vessels Failure of crops and scarcity.— Fate of the Acadians Famine threatening. —The British war-fleet in sight 265 CHAPTER XXI / DURING THE Si EOE ■ Preparation for the country's defence The English fleet before Quebec The Ursuimes leave the cloister Aspect of the General Hospital Progress ot the siege September 13th. 269 'I CONTENTS XIX CHAPTER XXII aORNKS APTKR TIIK BATTLK OK THB Pt.AINS l>AeB.M. Midnight at the Ifospitnl Burial of Montnnltii in the church of the Ursulinos Doath of two Ur^uliiuis at the (loneral Hospital Anpect of the city. — 'i'he oommiuiity in IT-W..., 274 BOOK III EIOFITY YEAItS UNDER KNtM.ISIl HVhE — 1759-1889 CllAPTEIi I FOUR YBARS OK ANXIKTY A\D SUKPRRIVO THR CONVRNT RKCOURS A HOSPITAL Prisoners of war Dainaf^es the convent liairKI<;UI.TIKR or HITimKljIRNT vrarh VAOsa. CoiinifSi' ol" tl»o muiH iluriiij; th«^ Ainorioan invasion. — 'I'lify louiain in the Cloister. — Dotails given by Motiior ISt. Louis iety in the oonntry 302 CM.UTEU V MOTIIKIt KSTHKIl WHKKhWKIOHT AND OTIIKR SIIPBUIOR.H Character of Motlier Esther of the Infant. Jesus Her r • lausihter to the Convent. — Mother I'oulin of St. Francis, Superior Mother Brassard of St. Clare The 15Uth anniv- ersary of the foundation of tlie Convent JIOT CHAPTER VI SAD KOHOKS OF TIIK FRENCH UF VOLUTION The Ursulines of I'aris — Kecord of tlie times in the annals. — Letter from the Ursulines of Paris. — Their dispersion. — I'he last survivor 31t> ! i| CHAPTER VII CONTRASTEt/ SCENKS, IN TIIK LIFE OK MOTIIEU DAVANNE OF ST. I.el'IS DE (JONZAGUE Preparations for a ceh^bration. — A domestic drama Madame Davanne in Paris. — Fatal mistake. — News of sorrow. — Long career of Mother St. Louis de Gonzague. — Her portrait, — The pious secret 321 CHAPTER VIII • /. I- SUPERIORS IN THE KAUI-Y J'AKT OF THE 19TH CENTURY •■ • MUTUKRS ST. URSULA AND ST. FRANCIS XAVIEB Gronp of Superiors — Mother Marchand of St. Ursula, Mother Taschereau of St. Francis Xavier Sketch of her life 329 CONTENTS XXI CI I A IT KR IX ORAOB HT RON (J Kit THAN N A T II U K VUl'ATION or THK MIHSKH IIKKTHKr.HT PAUKS. Tlio Misst'H BtM'tlielot ; Motliors St. KranciH and St. .I THR 01,1) BEI.PRY — THK CONVKNT BELLS Scene within the Convent grounds liistory of the Convent • bells. — The old French cross Aspect of the garden and the Convent buildings 381 CHAPTER XVI FATUER ,II:AN UENIS UAUI.E KKSIDKNCK (IK THK CHAPLAIN (IK THK (IIISI'LINKS Chaplains of the Monastery since 1780 First resident chaplain. — Father .lean Denis Daule Means to promote the piety of the pupils The good lather's favorite instrument — His Golden Jubilee of priesthood His last visit 388 CHAPTER XVIl A FAMILY OF .rCBILARIANS SPEEDILY KBDNITED ^ MOTHKRS ST. HRHNARD AND ST. JACtJL'KS Four anniversaries Golden Jubilee of Mother St. Jacquea. — . .. The entertainment in the new hall St. Ursula Death of Biiihop Panet. — Deaths of Mothers St. Bernard and St. Jacques and Reverend .Jacq.ies Panet 392 . CHAPTER XV II I . , ^ - . < THK MONASTERY NARROWLY KSCAI'ES A TOTAL CONFLAGRATION , 12th .Ian. 1834 Alarm of fire The rescue The crisis — Danger is over. — Scene at seven o'clock in the morning. — The fire-engine that wins the prize — Masses in thanks- giving. — Kindness of friends Card of thanks ,.... 396 CONTENTS XXIII CHAPTER XrX THE TRIPLE FESTIVAL O.I JULY ]2t1I I'AOK.S. File of the Superior Mother St. Henry 60ch anniversary of Mother Amable Dube of St. Ignatius. — Baptism of a neophyte. — The midday repast in the old refectory 403 CHAPTER XX THK 200th anniversary Preparations, the chape!, the oth these eminent men approved of the noble under- taking and encouraged her to hope for success. It remained to obtain nuns for the proposed foundation. Madame de la Peltrie sought the advice of Father Poncet, who was charged with the missions of Canada. From him, to her great joy, she learned the particulars of the vocation of Mother Mary of the Incarnation. Not many weeks later, Madame de la Peltrie was at Tours, negotiating the affair with the archbishop. Admitted into the monastery. Mother Mary recognized, in the stranger, the companion with whom, in that mysterious dream, eight years before, she had toiled along a dangerous path, through an unknown, desert land. It was necessary to choose a companion for Mother Mary; this was equally overruled by Providence. Not one in that fervent community would have shrunk from the proposed sacrifice ; all were even anxious, to obUiin the nomination. 1 — M. de Beriiieres remained the devoted friend of the Ursu- lines, taking c'.iarge of their affairs in France with a kindness worthy of the highesi praise. THE WAYS OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE 11 One alone, in her humility, judged herself unworthy to aspire to such a distinction : yet she was the chosen one. Of gentle mien and delicate health, the youthful and accom- ])lisbed Marie de la Troche de St. Bernard, was of the noble blood of the de Savonniferes, Her vocation to a religious life at the early age of fourteen, had already cost her parents an immense sacrifice. How was she to obtain either their con- sent, or that of her community ? When God wills. He provides the means of accomplishing His Holy will ; thus it proved in the case of Mile de la Troche. Attributing the unlooked-for success to the protection of St. Joseph, to whom she had confided all her hopes. Mother St. Bernard exchanged her name for that of Mother St. Joseph, by which she will be known in the following pages. It remained to regtilate the temporal affairs of the pro- jected foundation, and to receive the Archbishop's blessing, with their " obediences, " or episcopal authorization. The assembly was held in the Archbishop's palace. The venerable Prelate, then eighty years of age, was profoundly moved. When the moment of parting came, he arose, and presenting the two religious to Madame de la Peltrie, addressed her in these remarkable words : " Behold the two corner-stones of the temple you are about to erect in the New World to glorify the Almighty. I entrust them to you for this end, conformably to your request. May they be two precious gems in the foundation, like those in the heavenly Jerusalem. May this edifice be a mansion of peace, of grace, and heavenly blessings, more abundant than those of the ancient Temple of Solomon. May the efforts of hell never prevail against it, no more than against the Holy Church itself. And since this House is to be built for God, may He fix His dwelling there, as the Father and as the Spouse, not only of the nuns I confide to you, but of all 12 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY who may accompany them, or who will live there after them, to the end of time," These solemn words, the farewell blessing, the last will and testament, as it were, of the aged prelate, are never read without emotion by the daughters of Mother Mary of the Incarnation, who would fain believe them to be a prophecy. A last adieu to their dear monastery, to theii beloved Mothers and Sisters, and their long journey commences. In Paris they form an acquaintance with the Ursulines of the great city, who were destined later to lend them efficient aid. The Queen, Anne of Austria, the Duchesses d'Aiguillon and de Brienne, as well as many other high-born ladies, mani- fested their interest in the future benefactresses of the poor Indians of Canada, bestowing gifts and pious donations to forward the good wcjrk. At Dieppe, in another convent of Ursulines, the missionary spirit has been imparted to Mother C^cile Richer de la Croix, who seems, like another Matthew, to have risen at the first sound of the Divine Master's v ice, ready to follow Him, even to the ends of the earth. The merchant-ships, bound for Canada, had taken in their freight: dry goods, implements of labor, live-stock, seed, salt meat — a miscellaneous assortment — and were only waiting now for a favorable breeze. Among the expected passengers were three nuns ^ from the Hospital in Dieppe, who under the high patronage of the Duchess d'Aiguillon, were going to Quebec to found a house of their order. There were also the Jesuit Fathers, Vimont, Pinet, and Chau- 1 — Mother Marie Guenet de St. Tguace, Anne le Cointre de St. Bernard, and Marie Forestier de St. Bonaventure. ARRIVAL OF THE URSULINES IN CANADA 18 monot, for the missions ; and now, at the latest hour — an unexpected reinforcement — appeared Madame de la Peltrie and the three Ursulines. On the 4th of May, all being in readiness and the wind favorable, our voyageis embarked. Three long months with no other horizon but the mingling sea and sky, no other landscape but the placid waiers or the tossing billows ; such is their prospect, at best. Before they quit the Channel, they are rocked till all are sea-.sick ; they barely escape being shipwrecked ; but that is nothing. " Their hearts are in peace, because they are fully abandoned to God." — Who would not wish them God-speed on their long and perilous voyage ? CHAPTER III IG3'J ARRIVAL OF THE URSULINiiS IN CANADA It was mid-summer, when the little fleet which had lost sight of the coasts of France in May, anchored, at last, in the harbor of Tadoussac, at the confluence of the Sagueuay with the St. Lawrence. Our travellers, no doubt, were struck with the stern and savage grandeur of the scenery : the black impending cliffs, rising perpendicularly, and forming a gigan- tic g.ite-way, through which the dark waters of the Saguenay issue — a fathomless flood — sublimely reminding the specta- tor of long ages past, and terrible convulsions of nature since lier birth. The dense, lonely forfsts were unbroken, save by the curl- ', \ «■ 14 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY ing smoke of the wigwam-fire, or the rude sheds of the trading-station. Strange, too, and wild, were these swarthy hunters, 'the Algonquins and Montagnais, who had come, bringing their furs, the skin of the beaver, the seal and marten, to exchange for blankets, kettles, knives, and other European commodities. The poor Indian looked with amazement on these " daugh- ters of Sachems " who, he was told, had left their homes beyond the Great Sea, to teach the wives and daughters of the red man how to avoid the flames of another world. Impatient to reach their destination, the passengers leave their ship, the Admiral, to its traffic, and in a smaller vessel press onwards towards Quebec. The natives, swift of foot, follow along the solitary shores, unwilling to lose sight of a spectacle so new and "wonderful. The last day of July is near its cl ise, when, turning the eastern point of the Isle of Orleans, the semicircle of the northern shore opens before them in all the loveliness of a summer sunset, varying its beauties from the abrupt promontoiy, the term of their voyage, to the low banks where the St. Charles brings in its tribute : the plea- sant beach, adorned with woodland scenery, the little rustic village of Beauport, peeping through the trees, the precipitous ledge over which the Montmorency casts its sheet of foam. Of all this, the slumbering river had a picture in its bosom. Our voyagers had another in their souls, a picture of all they fain would do and suffer for this Land of Promise. It was decided not to enter the port of Quebec that night, and, a little bay ^ presenting itself on the pleasant wooded Island, they resolved to go on shore. How refreshing to the 1 — The Islancl of Orleans was. at that date, uninhabited. The little bay was, apparently, that now called I'Aiise du Fori. ARRIVAL OF THE URSULINES IN CANADA 15 sea-faring voyagers is the cool, forest breeze, laden with sweet odors! How delightful this evening scene, where every feature is novel and grand ! But of this our travellers take no note. They have only told us how they lodged in cabins, constructed by the sailors in Indian style, A wigwam was their hotel for that first night on shore, in the New World. Then with what joy their hearts were filled to see themselves under these " grand old forests " which they made resound with " hymns to God! " During the evening, news of the bivouac on the point of the Island reached the fort of Quebec. At early dawn — it was the first of August — the booming cannon from the heights of Cape Diamond announced the arrival of this fresh body of recruits for the Colony. The Governor's yacht, sent out to honor the missionary band, was seen returning with flying colors. While the strangers approach, let us with them view the scene. Before us towers the bold promontory, crowned with military works. At the base of the cliffs, is a cluster of store-houses, sheds, and other wooden tenements, set down in tlie midst of fir-trees, sumachs, and aspens. Further on, the strand is studded with Indian encampments. The first sound of the cannon has brought out the swarthy forms of the Huron tradeVs. Some rush to the water's edse and launch their light canoes ; others are grouped in various attitudes along the shore. Another flourish of military music, and the beach is thronged with all the population of the city. The Governor, in plumed hat and scarlet, embroidered coat, leads the central group. It is the gallant Chfirles Huault de Montnuigny, with his suite, all in brilliant uniform, his Lieutenant de Lisle, his secretary Piraube, his friends St. Jean de liepentigny, de Tilly, La Potherie, du Herisson, 16 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY Juchereau des Chatelets, the factor of the fur company. The Jesuit fathers are there in their clerical costume. (lentle- women mingle with the officials, and with the other groups of citizens. More numerous than all are the crowd of workmen, artisans, and clerks, who have leave to suspend their labors for the day, and who join the squad of soldiers in their noisy demonstrations, while perched on every rock along the moun- tain path, are other Indian braves, the villagers of Sillery. The yacht has neared the shore. Our missionary nuns, on landing, fall prostrate, and kiss the soil of their adopted country, embracing, in their hearts, all the crosses it may bring forth. The introductions over, the pious cortege moves on, climb- ing the zigzag pathway up the steep, now known as Moun- tain Hill. At the top of the hill, to the left, is the little chapel of our Lady of Kecovery ^ There, the Holy Sacrifice is offered by the Father Superior of the missions ; it is followed by the Te Deuni. The emotions of this pious assembly, we shall not attempt to penetrate. They could only be fully known to Him, whose grace had inspired the heroic undertaking and whose love was the aource of the sympathy it excited in these congenial souls. The rites of hospitality reunited the 4lite of the company with the strangers, at the castle. We have no further details of this first day. All the French families had a right to an introduction. The nuns must have noticed the Heberts, the Couillards, the de Puiseaux ; perhaps also, the Seigneur of Beauport ~, Giffard. 1 — Notre-Dame de la llecouvrance, built By Champlain in 1632, in fulfilment of a vow he hud made while retametl in France. 2 — M. Gitiard had obtained the .Seigniory of Beauport, and, in 1634, seven families had arrived there as tenants. ARRIVAL OP THE UHSULINES IN CANADA 17 The next scene recorded in the old volumes which have guided us thus far, is a visit, on the day following, to the Indian hamlet of Sillery. The Ursulines and the Hospital- lers, conducted by Father Le Jeune, proceed first through the " Grande Alice " bordered in nearly all its length with fine old forest-trees. Birds of new song and plumage, flowers of unknown forms, but chiefly conversation on the prospects of the mission, diversified the way. The hamlet was enclosed by a palisade, as a sort of fortifi- cation. The gateway, thrown open, discloses the life and man- ners of barbarism, just softened by a touch of civilization and purified by Christianity. The Reduction consists of some fifteen families, their habita- tions varying from the primitive rudeness of the Algonquin wigwam to the substantial stone hut. A chapel, a mission- house for the jjriest, and an infirmary, or hospital, occupy the centre of the village. At sight of the nuns clad in their jjcculiar costume, the poor squaws gather up their little papooses and seem ready to flee to the woods witii them ; the older red-skinned urchins stop their wild play and huddle together ; but at a motion from the good priest whom they all know, they gather round and soon forget their sudden alarm. When told that these " daughters of Captains " had left their happy homes in France, to come and teach them more about the Blessed Jesus, or to serve them in tlieir sickness, their wonder and admira- tion were unbounded. Not less profound was the joy, the affection with which the good nuns looked upon these children of the forest, whose spiritual welfare wa-< henceforth to be the end of all their labors. Not a little Indian girl appeared, but Ma lame de la Peltrie pressed her to her bosom and kissed her with a mother's ■■;■■;■■■. .a:"V'- 18 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY fondness, unmindful of much that might have created disgust. The nuns were not less moved, and gathered round them witli the aidoftheirgood conductor, several of the little half- clothed children to be their future [tupils. They next visit the chapel and hear the voices of the good Indians singing : " I believe in God, the Almighty Creator; I believe in Jesus Christ our Lord. " Hymns too, in a language that seemed like the chattering and twittering of birds ; but the nuns knew they were singing of Jesus ; that was enough to move them to tears of devotion. Father Le Jeune announ- ces that there is a neophyte to be baptized. Must not Madame de la Peltrie be the godmother ? The visit over, the good Hospital Sisters and the Ursulines embraced each other for a final adieu. The two Orders had formed one community for the last three months, while the ship was their monastery and the Ocean their cloister. Now, their respective avocation.s require them to separate ; still living and laboring for the same end, the glory of God and the salvation of souls. The Hospital Sisters find a comfortable dwelling-house in the Upper Town, near the Fort, to shelter them until their monastery, already commenced, will be ready to receive them. As to the Ursulines, they have the loan of a small building on the wharf, ^ preferable, certainly, to an Indian wigwam in which, however, Mother Mary of the Incarnation declared, for her part, she was prepared to lodge. ]— On the market-place, facing the Lower Town Church of N. D. des Victoires. THE LABOR OF THREE YEARS 19 CHAPTER IV 1639-1642 THE LABOR OF THREE YEARS The departure of the French fleet from the harbor of Quebec early in autumn, left the colonists to their seclusion, severing tlieir last link with the mother country, for the next six or eight months. The Huron traders also had rolled up their bark houses and launched their light flotilla, leaving the strand to its wonted tranquillity. Our Ursulines are already laboring " according to their institute, " for the French pupils ; at the same time they are tasking their energies to the utmost to acquire the Indian languages. They have an able and willing teacher in Father Le Jeune, who has become so learned only at the expense of hard labor and many months of forest-life with the savage hunters. The young seminarists, also, are efficient aids, one especially, who having lived near the trading-post of Three Eivers, has quite a vocabulary of French words which she can translate into Algonquin. But our readers have not yet seen the interior of that little Convent, " the Louvre ", as the nuns facetiously named it. This "palace consists of two rooms, one sixteen feet square, the other of smaller dimensions, with a garret and a cellar. The arrangements need to be economical. The larger room serves as a dormitory, the beds being arranged along the wall in tiers ; it is, at the same time, parlor, kitchen, refectory, recrea- tion-room, and choir. " " . ■ The smaller apartment is a class-room. An additional wing, a sort of shed, serves as an exterior parlor, where, ri 20 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY through the prescribed grating, the nuns may speak of God to brave chiefs and wavricjrs of the Indian race. The colonists, fortunately, have inventetlan " order of archi- tecture," which is not expensive : a few strong posts set in the giound, some bars to join them, the whole covered with })laiiksaud (inished off with rough plastering. A chapel in this style, before the winter closes in, is raised, and receives the " gilded tal):'rnacle," the parting gift of a Parisian friend. It is a delightful " devout chapel ", soone attirms who saw it ' ; " agreeable for its poverty," and above all, precious to the good Ursulines and their pious foundress, for the Adorable Presence which it })rooures them. The cloister-wall, enclosing a large space, is formed ly a jxilisade, and by the solid barrier of the niovintain, plentifully decked at its base and at various heights, with shrubbery, wild vines, and flower.-. Within this cloi- .stered tract, they set u\> a sort of rustic arbor, on the plan of a Huron lodge, to serve as another class-room for Indian women and children. All these accommodations are of a nature to suggest- thoughts of the contrast between a poor hut in Canada, and the elegant lordly castles of Savounieres and de Vaubougon, or even the spacious monasteries of Dieppe and Tours, lint Canada is to them an earthly Paradise, and if they have anything to complain of, it is that they have not enough to suffer. Thus they wrote to their friends, even after that terrible scourge, the small-pox, had transformed their school- room and the dormitory into a hospital. Already, three years before the arrival of the nuns, a sort of pestilence had spread terror and desolation among the ] — Mother St. Clare mentions it thus in a charming letter to her community in Paris, after her arrival in Canada. THE LABOR OF TIIRRB YEARS 21 '■'(it Indian tribes. This year, soon after the departure of tlie trading' vessels, the small-pox, initamost virulent form, made its appearance at Sillery. The little convent in the Lower Town was, in its turn, invaded by the malady, which attacked the Indian children only. All the seminarists — as the Indian boarders were called — (taught the infection, affording the nuns abundant occasion for the exercise of charity. The beds of the patients, placed upon the floor, left hardly room to move among them. >fight and day the poor little sufferers were tended by their indefatigable nurses. Four died of it before mid-winter, after ■which its intensity diminished. At the end of February, it had entirely disappeared ; but not until the stock of clothing destined to the use of the Indian children for two years wag exhausted, as well as the provision of linen for the community. Throughout this trial, the nuns kept up their spirits and their health. Their only anxiety was, lest the pagan Indians believing the sickness to be the effects of baptism, should refuse to send them their children. In this they were happily deceived. With the cessation of the malady, the nuns found more congenial occupation, instructing Indian women and girls. The men also frequently ajipeared at the grating and listened to their teachings with as much docility as the children. Their seminarists increased to eighteen or twenty. Two French pupils were even then boarding in the little convent. The number of day-scholars is not stated, but it included " all who were of an age to be instructed." When the warm season returned, the bark cabin become a class- room ; and, from the surrounding shrubbery, came fresh air, and sweet songs, mingling with the cadence of the waters plashing upon the beach. In July, the annual fleet brought them Mothers St. Atha- nasius and St. Clare from the Ursuline Monastery of Paris 22 ULIMPSKS OF TIIK MONASTERY to aid them in their anhious labors. The hitter, writing to hor conimuuity soon after her arrival, describes her new home, where they " live in admirable peace and union." Mother Mary of the Incarnation, she says, "treats me with too much honor; the sweet odor of sanctity seems to surround her, and tD embalm all who ui)i)roach her. Mother St. Joseph is a charming person, most accomplished in every way. During recreation she often makes us laugh till we cry : it is impos- sible to be melancholy in her company. She loves the little Indian girls like a mother. After catechism, she teaches them to sing hymns and to play the viol. " Sometimes she gives them leave to perform one of their own pantomime dances, and the little scholars make no cere- mony of inviting Madame de la Peltrie to dance with thetn, which she does with the best grace in the world." The two Parisians commence studying the Indian language with courage, remarking that the other nuns are " well advanced." They have to learn " the grammar and write exercises, like students in Latin." Two languages, at least, are required ; the Algonquin, and the Huron ^ All are busy, and all are happy in that little convent, where the love of God reigns supreme. The Ursulines had indeed come to the colony at an oppor- tune moment. The field in which the good missionaries labored long with little success, had now begun to yield fruit. Our Mothers considered themselves supremely happy in being called to aid in gathering in the precious harvest. The difficulties of the situation were however great. The 1 — The Algonquin and the Huron are the mother tongues of a hundred tribes who wandered over the North American continent, between the sources of the Mississippi and the Atlantic as far as the coast of North Carohna. • THE LAIIOR OF THRKK YEARS 23 revenue of the foundress was only nine hundred livres ; a larger sum had hecsn expended on the lodginj,'.s, such as they were, in the Lower Town, and on the seminarists. Madame de la Peltrie had calculated for the expenses of six; but they hud taken in three times that number. It must be borne in mind tiiat not only the Indian jiupils, but sometimes their families, hail to be fed and clothed j,'ratis. At the parlor, where the nuns exercised their zeal in favor of the Indian lijen, it was not merely the bread of instruction that was broken: according to the Indian laws of hospitality, the food of the body was indispensable. It would have been an atVront to send away a guest without oiVering him to eat. The " pot of sagamiU " must be constantly on the fire. From time to time, a more " splendid banciuet " was prepared for sixty or eighty persons. Then it required " a bushel of black plums, twenly-four pounds of bread, a due quantity of Indian-meal or ground peas, a do/en of tallow candles melted, two or three pounds of fat pork ", all well boiled together. " It would be a pity, says our judicious Mother, to deprive these poor people of such a feast, since it requires no more to content even their sachems and war-chiefs, that is to say, their princes." But if the revenue of the foundation was insufficient, cha- rity, in those times, was not an idle word. Pious friends in France, moved by the letters of the nuns, sent them presents : clothing for their seminarists, tools for their workmen, a chalice for their altar. The good Ursulines of Paris and of Tours are always first on the list of benefactresses. In the Relations, also, the Fathers set forth the poverty of the little convent, and the good the nuns were doing. Father Vimont laments that they have not the means to build, and invites in his amiable manner, "two courageous young ladies provided with a good dowry, to come to the assistance of the u GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY little convent, which contains more joy within its narrow limits tlian ever was found in the palace of the Ciesars ! " In the spring of 1641, Madame de la Peltrielaid the foun- dation-stone of the monastery, on the advantageous site granted by the Governor, in the name of the Hundred Associates. The deed specified that the donation ^ of " six arpents of land within the limits of the city of Quebec, was to enable the said Reverend Ursuline Mothers to build a convent where they may live according to the rules of their institute, and devote themselves to the education of young girls, French -' and Indian." While the building was going on, the number of their seminarists amounted to forty-eight or fifty ; the parlor visits exceeded eight hundred in the course of one year. Mother Mary of the Incarnation, with all her zeal, confesses that the nuns, five in number, have had to labor excessively, and that the visits of the Indians at the parlor were con- tinual. ' But, she adds, the providence of our Heavenly Father provides for all things. The \)0t of sagamite wa.3 never empty." * ' 1 — To this day a mass is said in the Chapel of the Monastery tor the " Messieurs de la Compagnie. ' 2 — From 1639 to 1642 about forty families had settled within some fifteen miles of Quebec. \ \ r e a ir :s ;s 3- er for me M"if I>K I,A I'KI/rRIK, I'ciiiiiili c^s ol' llif I'rsiiliiie Convent ol' (iiiclx-i-. MADAME DE LA PELTRIE AND THE INDIANS 25 CHAPTER V 1639-1641 MADAME DE LA PELTRIE AND THE INDIANS In the little convent on the wharf, the " Lonvre " of those French ladies who inhabited it, were also the good foundress, and her attendant, Charlotte Barre. It must have been from motives of the purest charity and self-denial, that Madame de la Peltrie resolved to content herself with such accommo- dations as that poor cottage afforded : all that she could save by living in poverty would be so much gain for the poor Indians ! But our readers have contemplated long enough the picture of privations and sufferings. Let us follow the generous French lady, when she goes abroad, always in the interest of the dear seminarists, or of the missions in general. On one of these occasions, an incident occurred which has been recorded at full length in the Relations (1639). It was the Feast of the Assumption, only fifteen days after tiie nuns had been welcomed to their new home. There was a grand procession, in which six Indians, in splendid robes of silk and velvet, lately sent them by the French monarch, followed the cross and banner. A hundred of their fur-clad brethren, marching two by two, in the order assigned them, came after. Next walked Madame de la Peltrie, lead- ing some of her little seminarists, in ijew tunics of red camelot, and white caps ; then came a lonj; file of Indian girls and women, clothed in garments of their own fashion : a frock, made (>f a blanket or a moose-skin, falling from the shoulders to the knee, and fastened around the waist by a girdle, their 26 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY long black hair simply gathered behind their neck ; necklaces and bracelets of colored beads completed their attire on this holiday occasion. The clergy headed the French population in the usual order. But it is not of the procession itself that we write. We shall not follow it from station to station, pausing at the hos- pital and then at the Ursulines, where the nuns sing the Exaudiat, and the poor Indians, as usual, wonder and admire. Neither shall we tell of the dinner given at the Castle to a hundred of the Indians, while the six, transformed by French court-dresses into gentlemen — all but their bronzed faces — were treated as royal guests at the Jesuits' table. Our purpose is with what took place after vespers, when the Superior of the Jesuits was notified that an Indian council was awaiting his presence in the College-hall. Father Le Jeuue did not go alone, but invited the Governor, the newly arrived Father Viraont and Madame de la Peltrie to take part in the proceedings. Entering, they found Indian chiefs and notables, to the number of twenty or twenty-tive, seated around the hall, in their own style, on mats they had provided. The Governor, with Madame de la Peltrie and Miss Barre on one side, and the two Jesuits on the other, have taken seats and are waiting. An Algonquin chief, rising, looks around upon the assembly, and begins : " Be attentive, Father Le Jeune ; let not thy spirit wander, give heed to my discourse. " •' Ho ! ho ! " answers the Father, and the Algonquin continues : — " The words thou hearest are not mine. I am the mouth of all my brethren seated here. We wish to believe in God: we wish to cultivate the ground ; but we want help. Now, tell our great chief Ononthio to write to our king. Let him say : All the redmen wonder to hear that you think of them. They say to you : Pity us, send us help. We wish to cultivate the MADAME DE LA PELTRIE AND THE INDIANS 27 ground. We cannot make houses like yours unless you help us. Father Le Jeune, tell thy brother, who has come to be in thy place, to write for us. Write thou also, that our king may believe ns. I have spoken," The first orator takes his seat, an Abenaki rises and urges the same suit with much^)atho3. He concludes: " Certainly thou speakest well, promising to help us to live like men. Do not deceive us. I go to ray home, there, where the sun stands in the middle of the sky (the South). When I come back, the snow will yet be on the mountains. I will come to see if thou sayest the truth, if thou hast men to help us, that we may no more live i' he woods like the beasts." This spirited appeal, transi. by Father Le Jeune, moved the assembly to compassion. De Montmagny promised to do all in his power for them. Father Vimont was nigh losing patience, seeing that for the want of a little money those poor people were debarred from receiving religious instruction. Madame de la Peltrie exclaims : " Alas ! must it be said that we cannot aid these good people to save their souls ? The expense of one ball in Paris, one soiree, would procure the means of opening heaven to these poor creatures. Reverend Father^ continues she, adressing Le Jeune, tell them that if I could aid them with my own hands, I would do so. I will try, at least, to plant something for them." Her speech, translated, made the Indian braves smile, " Tell the lady, said one, that corn planted by hands as delicate as hers, would take a long time to ripen." The conclusion of the assembly was, that a great effort s. juld be made to help the Indians the next spring, according to their request. Now for another scene. Let us follow Madame de la Peltrie, on one of her frequent excursions to Sillery. All the seminarists accompany her on holiday occasions. 28 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY There she sometimes finds the siiuaws gathering corn, which they suspend along the sloping sides of their bark habitations, till they look gay as if decked for some festal ceremony; or they are roasting it before the tire, previous to pounding it in their wooden mortars. Sumetimes a family, just come to live in the hamlet and not yet provided with any other utensils but those of their own manufacture, cook a tiinner in her presence, kindling a fire by striking two white stones together ; then, filling a large bark tray or bowl with water, they heat other stones red-hot and throw them in, till they have boiled a piece of meat. Perhaps they prefer it roasted ; then they show her a cord made of tender bark or of hemp, with which they suspend their steak, turning it as adroitly as the kitchen-maid manages a spit. If it is a pleasant day when Madame is there, the little Indian boys are at play with the bow and arrow, not as noisy as a similar group of little French boys, but silent as the braves who listen to a harangue in council, unless some unskilful throw, or some unlooked-for success, provoke a laugh or a good-natured joke. A well-known author has said, that " simplicity of soul is an inexhaustible source of happiness ^" This simplicity was possessed by the Indians of our America. They only needed to be enlightened by religion, to be delivered of their gloomy superstitions, cruel practices, revengeful passions, and absurd pride, in order to be happy. That liberty of life which was theirs; that freedom from the shackles of custom and the cares of business which civilized man seeks from time to time, and enjoys with infinite zest, was not incompatible with the duties of a Christian. - -- 1 — Chateaubriand. EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTION 29 But turning from this digression, we are again with Madame de la Peltrie, at Sillery. The second year that the Ursulines passed in Canada, the Foundress went to the Indian chapel for midnight Mass, with a few of the most exemplary of the seminarists. Little Agnes, not yet five years old, was of the number, lieturning to the Convent, this wee-one astonished the nuns by her vivid description of all she hud seen and all she had heard. There ■was a sermon, and she well understood that the Bethlehem ites of old refused a shelter to the Blessed Virgin and the Infant Jesus. Her indignation against them is great; and her com- passion for tlie sullermgs of the Divine Infant in the Cave of Bethlehem, ia so real that she moves the nuns to tears while she imitates the tone of voice, the gestures, as well as the words of the preacher. 15ut Madame de la Peltrie i.s well as Miss Barre were oftener at home than abroad, and we shall hear of both several times yet, as well as of little Agnes. CHAPTER VI EFFECTS OF INSTUUCTION From the forest-home of the young Indian girl to the Con- vent, the distance, in a moral sense, was infinite. Frolicsome and wild as the little animals that roamed with her, she knew AS little as they of obedience, or wholesome restraint. The only authority she was taught to respect, was that of her mother, or her aged grand-parents ; but if she chose to be 30 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY 1 I \ I wilful, on no account was she punished, nor compelled to obey. Her clothing was scanty and of the roughest material. Only in winter were her feet and limbs protected by a coarse sort of moccasin, and gaiters. She knew of no other cosmetics but soot and bear's grease ; her matted hair had never been visited by a comb nor by the scissors. Her bed had been the ground by the wigwam fire, shared equally by the dogs and by the rest of the family. It is not surprising that some of these " wild birds " caged for the first time, occasionally fiew off to the forest ; but when by affection and great patience, they had been tamed, they proved most docile to instructions, and most exemplary in ]>iety. Little Algonquins from Sillery were the first seminarists the Ursulines undertook to form, and as neither understood the language of the other, the ditficulty must have been extreme. " A great desire to speak is a great help towards doing so," says Mother Mary. We may readily believe it, since the nuns were able to begin to instruct in Algonquin before the end of two months. Mother St. Joseph learned also the Huron tongue and had occasion for it in the fol- lowing spring. But with what success have the Ursulines toiled during these three years ? Of what avail were their instructions ? " A tree is known by its fruit." Let us examine the letters, written by the nuns to their friends, and we shall find that they were consoled beyond measure, by the miracles of grace they daily witnessed among these same little forest-girls. The Relations concur in the same statements. ^ Mother Mary declares that these new Christians are as meek as lambs, and that after their baptism they preserve an admirable purity of conscience. Among the seminarists of EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTION 31 the first year, she mentions little Marie Ganiitiens (godchild of Mile, de Chevreuse), who at the age of five or six years, is no sooner awake in the morning than she begins her prayers; she says her beads during mass, and sings hymns in her own language. Marie Madeleine ^batenau (godchild of another noble lady), is a model of obedience and ability, knowing her cateciiism and reciting her prayers, with a devotion capable of inspiring others with the same. She also is only six years old. But Agnes Chabdikwachich is twelve. It was she who seeing one of the Fathers at a little distance from the place where she was making up her bundle of faggots, threw away her hatchet, crying out : " Teach me, " and this, so win- ningly that the good Father pleaded her cause, and brought her to the convent with one of her little companions. Both were soon prepared for baptism, and at Easter, with two others, made their first communion. Agnes is not only well instructed in her catechism, she is also skilful with her needle. She handles the viol, knows how to read, and is so gentle and well behaved, that she merits the name of lamb, which she bears. Little Nicole Assipanse is seven years old. At the end of five months, Nicole knows the principal mysteries of religion, her catechism and her prayers, so well, that when her mother comes for her, returning from the winter's chase, the little daughter teaches her poor pagan father and mother to know the true God. With all her talents, she has the true Indian character : she must go with her parents, who have no other child; she coaxes her mother, and gains her point. But here is Marie Negabamat, so accustomed to the wild life of the woods that the good chief, her father, to entice her to remain in the convent, sends with her two of her friends 32 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY \ •' already baptized. This was not enough ; she takes to the woods in a few days, tearing lier red tunic to shreds. One more trial and Marie is obedient. She becomes the model, not oidy of the seminarists but of the French pupils, although, as our Mother remarks, " the young girls of Quebec are extremely well brought up." From day to day she advances in piety; she relishes reli- gious instructions, has a tender devotion to the Blessed Virgin, and so loves prayer that when the pious exercises are over among the seminarists, she goes into the room where the French pupils are, to continue them. Marie Amiskivevan wins the heart of all who see her* She is seventeen years old, and a model of candor and inno- cence. She excites her companions to piety, treating them with all the charity of a mother. Moreover, she speaks a little French, and has aided the nuns greatly in iheir study of her language. Another young Algonquin girl, from Three Rivers, receives the grace of baptism in such dispositions of fervor and contri- tion, that Father Buteux, who had sent her to the convent, is moved to tears, and tells the nuns that this conquest alone ' is well worth all the sacrifices thev have made, and all the toils they have undergone in Canada. In reading of such effects of divine grace, we understand better how the nuns could endure with joy the privations and hardships of the mission. Let us cite a few more examples. A little b.md were preparing for their first communion. Father Tijart once, and Mother Mary two or three times a day, instructed them how to prepare for their Heavenly / Guest, They were heard exclaiming : *' Oh ! when will Jesus come ! when will He gave us the kiss of peace in our souls." Marie Negabamat wa> in gr^-at jubilation, " Why are EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTION 33 yoii so joyful, inquired one?" " Oh! cried she, I shall soon receive Jesus into my heart." Some begged permission to fast on the eve of their first communion, and afterwards made that their practice when- ever they prepared for the reception of tne great Sacrament. These children were not more than twelve years old. Many of the Indian girls had first to be prepared for the sacrament of baptism. One day, five were baptized in the little chapel of the convent. At other times the sacrament was administered to men and women, old and young. Their edifying deportment was most touching. One young woman had waited many months for this precious grace. When the healing waters were poured over her, turning to the specta- tors, she exclaimed; " There ! it is done ! my soul is cleansed, at last." Were these little forest-girls suscei)t'biv; of gratitude, of benevolence, and the other fine qualities of the mind which adorn their possessor ? Let their teachers. Mothers Ste. Croix and St. Joseph, answer; " Our seminarists, they declare, are exceedingly grateful, and appreciate highly the services we render them. One day, seeing the difficulty we have to learn their language, they exclaimed ; ' Oh ! if we could give you our tongues to speak with, we would do so with pleasure.' A better proof of their gratitude is found in their docility, their affection for their teachers, their willingness to be corre'^^ed of their faults — a thing so contrary to the customs of tneir race — their roadiness to conform to the regulations of the school, and to remain away from their parents." .- , As an instance of their kindness towards each other, let us cite another passage from the long pages before us. " Some new scholars had come in ; there was no clothing prepared to put upon them ; — quickly our seminarists supply the 3 84 OLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY tleticiencv, without bei. ii reciuusted to do ho, l)riiigiii<,' what- ever they could spare from their own httle wardrobe. It is they who coinrnence the instructions. They have no j^reater pleasure than to teach the new-comers wliat we have taught them." All the scholars mentioned thus far were Montagnais or Algonquins. The first Huron seminarist, was the niece of the famous war-chief Chihatenhwa. He had seen the " holy virgins," les sd'nites fdles, robed in black, who had come to teach the little Indian girls the way to heaven ; and others, dressed differently, who would take care of the sick. Great was the admiration of his countrymen when they heard the mar- vellous story. He brings his little Teresa to the Convent, where she becomes a prodigy of learning and of piety. When next the Huron Hotilla covers the river, Chihatenhwa, from afar, points out to his brethren the " House of Jesus," and hastens to meet his little Teresa. She is only thirteen, ' but she has the zeal of an apostle. Her exhortations startle and subdue the most obstinate. On their return toHurouia, they publish her fame throughout the tribe. " Teresa has more sense than any one who has ever appeared in their country. Doubtless the one who has instructed her is also the greatest genius among the French," Once, at Sillery, she holds a discourse to catechumens, who remain with her more than two hours ! The sachems, even of other tribes, listen to her with reverence. As to other attainments, Teresa speaks two languages with facility, and sings in Huron, French, and Latin, • " • The nuns, at another time, must take a few days to attend to their own souls, " for of what avail would it be to preach to others and be one's self a cast-away ? " The little girls are to have a week of holidays, with Madame de la Peltrie. But EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTION 8a they must make no noise, for fear of distnrbinf,' their good Mothers, who are conversing with God in retreat ; and, lo 1 all these late })arbarians an' as well versed in good breeding and genuine politeness, as pupils of the most accomplished boarding-school. They speak low, they moderate their jilay ; yet, the time seems long, and wher. their tlear Mothers re- appear, it is to be overwliehned with caresses. Teresa the Huron resolves to make a retreat, in imitation of the nuns. She hides herself in the thicket along the moun- tain's base, in order to pray for the conversion of her (country- men without ceasing, and to let no one interfere between her and God. Won by her example, the others beg to be allowed to make a retreat, and transforming their school-room into cells, they set about it with such a will that the nuns must interfere to moderate their fervor. Were these little Indian girls attached to thf^i'' 'onvent home ? Let us ask Teresa who had remained more than Lv/o years. Oh ! the separation was most painful. But the mis- sionaries were anxious to have the influence of tiie young seminarist among her countrymen, and her parents could no longer endure her absence. Teresa makes the sacrifice, for she has learned obedience ; she leaves her dear convent Mothers. From Three Rivers, she writes to Mother Mary of the Incarnation : — " My dear Mother, " I am going to my distant home; we are ready to start. I thank you for all the care you have bestowed upon me. I thank you for having taught me to serve God. Is it for a thing of small value that I offer yuu my thanks ? Never shall I forget you.- -Teresa." Two days after she had confided her letter to Father du 36 GLIMPSES OF THE MONAS^fBRY Perron who was returning to Quebec, she, with all who accompanied her, fell into the hands of the ferocious Iroquois. Faithful to God during her captivity, she continued to instruct and to edify. After three years she was rescued, through the intervention of the Governor, who made a present for hir release at the great assembly for the treaty of peace, nt Three Rivers (1645). The good conduct of the seminarists among their own people was another subject of immense joy, both to the nuns und the missionaries. It was their oftice to regulate the pious exercises, to say the prayers, to choose the hymns, and to teach the others how to examine their conscience. Three young girls had been required to follow their I'arents during the winter chase. On their return, in spring, their first visit was to the Blessed Sacrament ; their next to •the chapel of the Blessed Virgin, to crown her statue with the tlowers they had brought from the woods. Then, entering the convent, they gave the nuns an account of all they had •done during their absence, " Oh, said they, how painful it was to be so long away from holy Mass and the sacraments ! " During the winter, they had written twice to the Superior of the Jesuits, to beg him to send a priest to their people. The letters passed from hand to hand, and were even shown to ithe Governor, wlio, like the others, pronounced them admir- able in style and execution, as well as for the sentiments • expressed. But it is time id pause. The reader who has seen how Mother Mary writes to her intimate friends, will understand how she could say in the second year of her labors : " The Belation will make mention of the seminarists and the con- solation they give us, but the truth is, if all were published, it would appear past belief. They lose all their barbarity -once they are baptized, and one who has seen them running ■ ' , ■'. > EFFECTS OF INSTRUCTION 37 wild in the forest, cannot, without emotion, behold them approach the holy Table, gentle as lambs, to receive the true Lamb of God. No one would have thought that they could be brought to live in the cloister ; yet they do remain, wil- lingly, and do not leave it without permission," The elegant historian, Bancroft, had he trusted the Letters- and the Relations, from which we have abridged the above account, would have given unrestricted praise where he has said : " Is it wonderful if the natives were touched by a bene- volence which their poverty and squalid misery could not appall ? Their education was attempted ; and the venerable ash-tree still lives beneath which Mother Mary of the Incar- nation, so famed for chastened piety, genius, and good judg- ment, toiled though in vain for the education of the Huron children," The " education * given by the missionaries and by the nuns had sufticed to soften the manners of a barbarous race, to elevate their souls by the knowledge of the high and holy truths of revealed religion, to teach them to forgive, instead of torturing, a captured foe, to practise the austere virtues of Christianity, instead of following the instincts of a depraved and degraded nature. In this success, they found abundant reward for their toil, which no one, surely, should deem to have been " in vain." This effect of the instruction given by the Ursulines has already appeared in the pre(;eding pages ; those that follow will prove it still more abundantly, while we behold hun- dreds of Indian children, as well as men and women, receiv- ing with joy the inestimable boon of faith and transmitting it to other poor pagans in the distant forest- wilds of the con- tinent. 38 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY CHAPTER VII 1642-1650 EIGHT YEARS IN THE NEW MONASTERY The conversion of the aborigenes, which Mother Mary of the Incarnation had seen prefigured as a church just emerg- ing from clouds and darkness, was now rapidly progressing. On all sides, the mists of error were retiring, and soon whole nations embraced Christianity with the fervor of the primi- tive ages. But was this Church destined to be perpetuated through a long space of time ? Or was it destined to people the heavenly Jerusalem with one rich colony of souls, and then diminish with the nations that formed it ? This latter destiny, Mother Mary foresaw, as appears by her letters. So much the more ardent, if possible, was her zeal for the welfare of souls, purchased with the blood of Christ ; so much the more strenuous her efforts to be useful to them, by building for them a more spacious house, where greater num- bers of them could be instructed unto eternal xife. The missionary Fathers often expressed their desire to see the monastery completed, foretelling that the nuns would have more labor than they could perform, whether for the Indians or for the French population. That monastery was, at last, in readiness to receive inhab- itants. It was a stately edifice, for the times, built of dark-colored lime-stone, quarried upon the spot ; it was three stories in height, its length being ninety-two feet and its width twenty-eight. Three other massive stone edifices stood within the limits of the city where the prinjitive forest yet victoriously dis- 1-lKST I KSri.lM': CONVKNT. liuill in iiv|i. Dcstiiivfil by liif. Deceiuhi'r ;|, \<>^><. T-l EIGHT YEARS IN THE NEW MONASTERY 39 jmted for the mastery with the encroachments of civiliza- tion. At various distances fromi these centres were scattered a certain number of dwelling-houses, built, some of hewn pine-timber, some of stone. Evidently the colonists, if yet few in number, were pro- vided with means of perpetuating the civilization they had brought to these northern wilds. The Fort would pi'otect them from being cut off" by the native barbarians ; the college of the Jesuits and the monastery of the Ursulines provided for the wants of their souls and the education of their offspring ; the hospital assured them an asylum for the sick and afflicted. To the Indians, the new " House of Jesus " was a wonder, worth coming a long way to see. If the little tenement on the wharf, dignified with the name of " Convent " had been to them so precious, was not this a mor^ secure and certain refuge ? The new Monastery might well be called " The House of Jesus " ; no one else could claim to be its proprietor. It had not been built by means of bazaars or lotteries, so convenient at the present day to raise funds when coffers are empty. Neither was it due to the endowments of the foundress: these barely sufficed for the expenses of the convent, where, far from exacting payment for board or teaching, food, raiment, and instruction were distributed gratis. The onlv banker known to Mother Mary and her nuns, was divine Providence. It had not failed them on the present occasion. With grateful hearts, they prepare to take possession of their new home ; yet it is in a spirit of penance, more than of joy, as if foreseeing the trials reserved for them and for their dear neophytes. The fast of the vigil of the Presenta- tion was a prelude to another on the day of removal, with all its cares and fatigues. 40 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY At an early hour, the nuns, preceded by Father Viinont and followed by their French piipils and their seminarists, were seen climbing the steep mountain-path which led from their little convent to the Upper Town. Crowds of Indians followed, or awaited the sight among the forest-trees along the way. In the cold atmosphere of autumn, treading the crisp, fallen leaves that covered the frosty ground, there was little to make the morning walk pleasant, but when they ap])roached the goodly mansion prepared for them, all were deeply affected. The poor forest-children, who had never beheld anything so grand, could not refrain from shouts of admiration, wondering if indeed this " great wigwam " was to be their home. But they soon proceeded again quietly and with recollec- tion. They knew that the holy sacrifice of mass was to be offered by the revered Father Gabriel Lalemanf, who closed the procession, bearing the most Holy Sacrament. They must think over the hymns they were going to sing, and theii" good Mothers were preparing for Holy Communion. Shall we follow them till all kneel in the new chapel ? It i:} not very spacious, since it measures only twenty-eight feet by seventeen, yet it is brilliant with lights and tapestried for the occasion with red stuffs, borrowed from the store and destined to other usages. The gilded tabernacle, the em- broidered altar-front, the highly colored pictures, the priest in radiant vestments, the sweet odor from the censer and the sweeter voices of the little seminarists, mingling with the grave notes of the pious nuns during the Holy Sacrifice, all combined to make this first Mass in the monastery impres- sive. It was still more so when the future martyr, before distributing the Bread of Life, addressed a few words of exhortation to the fervent Spouses of Christ — words of one to whom the realities of another world were more present BIGHT YEARS IN TUB NEW MONASTERY 41 than the passing events of this — words that came from a heart burning with the love of God, and longing to seal that love with his blood in the midst of suft'erings. But let us leave the chapel, to consider the rest of the premises. Tlie interior of the convent was still far from being finished. The sound of the saw, the chisel, and ham- mer, continued all winter, while partitions were completed, doors set, and ceilings made secure. Four ample fire-places which, before spring, devour one hundred and seventy-five cords of wood, are needed to drive away the cold. During the night, as a means of keeping from freezing, they have recourse to large boxes or chests to hold both the bedding and the sleeper ; yet even with this precaution, the cold penetrates uncomfortably. To remain away from the fire-side more than an hour at a time, even when well wrapped up, would be a great imprudence. The long pine table is served as Iieretofore, with " salt fish and pork, " garnished with vegetables, such as the coun- try produced. ' The courageous nuns who never said to sufferings and toil ; " That is enoughj " had only desired to be lodged more comfortably, in order to be more useful. During the follow- ing eight years, that brightest period for the conversion of the poor Indians of Canada, their labors were incredible. Besides the regular seminarists who, as we have already said, were clothed and fed at the expense of the convent, and wlio (as the Relations affirm) amounted one year to as many as eighty, the nuns were daily called upon to give instruction to Indian women in their class-rooms, and to Indian men at their parlor. Among these were good Christian Indians from Sillery, where were now (1642-43) from thirty-five to forty families. From this centre the faith spread throughout the 42 aLIMPSES OF THE MONASTEAV country, from Miscou and Tadoussac to the canton of the Hurons. Here, it is the good Charles Meiaskwat, whose zeal trans- forms him into an apostle, not only for those of his own nation on the Saguenay, but even for the Abenakis on the Kennebec. There, it is another of Mother Mary's parlor visitors, the l>rave chief, Noel Negabanuit, who knows no greater happiness than to explain the Christian doctrine to all who will listen to him. Again, it is a woman, nearly sixty years of age, who profits so well of the parlor instructions that she, too, becomes H missionary. In the depth of winter she penetrates the forests, and seeks at o distance of many days' journey, a savage tribe who have not yet heard tiie name of God. Doubt- less the Fathers did not exaggerate the value of such aids as these, when they said : " The Indian, who is a good Christian and really zealous, does more good among his countrymen than three Jesuit missianaries." Warned by the fervid exhortations of these new Apostles, whole tribes, all over the country, were seen moving in the direction of the various missionary stations, Tadoussac, Three Eivers, Quebec. The greater number came to the chief French settlement to see the strange sights it afforded of European buildings and manners, at the same time that it promised them not only the succor of the " black robes, " but also of the " holy virgins." The bare enumeration of all these visitors would be tedious. Let it suffice to instance the following (we quote from the Relations, 1643). " While the Attikamegues (a tribe of Algonquins from Three Eivers) sojourned at Quebec, they went often to the Ursulines to be instructed, demanding with importunity, to be taught their prayers or their catechism. After the instructions, the hunger of these poor people must EIGHT YEARS IN Tl.E NEW MONASTERY 43 be appeased, so that they occasioned as much expense per- haps as the seminarists tlieniselves." At tlie same time, some of the Abeuakis were at Sillery, and were not less eager to be instructed. The following year came the Iroqnets from the great island of the AUumettes, having passed through the country of their enemies, the Iroquois. " The Iroquets, camped near the monastery, went every day to the nuns' chapel to be instructed by Father Dequen ; wiien sufficiently instructed, they were baptized there. During six weeks, the Ursulines fed this troop of eighty persons, after mass, and again at a later hour, after giving them instruction at their parlor. The women came in their turn, entering the class-room for the same purpose. " During the same year, numbers of Hurons, who remained at Sillery during the winter, were at the convent every day for instrucliions. Cold or storm could not deter them. They remained two or three hours at a time, always occupied in learning their prayers or the Christian doctrine. These, as well as the others, must have food before they go." It is needless to multiply quotations; they would show a similar state of things during the following six years, (to 1650), which is the period under consideration in the present chapter. Our readers will have, with us, but one difficulty, and that is to comprehend how these seven nuns — that was their number until 1644 — could suffice for such labors : religious instructions in three languages, French, Algonquin, and Huron ; cooking, distributing food to the family within, and strangers without ; teaching their seminarists to read, to write and sew ; teaching their French pupils " all that is neces- sary to fit them for the station in society to which they belong;" writing letters to the missionaries and to their friends — not letters of ceremony, but often of many folio If l1 44 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY pages — to say nothing of their religious exercises, which could oy no means have been neglected. The letters of Mother Mary of the Incarnation during this period are most characteristic. It is not of het' seminarists, her labors and toils that she chiefly entertains her friends. Oh, no ! In her charity, she identifies herself with all who labor for the conversion of the Indians. She surveys the field of missionary labor, from Labrador to the Great Lakes ; she counts the chapels that are built, the number of baptisms, the holy deaths. She knows all the nomadic tribes that come to be instructed. She shares the perils of the missionary, his enthusiasm, and his longings for maityrdom. After filling eight or twelve pages with such topics, she adds — " A word now of our seminarists ; they give us every possible satis- faction. Their piety, their devotion to* the Blessed Sacrament, their docility, their generosity in overcoming their defects, all this is ravishing ; yet it strikes us less now that we are accustomed to it." At other times she merely says : "God has blessed our labors this year as during the preceding ones ; we have as much as we can do, especially during the winter months, when the warriors leave us their children while they go to hunt." Later, when the country from Quebec to lake Huron becomes one great arena where scenes at once distressing and consoling are enacted, she suffers with those that suffer, rejoices in all that conduces to the glory of God, and helps to obtain by her prayers, that abundance of grace which was poured out so copiously upon the new Christians, who often had to pass from the waters of baptism to the fire their enemies had enkindled around their habitations. Taking up to the thread of our narrative, we should recoixl, in the autumn of 1643, the return of Madame de la Peltrie from Montreal, where she had accompanied Miss J '• EIUHT YEARS IN THE NEW MONASTERY 45 Mance, the foundress of the Hospital of Ville-Marie, eighteen months previous. Great was the joy at the convent, both among the nuns and the little seminarists, some of whom, being " old scholars," had not failed to pray for the dear lady's return, every day during her absence. The foundress was not an idle spectator of the laborious occupations of the nuns. It was her right, she insisted, to prepare the little Indian girls for convent-life, where clean- liness is a first principle. The amount of scrubbing with soap and warm water it required, together with the long and patient use of the comb and the scissors, to prepare these little forest girls for their new garments, was not sufficient to disconcert her. She loved also to conduct them, for a holiday, to Sillery, wliere the parents of many of the semin- arists lived. Like so many " birds set free " they would fly to their various lodges, passing the time in romping, playing with their little brothers and sisters, around their mothers. But when the signal of departure was given, from every side, they would hasten, gathering around their ningay, " darling Mother ", embracing her with more affection than their own parents. The small building known as Madame de la Peltrie's liouse, and which twice served to shelter the entire com- munity, was erected after her return from Montreal. From the year 1G46, it is withi i the Monastery, occupying through choice the last place among the sisterhood and sharing all their privations, that we shall find the good foundress, enjoying in seclusion that peace of mind which is the reward of the true servants of God. Other laborers came in, from time to time, to share the hardships and the joys of the pioneers. A lay-sister from the Monastery of Dieppe arrived before the nuns had quitted their little convent on the wharf. It was the good Sister 46 OMMPSEB OP THE M0XA8TERY St. Laurent, who proved a real treasure to the comnnujity. The Ur.suliiies of rioiirmel .sent one of their number, Mother Marie Anne of the Seraphim ; Tours sent two. Mothers Anno of St. ('ecilia and Anne of Notre Dame. The venera- ble Arclibishop of Tours was happy to contribute once more to the welfare of the convent he had blessed so heartily, and sent out his own carriage to convey the two new missiona- ries as far as Poitiers. Mother St. Cecilia, after sharing some years the abundant privations and trials of the little commu- nity, returned to her monastery in France. Mother Anne de Notre-Dame, although feeble and suffernn^, persevered and rendered service in the classes, l)oth French and Algon- quin. In 1645, Mother Mary of the Incarnation joyfully resigned the ottice of Superior to Mother St. Athanasius. Announcing the result of the elections to her son, she says : " Our dear Lord has made our hearts one, so that we can differ neither in our views nor our desires. We have elected Mother St. Athanasius, an excellent religious of the Congregation of Paris, who has such a spirit of union and charity that she would suffer death rather that disturl) the peace that dwells with us." In the following year. Miss Charlotte Barr^, who had accompanied Madame de la Peltrie to Canada only on condi- tion of being permitted to embrace the religious state, commenced her novitiate on the feast of the Presentation, with Catherine Lezeau, the latter as a lay-sister. Both persevered, and pronounced their vows after the usual proba- tion of two years, having taken the names of St. Ignatius and St. Ursula. Thus, the cloistered family in 1648, consisted of eight professed choir-nuns and two lay-sisters. Before the close of the year, a lady from the grand inionde, Mademoiselle MOTIIKR ST. .lOSETPlI AND THE 1IURON8 47 PJiilippe-Gertrude de Bouluyne, sister of Miidanie d'Aille- boust, joined tlio little community of Ursuline.s. The triennial election of a Superior was made again in •June (1648), in pace et henedidione ^ resulting in the con- tinuation of the same Mother in the otKce. Without anti- cipating more upon a future page, let it be said that Mothdr St. Athanasius was one of those remarkable women, whose precious and noble (jualities have entitled her to the lasting esteem and gratitude of the community, which she continued to govern alternately with Mother Mary of the Incartiation^ as long as both were spared. This served to iiement indisso- lubly the union between the two congregations of Paris and Tours, )ei)resented about equally for many years in the monastery of Quebec. CHAPTER VIII 1040-1(152 MOTHER ST. JOSEPH AND THE HUUONS From the Huron country to Quebec, by the circuitous water-route, it waa a distance of, at least, nine hundred miles. But to the redman of America, long journeys were not more expensive than his daily life. While his canoe glided stealthily along under the deep shadows of the overhanging forests, lie knew on what banks to find the wild lierries, the succulent roots; or, if his foot startled the deer and the wild I—" In peace and blessing." Thus marked in the Journal des J^siiiies. 48 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY fowl from their covert, the quick arrow brought him his bill of fare, without a reckoning. Besides, there were strange sigh Id to be seen, down where the white man had set his great fort on the top of a mountain. There were " big canoes " with wings; there where great "wigwams" not made of bark; there was a Captain of the day (a clock) that told the French- man wheu to eat, and when to sleep ; in fine, beautiful beads to make wanip am, robes of bright colors ; bowls and ladles that would not burn, could be procured for beaver-skins and other furs, of which the Indian had an abundance. These were some of the motives that, in 1630, had brought to the city of Champlain, one hundred and fifty canoes, bear- ing six or seven hundred of the tall, well-built, swarthy braves, from the north shores of Lake Huron. From Point Levy to the opposite clift's of Quebec, the channel of the St. Lawrence was alive with their fantastic barks, each contain- ing four or five savage warriors; their shoulders covered with shaggy hides, their visages glowing with paint of various colors ; their long, naked arms, vigorously swaying the paddle. This was the first time so large a number of these allies of the French had appeared at Quebec, In the following years, their visits were renewed, and generally corresponded to the ex^ 'ed arrival of merchant-ships from France. In 1639, there were stranger sights than ever. The Christian Huron, Joseph Chihatenhva, who, after his baptism, had lived like a saint, was animated with new fervor. Returning from his journey he went from ' town to town, preaching with heavenly eloquence," and publiiihing what he had seen. " Ah ! said ..le, if you only knew what charity there is among those who believe in God, you would never remain in your super- stitions. Even among those who have never seen each other, there is but one heart and one mind. The daughters of Sachems who have crossed the great Sea to live in Quel^ec, MOTHER ST. JOSEPEI AND THE HURONS 49 have come for the love of us. When they arrived, there was such rejoicing, you would have said that all the people of Quebec were one. Oh ! how far are we from resembling them." In the following spring, Joseph sent to the Convent his young niece, the charming Teresa, whom we have already mentioned. Mother St. Joseph, in the meantime, had studied the Huron language with such success that she was able to converse with Teresa, and with the braves who accompanied her. Soon Teresa was joined by other young Huron girls, and not an Indian of the nation could come to Quebec without seeing the wonderful, "wise virgin" who could speak thrir language. The holy .un, so rich in the gifs of grace that we forget her noble birth and all her rare accomplishments, was to the poor Indians an angel from heaven ; her words were their law, her inHuence was irresistible. Her name was known throughout the Huron country. Those who had never been in Quebec, knew the Mother of the Hurons, Ihe holy lirgin, as well as those who had been instructed by her in the faith. From the time Teresa, the niece jf the great medicine-man, with some companions, had entered, there was constantly a (iass of young Huron girls at the convent. There are amusing anecdotes related of the childlike sim- plicity of some of the Huron warric>rs. One of the neophytes of Mother St. Joseph being invited by his companions to join them in the winter's chase, declined giving a decided answer, saying that he wished to consult his directress : upon which the other replied conten\ptuously : *' You are not a man, but a woman ! " The poor neophyte felt the reproach keenly, but stifled his anger, and came to recount his trials to Mother St. Joseph. He was exho^ed to bear the 60 GLIMPSES OF tllE MONASTERY i I reproach patiently, as became a good Christian, who should know how to love his enemies. He replied with a sigh : "That 1 will do, but, Mother! you do not know how hard it is for a man to he called a woman." The brave Jean Baptiste had another difficulty. He was at Quebec with all his family and lived by the hospitality of the nuns. One day, as he was going out to hunt, some of his fellows refused him what they had promised to provide. In his disappointment, he uttered some words of impatience. Perceiving his fault immediately, he wished to confess it ; but his confessor was absent. There was still a resource left; hi comes to see Mother St. Joseph, tells her what has happened, asking her to tell his confessor, when she would see him, that Jean Baptiste had sinned, but that he was extremely sorry, ad begged God to pardon him. Often the pagan Hurons, decided by their visit to Quebec to become Christians, remained many months, coming every day to the convent to be instructed. One of these whom Mother St. Joseph was instructing, was invited by the Algonquins to join them in a hunt. He consults the Mother, who tells him if he is in no hurry to be baptized, she sees no reason why he should not go ; but if, en the contrary, he desires that grace very ardently, it would be better to remain and continue to be instructed. Upon that, he repUes with resolution : " It is decided that I shall not go. Certainly, my chief business here is to get baptized. I seek no-other riches than that of being the child of God." He kept his word, received the grace of baptism some weeks later, and still ""-mained in Quebec till Mother St. Joseph had prepared him for a fervent first communion. The assiduity of the Huron neophytes to the parlor instruc- tions, which lasted two or three hours when needed, has already been noticed ; but we have not mentioned another tie ./ MOTHER ST. JOSEPH AND THE HURONS 51 between the poor Indians and their Mother. Hy letters to her noble parents, Mother St. Joseph obtained abundant supplies for these poor people, her adopted children whom she cherished as her own spiritual family. At the time she commenced her intercourse with the Hurons, there were thirteen missionaries in their country, laboring with a zeal capable of inspiring the most indifferent with admiration. But the relentless Iroquois, those Komans of the New World, had vowed the destruction of another Carthage. With atrocious pertinacity they pursued their plan, until the land of the Hurons was a land of desolation. The hour of distress proved the hour of salvation. While misfortunes of every kind were upon them — famine, pestilence, war, in its most horrid forms — conversions multiplied. Crowds that had long deferred renouncing their superstitions, hastened to demand baptism. The missionaries, after passing through such trials as are recorded of the most heroic confessors of the faith — the ordeal of fire and torture in every form which fiends could invent, — left upon the list of martyrs the names forever glorious of Daniel, Garnier, Chabanel, Brebreuf and Lalemant ^, all personal friends of the Ursulines. No one in the colony, perhaps, followed with more interest than Mother St. Joseph the different stages of that sad drama, destined to close by the extinction of the Huron nation; and when, in the summer of 1650, the last miserable remnant of a people that had lately reckoned 35,000 souls, 1 — The Letters of Mother Mary contain lengthy and interesting details of the labors, sufferings and combats of these martyrs. Twenty-nine missionaries had labored for the conversion of the Hurons ; seven of these had perished by the hand of violence. 62 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY 1 ! I set up their poor camp-huts within view of the monastery, no heart bled with a deeper wound than hers. Mother Mary of the Incarnation sa> ^ it was her death-blow. Soon they gathered arouna her, in troops of forty or fifty at a time, — as many as the parlor class-room and later the bark cabin could hold — men, women and children. Mother St. Joseph had the secret of consoling them, fortifying them with holy instructions, and inspiring them with sentiments of Christian resignation. From the Huron seminarists in captivity among the Iro- quois, the nuns had most consoling accounts. One of Mother St, Joseph's pupils, who had been carried off in 1643, at the age of thirteen or fourteen, was married, and thus had become mistress of one of those " long houses " where several fami- lies lived together. After ten years of captivity, the mis- sionary not only found her firm in the faith, but she had gained others to worship her God and pray with her. Such instances — and they were not unfrequent — show the value of the instructions given by the nuns. The bright wave, once sot in motion, ran multiplying in widening circles, under the eye of Him who blessed it, in numbers that will be known only in heaven. CHAPTER IX 1650 ONE NIGHT, AND jTS CONSEQUENCES The year 1650, so fertile in trials and disasters, was drawing to n, close. A clear, cold, December evening was brooding Ov^» the glistening landscape. The great constella- ONE NIGHT, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES 53 tions which light the wintry firmament with splendor, were silently marking the early hours of the night. The dark form of the monastery looked not gloomy, for the ruddy glow of the casements told of cheerful fires and cheerful faces within. There was even the sound of merriment, for this was the hour of recreation. One who had gained admittance on that evening, would have found the cloistered inmates enjoying in genial inter- course the social hour. Adjoining the chapel and choir, was the community-hall, which the nuns had just entered, leav- ing the small refectory, with the usual ejaculation : Deus det nobis suam pacem, " God give us His peace ! " That peace was there, in the depth of their souls. We behold it in their countenances, as with words of gentle greeting they unfold already their parcels — knitting, sewing, mending — and take their seats around a plain centre-table, where two lighted candles invite them to utilize even the time allotted by rule to relaxation. We have seen them all before. It is Mother St. Athana- sius, the Superior, who has labored on the arduous mission ten years ; it is the pale and worn, yet gay and energetic Assistant, Mother St. Joseph. Here is also Mother Mary of the Incarnation, depositary, the guardian spirit of all ; Mothers Ste. Croix, Anne de Ste. Cecile, Anne de Notre-Dame, Mother St. Ignatius have come in. The three lay-sisters, St. Lau- rence, St. Ursula and St. Michael, with the poor Indian widow, Cecile Arenhatsi, have still the company of the late " lady of the castle," Mademoiselle de Boulogne, now called Mother St. Dominic, in the kitchen below, where there is work to be done. In the hall adjoining the (!orara unity, the largest in the house, the Indian girls are in frolicsome glee. Mother Anne of the Seraphim is in their midst, when Madams de In Pel- 64 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY trie enters, and tliere is a general rush to be near the Kingay, " the dear Motlier, " who never comes to them without giving and receiving pleasure. " The New year is coming," they remind her, and she, with pretended gravity, does not under- stand the allusion ; yet we know she has counted well her little seminarists, that no one may be forgotten in her loving distribution of presents on New Year's morning ^ But the hour is waning. Let us look into the French class- room, where Mother St. Clare presides at the evening recrea- tion. It is above stairs. We have not complete lists, but we can name: the Misses de Ilepentigny, Misses Elizabeth and Marie Couillard, Juchereau de More, Le Tardif, Marsolet, de la Poteiie, liourdon, Hayot, Hertel, CJodefroy, Misses Made- leine and Genevieve Chavigny, I'orchet, Nicolet as being probably of the number. Gay and sportive as young girls can be, let them enjoy the hour, then close by prayer and a if I ;' ■ ,1 3 i 1 — The custom of New Year's visits, and gifts too, in these early times, has become known to us through the j)rivate Journal of the Jesuits, lately given to the public. One example will suffice, as a picture of the cortUality that reigned among the inhabitants of New France. The date we select is, " Jan. 1st, 1646. The soldiers went to salute the Governor with their guns ; the inhabitants presented their compliment in a body. He was beforehand with us and came here at seven o'clock to wish us a happy New Year, addressing each of the Fathers one after another. I returned his visit after Mass, (Another time we must be beforehand with him). Mr. Gitt'ard also came to see us. The Hospital nuns sent us a letter of compliment early in the morning; the Ursulines also, with beautiful presents, wax-candles, rosaries, a crucifix ; and at tlinner, two excellent pigeon-pies. I sent them two images, in enamel, of 8t. Ignatius and St. Francis Xavier. We gave to Mr. Griftard, the Life of Our Lord, by F. Bonnet ; to Mr. des Chatelets, a little volume of Drexelius, on Eternity ; to Mr. Bourdon, a telescope and compass ; and to others, reliqupries, rosaries, medals, images, etc. 1 went to see Mr. Giffard, Mr. Couillard and Mademoiselle de Re- pentigny. The Ursulines sent to beg I would come and see them before the end of the day, I went; and paid my compliments also to Madame de la Peltrie, who had sent us presents." Journal des J^suites, p. 24. ONE NIlllIT, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES 55 preparation for coinmunioii to-morrow morning. Have they not just been told of the fervor of their little rivals, in the hall l)elow ? If they are more i)rivileged than these little forest-girls, who have but lately known the good Crod, should they be less grateful or less pious? The liour of silence is proclaimed by the bell at seven ; then for a lialf-hour are heard the grave and solemn tones of the reCitation of the Divine Office. It is the evening tribute of the spouse of Christ, as the appointed organ of the Church, offering to Heaven for all creatures, a few notes of that per- petual hymn which encircles the terrestrial orb ; a hymn of adoration, i)raise, and love. An hour later and all had sunk to rest within that peace- ful mansion; soon all were wrapped in the profound slumber of the first hours of the night. For " Tired Nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleei), " A ready visit pays " To light on lids unsullied by a tear." It gently smooths the pillow for the innocent and the nnworldly, for the simple child whose last act was to give her heart to God, as well as for the laborious teacher, whose last prayer had been for the welfare of her youthful charge and for the salvation of souls. Meanwhile, the midnight hour had passed, undisturbed by dreams of an impending calamity. Suddenly, the Sister sleeping in the children's room, is awakened as by a voice of terror crying out : " Hasten, hasten ; wake your children, or they will be burned alive." She leaps to her feet ; the flames were bursting through the floor into the room, where they all were sleeping. She shrieks : •' Up ! for your lives, children, fly " — and she rushes 59 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY 5 I- 1! 'li: 1 'i I llli • to the nuns' dormitory to cry : " Wake ! wake ! the house is on fire. Be quick, and save tlie children." In a moment, all are aware of the danger ; the fire was upon them on all sides. One rushes to the bell, to give warning of their peril. Mother Superior, with admirable presence of mind, seizes the keys and opens the doors. Mother Assistant and Sister St. Laurence break down the parlor-grating, to afford a way of escape for those who are on the second story. Some of the Sisters, thinking the progress of the fire may be arrested, run in the direction of the cistern for water. Mother Mary calls to them that it is in vain; they must oidy think of saving themselves and the children. But smoke and flames are quicker than words. The dormitory where the little ones sleep is already on fire. Mother St, Ignatius, at the peril of her life, breaks in and hurries them out, — which is no sooner done than the floor gives way. Other Sisters seize the little innocents in their arms and bear them off to a place of safety, returning several times, regardless of the danger of perishing in the flames. Mother Mary of the Incarnation had grasped the papers of the community, and attempted to save some clothing for the Sisters, who had all rushed from the house with the children, in their night-dresses. She was alone in the midst of the flaming mass. The fire was consuming the rooms beneath ; it was devouring the timbers of the roof, over her head ; and the flames were following upon her steps, as after bowing to her crucifix in submission to the holy will of God, she flew along the passage of the dormitory, leading through the parlor, to a stair-case, — the only issue now possible. Happily, it was free, although she encountered another danger from the melting bell, directly over h r way. At the door, she meets the Father Superior of the Jesuits and all his household,. \ ONE NIGHT, AND ITS CONSBQUENCES 57 hurrying to the rescue. The clmpel-room alone was not yet in flames. They had time to save the Blessed Sacrament, and such of the sacred vestments as were in the vestry adjoining, yet not without imminent peril. But were all safe ? Had it been possible in that brief space of time, between the first alarm and Mother Mary's egress from the house, which she measures by the length of the Miserere — some five or six minutes — to transport all the children to a place of safety ? Had no Sister lost her way ? Had no one been forgotten ? — anguishing questions were these to Mother St. Athanasius, who having hastened down with a Sister to open the doors, did not know that the others had taken flight in the opposite direction. Shivering there upon the snow, she endures a mortal agony within her soul, and calls her Sisters by name, — but no one answers. Casting herself upon her knees, she invokes the aid of Heaven, she calls upon the good Angels. At last, all are reunited around their Mother; the children and all the Sisters are safe ! Poor Cecile had cast herself from a window in the third story upon the icy ground ; but she was only stunned. Little Genevieve, alas ' was still missing ! But the good Angels were busy : Genevieve had escaped, unharmed, though found only after a two hours' search. Now, higher and higher rise the flames, bursting through that wooden roof. The heavy timbers bend and fall with a crash. It is the brightness of mid-day on this midnight scene, while the cold, silent stars look down unmoved, upon a glowing, seething furnace, in lieu of the late happy mansion, the Ursulioe Monastery. On the cold snow-path, clustered close to keep those little children warm, the nuns are kneeling. They are silent and calm, — so calm that one of the spectators cries : " Surely, 58 ULIMl'HBS OF THE MONASTERY those women have lost their senses, or tliey are transported with a vehement love of God ! " Friends surround them now, and cover them with their rough garments. They bear ott' the children, the little Indian girls to the nearest shelter, the French children, to their own homos. Madame de la rdtrie, in her night tunic, and l)are-footed until she gets the loan of shoes and a mantle, shudders in the night air, as she hurries, with the nuns, all in a similar condition, down the street to the Jesuits* college, where they receive hcjspitality for the night. In every direction were groups of French and Indians, watching, in dismay, the progress of the conflagration. Great was their compassion for the misfortune of those heroic women, who had never toiled for themselves ; and as great their admiration, beholding their angelic composure under a calamity so sudden and so terrible. Whence had the fire originated ? — Vain but inevitable question on such occasions. Mother Mary accounts for the disaster as follows : " The Sister charged with the bakery had prepared the dough for baking early the next morning, and to ensure its rising had placed a pan of coals under the bread-trough, fully intending to remove it later. This was an unusual thing to do in her office, and it entirely escaped her memory," The dreadful consequences of such forgetfulness we have seen. Of the dispositions with which the calamity was borne. Mother Mary, writing to her son, says : '• My heart preserved its usual peace ; I felt neither grief nor anxiety, but united my will to His whose Hand has passed over us, leaving us in the state in which He was Himself at this season in the cave of Bethlehem." Early the next morning, the friendly nuns of the Hospital sent their steward with a pressing invitation to accept hospi- ?: ONE MIQUT, AND ITS OONSBQUEMCES 69 tality with them. The Governor, on tlie other hand, had ordered [»re[»ariitions to be made for them at the Castle. The nuns were grateful to both ; but preferring the monastery to the Governor's residence, they were soon in the arms of their dear sisters, the Jlospitalh^res, who shed abundant tears, while they welcomed them so cordially to their home. Quickly the kind nuns brought apparel from their own wardrobe, and the whole community of Ursulines were trans- formed into llospitaliers, dear Madame de la Peltrie with the others. In the course of the day, the Governor, with F.ither Kague- neau, came to convey to the scene of the disaster, the Supe- rior of tiie Ursulines, with Mother Mary of the Incarnation, Madame de la Peltrie and Mother St. Joseph. That smoking heap of stones was a sad spectacle. There had perished, not only the fruit of ten years* solicitude and toil, but also the six months' store for themselves and their seminarists, a part of it due to the charity of their friends in France : their provisions for the rest of the winter, their clothing and beds, the furniture of their chapel and school- rooms ; all, in fine, that had been provided for the service of the poor Indians, and for their own comfort and subsist- ence ; all had been utterly consumed. Madame de la Peltrie had lost every thing as well as the nuns. The New Year's greeting, so cordial in those early times that even to read of it is refreshing, must have given occasion to many touching expressions of sympathy. The nuns were at least, safely lodged, for the time being. Nothing that the most delicate and ingenious charity could suggest, was omitted on the part of the dear hospital Sisters, to alleviate their distress. During three weeks, with indefatigable zeal, these "friends in need " furnished materials, and aided in putting togetlior complete suits of apparel for each of the Ursulines, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 28 I.I 1^ _ m — 2^ i.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► V] <^ /}. /a 'c>l em '^^ ^^> > ^ / -(^^ Hiotographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 \ ■^6,^^ 4t>^ ;\ \ ^ X V '<> ^'h'- ip< c?. 7 •':- ■•■■,.•/■ 60 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY The two communities made but one, seated at the same table, observing the same rule, and reciting the Divine Office together : but can Ursulines live without having little children around them ? Evidently not. Already the vacant house of Madame de la I'eltrie has been examined, and the offer of the good foundress accepted. The nuns soon remove thither, bearing with them the generous gifs of their benefactresses ; and the not less generous loan of at least 500 livres worth of commodities, necessary for a bare commencement. They brought, above all, and bequeathed to their successors, an inexhaustible fund of gratitude for unbounded hospitality and sisterly kindness. Among the many marks of sympathy the Ursulines received while they were the guests of the generous Hospital nuns, perhaps none touched them more than the visit of condolence from their poor Hurons. Assembled in one of the large halls of the Hospital, their chief, Louis Taiearonk, opened his harangue as follows : " Holy Virgins : You behold here a miserable skeleton, which was one a living, happy people. Our flesh has been devoured by war and by famine. These poor bones are only held together by your benevolence and compassion. Consider our sad fate, and you will see that we have every reason to weep for ourselves a torrent of tears. Alas ! the friends that kept us from utter destruction have become like us, and their affliction renews all our distress. Must it be said that we have seen that great fiouse of Jesus, the House of Charity, reduced to ashes in a moment? We have seen the fire pursue, without respect, your sacred persons ! In that conflagration we beheld again our own houses, our towns and country in flames. Alas ! must the fire follow the poor Huron wherever he goes ? Weep, oh ! weep, my brethren, weep with me the misfortunes which were ours, and which have become the portion of these innocent virgins. Holy virgins : lo ! you are reduced to the same extremity as your poor Hurons, for whom your compassion was so great. You have no more a country, a home, nor a hope, but in heaven where you have placed all your desires. J ONE NIGHT, AND ITS CONSEQUENCES 61 We have come hither to console you, and before entering this hall,we entered your hearts to see what was your greatest affliction, in order to seek a remedy. If we were addressing persons like our- selves, our customs would lead us to off'er you a present to dry your tears, and another to restore your courage ; but we see that your courage has not failed, and as to tears, you have shed none for your misfortunes. Your eyes are not fixed upon any thing lower than heaven, where you have placed your treasures. Thus, our presents are superfluous. There is but one evil to be apprehended, and that threatens us more than you. It is the effect which the news of this deplorable accident will have upon your frienls in France. They will be more touched by it than you are, and will call loudly for your return. How can a mother read without tears the letter that will tell her that her daughter is with- out Ibod or clothing, bed or lodging, in fine, without any of the oomlorts of life ? The first thought of these poor mothers will be to recall you, that they may have the consolation of relieving your distress. A brother would do the same for his sister, an uncle for his niece. Thus we are in danger of losing you, and of being deprived •of the aid we hoped to continue to enjoy, in having our daughters instructed in the Faith. Take courage, holy virgins ! Do not suffer yourselves to be over- come by the tenderness of your relatives. Let it be seen that the charity you have for us is stronger than the ties of nature I To fortify your resolution in this respect, here is a present (a wampum belt of twelve hundred grains) to fix your feet so firmly on the soil that no love of home or country will be able to remove them. The second present (another belt) which we beg you to accept, is to lay the foundations of another .House of Jesus, a House of Prayer, where you may again instruct our children. These are the desires of our hearts ; doubtless they are yours also ; for you would not die happy if you could reproach yourselves with having, through too tender a love lor your parents, lost the opportunity of aiding to procure the salvation of so many souls, whom you love in •God, and y\'ho will one day be your crown in heaven." ' ' f ■ Doubtless, this harangue has lost, by the double transla- tion, much of tlie vi\id coloring it had in its native dress, yet it shows how sincere was their attachment to the faith, and to all who contributed to their instruction. B2 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY CHAPTER X 1650-1052 f COURAGE IN ADVERSITY Had the Ursulines been of only moderate utility to the colony, whether for aiding in converting the Indians, or in diffusing the blessings of instruction and education among the rising generation of French Canadians, the conjuncture would have been favorable to allow them to retire. Ten years were sufficient for an experiment, and had there been a want of success, the nuns themselves, after all the hardships they had endured and all the uncertainties before them, would have had a right to desist from their enterprise without being taxed with pusillanimity. The spring vessels, bringing them the usual succor, would have enabled them to defray the expenses of their passage home. That they would have been cordially welcomed by their different communities, was evident from the pressing invitations they had already received to quit the- country, on account of the Indian warfare and the precarious state of the colony. These invitations were still more urgent when tidings of the conflagration of the monastery had reached their friends in France. No one conversant with the early history of Canada is ignorant how critical was the state of aftairs, and how gloomy the prospect during the years that followed the dispersion of the Hurons. The Iroquois, flushed by his success, dazzled by the fires that had consumed his victim, had not paused to rest in the solitude he had made. Throughout the land, he was busy ; here, to cut off a flying band of Hurons ; there, to scalp the trembling Algonquin ; COURAGE IN ADVERSITY 63 and everywhere to beset the French and confine them within their forts. Tlie ubiquitous Iroquois seemed destined to remain sole master of a devastated country ; two thousand Frenchmen, scattered along the St. Lawrence, at the various settlements and trading-posts, were but a handful, compared to the Hurons destroyed — yt c their means of defence were far different. All this was well known to the nuns ; but they had determined to persevere, and share the fate of the colony whose interests they had espoused. " How could we abandon our Christian neophytes ? " says Mother Mary of the Incar- nation. " They ar: our treasures, our spiritual children, for whom we are ready to die a million of times. And what will become of our dear French girls without instruction, without culture ? No ! we are not so cowardly as to betray our trust or abandon our post. Our enemies are powerful, but God is greater than they." The resolution of the nuns was applauded by the public. In an assembly of the principal citizens and the Jesuit Fathers, presided by the Governor D'Ailleboust, it was decided to offer them a loan, free of interest for six years, and to aid them as far as possible in rebuilding their monastery. Let us now return to the " Bethlehem " of the Ursulines, to take note of some of its comforts and conveniences. The mansion, built probably on the model of other small dwelling-houses of the city, was two stories high, thirty feet in length and twenty in breadth. These were narrow limits for thirteen persons, to whom a chapel and a class- room were as indispensable as a dining-room and a dor- mitory. Their ingenuity and their patience, having already been tasked in a similar manner, they were soon at home in their new domicile. Beds were arranged, one above \' « 64 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY another, for themselves and for some little boarders, proba- bly orphans ; a wooden partition screened off a little chapel. A sort of rustic cottage covered on all sides with bark, in the Huron style of building, gave them an additional class- room where they might instruct their neophytes. Their poverty, which excited universal compassion, reduced them to receive alms from such as would have been succored by them, in better days. " One M'ould bring a towel, a che- mise, or a cloak ; another presented a chicken, a few eggs, or a loaf of bread." " The Jesuit Fathers, says Mother Mary, sent, to clothe us, the stutfs destined for their own use ; they gave us provisions, linen, and blankets for our beds. They lent us the services of their lay-brothers and their workmen, to aid in the build- ing. The Governor also and his wife, Madame d'Ailleboust, succored us in many ways. In short, all our friends showed themselves so compassionate and obliging that we have no words sufficient to express our gratitude. If the poverty of our colonists is great, their charity is far greater." In the mean time they sought to resume the labors of the institute, in favor of the young French girls, as well as the Indians. The snow hud not yet fully disappeared from the ground, when the nuns were seen clearing away, with their own hands, the rubbish that covered the charred foundations, in preparation for the work of the masons. On the 18th of May in presence of the Governor and a goodly company, another corner-stone was blessed by Father Lalemant, and laid, M'ith the usual ceremonies, by Madame de la Peltrie. All the workmen that could be obtained were employed, and the walls rose so rapidly that some hopes weie entertained •of inhabiting the house the following winter. \ . ; • 1. COURAGE IN ADVERSITY 65 But the short sumnier passed too quickly ^ ; autumn came, and the long winter set in, before the interior of the monastery was sufficiently advanced to set at liberty the inmates of "Bethlehem's cave", pent up as they were, and stifling in smoke and unwholesome air. The winter was indeed long and painful for many reasons. The beloved Mother St. Joseph, who for the last four years had been declining in consumption, had not yet given up teaching her dear Hurons. All summer she had kept her place in the bark-lodge, wliere Mother Mary accompanied her, while she continued to explain the way to serve God, to her attentive hearers, men and women, to the number of forty or fifty. Poor Indians ! how they listened with open, won- dering eyes, marking by expressive gestures, their assent, and their admiration of the heavenly teachings that fell from her lips! But even the supernatural energy of a soul all on fire Avith holy zeal, could no longer support the wasted frame, nor hush the stifling cough. Mother St. Joseph, extended upon her humble couch, from which she was never more to rise, lingered from the second of February to the fourth of April. The picture of that sick-room is too sad to retrace, were it not all radiant with the glow of heavenly visitors — angels of ] — Mother Mary of the Incarnation tells us how the nuns managed to live after the burning of the convent. The spring vessels bringing them only the usual supplies when they were in need of every- thing, their Chaplain, M. Antoine Vignal, undertook to provide for their subsistence by cultivating their land. He took laborers with him, and set them the example, by toiling early and late. Grod so blessed his charity and his labor, that they harvested wheat, peas And barley in sufficient quantity for the forty persons that composed the family of that year. '• We have a double team of oxen for our labor and six cows that furnish us with milk and butter." Father Vignal continued his charitable care ot the community until 1657, when he joined the Sulpicians. . ^ . 5 " ■ .- ■ 66 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY peace and consolation, flitting around the death-bed of a saint! That jick-room was the common dormitory; that dying-couch, one of those beds arranged in tiers as on ship- board, on whicli even a person in liealth would not comfortably repose. Mother Mary of the Incarnation has described the scene. " The altar where the Divine Sacrifice was offered being in the adjoining apartment, the dear sufferer could hear mass from her bed and listen to the occasional exhortations, which was a great comfort to her. On the other hand, she could see all who went to the chapel, as they must pass before her bed ; she could hear the singing, the clang of the bell, the clatter of wooden shoes, the noise of the school-room, the din of the kitchen, which was in the room below, and separated from hers by a simple flooring. The odor of eels infected the whole house ; the smoke forced us to open the windows, even in the coldest weather. All this incommoded her and augmented her cough, yet, far from uttering the least complaint, she would fain persuade us that it amused her. " She even congratulated herself upon the privations she endured : Oh! how happy I am, she would say, to end my life in this poor place, deprived of the comforts and delicacies I would have enjoyed in France ! Tell our good Mothers of Tours, tell my dear parents, that I die happy in the sacrifice I have made. Tell them 1 have never Yegretted coming to Canada. God has given me the promised hundred-fold in this life, and J now look forward with confidence to the crown of eternal life in the next, acco"ding to His Avord." After this dying message to her dear parents and her Mothers in France, she had yet nnuvy things to say to her beloved Sisters around her. They must not fatigue them- selves at the burial, nor attempt to follow out the ceremonial, »' COURAGE IN ADVEB6ITY 67 by bearing her body themselves to the place of interment. The laboring men could do that. She had a kind word of encouragement for p" ^h, and a smile that told of the utter peace of her soul. The sacred Viaticum was brought to the dying spouse of Christ ; the consoling sacrament of extreme unction admin- istered. The last three days of her holy life were such a foretai.l:e of heavenly bliss as effaced all impression of physical sufferings, and the separation of soul and body was gentle as the parting of the sunset glow from the summer cloud. The funeral ceremonies were performed in the new monastery, and were attended by a great concourse both of French and Indiand. Mother St. Joseph was universally esteemed, and universally regretted. The Governor, who was present at her funeral, had begged to be recommended to her prayers, with all the colony. The Hurons may be said to have been the chief mourners ; for them she had been a benefactress, a tender mother ; the tidings of her death filled their hamlet with lamentations ; but faithful to the pious lessons they had received, they did not fail, on the following morning, to have the Requiem ser- vice performed for her, on their Island (Isle of Orleans), before they came to assist at her burial. In the garden of the Monastery, is a spot, still regarded as consecrated ground, although the mortal remains of beloved Mother St. Joseph no longer repose there. If we may there trace her epitaph, three words will suffice : Innocence, Fidelity to Grace, Unboun'deu Charity. Her ancestors, the feudal lords of St. Germain and Savon- . nitres, had never been more nobly represented than in her father, M. de la Troche ; her mother, Jeanne Kaoul, was of the highest nobility ; yet it may safely be asserted that in herself culminated the glory of an illustrious family. The sweet 68 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY udor of piety breathes from her very cradle, and her first tottering footsteps bear her on errands of charity. Idohzed by her parents, and returning their love with all the tenderness of lier youthful heart, Marie de la Troche, at the age of thirteen, already meditates the sacrifice of her immense wealth, her noble name, all the advantages the world offers her, in order to become the spouse of Him, who, for her love, had given His life on Calvary. By her importimities, and by arguments above her years, she triumphed over the opposition of her parents and obtained their consent to enter the novitiate of the Ursulines at Tours, where she had been placed for her education. The postulant of fourteen was a child in years only. In judgment, in capacity, in fidelity to the duties of the religious life, she was mature as a person of thirty. At sixteen, she pronounced her vows with the fervor of one who fully appreciated the grace of her vocation. Her fidelity in the discharge of her duties in the schools, her piety, her engaging modesty and unaffected gravity, rendered her the model of her companions and the delight of her superiors. Her zeal for the salvation of souI.-j, which had manifested itself from her tender infancy, was an undying flame, enkindled in her soul in order to consume every other affection. This zeal was the principle of her vocation for Oanada, and of the courage which sustained her in the midst of such labors and hardships as attended her here. Her first apostolate for the conversion of the poor Indians was that of prayer — uniting herself in spirit with the mis- sionaries, and offering her labors and sufferings to God in ■theix behalf. Her desire to devote herself to their instruction, . she had regarded as chimerical, until the moment when the way was opened so providentially. Her demand to te iil.owtid to accompany Mother Mary of the Incarnation, was COURAGE IN ADVERSITY 69 met by an intimation to be in readiness to take the office of another Sister who would be appointed to go. But neither the opposition of her community, unwilling for many reasons to part with her, nor the justly ex])ected refusal of her parents to consent to her going, disturbed the equanimity of her generous soul. Confiding in the protection of St. Joseph, she awaited the result of the deliberations of the various parties interested. That result, as we know already, was most fortunate for the foundation of the l^rsulines of Quel>ec. Next to the name of Mother Mary of the Incarnation, that of Mother St. Josejjh is dear to their hearts. ■ They can never forget that the first of her three constant demands to Heaven, was — " The sanctification of her community ; " the second was " The conversion of all the pagan nations of America ; " — the third " the preservation and prosperity of the French colony in Canada." In connexion with the name of Mother St. Joseph, we are happy to enable our readers to form a more intimate acquaintance with this beloved " elder sister " of the Ursu- line family of the Old Monastery, through a letter — the only one known to exist — which has lately come into our posses- sion ^ This letter was written to congratulate Mother Mary of the Incarnation's son, Claude Martin, for having like his mother and herself, chosen the " better part " by entering the novitiate of the Benedictines. At the same time we discover the kindness of her heart when she informs him, in terms as delicate as the act itself, of the m 1 — Rev. Leon Chapot who has written an admirable Life of Vene- rable Mother Mary of the Incarnation — searching through the old manuscripts of the National Library (Paris) for letters of Dom Claude Martin, whose life, he purposes to write, discovered this treasure and sent us a fac-simile of the original, which will be care- tuUy preserved in our archives. I ' t' 70 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY friendship and protection she has procured for him in her own family. The letter is headed by the holy names : " Jeans, idary, Joseph, " My dear brother, " Your good mother and mine, liaving allowed me to write a few lines in her letter to you, I cannot commence better than by con- gratulating you on the happy choice you have made of the religious state, and 1 assure you that I have felt on this occasion, as much consolation as if you were my own brother. 1 am certain that you already experience how '• sweet is the Lord to those who love Him, " and that " one day passed in His courts is better than a thousand passed in the tents of sinners." Enjoy your happiness, my dear brother, while I bless a thousand times our good God who has bestowed it upon you, and who has touched your heart and attracted it so forcibly. Well may you now. ever '•' sing the mercies of the Lord " who has caused " your lot and your share to fall in so gooi3 of the Iroquois, — there were still the sedentary Indians of Sillery, whose daughters, from the first, were instructed in the convent ; there were also the Huroas, who, since they had been trans- ferred from the Island of Orleans to Quebec (1658), and lodged near the Chdteau St. Louis, sent their children daily for instruction, to the number of sixty or eighty. These, as in former times, had their daily mess of sagamiti, after their school \vas over. During the winter of 1662, Mother Mary was surrounded by a class of novices, eager to render themselves useful, and 1.— Journal des Jisnites. • 2 — '"Sickness," — among the Indians For Europeans, thecountry was remarkably healthy. During thirty-two years, only two deaths had occurred in the community. • ' i'' ARRIVAL OF BISHOP LAVAL 77 to avail thtinselves of her knowledge of the Indian languages. For their beneht and for the use of the other nuns, she com- posed at that time, a catechism in Huron, three in Algonquin, and a large dictionary, French and Algoncuin. With all this labor for the Indian race, vaiting in 16G4, she says: "We are still more occupied in the classes for the French children, and, it is certain that if God had not sent the Ursnlines to Canada, they would be left to the most deplorable ignorance. All the young girls in the country pass through our hands, and this causes piety and religion to flourish everywhere. The French jjopulation, rapidly increasing, our employments must keep pace with that increase." CHAPTER XII 1652-1665 THE NOVITIATE ARRIVAL OK BISHOP I.AVAL The secret of a religious vocation is, for many, a mystery imfathomable : but in vain would they seek, in the circle of human passions, the motive for embracing a state, whose first obligation is to curb those passions. By what standard <3an the wordly-minded, the unbelieving, judge of actions that arise from motives superior to nature ? No; they are incapa- ble of forming a just estimate in these matters ; and from false premises, necessarily draw false conclusions. They study the phenomenon from their own level, and setting up a cari- •cature, call it a true portrait. Ambition, pride, self-love at 78 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY be.st religious enthusiasm — they cannot mount to hi<,'her motives. But wiien has prii'.o ov ambition prom[)ted one to reduce himself to Ijp. th<) .servant of the poor, tl'e crphan, or the savage ? Self-love is not so blind as to seek admirers in the wilderness, nor so courageous as to endure long years of abnegation and utter self-sacrifice ^ As to religious enthu- siasm, it may excite to rash enterprises, but it is insufficient • to ensure perseverance ; the fire invariably burns out, and leaves its possessor weaker than before. The true motive of a religous vocation, especially for the active Orders, is Charity, — that supreme love of God which hears with joy the injunction : " Take up they Cross and follow me ;" — believing in the promised " hundred-fold in this world, and eternal life in the next"; believing also the words of our Saviour : " Whatsoever ye have done to the least of these, ye have done unto me. " Without this supernatural motive, in a greater or less degree, there can be no true religious vocation. But it is time to return from this digression. The value of the labors of our first Ursulines to society is sufficiently evident ; but how will their work be perpetuated ? Will the wild soil of Canada be found productive of plants fit to bi? transferred to the " Garden enclosed " of the Celestial Bridegroom ? Yet, why should we not expect to find the lily and the rose blossoming under the shadow of the Cross ? In an atmosphere, redolent of the purest Christianity, there could not be a dearth of vocations for the cloister. 1 — The present century will have to record other heroic examples of self-sacritice ; and none more resembling tliat of the first Ursu- lines and Hospital nuns of Canada than the recent establishment for the poor savages of the river McKenzie, by the courageous Sister Lapomte and her little community, the daughters of Madame d'Youville. . . ARRIVAL OF BISHOP LAVAL 79 We have seen that three novices had been received before the burning ol" the convent ; Miss Barrd and Miss de Bou- logne were natives of France ; Catherine Lezeau, a lay-sister, was the first Canadian novice. In 1652, Miss Genevieve Bourdon, at the age of fourteen, hears the mysterious call, and turning away from the world she was just entering, she begs to be permitted 1 3 embrace the religious state. The Honorable Procureur G^ndral, her father, was of that class of men, whose worth is superior to any station. The refuge of the poor, the protector of the widow and the orphan, he was a man of prayer, leading an interior life, such as is the aim of the monk in his cell, or the nun in her cloister. Such a man would not refuse to part with his daughter, when it was to give her to God i. Genevieve, on taking the veil 2, adopts the name of St. Joseph, purposing, no doubt, while placing herself under the protection of that glorious Saint, to imitate the holy nun who had lately borne the name with so much edification to the community. In 1G58, a younger sister. Miss Anne Bourdon, at the age of fourteen, enters the novitiate of the Ursulines : after her veiling she is known as Mother Anne of St. Agnes. 1 — Miss ilarguerite Bourdon, the eldest of the family, and her younger sister Mary, entered also the religious state, among the nuns of the Hospital in Quebec. 2 — The Journal des J^suites, published under the supervision of the Keverend Messrs. Laverdiere and Casgrain,hus furnished details particularly precious for the history of the Monastery: " Dec. 9th, 1652. Genevieve Bourdon takes the veil at the Ursulines. Father Bagueneau, Superior, officiates ; Father J. Lalemant says the Mass, and Father Chatelain gives the dermon. Madame d'Ailleboust and Mme Bourdon, enter the convent and dine with the nuns. The Governor, Mr. d'Ailleboust and Mr. Bour- don dine in our refectory (the latter had furnished the dinner.) At table were also Rev. M. de St. Sauveur and Rev. A. Vignal, Chaplain of the VrsuVmea. Journal dex JdsHites." ll I Iflll, •I It'' H\ «0 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY Th^se two angelic young girls have not become nuns "to pine a^vay and die." O no! Mothi^r St. Joseph lives to cele- brate the forty-peventh annivei'.-jary of hrr profession, having filled all the uflfioes of the community, except that of superior. She was oftenest employed at class, where her vigilance, her zeal, her tender piety, rendered her services invaluable. Mother Anne of St. Agnes was very precious to her com- munity, which she was called to govern, later, after those venerable Mothers who had directed her in the paths of per- fection had been called to their reward. This is not the place to enter into further details of the piety, the rare intelligence, the rich endowments of this first Canadian Superior, whose memory still appeals to the gra- titude of the community. She lived to the age of seventy. Miss Mary Boutet de St. Martin, in religion Mother St. Augustine, who pronounced her vows at seventeen, and lived to renew the fortieth anniversary of her profession, was fihiefly employed in the institute, for which her talents adapted her in a special manner. Proposing to herself our Saviour in His hidden life, as her model, she had a special preference for all the laborious and obscure offices, aiding the lay-sisters, sweeping, and taking care of the little Indian girls. The following year, the novitiate received another acqui- sition in the person of Miss Jeanne Godefroy, who had been a pupil in the convent from the tender age of six years. She was one of those little pupils who, on the last night of December 1650, were diiven from their beds at a moment's warning, to stand shivering on the snow, while the fire was consuming the monastery. Her father, Mr. John (Jodefroy of Linctot in Normandy, was one of the earliest settlers of Three Eivers. . . ARRIVAL OF BISHOP LAVAL 81 To realize the perils that surrounded these pioneers in the colonization of Canada, we have only to read the tragic fate of six members of our novice's family Five of her ten brothers were killed in different encounters with the Iroquois ; her uncle. Thomas Godefroy, was taken prisoner and l)urned by those barbarians, whose aim was the total extermination of the French settlers. A man capable of nuiintaining his post, and aiding in such circumstances to fix the French name upon the soil, might well be remembered by the " Grand Roy " in his distribu- tion of titles of nobility among the most worthy of his Canadian subjects. His family obtained these titles in 1688. Returning to our noyice, who took the name of St. Francis Xavier, we shall offer here, a picture of the times, in a few lines from our annals: — "Our little pupil, from the age of six years, was remarkable for the precocity of her intelligence, Tier happy memory, her brilliant talents. She made rapid progress in learning her catechism, sacred history, and the other studies suited to her age. In these early times, the Fathers of the Society of Jesus used to give public instructions on Sundays, at which all our boarders assisted. To excite emulation among them, they were allowed to learn dialogues, or verses on sacred subjects. Miss Godefroy was the one who oftenest carried off the prize for application and success." Bishop Laval gave her the veil at the age of sixteen. From that day forward, she never deviated from the path of perfec- tion upon which she had entered. Mother St. Francis Xavier was one of those young Sisters, so ardent to learn the Indian languages, as we have seen in 1G62. Her biographical notice would lead us too far, while it would show us this fervent Ursuline, practising the sweet virtues of charity and humility, preserving the candor and : 6' i i: 82 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTBRY I gaiety of her childhood, ])a9siii^ throuj^h the liiborious offices of depositiiry, novicti-inistn'oss and niistress-genoml of the boarding school. Another youthful aspirant to the religious life from Three liivers, enters in 1665. It is Angeli(iue I'oisson, daughter of the seignior of Gentilly. Her vocation was as precocious as that of the Misses Bourdon; and hen' eloquence, like theirs, enabled her to triumph over the opposition of her mother, her only surviving parent. She entered the novitiate in her fifteenth year, to serve the community and edify it to the age of seventy-nine. The annalist of the convent, tracing a notice of this beloved Mother Angelique I'oisson of St. John the Evangelist, who died in the office of Superior, makes us share her admiration of a life so pure, so fervent, so replete with edification during the space of sixty-four years, which she had passed in the faithful observance of the rule and the obliga- tions of the religious state. These are the five first-fruits of the grace of a religious voca- tion for theUrsulines in the New World. Won by the sweet attractions of grace, they turned away from home and kindred, to serve God more faithfully, living in Him by a life of prayer and recollection, laboring for Him in purity of intention, in singleness of heart. Their death was in peace,and their memory is blessed : who shall say that their sacrifice was in vain, or their choice unwise ? Meanwhile, the little community which from the first year of its foundation was formed f)f subjects professed in the two Congregations of Paris and of Bordeaux, had adopted Eegulations, founded on mutual concessions, drawn up by Mother Mary of the Incarnation with such wisdom, that it met the approval of ecclesiastical authority, as well as of their respective congregations in France. '"■ ARRIVAL OF BISIIUI' LAVAL 8a 111 I'St ed Three candidates had been admitted, am' hud pronounced their vows ujider the authority of Father .Jerome Lalemant, Vicar General and Superior of the two communities of Quebec, — a charge which he continued to exercise even after the arrival of a bishop, and wliich he only resigned with hia life, in 1072. MONSEIGNEUR JEAN FKANgOIS DE LAVAL Great were the rejoicings in Canada at the arrival of a Bishop, the Vicar Apostolic of New France, " He was received, says a writer of those days, as an angel (jf consola- tion sent from Heaven. He had come to gather up tlie precious drops of the Blood of Jesus, with the generous resolve not to spare his own, but to labor in every i)03sible way for the conversion of the poor Indians." This noble scion of the house of Montmorency, Jean Francois de Laval, was destined to a long and holy career in Canada. Mother Mary wrote of him soon after his arrival, as follows : " He is a man of superior merit and singular virtue, whose abilities are of the highest order. He is above all human respect, zealous for the progress of religion and every good work.' His manner of life is so exemplary that every one is in admira- tion ; in short, he is a man chosen by Heaven, an apostle worthy of all possible consideration." In the prolonged uncertainty of a bishop's appointment to this distant see, no provision had been made for his accom- modation ; the nuns were therefore happy to offer him the house of Madame de la Peltrie. " We shall be incommoded certainly, writes Mother Mary, by placing our seminarists in our class-rooms, but we shall suffer the inconvenience joyfully on such an occasion. The Bishop will have the enjoyment of a fine garden. We have put up a high paling, that all may be according to the rules of the cloister." Elsewhere it ;i f . 84 OMMPSES OF THE MONASTERY is noted that ii postulant, Miss Jeanne Godefroy, of Three liivers, who hud entered tiiu novitiate a few weeks after tlie arrival of the bishop, takes the veil in October, with the ""•le of Sister Louisa of St. Francis. The eminent I'relate presides at the ceremony, gives the sermon, and presents the novice a purse to pay the cost of her religious costume. During Hie two years of the Hishop's residence in the house of Madame de la Peltrie, the nuns had the consolation of assisting at the holy Sacrifice which he celel)rrtted daily in their new church, when his presence was not required at the l)arish church or elsewhere, by a festival or some particular function. CPAPTKK XIII 1655- 1065 THE UKSULIKES AND THE IKOQUOIS CITILIZATIOV 01' THK INDIANS Would the Iroquois ambassadors at Quebec in 1655 and'56, fail to visit the House of Jesus and the holy virgin?, so much, talked of by their Huron captives ? And would the Ursulines, with their experience of such interviews, fail to seize the occasion to speak of the " great Creator of all things " to their swarthy visitors ? Mother Mary tells us how the sachem, Teharihogen, and all his company, eighteen stalwart braves, were received at the convent, and twice regaled splendidly. The seminarists were a wonder to them, especially to see them cared for and cherished so tenderly by the nuns, to whom they were, by nature, strangers. CIVILIZATION OP THB INDIANS 85 Mario Ariimdsit who, at tlie ago of eleven, writes in French as well as in Huron, anil sings hymns in three languages, is a prodigy, and their admiration has no bounds after she has taught a class of Huron girls in their presence. Marie jjroKts of the occasion to harangue the sai^hem. She makes him the present of a wampum belt to invite him to send the little Irotjuois girls to the convent, and promises to treat them as if they were her sisters. Anothiu- day, a female sachem comes with all her suite. Marie recommences with the same success. Mother Mary of the Incarnation has repeated interviews with Magdalen and her companions. Before they leave Quebec, their faith is firm, and they are sufficiently instructed to be baptized. ■The ceremony takes place in the convent chapel. " Oh ! what a glad Te Deum was sung on that occasion. Thankful hearts exulted to see the persecutors of Christianity become the children of God." The ambassadors and the new Christians, on their way home, met a large number of their nati i, men and women, at Montreal, and told them so much of the v ins and their " seminarists ", that another band came on, impelled by no other motive but to see the " sights " at Quebec. They also were welcomed at the convent. The women were admitted to the class-rooms of the seminarists, to be regaled and entertained like the former visitors. The nuns were delighted with the females of that nation whose warriors were a terror to the country. Mother Mary pronounces them the gentlest creatures in the world, and often expresses the wish to see a class of young Iroquois girls in her convent. This wish was destined to be fulfilled, as we shall see later. The noble Magdalen, who has come so far to be instructed and baptized, might herself be consi- dered as the first seminarist. m f .1:: 86 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY S This fervent Christian, returning to her country with Mother Mary's holy words still ringing in her heart, proved faithful to the graces she had received. To aid the missionary, Father Dablon, in acquiring the language, she remains hours by hi? side, a willing and patient teacher. She is a missionary herself. Fearless of the ridicule and contempt to which she is exposed by filling an office considered unworthy of her rank, she goes daily from cabin to cabin to call the C .ristians to prayer. She sings at mass with the Huron captives, and in all things lives up to the teachings of her religion. When Father Chaumonot writes, she begs him to tell Mother Mary of the Incarnation that she will ever be faithful to prayer> and renews her promise to send her sister to the convent. At a later period, when persecuted by her unbelieving rela- tions, her faith never wavered, and her death was as consoling as her life had been edifying. While the fearless missionaries were in the midst of the Iroquois country, an assembly was held in which the Ursu- lines took part through the missionaries, who spoke for them, offering a present, in the style of the country, to invite the Indian braves to send their daughters to the convent. But the pagan Iroquois was the personification of deceit and treachery. Five years ^ after the visit of the ambassadors, alluded to above, the Iroquois were again expected at the convent but not as friendly visitors. The monastery had become a fortress, not merely by a figure of speech, in the Indian style, but in reality. ]— This interval of five years was one of alternate hope and anxiety throughout the colony. The Iroquois, having dispersed the Neutral nation and destroyed the Eries, were still pursuing, under treacherous pretexts of friendship, the Algonquins and the remnant of the Hurons. The reader will not expect to find here details regarding the.se wars — which properly belong to the history of Canada. HliiiJl'l CIVILIZATION OF TUB INDIANS 87 This episode, which belongs to the year 1660, must not be omitted. No one had forgetten the hostile flotilla, which had passed under the very cannons of the fort (1656), to fall upon the Huroiis on the Island of Orleans, killing some and bearing off nearly a hundred into captivity. This daring act was achieved by the Mohawks, the most intractable of all the Iroquois tribes. Large bodifjs of these fierce marauders were threatening the French settlements. Hamlets were pillaged and burned, "vvhole families were cut off. A prisoner, taken by the French, revealed the plans of his countrymen, declaring that an army of eight hundred or more was pressing on, to surprise Quebec. " Let us cut off the head, " said they, " then we shall have easy work of the members. Let us strike Ononthio." The enemy was not farther off than Three Kivers. No time was to be lost. The danger from these barbarians was thought to be so imminent that the Bishop came for the Ursulinesj and conducted them with their pupils to the Jesuits' build- ings, which had been prepared as a fortress. The Hospital nuns were provided for with the same solicitude. Mother Mary of the Incarnation, ever intrepid in the hour of danger, remained with three of her nuns, not to leave the house at the mercy of the soldiers. Every morning, at six o'clock, the nuns returned to their respective convents, which the soldiers guarded, and which were rapidly transformed into fortresses. The windows were walled up to the middle and provided with beams and loop-holes. Eedoubts were erected in various directions, the only egress left free was a postern-gate with its turnstile. Add to this, two guard-houses, regularly mounted by a guard of twenty four resolute men, to whom were associated, at night, for the out-posts, twelve French blood-hounds and we shall have some idea of the martial air of the monastery ■r /■■ 88 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY r F ■ . during eight days of that month of June, The fortifications were maintained during five months, but the inmates of the monastery were left undisturbed. Once there was a sudden alert. The Iroquois were certainly in sight. In less than half an hour, every thing was in readiness to give them c terrible reception : Mother Mary and her aids had distributed the ammunition ; every soldier was at his post. Happily, it was a false alarm, no enemy appeared. Later, it was known that the colony had been saved by the heroic devotion of DoUard and his seventeen companions, with a party of Hurons from QueViec, who within their little fort, had so weakened an army of seven hundred Iroquois that they came no farther. Another of the Venerable Mother's letters shews us the state of the colony in the fall of 1660. Her appreciations are, as usual, just, and her resolutions full of intrepidity. She writes : " Father Lejeune has gone to France to demand succor ; it is to be hoped His Majesty will not refuse it. If these barbarians are not humbled, they will destroy the colony. There is no assurance in their treaties of peace, which they only make in order to gain time. Our French- men and Christian Indians, taken prisoners last spring, have been put to death with horrible torments — their limbs mutilated, their flesh cut to pieces ; finally they were burnt in a slow fire. The last one who was tormented thus, threw himself on his knees each time that a joint of his fingers was cut off, to thank God and bless Him for his sufferings. " While the country is in this deplorable state, perhaps our Mothers will be anxious about us and wish to have us return to France. Should this be the case, do your best, my dear son, to prevent it. We are not afraid. Although the intention of our enemies is to destroy us, I have a firm confidence that the design of God is to ensure the stability CIVILIZATION OF THE INDIANS 89 of the colony, and to render this new Church victorious over her enemies. Adieu for this year." Once more the words of our Venerable Mother prove prophetic. The ruin of the country, prevented in 1660 by the heroic sacrifice of Dollard and his followers, was still the object of the Iroquois warriors in their frequent and bloody incursions, while awaiting an opportunity for a general attack. On the other hand, the liquor trafhc, so unscrupul- ously pursued by the traders, was undermining the very bases of faith and morality among the converted Indians, when once more the Hand of God was seen providing a remedy for all these evils. An extraordinary heaving and disruption of the soil, in a continued series of earthquakes and other strange phenomena, sent a wholesome alarm into the consciences of the prevaricators, while on the other hand, the king of France was inspired with better counsel for the government of Canada. The voice of the holy Bishop Laval had prevailed. A new governor, disposed to put salutary laws in force, was named, and a Viceroy appointed to settle the affairs of the distracted colony, as well as to humble and punish the hostile Iroquois, with whom no treaty of peace could be lasting. In 1665, by the united efforts of the Viceroy and M. Talon the lioyal Inten- dant, the expedition against these ferocious enemies was successful, and was followed by a period of comparative peace and security. Thus was it given to our Venerable Mother to witness, during the last years of her laborious career, the removal of the chief obstacle to the prosperity of her dear adopted country and to the spread of Christianity. It was an act of policy in the French monarch, no doubt, as well as of benevolence, when in 1668, he signified to his 90 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY lieutenants in New France, that the Indians should be civilized. It would be the means of assuring their welfare, while it would consolidate his power, forming of all those nations one vast empire. But, was the project of civilizing the aborigenes of America practicable ? During half a century the missionaries had converted thousands to the Faith. They could say : " Experience has proved that the Indians are as capable as the most civilized nation in Europe, of under- standing and practising all that relates to piety and the service of God. They are perfectly instructed in the Christian doctrine. They know the ordinary prayers of a Christian, the com- mandments of God and of the Church ; they approach the .sacraments with piety and edification. Even children of the most tender age are susceptible of the impressions of faith." Thus writes Father Fremin, in 1669, in reference to the Mohawks. In all the preceding years, the Relations render similar testimonies with regard to the other Indians of North America. " The Gospel knows no distinction of Greek or barbarian, bond or free." The converted Indian, retaining the rude blanket and moccasin, the wigwam for his home, and hunting for his profession, is no less the child of God and an heir of heaven than the trader to whom he sells his furs, or the gentleman of rank and education who wears them. Mother Mary of the Incarnation, like the missionaries, had already formed her opinion, grounded on experience. She pictures the liberty of the Indian mode of life, " which is so delightful to those who are accustomed to it, that it requires almost a raimcle to detach them from it. It is far easier, she says, for a Frenchman to become a savage, than for a savage to adopt the customs of civilized nations." CIVILIZATION OF THE INDIANS 91 But the project of civiliziDg the Indians having received the royal sanction, the experiment must be fairly tested. Bishop Laval had been too long :n the country to have much confidence in its success, but in compliance with the royal will, he received six Huron boys into his seminary, to be brought up with the French students. The Jesuit Fathers took other boys into their college. The Intendant Talon, placed five young Iroquois girls at the convent for a similar purpose. On this subject Mother Mary says : " If it be the will of our Sovereign, we shall undertake the task through obedience and for the glory of God. Nevertheless it is a very difficult thing, if it is not an impossibility, to civilize them. We have more experience on this head than any one else, and we freely avow that of the great number whom we have instructed, we have hardly civilized one in a hundred. We have found them docile and intelligent, but they have not the constancy to remain with us after a certain time. They must see the woods. They must follow their parents to the chase, and they find more pleasure in their M'igwams than in our fine houses. It is the nature of the Indian ; he cannot submit to constraint. If deprived of his usual liberty, he becomes melancholy, and sadness makes him sick. Besides, the Indians are excessively fond of their children, and if they see them sad, upon no consideration will they leav e them in that state. We have had them of different nations, Hurons, Algonquins and Iroquois; these are the most comely and the most docile ; but are they more susceptible of being civilized ? Will they retain the polished manners, and the customs in which we are bringing them up ? I do not expect it, for they are of the Indian race and that is sufficient." This verdict of Mother Mary of the Incarnation has been sanctioned now by the experience of more than two hundred 'I li 5 ^ ,.!:: ;i ^ ., ■Ilj i: w \ 92 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY years. The Indians, as a race, have not entered into the category of civilized nations. Those who live in the neigh- bourhood of the whites, enjoy more of the comforts of life ; but, unfortunately, they adopt the vices rather than the virtues of civilized man. In his vicinity, especially, they seem destined to an inevitable decrease in population, which has already ended, in many cases, in the extinction of a people. In Christianity alone, the Indian has been found susceptible of " progress," capable of " improvement," and even of attaining a high degree of moral excellence. Many among these simple-hearted people have exclaimed, like the saintly Catherine Tehgahkwita : " Who will teach me what is* most agreeable to God that I may do it ?" The results of the labors o:<' the missionaries, as well as those of the nuns within the limits of their sphere, were great, cer- tainly, since by imparting to these poor people the knowledge of the true God, and providing them with the means of sal- vation, they opened heaven to many thousands of immortal souls. Nor were these results confined to the period in which they were achieved. All over the continent, the Indian races have been found more accessible to Christianity from the time of the first converted tribes. There are still in Lower Canada, seven Indian villages, protected by the government, having schools and chapels ; they are not excluded by the law nor by any prejudice against them, from any calling or profession ; but to this day, where are their learned men, their men of business ? We may seek them without finding one in a thousand, — if we may not better say one in ten thousand. Yet it is well known that Indian tribes, at a distance from the settlements of the whites, if visited by a missionary a few times during the year, readily become good Christians \- \ ' CIVILIZATION OF THE INDIANS 93 and aro most faithful to the law of God '. They learn to read and write ; they know how to sing and pray. They ignore the vices as well as the enjoyments of civilized life, and in that ignorance find their security and their happiness. Our readers will not expect, then, to hear that the Ursu- lines succeeded, after liJ68, in forming young ladiei< of the young Indian girls. No ! but, in one sense, they did more ; they formed them to piety, to the virtues of our holy religion ; they sought not to unfit them for that manner of life for which nature had formed them. There are always exceptions to general rules. Some of the pupils, as already mentioned, were susceptible of all the polish desirable in society. Several respectable Canadian families may reckon among tueir ancestors some of these Indian maidens, educated in the convent. One of the last letters that have been preserved of Mother Mary (1.670) mentions "a fine band of Indian girls, of four different nations ; Iroquois, Algonquins, Abenakis, and Mon- tagnais." " They are our consolation and our delight, she says, by their docility, rendering our labors so light that we would not exchange them for all the kingdoms of the earth." 1 — The worthy missionary of the Montagnais of the Saguenay, Father Arnaud, O. M. I., who has attended them as pastor for the last twenty-two years, attributes to their being well instructed in the Christian doctrine and morals, and to their unfrequent intercourse with the whites, the admirable life they lead. Sin is almost unknown to them. '' How can we oftVnd God after all He has done for us ? " they say. i ft GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTBRY CHAPTER XIV 1665-1671 THE INMATES OF THK MONASTERY AGAIN The residence of the Viceroy during nearly two years in Quebec could not fail to furnish incidents that would be remembered in the cloister. Our old books relate some which seem to merit a place here, were it only to give a picture of life and manners. We must remember that the city itself^ on the arrival of these 1200 soldiers, with five hundred work- men, and some two hundred farmers with their families, con- tained only about seventy dwelling-houses. The principal public monuments to be visited by the strangers, who had come to protect and strengthen the colony, were the cathe- dral, with the adjoining seminary of Bishop Laval, the col- lege of the Jesuits, the monastery of the Ursulines and the hospital, or Hotel-Dieu. As to the Chateau St- Louis, within the Fort, that was the residence of the Viceroy and his household. The Marquis de Tracy, a veteran of seventy years, of lofty stature and military bearing, had come to per- sonate royalty on these distant shores, and royalty of the time of Louis XIV. Whenever he appeared in public, he was attended by four pages and followed by six footmen. Twenty-four guards preceded, and officers of various grades surrounded him, all apparelled in the bright colors of the military, or in court- dresses. Let us note one occasion which called out, not only the military, but the clergy and all the citizens. The relics of the holy martyrs, St, Felicitas and St. Fla- vianus, had been sent to the young Church of Canada by the Holy Father ; and the Bishop had ordered a public proces- I ' THE INMATES OF THE MONASTERY AGAIN 95 .11 a- sion iu their honor. The shrines enclosing the precious relics, placed on stands elegantly decorated with drapery, lights, and flowers, were borne by four venerable priests. A sheltering canopy of scarlet and gold was upheld by the Viceroy, the Governor de Courcelles, the Intendant Talon, and the agent of the West India Company, Barrois. The Uishop iu ponti- fical robes followed, with above forty clergymen in surplice, chasuble and dalmatic. Next came the officers of the Viceroy's household, the citizens according to their rank, the long file of soldiers in full uniform, and finally the mass of the people and the Indians. The procession paused at the church of the Ursulines, which doubtless could not contain all this multitude. The three other churches of the city were stations, and a fifth had been prepared within the Fort. Another day, the cathedral was consecrated iu the midst of a similar concourse, with all the imposing ceremonies of the Pioman ritual; this was in July, 16G6. In the same month, at the college of the Jesuits, there was an examina- tion ; degrees were conferred in philosophy and physics, in presence of the noble personages above mentioned. But the Marquis de Tracy was not a mere passing visitor at the Ursulines ; he was to them a sincere friend and a benefactor. For his powerful protection in a matter that regarded the temporal interests of the community, the Ursu- lines owe him a lasting debt of gratitude. In debating these questions, and on many other occasions when the pious viceroy called upon the Ursulines, he had an opportunity of appreciating those qualities which gave Mother Mary of the Incarnation such an ascendency over all who approached her. On her part, she describes the Marquis as not less remarkable for his piety and merit than for his rank. His example, she says, was an inestimable advantage to society. ; 96 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY and his zeal for the welfare of the colony was boundless. His departure she regards as a public loss ^ The Ursulinos owed to the generosity of the Viceroy the erection of a chapel dedicated to Saint Anne - adjoining their church, which cost him above 2,500 livres. At his request also, their church was blessed by the Bishop with the same maguihcence as the cathedral. Passing now to the interior of the monastery, let us view once more its inmates and examine their labors. Between the years 1G67 and 1670, four young ladies had passed from the classes to the novitiate, exchanging their own for a religious name. These were Miss Agnes Duquet, in religion. Sister Agnes of the Nativity, Marie Madeleine Pinguet of the Assumption, Marie Marguerite de Lauzon of St. Charles, and Charlotte Godefroy of the Blessed Sacrament. It ap[tear3 that the air of Canada and the regime of the monastery were specially favorable to longevity in those times. We have here, again, four young novices from the age of fifteen to nineteen, destined like the preceding that we have noticed, to celebrate, some their fiftieth, and some their sixtieth anniversary of profession. Another novice, admitted to her profession in 1G69, was .sister LeBer of the Annunciation. Mile LeBer was born at Pitre, in Normandy. Her two brothers had sought the wilds of Canada, like many others, through motives of piety. Marie, » 1 — Mother Mary mentions the Marquis de Tracy in terms that mark both her gratitude and her esteem. " The Marquis de Tracy is returning to France. It is a great loss to the Church and to all the colony which has been saved from destruction by his successful expeditions. For our part we lose the best friend we have had since we are here." 2 — The devotion d la bonne Sainte-Anne, " Good St. Anne " as our readers well know, is ancient in the country. Their is mention in the Relations of marvels wrought at her chapel of the " Petit Cap, " as early as 1661. 'IE INMATES OF THE MONASTERY AOAIN 97 'as ot Ids rie, ihat ■acy all sful ince as tion after the death of her parents in France, joined them, fully resolved to consecrate herself to Ood ; but she found means, only at the age of twenty-six, to break the ties that l)ound her. She might, with some reason, complain of the long delay ; but it excites a smile to see that young girl, Miss ring net, tired, at fifteen, of " hope deferred," putting on shoes with heels as high as could be worn, that her size may no longer be objected to by the nuns, who seem to think her yet a child. Sister de Lauzon of St. Charles has another way of proving the maturity of her years, preferring the humblest occupations of the monastery, serving the little Indian girls, abasing herself before all, and, fiir from accepting the services of a lay-sister, as had been stipulated by her parents, she often foi.nd means to aid that sister in the manual labor of her office. While these good sisters were beginning their career an estimable lay-sister was closing hers. It was sister St. Laurent, whose merit is sufficiently made known by some of her last words. " I have thanked ( lod, said she, every day of my life, for having called me to the humble state of a lay- sister in an Ursuliue Convent. I would not exchange my veil for the crown of a queen." The novices above mentioned were confided to Mother Mary of the Incarnation, during the years 1667 and 16 13 9. The community then numbered twenty-two members, and others, earnestly demanded, were expected from France. The labors of the institute, at this period, necessarily increased with the increase of the population in the country i. 1 — The Relations tell of the increasing prosperity of the colony. The Intendant Talon founded a numberof settlements near Quebec. More than 400 soldiers of the Regiment of Carignan were induced to settle in the country. The officers who remained* became Cana- dian Seigneurs. 7 98 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTKRY We have seen that the limits of the monastery had been extended by the building of a church where the pubUc was achnitted, witii an interior (;ha[)el for the nuns and for their pupils The state of the seminary for the Indian girls has been noticed in the preceding chapter. As to the French jjupila, although our catalogues were destroyed with other useful documents in the second binning of the convent, we may judge of the number of boarders by the statistics of another institution in the City. In 1G68, the college of the Jesuits in Quebec was attended by one hundred and twenty stu- dents, sixty of them being boarders. ' That same year Bishop Laval opened the cksses of his oeminary for boys. Mother Mary of the Incarnation mentions, in 1668, that the number of pupils is daily increasing, that seven nuns are constantly occupied teaching in the French classes, while for other services there are two lay-siaters. " Some pupils remain six or eight years; others, in the short space of twelve months, must be taught their prayers, reading and writing, arithmetic, the Christian doctrine and morals ; in short, all that is most essential in the education of females." Mother Mary may well add: " A teacher must be unre- mitting in her eftbrts to improve every moment, in order to lay a good foundation of instruction ! " Even the poorest families sent their daughters two or three months, to be prepared for their first communion. The extern pupils were numerous ; but as they came to the convent only for the hours of class, the nuna had not the same opportunity of forming their character as they had with the boarders. Two years laters we find another remark that is not less signiK- 1 — Ferland, Hlsf. du Canada. THE INMATES OF THE MONASTERY ACJAIN 9^ to est be ere the of ■wo cant. She says : " The French colony aup;monta notahly ^ The great forests formerly inhabited only by wild beusts* begin to be peopled by Christians. Our community is com- poseil of twenty-two nuns ; our (glasses are fiUod with puiiils, French and Indian. We have been obliged to provid«i other class-roomH, and our venerated Prelate has taken the trouble to write himself to France to procure help for us. He has asked for two nuns and has a])pointed a Vicur-General, one of his friends, to negotiate the matter. " This demand was soon after found too low, and four were finally obtained, as will be noticed later. Our readers, no doubt, would fain form some accpiaintance with those young ladies of the " olden times." Unfortunately we have few notes beyond the brief memoirs of such as became nuns. Some tiaits of these have already been noticed. We might have added others : for instance, the precocious piety of (Jenevi^ve and Anne Bourdon, placed at the Con- vent at the ages of six and seven; the lovely death of Anne de Lauzon, upon whom the nuns were called to bestow their care from the age of three years. Nothing can be more beau- tiful than the portrait they have left us of this angelic young creature, called in her sixteenth year to enjoy the company 1 — At the same time she mentions the industrial improvements, introduced by the Intendant, Talon ; the tanning of hides, the weaving of cloth made from hemp, flax and wool, the effort he is making to have the women learn to spin, and his offer to provide the materials for teaching the same to the pupils of the convent, both French and Indian. A glance at tlie statistics of the country from 1665 to 1671, sliows a rapid increase of population in comparison to the i)reced- ing years. Before the first mentioned date, there were not 2,500 Europeans in Canada,. Two years later the population was 5,870. The historian Ferland remarks the rapid natural increase of the population in the country. In the course of the year 1071, there were nearly seven hundred children to baptize. The population of Canada, in 1684, amounted to 17,(X)0. 100 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY of the angels ni heaven. In consideration of her ardent desire to be admitted to the novitiate, and at her earnest request, she was dressed for her burial as an Ursuliue, and laid beside the three whose graves were beneath the chapel. Another young lady for whom a brief memoir has been traced in our old books for a similar reason, is Miss Marie des Moulins of Three Rivers. Confided to the nuns at the age of four, she grew up pious, amiable and intelligent, and seemed destined to complete the happiness of her excellent parents in the family circle ; but God had not so ordained. At the age of fourteen, she, like her companion, Miss de Lauzon, saw death approaching, and bade hi^^: welcome. To the privilege of being waited upon by the nuns in their infir- mary, she begged them to add that of being buried in the religious dress. Miss des Moulins also, reposes in the ceme- tery with the Ursulines deceased. Other pupils of Mother Mary's time consecrated their lives to the service of God in the Hotel-Dieu of Quebec; for instance, the two Misses Bourdon, Misses Marie Marguerite and Marie Madeleine Gloiia : others in the Hotel-Dieu at Montreal, as Miss LeDuc, who had greatly edified her class- mates (1669) at the Ursulines, before returning to edify her native place by embracing the laborious life of a hospital nun. Miss Marie Racine had preceded Miss LeDuc in the religious stale. Miss Marie Morin, the first Canadian novice received at the Hotel-Dieu of Montreal, had also been a model of piety and amiable deportment while at the Ursulines, desiring above all things to be a martyr of the Faith. Before attaining her fourteenth year, she had essayed the state of life in which she persevered to the age of eij^;hty-two. She left her com- munity a lasting memorial of her piety and her talents, by writing their annals, a work in which she was engaged till the age of seventy-five. THE INMATES OF THE MONASTERY AGAIN 101 Let us mention also the Misses Moyen, one of whom, after being a captive of the Iroquois, maiTied Major Lambert Closse, the hero of Montreal. Her sister became the wife of Captain du Gu^ of the regiment of Carignan. Miss du Clos, daughter of the intrepid Madame du Clos ^, whose name is another celebrity of Montreal, was accompanied to the Ursu- lines by two of her friends. Miss Sailly and Miss LeDuc 2. Brief as these notes are, they give us an insight into the sealed book of the past, and enable us to form some estimate of the institute as it was two hundred and fifty years ago. As to the qualifications of the teachers of those days, we know that our beloved Mother Mary of the Incarnation was- ready to impart to the other Sisters all that could be commu- nicated. Even in the last months of her life she had a class of young nuns around her, learning the Indian languages. She wrote in French several valuable treatises for the use of the institute, besides a sacred history in Algonquin, a diction- ary and a catechism in Iroquois, a dictionary in Algonquin^ a catechism in Huron, another catechism and a prayer-book in Algonquin. She excelled in all kinds of needle-work and embroidery, as well as in painting and gilding. While she sanctified these talents by working for the altar, and contri- buting to the decoration of chapels and churches all over the country, her young Sisters, as well as the pupils, loved to jring ining [hich 3om- |s, by till 1 — For many other names of the olden times, the " Heroic Age of Canada " as they have been called, — see Histoire des UrsiilineSf Tome \er. 2 — Several Officers of the tamed Regiment of Carignan-Sali^res married in the country,, and found '' excellent matches " in the pupils of the Ursulines. For instance, M,de Sorel married Catherine LeGardeur de Repentigny, of Quebec (1668) ; M, Berthier, Marie LeGardeur (1672) j M, Chambly, Louise de Launay ; M. Vercheres, Marie Perrot (1669); M. Gauthier de Varennes, Marie Boucher^ etc., etc. 'V 102 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY take lessons of the amiable Mother, and were happy to aid her in her toils. Even in sculpture and architecture, this indeictigable Mother was skilful. It was she who directed the workmen, employed in decorating the interior of the church with architectural ornaments, guiding them for the proportions of the columns, capitals and entablature, as well as in the minute details of the art. We have mentioned that other nuns from France had been invited to join the little community. . News reached the monastery on the 15th September that a vessel detained at the lie aux Coudres, by contrary winds, had Ursulines on board — Ursulines from France ! Several of the nuns knew what it was to be rocked for three months in one of those wooden prisons, called a merchant-ship — not to speak of the fare and the accommodations in those days. As the wind continued contrary, they would, at least, send them refreshments ; perhaps a smaller vessel would find its way against the wind. A little sloop was according' v sent, with a cordial invitation to accept the protection cf the good Jesuit Brother Juchereau, the pilot of the bark, and M. de Donibourg ^ who had generously placed himself at the head of the expedition. Sailors were hired to man the vessel and the convent-steward added to the equipment. They were strong and resolute, " gens de cckuv" but all their efforts to make a prompt voyage only enabled them to reach Quebec on the 19th. We need not ask if the time seemed long. It gave the voyagers time to remark the beauty of the environs, already beginning to put on the gay colors of an autumnal landscape ; the lovely islands among which they were 1 — Tliis M. de Doinbourg was son of M. Bourdon, and brother of Mothers St. Joseph and St. Agnes. THE INMATES OF THE MONASTERY AGAIN 103 It sre of detained, Ile-aux-Coudres, Ue-aux-Oies, inhabited even then ; the fertile Island of Orleans with its pleasant farm- houses. All along the shores of the St. Lawrence they had seen villages and hamlets, where thirty years before dark forests frowned. Let us meet now upon the wharf, where thirty-two years before our first Ursulines landed, that missionary band, so long and anxiously expected. Of these four French ladies, wearing the black robe of the Ursuline, two are from the monastery of Bourges : Mother Marie Drouet of Jesus, nine- teen years professed, and Marie Gibault du Breuil of St. Joseph, four years professed. Two others are from the " great Convent " of Paris ; it is Mother Marie Le Maire of the Angels, once a rich Parisian lady, accompanied by a lay- sister, Mary Dieu of the Eesurrection. Great was the joy of the cloistered family on receiving this desired accession to their number, not mere young girls, to be formed to the religious life, but persons of mature years trained in fervent communities, and ready now for any labor. Such were the persons demanded by Bishop Laval, by Mother Mary of the Incarnation and Mother St. Athanasius. The last-named, about fifty years old, was still hale and vigor- ous ; her elder was past " three score and ten." The other two, Mothers St. Croix and St. Clare, who in the offices of Assistant and Zelatrix, had aided in the government of the house for the last thirty years, were not younger. Without anticipating upon the future career of usefulness of these three Mothers, we shall merely say that all passed long years in the office of Superior, and not only contributed to the prosperity of the monastery they had come to aid, but founded and governed in turn that of Three Eivers. Our missionaries, while we have been discussing their merits, have been introduced to their new Sisters. We shall not 104 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY attempt to describe the scene. The two Parisians find one from their own monastery, Mother St. Athanasius, at the head of the community, in place of the recent Superior, Mother Mary of the Incarnation, who has now charge of the novitiate. The other members are all known to our readers, or soon will be ^. The pupils, as is usual on such occasions, took an active part in the welcoming. A few days later they comply with a general custom, a sort of by-law for the two communities on similar occasions, and visit the good hospital-nuns of the Hotel-Dieu. They do not find a numerous, but a fervent, happy community,, continuing the labors and emulating the bright examples of their foundresses. Our voyagers had also to acquit themselves of a pious vow. This took them, still accompanied by the amiable Madame de la Peltrie, to the statue of the Blessed Virgin, honored in the chapel of Notre Dame de Foye. They would not, of course, fail to visit that rauch-talked-of Huron village, where Father Chaumonot attends with assiduous care his beloved exiles'^, now reduced to 150 souls. The aged village-chief, past his eightieth year, was there, ready to harangue the " holy virgins " in his most picturesque style, and all these good Christians invoked upon them a thousand blessings. Had our voyagers postponed this visit a few weeks, they might have witnessed an edifying spectacle. 1 — iSee list at the end of the present Chapter. 2 — After the Hurons were attacked on the Isle of Orleans by the Mohawks, in 1656, a part of them voluntarily emigrated to the country of their enemy, and became incorporated with them: such was the custom of these nations. The remainder were transferred to Quebec, and lodged in a fort (on the edge of Mountain Hill) built for them till peace was restoYed in 1666 ; then they removed about five miles from the city, and founded the mission of Notre Dame de Foye. Some twenty-five years later they removed to lorette, nine miles north of Quebec. THE INMATES OF THE MONASTERY AGAIN 105 At the commencement of Advent, Mother Mary of the Incarnation sent the worthy chief a wax figure of the Infant Jesus. These simple-hearted people received it as a present from heaven. Each poor cabin became, in turn, a chapel, while from week to week their devotions were prolonged and their acts of virtue, till the Feast of the Purification closed the Christmas-tide. In the hamlet of Sillery, our travellers heard the good Algonquins and Montagnais in their devout chapel, entone, as they had done thirty-two years before, sweet hymns that moved strangely the hearts of these French ladies. Yet what ravages sickness ^ has made in this once flourishing mission ! The poor Indians are but a handful, compared to former times, when Madame de la Peltrie had seen happy groups of romping children follow her, their Ningay, more fondly than their own mothers. But the kind-hearted, generous lady, who had done much for Sillery, visits to-day her poor Indians, her dear former seminarists, for the last time. Did her good angel Avhisper to her that she would return no more ? Or did the good squaws, with tearful eyes, follow wistfully the receding figure of their pious benefactress as she disappeared for the last time from their hamlet ? But let us not delay our narrative. Madame de la Peltrie conducts the good nuns back to the Convent : they have come to labor and we shall find them engaged, at once, in teaching the French classes, while they take lessons from 1 — The Algonqui>: • and Montagnais of Sillery had nearly all been carried off by the small pox. Rel. 1670. From this period Sillery became an Abenaki mission, until a new site was found for them in 1683, at the falls of the Chaudiere, south of Quebec. 106 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY Mothei' Mary of the Incarnation in the Indian languages. The following list will show us their companions : A LIST OF THE CHOIR-NUNS, IN 1671 ( Profesaed in France. ) Arrival. Mother Marie Guyart of the Incarnation 1639 « Cecile Richer of Ste. Croix 1639 " Anne Le Bugle of St. Clare 1640 " Marguerite de Flecelles of St. A thanasius 1640 " Anne Le Boue of Our Lady 1644 " Marie de ViUiers of St. Andrew 1657 " Marie du Breuil of St. Joseph 1671 " Marie Drouet of Jesus 1671 " Marie Le Maire of the Angels 1671 ( I'rofeaseil in the Monaatery of Quebec . ) Profession. Mother Charlotte Barre of St. Ignatius 1648 " Philippe Gertrude de Boulogue of St. Dominic 1650 " Marie Genevieve Bourdon of St. Joseph 1654 " Anne Bourdon of St. Agnes 1660 " Marie Boutet of St. Augustin 1661 " Louise Godefroy of St. John the Evangelist 1668 " Marie Angelique Poisson of St. Francis Xavier 1668 " Agnes Duquet of the Nativity 1669 " Marie Madeleine Pinguet of the Assumption 1669 " Charlotte Godefroy of the Blessed Sacrament 1669 " Marie Le Ber of the Annunciation 1670 " Marie Madeleine de Lauzon of St. Charles 1672 {Lny-Sisters.) Sister Catherine Lezeau of St. Ursula 1648 " Frances Ouen of St. Magdalen 1655 " Antoinette Makinon of St. Martha 1659 " Marie Dodier of the Passion 1660 " Marie Dieu of the Resurrection (from Paris) 1671 ''''■•'■■•' ) ' :• " "' THE CLOSE OF WELL-SPENT YEARS 107 CHAPTER XV 1671-1672 THE CLOSE OF WELL-SPENT YEARS The rejoicings with which the nuns newly arrived from France had been received, had hardly subsided into the calm of daily life, when a cloud arose to overshadow the Monastery with sorrow. The favors solicited had been granted : Heaven now demanded a sacrifice, ns unlooked-for as it was severe. The good foundress who had lived with her beloved Ursulines, sharing their poverty and their labors, practising the sweet virtues of humility, gentleness and mortification, which endeared her to them far more than her generous donations in their favor, was about to disappear from their midst. It was earlv in November, when Madame de la Peltrie was struck with her last illness". Seven days seemed a short space for the nuns to prepare to lose her, but to the pious lady herself, the summons of death brought no terror. She had no sooner been warned that her malady, a violent attack of pleurisy, endangered her life, than she occupied herself in settling her temporal affairs, and signing her will, the royal Intendant, Talon, with the necessary witnesses, being present. She took her leave of the Intendant, expressing her thanks for 'his visit with as much ease and presence of mind, as if the occasion had been an ordinary occurrence. The last Sacraments, administered by the Vicar General M. de Berni^res, were to her a source of abundant strength and consolation. Seeing the nuns in sorrow, surrounding her . with affectionate solicitude, and seeking by a thousand deli- cate attentions to procure her some alleviation in her suffer- ings, she was visibly affected, and declared, as Mother St. * 108 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY > , sH- Joseph had on her death bed, tliat God had given her the promised hundred-fold in this life for all she had abandoned for His love. As life ebbed slowly away the hours seemed long to her' so ardent were her desires to be forever united to her God, and often she repeated the words of the Psalmist : " Lwtatns sum in his quce dicta sunt mihi, in domum Domini ibi- mus : — I rejoice in the words that have been aaid unto me, that I shall go into the House of the Lord." ^ These words were accomplished in her on the evening of the 19th November, 1671, leaving her spiritual daughters saddened by her loss, yet consoled by a close of life so tran- quil, so full of the sweet hope of eternal blessedness. Madame de la Peltrie was sixty-eight years of age ; but the natural vivacity of her character, and the healthful influence of such occupations as hers had been — exerci- ses of piety and good woiks — are a great preservative against the ravages of time. No one had ever thought she was growing old. Her unobtrusive virtues had been an unfailing source of edification to the good nuns and to all who knew her ; while to the poor and to the missions, she had been a constant and generous benefactress. Her funeral obsequies were attended by the Governor and his suite, with the most distinguished persons of the city, as well as of the neighborhood. Her loss was universally deplored; nor were the poor Indians the last in their demon- strations of sorrow. <^ , - • Our Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation had assisted her companion at the hour of her departure from this world. She seemed to have outlived her only to console her Sisters, and to animate them by her own example of perfect resignation to the will of Heaven. Alas ! another and a greater sacrifice would soon be demanded of them. THE CLOSE OF WELL-SPENT YEARS 109 r'' Early in January a serious malady threatened the precious life of that beloved Mother for whom each of the nuns would have gladly given her own. Overwhelmed with grief, they besought Heaven to spare them the dreaded sacrifice, and the venerable patient, \inable to refuse them this consolation, joined in their petitions so far as to say : " My God, if I may yet be of service to this little community, I do not refuse the labor nor the fatigue : Thy will be done." — " No, my good Mother, that is not enough, urged the kind Father Lalemant, you must join our petitions and ask to recover." Ever obedient, she fulfilled the injunction. Thus was obtained a few weeks' respite ; but it was only a delay. The bilious affection from which she had suffered severely for eight years past, with a few intervals of comparative health, had impaired her naturally strong constitution, and the hour was at hand when it must fail altogether. ])uring Holy Week, in the month of April, the Vene- rable Mother was obliged once more to suffer herself to be conducted to the infirmary. Her sufferings, which were intense, only served to unite her soul more closely to God. — " Christo conjixa .sum cruci. I am crucified with Jesus on the Cross." — These words were not a complaint, but the expression of the joy of her heart. On the 2i)th of April, she received the Holy Viaticum and Extreme Unction, entering from that moment into so intimate a communication with Ood that she seemed no longer of earth. While her dear Sisters, overcome with tender sorrow, surrounded the dying saint, her tranquil aspect inspired them with higher thoughts ; that sick-room seemed the porch of heaven. Visitors who were allowed to behold a spectacle so impressive, spoke low, and stayed the " farewell," they had intended to pronounce. 110 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY 4i 1 I Mother St. Athanasius, whose grief, intensified by that of each of her Sisters, rendered her the more thonghtful of all who, with her, would soon mourn their dearest friend, reminded her of her son, and asked a message for him. Mother Mary of the Incarnation, recalled a moment to earth by maternal love, answered with emotion : " Tell him that T bear him away with me in my heart. In heaven I will ask for his perfect sanctification." Already, several times, the boarders, French and Indian, had knelt around to receive her blessing. On the morning of the day of her death, having asked to see once more her dear seminarists, she spoke to them admirably in their own lan- guage, on the beauty of the Christian doctrine and the happi- ness of serving God, and gave them, with effusion, her last blessing. From noon to six o'clock in the evening, she remained absorbed in God, speechless, yet conscious, awaiting in peace the moment of her departure. The nuns, kneeling beside their dying Mother and friend, felt the tranquilizing intluence of those marks of predestination which transformed the chamber of death, to a sanctuary. The 3Uth of April was drawing to a close. The Venerable Mother will soon hear the welcome summons : " Come, faithful soul ! enter into the joy of the Lord," She opened her dying eyes upon her beloved Sisters with a look full of love, as if to bless them and say " adieu." One feeble sigh was heard. Life was over. The spirit, disenthralled, had sped on wings of love to the bosom of its God. '. That moment, so overwhelming to surviving friends, when suspense has yielded to certainty, when the last sigh has dispelled the secret hope that life would yet be prolonged, was not followed by an outburst of grief and lamentation. A ray of immortality seemed to illumine the features of the THE CLOSE OF WELL*SPKNT YEARS 111 departed, and heavenly consolations filled the hearts of those who we})t an irreparable loss. The Venerable Mother had expired at the ajL,'e of seventy- two years ', thirty-three of which had been spent in Canada. The intelligence of her (h ' ease was received in the city and throughout the colony, with sentiments that corres- ponded to the universal esteem in which she was .leld, and the gratitude which almost every family owed her. On the day of ''.er burial, that veteran of the sanctuary, Father Laleraant, now seventy-nine years of age, pronounced the panegyric of the deceased, applying to her the attributes of the " valiant woman," as depicted in Scripture, The church was thronged with a dense concourse. In the midst of the mourners, as the whole audience might be called, were the Governor de Courcelles and the Royal Intendant. It was at their request chat the coffin was not lowered into the grave before an artist had been employed to transfer to canvas, if possible, some trace of that celestial beauty which struck the beholders with veneration. Our readers will not expect to find here a biographical notice of Venerable Mother Marie de I'lncarnation. The bare enumeration of her remarkable qualities, the heroic virtues, the marvels of grace that constituted her interior life, and which have made her, according to Bossuet, the " Teresa of the New World," would require many pages. It suffices to have read even the briefest sketch of her life to remark her wonderful and versatile talents, the thoroughness of her character, her unerring and enlightened judgment; the extraordinary powers of her well-balanced mind. At the same time one is struck with her spirit of self-sacrifice, her utter reliance upon Providence, which was only equalled by l_She was born Oct. 28th, 1599, 112 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY her vast charity, and her insatiable zeal for the salvation of souls. Tho wonderful extension of the Faith during the last years of her life, consoled her in proportion to the interior mar- tyrdom she had suffered, while she saw the efforts of the mis- sionaries batlled, and the salvation of the poor pagans retarded, Christianity was now triumphant throughout the laud ; and, if she, in her humility, considered herself and her com- munity as a mere " grain of sand " in the foundation of the Church of Canada, the object of her solicitude, and of her burning zeal, by others her labors and her success were appre- ciated differently. The illustrious Bishop Laval has written her eulogium, from which we select one passage. " Mother Mary of the Incarnation, having been chosen by God to establish the Order of St. Ursula in Canada, was endowed with the pleni- tude of the spirit of that holy Institute. She was a perfect Superior, an excellent mistress of novices, and was well qua- lified for all the offices in a religious community. Her life, which interiorly was all divine, was so well regulated out- wardly that she was a living rule for her Sisters. Her zeal for the salvation of souls, and especially for that of the poor Indians, was so ardent, that she seemed to embrace them all within her heart. We do not doubt that to her prayers are due, in a great measure, the blessings which the Church of Canada now enjoys." Charlevoix, who wrote her life about fifty years after her decease, says, that " history presents us few women to be compared to iier." Of her writings he declares : " They prove her to have been one of the most intelligent women of that century. Every thing is solid in her writings. The thoughts are just, her assertions never hazarded ; her manner is original, and her style is marked by that noble simplicity which few writers attain." IN AFTBR YEARS 118 We cannot take our leave of the sulijoct without allowing our readoM to hear how the decease of Mother Mary of the Inciirnation and of Madame de la Peltrie, was announced in the Kelation of 1672. Ihe writer, Father LeMercier, opens a biograpiiical notice of thirty columns in the following terras : •' The d„cith of those two illustrious persons is a public allli(!tion. They were venerated for their virtue and holiness ; but they were especially cherished and esteemed for having founded an institution for the instruction of female youth, both French and Indian, thereby contributing greatly to the solid establishment and jMogress of the colony of New France. These two holy souls burned with the same zeal, and had no other object in view but to live and die in the love of God, and, at the peril of their lives, to cause Him to be known and loved by the people of this New World ^" CHAPTER XVI 1675- 1G82 I N A F T E R Y E A R S The Venerable Mother, whose labors had extended over the thirty-three first years of the Ursuline Monastery, had disappeared from the midst of her beloved family, and her 1 — Two years previous, the same Father had written : " It is an inestimable happiness ior Canada to have possessed, since thirty years, the religious houses of the Ursulines and the Hospital-nuns. These two institutions were necessary here, and the nuns have acquitted themselves with honor and with merit of all that God or man could demand of them, in the discharge of the duties of their respective callings." 8 114 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY .1 : ■M u fe • t, if!. iilm death had left a void that could not be filled. But the benef- icent influen 3e of her admirable life remained. Her dying blessing, witl; the rich inheritance of her zeal for the glory of God and tne salvation of souls, rested there, and her spirit still dwelt with those whom Providence had assembled to continue the work she had commenced. Who were those favored souls, chosen to perpetuate the spirit and the labors of the Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation ? What are the vicissitudes which the IMonas- tery was destined to witness in subsequent years ? To answer these questions, we shall again open, in favor of our readers, that old record of by-gone days, the monastic annals. There we find recounted the triumphs of divine grace in the call to a religious life, and in the faithful correspondence of the soul to its sublime vocation. There are detailed the simple, yet heartfelt joys of the cloister, with its toils, its pro- vidential trials and occasional sufferings, its pious enterprises, and other incidents that vary the even flow of the stream of time within the protecting walls of the monastery. There we may perceive, at all times, a deep under-current of peace, the sure indication of detachment from earth, and of hopes fixed on things above. Revisiting the monastery three years after the death of the Venerable Mother, 1G75, we learn that the aged Jesuit who assisted her in her last moments. Father Jerome Lale- mant, only survived her a few months, and he has been succeeded in the double office of chaplain and director by another member of the Society of Jesus, Father Beschefer. Consulting next the statistics of the monastery, we find that twenty-five professed nuns compose the cloistered family,, the Superior be''«" still Mother de Flecelles of St. Atha- nasius. Two new members have just entered : Miss de Lauson, daughter of the Seneschal de Lauson, and grand- IN AFTER YEARS 115 daughter of the former governor of New France of that name. The otlier young maiden, from tlie Cote de Beaupr^, is Miss Marie Madeleine Gravel, who in the huml)le condi- tion of lay-3ister, rendered great services to her community during forty-eight years, and died in the fervor of her first consecration to God. Up to this date (1675) only four deaths had occurred in <"he monastery since 1639, a period of thirty- six years. Passing over two winters more, we reach a hallowed anniversary, the 30th April. It is the fifth recurrence of the day, since a death, " precious in the sight of the Lord," has rendered it memorable, and far from being invested with gloom, there is a joyous ceremony prepared for the occa- sion. A young maiden is about to enroll herself under the banner of St. Ursula, exchanging all the pleasures and advan- tages which the world could offer her, for the title of spouse of Christ. She will receive, moreover, a name that is also an inheritance, and Miss Marie Catherine Pinguet will hence- forth be known as Sister Mary Catherine of the Incarnation. Two other young ladies are clothed with the dark robe and white veil of an Ursuline novice before the close of the year. The names which they will bear in the community, the one- fifty-five and the other seventy years, are Mother Marie- Madeleine Amiot of the Conception, and Mother Marie- Anne Anceau of St. Teresa. We shall have occasion to mention, elsewhere, these three worthy Mothers, all of whom will be found among the Superiors of the monastery. In the department of the institute, we find the usual joyous groups of young French girls, pursuing the pleasant paths of science, proportioned to the times, to their years and condition. There was also a sufficient number of little Indian girls to form a class, and these were not cared for with less tenderness than those, nor with less fruit for their souls. 116 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY It was the time when the diplomatic governor, Count de Frontenac, seeking to strengthen the influence of the French over the restless Iroquois, had conceived the plan of adopting the daughters of their chiefs, after their own fashion, and placing them in the convent to be instructed. Each time he made the journey to and from Cataraqui (Kingston), some of these littk' (hvrk-eyed girls of the forest were sure to hi in his company. The missionaries also among the Algonquins, the Abenakis, ami the Hurons at Lorette, would send the most intelligent of their young female neophytes, knowing the immense benefit it was for the whole tribe, to have among them one of these pious seminarists, so well instructed in her religion. Fragments of old lists that have escaped destruction, are yet inscribed with the names of some of this little class of forest-girls of 1682-83. Thus : " On the 15th of July, 1G82, Marie Durand, left the seminary (the Indian class is always thus designated by our Mothers) after having been provided with board and clothing during the year. " Little Barbe, of the Mohawk tribe, who had been in the seminary six years, has returned to her parents at Old Lorette." Other names, at the same date, are : " Th^odosie, Denise, Genevieve, Charlotte, Anne-Th»^r6se, Agues Weskwes (Abe- nakis)." Evidently, the children of t brest are no longer numerous at the convent as they were in the earlier times. Let us make a longer pause at 1682. It is the first of June, and we find the community disposed to elect a Supe- rior, their House of Assembly on these occasions being no other than the chapel where they have first consecrated their lives to the service of God; their preparato.y consultation, a .three day.s' exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, special IN AFTER YEARS 117 prayers, and finally the Holy Sacrifice of the mass and com- munion. Our readers Lave seen the much esteemed Mother St. Athanasius, and Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation, during thirty-six years, called alternately to the rank of Superior by the united voice of their Sisters. Each had held as from the hand of God, that office of trust and responsib- ility, which gives its possessor only a larger share of labor and solicitude for the common weal ; while the title " Mother," or more sweetly *' Our Mother," reminds her, at each mo- ment, of the spirit in which she is to wield the sceptre of authority. Neither had ever forgotten the words of St. Au- gustine, admonishing the Superior to remember, that " if she precedes her Sisters in honor before the world, yet before God she is bound to place herself humbly at their feet, ren- dering herself of good example to all, and esteeming herself happy, not in the right she has to command, but in the fac'lity her position aftbrds her to serve and succor her Sisters in a spirit of charity." • , The code of legislation adopted by the order of St. Ursula provides further for the welfare of all its members, by limiting the offices that entail the greatest amount of fatigue and responsibility to a term of three years, subject to be prolonged by a re-election to six years, and not more, without an interval of repose. Nor is the direction of the little com- monwealth left to the simple will of the Superior, however excellent may be her qualifications. She has her " Consti- tutions," to which she must conform in the acts of her government; she has also her coadjutors, who share, in the various departments of the monastery, the burden of authority ; this is the " Privy Council," while the " Legis- lature " comprises the whole community of choir- sisters, after a certain number of years of profession. 118 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY But while we have discussed the form of government, our nuns have had other preoccupations. They have discovered that Mother St. Athanasius, obeying the impulse of her great humility, has provided herself with the right to decline the rank to which they were so desirous to raise her for the seventh time. The permission has been given, and the Bishop refuses to retract it. Grieved, but submissive to the decision of their ecclesiastical Superior, they proceed to their election. Another of the French nuns who had joined the Ursulines of Quebec, in 1671, Mother Marie Drouet of Jesus is called to succeed Mother Gibault du Breuil of St. Joseph, who had governed the monastery for the last six years. These two, with Mother Le Maire of the Angels, will guide the bark of St. Ursula till the close of the century, in the same spirit as their predecessors, a spirit of meekness and .charity. Thus, during sixty years and more, the community of Quebec had the advantage of being governed by Superiors, who had imbibed the true principles of religious observance in the well organized and fervent convents of the Order in France. These had been founded at the beginning of the 17th century, by the daughters of St. Angela, under circumstances most favorable to the true spirit of her institute. The two Congregations of Paris and Bordeaux gave rise, directly or indirectly, before the close oi the century, to about two hundred monasteries : both had contributed to found the Ursulines of Quebec, the first of the Order in the New World. Eventually, five nuns of the Congregation of Tours (or Bordeaux) and seven of Paris, including two lay-sisters, gave their services to the foundation of this monastery. Six were yet living at the date with which this chapter closes : their names will appear more than once in the following pages. A MEMORABLE DATE 119 CHAPTER XVII 168() A MEMORABLE DATE The dimensions of the monastery as rebuilt by Mother Mary of the Incarnation, with its adjoining church and choir, had sufficed for some thirty years; but the numl)er of pupils augmenting with the population of tiie country, it was resolved, in the spring of 16815, to build a separate department for the nuns, in order to appropriate the <■ "^-rter part of the main building to the use of the boarders. Accordingly, on ihe 22nd of June, the ceremony of laying the corner-stone took place in this wise. " At one o'clock in the afternoon, the community being assembled around the foundations with the pupils, all knelt to sing an anthem in honor of Jesns, Mary and Joseph. Then a little Indian girl, named Marie-Rose, dressed in white and representing the Infant Jesus, laid the first stone, upon which had been placed a medal of the Holy Family, as a perpetual memorial that this building was in honor of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and under their powerful protection." Little Marie-Rose reminds us of another Indian girl for whom another ceremony took place that same year. Let us see what religion could do for a child of the forest. It is a brief and simple tale, and soon there will be no more to tell, for the seminari'ts are fast disappearing, with their people, once possessors l . the country we inhabit. Little Agnes Weskwes belonged to the tribe of the Abenakis, and to the mission of B^cancour, (opposite Three Rivers). The good missionary, Father Bigot, S. J., had first sent the little girl to tlie convent, to be instructed for her first > .V 120 GLIMPSES OF THE MOM.i^IERY communion, at the aj^o of ten or eleven. Agnes was gentle and attentive to the lessons of her devoted teachers. That great action which influences the whole life of a Christian, made a strong impression upon her, and when she returned to her parents, it was to edify them by her piety, and to impart to others the holy teaching 4ie had received. But the forest had lost its charms for her. The rude games of her young companions could no longer amuse her, as they moved in cadence to their own wild melodies. The fur robe, adorned with embroidery, the moccasins, bright with beads, with wiiich the tender mother sought to win her little daughter, were of no avail to make her forget the convent. She was often seen in the direction of the cabin which served as a chapel. She went there to pray, hoping also to meet the good missionary, who surely would take her back, some day, to " the House of Jesus" and to the dear Mothers who had taught her to love and obey the Great Spirit, Her importunities were at length successful : an Indian mother cannot refuse the request of her child, and doubtless the Black-Robe secretly rejoiced to find one Genevieve among his flock. In the early spring of 1686, the little forest-maiden was again admitted within the cloister ; again she knelt in the quiet chapel where she had first received the Bread of Life. Did she, as she approached the holy altar on the feast of the Annunciation, confide some important secret to her heavenly Mother ? Did she petition never more to leave her convent-home? It may have been so ; for a few days later, the wild flower drooped, as if it felt the rays of the hottest sun. A mortal sickness had seized the gentle child ; and truly it was an edifying spectacle for the nuns to witness with what patience, grateful for their least attentions, murmuring words of A MEMORABLE DATE 121 prayer, she could suffer. Soon, the danger becoming apparent, the last rites of the Church brought strength for the supreme moment, and the little Indian girl, on the 5th of April, breathed forth in peace her pure young soul into the hands of Him who gave it. A canoe from the Indian settlement of Becancour was already on its way to Quebec; for a messenger had been sent to warn the parents that their Agnes was dangerously ill. When they reached the convent, it was not to meet their beloved child ; her pallid bier streweil with flowers, awaited them in the church. Around it knelt many of her compan- ions, watching the dead and praying for the repose of her soul. This peaceful and touching sight, joined to the recital of her happy end, which the nuns, with consoling words, gave the afflicted parents, moderated their grief. On the following day, the service was sung with solem- nity in the convent church, so different from the chapel of the mission. The voices of the nuns and the pupils mingled in the burial strains, full of anticipation of the joys of Paradise, and the procession went forth. It was composed of the clergy from the parish-church, a goodly number of citizens, as well as all the Indians in, or around Quebec, and closed with that virginal bier, borne by the young students of the college. Fonr of the seminarists, in white dresses and flowing veils, upheld the corners of the muslin pall, while the other little Indian girls, attired in a similar manner, formed another group, preceding the mourners. When the parents and friends of the youthful Agnes witnessed such honors rendered to the mortal remains of one of their nation, it no doubt tended much to console them, as well as to give them a high idea of that Faith which knows no distinction of race, but embraces all the children of God in one sentiment of charity. 122 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY For our part, assisting in spirit at this touching ceremony, we have involuntarily brought to mind the image of Madame de la Peltrie, and all her love for the i)oor children of the forest, for whose salvation she would have willingly given her life. And it has seemed to us fitting that the last Eequiem Mass, sung in that church which the pious lady had raised, and where she now reposed, should be for the soul of an Indian maid. The catastrophe which we have announced as A Memor- able Date was not foreshadowed by any sign of approaching disaster. The summer season quickly passed, and October came. That month brings one of those days which, in a communityi resembles a family-gathering : it is the feast of St. Ursula* patroness of the Order. On such occasions, the divine Office is chanted with the rites of first-class. High Mass is cele- brated with solemnity; the whole church is brilliantly adorned) and the altar glows with lights and flowers. The consecrated virgins, who follow the banner of the far-famed princess of Albion, are filled with rejoicing, as they contemplate that heavenly kingdom, where they too hope one day to follow the Lamb, and sing that canticle, unknown to all the other inhabitants of the celestial Jerusalem. But thoughts far different from these are suggested by the date of the vigil of that festival, in 168G. It was a Sunday, and as such, the day formed a part of the approaching solem- nity, doubling its splendor and its privileges. Let us, for a moment, picture the aspect of the monastery on that memorable 20th October. It was not then, the Old Monastery, but young and fresh, peacefully sheltering its happy inmates. The previous week, in that early autumn, had realized the warmth and loveliness of the Indian summer. li ! A MEMORABLE DATE 12a Not a tree in that wide-stretching landscape, had yet lost the wealtli of its many-colored and bright-tinted foliage. Embo- somed in the original forest, the monastery stood like a conntry-residence; the sombre hues of its grey stone walls, contrasting agreeably with the bright green of the still verdant lawn in front, and the rich hues of its surroundings. To the left, the pretty church with its heavenward-pointing spire, gave a finish to the picture, while to the right, the rising vails of the new building announced the enterprise and growing jirosperity of the establishment. Within t^ie choir, was assembled, on this early Sunday morning, the entire population of the monastery. The nuns were there, kneeling in their stalls, while young girls, from the age of six to sixteen, and swarthy faces that denote the forest-children of Canada, filled the lower extremity of the chapel. Beyond the grating, not a few pious worshippers offered their prayers in that quiet church, rich in gilding and tasteful architecture, where the spirit of Madame de la Peltrie and the Venerable Marie de I'lncarnation seemed still to dwell. Mass Mas nearly over. The nuns, in their long man- tles, had lowered their veils over their faces as they retired from the Holy Table ; it was that blissful moment, the "thanksgiving " after Communion, when each in peace and trust is wont to renew that total sacrifice of herself, implied in her sacred vows. Suddenly, a confused sound of human voices and the clang- or of the parlor-bell, rung as by an impatient hand, startled the peaceful congregation. Mother Superior quits her place to answer the unwonted bdmmons, the import of which, in one moment, was but too evident. Her rapid footsteps bear her quickly through the smoke that already filled the passages, to the extremity of the main building, where a fire had been 124 GLIMPSES UF TUE MONASTERY lit in the liu<,'e kitchen-chimney of those olden times. — O terror ! the whole apartment was wrapped in tlames ! Promptly closing the door through which the smoke was densely pouring, she hurries back to the chapel, and in a voice of distress, cries out : " All is lost ! The whole house is in tlames. (ret to a place of safety as quickly as possible." That sad voice was all tliat broke the silence of the sacred fane. The order was obeyed with one impulse. The pupils, followed by the nuns, issued from the nearest door into the court-yard, while the smoke and the seething tlames, burst- ing froui doors and windows, left no doubt as to the urgency of this proci[)itate flight. The citizens who hatl given the first alarm were soon joined, with shouts and lamentations, by all the population of the city. But, with the fire, a strong wind from the north had arisen, and the dry pine floors and par- titions bore swiftly forward the destroyiug element through the entire length of the main-building towards the chapel and church. Seeing the certain ruin that threatened the whole establishment, all efforts were now directed toward saving, at least, the vestments, the sacred relics, and the altar-furniture. These were in part secured, with the business papers of the C(jmmunity. And yet, at what risks ! The heroic lay-sister who was transporting the rich reliquaries, remained, after every one else had fled from the danger, till, on a sudden she perceived that the flames had left her no other egress but through the attic over the church. She speeds her way, laden with her precious burden, and is saved from her perilous situation by being helped down through the windows in the roof! ^ , ' 1 — ^This brave Sister, whose name was Marie Montniesnil de Ste. C^cile, was a native of Normandy, She lived fifty -four years after the narrow escape of perishing by fire, related above : she was aged 81, at her decease, in 1740. A MEMORABLE DATE 125 It was enough that no life was lost, although every thing else perished. All the movables, including the annals of the convent, valuable books, objects of piety or of usafnlness that were almost sacred from having belonged to the Venerable Mother or her (companions ; all the stores and provisions, the furniture of the school-rooms, beds and clothing, were destroyed, as at the hrst burning of the convent, in the space of a few hours. The new building, consisting yet of unfinished walls, underwent the fate of the rest, though with less damage. The out-houses were included in the destruc- tion, with the exception of two small buildings, the bake- house and wash-house ; even these had to be unroofed, in order to b^.' preserved. One small building, at the distance of some sixty yards, stood entire ; it was the house of refuge, left by Madame de la Peltrie, which, thirty-six years before, had sheltered the community in similar circumstances. But who can well imagine the scene, when the Hames having obtained complete mastery, drove all the spectators to a distance, and revelled there with all the fury of short-lived triumph. The roof of the main building, with its cross- surmounted cupola, had sunk, while the tossing Haines rose higher and brighter ; but it was on the church that all eyes were riveted. Its wide arched windows glowed with the furnace-heat within, when suddenly the spire was enveloped as with a fiery shroud. Another torrent ran from point to point along the pine beams of the groaning roof, till the whole gave way at the same moment with a tremendous crash, and tliere remained one glowing heap of ruins, where an hour before had knelt devout worshippers in peaceful adoration ' " Among the, spectators of this fearful scene, we find three aged nuns who, at the dead of a winter's night, thirty-six V 126 0LIMPSB8 OV THE MONASTGKY years before, had witnessed the destruction of the first con- vent, raised on tliat same spot. Mother St. Athanasiu-s, now seventy-three years of age, Mother Ste. Croix.alLiast four-score, and M(jtlier 8t. Ignatius, nearly seventy, knew by sad experi- ence what it was to be driven from then- convent-home by fire. And how dear those halls, those cells, that choir, the class-rooms, the very floors where the Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation had irod, must have been to all these her beloved Sisters, most of whom had lived there many years under her maternal care ! It was like so many relics doomed to destruction. But grace was not less powerful on this occasion than on the former. They " who forsake parents, or brothers and sisters, houses or lands," to follow their Lord, are careful not to suffer their hearts to be cap- tivated by an)' thing earthly. So, when the flames had made a holocaust of the fruit of thirty years' economy, there was neither lamentation nor discouragement. At eight o'clock, on that Sunday morning, the nuns, kneeling in their pious chapel, had heard the signal of alarm : at one, neither chapel nor convent remained to shelter them or their pupils. Yet hear what they have themselves testified of their feelings in these trying circumstances. " Thi.3 calamity, although severe and unforeseen, hardly moved us, divine grace having so taken possession of our hearts at that moment, when God had given Himself to us in His Sacrament of love, that it was not possible for us to regret the loss of earthly goods." Here, pity must give place to admiration. Such sentiments tell how fully the community had imbibed the spirit of its saintly foundress, or rather that they too were saints. None else could be capable of such detachment,. RESTORATION OF THE MONASTERY 127 CJIAI'TEU XVI 11 / ' 1687-1089 RESTORATION OF THE MONASTERY In the mean time, measures were taken to shelter the homeless Ursulines, It had been decided, at once, that eight would remain to guard the beloved site, and to effect the most urgent repairs, preparing the little mansion that was left them, to be the future residence of the community. After High Mass at the cathedral was over, about half past twelve, the Bishop, Monseigneur de Saint- Valier, and the chaplain, Father Beschefer, came to escort the others to the H6tcl-l>ieu, where they were received with the utmost cor- diality. Entering by the hospital, they requested to be con- ducted to the chapel, where, on bended knees, they en toned the Laudate, to thank God for having accomplished His holy Will in them, by depriving them of every thing. Then they sang the Memorare to the Blessed Virgin, their Mother and principal Superior, to beg her assistance and protection. Finally, before accepting any further rites of hospitality, they assisted at the holy Sacrifice, offered for them by Father Beschefer, who had kindly delayed saying his" mass till that hour " in order to console them more effectually." Happy souls ! to whom the consolations of Heaven suffice : never will you be overcome by earthly trials ! In fact, the courage of our Ursulines seems not to have faltered one instant. Their income during half a century would not have sufficed to enable them to rebuild their mon- astery ; yet, trusting in the assistance of 1 >ivine Providence, they resolved to attempt its reconstruction, and until that was accomplished, to live there amidst its ruins. The generos- 128 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY ity of friends, on every side, enabled them to effect the first of these purposes ; their own generosity in suffering carried them throufjli the second. Let us group a few of the incidents that have been handed down to us of that period, during which our Mothers had to contend ivith the accumulated difficulties of poverty, sick- ness, and destitution. A part of the community, as we have seen, had sung their perfect act of resignation at the chapel of the Hotel- Dieu, where they had found hospitality after that disastrous Sunday morning. Their kind hostesses did not forget, that the follow- ing day was the feast of St. Ursula, and made immediate preparations to have High Mass, vespers, sermon and bene- diction, in favor of their guests. The sermon proved to be a moving exhortation from Bishop de Saint- Valier, who after celebrating Mass for the Ursulines and giving them holy Communion, sought, as he said, to console himself, while condoling with them, and Avho seemed indeed more affected by the sad accident than they were. After such a proof of the delicate sentiments of the goo 1 HospitalUreK, we are not surprised that the two communities lived like one, reciting their office, taking recreation, their meals, and serving the poor invalids together. Some of our readers may be surprised to hear that the Ursulines were also seen at the Chateau St. Louis. It was deemed proper that the Mother Superior, with some of her Sisters, should pay her respects to the Marchioness de Denon- ville, their guides on the occasion being Madame de Villeray and Madame Bourdon. It is hardly necessary to say that they were received at the Governor's with all the kindness €ind cordiality imaginable. Taking leave of their friends, the RESTORATION OF THE MONASTERY 129 Marquis de Denonville and the Marchioness, at about five o'clock, fliey proceeded to the palace of the Intendant. Here, they were not less cordially welcomed than at the castle ; but they had yet another call to make. Bidding adieu to Madame Champigny, they followed the streets back to their home ; and, alighting from their carriage, they went in to wish a " good evening " to their Sisters, the eight who had been left in possession of the house of Madame de la Peltrie. When they at last entered the Hotel-Dieu at six o'clock, " the peace of the cloister seemed delightful after such a day of fatigue and dissipation ! " On the 7th of November, the convent of the Ursulines, as the house of Madame de la Peltrie was now styled, was in readiness, and the exiles prepared to return. The chari- table importunities of their kind hostesses were unavailing to retain tliem longer; so, amid good wishes on the one side and sincere protestations of lasting gratitude on the other, they said farewell, though not without tears. Three of the good hospital-nuns were authorized to accompany the Ursu- lines, and visit with them the other religious institutions of the city. The walk, thus extended, took them first to the Seminary, where the illustrious Bishop Laval lived with his community of jmests and levites, in the poverty, fervor and simplicity of tht apostolic times. Thence, they passed to the gardens and to the Little Seminary, where the students obtained a holiday in their honor. The citiiedral came next, then the college of the Jesuits. Finally, entering the chapel of the Congregation, they sang an anthem to the Blessed Virgin, and continued their way, always conducted by the Bishop, their Superior M. de Maizerets (of the Seminary) and Father I »eschefer. ,. / i I 180 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY The procession had lengthened \vith the road, till if re- sembled a triumphal marcli. The door of their little convent, at last, opened before them, and the crowd disappeared as the nuns entered the narrow apartments provided for their reception. The walls had not grown wider, and if partitions had separated the lower story into a kitchen and a refectory, the other, above, retained its full dimensions, (thirty feet by twenty), in order to accommodate twenty-eight persons with a dormitory. A little chapel and choir had been fashioned, not in the style of the Eenaissance, but in that of the Nalssance, the grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem. It was a small building which had formerly served as a barn or stable. This, with the other "improvements " around, seemed to move the company n. e to compassion than to admiration. " My good Sisters, I see every thing prepared here to malce you suffer," remarked the kind-hearted Bishop. " For our part, says the annalist, our joy was apparent to all, so delighted were we to find ourselves again reunited. " Ecce quant boaum et qiiam jucundum Itahitare fratres in unum. Yes! it is a good and pleasant thing for brethren (or sisters) to dwell togetlier in unity." If the hour of adversity is the hour to know one's friends, our Mothers had reason to congratulate themselves on the number, the liberality and devotedness of theirs. While the smoke was yet rising from the ruins of the monastery, the Bishop had addressed himself in their behalf to the faithful, assembled in the cathedral for High Mass. Soon after, he issued a circular, informing the clergy throughout the diocese of the accident " which, he said, interested the whole country, and was of itself sufficient to excite their parishioners, RESTORATION OF THE MONASTERY 131 ^•.. ' ll^ through gratitude and affection, to render all the assistance in their power towards repairing the disaster." For his i)art, he contributed, at once, three thousand francs ; and, during his absence in France, he pleaded the cause of his afflicted daughters so efficaciously thit the annals name him as their chief benefactor in the re-establishment of their monastery. The Marquis de Denonville's first offering was a thousand francs ; while the Marchioness made it her duty to go from door to door through the city, collecLiug for her dear Ursulines, to whom she brought daily, with hor sympa- thy, the fruit of her charity. The Fathers of the Society of Jesus, after their first offering of a thousand francs, donated, for five or six times that value, in goods and provisions. The members of the Seminary and the Intendant contributed with equal generosity The citizens of Quebec, and the principal families throughout the couutiy, gave aid according to their means. The Ursulines of Paris and the other houses of the Order, the relatives of the nuns there, especially the LeMaire family, and the de Fle- celles, again, on this occasion, as in 1G51-52, sent liberal sums to the poor Ursulines in Canada. The winter passed away in providing the most needful articles of clothing, and in plying diligently the needle in such dainty embroidery as would bring, by its sale, some profits to lessen the necessity for daily alms. Early in spring, the labors of rebuilding were commenced, under the skilful direction of Father F. Raffeix S. J., while the nuns invited to their humble chapel the little girls of the city for the instructions of the first Communion. As soon as the snow commenced to disappear, they made prepa- rations for opening a class for day-pupils, by putting up a sort of shed, near the spot where lately stood that precious memo- 132 GLIMPSES OF TUB MONASTERY rial of the past, the " old ash-tree." ' This was no sooner in reaclinesfj than fifty or sixty pupils assembled, and the Ursu- lines found hi,bor congenial to their profession. But, as the adage tells ; " Misfortunes never comme single.'' If already the heat of summer rendered their narrow lodir- ings most uncomfortable, what would it be in sickness ? A contagious malady, the measles, was raging in the city. After attacking the pupils, it fell upon the teachers, and it was necessary to have an infirmary. A small building, serving as a wash-house, was forthwith accommodated for this pur- pose, and thither the sick were removed and attended, till nearly the whole community had paid tribute to the unwel- come visitor. The month of September brought with it the mortal illness of the venerable Mother Cecile de la Croix, now seventy-eight years of age. Her vigorous constitution had enabled her to bear a large share of the hardships of the foundation in the early times, and to continue her services forty-eight years, edifying the comuiunity by her humility ,her charity, and her fidelity to all the observances of the religious life. The offices that she regarded with dread, were those of assistant-superior and mistress of novices, to which she was •■called more than once, and for which she was well ((ualified, in every one's opinion but her own. She loved far better to be employed at the extern school, where the poorest of the children were her special delight. " In short, says the annalist, she was a true Ursuliue." 1 That venerable relic of the primitive forest was still a uiagni- ticent tree at the 20Utli uimiveraary of the ioundation of the con- vent (1839). It lost one of iis principal branches a tew years later, and, finally, in the month of August, 1S68, was laid prostrate by a storm. RESTORATION OF THE MONASTERY 133' I ■ The ardors of a burning fever consumed what little remained of her strength, while during three weeks she was attended in that miserable hovel, with love and boundless compassion. It is the survivors we most pity, when for the bier of their beloved Mother, they could find no better place than the porch of that poor little chapel, no more fitting locality for her grave than the ruins of their former lovely choir I To add to the sadness of the burial ceremony, a heavy autumnal rain, came pouring its waters over the funeral cortege, as they bore the dear remains across the open court to the last resting- place of the dead. The genei'ous resignation with which the nuns had accepted the affliction sent them in the burning of their monastery, seems to have extended its soothing influence to this whole period of privation and suffering. " During this year, says the annalist, in order to second the designs of divine Provid- ence over us, each one strove to advance in virtue by the practice of mortification and penance. Daily prayers and thanksgivings were offered to God for the succor and aid He sent us, as well as to implore His protection for our bene- factors. Among other prayers, the Litanies of the Saints were recited every day, with the suffrages marked for the* Rogation-days. The anniversary of the conflagration, the 20th October, was a day of special devotion and fervor. In the morning there was general communion ; in the afternoon, we went around the ruins in procession, singing the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, our Mother and Protectress. Our hopes have not been confounded, for our good Mother has so watched over us that even in our greatest distress, we have never been reduced to want for the necessaries of life." Meanwhile the busy scene presented by the plyers of the trowel, the plane, and the hammer, at their respective 134 GLIMPSES OF THK MONASTERY occupations, gave liopes of better days. In November, the new buikling \ finished as to the exterior, offered one hirge hall, ready to be oceupied. This was at once devoted to the use of the pupils,the annals marking with characteristic precision, that " twelve months and nineteen days after their accident, they were enabled to admit boarders again." During the winter, the workmen continued their labors in the interior of the building with such success, that on the 18th of May (1688), the house was solemnly blessed, and dedicated to the Holy Family ^ On the following day, the 11UU3 were occupied in removing to their new apartments. It must have been a joyful exchange to them, especially to see the tnirteen most aged among them provided with cells for their nightly rest, instead of a narrow space measured off by inches in a common dormitory. The humble temporary chapel, after serving for Mass and the divine Office during eighteen months, after wit- nessing the profession of a fervent novice, Miss Jusche- reau, andthe funeral of the venerable Mother Ste. Croix, the renovation of vows, and the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament several times, was abandoned for the large hall ^^ already mentioned, in the lower story of the new building. The restoration of the main building, which gave another chapel, with the apartments necessary for regular observance 1 — This wing, 60 French feet l)y 25, was destined as a habitation for the nuns ; the pupils occupied the "large hall" only till the next spring (May), when they removed to the apartments which the nuns then quitted, in the house of Madame de la Peltrie. 2 — This apartment, beneath the community-hall which served as a chapel thirteen months, has become historical since its occu- pation by General Murray for the sessions of his council, military and civil, in 1759. Later, it was occupied as a laundry or clothes- room, until 1875. RESTORATION OF TUB MONASTERY 13i conHuunity-lmll, refectory, intirmury, additional cells, &c., was accomplished in the course of the same year (1688). The ariciontchoir was rebuilt and divided into class-rooms for the boarders in 1680 ', and this permitted the house of Madame de la I'eltrie to be occupied again as a school for the day-pupils. 1 — Tliis building, as reconstructed in 1689,8erved forclass-roomg, rotoctory, &,c., for the boarders until 1834, when new apartnienta having been provided for them by an additional story the whole length of the main building, the old classes were occupied by the half-boarders. In 1874 this old building was demolished and replaced by another, of greater dimensions and four stories high. GLIMPSES OK THE MONASTERY BOOK II DIIRIXG SEVENTY YEAllS-li;so-lT.^O CHAPTER I 1689 CLOSE OF THP: first IIALF-CENTUUY The events we have had to record thus far have pre- sented enough of " life's chequered scenes " to prove that this edifice, destined to be lasting, had for its firm foundation the sacred Wood of the Cross. The monastery, newly restored after a second burning, again sheltered the cloistered family, who felt they had much to be thankful for in the past, much to hope from the protecting care of Providence in the future. In their recent misfortune, they had experienced prompt and generous sympathy ; all classes of society rejoiced to see the convent not only rebuilt, but enlarged ^ The church, alone, had not risen from its ruins. 1 — The wing, called " La Sainte-Famille," had been extended towards the 80uth*west, 3() feet by 38. It joined the main-building, affording a kitchen and its dependencies, an infirmary, etc. The corner-stone was laid on the 19th July, 1687, by Mademoiselle de Denonville, then a boarder, daughter of the Governor of the Colony. 138 GLIMPSES OF TU£ MUNASTBRY The date of this rostoration, moreover, coincided with the Hftieth anniversary uf the arrival of the first Ursiilines in Canada. The community numbered now tliirty-four members ; ten others, incbiding the three founch'esses, hud, durin<^ that space of time, passed to tlieir reward. No other year in those early times seems to have been so fertile in vocations for the cloister, as 1G89. Twice the touching ceremony of " taking the veil," was witnessed in the temporary chapel beneath the jn-esent community-hall. On both occasions, Bishop Saint- Vulier otHiuated, assisted by his clergy and some of the Fathers of the Society of Jesus. The Mar((uis de Denonville, the Intendant, and their suite were also present, the new " brides of Jesus," being Miss Elizabeth d'Ailleboust and Miss Louise-Rose de Lanaudiere, henceforth known as Mother Marie de la Croix and Mother St. Catherine. After the ceremony was over, the company were further gratified by being allowed to visit the interior of the monastery; those cells which, with their humble furniture, bare walls, and narrow door with wooden latch, still excite the curiosity, or admiration of the rare visitors permitted to behold them ; that community-hall, with its deep-channelled oaken wainscot, its plain benches aroundj instead of chairs, wearing yet much the same aspect as it did two hundred years ago. Of the refectory and chapel, we shall soon have further occasion to speak. So well did the company enjoy the treat, that it was almost six o'clock before the cloistered grounds, the park and gardens, had regained their wonted look of repose and quietude. The good nuns consoled themselves with the thought that their cloister would not long be thus infringed upon, their little chapel with the CLOSE OF THE UALF-CENIUllY 139 pnrt (lestiiiod to the use of the public, being nearly in reaUi- ne.ss for divine service. Four other young hulie.s, at the early ago of fifteen and •sixteen, embalm the new novitiate with the fragrance of their noble sacrifice, before the close of that fiftieth year under consideration. These novices were the Misses Mane-Anne liobineau ^ de Hecancour, Marie Madeleine Gauthier de Comi»orte, Marie-Madeleine Drouard and Jeanne Chorel. On another ])ago of our old record, mention is made of the episcopal visit, which terminates to the mutual satisfaction of the I'rehite and his sj)iritual daughters. At the close of the visitation the sacrament of confirmation wa** conferred upon a postulant and about twenty of the boarders, among whom were several little Indian girls. On the 23rd of June, the holy Sacrifice was offered for the last time in the tempo- rary chapel under the community-hall, after which the Blessed Sacrament was borne, in ceremony, to the new chapel at the other extremity of the building -, The procession moved across the grounds through a winding avenue, bordered with young fir-trees and strewed with flowers. The nuns, bearing ^- A / ] — Miss Robineau, of Becancour, dangliter of Baron Rene Robi- neau, Oflioer of the Regiment of Turenne, Chevalier of the Order ot St. Micliael. Ilerinotlier belonged to the ancient and noble family LeNeuf de la Potlierie. Miss Gauthier de Comporte, daughter of P. Gauthier, Sieur de Comporte, and Grand Provost of Quebec. Her sister, Marie-Anne de Comporte, made profession five years later. Miss Drouard, of Quebec, took the name of Mother St. Michael, at the age of fifteen, and lived to the age of eighty-two. Miss Chorel de St. Romain was soon joined in the novitiate by her sister Marie- Fran5oise, who was the first to bear the name ot Moth#r Marie du Sacre-Cceur (1693). 2 — The chapel here mentioned occupied the south-west end of the main building, with the adjoining apartment to serve as the ohoir, precisely as it had been arranged in the earlier times, before the building of a church by Madame de la Peltrie. 140 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY lij^'htod tapers, hd tlie way, followed by the boarders in h(»liday attire. The clergy preeeded the liishop, who bore with careful step the sacred ciboriiun, while the hymn Pauye lingua, and the anthem, sacrum conrivlum, yave expression to the sentiments of piety and devotion which animated their hearts. The fir.st mass celebrated in that little sanctnary, destined to witness dnring thirty-four years, the fervor, the rejoicin«,'3, the alarms, and the trials of the Ursu- lines, was on the feast of St, John the Baptist, 1689. Long since has that chapel ceased to witness the celebra- tion of the sacred mysteries. Its original destination is but a picture of the fancy, evoking the records of the past. Let us turn, then, to other memorials of those early times, witnesses to the piety of our fir.st nuns, which are still in good preser- vation. Such of our readers as have ever made the convent their abode, have not failed to notice the ancient statues to which we allude ; they are, apparently, the guardians of the " House of Jesus." On the 7th of December of that jubilee year, 1689, the image of the Immaculate Virgin was transported to its sculp- tured and gilded niche, at the entrance of the community hall. Another, of St. Joseph, was placed, with the same piety, on the second landing of the great stairway in the centre of the building, known as " St. Augustine's stairs." The whole community walked in procession, singing hymns, while the stands, covered with flowers, on which the statues were placed, were borne to their respective stations How many times, during the space of two centuries, has the sight of those statues been to the inhabitants of the cloister, the signal of a quick thought sent winged to heaven ; here, CLOSE OF THE HALF-CENTURV 141 by un Avi' Joneph, there, by a Tota j)ulcliia en to the Virgin full of griice and beauty ! And how can we recall the memory of our ancient Mothers.never too poor to find means to manifest their tender piety towards God and His Saints, without being moved by a generous impul-jo to follow closely in their foot- steps, emulating the holy examples they have left us! Yet all was not bright and peaceful in that year, 1689. In the history of Canada, with all its pages of terror and war- fare, there are none darker with anxiety. The country seemed indeed on the brink of a total ruin. The Iroi^uois, far from beinjj; weakened or disheartened by the long war they had waged against the French and the allied Indian tribes, rose bolder and more aggressive after each encounter. The envi- rons of Montreal were infested with straggling banils of the blood-thirsty foe. We shall not here revive the gloomy pic- ture of the massacre of Lachine ^ and the other feats of savage prowess, which rendered the year too sadly memor- able ; but opening that old parchment-bound volume, our guide in revisiting the scenes of by-gone days, let us see what record of passing events is there inscribed. A few days after the attack upon Lachine, the annalist writes : " A terrifying report reached us that Three Rivers had ' been laid in blood and ashes by the Iroquois, who were ' ravaging all the country around. The news proved false, but , a letter from the Governor, the Marquis de Denonville, Ihe ler, li'e, 1 — In the year 1689, the Iroquois made a fearful onslauglit upon the Island of Montreal with 1400 warriors. Shocking barbarities were perpetrated on this occasion, which is known in Canadian history as the " Massacre de Jjachine." Within the brief space of one hour about 200 persons were cruelly butchered, and about the same number carried otF to be subjected to captivity and torture. 142 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY » ! received later, gave undoubted information that he had fifteen or sixteen hundred Iroquois to contend against; whilst another party, accompanied by two hundred English colonists, were waiting to fall upon Three Rivers and the other habita. tions. This news caused the greatest consternation at Quebec, there being only two hundred afid forty ni> n in the city capable of bearing arms. " Major Prdvost resolved to do all in his power to fortify the place. A fort was erected so near the monastery that the palisade passed through the court yard and garden. Sentinels were placed on guard at different stations in the city, and a patrol made the rounds day and night. " Figure to yourself, continues the annalist, a city without walls or gates, whose inhabitants have gone to defend another place. But we have put our confidence in Him who alone can deliver us from the impending evils. For this reason we offer our prayers incessantly to implore the Divine protection. If God be for us, we have nothing to fear, but if left to our own resources, we are lost. This great tribulation excites every one to penitence. There are daily processions and other acts of piety, to appease the wrath of God, irritated by the sins of His people. On the feast of St. Augustine, we commenced the following devotiors, for the preservation of the country, the humiliation of the Iroquois, and the general welfare of all classes nf socit , : 1" A weekly communion to be ottered for these intentions, 2" The anthem, salutaris, sung at n^iss after the eleva- tion, and th-^ Salce Regina, after Matins. 3" Five of the community, named each week, will offer prayers for the same intentions, as follows. Two will say the Office of the Imma. alate Conception before the Blessed Sacrament ; two others, the Ottice of St. Joseph ; a lay-sister will say nine times the Gloria Fatri and Ave Maria, All ■« ■ THE ALARMS OF WAR 143 liie other penitential acts and good works of t]^r. 'ommunity will be offered for the same ends. These practices of piety are to be continued the whole year." Evidently, our nuns were not idle spectators of the state of public affairs. Like Moses on the Mount, they had recourse to prayer, while their brethren battled with the enemy : we know that, of old, the victory depended raorp on the prayer of Moses than on the valor of the Israelites. The Ursuliues, in fact, had need, not only of pious zeal, but of courage also, for the enemy would not always be at a distance. CHAPTER II 1(590 TllK ALARMS OF WAR When in the security of the present day, one surveys ut leisure the magnificent panorama of the fertile and cultivated valley of the St, Lawrence, its scattered cottages and hamh cs, peacefully nestling along the borders of the prim».»'al forest; its thriving towns, reposing fearless of an enemy ; the old Citadel of Quebec dismantled and its batteries at rest, it may not oe an easy matter to bring to mind that far different picture it presented in by- gone days. The occasional apparition of an Indian in his characteristic costume, may recall to mind those times when the whole land was peopled witii a brave but savage race, that has now almost totally disappeared, and we think of the terror the name of the Iroquois once inspired. The sight of tl j English flag reminds us also of a terrible crisis, and we con- 144 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY trast the i)resent security and happiness of the countiy with the formers tern and fearful realities of war and blood-shed. The Ursulines had their share in the consternation which the name of the Indian and the Englishman, in turn, excited. That old volume of the annals seems, even now, to shudder in the recital it makes of the siege of Quebec, in 1690. Our readers will follow with interest the events already known to them by history, but which take the coloring of actuality as our annalist describes the scenes of which she was an eye-witness. " On the 7th October, she writes, news was received that an English fleet of thirty-four vessels was approaching to take possession of the countr}" Already, on the second of the month, the enemy was in sight at Malbaie. This news created great alarm. Quebec could offer no re='stance, there being no soldiers in the city, and but two h indred male citizens. The Governor, with all the troops, had gone to Montreal to defend that place against the Iroquois. A canoe was des- patched immediately to carry him the tidings of this new danger. ^ " In the mean time, Major Prt^vost worked at the fortifica- tions. Batteries were mounted in the Lower Town, the streets were barricaded, the inhabitants of the environs were called upon to aid in the defence. There was a deliberation about send- ing the two communities of nuns to Montreal ; but as no boats could be procured, it was decided we should go to Lorette. Four of us were to be sent to make preparations for the rest ; then, as soon as the enemy's sails should be in sight, the others were to follow. A place of concealment was contrived in the collar, where we stowed away our linen, stuff's, &g. ) iB' We commenced a novena to the Holy Angels and to St. THE ALARMS OF WAR 145 Joseph, the patron of the country, having mass said every day in his honor, seeking in every way to appease the Divine justice and to obtain the favor of God for the country. " Our prayers were accepted ; contrary winds were sent, so that in nine days the enemy's vessels did not advance as much as they might have done in half a day. When the fleet reached Quebec, which was on the morning of the 16th October, the city was prepared, having for its defence two thousand men, including the troops recalled from Montreal under Count de Frontenac, and the Canadian militia, under M. de Callieres. The same day, the English captain sent a herald to summon the Governor to surrender. According to the insolent terms of the letter, not only the fort, arms, am- munition and stores, were to be delivered up, but all the inhabitants of the city were to surrender at discretion. One hour only was offered for deliberation. " The Governor immediately gave the answer they deserved, namely : ' That God would not favor those who were traitors to their king ^ and their religion, and that he had no answer to give them, but by the mouth of his cannon.* The herald was dismissed without further ceremony and the next day the firing from the fleet commenced. On the 18th, a part of the English troops landing at Beauport, there was a skirmish between them and the French militia, with a loss for the enemy. " The follov'ing days the cannonade was renewed, but with less effect. On the first day, a cannon-ball burst through a window-shutter and sash, and finally lodged at the bedside 1 — It will be remembered that James fl had been driven from hia kingdom, and William III called in to take his place on the throne of England. 10 146 ULIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY of one of our boarders ; another passed through the apron of one of our sisters, carrying off the piece. Other balls fell in the garden, the parks and the court-yards, but, by the pro- tection of Heaven, no person was injured. Our house was crowded with people, and the extertutf (house of \ me de la Peltrie) wa^ tilled with i.a'niture and merchandise. i)laced there for greater security. The boarders' department, the classes for the Indian girls, the refectory and novitiate, with our three cellars, were filled with the people of the city, women and children, so that we could hardly pass to and from our kitchen, but took our food standing, and in haste, like the Israelites when they ate the Paschal lamb. " We passed the first night before the Blessed Sacrament, in prayer. The following nights, some took a little rest in the sacristy, others in their cells, remaining dressed, awaiting death at any moment. We had placed in tl.e choir the statues of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, before which a taper was kept burning, while some of the Sisters were constantly praying ihere. We lent, on this occasion, our painting of the Holy Family, to be exposed on the steeple of the Cathe- dral, to bear witness that it was under their holy patronage that we were combating the enemy. " Having attempted, in vain, to take the city by assault on the side of the Little Kiver (the St. Charles), where they were vigorously repulsed by oui* Canadians, the enemy retreated to their damaged ships." This was on the 2l8t of October. • . The evil fortune of the invaders }>ursued them still, during their perilous navigation homeward. Several of their ships were lost, and hardships incredible, from want of food and the inclemency of the weather, attended the squadron to the THE ALARMS OF WAR 147 port of Boston, which they entered only six weeks after losing sight of Quebec. " The retreat of the enetny left the country in great joy. The people sought to manifest their gratitude to Heaven, acknowledging they had no part in the victory, but that it was (iod's right Hand that had delivered us. For this end, the Bishop of Quebec ordered a procession to be made, in thanksgiving. The imago of the Blessed Virgin was borne successively to the four churches, ending at the cathedral, where the Te Deum was sung. In the evening there were bonfires. Moreover, our prelate has decided that the chapel which is to be built in the Lower Town, shall bear the title of Our Lady of Victory, in fulfilment of a vow made to this effect. Every year, the fourth Sunday of October will be a commemorative feast ; there will be a piocession in honor of the Blessed Virgin on the same day." Our readers know with what fidelity and fervor this anni- versary is still celebrated. Happy the country that has marked its calendar by such festivals, which are kept after two centuries, in the spirit of their founders ! Not to interrupt her narration, our cloistered historian has reserved for another page her record of the festival of St. Ursula. It is in keeping with the spirit of those primitive times. The city was besieged by an enemy, the roar of their cannon, at various hours of the day, was heard so near that the balls rattled upon the roof and walls of the monastery. The danger was so real that the lilessed Sacrament was removed from the tabernacle ; nevertheless the nuns sanu their first vespers. The Breviary Office could not be recited, because their books had been stowed away with whatever else they held most precious ; but in order not to defraud 148 GLIMPSES OF TUB MONASTBRY Heaven of their accustomed tribute of prayer, they gave an hour more to meditation. On the festival, the Bishop was in their chapel to say mass and give them communion. At two o'clock P. M. they took their accustomed j)laces in the choir to listen devoutly to a sermon, with the expectation that at four, a great battle would take place within sight of their windows. The preacher (M. de la Colombiere), after a panegyric of the virgin martyrs, seized the occasion to exhort hia hearers to similar intrepidity in the approaching danger, con- gratulating them on the happiness of being called to follow so closely the footsteps of their illustrious patroness. He con- cluded his exhortation in this pathetic style, when the Bishop entoned that plaintive chant, "Maria Mater ;/ratia'...Et mortis hard suscl'pe," with such feeling that the good nuns might have believed their last hour had come. It is easy to imagine with what sentiments they received the blessipg of our Lord during the Benediction service, at which the pre- late officiated, closing the festal solemnity just as the roar of artillery recommenced. Later, it was known that this last cannonade of the enemy was but a feint to cover their retreat, which they effected with great precipitation during the night. When the report of this victory reached the court of France, the conduct of Frontenac, and that of the officers and men under his com- mand, was so highly appreciated, that the king ordered a medal to be struck in commemoration of the event. Some of our readers may have seen this medal : it bears the following motto : ' ^ Kebeca libekata, mdcxc ; and on the other side : FuANCiA IN NOVO OKBE vicTKix. — Quebec delivered, 1G90. France victorkms in the Neic World. MOTHER DE FLECELLE8 OP ST. ATHANASIUS 149 CHAPTER III 1695 MOTIIKU DK FI-KCKLi-ES oF ST. ATHANASIUS )>AKI8IAN NUNS Early in the history of the Monastery, we meet with the name of Mother St, Athanasius : our Ven. Mother Mary of the Incarnation, her contemporary, has left us an appreciation of her merit, in terms of the highest praise. Called to govern the community during eighteen years, and to edify it by her virtues through her long career of more than half a century, her memory is still fresh among us, and is ever cherished with gratitude, esteem, and affection. In reading of the vocation of Mother Mary of the Incarna- tion, we are struck with the conviction that divine Provi- dence had prepared her in a special manner for her work ; that, truly, the trials and the toils of preceding years were her " novitiate for Canada." But such was not the case with Mother St. Athanasius. In her youth, she was the favored child of fortune, as well as of nature. Her family, the de Flecelles, held a distin- guished rank, even in the polished circles of Parisian society. Margaret, the pearl of that noble house, was placed, at an early age, in the boarding-school of the Ursuline convent in the Faiihourij St. Jacques, (Paris), an institution then recently founded by Madame de Ste. Beuve, yet already flourishing and enjoying the highest reputation. Here, her rare talents were cultivated with success, at the same time that the excellent qualities of her heart were developed and forti- fied by the religious instructions and pious examples of her teachers. Cheerful and good-humored, modest and obliging, 150 OLIMl'SKS OF THE MONASTERY graceful and engaging in her manners, the youthful Margaret waa a general favorite, while the solidity of her judgment, her sincere and unaffected piety, enchained the hearts of her friends in the lasting bonds of esteom and aflection> Keturning to the bosom of her family, fitted to become its ornament as she might have been its idol, she did not suffer her soul to be fettered by the silken cords of love and ease. She had heard the voice of grace, calling her to a life of self-abnegation and devotedness to the good of souls. Waiting only to obtain the consent of her worthy parents, she hastened to present herself, at the age of seventeen, to the Superior of the Ursulines, in the same convent where she had received her education. Admitted to that novitiate where all was fervor, she pronounced her vows after two years — the usual ])eriod of probation — and continued her course with fresh ardor, aiming at the highest [lerfection. Already seven years had quickly passed away in the service of Him who has said that His "yoke is easy and His burden light," when the little missionary band, destined for Quebec, received hospitality in the " Or"' Wr % s 154 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY pray before the Blessed Sacrament. An hour later, the infirniarian perceiving that she was feeble, conducted her to the infirmary and urged her to take a little repose. ' Oh ! this will be nothing,' said the venerable patient; and in the afternoon, returning to the choir, she received the sacrament of penance in preparation for the feast of the mor- row, the Holy Trinity, After communion the next morning, and after assisting at an assembly in chapter at nine o'clock, she took her bed to rise no more. During three days, her vigorous constitution afforded hopes that the fever which was consuming her might abate, but on Wednesday the symptoms of approaching dissolution appeared. Mother St. Athanasius knowing the danger, asked for the last sacraments, and received them with exemplary piety, " Although her sufferings were great, and her soul absorbed in God, she still was attentive to all around her, receiving the visits of her Sisters with admirable kindness and cordiality. " Perceiving that her lips were dry and parched with fever, one of us remarked it to her, asking if she would not drink to allay her thirst. She was answered by these words so full of meaning : ' I have another thirst which cannot be allayed.* The Superior, Mother Mary of the Angels, seated by her bedside, entering into the thought, added : ' You thirst, dear Mother, to glorify God, to suffer for His love, to gain souls to His service,' To this the venerable Mother replied M^ith earnestness : ' Yes, yes ! I thirst to glorify God, and to love Him,' Then, with the same fervor, she exclaimed, in the words of the Psalmist : ' For thee my soul hath thirsted ! In a desert land, and where no water is ; so, in the sanctuary have I come before thee, God, to see thy power md thy glory." The last moments of her life were passed in that sweet and intimate communion with God which was habitual to MOTHER DE FLECELLES OF ST. ATHANASIUS 155 her, till, pronouncing three times the holy name of Jesus, she gently gave up her soul to Him who made it. This was on the third of June, 1695, the sixty-third anniversary of her religious profession. " Mother St. Athanasius will ever be regarded as a signal benefactress of this Monastery. God alone knows how much we are indebted to her. We humbly hope she already enjoys her reward in the happiness of heaven. Her many virtues and the affection we bore her render us most sensible to her loss, and her memory will ever be held dear among us." In closing this slight tribute to the memory of our two first Parisian Mothers, we may remind our readers of the three others of the same Congregation, who were welcomed to Quebec in 1671 : Mother Marie Le Maire of the Angels, Mother Marie Drouet of Jesus, and Mother Marie Gibault du Breuil of St. Joseph. Thirteen years previous to the decease of Mother St. Athanasius, 1682, the Constitutions of the Ursulines of Paris, by the advice of the Bishop, had been adopted by the community of Quebec. These constitutions, published first in 1623, and reprinted with some slight amendments a few years after, bear the impress of their origin, the finger of God guiding the hand of His Saints. Composed by persons of the highest merit, deeply versed in theology and in the knowledge of the human heart, every chapter and every sentence was made the subject of careful examination, and tested by being put in practice, before it finally received the seal of episcopal approbation. The experience of two hundred years has but rendered those constitutions more precious and venerable in this Monastery, where thay are still in full force, with such modifications only as the circumstances of the times have required, and the proper authority sanctioned. I 156 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY CHAPTER IV 1697 THE UliSULINE CONVENT OF THUEE RIVEUS Quebec had made provision from an early date for the two classes of society, the most helpless and the n)ost in need of succor, children and the poor infirm. The College of the Jesuits, the Ursuline Convent and the Hotel-Dieu grew up with the rising city : the theological Seminary, with its " Little seminary " for students, was founded by Bishop Laval, in 1663; the General Hospital, by Bishop Saint- Valier, in 1692. These were all flourishing institutions at the close of the century. Montreal had also, from a period nearly coeval with its first settlement, welcomed the heroic Mademoiselle Manse, and the devoted Marguerite Bourgeois. The former endowed V'dle-Marie with its hospital ; the latter, with an institution for female youth, the Congregation of Our Lady (1653) ; the Seminary of St. Sulpice, fouuJed in 1677, offered the advan- tages of a Christian education to youth of the other sex. Three Rivers, which from the beginning of the colony was regarded as an important post, and which received a perma- nent settlement with a local governor, in 1645, had not, at the end of sixty years, an institution either of education or of charity, beyond what the mission of the good Jesuits and the Franciscan Fathers afforded. This want had no doubt seriously retarded the prosperity and importance of the rising city, whatever may have been said by a late author of the folly of founding an hospital, almost contemporary with the settlement of a country. 1 THE URSULINE CONVENT OF THREE RIVERS 157 The /ealous prelate who had endowed Quebec with its second hospital, consulted with the local Governor of Three Rivers, M. Rigaud de Vaudreuil, and it was decided that one establishment, at least, should be undertaken. Unwilling, nevertheless, to leave the sick and infirm unprovided for, he conceived the possibility of uniting the two works of mercy is one institution. Ursulinea would teach ; it is an indis- pensable article of their constitutions : but they could also, by episcopal authority, attend to the wants of the sick, in a part of the monastery to be called the Hospital. The project was new and untried ; it is an additional proof of the zeal and spirit of sacrifice of our ancient Mothers, when they accept a foundation on these conditions. A mansion on the margin of the St. Lawrence had been built for the residence of the Governor ; the Bishop proposed to purchase it, if it would be found suitable for a convent. This point being left to the decision of the nuns, 4,hey must needs make the journey to see it. Mother Le Maire of the Angels with the newly appointed Superior, Mother Marie Drouet of Jesus, and a lay-sister, issuing from the cloister, was met by the Governor of Three Rivers, M. de Rigaud de Vaudreuil, Bishop Saint- Valier, and M. de Montigny, of the Seminary of Quebec, the ecclesiastical Superior of the monas- tery. The voyage was without accident, and business was settled to the satisfaction of the parties ^.oncerned, the contract passed, and the germ c. a future community planted. It was plain that the new foundation would not have to endure the hardships and privations which had attended that of Quebec ; but it i.^ possible there will be other trials, for the works of Heaven are ever built upon the cross. A few days later, there is another parting scene at the Ursulines of Quebec. Mother Mary of the Angels stands in readiness to conduct an Assistant-superior, Mother Le Vail- 158 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY lant of St. Cecile, ^ and two more of her daughters, to the new convent : Mother Marie Amiot of the Conception, and Mother St. Michael have been chosen. But let us join the little colony, the day preceding their departure from the dear monastery, when they go forth to pay their farewell visits to their friends in the city. Their first station is at the castle, where they offer their respects to the veteran Count de Fronteuac, and receive his parting wishes. They next visit the new monastery of the RecoUets, and the Bishop's palace, where a most cor- dial and paternal reception awaited them. The eminent prelate conducted them himself to the Seminary, to present their homage to the venerable Bishop Laval, and the mem- bers of his community. Here, again, all was cordiality, and the most obliging testimonies of good will were shown. Thence, M. de Montigny led the way to the College of the Jesuit Fathers, whose hospitality was displayed by a collation, of which the nuns must partake, before they proceed to the Hotel-Dieu. The scene here may easily he imagined. For some, it was the meeting of old schoolmates and early friends ; for others, the cherished hostesses who had received with such sympathy, eleven years before, a community without a shelter. But let us hasten on, for at the Intendant's palace Monsieur and Madame Champigny, old friends of the monastery, are waiting to give a hearty welcome to these rare visitants. At the newly-founded general Hospital, they are expected. Is there not, indeed, a new tie added to their friendship by 1 Mother St. Cecile, a person of rare merit, liad but lately arrived from her Convent in Bayeux, France. She lived only two years alter joining the Ursulines ofThree Kivers. THE URSULINB CONVENT OF THREE RIVERS 159 the adoption of the title of hoapltalUres, added to that of Ursulines ? The day was scarcely long enough for all these demonstrations of interest and kindness. The following morn- ing, at an early hour, weftnd our missionary Sisters hastening their departure, lest the farewell embrace should move them too deeply. They alight from the carriage only to get their worthy prelate's blessing ; then, descending Mountain Street to the Lower Town, they embark for their future home in Three Kivers. Another voyage up the river, in the leisurely style of those days, gives Mother Mary of the Angels an opportunity to accustom herself to the features of that landscape, which still strikes the beholder with its grandeur and beauty. The lovely borders of the Seine would have brought her pleasing remi- niscences of her youthful days ; the St. Lawrence carried her back to the first time she had beheld, a quarter of a century previous, the wild scenery of her adopted country. Our limits will not permit us to follow them further, unless it be to see the return, three years later, of one of these young nuns, Mother Mary of the Conception, whose absence had taken the light from her mother's hearth. Mrs Amiot had made a great sacrifice, in giving her daughter to the Ursulines of Quebec, but she had counted on the pleasure of seeing her, from time to time, in the house where she had consecrated herself to God. Pleading her cause with a mother's eloquence, she m.oved the prelate to decide upon recalling her to Quebec. Here, her mission 'extended to long and useful years, as our annals show. In the spring of 1699, we find Mother Mary of the Angels returning to Three Rivers as Superior. The Bishop and the ecclesiastical Superior are there to receive the vows of five novices, and give the veil to another. Thus the community u 160 QLIMP3BS OF THE MONASTERY numbered eleven members, four of whom were professed in. Quebec. The generous founder, Bishop de Saint- Valier, spared no pains, economising even upon his personal expenses to assure the prosperity of an institution whose usefulness he fully appreciated. During the yet perilous period of its foundation, Mother Mary of the Angels writes : " I may be blamed for having undertaken this work, but after the proofs I have had that it is the will of God, I cannot repent of the experiment. If I have erred it is in common with persons of various rank and condition, who are more enlightened than I am ; and should God permit it, 1 shall witness the failure of the enter- prise as cheerfully as its success, for I desire nothing but the accomplishment of the will of Heaven." With sentiments like these in the foundress of the new monastery, it is not surprising that the blessingof God rested upon it. Superiors, already exercised in the difficult art of governing well, like Mother Le Maire of the Angels, Mother Marie Drouet of Jesus and Mother St. Teresa, were deputed from Quebec by the Bishop to guide the young community, until, in 1731, it was found capable of subsisting by itself. Ten years previous, it is mentioned by the historian, Charle- voix, as a " flourishing monastery, composed of forty Ursu- liue nuns, who have the care of a fine hospital, in addition to the labors of their institute." The trials which were spared in the commencement, were reserved for a later day. In 1752, the noble mansion, which had sheltered the devoted Ursulines in their double mission of charity during lifty-five years, became, in the space of four hours, the prey of a destructive conflagration. The same fire enveloped a part of the town in a like misfortune. Hospitality was offered to the nuns by the Franciscan Fa- thers, who gave up their house, retiring to a smaller one, in . FEAST OF THK SACRED HEART ESTABLISflED 161 order te accommodate a community in distress. An appeal to the public in favor of the victims of the conflagration, was followed by a gradual restoration of the ruined town. The convent was rebuilt in the course of the following year, Bishop de Pontbriand, in per.soa, overseeing the labors of the reconstruction, lodging in the servants' house and paying the workmen from his own purse. The eminent Prelate died seven years later, with the glory of having accomplished to the letter the Gospel counsel of bestowing his goods upon the poor, that he might have a treasure in heaven. He is justly considered as the second founder of the Ursulines of Three Kivers. After a lapse of another half century, a second disaster called for a similar devoted- ness and generosity on the part of another bishop ; but there are details connected with that event which, to avoid repe- titions, must be reserved for a future page. Let us not delay however to proclaim : Honor to the Institution, which during two hundred years has rendered services of inappreciable value to all classes of society, both . by its well-conducted hospital and by its flourishing educa- tional department ! CHAPTER V 1700 FEAST OF THE SACKED HEART ESTABLISH KI» Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is no longer a practice reserved to a few pious souls, who, like a St. Ger- trude, a St. Catherine, a Saint Francis of Sales, or like our 162 ULIMI'SES OF THE MONASTERY own Veuemblo Mother Mary of the Inoiiniation, have known, in their silent communion with Heaven, that the graces and gifts from on high How most abundantly through that sacred channel. Since that auspicious day, when, in the solitary cloister of Paray-le-Monial, (1075) the voice of inspiration was heard, directing this devotion to be made public and extended to all the faithful, it has gradually taken root ; the fair tree has grown, its branches have spread, its delicious fruit has been ,oft'ered to every palate. But the finger of God is apt to move slowly, while it leaves its bright and indelible trace. Thus it was, that the decree for the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart through- out the Church, which has filled all Christendom with joy, was delayed two full centuries ; but issued at last from the heart of the illustrious Pontift", the well-beloved Holy Father, ]*ope Pius IX. Canada may well exult in having understood and accepted the blessed, consoling devotion, as soon as it was made known. If it met with opposition in some parts of Europe, it found none here. It is not surprising that the feast of the Sacred Heart, with the other practices of adoration, reparation and special love which belong to it, iirst found a shrine in that spot where Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation had so often prayed, oft'ering her petitions to the Eternal Father on the living altar of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and where her daughters had since labored to keep alive the flame she had once kindled. During the thirty-three years of Mother Mary's sojourn in Canada, she had each day lifted up her great soul to God, in that ardent prayer : " It is through the Heart of My Jesus, FfiAtjT OF TUE SACRED UEART ESTAULISUED 163 my Wiiy, my truth and my life, that I approach thee, O Eternal Father," that prayer which, to day, warms thou- sands of hearts, happy to learn, from its burning' accents, the secret of obtaining most efficaciously those graces which have been purchased for us by the sufferings of our Saviour, but which must be sought for in an acceptable manner, ere they are bestowed upon us. The daughters of Mother Mary of the Incarnation, imbued with her spirit of zeal and devotedness, adopted as naturally, not only her sentiments, but even the expressions that were so familiar to her. Thus, we meet throughout her numer- ous letters greetings like these : " I salute you in the Sacred Heart of my Divine Spouse ; '" "1 offer you daily to the Eternal Father on the sacred altar of the Heart of .Jesus, «&;c." Similar expressions occur in a letter written by one of the nuns from Paris, a short time after she had reacheiou3 fanes, those holy places, where the pure in heart have received the visits of angels, nay of the Lord of angels, and have conversed with God in the manner most acceptable to his Divine Majesty ! And what is more touching for us, inhabitants of the Old Monastery, is to see in what a poor and humble shrine our Divine Lord, during fifteen years, deigned to accept the homage of his servants. Let us re-people in imagination, that little chapel, ^ long abandoned but which must ever be sacred in our eyes. Entering, while some pious members of the Confraternity are engaged in performing their stated " hour of adoration, " 2 we behold them, oblivious of the world, its cares or its enjoy- ments : their eyes are closed in meditation, or fixed upon the tabernacle, where faith pierces the mysterious veils and shows 1 — ^Tliis chapel has lately been restored for private devotions, under the title of Chapel of the Sacred Heart. 2 — In tlie original Association of the Sacred Heart, each member was expected to pass an hour in prayer, in presence of the Blessed Sacrament, on one day in the year, as si)ecified in the ticket of admission. FEAKT OF THE SACRED HEART ESTABLISHED 165 the Saviour, displaying in proof of his love, that ardent furnace, his own divine Heart. Yes ! " God has so loved the world, " and shall we not return love for love ? Many adorers are present, perhaps, although it is not the festival of the Sacred Heart, for each great feast of the year brings a certain number of worshippers. The highest kneel beside the lowest before their common God. JJut who shall tell with what sentiments the nuns, who had so long practised the devotion of the Venerable Foun- dress, welcomed that first Feast of the Sacred Heart ! Entering their little choir, with holy joy, they adore " in spirit and in truth. " Now. it is the aged Mother St. Ignatius (('harlotte Barr^), who seems to have but waited for the triumph of this precious devotion, to sing her " Nunc dimittis. " Now, it is Mother St. Agnes, just elected Superior, with some of those ten nuns still living, who like herself, have learned the secret of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, with the lessons of reli- gious perfection, from the lips of the Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation. But when the fair proportions of our present church arose (1723), to replace that little chapel, it was a welcome exchange. Then the artistic taste of the nuns was called in requisition, and they vied with each other in adorning the sanctuary, especially the altar of the Sacred Heart. Not a few of our good Mothers are commended iu their obituaries, for their zeal in decorating that favorite shrine, over which the spirit of the Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation seems still to brood. New members of the Association have been added from year to year, while volume after volume has been filled with the names of the best and the highest iu rank and virtue, throughout the land. ^ /' 1G6 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY A t'lance at tho earlv registers shows us such names as O I/O the folloNving : Bishop Saint- Valier, whose name heads the hst ; the Marquis de Vaudreuil ; the Chevalier de Repen- tigny, des Mehiises, de Villedonnt^, de Contrecoeur, d'Ari»en- teuil, de Lanaudi6re, etc. The Marchioness de Vaudreuil, and her sister Madame Tuachereau; Mesdames de la Gorgendi^re, de Verch^res de St. Ours, de L^ry, de Gaspe, de Salaberry ; the Baroness de Longueuil, and many others. Now it is a long list of young girls ; for, of course, no pupil would leave the Monastery without entering into the Association, so dear to her convent Mothers. As we examine those long pages of names, priests and missionaries, magistrates and lawyers, otlicers and soldiers ; here, whole parishes : there, congregations or families ; the thought naturally arises : Were not the people of Canada, in that eighteenth century, preparing for themselves by these most salutary practices of piety, a means to escape the deluge of woes that was nhowt to inundate the mother-country, and thus to preserve, yet a while, the spirit of the ages of faith, when the acknowledged object of life was to know God, and to advance daily in the path that leads to Heaven ? And, if our Lord himself has promised to those who establish, practise and propagate, the devotion to the Sacred Heart, " peace and concord, fervor in the service of God, con- solation in troubles and trials, with a calm confidence in the hour of death," need we look further for the source and origin of all the graces and blessings bestowed upon this Monastery since its foundation to the present day ? THE LAST SURVIVOR OF 1639 CHAPTER VI THE LAST SrUVIVOR OF 1()39 167 " On the 22ti January 1701, our clear Mother St. Ij^natius "witnessed the ilawn of the <^reat day of eternity, ardently desiring her last hour, in order to end, as she said, her sinful life, and to be united to her God. She expired in admirable sentiments of piety and joy, ber last act being to press the crucifix tenderly to her dying lips. " She vas eighty-one years of age, having passed fifty-five in religion." Thus concludes, after a long enumeration (if her virtues, the l>iogiaj)hical notice of Miss Charlotte Barr6, the first pro- fessed of the Ursulines of Quebec. This name carries us back to the time of Madame de la Peltrie, and reminds us of scenes worthy of being portrayed before our readers. It is not an cvery-day occurrence to meet with instances of niagnanimit} , such as Miss Barrc, at the age of nineteen, was enabled to display, and which won her valuable and prolonged services to this monastery. Born in the town of Azay, near Tours, in France, of truly Christian ]iarents, Charlotte, at the age of thirteen,' had already found within her heart an immense desire to consume her life in the service of God, for the salvation of Souls ; but how, or where ? That was the secret of divine Providence. Her piety seems to have run in tin; smooth chan- nels of fervor and peace, wlien, at the age of nineteen, she is sent one dny, by her director, Father Salin, to introduce her- self to Mother Mary of the Incarnation and Madame de la Peltrie. From them she hears of the enterprise they have in ^, >tk 168 GLIMPSES OF TUB MONASTERY view, and learns that Madame de la Peltrie, disappointed in a companion who had promised to accompany her, is in search of another. To the question : " Are you willing to go with us to Canada ? " Miss Barro replies : " All ray desire is to con- secrate myself to God, and I shall most gladly embrace this offer, which will afford me an opportunity of risking my life for Him." Like the Apostles, she obeys the call of the Divine Master without hesitation, unmoved by the urgent solicitations of her family who would have retained her. There was indeed no time for delay, the vessels being ready to sail, and the only favor the generous gi''l requested, was to see and open her trunk before it was carried off with the other baggage, in order to return by some trust-worthy person, an article of value which she was keeping fo. a friend. Madame de la Peltrie knew from this moment what a treasure she possessed. She was happy to retain her, and promised to facilitate later her entrance into the convent which they were going to establish, by paying her doM'ry. Charlotte, on the other hand, was overwhelmed with the con- viction of her own unworthiness, and unable to understand how it was that God had placed her in the company of Saints, calling her to share the labors, the merits, and the glory of so sublime an enterprise. In these sentiments, she humbly accompanied Madame de la Peltrie wherever she went, as long as her services were required. Then as a novice, in 1646,. she applied herself with fervor to fulfil the new duties that devolved upon her, aiming at nothing less than a perfect imitation of the Divine Saviour in his life of obedience and mortification. Her zeal for the instruction of youth, and her talent for teaching, her aptitude for every other office in the THE LAST SURVIVOR OF 1639 169 community, rendered her most useful during her long career, "while her kindness, her universal charity, her amiability, won her as much Iovq^ as esteem. The magnanimity of which she had given proof in bidding adieu to her home and country for God's sake, without a sigh, did not give place to love of ease and comfort in later years. If she once rushed into the flames, as we have seen, to save those children who, in the conflagration of the monas- tery were exposed to perish, she never on any occasion spared herself when they were crosses to be borne or hard- ships to be endured. Whether she met with many of these, can best be known by those who have read at length the history of the monastery during the first sixty years of its existence. One that truly loves God never says : " It is enough," when there is question of corresponding to grace in the prac- tice of virtue. " This generous soul, says the annalist, following the example of her Divine Spouse, who calls him- self the " hidden God, " had no other ambition but to be unknown and forgotten, treating her body as her greatest enemy, seldom approaching the fire even in the extreme rigors of winter, abstaining from food so far that she may be said to have fasted continually, refusing herself the most innocent satisfaction. Whatever leisure remained to her after the numerous occupations was given to prayer. Hastening to the foot of the altar, prostrate in the humble attitude of the publican in the Gospel, she seemed lost in the conscious- ness of the presence of God." The long career of Mother St. Iguatius, who had crossed the Atlantic with our first Mothers and who knew every incident of those strange early times, must have furnished a strong link in the chain of traditions that have come down to us. As we have already stated, she was the first professed 170 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY of the Convent of Quebec. Twenty-six younger Sisters sur- rounded her death-bed. One of these, who had also seen Mother St. Athanasius, Mother Genevieve Boucher of St. Peter, prolonged her vigorous existence till 1765, having passed seventy-two years in the community. At that date, we find, among others. Mother Louise Taschereau of St. Francis Xavier, who was still living in 1825, and consequently known to the aged Mothers, who have imparted to ns the precious traditions once derived from the venerable Mothers St. Athanasius and St. Ignatius. Doubtless in those former times, as at the present day, it was a pleasure for the younger members to surround the aged, seeking wisdom in the company of those whose minds have been enriched by the experience of multiplied years. It' is in this manner that many points of valuable information, many interesting anecdotes which have eluded the notice of the cloistered historian, are perpetuated and finally recorded. CHAPTER YII 1700-1713 DAWN f)r THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY There are some gloomy pages on our old register, at the beginning of the 18th century. Within the space of thirteen years, famine, pestilence and war, alternately menace, or invade the colony ; and on such occasions the Ursulines necessarily have their share in the common misfortunes. The scant and blighted harvest of 1700, was followed by a scarcity bordering on starvation ; while an epidemy, as unknown to the medical art as it was fatal in its attacks, I DAWN OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 171 augmented and rendered more poignant the general distress. There were not enough people in health to have care of the sick, nor priests enough to attend the dying and bury the dead. The convent escaped the famine, but paid its tribute to the cruel malady. So many of the nuns were attacked by the fever, that the infirmary not sufficing to lodge the sick, it was necessary to take care of them in their cells, those who waited on the others being almost as ill as their patients. The two victims of this epidemy were the mistress of novices, Mother Bourdon of St. Joseph, and the charitable infirma- rian, Mother ]ioutet of St. Augustine. Two years later, another malady, ever dreaded in propor- tion as it is known, the small-pox, made still greater ravages, carrying off, it is said, in the space of a few months, one fourth of the inhabitants of Quebec, making victims in every house, as well as in the religious communities. In the monastery, every precaution had been taken to keep the unwelcome visitor at a distance, and \\ ith success until it had raged during six weeks in town. It penetrated, at last, from the adjacent church where the people had come in procession to offer prayers and perform their devotions. A lay-sister and several boarders were first attacked ; a few days later, the list included seventeen nuns and thirty-seven boarders. In the lodgings of the servant-men, out of seven, one alone remained in health to wait upon his companions. The school- house of the externs (Madame de la Peltrie's house) was trans- formed into a hospital for the sick boarders; the infirmary and novitiate were filled with the sick nuns. Class-duties were suspended, it being impossible to find teachers while so many needed attendance night and day. Tliere were 172 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY besides, other and more sorrowful duties to be performed. Three among the nuns, all of them young, were in the space of ten days consigned to the tomb, with the usual mournful rites, but without the ringing of bells, lest that tribute to the departed, should overpower the poor patients yet struggling with the fearful disease. The city authorities had been com- pelled to issue an order, forbidding to ring for funerals, the oft-repeated knell having so affected several persons as to hasten their death. After another respite of two years, the winter months pass again (1706), in bestowing compassionate cares upon the sick. Seven or eight patients were confined to their bed all winter. It was a strange intermittent fever, requiring night- watchers, and attentions of every kind. Other epidemics appear again in 1709 and 1711, conti- nuing to depopulate the colony. On these occasions there Avas much suftering, but no death occurred among the inmates of the cloister. Though our pen is weary of so mournful a page, we have yet to enumerate other calamities which befell the city and the country,during that period of twelve or thirteen years, at the beginning of the century. If these did not regard our nuns personally, they shared them by sympathy and compassion. Let us mention, first, the conflagration of the Seminary of Quebec, 1701, while the professors were absent at St. Mi- chael's with the students : then another tire, four years later, when, considering the recent improvements, the loss was greater than on the preceding occasion. The buildings were all nearly finished, when a carpenter, carelessly smoking in the midst of shavings, the falling of a spark was the cause of a second disaster. The details are all duly consigned in our annals, with expressions of condolence, and regret at not / . DAWN OF THE EIOIITEENTH CENTURY 173 being able to lend any assistance iti the reotoration of an institution so precious to the colouy. xhey do not forget the venerable Bishop Laval, whose attlic*^:ion must Lave been great, if it was in proportion to the interest he bore that institution, which he had founded and watched over during forty years of his episcopacy. Other events recorded, filling several pages of the annals are : the captivity of Bishop Saint- Valier, detained nine years (1704-1713) as a prisoner of war in the Tower of London; Then, in 1709, a scarcity, bordering on famine, caused by a failure in the grain crop, ravaged by an army of caterpillars ; the menace of war (1710, 11), ever becoming louder and more alarming, while the military preparations to defend the •city, commenced in 1689, in the immediate vicinity of the monastery, were continued, to the great annoyance of the inhabitants of the cloister. Here is certainly a picture sufficiently gloomy, yet never darkened by despondency. The nuns had put their trust in God, and consequently they were not without consolation. In fact, the life of a good religious, a life in God and for God, has an intrinsic joyousness of its own, independent of all outward circumstances. Our Mothers were joined by several aspirants to the reli- gious life during this period, as may be seen by referring to the list of entries. The classes were interrupted but once; and with young girls to instruct, Ursulines have a consciousness of well-doing which must render them happy. Our readers remember how providentially for Canada that dreaded invasion of 1711, combined with so much apparent ability on the part of the New England colonists, came to naught ; a powerful tleet having been held in check by dark fogs and strong winds till, with the loss of eight hundred \ ' 174 GLl.Ml'SES OP THE MONASTERY men by shipwreck, the discomfited invaders withdrew without even seeing the heights of Cape Diamond, or meeting with any other enemy but their own adverse fortune. This event was recorded to posterity by the pious cole jists, who in memory of Heaven's protectior,, erected an unduring monument to testify their gratitude. The votive church of Our Lady of Victory received the addition of a graceful por- tico, reared by public contribution, while its title was changed to that of " Our Lady of Victories. " But these long years, so beset with difficulties, were drawing to a close. The treaty of Utrecht (1713), settling many polit- ical dilferences, was favorable to peace in America. This treaty had also set free, after his long imprisonment, the illustrious prelate. Bishop Saint- Valier ; and we share the glad anticipations of better times with which the " joyous firing of the cannon " announces his arrival. " All the population hastened to the wharf to welcome the venerated Pastor, and conduct him in triumph, while the chime of bells and the roar of artillery mingled with their shouts of joy. " In the course of the afternoon, adds the annalist (August 18th, 1713), we had Ihe pleasure of seeing our good Bishop and hearing him express his joy. For our part, great is our gratitude to the God of goodness who has vouchsafed to grant us such consolation after our long and heavy trials. " ■!■■ ■J THE THREE CAPTIVES 175 CHAPTER VIII THE THREE CAPTIVES MISS WHKKLWRUIHT BKOOMKS AN lRHIJLINK 1714 On reading the early history of New England or of Canada, who has not shuddered at the recital of the atrocities of Indian warfare, the revolting feats of savage prowess, the merciless use of scalping-knife and tomahawk, the fiendish cruelties exercised upon a fiillen enemy. Unfortunate were the captives whose lives were spared onlv to endure pro- longed tortures and sufferings ! These were the customs of war among the aborigenes of America. What shall we say to justify the devastation and blood-shed that atteu.l the warfare of even civilized nations ? But this is a question foreign to oin- subject. Among the Indians, another class of captives were treated in a different manner : and thus it is that our annals and tradi- tions afford us the means of tracing the merciful Hand of God, accomplishing that truly divine work of " bringing good out of evil, " in the fate of three of these captives of war. Near the close of the seventeenth century, in one of the border settlements in Maine, lived one of the descendants of the Puritan leader, John Wheelwright ^, who had followed his co-religionists to Boston, in 1636. 1 --i' 1 — Banished from Boston for his religious opinions, Wheelwright was a pioneer in the frontier settlements of Exeter, N. H. and Wells, Maine. John Wheelwright, the father of our Esther, was grandson of the Puritan minister, Wheelwright, and Miss Baker atfirms that his name is among the noblest in the New England L 176 GLIMPSES OF TUB MONASTERY Surrounded by such comforts us a New England home afforded even in those early times, blessed with lovely children, honored and trusted by all the neighborhood, the Wheelwrights esteemed themselves, and with reason, a happy family. The little hamlet of Wells, although bordered by the wild forest which was the home of the Abenakis *, reposed in seem- ing secuiity during the long summer months of 1703. These Indians were not always hostile, and if the tocsin of war hfid sounded in Europe between France and England, their colo- nies in America were not actually involved in the contest '. On this morning of the 10th of August, the children of the village, at 9 o'clock, were already abroad and full of glee, on their way to school. The apple-orchard was red with tempting fruit. Wild berries were ripe. Late swallows were twittering annals. See " Trite Stories of New England Captives,''^ by this elegant writer. In letters to us, Miss Baker has mentioned an Esther, now living, as the seventh in lineal descent from the grand niece, to whom was sent the oil-painting still preserved in memory of the captive. Mother Esther Wheelwright of the Infant Jesus. ] — "The tract of country which now forms the State of Maine was a disputed ground between the French and English, and the Abenakis, attached to the former by a common faith and former acts of kindness, were embittered against the latter by wrongs and oppressions sustained at their hands. When war broke out, the missionaries, often in jeopardy, remained manfully at their posts, inculcating mercy in war, as well as every other Christian virtue." Catholic Missions, by John Gilmary Shea. 2 — iNew England, which had just passed an act condemning Ca tholic missionaries to imprisonment for life, sought their media- tion in the war of 1703, to obtain neutrality on the part of the Abenakis. Failing in this, a party attacked Norridgewalk, burnt the church and village, and oftered a reward for the head of the missionary, but the Indians refused to betray him. Catholic Mis- mons, Gilmary Shea. THE THREK CAITIVES 177 as they flew, while guy sftarvows and social robins flitted with their youn*^ broods IVoni guissy lane to siiady thicket, tilling tlu! morning air with melody. Perhaps the village school-honse was already lull, and the master's voice lifted in solen)n |»rayer when the wild whoop of the Indians was heard. Oh! the dismay of such an hour, JJounding upon their prey, at the concerted signal, soon had these savage warriors acco'.iplished the feat they had planned. A few tomahawks had been raised, a few scalps secured, and, as soon, the signal for retreat had been obeyed, the vul- tures bearing off in their cruel talons the youngest lambkins, the ungnard(;d and feeble of the flock. The villagers, recovering from the sudden onset, found their number diminished ; some hiy wounded or dead, others gone ; in all, thirty-nine were missing. In many a cottage there was weeping and loud lamenta- tion, for beloved ones, when called by the tenderest names, answered not, nor could they be discovered after the most diligent search. Many a wistful glance was directed towards the forest, but rash would have been the attempt to pursue the foe within his native fastnesses. And thus it w.is that the little darling of the Wheelwright family, a hapless child of seven, was borne away to the depths of the forest, tightly bound in the grasp of her Indian captor, mIio covering our little Esther's face v/ith his brawny hand, hurried her away with rapid strides to the thickest of t!ie wide, old forest, and hailing with a prolonged, " ho ! ho ! " his savage brethren, set down his trembling prize, by the side of his own half-clad children and their tawny mother. Then commenced the wanderings of this innocent lamb, suddenly purloined from the fold, and forced to dwell in a den of w^olves. Yet, for her, tijey relaxed their barbarity, as far as 13 178 OLIMPSBS OF THE MONASTERY Wfts possible tor tlie ciiru instances of savaije litV. The dark- eyed s(inuw spftke in gentle tunes, and guanled with niurked preference the pretty little " pale lace." Hut, alas! what altered scenes, what dismal company, I'or that littl<< girl brought up with tenderest care, by her own gentle-born, loving Kngl'sli mother ! How long were the marches, and how tangled the jiaths, when the camp broke up, and the whole i)arty set out for the chase ! How rnde the fare, and how repulsive the resting-place at night ; while the days lengthen into wctiks ! And still our little Esther solaces her childish heart with its thoughts of revenge. " I will tell my i)a]»a, indecfd I will." Hut no ))apa is there njore for her ; and the months rf)ll on. Her tattered school-dress still clings to her, but it is getting short ; her blond tresses forget to fall in clustering ringlets,smoothed oidy by the oily fingers of her squaw mother. More than this, her English ])rattle is almost lost, and her tongue is getting used to the strange dialect of her companions, when, one day, a missionary apj)ears in the midst of the Indian village. Father Jiigot is not a stranger among the Abenakis. He is invited to the best lodge, where the children are assembled to hear him tell of the Great Spirit. What does he there behold ? A little white girl among the rest, a child of some eight or nine years, whose graceful manners still betray the gentle teachings of her infancy. To rescue the little captive was the first thought of good Father Bigot, with the determi- nation to restore her to civilized life, and to her parents, if they could be discovered. But it is well known with what difficulty au Indian Mould reliu(|uish one of these adopted children. It was not possible to move, by threats or promises, the proud Abenaki wlio had placed the pale floweret in his cabin. AV'hat then could the missionaiy do ( Oh, he could yet do much for her. He could watch over her; he could THE THREE CAPTIVES 17!> tench lior, us lie tun^'lit tlio little Iniliiin girls, to iidoro tttnl love God there in the forest, while he waited some fuvomblo conjuncture to set her iit liberty. No wonder that the child, intelligent beyond herafje, and speakin;,' the Indian dialect at the end of three year.s as well as if it had always been hers, was ever the most attentive listener to the good Father's instructions. No wonder the woods grew pleasant to her now that the love of God filled her young heart. But when those bereaved parents, who had mourned their chilli as dead, learned that she was still living, and living in the depths of the forest with the Abenakis, the enemies of their nation, what must have been their sentiments ? The only hope of recovering their child depended upon the jiossi- bility of obtaining the influence of the French Governor. Trusting in his humanity, they present him their petition ; and little Esther, through the mediation of Father Bigot, becomes the subject of serious negotiations between the Marquis de Vaudreuil and the chief of the Abenakis. Even under such patronage, it was no easy matter to obtain the release of the charming and well-beloved j)risoner. Rich presents at last, overcame their reluctance, and in the autumn of 1708, the Indian sachem delivered up the little English girl to the great Captain of the French. Exchanging the bark-roof of the wigwam for the vice- royal residence of the governor at (.>)uebec, the youthful Esther, now twelve years of age, speedily won the love and admira- tion of her new friends. The Marquis felt for his 2>^'oteij^e the tenderness of a father, and while awaiting an opportunity to restore her to her parents, provided for her welfare as if she were, indeed, his own child, by placing her with his daugh- ter, in the Ursuline Convent. Her home lay at the distance of seven hundred miles ; the intervening wastes where wan- 180 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY dereil different tribes of savages, with the French, tended not to diminish that distance, nor the difficulties of commu- nication. The young j^irl, happy in lier convent-home, had made her first communion, with angehc fervor : and having acquired the graces and accomplishments which became her so well, she was recalled to the home of her protector, the Chateau St. Louis. Very soon, however, the Marquis was informed that Miss Wheelwright's only desire was to prolong her stay in the mouustery, and even to share the life of her ])ioiis convent-Mothers ; but he refused his consent, and sought, with more activity than ever, to discover some nieaua of seud- h)ii the lovely young girl to her ])arents, whose grief he i'ompassionated so sincerely. He conducted her to Three Kivers, placing her while he remained there, v\ ith our Ursu- lines, anil afterwards to Montreal, where she was protected by the good Mothers of the Hotel- Dieu. Unsuccessful in his laudable attempts, on account of the continuance of hostilities between the colonies ', the Gov- ernor, at last, consented to her return to the Convent. Our Mothers, struck with the i)eculiar circumstances of the case, the long years during which, the two countries being in a ,state of warfare, it had been imjmssible to restore her to her parents; tlie changes that might have taken place in her family, and, above all, the will of Divine Providence manifesting itself by the course of events, admitted the interesting captive to the novitiate, in October, 1712. During the following year, news of the treaty of peace between France and England restored the I'.olonies to com- 1 Iti 1711, ft fleet umlor Admiral Walker attempted to take ■Quebec. TUB rilREB CAPTIVES 181 parative security, and the Ursiilinos were in daily expectation of hearing from their beloved novice'.s family. She had taken the white veil, with the name of Sister P^sther of the Infant Jesus. Her two years of probation hud not expired, when, at last, messengers reached Quebec, bearing letters from Mr. and Mrs. Wheelwright. Her heart was not insensible to the prosi)ect of beholding once more a beloved father and mother ; but the voice of grace was louder than that of nature, and she found strength to resist the invitation to return to her family, as she had declined to remain with her friends at the Chateau. Far from renouncing her cherishoil vocation, she entreated the Bishop to hasten the day of her final engagement, by admitting her to the vows of religion. She addressed the same petition to the Governor, whom she considered as her adopted father, and to the community, tlic mothers and sisters of her choice, who were now clearer to her than family or home. After mature deliberation, taking into consideration that the young girl, according to the French laws was now of age, and that, on the other hand, she had no longer the use of the language of her native country, nor would she find there, the means to jiractise the religion she had embraced, ascertaining also that the Bishop, as well as the Governor, had given their assent, the nuns admit her to pronounce her vows, thus settling the question, according to her desires, beyond repeal. In the eloquent address of Father Bigot to the youthful novice, at her profession, let us quote the following argu- ment. " As long, said the preacher, as she had been a minoi', she had had no opportunity of returning to her country; but now that she is of age, hcv parents cannot object to her choice of a vocation, or if they should disapprove, it will be because they are not aware of its excellence and its sanctity." He then '^'xhorts the happy novice to lasting gratitude for the favors 182 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY of Divine Providence in her regard, and tells her she may well exclaim in the words of the prophet-king : " The God who hcis wrought these wonders in ray behalf is the Lord of the eternal ages. Ever shall he be my God • under his delightful law I shall live secure ! " Mother Esther Wheelwright of the Infant Jesus is one of those nuns of olden times, whose names are never pronounced b'lt with love and veneration in the community which she edified and served during sixty-six years. She is not how- ever, the only one of the Indian captives who found the liberty of the soul and the light of faith, in compensation for earthly misfortunes. With her we naturally associate Miss Davis and Miss Jeryan ^, rescued like her from captivity among the Abena- kis, to end their days in the sweet captivity of Jesus Christ in the monastery. Miss Mary Ann Davis, in religion Mother Mary Benedict, was already a professed nun since some years, when our little Esther entered the convent as a boarder. Born in the village of Salem, Massachusetts, she had been taken captive (1686) at the age of six years, by a war party, after seeing her parents massacred and her house in flames. To recount her subsequent fate, her adoption by the sachem of the tribe, who ciierished the little orphan more tenderly than his own children ; her life in the woods, where she learned to plant the maize, or gather baskets of fragrant berries, but knew not the taste of bread, nor the use of a needle, would be to repeat, in part, what has been related of our interesting Esther. Let us merely tell how another 1 — Or Jordan, according to Miss C. A. Baker. THE THREE CAPTIVES 183 apostle of the Abenakis, Father Kasle, found little Mary Ann docile to his instructions, and faithful in following his counsels, till after many difficulties and delays, he succeeded in extricating the young girl, at the age of seventeen or eighteen, from the perils and hazards of savage life. Then, after finding friends for her among the French, he placed her us a boarder in the convent. This was the " House of Jesus," of which she had heard so much, and which she already regarded as her future Lome. Passing from the classes to the novitiate, in 1698, she was admitted to profession two years later, and was thus the first Ursuline of English descent in the monastery of Quebec. Fifty years spent in the service of Him who had spoken to her heart there in the depths of the primeval forests, were not too long to testify, day by day, her gratitude, and to prove it by her fidelity to the rule she had embraced. Humble, meek, laborious, submissive and pious, her life in the convent was like the fragrant May-flower of the woods of Maine, delighting all by its gentle perfume, while it hides itself in the most shady recesses of the valley where it has chosen its retreat. The third captive who became an Ursuline nun, was Miss Mary Dorothea Jeryan. Borne off to the woods at so tender an age that she had no recollection of any other house but ttie wigwam where she was living, she had marked the lapse of years only by the budding flowers, or the falling snow, until the same missionary who had baptized Miss Davis, met this other little wanderer, and taught her to know the true Ood. Regenerated in the saving waters of baptism, and in- structed in the sublime truths of religion, Mary Dorothea felt her youthful heart beat with the desire essential to an Ursu- line, that of teaching other souls the way of salvation. ■ ) 184 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY while the heavenly Bridegroom inwardly inviting her, bade her hope for the day when she would become his consecrated 81)011 se. Another missionary succeeding the martyred Father Rasle^ cultivated with care this lily of the woods. Transplanted at length to another soil, after some fifteen years had gone by, and placed within the pale of civilization, it was yet a toil to engraft upon those rudimental dispositions the forms of education and refinement. Her liberator, Father Joseph Aiibery, constituted himself her teacher, until having acquired a sufficient knowledge of the French to be able to make herself understood, she was placed in our classes. The progress of the new pupil was not rapid; but our Mothers, having regard to the good will of the subject, her precious dispositions, her piety and zeal, admitted her to the novitiate ; and, after the usual delay required by our rules, to profession (1.722). The future career of Mary Dorothea, now known as Mother St. Joseph, fully justified the hopes that had been entertained of her usefulness. The monastery became her second home and country, a thousand-fold dearer to her than her birth- place or native land. During the siege of Quebec by the English in 1759, when the nuns were forced to abandon their sacred asylum, seeking safety beyond the walls of the besieged city, nothing could equal the grief of Mother St. Joseph. Would the victors, her countrymen, now become the ]ier- secutors of her community ? Was the country of her adoption destined to lose the priceless gift of faith through the instru- mentality of her own race ? These afflicting thoughts, joined to an enfeebled state of health, rendered her exile from her beloved cloister one long agony. Her heart had received its- death-wound, and when, on the 13th September, she became i i C f •= 2 « -: -v >. •= 'S ^ u 5 i'. u -^ X THE MONASTERY ENLARGED 185 aware of her approaching dissolution, she hailed the approach of her last hour as a prisoner would welcome the joyful news of a speedy release. The reception of the last consola- tions which the Church offers her children, soothed her dying moments, as she passed away to a better country, on that memorable 14th September, (1759) which marked the down- fall of the French government in Canada. The temporary sojourn of the Ursulines with the beloved nuns of the General Hospital, during the siege, was marked in many ways for long remembrauce. We shall only men- tion here with gratitude the cordial hospitality exercised towards our whole community by those true friends, during that memorable period, reserving other details for their proper date. CHAPTER IX 1712-1723 / THE MONASTERY ENLARGED Within the sp^ce of eleven years, from 1712 to 1723, the monastery attained proportions M'hich were foimd sufficient for the wants of its inhabitants till more than a century later. It was a period when the colony was entering upon a new phase of its existence. Public calamities were to be followed by a season of comparative repose and prosperity ; there was to be a respite from hourly dread of the Iroquois ; the future conquerors of Canada also were, unknowingly, willing to wait their day. During the judicious administration of Gov- ernor de Vaudreuil, up to 1725, the resources of the country 186 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY Were considerably developed ; many internal iniprovemeuts were effected while the population increased to 25,000 soula. The Ursulines seem to have noted the " signs of the times," and made preparations for the coming " better days." As early as 1712, we find them deliberating in chap- ter, and unanimously deciding upon enlarging the monas- tery and building a church, notwithstanding the depressed state of their finances. According to the original plan, the buildings to be constructed would have completed a quad- rangle, with a front of more than two hundred feet facing Donnacona street, and forming a large interior court-yard. It was Mother LeMaire of the Angels, the last survivor of the nuns from France, who at the age of seventy-one, undertook this arduous enterprise, pressing its execution with vigor, and obtaining, several times, generous subsidies from her wealthy relatives in Paris. The process of con- struction was necessarily tedious and expensive ; but far greate" were the difliculties, when it was ascertained that the plan was really too vast lor the immediate wants, as well as the actual resources of the community. The founda- tions already commenced had to be abandoned, and begun anew in another direction, at the price of much loss and delay. The only part Mother Mary of the Angels saw completed, was the novitiate, an addition seventy-five feet in length to the wing styled. La Sainte Famille, which had been the nuns' department since 1687. The foundations of the church and the parlor building were also commenced by her ; but the aged Mother was then taken from her labors to her eternal rest, and the task of continuing them devolved on another Superior, Mother An- gelique of St. John. The building along the street, des- tined for the conventual entrance and the parlors, was completed in 1717. Then only could the nuns continue •■'te THE MONASTERY ENLAKOED 187 the construction of their " second temple," and that they did with such ardor, that they labored at it with their own hands. The annals relate the building of the church as follows : " On recommencing the labors, we dressed a little Indian boy, to represent the Infant Jesus, and prepared him to lay the corner-stone in honor of St. Joseph. Then each one devoted herself, according as she was capable, to contribute to the erection of that sacred edifice which had so long been in contemplation. At the hours when the masons were absent for their meals, we used to mount the scaffolding, carrying up the stone and the mortar, our Mother Superior leading the way, and the community following her example with alacrity and emulation. With the blessing of God, every thing succeeded marvellously. '* When the masons were served, all returned to their re- spective labors, some to painting, gilding or embroidery ; some wrought tapestry, or bark-work, others made artificial flowers. Their earnings served to augment our revenues and to aid in paying the workmen. During all this time, adds the annalist, we on)iited none of our spiritual exercices, we infringed upon none of our holy rules and observances. We have also to be thankful that not one of the workmen met with any accident while working on our buildings. A kind Providence has blessed us in a special manner, enabling us to meet all these expenses, notwithstanding the loss of half our income by the reduction of the funds on the Hotel de Ville, in Paris." The construction of the church was finished. An altar had been raised, and, although no pillars yet lifted their crowning capitals around it, no sculptured decorations adorned the sanctuary, no paintings hung along the naked walls, yet the sacred edifice, although bare of all ornament, was a desirable exchange from that small apartment which had served as a chapel for the last thirty years. Great, 188 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY therefore, were the rejoicings lunong the iiimutea of the cloister. The friendly citizens of Quebec shared the joy of the nuns, as they proved by coming in large numbers to celebrate with them three consecutive festivals : the ceremony of the con- secration, the feast of the Assumption, and that of the holy relics. At all those pious festivities Bishop Saint-Valier jtresided, with his clergy, in the midst of all that was then most distinguished in the city. Although blessed, the chapel still reijuired the presence of workmen, and did not serve regularly for mass and the other observances, until tlie 19th March following (1723). It belonged to St. Joseph, the titular patron of the church and of the monastery, to transfer the Blessed Sacrament to the new altar as to another Nazareth, after a longer exile than was that of the Holy Family in Egypt. It was only thirteen years later (1735) * that the architec- tural decorations, designed, it is said, after u plan of the private chapel of Louis XIV, gave the last finish to the interior, rendering the church of the Ursulines one of the neatest, considering its dimensions, of the four principal [ churches in the city. The gilding, of which there is that pro- fusion reijuired by the taste of those times, was all executed by the patient toil of the nuns themselves. The paintings with which it is adorned at the present day, were acquired only at the beginning of the nineteenth century. 1 — The college of the Jesuits commenced in 1635, was completed about the same time (1730). ■i r QUEBEC IN 1720 189 CHAPTEH X QUEBE( IN 1720 TIIK NOVITIATK OK TJIK URSIILISKH AT THK SAMK UATK An ftccJ'iate historiiin, writing in 1720, has left us a pic- ture of life and manners in Quebec, at once graphic and curious in its details, which will help to set off" another picture, less known, that of life and society in the cloister. Recording his personal observations, Charlevoix says: " There are not more than 7,000 souls in QueViec; but one finds there a little world where all is select, and calculated to form an agreeable society. V Governor General with his staff, nobles, otticers, and troops ; an Intendant, with a Srpe- rior Council, and inferior courts ; a Commissary of Marine, a Grand Provost, a Grand Voyer (trustee of roads) ; a Super- intendant of Streams and Forests, whose jurisdiction is cer- tairdy the most extensive in the world ; merchants in easy circumstances, or, at least, living as if they were; a Bishop and a numerous clergy : RecoUets and Jesuits ; three well established communities of nuns ; other circles elsewhere, as brilliant as those surrounding the Governor and Intendant, In short, it seems to me, that for all classes of persons, there are abundant means of passing the time agreeably. Every one contributes thereto to his utmost. There are games and excursions, the parties using in summer des ath^chca ov canoeH ; in winter they have sledges and snow-shoes to bear them over the snow and ice. Hunting is a favorite amusement : many gentlefolks have no other resource for living comfort- ably. " Current news is confined to a few topics, as the country '^^ 100 GLIMI'ciES OF THE MONASTKRY does not att'ord mftiiy. The news from Eurojje (^oines all at once, hut lasts all the year, furnishin«j;t'n(lh'.s.s comnicnts upon the past and conjecture ahout the future. The arts and sciences have their turn, so that conversation never lanj^uishes. " The Canadians breathe, from their earliest years, an air of liberty which renders them very agreeable in .social inter- course. Nowhere else is our language spoken with greater j)urity and free from any defective accent. " There are no rich j)eople here; if there were they would do honor to their fortune, as very few persons trouble them- selves about laying up riches. They live well, if they can also afford to dress well ; if not, they spare at table in order to wear richer ap])arel. And it must be allowed that diess becomes our Camidians. They are a Hue-looking peoi)le, and the best blood of France runs in their veins. Good humour, refined and genteel manners, are common to all, and rusticity either in language or habits is unknown, even in the distant country-places." Thus far our historian. Let us now inquire at the Ursu- lines, how that " little world " described as so delightful is represented with them. Entering the novitiate, new and well lighted, commanding a plea.sant prospect from its windows that overlook the garden and a wide extending landscape, we find assembled under the eye of a grave but gentle novice- mistress, twenty young ladies, of whom foiu' wear the badge of probation, the white veil. These must have but lately renounced the good cheer, the pleasures and amusements, which even the dispassionate Jesuit seems to have found so engaging. A glance upon the old register shall be our guide, for in the cloister rank and title count as nothing : the only prece- THE NOVITIATK IN 1720 191 dence ftcknnwledgetl among sister-novines, is tbundf»d on the relative date of their entry. The family name, however proud or honorable, is laid aside, and the spouse of Christ is henceforth known by some appellation that servtss to remind her of heaven more than of earth. First, then, in seniority of profession, we meet Sister Esther Wheelwright of the Infant Jesus. She has nearly completed her sixth year in the novitiate, and will therefore soon exchange the first place here for the last in the c(»mmunity ; and happier will ahe esteem hersell' in occupying that last jdace, than when, in later years, she will be called to govern the monastery as Superior. Her history is somewhat known to our readers, as well as that of the last white-veiled novice, Sister Mary Dorothea Jeryan of St. Joseph ; we have called them : " The Captives." Unmindful of the eticjuette of the convent, we shall revive, for the moment, discarded titles, to jn-esent Miss Charlotte de Muy (Sister St. Helen), daughter of the Chevalier Dau- neau de Muy, Governor of Louisiana; and her cousin Marie- Anne de Boucherville (Sister St. Ignatius), naming one of her venerable ancestors, Pierre Boucher de Boucherville, first Governor of Three Rivers. Not six months after the entry of Miss de Muy, the monastery-door opened to the eager appeal of Miss Catherine de Ramesay, nt v known as Sister St. Radegoude, daughter of the Chevalier Claude de Ramesay, Seigneur of Sorel and Ste. Marie-le-Mounoir, Governor of Montreal. The absence of Miss de Ramesay and Miss de Muy from the circles of fashion in Montreal, doubtless produced a sensation at the time. In the parental mansion, especially, there was a void left which it was difficult to till. But they, if not indifferent to the charms of a flattering world and their own high posi- tion, found strength to despise them, and they considered it 192 GLIMl'SES OF THE MONASTERY as gain to exchange the highest worldly distinctions their country could afford, for the humblest rank in the House of the Lord. For the benetit of such as cannot believe in a disin- terested sacritict', let us open the annals at once, to see to what rank Miss de Kainesay aspired in religion, on quitting the highest in socie'y. " From the day of her entrance into the novitiate, she gave proof of the excellence of her vocation by laboring seriously to advance in perfection. She ])ro- nounced her vows in the most edifying dispositions, to her great satisfaction as well as ours. From this moment she advanced daily in tlie practice of every virtue, detached from •every thing created, zealous for the instruction of youth, and for all that regarded the service of God, careful to avoid the parlor, and every thing that could remind her of the world she had abandoned." As to Mother Marie-Anne de Boucherville of St. Ignatius, one line will suffice to characterize her. On our usual author- ity, the annals, we can assert that she had retained one predominant passion : it was " to employ every moment of her time foi' the benefit of the community, or in aiding and rendering service to her Sisters. She rejoiced to be second in the offices, seeking in the obedience she rendered her com- panion, more frequent opportunities to practise her favorite virtue, humility." Not less edifying in piety and abnegation, was the religious career of Mother de Muy of St. Helen, whose health gave small promise of a long life. Delicate and fragde as was the casket, tiie pearl it enclosed was of great price. A gifted and ■energetic mind, " enabled her to render great services in the classes, notwithstanding the long sufferings which she emlurerl with astonishing courage." To her pen, as aanalist, the Con- vent owes long and interesting details of the Seven Years' THE NOVITIATE IN 1720 193 War, whicli closed the French doiuiiiation in Canada, her own •death on that luomorable 14h Se[)tember, silently imparting new pathos to the sad picture she draws of the distress and defeat of her countrymen. But returning now to the 31st August, 1717, the day when Miss liumesay, in the midst of the ^lite of the society both of Quebec and Montreal, receives the white veil from the hands of liishop Saint-Valier, and Father (lerard, S. .1., makes a " ravishing discourse " on the happiness to be found in the service of God, we may discover among his hearers tlie sudden awakening of another religions vocation. The sermon wrought the conversion of a " young world- ling," whom we now introduce as Sister St. Borgia, lately Miss Catherine Margaret des Meloises. That wliite veil and linen band conceal a brow which was then adorned with all that is most admired in wreathing tress, or sparkling gem, or opening rose-bud. That sable robe of serge replaces the rich brocade or floating gossamer, that often enveloped her grace- ful form, radiant with the fickle joys of the ball-room, at the Castle, the palace of the Tntendant, or the " brilliant circles elsewhere." The transformation is due to divine grace, which, after pursuing her with gentle importunity from her early years, huJ asserted its claims victoriously on the occasion just alluded to. Issuing from the chapel, where the voice of an internal monitor had seconded the eloiiucuce of the sacred preacher, unable to control her emotion, she flies from the presence of the gay company that had attended her ; she hastens along the yet de.serled streets. " Passing near the Jesuits' church, she enters. There, alone with her reflections in the presence of Ood, listening to the reproaches of her 194 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY 1' * conscience and to the voice of grace, she begins to detest a life of vanity ; she begs pardon for her long resiutance and delay ; she implores the divine mercy for strength and courage to break the ties that bind her to the world, humbly confessing her own weakness and inability without the powerful aid of Heaven : she addresses herself to the Blessed Virgin and to the saints, particularly to St. Francis Borgia, to whom she had a special devotion. " Her prayer had been already accepted ; she arose com- forted, strengthened in her resolution to give herself entirely lO God. During the two years she was still obliged to delay entering the monastery, never more was she to be met with at soiree or ball, or pleasure-party. And when, at last, having arranged with her brother and sisters all that regarded her inheritance, she humbly demanded and obtained admittance among the daughters of St. Ursula, the novitiate appeared to her the gate of paradise. She longed for the day, when she would put off her wordly attire, as a mark of her voluntary divorce witli the world. " From that moment she seemed indeed to become a new creature in Jesus Christ. Her piety Avas inost exemplary, her charity unbounded. Her detachment from self and from every thing earthly ; her mortification, her fidelity to the observance of the rule and her holy engagements, rendered her a bright example of what is meant by religious perfection. It was necessary, on more than one occasion, to moderate her fervor, which always exceeded her strength. Her services, which were extended to all, even to the lay- sisters in their laborious avocations, were especially precious in the classes, where her Atisd for the salvation of souls, and her own experience of the vanity of the vvorld, made her eloquent in exhorting her young charge to avoid its snares, and to assure their salvation by the practice of virtue. THE NOVITIATE IN 1720 195 " Although she loved her family tenderly, she was extreme- ly guarded in speaking of her relatives, and if, in conver- sation, there was any allusion to the nobility of her birth, she evidently suffered and would adroitly introduce some other topic of discourse. " What suited her humility better was to be reminded of her defects ; and seeking to expiate the self-love which once led her to relish compliments, she would willingly tax herself with hypocrisy when her piety, for want of some other fault more apparent, would be discreetly blamed as excessive. " In short, our fervent Mother St. Borgia pressed with such ardor the work of her perfection that she won her crown early, passing from the novitiate, her earthly paradise, to that above, just as she was completing the fourth year of her religious profession." We have been insensibly led to dwell too long, per- haps, upon the interesting Miss des Meloises, Tha " little world " of Quebec has yet other representatives of its highest circles in this novitiate of 1720. Here are the two daughters of Mr. Charles Gaillard, member of the Supreme Council, Sister Marie-Louise of the Virgin and Sister Marie-Clare of St. Thomas, two fervent young. girls, who chose the narrow path, in preference to the broad and flowery one, before they had attained their sixteenth year. Here we also find daughters of merchants and professional men, of the type named by our historian, " in easy circum- stances." Oue of these. Miss Angelique Perthuis, (Sister of the Angels) wears the white veil ; among the professed, are Sister St. Francis Xavier, (Miss Louise Pinguet-Vaucours), Sister Teresa of Jesus, (Miss Fraucoise Baudouin), Sister St. Elizabeth, (Miss Angelique Langlois), Sister St. Stan- islaus, (Miss Angelique Normandin). These four young girls 106 GLIMPSES OP THB MONASTERY discovered in early youth that the world, all fascinating as it may appear, is insufficient to satisfy the cravings of the soul for happiness ; and they sought it in the service of Him who has declared that " His yoke is easy and His burden light." The testimony of those who lived with them till the close of their peaceful lives, is that they found within the cloister " the hundred-fold " that is promised by One who cannot deceive Let us now introduce a few more young ladies from Mont- real. In the course of the same year that saw Missde Ilame- say quit the gay world for the cloister, her example was followed by three of her companions. One of these is Miss Marie-Iien(5e du Mesnil, (Sister St. Gertrude), whose father accumulates the titles of Major in the army, Lien enant of the Navy, Knight of the Order of St. Louis, &c. " This amiable Mother, writes the annalist thirty-four years later, adorned with all the qualities that would ha\'e enabled her to occupy with advantage the high position Providence had assigned her in soeiety, esteemed above all things a life hidden in God. Penetrated with sentiments of humility, and submissive to the will of Heaven, she rejoiced in those infirmities which rendered her incapable of occupying any office of importance, or of discharging those duties of the institute, at" once so delightful to an Ursuline, while they are so meritorious, and honorable." Another of Montreal's high-born ladies, among our novices, is Sister St. Anthony, daughter of M. Charles Juchereau Du- chesuay. Like the other young ladies we have named from Montreal, Miss Teresa Juchereau formed her first acquaint- ance with the Ursulines as a boarder. Eeturning to the bosom of her family, where she was cherished most tenderly, at the same time that she was surrounded by all that is best THE NOVITIATE IN 1720 197 calculated to dazzle the youthful imagination and soften the heart, she had not always paused to distinguish between what she owed to her position in society, and what she wa^ giving to her own love of the world and to vanity. That dan- gerous passion was taking deep root in her heart, while the daily round of dissipation and pleasure was as surely extin- guishing all true piety. Our annalist notes the vocation of Miss Jucherea" as " a conquest of grace, the fruit of a fervent retreat. This privileged soul, she says, won heaven early, her exile being abridged by the Divine Master in order to hasten her reward." As to Miss de Repentigny (Sister St. Agatha), although Miss Juchereau's friend, we shall reserve the particulars of her vocation for another moment. We therefore introduce next. Miss Elizabeth Josephte de Villedonne, whose father was Etienne de Villedonne, Captain of a detachment of the Navy. Unlike the two last-named young ladies, Miss de Villedonne, during the two or three years of her absence from the convent, always shared reluctantly the gay amuse- ments that offered her their attractions. Three other novices remain to be introduced : they are not from the cities of Quebec or Montreal, but from country- manor or farm-house, not less attractive. From the Island of Orleans there is Sister St, Margaret, (Miss Le Clerc) ; from Chateau Richer, Sister St, Monica (Miss Marguerite Cloutier) ; from the parish of St, Joachim, Sister St. Agnes, (Miss Marie-Anne Buteau), who is destined to outlive all her companions of the novitiate, prolonging her active and useful existence to the age of eighty - three years. The ceremony of this introduction has been long, yet would we name our three good lay-sisters, whose services are not less precious in the eyes of God, nor less appreciated • / 198 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY by the community, than those of the choir-sisters who labor in the Institute. They are Sisters St. Thecla (Blanche Marier), Mary of the Eesurrection (Marie-Anne Eacine), and St. Andrew (Marie- Julienne Maufis). The two last-named live cheerfully their fifty years, in the humble occupations to which are attiiched equal rewards, and far greater facilities for acquiring them, than in the more arduous, or more responsible offices in the community. As we retire from that novitiate, where we have seen so many young ladies generously triumi)hing over the senti- ments of nature, and trampling upon all that is most esteemed and sought after in the world, are there not some among our readers who are struck with apprehension and pity, as if they had just beheld so many victims, doomed to feel the intol- erable weight of perpetual solitude, and to drag out their weary existence in the bonds of an unvarying submission to obedience and a severe rule ? Are there not some who forget what the Apostle says of himself, " that the world is crucified to him, as he is to the world, and yet that he superabounds in joy ? " But the firm decision of each at the trying moment of sepa- ration from home, and her perseverance in her cherished vocation, are the best reply to any misgiving of the kind. Truly the cloistered nun may say : " I have separated myself from all that the world holds dear and delightful, but I have done so willingly, and I consider such a loss my greatest gain. It ia my pleasure, my honor, henceforth to seek to live for God alone, serving my fellow-creatures for the love of God. I trust myself to one who does not change ; in Him I shall find a remedy for my own inconstancy. Here, as the author of the Imitation of Christ promises, I am excited WW j^Ki ',• .".ff. i)> '.■irjJiL fsfvn:' in *. jt . :. THE NOVITIATE IN 1720 199 to good by example, and warned from evil by admonition. Here are diverse (jflice.s, and one spirit of charity. Here, when one is weaiy of attendance to duty, another supplies her place ; while one reads, many are edified, and each having her weekly course, all are mutually relieved. When one happily sleeps in the Lord, she has many intercessors to deliver her the sooner from the place of expiation. Her labor and good conversation will not be forgotten, but will profit many in future times for an example." " Here, as St. Clement and St. Basil tell, one is able to pray for me to God, another to console me when sick, another to teach me what is useful to salvation. Another will correct me with kindness, or consult together with me like a friend ; and all will love me truly, without guile, without flattery. sweet attendance of friends ! blessed ministry of com- forters ! the faithful services of those who fear only God 1 the true simplicity which is incapable of a falsehood ! the honorable labor which is in obedience to God, to please God! " monastic life, holy, angelical, blessed 1 No tongue can express the sentiments of love which 1 feel for thee, no voice can depict the joy with which thou dost fill my heart ! " No wonder, then, that the happy soul, chosen by Heaven for so sublime a vocation, makes her whole life-time one hymn of thanksgiving. By fidelity to her rule, to prayer, and the sacraments, she obtains strength to sustain with joy the gentle yoke of Ohrist ; laboring at stated hours in the school-room or in the service of her sisters, having no other end in view but to accomplish her duty for the love of God. But let us also inquire, what provision has been made for relaxation and repose. The order of the day, as mapped out in olden times, and 200 GLLMPSES OF THE MONASTERY still adhered to as much as po3>.ible, is soniethinj,' remark- able. Each hour has, it is true, its allotted occupation, from the time when the bell at four o'clock announces the hour to rise, till the signal for retiring before nine in the evening ; yet with such amplitude of space, such " roominess " as Faber calls it, that one duty presses not on the steps of another, in such a manner as to give the feeling of being enchained or enslaved. There are intervals, of more or less duration, which serve as a halt or resting-spot for the feeble, at the same time that it is a spur to the vigorous, by affording occasion for some s})ontaneous act of piety, kindness or zeal. The hour of recreation is esteemed of the same value for heaven as the hour of prayer; it is enjoyed with zest, in proportion to the silence that precedes. The gaiety of con- versation is pure and sincere. It is the family circle, without its anxieties and cares ; it is society, without its tedious forms and shallow compliments. There are excursions too, in summer, when the day is fine ; for the convent grounds are spacious, and not devoid of shade. The birds seem to sing more sweetly there than anywhere else, and build their nests, in security, in every clump of lilac, plum, or cherry-tree. The buzz and hum of bees and every gay-winged insect that loves to nestle in the cups of flowers, make music, that is not lost by the over boisterous merriment of the groups that stroll leisurely through the winding alleys of the old garden. Here, a favorite bed of pansies, there, a mingled glow of roses, pinks, and lilies, the gaudy Uilip or the gladiolus, attract and delight the eye; or it is the growth of some shrub or tree that is watched with interest. The wonders of vegetable life, the special beauty of each leaf, afford pleasure to the contemplative mind, shadowing forth the beauties and THE CHAPEL OF THE SAINTS 201 wonders of that unseen world to which she constf.ntly aspires. Or, let it be a later hour, when the oftices and duties of the day being over, the evening is closing around the monastery in that mysterious silence which is its greatest charm. Then it is that the sacred words of the divine Othce are heard, from many voices that form but one chant, in which the Angels join, although their heavenly accents may be inaudible to mortal ear. Thus falls the curtain of night around the peaceful cloister, while each one, according to the attractions of grace, enters into the recesses of her own conscience : there, finding all at rest, all passions hushed, who can tell the deep feeling of security and thanksgiving that sweetly fills the soul, rendering that humble cell an image and an anticipation of Paradise ? CHAPTER XT THE CHAPEL OF THE SAINTS A little sanctuary, much frequented by the inmates of the cloister, a sort of pilgrimage to which they resort with special confidence and consolation, is known as the " chapel of the Saints." An ancient statue of Our Lady of Great Power occupies the centre of the altar, amid sculptured decora- tions, the whole breadth of the wall on either side being covered with paintings and reliquaries of various size and form, the larger ones resting on gilded stands, the smaller ones, enclosed under glass, in the four pilasters that support the entablature. 202 QLIMPSFS OF THE MONASTERY But the wealth of the chiipel consists in th(! (juuntity of relics with which it hiis been endowed. The antiquity of the shrines that enclose them, and the names of the donors, add new interest to the objects already so precious in them- selves. Among the first of these pious donors, we may mention Doni Claude Martin, a lienedictine monk. He had already, in 1662, procured for the monastery which his revered Mother had founded, and where she was then living, the relics of the martyrs, Justus, Modestus, Maximinus and Felix. One of the Ursulines of Metz sent us from Cologne pre- cious relics of St. Ursula and her companions. Another friend, Madame de Guise, Abbess of Montmartre, gave others. In 1671, Mother Le Maire of the Angels, coming to the mon- astery, brought relics of the martyrs Placid us, Firminus, Januarius, Peregrinus and Honorius, which her brother the Abbi^ Le Maire, had procured for her in Rome. Some years later. Father C. Boileau, another relative of Mother Mary of the Angels, enriched the monastery with a casket containing the entire body of the holy martyr St. Clement, which he had obtained from Pope Innocent XI. Other relics of the Martyrs, Vitalis, Dionysius, Candidus, Marcellinus, &c., whose names are venerable and illustrious for their sufferings for Jesus' sake, were bestowed by the same generous friend. In short, so large a quantity of these treasures had been received from various pious donors that, in 1674, it was decided to prepare a chapel where they might be deposited with special honor. This primitive chapel perished in the contlagration of the church and choir, of which it formed a part, in 1686. But the relics were not suffered to perish. A lay-sister, anim- ated with fervor that gave her new strength and courage, .. THE UUAPEL OF TUB SAINTS 203 persisted in Lmnsjjorting tlieiii, till she had nearly become herself a martyr to her pious zeal, us we have elsewhere related. In times more recent, other treasures of a similar nature have been added. Looking over the catalogue, we find the names of St. Augustine, the great legislator of monastic insti- tutions, St. Francis of Sales, " the most amiable saint ; " Ignatius of Loyola and others formed to sanctity in his Society, St. Francis Xavier, St. Aloysius and St. Stanislaus, the patrons of youth ; St. Angela Meri i. foundress of the Ursulines, St. Magdalen de Pazzi, &c. The recent martyrs of China and Japan are also represented there. Our chapel of the Saints has other objects of still higher anti- quity. Like the " Sainte chapelle " in Paris, it has a particle of the true Cross and of the Crown of Thorns ; the former enclosed in a small crystal tube, forms the centre of a silver cross about fourteen inches in height. It was presented to the Monastery in 1677, by Dom Claude Martin. Is it necessary, here, to justify the veneration given to the relics of Saints ? to tell why, and how, we honor the friends of God, the champions and defenders of the Faith ? And, when they have gone to their reward, how we love to have some memento of them, some object to recall them to mind, with the thought of the heaven where they are rewarded, and where we finally hope one day to dwell with them ? It is a sentiment so natural that we all practise the devo- t>ion to relics, when our friends or relatives are concerned. Not many years ago, Washington's grateful countrymen bore in a procession a lock of his hair, as a trophy of which they might be proud, and were not afraid of being called super- stitious. Our shrines and reliquaries enclose similar objects, and we venerate them with a kindred feeling, heightened by . 204 QLIMP8ES UF TUE MONASTERY the knowledge of favors granted by Heaven, »>n more than one occasion, to those who thus lionor them " whom God delights to honor." it is a feeling similar to that which renders the Catacombs sacred, or makes the soil of the arena within the (tumbling Coliseum seem h<»ly ground. Yes ! when the first twilight shades are descendin^^ after that plaintive anthem (»f the Vesper-Oftice, In iii CHAPTER XII 1682-1739 EDUCATION IN THE CONVENT id In picturing the Monastery,at any period, we must surround it with that interesting portion of humanity, joyous, careless, ingenuous youth. For the sake of these lambkins of the fold of Christ, the cloister of the Ursulines is not as strict us in the contemplative orders. The conventual door opens as readily to the appeal of children to be instructed as if it had not a double lock. The Avelcome that awaits a pupil is as warm, the greeting ia tender, as if the inmates of the convent were the household friends of her infancy. , • 14 ,-,.., ^ ii UjP ^i iipiirj^ i ifcai i yx 210 GLIMP3ES OF THE MONASTERY I-, Tho name of " Mother ", which she is allowed to bestow on those who are receiving her with open arms, tells the measure of love she may expect, the amount of care and solicitude she may claim as her right. For the sitouse of Jesus remembers the word of Him, who once, taking in His arms little children, blessed them, saying : " Let little children come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever receiveth one of these little ones in my name, receiveth me." Far from regarding the duties of a teacher as irksome, she rejoices in them. She esteems no employment more sweet and honorable, than that of forming the youthful heart to piety, and storing the tender mind with useful knowledge, convinced that she is thus contributing, most certainly, to the welfare and happiness of society. I: L The boarding-school, like the community, is a little commonwealth in itself, with its own statutes, privileges, and immunities. The " local government," nominated by the Superior, is composed of a mistress-general, with her staff of teachers and aids, as many as may be required for the intellectual, the spiritual, and the physical wants of the pupils. It is the mistress-general who welcomes the little stranger as she enters, and dries the tears that will come when part- ing from fond parents for the first time. It is she who comforts the trembling child with gentle words, and conducts her to the chapel, near by, to ask the blessing of God on her sojourn in the monastery. Then, the same maternal hand, after weighing ihe little stock of knowledge the new pupil may already possess, guides her to the class to which she will belong, continuing, as the year advances, to note her progress by the report of the ditferent teachers : for the EDUCATION IN THE CONVENT 211 mistress-general is entrusted with the monthly distri- bution of certificates, and is responsible to the parents. In short, she is the intermediary of authority, maintaining that of the other mistresses, and applying to the Supe- rior in all cases beyond the limits of her own jurisdiction. Thus, as the Apostle has advised, " all thiugs are settled in order, that all being of one mind and living in union, the Crod of peace and love may be with His servants." Our little pupil is soon at home in the convent, and pass- ing from the class-rooms, where the toil of learning is sweet- ened by the kindness of the teacher, to the refectory where she is plentifully served ; to the recreation-hall, or the play- grounds, where innocent sports make the hour pass only too swiftly, she forgets the sadness of the parting scene at the conventual door. Then, as the months roll on, the good seed, destined to produce ten or a hundredfold, is gradually sown: the love of God, the fear of offending Him, respect for authority, fidel- ity to order and duty, habits of virtue and self-government : such is the b^sis which the conscientious teacher seeks to lay, broad and d'f'ep, when laboring to form the character of her youthful charge. ler id, I' ill ler Itbe In the early part of the eighteenth cantury, the course of studies in our schools, was much the same as that followed in the mother-house in Paris, the Ursulines of Quebec having adopted, with the constitutions of that Congregation, their rule, for the educational department. Tht .'irricidam embraced reading and grammar ; arithmetic and penmanship ; religious instruction, including .sacred history, with occasional recita- tions in prose and verse, to impart a taste for reading, as well as to ornament the memory and improve the mind. 212 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY Dramatic dialogues on moral and pious subjects, pastorals, or complimentary apologues on anniversary occasions, were held in esteem, as a means of forming the pupils to grace- fulness of manners, and that degree of modest assurance which is so becoming, yet so ditlicult to attain in youth. Embroidery, in its various styles, and needle-work in genev, 1, xeceived great attention, as well as domestic economy. Such a course, announced in the prospectus of an educa- tional institution at the present day, would excite surprise YT,nd be declared jjositively too elementary. Yet we may be allowed to doubt, whether any system of modern education can be found that does greater justice to its recipient, than tlie old training did, the chief object of which seems to have l)een to prepare the young for the great aim of life : that of living according to the precepts of religion, and performing •well the duties of one's station in society. When we can name such women as Madame de Mainte- non, and many other distinguished ladies of her time ; when "we see a Marchioness de Vaudreuil, a pupil of our convent, called (1709) without any further preparation, to fill the office of sub-governess to princes of the royal line of Bour- bon ; when we have reac the lives and the writings of many of our ancient ntms, we cannot but admit that there are reasons for not depreciating the old system of education in convents. Zeal for the education of their chil lrv.nis oni of the honor- able traits of the early settlers of Canada, many of whom would never have crossed the ocean to New France, so they assured Father Lejeune, if they had not been certain of finding there, persons able to guide their consciences in the •care of their salvation, as well as to instruct their offspring EDUCATION IN THE CONVENT 213 in virtue and learning. In this respect, as Le Clerc says, " Canada was more fortunate then new settlements in other parts of the world." It is not, therefore, surprising, that our lists show the prom- inent names of the country from one generation to another. Those of lesser note come also intermingled, while the day- school or exteriiat provided for the religious instruction and primary education of all classes, rich and poor, in the city. Terms for board were always moderate, and our good Mothers, accommodating. Money being rare in the colony, payments were made in goods and provisions, sometimes in wood for fuel, or in materials for building ; and not unfre- quently from the alms-box of the monastery, or from the sums occasionally donated by the French government. The best families were often not less in need of concessions and " favors " than the poorer class ; for, if the latter having to labor for their subsistence, were dependant on " wind and weather," a fine season or a good harvest, the former had to reckon with the casualties of the ocean, the accidents of war, and the certainties of an inadequate salary. As to the number of pupils frequenting the day-school, or residing in the convent as boarders, our Mothers seem to have left to the good angels who assembled them, the care of counting and comparing one year with another. Lists are often incomplete ; moreover, that season of renovation and reckoning, the vacation, being unknown, there were pupils entering or leaving throughout the year, without any obliga- tion or motive for presenting a total, for any given period. If the annals state that there were, in such a year,^ "sixteen little communicants," or "twenty" on another occasion, it is not in order to enumerate, but to record a mark of the kindness of their chief Pastor, who, " addresses the dear children a moving exhortation, and gives them 214 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY t K 1 * • > conimuiiioD, as well as the nuns, from his own hand." Or the good bisho], is present on a Passion-Sunday, and wit- nesses a little entertainment in honor of the mystery, at which " he manifests his entire satisfaction. " When, at the beginning of the century, there is a terrible epidemy, and thirty-seven of the boarders are ill at one time, the annalist records the fact; but she does not tell us how many escaped the malady, only that the classes were suspended for want of teachers. We see that from year to year, there is a gradual increase ; new classes are formed, ne\\' class-rooms provided. The chapter on " T Monastery enlarged " (1717), has shown us the whole building adjoining the parlors, occupied by the boarders. A class of little Indian girls continued till al)out the year 1725 ; the day-school was, at all times formerly, far more numerous than that of the boarders. Some of the pupils entered the convent very young, and remained seven or eight years. Generally, i-hey came at the age often or eleven, to be prepared for their first communion, remaining from two to four or five years. The biographies of the nuns have enabled us to form these estimates ; and to observe, at the same time, that a young girl of fourteen or fifteen was able to give proof of a maturity of judgment, and a decision of character, which at the present day, we hardly expect at eighteen. The phenomenon may not be easy to explain, but it must be admitted. Could we now follow in spirit, through the devious paths of life, some of these former pupils ; could we consult family records, as we have passed in review those of the cloister, it would complete, in a satisfactory manner, our appreciation of the value, and the effects of education in the eighteenth century. • : ; > EDUCATION IN THE CONVENT 215 If When so competent a judge as Father Cliarlevoix, tells us, in 1720, " of a total absence of rusticity throughout the country ;" that he found the colonists " most respectable for their probity, their candor and solid piety, " we naturally attribute no small share of the merit to the good religious instruction the mothers of these families had received. Who knows not the influence of the mother on the rising gener- ation ? Who can doubt the truth of the aphorism of the old Bretons, upon which the ancient settlers of Canada seem to have acted : " It is better to instruct a little child than to gather wealth for him." We might fancy we hear one of those good Christian mothers imparting to her offspring the lessons of piety she had learned at the convent, in language as simple and sweet, as in the following song of the blind minstrel Herv^, the monastic bard of Armorica : " Approach, my little children ; come and hear a new song which I have composed expressly for you : take pains to remember it entirely. " When you awake in your bed, offer your heart to the good God, make the sign of the Cross, and say with faith, hope, and love, " Say : My God, I give thee my heart, my body and my soul: make me to be a good man, or else to die before my time. " When you see a raven fly, think that sin is as black and wicked ; when you see a little white dove fly, think that your soul, if pure, is as sweet and white." Oh ! happy the child that has a good mother. Never will her lessons of piety, her examples of virtue be totally cft'aced from the mind ! , . t Let us now take a specimen of the names that occur on our lists, beginning by Miss Jeanne Le Ber, the admirable 210 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY recluse of Montreal. The piety of Jeanne, her tender love of God, and her desire to imitate the Child of Nazareth, in simplicity, in silence, in lalior and humility, were manifest, even at the age of eleven and twelve, when she was an inmate of the convent, in 1075. She found companions of her fervor in such young ladies as the Misses Denis, des Granges, St. Amand, Neveu, La Forge, Nolan, Marie and Marguerite Le Gardeur, Marie Berthelot, Angelique de Lauson, etc. Taking up the list at another date, we meet with the name of Miss Marie-.Tosepliine Fezeret, followed by the threo^ Misses des Meloises, the two Misses Villedonne, Marguerite Gravelle, etc. Miss Fezeret affords ns a noble example of energy and filial piety. Keturning to lier home in Montreal at the age of seventeen, she finds her family plunged in the deepest affliction. Her three brothers had fallen in battle where they had hoped to win glory and fortune ; her aged parents, left without means, were disheartened and overwhelmed with the weight of their misfortunes. Miss Fezeret, far from adding to the afilictions of her family by her own despondency, exerts herself to find, if possible, a remedy for the indigence that threatened them. She draws up a petition to present to the Governor to obtain a grant of lands, " with all sei- gniorial rights," pleading the losses her family had sustained " in the King's service," and their present necessities, with such ability that slit, completely gains her cause. The Mar- quis de Vaudreuil assigns to the young claimant, in due form, a remnant of ungianted lands to which he gives the name of IJourg-Marie, under the title of fief and seigniory^ " subject to fealty and homage to be rendered at the Castle of St. Louis in Quebec." EDUCATION IN TUfi CONVENT 21T Miss Fezeret was destined to suitouiuI the declining years of her aged parents with joy and comforts, happy especially in having nobly fulHUed a noble duty. Her subsequent marriage with an officer of the navy, M. de Thiersaut, seems to have been ecjually blessed by Heaven. The name of Madame Thiersant, found among the few who in ancient timea obtained the privilege of "parlor-boarder," proves that she never forgot her convent-mothers, nor the cloister where she had spent her younger years. Returning to our lists, we write with pleasure the name of Miss Aubert de la Chesnaye, one of the ancestors of the de Gaspe family, whose descendants appear at all dates down to the present day ; the Misses de Chavigny, de la Gor- gendi^re, de Beaulieu, de la Tesserie ; with the names equally ancient of Le Moine, des Groseilliers, de la Gareune, de Bdcancourt, Migeon de Bransac, Bolduc, du Puy, Laudron, Picard, Joly, etc. Among the companions of the young captive, Esther Wheelwright, (1709) we may notice the daughter of the Governor her protector, Miss Eli?-abeth de ^'^audreuil, placed in the convent at the same time ; and, in their company. Misses Anne Denis de St. Simon, Charlotte Le Gardeur, Couillard, d'Ailleboust des Musseaux, du Mesnil, Duchesnay, Roy, etc., etc. In 1712, the Monastery was edified by the youthful virtues of Miss Marguerite du Frost de la Jemmerais, better known to our readers by the name of the Venerable Madame d'Youville ; who after experiencing the bitter vicissitudes of life, constituted herself the servant of the poor, the maimed, and the sick. After having triumphed over misfortune by the cheerful practice of the works of mercy, and endowed her country with that noble in "ution which bears the 218 nLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY time-honored name of Sceurs Oriacs, or Sisters of Charity, she now awaits, in company with our own Vtnienible Mother, the honors of Heatilicution. Contemporary with the heroic example of Miss de la Jemmerais ', we find the admirable charity of the three daughters of the Governor of Montreal, the Misses De Kaniesay. The six amiable sisters had passed through our classes, to the mutual satisfaction of teachers and pupils. ' The eldest, after a brief sojourn in her family, had returned to Quebec, and entered the General Hospital, where she lived • nearly half a century, serving with angeli i piety the suffering members of our Lord, for the sake of His love. The second, Marie-Catherine, bade a cheerful adieu to the enjoyments her position in society promised her, to become an Ursuline ; Genevieve, the third, had accepted an alliance in the world. The three youngest remained in their family, leading a life worthy of the cloister. Their chief delight was to succor the indigent, to visit and comfort the sick ; ever ready to expose their health, or to endanger their life, if thereby they might procure relief for the discressed, or minister to the cor- poral or spiritual necessities of the dying. One instance will suffice to show how they understood and practised the precept of charity. In 1735, the city of Montreal was visited by a violent and fearful epidemy. The hospitals were soon filled with the sick and the dying. Nine of the hospital-sisters had fallen victims to the cruel malady, when by the interference of the ecclesiastical and the civil authority, limits were set to the 1 Miss de la Jemmerais was daughter of a distinguished officer who served under the Marquis de Denonville ; her mother was Miss Rene do Varennes. Several of her relatives were Ursulines ; her three aunt's were the Mothers de Varennes de la Presentation, du Muy de Ste. Helene, Anne-Marie de Boucherville de St. Ignace. Mother Boucher de Boucherville de St. Pierre was her grand-aunt. BOUOATION IN TIIK COMVfiNT 219 devotedness of the woitli_; nuns. The renminder of the com- nninity was ordmod to * yym /A Photographic Sciences Corporation ^ iV s V \\ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 iV^ ^ ^ '%'■ ai L<'. .<9 Q- %P< iti :i r / 246 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY Perhaps the absence of his daughter had 'diminished the gaiety of the household, for according to our traditions, Mother Robineau of the Trinity, during the three years she had passed under the paternal roof, had been afforded an ample share of amusements, dress, dancing, and the usual round of fashionable pastimes. The remembrance of these gay soirees, which she used to call gay follies/ was not of a nature to inspire her with regret. She could only despise the tyranny of custom which could induce people to " pass the whole night in bowing and courtesying, as in the ancient minuet, in the midst of a brilliantly illuminated hall." Her own memory has come down to us with far sweeter associations. Mother Ann of the Trinity, as a religious was the personification of fervent piety. When we read that " during forty years she retained, at her own request, the office of ringing the bell to awaken the community at four o'clock," we feel that we need not pursue her notice further to know " of what spirit she was." Let us bring before us next another picture of the olden times, in the family of our ancient and venerated Mother Genevieve Boucher de Boucherville, in religion. Mother St. Pierre. Here we find something more intimate to con- template ; it is the secret intentions, the very heart of the ancient Governor of Three Rivers, the Honorable Pierre Boucher, who seems to us one of the noblest types of the Christian gentleman. For his probity and disinterestedness, his valor and merit, he had been endowed by the French monarch with titles of nob:'lity, and the grant of an impor- tant tract of land along the St. Lawrence. The question with this dignitary, who was the father of a large family, was whether to remain in Three Rivers or to go and settle PRIMITIVE TIMES AND MANNERS 247 on his lands. The project had been meditated at leisure and the motives for adopting it are written down. The questions were not : " How many thousands of livres will this specu- lation bring me ? Are the risks balanced by the probabilities of success ? " nor any of the usual calculations in similar circumstances. We read — and feel instructed as we read — as follows : " I have determined to settle on my lands of Boucherville for the following reasons ; and I write them in order never to forget the motives that have influenced my determination and the engagements to which I pledge myself. " I wish also my successors to know my intentions and fulfil them, unless indeed they can do more for the glory of God. " 1. It is in order that there may be a place where the inhabitants, living in peace and harmony, may serve God sincerely, without fear of being troubled or molested. " 2. That I may live more retired from the world and its vain amusements, which only make us forget God, and thus more conveniently labor to assure my own salvation and that of my family. " 3. That I may by the most lawful means increase my riches, provide for ray family, and procure for my children a good and virtuous education, befitting the state of life which they may embrace. " 4. The land being mine, I think it my duty to settle there as a means of being useful to society. '' " 5. In order to have the means of doing more good to my neighbor, and aiding those who are in want, than I am able to do in my present position, where my revenue is insuffi- cient for the good works I wish to perform. " For the success of ray undertaking, I place my trust in God, begging His faithful servant. Father de Brebeuf, to .)•■ 248 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY I ■,> protect me in my attempt, if it be for the glory of God and the salvation of my family ; if otherwise, I pray that 1 may not succeed, desiring nothing but to accomplish the will of Heaven." With intentions so pure and elevated, the noble Christian resigned to another the office of governor, and removed to his new domain. The ample blessings of Heaven were poured down on the rising settlement and on every member of the pious household. Of fifteen children who surrounded the table of the Seigneur de BouchervUJe, two sons became priests and served God in the sanctuary with zeal and Jide- lity ; one daughter consecrated herself to God as an Ursuline. It was Genevieve, the eleventh child, the one who, according to the father's testimony " loved him the best," and who, in fact, seems to have resembled him most in character. While his eldest son continues the succession and title of de Boucherville, his daughters present us by their alliances, the honorable names of de Grandpr^, de Grosbois, de Mont- brun, de Laperri^re, de Niverville, de Varennes, de Muy, de Sabrevois, and Le Gardeur de Tilly. Another document, portraying the heart of the venerable ancestor of the de Boucherville, who died in 1717, at the age of ninety-five, in the odor of sanctity, has been preserved to posterity, and is known as the " Legacy of grandfather Boucher. ^ " We shall cite a few lines only, for this spiritual testament is long. Each member of the noble patriarch's family is addressed in turn, while the wisest counsels mingle with the effusions of paternal affection. Like another Tobias giving his dying blessing, he concludes, saying to all : 1 — During many years, according to the testimony of the Hon. J. Viger of Montreal, this document was read annually, on the anni- versary of the patriarch's death, in presence of the family. PRIMITIVE TIMES AND MANNERS 249 " Love each other sincerely for the love of God. Remember that you will one day be called, like me, to appear before Him to render an account of your actions ; hence do nothing of which you will later have to repent... I do not leave you gi'eat riches, but what property I have has been honestly acquired. I would willingly have left you more, but God is the master of all things. I leave you many friends, persons of rank, honor and probity ; as to enemies I have none, to my knowledge. " T have done what lay in my power to live without reproach : do the same. Seek to render service to every one : Be disobliging to no one, if you can oblige him without offending God. " My dear children, ever keep before your eyes the fear of God and seek to love Him with your whole heart." As to his wife, whom he recommends to the tenderest affection of his children, " his conscience reproaches him with nothing that regards her, unless it be that he has loved her too much ; but if that has been an excess, he does not think God has been offended by it." Finally, to his dearest daughter, our Ursuline. he says : *' Do not grieve when you hear of my death ; but pray for me and rejoice that God in calling me to Himself, has deliv- ered me from the miseries of the present life. If you have loved me moiC than the rest, I also have had great affection for you and I shall have throughout eternity." . Then as a dying souvenir, he bequeaths to her a silver reliquary which he wears upon his bosom, in these words : " It is all that remains to me to give : it is but just that I bestow it upon one who has shown me so much affection." These last words may strike some as remarkable. The venerablei patriarch evidently does not share the opinion of 1^1' 250 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY such persons as accuse a daughter who consecrates herself to God of being wanting in filial piety. A long life of ninety-four yi3ars, accorded to our beloved Mother St. Pierre, seventy-two of which she passed in the cloister, would furnish many edifying details ; but a few lines will suffice to characterize her as the worthy daughter of the grand-jpire Boucher de Boncherville. According to the annals, " her only ambition was to render herself agreeable to her l>ivine Spouse by a strict observance of the rule and all the duties of the religious state ; her silence and recol- lection, her piety, obedience, humility and poverty, rendered her a model for her Sisters. Having abandoned the wealth and honors of her family to follow Jesus Christ, she attached herself inviolably to Him, seeking His sacramental presence on the altar and in holy Communion, as her chief and only delight. She served the community with equal fervor and to the satisfaction of all, whether employed in the highest or the lowest oftices." Should any one inquire here, what has become of the ancient domain of Pierre de Boncherville, we should direct him to an aristocratic little village on the south shore of the St. Lawrence, ^ short distance below Montreal. There are clustered the comfortable residences of the honorable des- cendants of the ex-governor of Three Eivers, the first seignior of Boucherville, their families still keeping up much of the urbanity, the courteous and dignified demeanor of the feudal lords of the age of Louis XIV. From the irregularly built hamlet, with its church, its presbytery, its convent, chapel and school-house, we behold in the distance Mount Boucher- ville, from the foot of which issue two small streams to spread fertility along their path, pausing at one point to turn the noisy but necessary grist-mill. PRIMITIVE TIMES AND MANNERS 251 Throughout the whole length and breadth of the ancient governor's patrimony — an area of twenty-four square miles — appear pleasant country-seats, surrounded with gardens and orchards ; white cottages, half buried in verdure ; bright fields of wheat, oats and maize, alternating with patches of forest-trees, meadows and pasture-lands. In front of the vil- lage flow the bright waters of the St. Lawrence, losing them- selves along the shore among verdant islands, as beautiful to behold as they are convenient for tilling and grazing pur- poses. But why attempt to describe a spot which has many a rival ailing the pleasant banks of the St. Lawrence — scenes that Fancy herself " Would scarcely dream of: which one's eye must see, To know how beautiful this world can be." / If we have dwelt with complacency, as it were, upon the memory of the seignior de Boucherville, it must be pardoned us, when we explain that besides his daughter Genevieve, three of his grand-daughters consecrated themselves to God in the monastery of the Ursulines, during the lifetime of their venerable ancestor. These were Mother Margaret de Varennes of the Presentation, Mother Marie- Anne de Bou- cherville of St. Ignatius, and Mother Charlotte de Muy of St. Helen, each of whom endeared herself to her contempo- raries, and edified them by the example of an bumble, pious and useful' life. At a later period, our register shows the names of four great-grand-daughters of the patriarch of Bou- cherville, perpetuating in the convent the admirable tradi- tions of ancestral piety. ■^ \. u '--^ 252 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY CHAPTER XVII - / 1741 STATE OF THE COUNTllY AURIVAL OK H18HOP dr I'ONTBKIAND " The history of the Ursuliues of Quebec, it has been remarked, is lutimately connected with the history of Canada." This fact which has already obliged us to depict other scenes than those of every day life in the cloister, invites us again, at this epoch, to cast a glance upon the state of the country at large. It will be a rapid survey, such as may have been made by the noble Frenchman who, in 1741, was entering the colony to make it his future home. It was iiatural that the newly consecrated Bishop, Henri-Marie Dubreuil de Pontbriand, should take a deep interest in every thing that regarded a country for which, like the Good Shep- herd, he would lay down his life. In the last days of August, the ship bearing the noble prelate was hailed from the citadel ; and soon the glad tidings spread that a bishop was on board. For many years past, the widowed Church of Canada had looked in vain for the fulness of her authority, and consequently of her peace and strength, in the presence of her lawful head. Count Henri de Pontbriand was worthy to be the successor of the illustrious de Laval and de St. Valier. In him, France was bestowing the last mitred pastor she would furnish to that colony, which religion more than her own policy had founded, guarded and fostered, ' and from which, in less than twenty years from our present date, her sceptre would pass away, almost without an effort on her part to retain it. ARRIVAL OF BISHOP DE I'DNTBRIAND 2&3 But the joy-bells tell not the secret of coming years, and neither prelate nor people foresaw the moiuentous events \vhich the future held in store for them; events which would fill the cup of woe for many a smiling household, now only expectant of growing ])rospcrity, and wring with anguish the paternal heart of the zealous pontiff during the last years of his gv3nerous labors for the good of his people. At this moment, however, all was peace and security. The new Bishop, with a light heart at tiie happy termination of a long sea- voyage, sets foot on shore. The Marquis de Beauliarnois, at the head of the principal government officers and the cliief citizens of Quebec, has given the right hand of welcome to the noble prelate ; complimentary addresses have been made ; the capitulary vicars, de Miuiac and Hazeur, surrounded by the clergy, have presented their homage and their congratulations. All has been cordiality, gratitude to Heaven, mutual good wishes and mutual delight. The Ursulines of Quebec shared the public rejoicings in no common degree. To their just appreciation of their pastor's merits on this first interview, they soon had occasion to add their gratitude for the many instances of his paternal interest in their welfare. The Marquis de Beauharnois had governed the colony for the last fifteen years, and might well rejoice in the progress that had been made during his administration. All along the banks of the St. Lawrence, through more than a hundred parishes, he could point to thriving farms stocked with cattle, planted with fruit-trees, and yielding fine harvests of grain, vegetables, and all the products required for living com- fortably. Within the snug cottage, the pleasant farm-house, and the seigniorial manor, the busy wheel and industrious loom gave employment to female hands, supplying the 254 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY I' ii household with clothiug according to the season. Miues of copper and lead had been discovered along the lakes ; the iron foundry of St. Maurice, near Three Rivers, had called the hidden metal from its ore, and now furnished implements of husbandry and cutlery for which the people had hitherto been dependent on France. The exports of Canada were no longer confined to peltry, but included the surplus products of the country, to which might be added the important resource of ship-building. The good Bishop had reason to be equally satisfied with the religious aspect of his diocese, as far as Canada was con- cerned. Thirteen establishments of education or of charity published the zeal of his predecessors, and gave evidence of the spirit in which the colony has been founded. In Quebec, science and letters had long been cultivated at the college of the Jesuits and at the Seminary of Bishop Laval. Montreal had the fine Seminary of the Sulpicians, to diffuse the bless- ings of learning and piety among its three thousand inhab- itants. As to the extent of the diocese and the magnitude of the pas- toral charge at that period, we must remember that not only the valley of the St. Lawrence and the regions of the North and the West, but the vast tracts watered by the Mississippi and its branches, were under the spiritual jurisdiction of the Bishop of Quebec. Nor was this charge merely nominal. The hardy discoverers who had traversed the wilderness to tho Gulf of Mexico and the Rocky Mountains, had planted the Cross and raised beside it the flag of France, which now floated over forts or settlements all along these wide-stretch- ing boundaries. At one extremity was the fine flourishing colony of Acadia ; at the other, with an intervening distance of four thousand miles, were Mobile and New Orleans. Canada had a population of 40,000 inhabitants. -, mI-. * ■■■>' ARRIVAL OF BISHOP DE PONTBRIAND 255 If the native tribes, first won to Christianity, had sensibly diminishetl in numbers, all the vast inland country was peopled with the savage red-men ; and over these the pas- toral solicitude of the Bishop would be exerted. The indefati- gable missionaries continued their arduous labors, amid the innumerable obstacles presented by the roving life of our American aborigines. Sad to say, new impediments had been put to their conversion : new vices had been awakened m these poor children of the forests, by the conduct of those vagrant hunters, les coiireurs de hois^, who, trafficking in fur and fire-water, might well be called the missionaries of evil. Their lives and practices fully exemplified a saying of our venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation, that " without the restraints of religion, a Frenchman would soon lay aside those of civilization and become worse than a savage." Such then, in a few words, was the aspect of this vast country, confided for its spiritual wants to the care of Bishop de Pontbriand, in 1741 ; such had it become in the space of a century, counting from that feeble commencement, that weak infancy in which it appeared when our Venerable Mother, with her heroic companions, first set foot upon its soil. The expiration of another century (1839) will present a still greater contrast ; yet we shall see that through all its vicissitudes and through all its trials, from within or from without, Canada has thus far been " a country especially guarded by divine Providence -." \ II 1 — Bush-rangers. This roving lite has such attractions that laws had to be made to prevent the absence of so many young French- men from the colony. No fewer than 800 were, at one time, thus absent without leave. 2 — Words ot Venerable Marie cle I'lncarnation. K 256 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY CHAPTER XVIII 1752 THE MUSES IN THE CLOISTEU Curious old manuscripts, after escajting durinj,' a century or more the annual jierils of the season of house-cleaning, the Vandalism of ejjochs of demolition and reparation, some- times suddenly come to light, and make us wish there had been some law to i)revent the destruction of other similar documents, of little interest perhajjs in themselves, yet pre- cious as objects of curiosity, and useful in illustrating the past history of the Convent, liefore us is one of those ancient scrolls, which appears of some importance, it is dated August 23rd, 1752, and introduces us to a little scene in the cloister, by which we may form some idea of what was expected of the pupils of the Ursulines in those days. We can only make a few extracts. The occasion that brought the company together within the convent-halls is not specified. Whatever it may have been, we find there present, the Governor the Marquis Duquesne de Meuneville, the Bishop of Quebec de Pont- briand, the Intendant ; perhaps also the City Major, the Chevalier Lemoyne de Longueuil, with Mademoiselle Char- lotte de Grey, now Madame de Longueuil, who was not accustomed to miss any opportunity of entering the Mon- astery. The Superior, whose duty it was to receive these distin- guished guests, was Mother Genevieve Boucher of St. Pierre, the venerable Mother being now in her eightieth year. By her side, as next in office, are Mother La Grange of St. Louis, I^other Drouard of St. Michael, Mother Migeon of the Nati- -X— ^ 4 • / " ) TUE MUSES Iff THE CLOISTER 257 vity, the late Superior ; Mother Wheelwright of the Infant Jesus and Mother de Muy of St. Helen were near, v/hile with the pujtils, directing their movements, might be seen 8nnie of the younger nuns, Mother Marclumd of St. Etienne, Mother Dav.mne of St. Louis de Gonzague, and her cora- lianion, Mother Richard of St. Augustin. If this was an examination, the list of prizes is uafortun- ately missing. Another list, however, enables us to re-people the hall with ])upil.s. Let us transcribe a few names, for we are about to behold an Arcadian scene. Here are the Misses Madeleine and Catherine de Brouague, daughters of the Intendant of the Labrador coasts, the Misses de Lt^ry, de Doisolair, de Gannes, de Lusignan, des Meloises, La Force, Gabvielle de la -lonqui^re, llrsule Baby, &c. Here also are the grand-nieces of the venerable Superior, Miss Franeoise de Boucherville and Miss Boucher de Gros- bois, Miss Louise de Muy and others ^ ; but let these suffice, for our personages await. Behold them, as, in the light costume of nymphs and shep- herdesses, they issue from a verdant and flowery grove at the extremity of the hall. The actresses having advanced in front of the illustrious guests, an ingenious prologue serves to rivet the attention of the audience. But listen to the youthful shepherdess, who '< 1 — other i)ui)ils of tliat time: Tlie Misses du Plessig, Le Due, Couillard, Durocher, Hhodos, Berchelot, Le Mire, Gu-ard, Beaudoin, Le Vasseur (Louisbonig), the Misses de Blainville, Varin, de Vince- lot, do Chaviguy, du Four, Poiilin, LeBIanc, Ilertei de Rouviile, St. Hubert, Voyer, .\ul)ert, Tasoliereau, Berment de la Martiniere, BecLird, Baby, Roussel, de I'IsIe. Philibert, de Lantagnac, Chainia- u.nYi\, St. Germain, de Gioy, Chauveau, the Misses Fleury d'Escham- bault, the Misses de Veroheres, Xicolet, Douville, itc. n I ^ N 258 ULIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY coiuplinients tlie Governor in a graceful idyl in whicli ivuia time to time joins the whole grouj) ; a chorus tit to wake all the echoes, from the city of Chamj)lain to the Laurentidos. Observe the opening : Sor.o. Striko now a livolier chord, Awake a lafticr strain ; Behold ! 'tis a Duqiiesno. Welcome ! the noble Lord ! If his brave sires of old To France preserved a throne, His sword — it is foretold — Shall here the same uphold ; The glory all his own. CiioRirs, Let his great name, O'er hill and plain. Resound in song, Sweet pipe and tabor bring ; Let the glad echoes ring, Pouring triumphal notes along. From o'er the main Ife comes — Dutiuesne — To guard the land ; First in true worth, Hrst in command ! 2ii(l Shejihertlesx. Our vows were not in vain, A blighter day has come ; Peace broods o'er every homo , And plenty decks the plain. Our Hocks secure may stray. In pastures t'resli and green : Our foes, all in dismay. Flee from the light of day. When such a Chief is seen. THE MUSES IN THE CLOISTER 259 Snl S/icphenlfs.t. , Gay Sliephonls, ceaso your sonj^ I To Orpheus yioUl the lyre. Tfo has ct^lestinl fire, To him the notes lielouj;. Let him in strains sublimo, Exalt our Hero's Tame, Spreatl it to every clime, Emluring as (.)1(1 Time, And worthy of liis name ! (.1 Irtmslation from the orujinal.) Evidently, mythological lore is in vn' I ,/ ■ THE MUSES IN THE CLOISTER 261 The worthy F; ehite's generous devotedness on that occasion was ajipreciated, not only by the iannediate objects of his benevolence, but also by the Ursulines of Quebec. We are careful to preserve the mythological allusions in our version. The poem begins : Among tlie gods, if poets' lays are true, . Deeds most surprising vvei-e not rare to view ; And all Olympus did the feat admire, < When bright Apollo cast aside his lyre, Forbore to sing, and seized the heavy spade. Or with the mason's trowel mortar laid. Like him, my Lord, you put the apron on, And soften hearts, while you are laying stone. More than Apollo's, we your labors prize, While from their ruins sacred walls arise. What charity is yours ! what holy zeal ! How generous to promote the public weal ! God's glory is your aim ; and liere we find A lesson for ourselves to take to muid. Our daily labors must to Heaven all tend : God and our neighbor's good, our only end. Yes ! Heaven has blest your mission, all of love, And guards for you the brightest crown above. Long may it bo our happy lot to know You have a rich reward, e'en here below. May all your Hock be docile to your zeal. And follow in your footsteps, for their weal j Xor ever from that way of life depart, Traced by a Pastor, after God's own heart I 262 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY 1 1' CHAPTER XIX 1755 I ■^i^y TUl'; GUKSl'S OF the I'USULINES If the woes of our friends become by sympathy our own, it must not be deemed foreign to our subject to introduce here a brief account of the destruction of the Hotel-Dieu, in 1755. It was only three years since a similar disaster had befallen the convent and hos]tital of the Ilrsulines of Three Rivers, as we have elsewhere related. Now it was the oldest of the charitable institutions in the country that was to be destroyed. It was about mid-day on the 7th of June that a fire, which must have been creeping on unobserved for hours, suddenly declared itself by bursting through the roof. A strong wind from the north-west fan* ' ^'^e flames to a tremendous conHagratiou. In the space ol a few hours, the convent, the church, the hospital and out-houses were swept away, with all the moveables, the comforts and resources which more than a hundred years had brought together, for the acccmmodation of the poor patients or the community. It is needless to say how quickly the whole city, in alarm, was gathered to witness the heart-rending scene, and to deplore the irapotency of human efforts to arrest the pro- gress of the fiery torrent. The whole neighbourhood was in imminent danger. The terror of the nuns, their exertions, their heroic courage, shared by their friends of every grade, while removing to a place of safety, decrepit old people, idiots, the sick, and the maimed ; their laudable endeavors to save from the wreck whatever was most prized or most needful, all this may be THE GUESTS OF THE URSULINES 263 imagined, liut alas ! other scenes were witnessed there, upon which we would willingly forbid our imagination to dwell. In this hour of anguish, the nuns knew that one of their beloved Sisters was at the poir.t if death. Must they disturb the tranciuillity of her last moments, and hasten per- haps lier end, by transporting the poor sufterer from her dying bed in the infirmary, into the crowded court-yard? Tliore was no other alternative, even had there heen time for deliberation. Another, surrounded in her cell by the tire, seeks to des- cend from the fourth story ; a ladder had been sent up to her aid, the vigorous arms of the soldiery holding it Hrm. Sud- denly, while every one shudders to behold the peril, a by- stander shouts to her that several steps are missing below her feet ! How the good Angels were invoked ! and how they aided the good Sister to preserve her presence of mind. Seizing the two side-])ieces of the ladder, she supports herself by her hands till she again has a foot-hold, and thus, amid the cheers of the crowd, she reaches the ground, narrowly escaping liowever, being enveloped by the smoke and flames, now pouring from the lowest windows. At last she is safe ! But where is that other Sister, who has been seen a moment at a window, in the act of throwing out a parcel, and now has disappeared ? In vain are the frantic shouts of those Avho would be her deliverers ; in vain the search in every direction for some trace of the missing one ; in vain the tears and lamentations of her Sisters when, assembled at last, they find their number incomplete. Sister Anne La -Tone of the Sacred Heart had perished. But it was under the eye of Him to whom she had vowed her existence. Doubtless the Lord had inspired her to make the heroic sacrifice of her life, by a perfect resignation in that terrible • " V 264 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTEIIY I' !i D k moment when slie foimd herself wrapt as in a winding-sheet of liame. Our Ursulines troni tlieiv n^onastory could witness the conflagration. They had watcheil with pity and dismay the progress of the fire, and had sent the most pressing invitations to the hospitalieres to take refuge under their roof. Messen- gers had already made known the melancholy details we have just given, and the sinking flames wore a sad and lurid glare, a funereal hue that told of death. At last the dear nuns, now forty-nine in number, directed their mournful steps towards the centre of the to\V'n. Weep- ing friends and relatives attended them on their way, and crowds of people followed to testify their sympathy and their atHiction. We shall not attempt to describe the meeting of the two communities, few of whom were strangers, while many were relatives or class-mates, or remembered each other either as former teachers or pupils. Mother Mailloux of St. Andrew, the dying nun of whom we have spoken, was tenderly borne to the infirmary, and cared for according to her need. She lived till the Mondav following, experiencing in her last moments the consolation of feeling herself passing secure from the embrace of sisterly charity to the bosom of the God of chai'ity. The burial-ser- vice and the accustpmed suffrages for the departed were per- formed l)y both communities, and the dear remains of the hospitalidre deposited in the vault where the deceased Ursu- lines repose, " in order, says the annalist, that her ashes mingling with ours may serve to render enduring that union which has ever subsisted between us," The generous hospitality which in former days (1651 and 1686) the Ursulines had received at the H6tel-1 )ieu had not been forgotten, and they esteemed themselves happy in being able to afford a return ; but not all the ingenious devices- PRELUDES OF THE GREAT CRISIS 265 of friendship, not all the sympathy and affection with which they sougiit to cheer their guests, could induce the.se devoted nurses of the sick to for<.fet their ])reciou3 charge. A tempo- rary hospital was provided by the paternal solicitude of Bishop de Pontb"iand, the kind Jesuit Fathers having cheer- fully offered for this end, several spacious apartments of their college. Thus, at the end of three weeks, on the 28th of June, the Ursulines and their guests bade each other a tender adieu. Mingled emotions sent their signals to the cheek and eye, as the spouses of Jesus separated, with the following words, betokening a last farewell : " May ave meet- in HEAVEN ! " CHAPTER XX 1754-1758 PRELUDES OF THE GREAT CRISIS For nearly a half-century all has been in peace along the shores of the St. Lawrence. The last fifteen years, over which we have just glanced, have been as prolific of comfort in the happy homes of ilTen France as the next decade will be of disaster, alarm and suffering. Troubles were now com- mencing along the distant frontier, and soldiers were wanted to guard the outposts of this great French domain, threatened by the Anglo-American colonies already strong enough to think of war and conquest. Our Ursuline Mothers could not be indifferent, when the welfare of the country was interested. The ties of nature as- well as of grace linked them with the whole population ; and the tidings that sent grief or mourning to any hearth in 'v 2G6 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY town ov hamlet, ever found an echo in their hearts. The unnalist of the time, Mother ile Muy of St, Helen, has left us minute details of thai, long oampaion, the Seven Years' War, from the first bloody conflict on the banks of the Monongahela, to the day when the British trumpet of war resounded from the cliffs of Cape Diamond. From year to year the sufferings of the people were on the increase. Now it was the failure of crops, the absence of laborers having left the land untitled ; now it was the loss of vessels, sailing from or to the colony. In the course of a few months — this was in 1758 — more than three liundred French merchant-ships were captiiretl by the British war- fleet with the loss of provisions, merchandise and military stores destined for Canada, where they were sorely needed. To these causes of distress was added the inclemency of the seasons. Of the month of June, 1758, we read: "The cold is so extreme that we have to kindle fires as in winter. Nothing is growing. The fiowers of the fruit-trees have been blighted by the frost, and what is worse, the wheat-fields have been frozen. There is every prospect that there will be no harvest. The hand of the Almighty weighs heavily upon this poor country. The English goad us on every side, and the Indians, won by their presents, threaten to abandon us. " We have experienced, however, the goodness of divine Providence in our greatest need. The people had passed the winter on rations of four ounces of bread daily, and were on the point of being reduced to two ounces. No vegetables could be procured, and meat was excessively scarce. In short, starvation was staring us in the face, when, on the 27th of May, a French merchant-ship was descried in the distance. People were wild with joy. Some climbed to the roofs of their houses and mounted the chimney-tops, to assure them- I'RELUDES OF TIIK GREAT CRISIS 267 selves that tJie good news was true, and to announce it to the crowds in tlie stieei/s. (Jroater still were the ivjoicings, whoa others ships were seeii coming in. At six o'clock in the evening, there were ten vessels, ; nd a few days later, fourteen were anchored in the late vacant liarbor. " But the vessels have brought us sad news of the state of religion in Europe ; and of the g'-eat efforts the P^nglish are making to take Canada." A little later, the writer records the taking of Louisbourg. By the loss of that stronghold, the French colonists, still more isolated from France, were left without other resource than that energy inspired by the love of their country and their religion. It is not astonishing if Frenchmen and Catho- lics viewed with horror the possibility of falling under English rulti. Catholicity was at that time, by the legislation of Eng- laiid, a crime. Tlie penal laws were in full f«jrce. The deplor- able fate of the Acadians was the most recent proof how ready the conqueror ever is to exclaim : " Woe to the van- quished : " A whole people torn from their Inunes, separated from each other, forced on board ships, to be borne off and cast unpro- videil-for upon various inhospitable shores, for no other cause but. their religion, was a terrible warning. Death seemed preferable to the misfortune of being conquered. So it was understood by the brave Montcalm and his brother- ofticers, who had resolved to bury themselves under the ruins of the colony, rather than to give ifc up to the enemy. So it was understood by the colonists at large throughout the country. Meanwhile, the tide of misfortune that had set in against the French in America was ever growing stronger. The last gleam of hope seemed extinguished, when the intrepid envoy who had penetrated, as it were, through the enemy's 208 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY lines, in order to obtain the assistance of the French Monarch, returned only to aiuiouncc tliat Ins i»elition was rejected. Henceforth the colony lelt itself abandoned by the uiotlier-country, and gatherinj^ courage from the greatne:<.s of the eiTKM'gency, the {)oj)ulation rose as one man to defend to the last their altars and their liomes. The dreary winter of 1758-1 75'J was the fourth, during which the suffering'* of famine had weighed upon the whole country. Tlu^ nuns who record these facts state that tliey also were reduccid to rations ; they bewail the necessity that obliged them to preseii*^ even to those who were sick, " bread as black as their robes." They mention that some poor Acadians, esca|)ing the lot of their countrymen, had wandered through the woods and wilds till they reached Quebec, where their sorrows and sufferings added new terrors to the approach of the common foe. The snows of wintry fields at last had melted, the ice- bound streams were free. Nature, refusing to assort her colors to the sombre hues of the political horizon, had clothed once more the earth in green, and decked the forests with budding leaves and fragrant blossoms. The great, glorious River, spreading out its broad expanse to the warm sun of early summer, seemed to ask news of the many welc mie ships that were wont, at this season, to mirror their white sails on its bosom. Suddenly, on the 26th of June, the British war-tleet stood in sight. It was a formidable array of armed vessels, includ- ing twenty-two ships of the line, forty frigates and tran- sports, bearing 30,000 soldiers and seamen, Hushed with the recent victories that had rendered them masters of the (rulf, and elated with the good fortune that had given them a prosperous voyage. Our annalist could not have known their strength, but her words were a prophecy when she exclaimed : " The country is lost ! " DURING TilE 8IEUB 269 CHAPTER XXI 1759 DURING TllK SIKGK It lind not required tlio, electric wires to carry from one end of the country to the other the news that a fornii(lii])le English lleet was on its wny to attack the capital of Canada. The gigantic ]»reparation3 for this linal invasion were known, hut instead of giving way to d'spondency, the entire poi)uhitioii was animated with courage in proportion to the danger. A levy of militia included every male c'aj)able of bearing arms, between the ages of fifteen and sixty. Old men of seventy and boys of thirteen or fourteen, tendered their services and would not be refused. The citizens of Quebec, after sending theif families to a ])lace ai' safety, were needed to strengthen the garrison, and to man the batteries that comiiuuided the harbor. All along the shores of the St. Lawrence, the defence- less population that remained in hamlet or village, the intivm and aged, the women and children, under the care of their priest and the civil otticers, had (jrders to retire from their houses as the fleet approached, and to hide themselves with their effects in the woods at the base of the mountains, or in the wild forest of the southern plains. The army under Montcalm, made up of five battalions of regulars, wasted and worn with hard service and poor fare, had been augmented by about 6,000 Canadiens, who had not suffered less from f imine and hardships, but who felt them- selves invincible in their ardor to defend their homes, their country and their religion. From their cloister, the Ursulines could see the disposition of the army, its centre at Beau port, 270 (iLIMPSKS OK TIIK MONASTERY its wiiij^H oxtondiiit,' from llit; brills;*! ol' lioiits oii tlic St. Charles to tliu buttery on the nij,'j,'e(l clitts nf the Moiitiun- rency. On the Hist (if July tht* Kii^'lish Meet hml teiicheil the Isliiiul of Oi'leiins, whoncie the; inhaltitunts ha. 1 just tied to the a[)pointe(l place of eoueealiueiit. Tlio men-of-war lay at unchor, and the troops, disembarkinjij, set tout on the soil they had been sent to coiujuer for the Fiiiu'Hsli crown. Ca>iti(iusly they continued to sound their way as they entered the nui^Mii- ticent harbor, capablf of containin*,' four hundred vessels as ])roud as theirs. Hut they were not, sutl'erod to proceed. On every side the French were on the alert and the cannons of the t^arrison were not idle. On the 12th of duly, at nine in the evening, from batteries erected at Point Levy, the enemy began a lieavy cannonade on the city. The Lower Town, at only a mile's distance from the opposite shore, had been deserted by its inhabitants -who foresaw its corning fat(\ The red-hot balls ami boTub-shells did their work of destruction, shattering many houses and setting them on fire. The Upj)er 'i'own, which had not been so completely evacuated, ])roved to i)e within the range of the enemy's guns, and the greatest panic prevailed. Our Mothers, ever willing to hope for the liest, had not abandoned the cloister. " But, says the annalist, at the first discharge from the English batteries, tin; convent was struck in many places. We ])assed the night liefore the Blessed Sacrament, in such terrors as may be imagined." With the return of day-light, it was resolved to remove the community to a place of greafer safety. It would have been temerity to renuiin longer within reach of the murderous projectiles which had wrought such havoc in a single night. The venerable Superior Mother Migeon of the Nativity, who had provided herself with a permission in case of such an DDHINd THE SIKdK 271 oiuerL,'oii(!y, invited eiicli oiks (o make up Iht little piircel, yiich as she ('otild carry, aiul to follow her, while there is a j)au8o in the tirini,'. lint sufldenly thero is a littlu delay. No! the convent will not bo totally abandoned. Ten of the Sisters, with the depositary, Mother Davanne of St. Louis de Gon- /a<,'ne at their head, have ottered to remain. The chaplain, Father Resehe. with two of his friends, have volunteered to be their guardians, and all are satisfied with the arrange- ment. Mother Superior <^ives her blessinj,' to the little band as they sorrowfully bid each other adieu. Some among those who were "^'oinji; forth from their jjeaceful cloister were very aged, otiiers were weiik and sickly. Did any then foresee that, for two of tliose beloved Mothers, it was a last farewell, as they issued sorrowful and trembling from their convent- home ? They pass down the street through I'alace-gate. They give no thought to the splendors of the Intendant Bigot's palace which they pass, nor to his iniquitous i)roceeding.s, of which they were proliably uninformed: but hurry on by tlie nearest ]»aths, across the meadows that intervene l)et\veen ihe town and the General Hospital ; for that is the asylum the^ are seeking, adding their numbers to the hundreds of defenceless wanderers already sheltered by those benevolent ladies. The General Hospital had become a " city of refuge " for nearly 800 persons. The nuns of the Hotel-Dieu were already there, and like the Ursulines, were prepared to take their share of the fatigues devolving upon the hospifalli^ren. Kvery apartment was crowded. All the out-houses, the sheds and barns, were occupied ; every garret and corner was tilled with the wretched j)allets of the poor ref- ugees, their bundles of clothing, and whatever they valued or sought to jireserve. It was among these sorrowing people, whose countenances betrayed anxiety and consternation, that 272 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY the good Bishop de Pontbriand, who had taken refu,2;e at Charlesbourg, was seen every day, comincr like an angel of consolation, to comfort, encourage and bless. Later, as numbers of tlie wounded were brought in, the church also was transformed into a hos])ital. The only place that remained vacant was the nuns' choir, where the poor people crowded to assist daily at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. There, the three communities assembled to recite the Divine Office, the only respite th^y allowed themselves from their labors in assisting the poor and neody, or tending the sick. Thus passed the long summer; for long and tedious it seemed to those whose aching hearts were swaved by alternate hope and dread. Each day brought some new cause for mourning, or some new spectacle of woe. Fires, kindled by the red-hot projectiles, continued the work of devastation. At times it seemed as if the whole city was doomed to perish in one vast conflagration. If the garrison, within their stronghold and battling with the enemv, were safe, it was not thus with the few inhabitants who still ventured to walk the streets, or who persisted in remaining within their own dwellings. News of fatal accidents occur- ring almost daily, increased the anxiety of the absent nuns for their brave Sisters left at home. How often their eyes "were turned to that dear spot! What anguish they endured as from time to time they discovered, or got tidings of some new devastation I One day the red-hot balls, falling upon a shed, set it on fire. All the out-houses of the convent were consumed, the flames risiug high and threatening to extend to all the buildings around. Another time they witnessed the burning of the cathedral and all the dwelling-houses in its vicinity. A heart-rending thing for all was the devas- tation perpetrated along the shores of the St. Lawrence, DURING THE SIEQE ^U Avliere houses and churches were wantouly set on fire and depredations of every kind committed. We need not ask if the poor exiles often fled to the foot of the Tabernacle to find strength and hope, meekly accepting the bitter chalice from the hand of God, and saying with the patient man of old : " Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." At length, it was September. That month, so short in Canada, with its balmy atmosphere, its lustrous skies, its pleasant harvest scenes, had brought them the Feast of the Virgin's birth-day, and with it hopes of security. Evidently the English were tired of their useless offorts to gain any advantage over the French. The city was nearly destroyed, but it was not taken. They had once tried to attack Mont- calm in his intrenchments on the Beauport plains, and it had been a failure. Would not the early autumn, so cpiickly followed by winter, force the enemy to withdraw their fleet ? For several days the troops which had so long been idle, were moving in various directions along the shores, above and below Quebec; but they were watched, and all weak ])oints were guarded. No one knew the daring project the intrepid Wolfe was meditating. It was a last resource ; if it failed, the campaign was over. Our readers know how every thing conspired to render the enterprise successful. The silence of the night told no tales of the stealthy march of 5,000 soldiers. The echoes of the cliff only brought the listening boatmen the necessary password. No rock of the shelving precipice gave way under the quick footsteps of the eager English soldier. , . |,' The first rays of the morning of that memorable 13th September fell on the glittering arms of an enemy, not yet within the gates, but on the heights which alone had rendered as V - ■ :Tf 274 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY the city impregnable. The Battle of the Plains had taken place before noon, crowding into the brief space of one hour events that have changed the destinies of New France, while History has kept her record, and taught the same les- son as Faith : " That all things v/ork together for good to them that love God." CHAPTER XXII Se])tember, 1759 SCENES AI' TEU THE BATTLE OF THE PLAINS How fared the General Hospital, with its many inhabit- ants (in the day of battle ? How fared the three communities, on the morrow of that defeat of the French army which had been accomplished almost at their very doors ? The Hospital, from the hour of midnight, has been sur- rounded by a detachment of those same Scotch Highlanders, whose bright claymores glittered so terribly as they pursued down the hill-side Montcalm's routed forces. But their attitude now is not hostile. Their commander, Captain. McDonell, has explained, in a brief interview with the three Superiors, the necessity he is under of investing the place iu order to prevent a surprise. He has ])ledged his word that no harm shall befall the inmates of Notre Dame des Angvs. He claims their benevolent services for the wounded of the English army, who are brought in indiscriminately with the French from the battle-field. Alas ! among the latter, the nuns often found their own near relatives, without being able to do more to soothe their flying hour than for the strangers committed to their charity. SCENES AFTER THE BATTLE OF THE PLAINS 275 The remnants of the French army, after turning many times upon their pursuers, had completely disappeared. Their tents were still standing along the plains of Beau port ; but their batteries and trenches were silent and solitary ; their guns, still pointed, were mute.' Along the battle-field of the Plains, still reeking with gore and covered with the slain, the victors were opening the turf, to hide from view the hideous effects of war ; bearing off such of the poor victims as still survived, and hastening to intrench themselves, to secure their position so fortunately gained. Around the citadel, groups of French officers are seen in consultation ; their gloomy countenances tell of indecision, weariness, and despondency. Within, a feeble garrison of seven or eight hundred men await the orders of their supe- rior officers : the soldier's watch-word is obedience. At nine o'clock in the evening of that 14th September, a funeral cortege, issuing from the castle, winds its way through the dark and obstructed streets to the little church of the Ursulines. With the heavy tread of the coffin-bearers, keep time the measured footsteps of the military escort,de Eamesay and the officers of the garrison following to their last resting- place the lifeless remains of their illustrious Commander-in- chief. No martial pomp was displayed around that humble bier ; but the hero who had afforded, at his dying hour, the sublime spectacle of a Christian, yielding up his soul to God in the most admirable sentiments of faith and resignation^ was not laid in unconsecrated ground. No burial rite could be more solemn than that liurried evening service, performed by torch-light under the dilapi- dated roof of a sacred asylum, where the soil had first been laid bare by one of the rude engines of war. The gmve tones of the priests murmuring the Libera me, Domine, were re- 276 GLIMPSES OF TUE MONASTERY sponded to by the sighs and tears of consecrated virgins, hencefortli the guardians of the precious deposit which, had not divine wisdom ordained otherwise, would have been reserved to honor some proud mausoleum. ■ .1 With gloomy forebodings and bitter thoughts, de Eamesay and his companions in arms, withdrew in silence, nor ven- tured to " Discharge one farewell shot O'er the tomb where a hero was buried!'" A few citizens had gathered in, and among the rest, one led by the hand his little daughter ^ who, looking into the open grave, saw and rememl)ered more than three fourths of a century later, the rough wooden box which was all the ruined citv could afford to enclose the remains of her defender ! ])Ut while all is silent again around the convent of the Ursulines, let us transport ourselves in spirit to the hospital, where are assembled so many poor trembling women and children, homeless widows and orphans, helpless old men and sick or wounded soldiers. Stunned with the events of the last forty-eight hours, the final result of which is yet uncer- tain, all await in cruel suspense. Had the last hour of the French rule in Canada passed away ? Had the colony exchanged masters with that brief struggle, the battle of the Plains ? Would not the French troops rally and return, awakening again the death-telling roar of artillery, and expos- ing to the fatal stroke even that remnant of friends and rela- tives ? t 1. 1 — Mothei Dube of St. Ignatius, who died in 1839, at the age of eighty-eight SCENES AFTER THE .BATTLE OF THE' PLAINS 277 But at this late evening hour, sleep and sorrow have closed the eyes of all, except those who suffer or who watch to alle- viate sufferings. Of both classes there are not a few, and among them we find our dear Ursuline Mothers. One little dormitory is all that the ntost tender hospitality has been able to assign them, and to-night, it is transformed into a death-chamber for two of their number, two whose laist hour has been hastened by the calamitous scenes through which they had just passed. Mother Jeryan of St. Joseph, rescued from captivity among the Indians and received forty years ago among the daughters of St. Ursula, will no more return to her beloved monastery ; but exiled from her second home, she has departed to her happy eternal home in heaven. The second victim, whose heart broke, it would seem, with the death-blow given to her country, was Mother Charlotte de Muy of St. Helen, the same whose hand has traced for us all the ^ jcails of the war, up to the day when the nearer approach of the enemy gave her a presentiment of what would be the result of the impending crisis. If the brave General whose deeds she recorded with such interest, rejoiced that he was permitted to die before Quebec would surrender, the humble spouse of Christ, herself the daughter of one who had governed a part of the colony, (Louisiana), resigned herself all the more readily to go forth from this world, that she might not see her country ruled by a foreign power. ' , ' " ' • ,. The soldier has his grave under the roof of the monastery. The two Ursulines repose in a little garden-cemetery, beside the hospital where so many brave soldiers expired ; their ashes mingle with those of the generous hospitalidres, whose friendship was to our dear Mothers the sweetest solace of their exile. ; , 111 ■ I'l i'ir-» 111 l! y; M.i m!; n: VI' •• i...i '/M-. I'l.il ,.i-.i■.;■ U : •■:!.} m.' n •■.'>■.. .i V ;.; '.'■.•■!l: .': j;>'.ii 'i-i!it.". ■ ■ u'.--^l-i - : 1.1 r /.,. ■. (f.M I ..■;'."•■ !i; . ■; !•;•■■■,' . '.' r' ' r.- vvH.' ,:^ •.;. --i^ .. -../-.! -,! r\- ■■■.'. ,,/ Uy •iH'n'':'J .i'' ''•■ ! •ii.f.'i f -Y -p ),/•;■■;.;(' • \,- i< oJ .1^' * r' ■*■ I; :!:'.!• fi ',••')> i ';;:'' 'J .() <■ l;;- ,........,.,...-;■■? iv'i.;-*! "I'. ;<^ • ',*. (iri'..i .'.i ' iii.)' .^ \'- :.:*;«;,> ^.51: 1«-i:trv !>?..;• it.liri:u.A~-i 25 -..'■■•,l-'- ■c y. o 'J < o o H ■r. O 1, a. ■- 2 IS r . >. < • I :. •i ' ({LIMPSKS OK THK MONASTKKY ;. I BOOK III ^ 1 : I UNDER ENTiLISlI lUJLE-luO-lS:)!) ' CHAPTER I '. " 1759-1763 '' FOUR YEARS OF ANXIETY AND SUFli-EUING THE CONVKNT BECOMHS A HOSI'ITAI, :(.'■ [ In letters written after the return of our Mothers to their cloister, they style themselves — and with reason — " prisoners of war." They are uncertain what will be the fate of the convent or the country. Will they be oljliged to go to France ? Will not the English lose by treaty what they have gained by conquest ? Or will not the French monarch, at last, come to succor his faithful subjects ? !,;,,!.,;:,;,.,;. Our readers have seen what damages the convent had suffered. Besides these, the farm on the river St. Charles belonging to the nuns, had been ravaged, and their cattle driven off; the crops of wheat and lay, destroyed. They had no fuel for the coming winter ; their stock of linen and other effects which they were accustomed to receive from France, was exhausted. They could expect no help from their friend* 282 OLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY when the whole country was ruined. In this conjuncture, rroviilence raised up protectors for them whence they could least have expected. Geneml Murray entering the city us nuister, had protuised that the religious communities should not be molested, lie paid tlu' Ursulines an early visit, and, from his first interview with the aged Superior, seems to have conceiveil for her the highest esteem. Assuring her of his special protection for the community, he manifested his wish to occupy a part of the Convent as a hospital, for the wounded or sick of the army. The proposal was acceded to with a good grace, and imme- diately workmen were sent in to make the necessary repairs. Commencing by the church, the (udy one in the city that was not in ruins, they had it prepared for divine service by the 24th of September. Ten days later the sick soldiers were brought in, several apartments having been put in readiness. The venerable Superior cheerfully accepted the duties of her new position, and distributed her nuns through the various departments of the new hospital. Divine charity taught the nuns to banish every other feeling but compassion from their hearts and to wait upon these strangers, lately their enemies, as if they saw in each the Saviour himself. In the mean time the cold season was advancing. The regi- ment of Highlanders, quartered u])on the convent, had their share in the hard labors imposed upon all the soldiers in pro- viding the city with fuel. Exposed by the peculiarities of their costume to suffer severely from the climate, they were objects of compassion to the good nuns, who set to work to provide substantial hose " to cover the limbs of the poor strangers." On the other hand, the convalescent offtcers and soldiers were eager to show their gratitude by rendering FOUR YEARS OK ANXIETY AND SUFFERINO 288 every oiit-door service in their power, clearing the puths unmntl the convent from snow, Itringing, as far as thuy were iiUowt'd, burdens of every kind, wood and water, the daily pruvi«ions which were ordered from the coin niissariat, or from the baker's ottice. Tlie prejudices they luid previously enter- tained, and their ojiinions of a " nunnery " were soon modified by seeing the humility and real charity with which these reli<,'ious accomplished the tasks necessity had imposed upon them. In Mother Migeon of the Nativity, the Superior, whose merits and (lualifications fitted her for the trying situation, and in all the sisterhood, they beheld j)erson3 to wliom they could not refuse the tribute of the highest esteem. As to the religious exercises of the military durin;,' the first months ol" their occupation of the city, we learn from that echo of the past tradition, that the church of the Ursu- lines, where the Catholic population of the city assembled for the holy sacrifice of the Mass, was occupied at other times i'or the Anglican rite. It is easy to conceive with what secret sorrow — if a stronger word would not better express the sentiment — our Mothers yielded up their " altars and their shrines, " to those who professed no respect for either. Doubtless, at such hours, if forced to leave the choir vacant, not a few took refuge in the chapel of the Saints, to pray for those who honored not th6 Saints. Where the chaplain of the troops resided is not said ; but the nuns' chaplain. Father Resche, had taken up his lodgings in the parlor during the siege * ; and he continued 1 — The same room, the two parts opening by folding doors into one, is at the present day one of the apartments occupied by the chaplain of the Monastery. .'4 .V* 284 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY to occupy that apartment during those difficult times in order to be at hand whenever his presence might be required. i> V X If the winte ; was a long and painful one to the Ursulines, if some of the Sisters sank under fatigue, there were other causes of suffering besides the labors and inconveniences to which they were exposed. They knew well that the French army had not surrendered. The brave 'chevalier de L^vis had assembled at Montreal all the forces that remained, determined to make one more, desperate effort to save the country. De- scending the river with the first appearance of spring, his inten- tion was to drive the enemy from Quebec, before their return- ing vess >ls could find a passage through the ice in the gulf. On the 28th of April, he met the English troops for the second battle on the Plains. Alas, for good counsel on such occa- sions ! could the all- wise decrees of Divine Providence have been read beforehand, how much blood, uselessly shed, might have been spared ! But the people of Canada could not believe that their country, discovered, conquered and colonised by Frenchmen, could be given up by France : and while they fought ji..i ..).';.■. • w .:■'■,'..'. ; ' ■ " '' " For their altars and their fires, • ■ • ' ! . ' 1 ■, II God, and tlieir native land," • , ' it , with heroic courage, they never expected to be left alone to cope with an enemy so powerful. Three dreadful hours had covered the ground with the slain. Friend and foe lay in promiscuous heaps on that field of the dead. The E-:^lish troops had been driven back in disorder. But of what avail was this partial advantage, or the destruction of lives and property during the following five days' siege ? Already reinforcements for the English '■ FOUR YEARS OF ANXIETY AND SUFFERING 285 army were at hand. The first spring vessels were descried sailing up the channel. If for a moment the intrepid de Levis fancied that these were French raen-of-war, hastening to his rescue, he was soon undeceived. The red cross of England was Hying at the mast-head ! , , . ■ Frenchmen, Canadians ! cease your desperate strife. Over- whelmed l)y numbers, you may desist without shame ; for you have nobly defended a righteous cause. The fate of nations is in the hand of God, and later, when you know why He denied you victory, you will bless His appM-ent rigor and own that " He doth all things well ! " I T After that second siege of Quebec was over, our annalist writes : " It was then, more than ever, that our convent became a hospital ; with dii]ficulty we found means to retain lodgings for ourselves." Hour after hour the w^ounded English soldiers were brought in. The spectacle of mangled and mutilated limbs, of blood and gore, of acute suffering in all its varied forms, was an appalling one for Ursulines : but they had already seen Avhat were the dismal effects of war, and had taken lessons in the dressing of wounds during the great siege. They found courage in their charity, and con- tinued their compassionate cares as long as there was occa- sion for them. Our annalist — no longer Mother de Muy of St. Helen — has been too sparing of details. We may form an idea of Avhat has been omitted by a few lines written at the General Hospital, after the second battle of the Plains. ' ' ■ " How depict, says the hospifalidre, the horrors we have had to see and hear, during the twenty-four hours that the transit hither lasted, the cries of the dying and the lamenta- tions of those interested in their fate. A strength more than 286 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY human is necessary at such a time, to jirevent those engaged in tending such sufferers tVoni sinking under their task. " After having dressed more than five hundred patients, placed on beds obtained from the king's magazines, there still remained others unprovided for. Our barns and sheds were full Ox the wounded. We had in our infirmaries seventy-two officers, of whom thirty-three died. The amputation (if legs and arms. was going on everywhere, •' The British had taken possession of the Hotel-Dieu, the Ursuline Convent and private dwelling-houses, for the reception of their wounded who were even in greater number than ours," Our annals mark summarily the death of several of the Englisli soldiers within the Monastery. One of the halls for the sick had the reputation of being infected with some pes- tiferous malady, but this did not prevent the nuns from continuing their charitable attendance. The community-hall had been assigned to the officers; beneath it, a similar apartment became the council-chamber, where General Murray, twice a week, assembled his military tribunal. The class-rooms, the pupils' refectory and other apartments, were transformed into sick-wards for the soldiers'. In the mean time, the table of the nuns, as well as the wants of their guests, continued to be provided for by mili- tary orders. On the 8th of September, the capitulation of Montreal, and the subsequent evacuation of the country by the French ] — The precise date of tlie departure of tlie military from the monastery is not registered : apparently, it was not sooner tlian tiie month of June (17^0), ,.. FOUR YEARS OF ANXIETY AND SUFFERING 287 troops sent back to France, accompanied by a j^'reat number of persons of distinction, might well have extinguished the last ray i>f hope of ever being reunited to the mother. country. But not so easily fade the visions which the heart rather than the fancy pictures. France had not yet ratified the conquest ; perhaps she never would, aTid meanwhile, the farmer repairing his ruined walls and hedges cultivates the land; the industrious mechanic, ]>oorer than ever, pursues his daily toil, avoiding as far as possible, ail contact with the strangers who occupy every post of honor or emolument, who are stationed at the gates of the city and at the door of every hall of justice, who monopolize whatever trade and commerce can be carried on ; and who consider themselves, in all respects, and wish to be treated as the lords of the land. Hostilities had at last ceased, and in the calm after so disas- trous a storm, many of the dispersed families bfslonging to the city returned to seek their former habitations. In many cases they found only a heap of stones and rubbish to mark the site of their once happy homestead. Our Mothers, remem- bering the hospit^ility others had exercised towards them in the days of their exile, made room for several families who, during the winter, filled all the available apartments of the monastery and its dependencies. Among the number of ]»ersons who were thus sheltered, the annalist has noted that " there were several deaths of children and people of various ages ; the ground near the extern-school served for their burial. The bodies were removed to the public cemetery only the following year." While our Ursulines were thus exercising charity at the expense of great inconvenience to themselves, they did not forget their first and most cherished obligation : during the 'i ' 288 QLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY course of the winter (1761-62) they began to take boarders, and to open a class of instruction for day-scholars. In the mouth of Apiil, a certain number of children being found sufficiently prepared, the great act of the first Communion took place, under the direction of the indefatigable pastor, Mr. Eecher. On the same page we find another memorandum, which is a silent but eloquent comment upon the poverty of the convent. " In the month of June of this present year, we received in alms from Mr. Montgolfier ' .Superior of the Seminary of St. Sulpice at Montreal, forty bushels of wheat, which has enabled us to sow our land on the river St. Charles. We have thus lopes of raising a little grain, since the war has not robbed us of our farm," < ' : A little further on, we read of the loss of a vessel, on board of which were a number of Canadian families, going to France. " Only six prisons were saved. This shipwreck has carried attliction and mourning into nearly every family in the country," This was the ill-fated Augusta, which, with one hundred and fourteen persons, among whom more than twenty officers of the French nobility and their families, perished on the rocky and inhospitable coast of Cape Breton, If the arms of England were fully triumphant in the New World, if nearly all North America owned her sway, now that the French possessions had Vjecome hers, the Seven years' War had not yet come to a conclusion in Europe, This unsettled state of affairs beyond the Atlantic was 1 — Mr. Montgolfier was charged with tlie ecclesiastical affairs of the diocese, and was the presumptive candidate for the vacant See of Quebec. FOUR YEARS OF ANXIETY AND SUFFERING 289 watched with intense interest by the brave and loyal Canadian Frenchmen, who had been compelled to lay down their arms, but not their hopes ! It was only with the news of the treaty that ratified the conquest, in 1763, that the final act of acceptation was made, and with it another more hearty act of thanksgiving, on being assured that the rights of religion would be respected. In Quebec, the public expres- sion of gratitude " for the blessing of peace and the continua- tion of the Catholic religion" was ordained, and on the 24tn of June a solemn Te Dciirn was chanted in the church of the Ursulines. That the hope of a return to the French government was only given up at the last moment appears in all the corres- pondence of the period. Thus, after the treaty, one of our nuns, writing to our Parisian Ursulines, says : " I know how sincerely you have shared the afHictions that have weighed upon us for several years past. A treaty of peace so long desired, but concluded on terms so contrary to our hopes, Jias tilled up the measure of our sorrows. We have felt the disappointment the more acutely, from having flattered our- selves so long that the final arrangements would be very different ; for we could not persuade ourselves that Canada would be so easily given up. Nothing is left for us but to adore with submission the impenetrable decrees of the Al- mighty." The annals are more reserved in their comments : they write for posterity and prudently leave all things to be decided by experience. We find merely the following note. " On the 24th of May, l¥63, a treaty of peace was signed between the kings of Fmnce and of England. Canada remains to the English. God grant that religion may ever continue to flourish!" ^x 19 I / i: hA^: : i.{ c. < 290 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY CHAPTER II 1760-1775 TRIALS AND CONSOLATIONS >, ■ • ''■^ BISHOP BRIAND, THE BOABDIKO-BCHOOL RK-OFKNED One of the most afflicting dispensations of divine Provi- dence, from a religious point of view, at this epoch, was the decease of Bishop de Pontbriand. This occurred at Montreal, on the 8th of June, 1760. Since the arrival of the eminent prelate in Canada (1741), he had proved himself in every way the good pastor, the friend and benefactor, the father of his people. After the events of the 13th September (1759) he had follov/ed the French army to Montreal, continuing to sacrifice whatever remained of his patrimony for the relief of the poor. He likewise sacrificed his health in the discharge of his pastoral duties, in cares and solicitude of every kind, advising, exhorting and encouraging the defenders of Canada la a cause deemed identical with that of religion. Could he have ended more gloriously his career than by giving up his life with the last ray of hope for the triumph of that cause ? On the other hand, what a critical moment for the Church of Canada to be deprived of her pastor ! The ranks of the clergy, already thinned by numerous deaths within the past six or seven years, rtc^uired to be filled by new ordina- tions ; but the consecrating hand was still and cold. Religious communities, so dependent on episcopal authority, shared the public anxiety and redoubled their prayers. It was not without good reason, for nothing was farther from the will of the new government than to give the deceased prelate a suc- cessor. TRIALS AND CONSOLATIONS 291 Our Ursulincs had other trials within their own enclosure. The community had been severely visited by mortality during that period of alarm and war we have just traversed. It is not without emotion we read of two good lay-sisters, whose death in the spring of 17G0 is attributed to over- exertion during the winter in taking care of thi sick soldiers. There had been fifteen deaths and but nine professions from 1753 to 1763. The last novice admitted before the conquest had pronounced her vows in 1758. From that time the novitiate welcomed no other candidate, an 1 finally remained vacant. Owing to the uncertainty of their own fate, prudence forbade the nuns to admit any new member to share the possible eventualities in store for themselves. On the other hand, amidst the difficulties which, with the English fiag, had settled like an impenetrable and gloomy mist upon all the face of the country, what tender father and mother but would have gathered nearer their bosom and held in a closer embrace the beloved objects of their solicitude ? It was only in 1766 that the door of the novitiate was re-opened. It belonged certainly to St. Joseph the special protector of the convent to lead the way : accordingly it was on the eve of his feast, the 19th of March, that Miss Cathe- rine Besancon, daughter of a respectable merchant of Quebec, received, after her three months' probation, the white veil with the name of that holy patron. She was soon joined by two other young ladies. Miss Marie Joseph Blais of the parish of St. Pierre, (Montmagny), and Miss Louise Taschereau, daughter of the Hon. Thomas Taschereau, member of the Supreme Council of Quebec, and Treasurer of the Marine office. Miss Taschereau, known in religion as Mother St. Francis Xavier, was destined to live long and useful years, as we shall have occasion to note. 292 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY If the losses and damages the convent had incurred during the war had reduced the nuns to great poverty, this was notably aggravated by other causes which aftected the coun- try at large. By the change of government in Canada, all the paper-money in circulation had become useless ; while pro- perty owned in France was suddenly reduced to one fourth •of its value, with a further discount upon the interest even •of this fraction. To add to the difficulty, all commerce with France was prohibited : yet what credit or facility for business-transac- tions could the Canadian merchant, if not already ruined, hope for in London ? On the other hand, how many articles of the first necessity, especially for the church and altar, or for the apparel of persons living in religious houses, so long proscribed in England, were no longer to be found on the list of English manufactures ? Obliged by the state of penury to which they were reduced, to seek some means of subsistance, our Mothers had recourse in particular, to a delicate species of embroidery, commonly •called bark work. This pretty and novel species of " painting >vith the needle," in which dyed moose-hair replaces the usual shades of silk, and the soft, leather-like outer bark of the white birch- tree is used instead of rich tissues of brocade or velvet, was much admired and sought for by English ladies and gentlemen, who had not come over to Canada ■with empty purses. At a later date, gilding for the decora- tion of churches, altars and tabernacles, is mentioned as bringing in a small profit whereby to avoid contracting debts, of which our Mothers appear to have ever had a just horror. An event which served to revive the hopes of the people and rejoice all who had the true interests of the colony at iieart, was the nomination of M. Jean Olivier Briand, Vicar ARRIVAL OP BISHOP BRIAND 29a )eople )ny at Vicar General, as Bishop of Quebec. This important concession in favor of the Catholic Church, although implied in the articles of the capitulation, had not been obtained from the royal will in England without difficulty and delay. The eminent prelate returning from France, where he had received the episcopal consecration, arrived in June, 1766, and was hailed with joy proportionate to the anxiety with which the reli- gious population of Canada had watched the long delibera- tions that had,retarded the fulfilment of their ardent wishes. In the new Bishop, the community welcomed a former Superior, and a devoted friend ; his new title and powers had only rendered him doubly paternal. The dilapidated cloister- walls, the extern school-house, and many other parts of the monastery, which the poverty of the nuns had not allowed them to repair since the siege, quickly drew the attention of the compassionate prelate. With as mucti delicacy as generos- ity, he no sooner discovered their wants than he took means to relieve them. Often the first intimation of the proposed repairs would be the sight of workmen, busy with their tools around the ruins. Like a good father, he loved to soothe and cheer his daughters in Christ ; he de- lighted to appear at their pious festivals, celebrating pontifical Mass in their chapel., or presiding, crosier in hand, at the ceremonies of taking the veil or making profession. In a word, he availed himself of every opportunity for pro- moting the welfare, temporal and spiritual, of the community. At the conclusion of Bishop Briand's first episcopal visit of the monastery, a duty of his charge, the annalist makes the following record. " Our illustrious prelate has just concluded the visitation of our monastery, in which he proceeded with the greatest charitv and to our entire satisfaction. His exhortation, at ■ ?• 294 OLIMPBEi? OF THE MONASTERY li i I the cloge, was so consoling and so full of encouragement, that our hearts were filled with new zeal for our own perfec- tion and for the glory of God. Notwithstanding the poverty and miseries of every kind, occasioned hy the war, our good Bishop found the community full of piety and as regular as ever. So he assured us, wishing us a thousand blessings, with the grace to preserve in this house to the end of time, the spirit of our first foundresses. God grant that it may be so : " Another great consolation was reserved for the Ursulines, at this period, in the beatification of the foundress of the Order, St. Angela. Tho happy event was celebrated with as many outward demonstrations of joy as if the whole country had still been under Catholic rule. Nothing was wanting in the midst of the pious a'ssembly but the ^claf thai would formerly have been added by the presence of a governor and his brilliant retinue. In place of this, the nuns record the joy and devotion with which crowds of people came to implore the protection of the newly crowned Servant of God, remarking that several persons of dis- tinction, diseased or infirm, had themselves carried to our cliurch, in order to manifest openly their confidence in her intercession. But the consolation chiefly prized by these Ursulines, so worthy of their name, was the facility they had found in pur- suing unmolested the principal duty of their vocation, the instruction of youth. We have seen already that no sooner had the monastery ceased to serve as a hospital than other occupants were found for the recent sick-wards. " All the winter, says the annalist in the spring of 1761, we have had a certain number of boarders, and as many day-pupils as TRIALS AND CONSOLATIONS 295 ■Nve could accommodate." The lists of the former show thirty- soven boarders, among whom English names begin already to appear. The number of new names inscribed during the following year would indicate about fifty pupils. The annals dispel all doubt on the subject by the following summary remarks in 1775. " It has been a great consolation for us, in the midst of so many difficulties and trials, so see our classes always well filled, there being often as many as sixty boarders, French and English. Ti:a latter are naturally very gentle and docile, but it is sad not to be allowed to bring them up in our holy Faith. The day-pupils are numerous, and would be more so if we had more nuns to teach them." To some of our readers, these lines, written with the usual brevity and candor of our convent-record, have been sug- gestive, ai. i they would readily ask what is to be thought of the accusations so often heard against Catholic popula- tions, their ignorance, want of enterprise, &c., &c. Keally, it does not appear as if the Canadiens of old, any more than those of present times, were indifferent to the value ■of education. The city has been made desolate by a cruel war, almost every house is in ruins, the fruit of many years of labor and economy are gone, for ever ; commerce is annihilated, and every avenue to wealth or emolument obstructed ; yet, hardly Las the soldier returned to his ruined homestead and assem- bled the scattered members of his household, than he enquires who are those that have not been instructed for their first Communion, how many cannot read and write. He examines if these can possibly he spared from home, and straightway they are despatched to school. Honor then to them to whom honor is due ! Those French Canadians, we know, manifested more solicitude for the main- 296 GLIMPSES OF THE ItONASTBRT / tenance of their religion and the security (jf their religious institutions thtm for any more temporal interest. Their atti- tude during all this trying crisis was such as to elicit the admiration and sympathy of the English governors them- selves, when they were men of liberal views and of real merit. In fact, it soon began to be apparent to the thoughtful observers of the times, that the conquest of Canada had been permitted by divine Providence for the greater safety and protection of its inhabitants. A letter written by Mother Marchand of St. Etienne as early as 17(»7, will serve to elucidate this point. It is addressed to the Ursulines of Paris as follows ; " The news we have had from France this year, as far as regards religion, grieves us profoundly. Although expatriated by the fate of war, our hearts are as French as ever, and this makes us doubly sensible to the decline of that dear country. I cannot help saying it is as well to be in Canada, where we enjoy the greatest tranquillity. We are not in the least molested on the score of religion. We have a governor who, by his moderation and benignity, is the delight of every one, and a bishop who is the joy and consolation of his flock. If money were not so scarce and every thing so dear, we should have nothing to desire." At a later date. Mother St. Louis de Gonzague writes : " Religion is perfectly free at present ; if any depart from their duty, it is their own fault. People say that it is not the same in Paris, where rehgious communities suffer persecution. We are told that you were even obliged to celebrate secretly the beatification of our Blessed Mother Angela. We have no such difficulty under the government of England." MOTUBR MIUEON OF THE NATIVITY 297 CHAPTER III MOTHER MKIKON OF THE NATIVITY AND OTIIKU MIIl'EKIOKS OIKlNd TWE.VTV-KI VE VIARH The service^ which Mother Migeon of the Nativity ren- dered her monastery were not merely of that deep and silent kind, aiiorded by the edifying life of every good religious. Placed at the head of the community in 1735, she became conspicuous for those qualities most desirable in a superior, and thus drew repeatedly upon herself, with the confidence and affection of her Sisters, the burden of authority. Twice only during a full quarter of a century (1735-1760), was this beloved Mother allowed a three years' respite from the cares of government : this was observing the constitutions to the letter. T^t us pause a while, dear reader, in the company of one who merited so large a share in the hearts of her contempora- ries, and who challenges still the admiration and gratitude of the virgins of the cloister. Born in Ville-Marie (Montreal) in 1685, Marie Anne was the youngest child of Jean Baptiste Migeon de Branzac, Lieu- tenant General of that city. Her mother, Catherine Gaucher de Belleville, was one of those truly Christian women whose example is a more powerful incentive to virtue for all who depend upon them than would be the most eloquent exhort- ations. At the approach of that great act of Christian life, the first Communion, Madame Migeon prepared to resign her tender charge into the hands of the Ursulines, and sent her daughter to Quebec, to continue an education com- menced on so firm a basis in the parental mansion. 298 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY 2 If i ■'I ii' In our classes, Miss Migeon corresponded with alacrity to the care of her worthy teachers and completed successfully, in the space of a little less than four years, the course of studiei then taught. Returning to the bosom of her family, the young lady, " in beauty's prime, " richly endowed with those graces and accomplishments the world is sure to prize, soon had enough of its deceitful admiration to have disturbed a mind less poised by solid judgment and sincere piety. But " the figure of this world which passeth away," whose delusive light so strangely bewilders some young ladies, dazzled not the eyes of this faithful child of Mary : she was not led away by the siren voice of pleasure and fashion. Sweeter accents had already struck her ear, and obeying the call of Jesus, she sought agam the shades of the cloister, ambitious only to please Him whom she had chosen as the object of her affections, and willing to spend her life in imparting to youth the benefits of a Christian education which she felt to be a treasure above all price. On the 8th of September, 1722, at the age of seventeen, Miss Migeon de Branzac received the white veil at the hands of Messire Jean de la Colombi^re, Vicar General of the diocese, exchanging a name honorable in the world for that of a mystery in which the whole world may well rejoice, the Nativity of Mary. Two years later, she pronounced her final vows with angelic fervor. One of the first offices confided to the pious Mother of the Nativity was that of mistress or directress of the boarders. So great a responsibility seemed overwhelming to our fervent novice, who felt alarmed in proportion to the humble opinion she had of her own abilities. Her eagerness to obtain the aid of Heaven and her self-diffidence led her to solicit the prayers anu advice of M. de la Colombi^re. His reply, which she ever carefully preserved, we here subjoin, as ;l'^ !ll« MOTHER MIGEON OF THE NATIVITY 299 ifr embodying the duties of an Ursuline of the present day, as well as it did of those who lived one hundred and fifty years ago. " Your new employment, my dear Sister, demands patience and an ever ardent desire of i)romoting the salvation of souls. It affords you frequent opportunities of impressing upon the minds of your youthf -.1 charge the nature of the obligations they have contracted in bajjtisni, and of inspiring them with contempt for the pomps and vanities of the world. In a word, all the young girls under your care should strive to become by their piety, the living images of the most holy Virgin Mary ; they should be actuated by a noble emulation to acquire the virtues of the Queen of Angels. Adieu. Love the Blessed Virgin, and lay deep in your own heart the foundation of every virtue, as you are aware you must aim at perfection, in order to merit the glory and happiness of being ranked forever among the true children of Mary. Ever yours, &c., Jos. DE LA COLOMBIERE." The office of directress was a light one however, in com- parison to that of superior, which awaited Mother Mary of the Nativity for the first time in 1735. Called repeatedly, as we have already said, to this post of responsibility, she had celebrated her fiftieth year of religious profession, when came the trials and sufferings of that memorable year of the great siege (1739-1760). Yet how calm, how full of energy, how strong by her trust in divine Providence, how capable of counselling, directing, and encouraging, appears this venerable Mother! How attractive her humility and benev- olence ! What delicate propriety marked all her demeanor ! That nameless charm with which the life-long practice of virtue invests its possessor, was heightened, no doubt, by the vivacity and wit peculiar to her nation and set off by the polish due to intercourse with the best society. To all these /.■.■;■ ■"■" *.": v\'^ 300 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY I! Bl ■ ■ 'V! I'!'! I causes, but above all to the merciful designs of Providence^ must be attributed the influence she exerted over strangers and Englishmen, she, a Frenchwoman, who not only pro- fessed that religion hated and proscribed by their nation, but who was at the head of an establishment, the very name of which would, at that day, have raised a cry of horror in England. So remarkable was her success in this trying crisis, in conciliating the good will of the officers of His British Majesty, yet preserving the rights and property of the con- vent, that the Bishop thought himself justified in author- izing an exception to the rules, an exception unique in our annals. This was to prolong the term of her government beyond the appointed time for the elections, in order to avoid any change while as yet so many interests were at stake. To this measure there was found, it seems, one dissenting voice ; but it only served to justify the nomination, for it was that of- the humble and venerable Superior herself, trembling for the consequences of one deviation from the regular discipline of the convent. At the age of four-score years and more, Mother Mary of the Nativity was still a pillar of regular observance ; her pen was still as fluent, if not as elegant, as it had been thirty years previous ; her intellect was as vigorous, and her piety even more simple and beaui. il. It was only at the age of eighty-five that her strength began to fail her to such a degree that she became, for the last eighteen months of her life, quite infirm and helpless. Yet, even to the last, the bright spirit flagged not. The lamp, borne in the wise virgin's hands, was well replenished and burned brightly, giving out vivid rays of faith, confidence, love and desire, at the wel- come approach of the Bridegroom. Pure had been the dawn, and sweet was the close of that long and useful life. IN OTHER SUPERIORS AFTER THE CONQUEST 301 Mother La Gmnge of St. Louis governed the community from 1741 to 1744. She died in 1776, at the age of eighty- three, having borne " the sweet yoke of the Lord " from the tender age of fifteen. On comparing dates, we are reminded that Mother St, Louis and Mother Mary of the Nativity were pupils of Mothers Charlotte Barrt^ of St. Igna- tius, Mother Bourdon of St. Joseph and St. Agnes, and had lived many years with those saintly souls, formed to the practice of perfection by Venerable Mother Marie de I'lncar- nation. Mother St. Louis is depicted as " gentle and kind, amiable in conversation, active and laborious, ready to oblige and render service, ingenious in finding time to aid the others, without neglecting the duties of her own office." Her biogra- pher tells us of her fervor, her regularity, her confidence in divine Providence, enumerating the services she rendered the community, and closes her tribute of affection in those words : " The memory of this venerable Mother will ever be most dear to us." of We end this Chapter with the name of Mother Boucher de St. Pierre. Judging by the advanced age of several of the Superiors of the convent when first elected, or the late period at which they are continued in office, one may easily infer the great consideration the elders enjoy in the Monastery. In the present instance, we find that Mother St. Pierre, after occupying the second or the third rank, a full quarter of a century, is called to the superiority at the age of seventy- four. Our readers have seen elsewhere that this worthy religious has not been forgotten in the annals of the mon astery. , 302 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY CHAPTER IV 1775-1785 THE CONVKNT DURING THE SIEGF OF 1775 DIFKIOILTEES OF SUHSE(iUE\T YK.VU* i*l' |l i' t ! 1 i Again, dear reader, the clarion of war has sounded ; again the rocky heights of Cape Diamond echo to the shrill call of military horn and bugle. Not even the ice-bound river and the snow-buried plain have secured the country from an invasion, in the name of liberty ! But is the peaceful cloister again to be disturbed, its inmates scattered, its walls ruined ? We have just perused the narrative Mother St. Etienne has left of this American invasion of 1775, the fourth siege the Convent has witnessed ^ Our readers would find nothing new to them in the details she gives of that daring attack upon Quebec, except what regards the convent, and to this we shall mainly confine our- selves. It would be needless to follow the vicissitudes of that campaign, begun with the mistaken idea that Canada would willingly join the American colonies in their attempt to throw oft' the Bristish yoke. History has traced the march of the invading army, which under Montgomery bore otf the British colors from every fort and town in its path, St. John's, Chambly, Sorel, Montreal, Three Eivers, till joining that other hardy band issuing from the woods on the banks of the river Chaudiere, they hasten on, cheering loudly as they pause before the gates of Quebec, expecting to see them thrown open to its deliverers ! The issue of that 1 The preceding sieges were those of 1690, 1759 and 1760. THE CONVENT DURING THE SIEGE OF 1775 303 miilnight strife of December, 1775, was written in bloody characters upon the banks of freshly fallen snow, with the fate of the gallant but unfortunate Montyomerv. The memory of all this was revived in 1875, by a comme- morative centennial. We need not dwell upon the winter's blockade, the arrival in March of an English fleet, bringing timely succor to the weary garrison, the final evacuation of Canada by the American forces. We are certain to gratify our readers more by opening to their view the interior of the cloister during that six months' siege. We shall not find therein a flock of young and timid doves, to be frightened by the first discharge of artillery. No ! many of these thirty-four professed nuns had been through scenes that had given them courage and experience. They remem- bered the two sieges of 1759 and 1760, and trusted them- selves all the more serenely to the protecting care of divine Providence. Beyond the walls, along the suburbs of St. Roch, and in the Intendant's palace, in full view of the convent, there were some hundreds of armed men, raising batteries and pointing cannon upon the town. When these preparations had been completed the murderous projectiles were scattered like hail-stones all around the premises, but the inmates did not appear unused to the smoke and din of war. One of the nuns, as she was passing through an apartment, had a piece of her apron carried away by a cannon-ball. It is not related tiiat she even kept the fragment as a souvenir ! * Let us hear Mother St. Louis de Gonzague, giving a sum- mary account of the winter to the Ursulines of Paris : 1 — It is not uncommon to meet with cannon-balls and bomb- shells on the convent-grounds. A few years ago, in repairing the roof of the Sainte-Famille wing (the northern part of the monastery occupied by the community,) a cannon-ball was found still lodged 304 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY I' " We would be most ungrateful, says she, if we did not bless a thousand times the Author of all good, who supports and consoles His servants in the midst of the different trials of this life. Your fervent prayers, my dear Mothers, obtained for us new courage, which transformed us all into heroines. You are aware we have passed through a six months' siege. I leave you to imagine the : clings of poor nuns in such cir- cumstances, with the fire of the combat constantly before their eyes, and threatened at every moment by the bombs and cannon-balls. The first ball that reached us struck the infirmary ; another entei-ed the novitiate, breaking the win- dows and a novice's bed. We hastened to take out the win- dow-sashes, and this being perceived by the enemy, they lowered their guns. Evidently, they did not intend to harm us. " A little later, a ball passed through the church-windows and struck a neigiiboring house. The Almighty protected us, taking pity on poor nuns who have no other part in war but to suffer its inevitable penalties. However courageous we may have felt, it must be owned that the situation was not an agreeable one. To live amid constant alarms, to hear the hour of battle announced by the tocsin the bells ringing only on these occasions — to be stunned, night and day, by the rolling of drums and the booming of cannon, to have no place of safety in case of danger, our only vault (which served as a chapel) being damaged and insecure : all this was not pleasant. between the roof and the wall. A bomb was lately found beneath the choir buried in the earth. It had not exploded, and was still full of the materials with which it had been sent on its errand of destruction, whether by the English or by the Americans, we <:anD0t say. I' DIFFICULTIES OF SUBSEQUENT YEARS 305 " On the loth December we had our elections, in military style, to the sound of guns and cannon ! " Our observances were followed regularly in chapel, in spite of the rigors of the season. All these inconveniences have not sufficed to injure the liealth of any one of us seriously, which certainly seems wonderful. It is true we had the advantage of being all together, at home, without anxiety for our subsistence, our prudent Dipositaire having laid in a good store of piovisions, which was no small relief and aid in supporting the miseries entailed by war." Oh ! we may well say : " There's no place like home," since the casualties of war itself can be affVonted with intrepidity by the aid of mutual sympathy and charity ! neath 18 stm nd of ks, we After an interval often years (1785), if we enquire, how fares the Convent ? we find the nuns yet struggling with poverty, sharing the difficulties that on all sides weighed heavily on the country. Governor Haldimand was not the man to bring order and good feeling out of confusion and dissatisfaction. To the misery caused by the want of public confidence, 'scarcity of money and high rates for merchandise of every kind, were added other calamities ; bad seasons, poor crops, shipwrecks, and accidents. Even the moral atmosphere was dark and lowering. Witness the following extract from a letter written in 1785 to the Ursulines of Paris : " We have reason to weep in the sight of Heaven over our poor country. There is liberty, it is true, to profess our holy religion, but there is little care for living piously or fulfilling the duties of a Christian. Young girls are not brought up as carefully as they were formerly. Some of our 20 ■• . •.. 306 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY ill* l)upils, soon after their first Communion, are taken from us, and before the age of fourteen they are introduced into society and allowed to go to the theatre. You may easily imagine the sad results of those dangerous amusements. If I enter into these details, it is to engage you to offer your fervent prayers for us and for our poor people." In another letter, she writes: " We hear many complaints of the vanity and luxuiy which are beccming prevalent in society; yet there are many <.ocd people who persevere faithfully in the path of duty." A ditiiculty which from year to year embarrassed the Ursulines as well as every other institution for educa- tion, was that of procuring French books for the pupils. All direct communications with France had ceased, and printing was yet on a small scale in Canada. One French bookseller in Paris was known, who had a correspondent in London. Tlu'ough him, from time to time, the educational establish- ments here could renew their class-books, but the limited importation was subject to many inconvenience.^. The decline of piety, the difficulties of various kinds already enumerated and others too long to be detailed here,, had the efi'ect of diminishing the number of boarders to waids the close of the century. The course of studies became more and more elementary, and for a great many only extended to the period of their first Communion. On the other hand, more and more alarming were the reports that came from Europe of the growth of infidelity, irreligion and crime, especially in France, that France which, to our nuns, was still the beloved mother-country. Already the suppression of the Jesuits (1773), and that of other reli- gious orders in subsequent years, afforded but too evident proof of tile profound depravity of those men who had placed themselves at the head of the revolutionary movement. MOTHER WHEELWRIGHT, AND OTHER SUPERIORS 307 Alas, for that ill-fated country ! there were days iu store for her people, darker than those which ii\ 1785 ' terrified the comparatively innocent population of Canada, and of nhich we are forcibly reminded, as we revert to that period of moral darkness, " the reign of Terror." CHAPTER V 1760-1793 MOTHER ESTHER WHEELWRIGHT, AND OTHER SUPERIORS |re the |delity> which ^ llready |r reli- kvident placed AMICAHI.i; IIEI.ATIOXS WlTIt TlIK li.NtlLl^ll llOVEUXOK.H In 1761 the convent elections placed at the helm Mother Esther Wheelwright of the Infant Jesus. A Superior bearing an English name, appearing for the first time in the community just as English rule is being inaugurated in Canada, seems a strange coincidence. This child of providence, whom the reader has recognized as the Indian captive, had never been forgotten in the home of her infancy. If the difficulty of communication between the city of Boston and Quebec at that time prevented the bereaved parents from satisfying their affection by coming to see their 1 — On Sunday the 0th October, 1785, aftcM-anight rendered tVarful by gusts of wind, cl: of thunder and torrents of rain, the morning was foggy. At about ten o'clock an easterly nind arose, when it suddenly became as dark as night for some minutes. This was fol- lowed by a thunderstorm and again by midnight darkness, thus alternating all the afternoon. People dined by candle-light. Our nuns sang their Vesi)ers with lights, as they are wont to recite tho evening office. In the difterent churches of the city, divine Service had to be suspended. 308 ilLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY (laughter, they lost no opportunity of remindMij^her l)y letters and by presents of their tender reiuembranc.'e. Among these souvenirs, nont; suiely was sn precious as the miniature por- trait of her beloved Mother which is still preserved in the convent. * Nearly fifty years had separated Mother Wheelwright of the Infant Jesus fiom her family, when a nephew of hers, having performed the long journey expressly to see his aunt, was admitted to visit her within the cloister. On taking leave of his newly-found relative, Major Wheelwright, regardless of )»er objections on the score of her vow of poverty, placed in her hands a silver fork, spoon and goblet, in the name of her family. A few montlis after our amiable Mother's re-election in 3 704, occurred the golden jubilee of her religious pr(»fession, ■our church being at that time still open to the public for the parish otiices. According to the annalist, nothing was wanting to enhance the solemnity of the fete : the organ, played by the chaplain, Father iJesche, good and devout singing by the best voices in the eommunity, an eloquent sermon on the happiness of the religious life. The morning ceremony concluded with the Te Deuin, and that of the afternoon with w ill .1] ei 1 — In 1701, the year following her election as Superior, one of lier Slater's flOns, Joshua Mocly, son of Mary Wlieeiwright Moody, visited her. " One of this sister's grand-daughters was named Esther Weeelwright, and to her namesake the Lady Superior seiit many presents, requesting that she might ha entrusted to her care to be educated in the Convent. Of course, the Puritan parents were not disposed to gratify her in this respect. Among other things, she sent by Mr. Moody her own portrait, painted in the dress of her order. This is still in the family, having been handed down with the name of Esther from generation to generation." Miss (J. A. Baker, from whose 2'rMe ISiorien o/ New EiKjland Cap- tives the above has lieen copied, adds : " For tliis information I am indebted to Mr. Edmund Wheelwright of Boston, who is about Xo publiah a Jii&torj of his family. Cambridge, Mass., 1897." MOTHER WHEELWRIUHT, AND OTHER SUPERIORS 309 one of Moody, named jior sent .ler care parents Ig other [l in the handed ^ration." Vnd Cap- ]iiation I I is about the Bem^diotioM of th»3 Hlessed Sacrament. Those detiiils show that the usual pious rejoicings on sucli occasions were not interrupted by the presence in the country of a hostile creed. The " Hind and I'liuther " wore not growling at each other, openly at least. ' Let the old manuscript wo love to refer to tell what opinion the coinpaTiions of Mother Esther of the Infant Jesus had formed of her virtues as a religioiis. Oh ! they are elociuent in the praising of that " soul predestined from all eternity, the beloved of God and nian, whose admirable examples during her long career of sixty-eight yars spent in the service of her Divine Master in thi.-; co'nmunity, iiave a more touching language than all that could b.i written. " Endowed with the happiest of dispositions and an excel- lent constitution, to what a holy use did she n(!t apply these jirecious gifts, walking firmly in the path of i)i.'rfectioii, strictly observing the minutest points of the rule, placi.ig in this, as she said herself, her joy and consolation. Evury thing that tended to the glory of God iullamed her zeal. What pains did she not take in instructing young girls, during the nuiny years she was employed in the teaching department of the institute! If her extreme gentleness,her grace, her exquisite politeness, rendered it ditticult for her to take upon herself that tone of r.uthority which is sometimes necessary, she always succeeded in gaining the esteem, respect and affection of the pupils. Her qualifications admirably fitted her for the offices to which she was called in the interior of the monas- tery, as superior, assistant and mistress r»f novices. Laborious at all times, it was particularly during the years of penury and distress for the convent that this beloved Mother exerted her skill in embroidery and fancy work, in order to contribute to the support of the community. When her sight had become too feeble to permit her to execute the more delicate labors < * mo GLIMPtiES OF THE MONASTERY ;i K3'".' I of the needle, she solicited and obtaiiunl leave to do the luending of the liouse, displaying in this us lauch neatness, economy and aniial»ility us if these articles also were des- timnl to bo admired and purchased. Yet thi.^ is not siir[>ris- ing, for a sotil like hers must have been animated by purity of intention and an interior spirit in all her actions." If St. IJernard hesitates not to ascribe the merit of martyr- dom to the religious life, jjersevered in to the end with fervor, what must not be the recomi)ense of this privileged soul, who sacrificing home and country, devoted herself unreserv- edly to the s.'rvice of her Divine Master, only laying down the cross with her life, at the age of eighty-four years ? " It was on the 20th of Octol)er, 1780, amid her usual pious aspi- lations towards Iluaveii, that our bcdoved Mother VVHieel- v/right of the Infant Jesus ceased to live in this world, to li\e for ever with the blessed in heaven, leaving us the legacy of her virtuous example, and a nuMuory that will be ever fresh in our grateful hearts. Her ancestors were nobler, as the arms of her family bear witness, but she needed not the illus- tration of birth or title, to win from all who knew her a will- ing tribute of love and admiration." With the name of Mother Ksther of the Infant Jesus, we naturally associate that of Mother Davanne of St. Louis de Gonzague, these two remarkiible superiors having tilled the office iillernatety during eighteen years (1760-1778), contin- uing the amicable relations with the new government, com- menced so auspicionsly under Mother Migeon of the Nati- vity 1. J — Tt may not be nninterestinp to insert here a little note written by (iovernor Murray to the foninumity, after his return to England. It shows that i1 the English General knew how to recognize the services rendered to the sick and wounded of his army like a MOTHER WIIKKI.WRlOirT. AND OTIIBR SUPERIORS 311 Wo lutie Hiid ourst'lvL's in presence of a Parisian lady, and at the same time we are rciinindod of a doniestie drama stran- ger than fiction, for which we must refer our readers to a future page. The present must be confined to wluit regards Mother St. Louis de (lonzague as Superior, recalling some further instances of the kind feeling with which the Ursu- lines were regarded by Governor Carleton later, Lord Dor- chester — and by all his honorable family, as well as by the other officers of Ilis liritisli Miij 'Sty in (iueb:!C. It is well known that Sir (iuy Carleton was a sincere and constant friend of the Canadians. Our annalist writing of him at the time says, " he is justly beloved by all classes of peo])le. His mild and paternal administration, Jiis ])rudence and benevolence, his personal merits and kindness, have ren- Irritten Iglaial. \e the llike a gentleinun anil a soltlior, he could also ucknowloilge, as delicately as a lady, a slighter fovor. Lnndnii, April 23rrf, 1707. IjADIKS, I havo re<'eiv(Ml the beautiful articles you had the kindness to send uii'. 'rh«\v are certainly nnst aotieptable in themselves, l)eing the work ofskiU'ul and tastofiil liimds ; hut these gifts are especially precious to me on account of the feeling that has dictated the offering. It is your esteem and attachment which I consider, and which 1 vaUie as i ought. But this new proof of your sentiments in my regard was not necessary to convince me that they were unalterahli'. Dining my sojourn in (Janada, 1 had a thousand occa- sions of appreciating those kind feelings; f am most sensible to the honor and it will ever be a pleasure to me to acknowledge the obligation. I am persuaded you will continue to enjoy the tranquillity and happiness you merit: it is tiie recompense due to your virtues, and the fruit of your irreproachable life. It is these considerations that have won for you, Ladies, the esteem and confidence of all who know you. Continue to enjoy it. For my part, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to have an opportunity to prove the iiigh consideration and attachment with which 1 have the honor to remain ■ Yours &c., MURRA^Y. !'l \ I'll } I- 312 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY dered him deAr to all ranks. Long may it please the king to continue him in office ! " adds she with emphasis. The relations of Lady Garleton with t)ie inmates of the cloister were most intimate and cordial. It was through her influence, and at the request of Gov- ernor Garleton, that the nuns consented to admit as parlor- boarder, a relative of the family, Mrs. Johnston, while her husband was absent in London. ^ The same favor which at the present day is refused to more than one ajiplicant, was again granted later, (1778) to the widow of Major Garleton, Lady Anne. This lady, whose Hue tiualities and rare amiabil- ity endeared her much to the nuns, became so attached to them aiid to her secluded way of living under the convent- roof, that she would willingly have arranged to make her situation a peimauent one. Unable to obtain this favor she finally decided to rejoin her family in London, leaving her (juiet aj artnji'Ut with as much regret as the nuns themselves felt to part with her. Lady Garleton was, at all times, most gracious and oblig- ing, bringing her little family to see the nuns, visiting them first on her arrival and la;.t on leaving the country each time that she had to cross the ocean. On one of these parting occasions, accompanied by her suite, and by her " three little sons, and also her little daughter whom we had not yet seen," she presented the Mother Superior with two silver candle- sticks for the church. The nuns rightly said that a Gatholic could not have been more thoughtful and delicate in the choice of a [larting souvenir. I! 1 1 — Mrs. Johnston, as well as Lady Garleton, occupied the apart- ment that has since become the chaplain's room. It was then, as new, beyond the limits of the strict cloister. MOTHER WHEELWRiailT, AND OTHER SUPERIORS 313 Praising the Governor's wise administration, and wishing that liis successor may follow in liis footsteps, our annalist adds : " He has governed the country with admirable pru- dence, and given proof of greatness of soul in many critical moments. He has labored indefatigably to promote the wel- fare and best interests of the people, treating the Bishop and clergy with deference and esteem, and suffering no one to be molested on account of his religion." Then with what hearty exjuessions the same pen records in 1786 the " return of my Lord Dorchester, our late Gov- ernor, to the great joy of the clergy as well as of the people. He was hailed by a salute of artillery and received by the troops under arms. My Lady, after sulfering much from the sea-voynge, has arrived in good health with all her family." On her first visit to her cloistered friends. Lady Dorchester signified her desire that her daughter should take lessons in French and in embroidery fiom tlie nuns. Accordingly, with the authorization of Bishop Briand, the young Countess was admitted daily for the space of two or three hours, her mother accompanying her in order to perfect herself in the Frencii language, and to enjoy the amiable comjiany of the French teacher, Mother Davanne of St. Louis de Gonzague. At all times, a visit to the Ursulines seems to have been a part of the programme of the governor's reception in Quebec. Returning now to our theme after this long digression, we meet a new Superior in the person of Mother Antoinette Poulin of St. Francis. Like Mother La Grange of St. Louis, it was chietiy as ddpositaire, during long years of penury and difficulties of every kind, that Mother St. Francis has acquired a right to the perpetual gratitude of her community. i M 314 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY Much of her voluminous correspondeuce with the Ursulines of France having been preserved, we are enabled to enter into an intimate acquaintance with the amiable Mother, who from 1760 to 1787 was the visible providence of the Monas- tery, The clearness and precision of her style, the elevation of her sentiments, the sensibility of her heart, in turn excite our admiration, revealing her character precisely as her bio- grapher has traced it. We readily understand that " this dear Mother was moved with a tender compassion for the afflicted, being charitable and kind to all. During the twenty- one years that she was in charge of our temporal affairs, in times of the greatest dilliculty, her economy and fore- sight wore admirable ; but her goodness of heart was still greater, and of this we were so well persuaded that it served to moderate the sufferings of that memorable period. She was one of the eight courageous Sisters who remained during the Siege to watch over the Monastery. She loved the pupils tenderly, and manifested her affection on every occasion, not only wIkmi employed with them in teaching, but in every office that had the least relation with that duty, the dearest and most important for an Ursu- line." At the age of sixty-five, having filled the measure of her days and of her merits, Mother St. Francis passed to a better life (1790), Mother Brassard of St, Clare held the office of Superior from 1787 to 179o, In her we recognize a daughter of one of those ancient and honorable families, fortunately not rare in Canada, from whose pious ranks the Divine Master loves to recruit new laborers for his vineyard. How glorious is such a distinction ! What a treasure of heavenly blessings upon the rest of the family, is the sure reward of parents MOTHER WHEELWRiailT, AND OTHER SUPERIORS 315 who generously give to God the son who was their pride and stay, or the daughter who aV)0ve all, was their solace and their joy. In the present instance, while two sisters conse- crate their lives to God as Ursulines, six of their brothers become priests, one of whom endows his country with a new institution for learning and piety ^ Mother St. Clare is described by her contemporaries as *' one of those rare persons in whom the solid virtues were A. united to distinguished talents. Mho governed others without detriment to her own ]>erfection, possessing the secret of winning the love and respect of her inferiors, maintaining with an equal hand charity, union and the observance of the rule. All the virtues shone in lier daily life, yet above them all, her humility was conspicuous." It was while Mother lirassard of St. Clare was Superior^ that the Monastery celebrated on the 1st of August, 1789, its 150th Anniversary. The Centennial had found the church in all the glow of its fresh completion ; but the last half-cen- tury had been a rough one, and some repairs were required. These had been attended to from the month of May, in order to perform with "as much splend-^r as cir- cumstances would allow " the stately ceremonies by which religion comes to our aid, when we, would publicly testify our gratitude to the Most High. "We had' High Mass, say the annals, benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, and a solemn I'e Deani, to thank God for all the blessings showered down upon this house since its foundation. Mgr. de Capse, 1 — M. Louis Bmssard foumied tlie college of Nicolot in 1801. Marie-Anne Bmssani of St. Madeleine entered the Convent in 175"), being the last to make profession before the conquest. She lived to 1815, having witnessed the three .sieges of Quebec. •H '-t 316 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY the newly consecvjited bishop, kindly offered to officiate ^ Several cler«,'ymen, uniting iu our inu^ntions, celebrated Mass in our chapel. We sang hymns and canticles of joy and grat- itude, thanking God with all our hearts for preserving our community from all the woes that seemed to threaten us, especially when the country had passed under the rule of Great Britain." CHAPTER Vr 11: m 4 1793-1802 SAD KCnOES OK THE FRENCH REVOLUTION The lies that bound our Ursulines to France were not only those of kinship and atfectioii, like all the other French iidiabitauts of Canada. There was another link [joeuliar to their [irofession : it was the sweet fraternal botul of charity, by which the members of our ilear L(jrd's chosen friends cher- ish each other, iu very truth, as brethren and sister.-i. In Paris, that centre where the llevolution had established its stronghold, were two nourishing convents of the order of St. TJr.sula. One of these was not only the Alma Mater of all the convents of the " Congreyation de Paris " in France, but it had become, by adoption, ihe mother-house of the Ursulines of Quebec. Our readers remember that after the monastery of Tours had furnished the two pillars of the edifice, in the ] — Mgr Jean Fr. Hubert, on taking the title of Bisliop of Quebec after the decease of Bishop d'Esglis, consecrated his coadjutor M. Bailly, who bore Uie title of Bishop of Capse. He never took the title of Bishop jf (iuebec. SAD ECHOES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 317 persons of Mother Marie de 1' Incarnation and Mother St. Joseph, the <^reater number of the other devoted nuns from France have been designated by us as Parisians. In 1682, the union was consummated by the Ursulines of (^)uebec adopting the Constitution of the Ursulines of Paris. During all this period of u century and a half, the correspondence had ever been most cordial, sisterly, in every sense of the word. Great, then, was the anxiety of the Ursulines of Quebec for the fate of their beloved sisters in France generally, but for those of Paris, especially, on account of their greater danger and the more intimate relations that existed between that community and ours, " Fatal and terrible Revolution, writes the annalist in 1794, which has accumulated woes with- o>it number for theChurch and for the human race. In itsefforts to destroy religion it has put an end to the monarchy, led to the scaffold the king and the most illustrious members of the royal family, raised aloft thestan(Jard of atheism, overthrown churches and altars, pillaged and profaned the sacred vessels, massacred the priests, depopulated the cloisters : in a word, caused so many evils and horrors that my pen would refuse to retrace them " Meanwhile the dismal years of that last decade of the eighteenth century roll on, bearing distress and bloodshed from the frontiers of France through the finest countries of Europe. Rome is taken ; the Holy Father, at the age of eighty-one, is a ja-isoner, an exile, till finally, offering his life for his flock, the illustrious Pontiff, the Father of the faithful, closes his eyes in death, a last victim to impiety, injustice and ambition. Through all these years which, for good Catholics, for all, indeed, who had not lost the sense of ordinary humanity, were truly years of bitterness while •they were years of i I 318 GLIMPSES OF TUB MONASTERY suffering for virtue and innocence, what had been the fate of the Ursulines of Paris ? When all religious orders had been proscribed by these red-handed revolutiouaries, when wear- ing the monastic habit had been made a crime against the State, when hundreds of priests, monks, and nun.-, had expiated on the scaftbld the offence of being guiltless, had the Ursulines escaped with impunity ? The last letter our nuns had received from their dear sisters, was dated the 18th February, 1791. It was almost entirely devoted to business-matters, arrears of rent, &c. ; for the Ursulines of Quebec had property in France, now ready to be engulfed with all other church-property by the torrent of the Kevoluticjn. " We live in sad times, we are in need of faith and coutidence. I say nothing of our fears... The public pa[)ers will tell you enough. Pray for us, we are much in need of your prayers."... Such liad been the laconic mes- sage, in which anxiety and sad forebodings are but too evident. No further tidings crossed the ocean during eleven long years. At last — it was in 1802 — an English merchant had brought out from London a parcel, addressed to the Ursulines of Quebec, and he called at the convent tc say that it had been found accidentally, having been forgotten by the shopkeeper to whom it had been confided by some French exiles, nine years [»revious. The paper was yellow and dust-stained ; the handwriting, heavy and trembling. The date was " January, 13th, 1793," and was signed " ])e Lauge de St. Augustin, ex-Superior of the Ursulines of the Faubourg St. Jacques, Paris." The second bore the signature " P. de B» (Picard de Beaucacour) dite de Ste. C^cile." Let us quote the touching details of their irreparable mis- fortunes: . • , , SAD ECHOES OF THE FRENCH REVOLUTION 319 ourg mis- " You have doubtless heard with grief, dear Reverend Mothers, of the devastation and destruction of all religious houses in France. Our monastery, which was one of the best regulated in the kingdom, has not escaped the common fate. Your conijiassionate hearts would have bled to see the cloister-wall broken down, and ourselves forcibly driven from our peaceful asylum, to seek refuge wherever we could find some charitable soul to receive us. To our great regret, we are all scattered. Pity us, dear Mothers, and beg our Divine Lord to grant us the grace to make a holy use of the heavy trial he has sent us. "All the clergy with vhom we were acquainted have disappeared, and it is imj ossible to discover any one who may have escaped the massacre of the 24th September. Our venerable confessor and our two chaplains were certainly among the victims. I cannot enter into further details. Ask our dear Lord to give me perfect resignation." The aged Mother Superior concludes with these woids : " I recommend myself to your good prayers as one already dead, for although my health is pretty good, which seems a miracle considering ray seventy-four years and my cruel situation, I may not be among the living when this reaches you. The holy will of God be done. If I were younger, I ihink I would accept your invitation." Both letters were devoted in groat part to the aftairs of our monastery. Their own misfortunes could not make these good nuns neglect any precaution in their power to prevent their Canadian Sisters' interests from suffering. The indefati- gable Mother Ste, Saturnine, who had been our lUpositaire in Paris for twenty years, was now seventy-nine years of age, and was fast going to her reward. Lodged in a poor little hut, a few leagues beyond the city walls, she was attended by the 320 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY i'. devoted sister Ste. Cecile, who had resolved not to quit her. It is the charitable inKnnarian herself who continues : •' Dear Mother Ste. Saturnine is declinini^ rapidly and there is no hope of her recovery. Although auft'ering very much, she is gentle, patient, and resigned to the will of our blessed Master. Her state is a daily subject of meditation for me. I beg you to offer your most fervent prayers for her, beloved Mothers. She often thinks of you, and speaks of her dear Queboc sislers, in a manner that shows how much she loves you. She tells me, if her state allowed her to profit of your obliging invitation, she would do so with much gratitude. I .share her sentiments : we all share them. What a contrast l)etween our present position, and the time when we could make others happy ! But, my good Mothers, we must adore with submission the orders of divine Providence, convinced that every thing that happens in this world is destined to contribute to our salvation..." Let us hasten to the conclusion of the sad drama. The dear sutt'erer, so meek beneath the stroke that banished her from her peaceful cloister in lier old age, had gone to a better life a few days after the date of the letter we have just quoted. Hor charitable companion took refuge with the vener- able Superior, who finally succeeded in gathering quietly around her the scattered members of her spiritual family. It was in their midst that, four years later, her dear soul, doubly purified by affliction and patience, took its flight towards heaven. Still the exiled Ursulines continued to sigh for their cloister, and to watch for an opportunity to return to the field of their former labors, employing themselves, meanwhile with joy, in teaching the poor children they could assemble. But it was not in Paris, that centre of the revolutionary madness which had overturned both throne and altar, that so soon could be found a place for the daughters CONTRASTED SCENES 321 of St. Angela, the avowed apostles of virtue and religion. One by one the links of that bright chain were broken by death, till in 1830, there were only two remaining : and, in 18o5 ^, a traveller from Quebec was introduced to the last survivor of the Ursulines of Paris. This venerable lady of eighty- five, still bright in her intellect and clear in her facul- ties, had been one of the last to make profession in that noble institution before the fierce tornado of the revolution had passed, burying so much happiness, so many hopes, under the ruins of so many sanctuaries ^ ! CHAPTER VII 1800 CONTRASTED SCENES, IN THE LIKE OK MOTHER DAVANNE OF ST. LOUIS UE CONZAGIE light sigh bturn blves, 1 they )f the le and thters On the evening of the third of February, 1800, one who might have entered the silent chapel of the Urnuline Convent, at a quarter to six, would have found it, as is usual at that hour, vacant and in obscurity, save the one starry light gleaming before the tabernacle, announcing the Master's I'RESENCE there. But, no ! another glance shows the kneeUng 1 — The Very Rev. Thomas Maguire, V. CJ. of the diocese of Quebec, and chaplain of the Ursulines, 2 — In ISOfi, an Imperial decree authorized the Ursulines to assemble in communities, but failed to restore to theui their con- vents and property of which the Revolution had despoiled tftem. In 1810 the Ursulines of Paris were living at Puteau.x, near Neuilly, In 1828, the fewr survivors were lodged in Vaugirard street, Fau- bourg yt. Germain, Finally, in 1835, only one, Mother St. Angela, remained, as is stated above. 21 I nil M 322 GLIMPSES OF TBE MONASTERY '*"!} t'*;i m, form of an aged mm, and by lier side a diminutive lantern, whose tiny flnnie might barely serve to guide her footsteps in the dark of early mornings, or when the evening bell rings the call to prayer. At this unwonted hour for a visit to the chapel, Mother Davanne of St. Louis de Gonzague only remains a few moments in silent adoration and riseo to retire. As she mounts the stairs that lend to the community-hall, she is met by a !?miling band and escorted as in tiiumph. The double door opening wide discovers all the sister- hood assembled, wailing to greet the venerable Mother, who, for eight days j nst, has been in retreat, preparing to renew in the fervor of her first profession those vows she jironounced sixty years ago. How joyous is each beaming countenance in this family-circle, wherein presides, in sweet maternal dignity , Mother Marchand of St. Ursula, and where are so many others, whose names are still familiar in the commu- nity : Mothers Panet of St. Bernard and St. James, iJube of St. Ignatius, Berthelot of St. Joseph, La Ferri^re of Ste. Marie, and others. Here also, for this occasion, are the ami- able white-veiled novices, and among them Sisters McLaugh- lin of St. Henry and J)ougherty of St. Augustine. With what fervor Mother Giroux des Anges has entoned that soul-thrilling chant : " ECCE i^ham uom'M," in which she is joined by the choir, in accents that make us realize indeed, how " gocd and jdiasant u thing it is to dwell together in unity ! " This is but the prelude of the morrow's celelnation, when the more sacred and solemn j)art of the feast being over, this most amiable and beloved Mother will again be the object of all the demonstrations of joy and aft'ection which it has been possible for grateful hearts to invent. The decorations of the hall are already complete. The figure 60, traced in flowers and lighted tapers, crowns th-? CONTRASTED SCENES 823 honored n\me, e([ually glowiii};^ nnd conspicuous ; the carpeted steps of the throne over which a delicjite canopy is 3U3pend«!d ; the gay banners inscribed with mottoes, the fragrant ever- greens, hung with lamps, and blossoming in spite of nature and the rude season ; the moss-grown seats and gay parterre, where to-morrow nymphs and maidens will vocalize in joyous groups : every thing is expressive of the kind feeling that prompts these innocent festivities. Nor song, nor poem, nor enthusiastic address, nor ingenious device, will be wanting. Mother Superior herself has arranged the progmmme; the Bishop elect will preside ; a numerous clergy after celebrating the sacred Mysteries to call down new graces on this beloved senior of the community will be there. kvhen this ict of been The 13 th'? But dear reader, instead of awaiting the varied entertain- ment, let us turn to scenes far different from these, yet scenes in which the convent heroine of this 4th of February, 1800, had a deej) and sometimes a most painful part. A domestic drama, we have said on another page, is con- nected with the dear name of Mother Davanne of St. Louis de Gonzague. Its commencement leads us away to Paris, that gay, fascinating, fickle, and often perilous Capital, of which Frenchmen are nevertheless so proud. There, in 1719, Marie Marguerite Davanne was born of respectable and wealthy parents, and there she passed the first years of her childhood. Some commercial transaction in which Mr. Davanne was engaged, entailed the ruin of his fortune, and induced him, with the little he had saved from the wreck of his hopes, to seek the shores of Canada. Bringing his family with him, he fixed his residence at the Lower Town, Quebec. The late Parisian bankrupt was active and enterprising, his business. n ;i!i' 324 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY pronjiered, and in a 9lif)rt time he had repaired his lo98e8 suf- ticieiitly to enable him tt) live as coinfortalily as before, rnfortunately, the passion of gettinj^ rich induced him to risk a;i;ain in some speculation all he had acquired. The enterprise failing, again he lost all. This time, he resolved t(» try his fortune unattended by his family and embarked for the East indies. Mrs. Davanne had, apparently, a moderate pension of her own ; at all events, she was powerless to dis- suade hur husband from that long sea-voyage, destined to be so fatal to the haj)i)iness of both. Bidding adieu to his wife and childien for a year, the insolvent merchant lightly step- ped on board ; the goo ^^^ ^^■ o 7 //a Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 •t 338 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY !» ' termed, of finest lawn bordered with the costliest Valencien- nes ; their head-dress was interwoven with flowers that trem- bled on stems of silver and gold : their whole attire was of the utmost elegance. Mother St. Clare, who was Superior at the time (1789), not contenting herself with objections drawn from the obliga- tion to give up one's will, to practise mortification, to live in poverty, and in conformity to the rule, sought to try the vocation of the candidate by ocular demonstration. Sending to the wash-room for one of the coarse hempen aprons in use there down to the present day, she displayed the article to her visitors, warning Miss Julia that if she became a nun, she would be required to wear a similar one and to aid in the rough labor it seemed to typify ^ All this was not enough to alarm a generous heart. Julia entered the novitiate, leaving her sister to meditate on the wonders wrought by divine grace. But another wonder was preparing. Like the youthful Gerard, who complained that his share was not equal to that of his brothers when they had abandoned the whole paternal domain to him, choosing heaven for their portion, so Teresa felt herself in the wrong in preferring wordly pleasures to the service of God. The day came when repenting of the opposi- tion she had shown to her sister's vocation, she was ready to- beg on bended knees that her father would forget the prom- ise she had once exacted of him. But Mr. Berthelot had 1 — It is only of late years, since the labors of teaching hava become multiplied, that the choir niuis have ceased to aid in the wash-room. Tlie writer of these jJiiyes remembers well having had lier lingers aching and bleeding by tlie over generous use of the same wash-board, perhaps, that liad served m the time of these ancient Mothers. GRACE STRONGER THAN NATURE not pledged his word to release himself from it so easily. For fully twelve months, Teresa expiated the rash precaution she had taken to prevent herself from becoming a nun. In after- times, she used to relate the story of her self-imposed troub- les, always declaring that she only found the treatment she merited. The two sisters, thus reunited after a brief separation, had the consolation of witnessing each other's progress in virtue and enjoying each other's society in the House of God during nearly forty years. Mother St, Francis was slight and delicate in figure, natu- rally gentle, affable, and exquisitely polite. The fuUeulogiuiu given by the annalist, and the regrets of the community, when a peaceful, happy death deprived the house of a useful and most edifying membei', do not surprise us. As to Mother St. Joseph, who was Superior from 1824 to 1827, and who lived till 1846, no one who Icnew her will fail to remember her as the type of the lady, refined, ami- able, and gentle in word and manner. " Her piety was accom- panied by that simplicity which is the result of a chill-liko confidence in God, at the same time that it proved the calm- ness and innocence of her soul. Her favorite virtue was humility ; her constant aim, to conform herself to the will of others, revering in the voice of her superiors that of God Himself. In whatever office she was employed, she reg.uded herself as happy in- fulfilling her duty for the glory of God and the good of souls." It was during the suj)eriority of Mother St. Joseph (1826) that the Ursulines of Quebec opened, with the recently estab- lished convent of their Order in Waterford, Ireland, a cor- respondence which extended even to the pupils. It resulted m If I ■ F7;.T^''W?nf;f; 340 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY i '■■>■■!:* ■ ill an intimate interchange of good offices, a union of heart and purpose whicli have been a source of mutual edification and interest during half a century. " During the last two years of her life, this dear Mother seemed to have death ever before her eyes. In the conviction of her approaching end, she redoubled her fervor and her austerities, seeking occasion to impose upon herself new sacrifices. She was preparing to celebrate her golden Jubilee, which would occur on the 2ud of February, when, about a month previous, she fell ill of the typhoid fever. A few days of suffering borne with exemplary patience sufficed to break the slender thread of life, ensuring her pure soul the pos- session of that Eternal Good for which she had long labored and sighed. It was on the oth of January, 1842." The dear Waterford Nuns could only be warned by the ^spring vessels that our much esteemed Mother St. Joseph was no more. In the mean time, in order to celebrate the Golden Jubilee truly in the Lord, these devoted Sisters had asked for general communions according to the intention of the venerated Ursuline of Quebec, in all the convents of Ireland Ursulines, Sisters of Mercy, and others. They had begged the jjrayers of the Jesuits, Trappists, Lazarists and Brothers of the Christian schools. In their own community there were rejoicings, vows and prayers, in keeping with the warmth of their true, Irish hearts. It was a strange contrast to the month's Requiem in Quebec ; yet, how beau- tiful in the sight of God, who is above all the God of Cha.- lUiY. Our pious aimalist expresses the hope " that the dear Mother, for whom this mingled concert of mourning and rejoicing met from the two shores of the Atlantic, contem- plated the scene from her throne in heaven, while we adore in silence the dispensations of Divine Providence, regulating ,all things for the good of the elect." Ill r.'jwjT'Tj.- •' , ' ' ' It MOTHER BOISSONNAULT OF ST. MONICA 341 Mother St. Joseph had been the annalist and Chapter- secretary from 1823 to 1841 ; the last lines she traced in the annals were written within a few weeks of her death. Deau- Cha- dear and iitem- dore ating Having mentioned Mother Berthelot of St. Joseph in the capacity of superior, as well as that of annalist, let us not separate her from her successor in both offices. Mother Mar- guerite Boissonnault of St. Monica, a native of the parish of St. Valier, near Quebec. It was as a casual visitor that Miss Boissonnault first became acquainted with the Ursu- lines, to whose labors she was associated in 1813. Doubtless it was a great surprise to herself when, only twelve years after her profession, she was called to exercise the office of Superior. Mother St. Monica was not however blessed with health : she was often a sufferer, but edified her Sisters at all times, by her patience and resignation as well as by her regularity, her zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. It was one of her greatest consolations to be able to render service to youth by teaching, particularly in the department of the extern-school, where she presided many years as mistress-general. Another ardent wish of her heart was gratified in seeing several members of her family called to consecrate their lives to God, in the religious or in the ecclesiastical state ^ A great veneration for the traditions of the house and the heroic times of Canada her country, a spirit of research joined to a taste for history, supplied the 1 — Rev. L. Ed. Bois, the worthy pastor who labored with so much zeal during thirty-five years in the parish of Maskinonge, is a nephew of our deceased Mother St. Monica. The real services he has rendered his country by his excellent historical writings may be traced to a bent of mind similar to that we have noticed above in his esteemed relative. Two of Mr. Bois' sisters entered the religious state in the Ursuline Convent of Three Rivers. '^^s^^TrW' j;^' ;'i.«-' 342 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY want of a regular course of studies, and furnished Moi-her St. Monica with a fund of information both useful and enter- taining. Notwithstanding her delicate health, our venerated Mother lived to attain the seventy-third year of her age, of which she had devoted fifty to the service of God in the cloister. CHAPTER X 1806-1808 THE UKSULINES OK THHEE RIVEUS, GUESTS OF THEIR SISTERS IN QUEBEC On the 14th of October, 1806, at the unwonted hour of nine o'clock in the evening, the conventual door of the Mo- nastery opened to admit sixteen Ursulines from Three Rivers. Shivering with the cold, weary and benighted, how welcome was the aspect of the cloister ' doubly welcome by its con- trast with the discomfovti» of that small vessel in which they had been tossed during four days. How touchingly it reminded them of their own dear retreat, from which the pitiless rtaiues had lately driven them ! How affecting was the sympathy betraying itself in tears, the tender embrace, the cordial, sisterly reception that awaited them ! The hour was late for the convent, but quickly the news had circulated from cell to cell, as if by the electric wires, and sister after sister gathered in, for how could they delay till morning to testify their joy at such a meeting and their grief at its cause ? Quickly the hospitable fires rekindled, provided the steaming tea-urn, the restoring evening repast, 'jgiwr-^l^p^.e. ■w^yf'T'. URSULINKS OF THREE RIVERS IN QUEBEC 343 ilay leir lied, Lst, while the low murmur of scarcely audible, yet animated con- versation showed that the law of silence may sometimes yield, in a deferential way, to the superior law of charity. The conflagration of the monastery of Three Kivers had taken place a month previous ; yet how many details remained to be made known. Dear reader, you have not failed to witness one of those too frequent, and ever heart-rending scenes : the fire seizing upon the peaceful dwelling of a happy family, the belching smoke, the hurried issue of the fright- ened inmates ; the din, the flames, the deafening shouts, the promiscuous gathering crowds. Such, and even more sad had been the spectacle beheld at Three Rivers, on the 2nd of September. It was not .\rithout difficulty that the nuns and their boarders, with the poor sick people of the hospital, avoided the awful fate that threatened them. The escape of all, under the circumstances, seemed almost miraculous. In less than iin hour from the first alarm, the convent, the hospital, the church, with roofs fallen in and crumbling walls, had been transformed to monuments of ruin and devastation. Here were youth and age, the nuns and the objects of their care, all driven at night-fall from their happy asylum, and suddenly thrust upon the charity of the public. The yood "people of Three Rivers, for whom the affliction of the nuns was a family sorrow, and the burning of the monastery a real calamity, were not slow to manifest their sympathy and their good will. From every side were heard pressing offers of shelter and hospitality ; but, as the fire slackened, the nun ; perceived that there still remained to them two small buildings, the extern school-house and the bake-house. Within these narrow limits, like our own nuns on a similar occasion, they determined to reside, clinging to the cloister i • 1 ; j 344 GLIMPBES OP THE MONASTEPY like the bird to its nest, even when the branch is severed from the tree. Although lodf^ings were found, there was still sufficient room for the exercise of charity. A religious community is a large family to provide for, and there were besides, the patients of the hospital. Later, it was arranged that a part of the nuns should accept the invitation of their Mothers of Quebec, as we have seen. Mother St. Olivier the Superior, with Mothers Ste. Croix, St. Angela, and a lay-sister remained within the cloister, making a home of the b.ike-house, where they managed to keep up a day-school while the reconstruction of the monas- tery was going on. The same narrow apartment served as a chapel on Sundays for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Such were the lodgings and accommodations of these gene- rous nuns during thirteen months, at the end of which (November, 1807), their new monastery was ready to receive them. n Eeturning now to the guests so coi'dially welcomed in the Old Monastery, let us continue to observe the scene. Among them our nuns have recognized many a relative or former pupil. But above all others, one attracted their attention and tender compassion : this was an aged nun, so feeble and wayworn, that as she entered, she needed the supporting arm of her Sisters. It was Mother Teresa of Jesus (Ursule Baby) who by a singular destiny, after spending fifty-five years in the monastery of Three Rivers and governing it as superior, was now coming to end her days among her former Mothers, the Ursulines of Quebec. She was returning to them, like a long absent wanderer to the home of her youth ; to find the friends of former days departed, many old familiar UR8ULINES OP THREE RIVERS IN QUEBEC 345 haunts changed or faded from memory. Not one of the dearly beloved teachers of her childhoo*^ remained to embrace her. Mother Davanne of St. Louis de Gonzague had survived till lately, but she too was gone, and she Avas the last of those olden times " before the Conquest." Two of the oldest nuns, Mother Brassard of St. Magdalen and Mother Cureux of Ste. Agathe, both in their seventieth year, may have met her as a boarder, but they could scarcely claim the title of old schoolmates. Mother Teresa of Jesus was already looking forward to meet her former friends in heaven without a long delay. She had not found them among the living, but she had come to mingle her ashes with theirs in the tomb. It was a precious occasion for our nuns to surround the dying bed of their venerable Sister with all the soothing care that kindness can imagine or charity bestow. The patient sufferer, as edifying as she was beloved, lingered but a few weeks, and after receiving the last consolations of our holy religion, gently passed to a better life on the 14th of Novem- ber, amid the united prayers and regrets of the two commu- nities. The Office for the dead, the burial service, the last look at the beloved and honored remains, the lowering of the coffin into the vault, sealed a second compact of union and affection between the two houses, while the first yet sub- sisted in all its fulness. Two of the Sisters were recalled in January to aid the little band in Three Rivers. The remaining thirteen contin- ued with their Mothers of Quebec, where they were as much at home as if they had always formed a part ot the community. At the end of fifteen months a new convent stood in place of that destroyed by the fire. The letter announcing that the structure was completed recalled the II 346 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY sisters from Quebec. A winter's journey of five days in covered sleighs took the exiles home, one band in January, the other in February, 1808. "The separation, says our annalist, was not effected without many tears on both sides." The Ursulines of Three Rivers might well bless the kind hand of Providence for the restoration of their monastery and hospital; it was a munificent gift to receive from the liberal- ity of friends. Their chief benefactor on this occasion was Bishop Plessis, who took upon himself the responsibility of directing the work and bringing it to a happy conclusion, generously supplying whatever was wanting in the funds furnished by the government and by the public. According to the estimation of the eminent Prelate, " the accident of the conflagration was permitted to show that the resources of divine Providence are boundless, and to afford the faithful of the diocese the occasion to manifest their cha- rity, and testify their gratitude for the invaluable services the Ursulines have rendered all classes of society." Our readers must be aM'are that prosperity has not ceased to shine upon that excellent community down to the present day. The spacious and commodious buildings erected in 1808, have received several important additions, according to the increasing wants ; for in Three Rivers as in the other parts of Canada, an awakened interest in the cause of edu- cation has been promptly met by the corresponding zeal of educational establishments. Successive additions to the con- vent-buildings, of late years, have enabled our Sisters to offer every desirable accommodation to their numerous pupils. 1 •"•'"Trrr^^riW FROM QUEBEC TO NEW ORLEANS 347 CHAPTER XI 1822 THE UR8ULINES OK QUEHEC AID THE URSULINES OF NEW ORLEANS Five years after llienville, like another Champlain, had traced in the midst of a wilderness the site of a capital which he foresaw would become the metropolis of a flour- ishing colony, French Ursulines from the city of Rouen had accepted a pressing invitation to found there a convent of their Order. The heroic little baud, consisting of nine professed Sisters and a novice, embarked in February, 1727, to reach their destination only after being often harassed by tropical storms, twice i>ursued and nearly taken by corsairs, threatened with shipwreck by the tempests of the Carribean Sea, till at the end of five months they escape the perils of the Gulf only to be stranded on a sea-bar at the mouth of the Mississippi. liescued from the danger of perishing here, they have still a fortnight's voyage through the tortuous jidssages, by which the river finds its way amid the sea-marshes that ages have accumulated at the entrance of the Gulf. At last, late in July, they have reached the " village " of New Orleans. As nearly a century previous in Quebec, when Marie de rincarnation and her courageous companions were received with rejoicings, so in New Orleans, " the Governor and the principal people of the town came forward to welcome the nuns as the best treasure the mother-country had ever sent them \" 1-nThe Ursulines in Louisiana, by a Sister of Mercy. !iri •■■'! 1, 1. 348 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY Lodged in a large country-house belonging to the Governor while their convent was being built.they were soonsurrounded by children of every hue and race. These devoted Ursu- lines found means to render the services which would have sufficed to employ three or four different institutions. Instruction for colored women, a day-school for children, a hospital, a house of refuge : such were the good works com- menced by the Ursulines within three years of their founda- tion. The terrible massacre of the Natchez, which happened soon after, gave them the melancholy occasion of opening a vast orphanage. Thus the foundresses of the Monastery of New Orleans had a providential mission to accomplish before they entered upon the regular duties of their vocation as Ursu- lines From time to time, our nuns had corresponded by letter with their sister-Ursulines on the subject of requested aid. It was not pecuniary aid that was solicited, the convent being richly endowed, but something more difficult to obtain, and which in Louisiana was rarer than money. That colony, so different from Canada, both as to the quality of its first settlers and the enervating effects of its climate, offered few vocations for religious establishments. On the other hand, Quebec, by the difficulty of communication, was farther from New Orleans than from Paris. " A year's journey, says Mother St. Louis de Gonzague, is really too long to be thought of. Were it a question of going to France, we might deliberate, but not to the Mississippi." In 1821, Bishop Plessis received from Bishop Dubourg, to whom the diocese of New Orleans had lately been confided, a communication exposing the necessities of that precious institution " so necessary to the welfare of his flock, now FKOM QUEBEC TO NEW ORLEANS 349 sorely tried and in danger of perishing, if not succored in season "^ In the words of Bishop Dubourg " the ancient coliunns of the edifice were in a state of decay, and at the ap[iroacliing moment of their fall, there woidd he found only feeble reeds to supply their place." The demand was there- fore, for " three or four professed nuns of mature age, of good judgment and formed to the practice of virtue, to fill u]) the interval between the aged and the young." The case was clear, but the prospect of giving up several subjects so pre- cious to any community was not inviting. The negotiations, however, were not abandoned, and the following year (1822), three candidates for the arduous mis- sion were named. They were Mother F(51icit(i }3orne of St. Charle?, Angelique Bougie of St. Louis de Gonzague, and P^lagie Morin of St. Ktienjie, all between thirty and forty years of age, and well qualified for the difficult position that awaited them. The gratitude of the worthy Bishop, and of the Ursulines of New Orleans, on learning the happy issue of their appeal, was without bounds. " A thousand blessings upon you, writes Bishop Dubourg to Bishop Plessis, for the benevolent interest you have taken in the success of my petition. Our T^rsulines share my gratitude, both towards your Lordship, and towards their honored Sisters of Quebec. We shall receive the precious acquisition as a present from Heaven, and as a new mark of that wonderful goodness of God which we have experienced so palpably for several years .past." 1 — ^The Monastery counted nearly a century of existence; yet, as in the times when our own Mother Mary of the Incarnation and Mother St. Athanasius were asking help frooi France, the commu- nity of New Orleans consisted of the aged and the young, without the intermediate link, the middle-aged, uniting the maturity ami •the experience necessary for the more importajn offices. m ■.j^t'^SWV 860 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTi'.RY The griMit decision being taken, preparations wore made for tlio journey. It was quite an event, not only for the three L,'ood Mothers, the even tenor of whose life was so unex- pectedly disturbed, but for the wide circle of friends, relatives, and accjuaintances, scattered through the length and breadth of the country. The dejtarture was definitively fixed for the third of October. On the second, IJishop I'lessis came to the Convent to offer Mass, and give Communion to the generous mis- sionaries, happy to see them prejjarcd to make their sacrifice with generosity. Eevd. Father Maguire, then pastor of tho country-parish of St. Michel, had been chosen to be the Ra- phael of the joiirncy, jtreludingby this signal service the numy l)enefits he would have occasion later to bestow v-jion the Ursulinea of Quebec. On the day of the departure, the touching ])rayers for travellers in the Itinerary of the Itonuvn ritual, were recited after Mass with emotions not easy to describe ; nor shall we attempt to tell how that last day at home was passed. At SIX o'clock the parting embrace had been given ; a last adieu had separated them whom mutual charity and a similar choice of Heaven had united in the sacred bonds of religious friendship. The three nuns, in tr.ivelling attire, pass the convent door, traverse the silent groups of sympathi/ing friends, enter the carriages that are waiting for them, and are conducted as in triumph to the wharf in the Lower Town. The steamboat, lying at anchor and illuminated to honor the occasion, renuiined near the quay til! an advanced hour of tho eveiiiug, in order to allow the visits of friiuids to be prolonged. At Three Rivers, another Uvjuline, Mother Normanville of St, Helen, was waiting to offer a simdar sacrifice by join- ing the missionary-band, thus completing the number of FROM QUEBRO TO NEW ORLEANS 'A^\ jmifessed nuns dcMuandt'd. (Japtain Morin, who sopnuul to have phiced his vessel entirely at the disposal of the tra- vellers, waited till they had visited the convent, and received the blessing of the revered Abb(i de Calonne. On Saturday, at four o'clock V. M., they were at Montreal. The quay was crowded with i)eople, eaj^er to see those Ursu- lines who were so couraf^eously exiling themselves for the love of God, but their prudent conductor, Kov. Thomas Maguwe, enabled them to avoid the gaze of the curious. Capt. Morin laniled them on a private wharf, within a few rods t)i the Ilotel-Dieu. The kiiulness of these good nuns, the cordial welcome of the Sisters of the (Jongregatiou and all the atfection that awaited them at the General Hospital, were described by our voyagers in grateful terms. After pausing only one day in Montreal, they proceed to Now York, with an adiliti(m to their party of three young ladies from Detroit, candidates also for the life of the cloister in the South. It was not a mere day's journey, at that time, to go from Montreal to New York. Between La Prairie aud Lake Ch.implain our travellers had to endure the fatigue of carriage- conveyance; thence by steamboat, amid " jiassengers of every color, aud almost every nation," they reach the great city on the 11th October, the fifth day after leaving Montreal. Happy were the tireil travellers to receive hospitality at the hands of the Sisters of Charity, recently fonnded in the United States by that admirable wonum, Mother Seton. On the 21st October, Father Maguire resigned his post as con- ductor of the missionary band, in favor of iiov. Mr. Janvier, a worthy priest deputeil by Hishop l)ubonrg to this effect, and the wliole company embarked for a sea- voyage (jf twenty days. r-s, ■ ,'^ivi IWw, Jp '~ 352 QLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY More adventures than pleasures were in store for them. They had not been a week out at sea, when the most oppres- sive heat they had ever experienced gave thtm a foretaste of the zone they were approaching. Then a furious storm came on, during which a sailor was swept overboard. In attempting to rescue the unfortunate man, the vessel was for a moment on the point of being submerged ; the waves camo dashing over the deck inundating the passengers' rooms, and, but for a skilful mancBuvre, a watery grave might have been the end of the voyage. But this was nothing in comparison with the peril of an encounter with pirates. Happily the Captain perceived their ship soon enough to avoid being the first attacked. The thirty men-passengers on board were armed, and ord^-red on deck to aid the mariners, their seven guns were charged, and a vigorous fire soon forced the pirates to draw off. As the enemy disappeared, the packet- ship spread her sails and soon regained the time lost. The terror of our poor nuns may easily be conceived ; but as no harm befell them, they had only to change their petitions for the protection of Heaven into thanksgivings. A false rumor, however, gave their friends in Canada more than six weeks of cruel suspense and anxiety. The report was that tlie pirates had captured the packet-ship and made the crew prisoners, retaining their prize twenty-four hours, when another vessel, the Alligator, had attacked the pirates and forced them to give up their booty. Such a catas- trophe was commented upon and deplored on every side ; there was no end of conjectures and visits of condolence. It was only on the second of January that letters from our nuns furnished a correct account of the afi'air. This was promptly published on the newspaper LeCaiiadien, in order to relieve the anxiety of the many friends interested in the fate of tiie voyagers. •^^'^'r^'Yi^"^'^^^-'*^^''^ CVLOM. QUEBEC TO NEW ORLEANS 353 tor the In the mean time, our Ursiiliiies had reached their desti- nation. The venerable Superior, Mother St. Michael, who had been inspired to ask for them, had only waited, it would seem, to hear that her request was granted, in order to die contented, in the assurance that her dear community would be well provided for. Her successor wrote, with a gratitude most touching, her thanks for " the precious boon, praying that the Almighty might preserve the dear Sisters long, for the salvation of so many souls who, without the instruction given in the convent, would never know God." The generous exiles, on their })art, were not disappointed in their new Sisters ; the kindness with which they were greeted on arriving was but one instance of the charity that reigned supreme in the convent, and which ever surrounded them with its ineffable charms. . In 1824, the Ursulines of New Orleans exchanged their ancient convent in the city for a more salubrious site, ;it the ■distance of about three miles, where they built their present monastery, a spacious brick edifice three hundred feet long, with wings in the rear. Our Sisters continued to render important services to their adopted community till called to their reward, Mother St. Louis de Gonzague in 1833, Mother St. Etienne in 1846, One was still living, in 1849, to welcome and encourage two other members of the Monastery of Quebec, Mothers Victoria White of St. Jane Frances de Chantal, and Catherine Burke of St. Thomas, on their way to aid the newly-founded convent of Ursulines in Galveston, Texa^ Although Mother St. Charles, the latest survivor, always suffered from the climate of New Orleans, so different from that of her native land, still her vigorous constitution bore her to the advanced age of sixty-nine years, thirty of which she had passed in the South. 23 ^:|f' m77i!pT-:BTjwRr.;gn '-^^fl^lVW^,] ■A' 354 QLIMPSES or THE MONASTERY The triple link between the two oldest communities of Ursulines in America was strengthened again in 1836, when through the mysterious decrees of Divine Providence, the devoted little band of Ursulines, driven from their convent on Mt. Benedict (Charlestown, Mass.), took refuge with the various communities of their Order, two remaining with the Ursulines of Quebec, two others joining the Ursulines of Three Rivers, while three offered themselves to the convent of New Orleans. Tlie important services these sorely tried religious were enabled to render, in each of these their adopted communities, must have served to console them, and gra- dually to efface the remembrance of the disaster, with the long-nourished hope of seeing it repaired. CHAPTER XII 1800-1839 MOTHER MCLOUGHLIN OF ST. HENUY AND MOTHER DOUGHERTY OF ST. AUGUSTINE I'lONEEUS OP ENGLISH TEACHING IN THE CONVENT With the dawn of the nineteenth century, the thistle and the shamrock entwine for the first time with the fleur-de-lis and the maple-leaf, beneath the sheltering roof of Hie Old Monastery. The year 1800 ushers in as candidates for religious profession. Mothers Mary Louisa McLoughlin of St. Henry and Elizabeth Dougherty of St. Augustine, whose names unmistakably betoken their Scotch and Irish lineage. Henceforth, the blooming garland, intermingled more or less with the rose, in some of its varieties, will not cease to glow PIONEERS OF ENGLISH TEACUINU 355 within the sacred shrine of St. Ursula, the different leaves and flowers clasping in such close embrace that to piirt tiiem would be to destroy, lu the two worthy Mothers above named we have the pioneers of English instruction in the convent. Directed hither as if to answer the re(inirenients of the j)eriod, provid- ing the " right persons at the right time," their vocation affords another instance of the i.dmirable protection of divine Providence over certain chosen souls as well as over the Monastery. Born in the same year, 1780, Miss Dougherty in the city of New York, Miss McLoughliu at Kiviere du Loup, (below Quebec), deprived till the age of fifteen, by the peculiar cir- cumstances in which they were placed, of tli inestimable happiness of making their first Communion, they met in the Ursuline Convent to perform that great act, and, at the age of twenty, pronounced the vows of religion before the same altar, in the year 1800. The talents of both were of a superior order, and the faci- lities afforded each for the cultivation of her mind were altogether peculiar, and seem really providential when viewed in relation to the duties that awaited them as Ursulines. and le-lis Old i9 for hn of Ivhose leage. \)X less (dow Miss Elizabeth Dougherty had been tenderly and piously cared for, from her infancy, by her mother, who was a native of the city of New York and a I'rotestant. At the age of eleven or twelve, she visited London and Paris, in company with her parents, and her voyage was not lost upon her, either for the information of her mind or the polish of her manners. Bereaved of his wife shortly after his return from' Europe, Mr. Dougherty solaced himself with the society of his little daughter, continuing to direct her studies in m W;i 856 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY !'■ f.. grammar, history, arithineLu; and geogrfiphy. From these to ustroiioiny, from eanh co the skio" the transition is natural. The rudiments of French and Latin were a necessity, accord- ing to his views, for his own education was classical and his 'tastes literary. They had been the cause of his voluntary exile from his native land, where tbe penal laws tuft'ered uo Catholic to rise above the soil on \\hich he trod. What particular motive led Mr. Dougherty to come to l^uebec is not explained; in all prob.ibility it was the same that had driven him from New York to travel during the ifirst years of the American Republic: the desire to preserve ithe allegiance he had sworn as a British subject. The position he occupied here appears to have been that of an •office-holder under the local government. Elizabeth was at • once placed under the care of the Ursulines. The course of •religious instruction in preparation for her first Communion made a profound impression upon her, for she was of an age to appreciate more fully than a child of ten or eleven the r-sublime favor to which she aspired. From this period she ■ dated her first attraction to the religious state. The vivid •^sense of her immense obligations to Heaven, the firm deter- imination to observe her baptismal vows, and to preserve the \white robe of innocence bestowed anew in the sacraments she' ihad just received, inspired her with the utmost contempt of the world, and an ardent desire to give herself all to Ilim who ihad given Himself to her as a pledge of eternal life. At eighteen years of age, Miss Dougherty, who had spent ithree years in our classes, entered the novitiate (1798), the novice-mistress being Mother Davanne of St. Louis de iGonzague. ./■.'.. PIONEERS OF ENGLISH TEACIIINQ 35T de Another young lady, Miss Mary Louisa McLoughlin, as we have said, although born of Catholic pareut.s living in Canada, had also deferred her hrst Communion till she was fifteen years of age. She was a grand-niece of that Colonel. Fraser who commanded the regiment of Scotch Highlanders at the taking of Quebec in 1759. Our readers perceive that already the convent is winning members from the ranks of the conquerors. John Malcolm Fraser, brother of the Colonel, had married twice, and the daughters of his second wife, who was a Catholic, followed the religion of their mother. Mary Louisa, the little grand-daughter, was six years old when she first appeared in the house of the old soldier. He was so charmed with her childish attractions that he declared she should not return with her parents to Kiviere-du-Loup, and almost by force, retained her as his adopted child. She would be the light of the household in his declining years, and inherit more largely than her family in the property at Eiviere du Loup, whioh belonged to hiia as a retired officer of the British Army, Mr. and Mrs. McLoughlin were not without solicitude for the faith of their child ; especially when they found her, as she grew older, attending the Sunday services with her grandfather, and going to a Protestant school instead of the convent. Although Mrs. Fraser profited of every opportunity to instruct the child in the Catholic religion, according to the earnest request of both father and mother, yet it must be allowed, it was not without great peril to the faith in which she had been baptized, that Miss McLoughlin grew up with- out participating in the life-giving sacraments of the Church. At length, her own reflections convinced her that she could no longer remain a mere spectator of what others were doing " to gain eternal life." She felt that religion, that vital question on which depends the fate of an immortal soul> 358 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY could not be treated as a matter of taste, or fashion, or con- venience. Slie was not too yiung to considci" seriously the path before her. On the one hand, she had relatives, friends and acquaint- ances belonging,' to the first ranks of society, who professed the various creeds that had made their appearance in the country. On the other hand, she was fully convinced on that fundamental point, the unerring teaching of the Church of Christ against which " the gates ot hell shall never prevail." A decision in conformity with her convictions followed; after -which, a course of religious instruction, prepared her for the great act of professing the Catholic Faith ^. This ceremony took place in the chapel of the Seminary of Quebec, in presence of the Superior M. Grave de la liive, V, G., and of the young lady's father, Mr. John McLoughlin. Passing over in silence the storm raised by the disappointed Colonel on this occasion, we follow with pleasure the footsteps of this predestined soul, as she obeys the impulse of grace» soliciting first permission to enter the convent as boarder, and later, when her pious meditations have convinced her of the will of Heaven in her regard, arming herself with true Christian courage, in order to execute a project capable of drawing upon her family very serious consequences, as far as regarded their temporal prosperity. This new resolve was " to make her calling and election sure, " by embracing the religious state. Placing lier trust in Him for whom alone such sacrifices ought to be made, the great step was taken, .v-'% 1 — Miss McLoushlin's instructor on this important occasion was the noble French exile, the Abbe Philippe Desjarclins,at that time chaplain of the Hotel Dieu. On his return to Paris, he was appointed Vicar General. He never lost sight of his interesting pupil, but corresponded with her by letter till within a few months of his death, 1833. PIONEEaS OF LN0LI8H TEACHING 359 with the consent of her parents, not less generous than their daughter, while the irascible relative was absent on a jour- ney. His terrible wrath was again appeased, and thus it became an authenticated fact, that there beat in the breast of the veteran of former battles a forgiving heart, capable of relenting on proper occasions, incapable, at least, of commit- ting a manifest injustice by attempting to constrain ohat free- will which it has pleased the Almighty to bestow on His intelligent creatures. The ceremony of Miss McLonghlin's taking the veil, on the 27th of February, 1798, was preceded by a rite rarely reserved for such an occasion. The Bishop was there to administer, first, the sacrament of Confirmation : thus the plenitude of the gifts of the Holy Ghost filled her soul, at the important moment of her enlisting under the glorious banner of St. Ursula. T.vo years later (1800), in the joy of their hearts overflowing with gratitude and love, the two happy' novices whom we have brought before our readers, consum- mated their sacrifice by pronouncing their final vows. Here we behold the two English teachers, to whom were confided the first regular classes in that language. The time was past when English-speaking pupils were content to learn French only, in the convent; nor could the French pupils afford to be ignorant of the English language. Forty years had multiplied the English portion of the population of Quebec, and had given them schools of their own, to which the pupils of the convent would have been tempted to resort, had they not already acquired a sufficient knowledge of the language. Mother St. Augustine and her companion. Mother Mc- Loughlin of St. Henry, were prepared to make their classes interesting and profitable. The former, as we have seen, had ■iwiipyi. j'^-v^fjp^ 860 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY received lessons {rcuii her father ; the latter was initiatt?(l into the popular sciences by her friend and spiritual father, I'Abbu Desjardins. In the study of geography, the terrestrial globe was now displayed, maps were shown and the j)upils taught to copy them ; gleams of general history and astronomy lent their aid. Within the novitiate, other teachers were forming, as if in the prospect of a wider course of studies ; while divine Providence was preparing to reinforce the staff of English teachers by the vocation of Miss Genevieve McKutcheon and Miss Margaret Cuddy, known later as Mothers St. Helen and St. Athanasius. If the services of Mothers St. Henry and St. Augustine were chieHy required for teaching English, they were not less qualified for the French classes. In painting, drawing, and embroidery Mother St. Augustine excelled ; yet these external .•accomplishments were of little value in the esteem of either, compared with one moment of recollection and prayer. To develope the religious sentiment — that sentiment whicL elevates the soul while it enlarges the mind — was, above all, the object these true Ursulines had in view in the care they bestowed upon their pupils. But the two novices who had met from points so far dis- tant were not destined to continue their career together many years. Employed exclusively in teaching, as long as her health permitted. Mother St. Augustine was placed at the head of the novitiate, in 1812, as a comparative repose. But already her days were numbered. Death had marked her for his victim, and in the springtide of 1814, like some fair fruit, ripe before its time and suddenly harvested by one- rude blast. Mother St. Augustine, struck down by a violent malady, found in the bosom of her God an early rest and PIONEERS OF ENGLISH TEACIIINO 861 an endless reward for her pure and holy life. She was but thirty-five years of age. Of Mother St. Henry's piety, her energy, her promptitude in obeying the voice of duty, our readers have formed an opiiiion by what they have already seen of her. Not less remarkable was her alacrity in the observance of the rule while her lightsome countenance was ever ex]»ressive of interior joy and cheerfulness. The message sent by her former tutor, the Abbe Desjardins, was well understood, when writing from Paris he advised " Sister St. Augustine to try to prevent Sister St. Henry from laughing." The day came however, all too soon for her desires, when the cares that devolve upon those who are charged with the principal offices may have moderated the buoyancy of her youthful spirits. Ten years had not yet elapsed after her profession, when she was appointed mother-mistress, with the obligation of guiding others in the path in which she was • herself walking with such fervor. Her days of repose were already past. From the novitiate called to the depository, and t'hence to the charge of Superior, Mother St. Henry filled these offices alternately during more than a quarter of a century. Her zeal for the instruction of youth, her enlightened views of education, her numerous friends in the highest ranks of society as well as among the clergy, the concurrence of her devoted brothers, the Doctors McLoughlin in all her plans, and their generosity in sending her from Paris, where one of them resided, whatever would be useful to her in the schools ^ ; 1 — Globes, nmps, a celestial planisphere, useful and interesting games, were among the presents, received by Mother St. Henry, from her devoted brother Dr. David McLaughlin, who lived in Paris. This brother had married Lady Jane Capel, niece of the Viceroy of Ireland, and was on friendly terms with Lord Aylmer and Lord Gosford, previous to their appointment to the office of Governor of Canada. 362 GLIMPSES OF THB MONASTERY Huch wero some of tlio ])eculiar circuiiistancos that rondored her adiniiiistratioii a douhlo blossiiij^to the eominutiity in tlie iinjiortant lahor.s assigned to her direction as Superior. Bishop Plessis, who had received the episcopal consecration about the same t" ;o as Mother St. Henry had made pntfessipn, seconded ail her efforts to introduce a wider course of studies, and manifested on every occasion the highest esteem both for her and for the whole community. If our readers are aware of v. hat Hishoj) I'lossis was towards his clergy, among his people, or in his intercourse with strangers, they may form an opinion of what Mother St. Henry was in her community, among the pupils and the many strangers who called to see her at the parlor or who obtained permission to visit the interior of the monastery. It was often remarked that the motherly kindness with which she greeted all who a])proached her, seemed to ba still more tender towards strangers, or towards those who were in need of compassion or assistance. In 1836, Mother St. Henry, completing the fourth term of her superiority, saw herself again placed at the depository, and successively in the other chief ollices where her expe- rience could be made available to the community. The end of her useful career was announced by a painful malady, which, after affording occasion for the practice of every vir- tue, and the triumj)h of her invariable patience, was crowned by a peaceful and happy death on the third of July, 1846. The following tribute to the memory of the dear deceased, appeared on the Quebec Gazette. " Died, on Friday, the third instant, at the Convent of the Lrsulines of Quebec, Kev. Mother St. Henry (Mary Louisa McLoughlin), at the age of sixty-six years. During the long period of forty-six years of religious profession, she filled at various times the office of Superior of the commu- nONFIRS OF EKULI8II TEACHING 363 iiity, with that rare talont, prudence aiul justice which merited for her the highest confidence and esteem. She will be long and deeply regretted, not only by the citizciUH of <„)uebec, of every class and nationality, who have so often rendered homage to her virtues and fine ([ualities, but also by all those strangers w ho have had occasion to visit that estimable institution, none of whom ever went away without expressing the highest adtninition for the noble numners anil the interesting conversation of this amiable latiy." Numerous letters, written by her hand have been pre- served, furnishing undoubted i)roof of her capacity for busi- ness and of her mental culture, as well as of the rare (pia- lities of her heart. Among the mourners who \ve\)t by her bedside at the hour of sei)aration, were her three nieces. Mothers Josephine Michaud of St. Cecile, Marie Talbot of St. Margaret and Emilie Dechene of St. Fran,jois de Borgia. A sister of the latter had preceded her aunt to the tomb only four years after the day of her profession. Mother St. Henry's portrait is one of the few we have the good fortune to possess of our former Superiors. It was executed by an artist, Mi'. Bowman, at the special request of her brother. Dr. McLoughlin. It is so life-like that we who bear the original impressed upon our hearts, may still imagine, as we pause before it in the community-hall, tliat we really meet again those eyes ever beaming with charity, and that we hear the mellow tones of that voice so soothing and maternal which we loved so well. Often has it been remarked of Mother St. Henry, that it was sufficient to have seen her once to remain impressed with the highest respect for her as a religious, and at the same time attracted by the charm of her conversation, her presence, her manners, all denoting the accomplished lady whose mind was even superior to her exterior endowments. rv*»r^.7- '"Wy^fTT 364 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY CHAPTER Xiri SISTER-NOVICES OF MOTHEllS ST, HENRY AND ST. AUGUSTINE The novitiate, in a religious house, represents, in some degree, the family-circle. Presided by a mother-mistress whose office is truly maternal, since to her is confided the trust of forming the character of her youthful charge, teaching them to walk in the narrow path of perfection, and preparing each to become the spouse of Christ; composed of souls yet in the infancy of the spiritual life, whose daily growth in hohness is often rapid and clearly perceptible, mutual conti- dence and mutual edification establish relations truly frater- nal, and impart to sister-novices a family resemblance which often lasts as long as their lives. For this reason we love to bring before us from time to time, a group of those Mothers who have commenced their religious career together, persuaded that when we have studied the character of one or two, we have, in a measure, the por- trait of the others. Hence, having dwelt at some length, on the memory of Sister McLoughliu of St. Henry and Sister Dougherty of St, Augustine, the briefest notice of their sister- novices will suffice. The amiable senior of the novitiate in the year 1800 was Mother Ang^lique La Ferri^re of St. Mary, so well known iu later times, whether as mistress-general of the boarders, assistant-superior, or mistress of novices. In each of these offices the rare qualities of mind and heart with which Mother St. Mary was endowed endeared her to all who were committed to her care and guidance; all found iu her a mother's solicitude and tenderness, whether in preparing for SISTER-NOVICES OF MOTHER ST. HENRY 365 their duties in society and in the family-circle, or in pursuing the narrow path of perfection in the religious state. It was in the fiftieth year of her ])rofession and in the seventy-third of her age, that the beloved Mother was called to exchange her labors for an immortal crown. A brief malady found her ready for the great summons, but her sisters ill-prepared to part with her. The friend who had ever words of encouragement and consolation at her com- mand, the zealous promoter of education and improvement, whether in our classes or among her novices ; the fervent religious, rich in all the virtues of her state : such was the dear Mother whose loss the community was called to deplore, in the month of January, 1847. Next in rank of profession is Mother Elizabeth Hlais of St. Monica, who, apparently, entered the House of God only in the hope of finding it speedily the " Gate of Heaven." Eight years sufficed to win, in answer to her prayers, the ])ossession of the eternal crown ; and it seemed wrong to weep for one who bade adieu to life without one sigh, one fear, or one regret. Mother Louise Olivier of St. Paul, and Mother Margaret Coutant of St. Anne, gave their quarter of a century to the humble and laborious life of an Ursuline ; they merited to be held in esteem for their charitable and edifying conver- sation. Both were rewarded for a holy life by a happy ■detah in the course of the year 1826. Mother Marie-Francoise Aubin of St. Anthony, sister novice with the two preceding, doubled their career, joining them in a better ' orld in 1852. To all who knew Mother St. Anthony, she appeared the personification of humility, self-forgetfulness and charity. To aid another Sister in office, to wait upon the feeble or ailing, to accomplish to the letter the successive duties 366 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY marked out by the rule or by the appoiutineut of her Supe- rior, such was the aim and the delight of this good Mother. But an office for which she had a special affection was the care of the sick, with the night-watching and helpful services needed in the last stages of a mortal disease. And when the spirit had tied and the death-chamber was silent, how tender and how devout was her vigil besi'io the dear casket, although rifled of the dearer pearl it once enclosed. At other hours, among her Sisters in the community, none were more enter- taining in conversation than Mother St. Anthony. Her fund of anecdotes, chiefly tales of the olden times and of the Mothers who had gone, seemed inexhaustible. Her end came all peacefully at the age of sixty-eight years. A few months more would have given her the occasion of celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of her consecration as the spouse of Christ. May we not piously believe that such anniversaries are still more joyfully celebrated in heaven ? The twin sisters, Marie Louise and Marie Thdrese Oneille, bearing in religion the names of St. Gertrude and St. Catherine, were ever " burning and shining lights " by their angelic life. It was in favor of the Irish class in the extern school that the amiable Mother St. Catherine put to profit the facility she had acquired in speaking English, in which she displayed an eloquence, a pathos, which many a sacred orator might envy. Her instructions doubtless owed their efficacy to that ardent love of God with which her heart was on fire, for, on these occasions, she seemed inspired. Her death, in 1842, preceded by an illness of only three days, filled the convent with grief. So sudden a stroke found no one prepared, but the dear soul who so submissively accepted it as the signal of her eternal happiness. The recitation of the Divine Office on that memorable 28th May was nigh being interrupted ; ■'T'^^fWJf'*'^?^A*'V ' SISTER-NOVICES OF MOTHER ST. HENRY 867 an 'V. the of tice ed ; and at the dinner hour on the following day, no one could command her emotion sufficiently to read during the meal, as is the custom. Oh ! how we pitied that other sister, Mother St. Gertrude, nor thought she could survive the separation. But, as some one has said, "grief seldom breaks a heart." The tender ties of nature had been strengthened by forty years of their reli- gious life spent together; death could not burst them asunder. One had merely gone before ; the other would wait the hour to follow ; and so she peacefully, silently bears her cross and follows on in the narrow path as before. Ten years later (1852), that fragile frame, after undergoing long and severe sufferings, set free, at last, the willing, the pure, the blessed spirit. 'The choir of Virgins pure and bright, Around their sister press'd, And hymns of welcome sweet they sang — " Come, weary one and rest !" The merits of Mother St. Athanasius and her long labors were known, we might say, to all the Irish population of Quebec and its environs. She was born in Kilkenny and came out to this country when but a child ; her father, who belonged to the military, died almost on their arrival. Kind friends provided for the widow and the child. Little Mar- garet was placed at the convent, at the age of fourteen, by one who hoped that when she had grown up, he would be found to suit her choice. But the young girl took her deci- sion in the calm of her heart, bestowing its affections on a heavenly Spouse. Sending for her protector, she informed him of her intention to ask admission among the daughters of St. Angela. It is related that, waiving his claims in a truly Christian spirit, the young officer used neither reproach nor entreaty y " ■^■t'.••■?* 368 GLIMPSES OF TUB MONASTERY ''K to dissuade the chosen one from following the call of Heaven. A few months later, in presence of " men and angels," Miss Cuddy proclaimed her intention of " persevering until the end of her life in bearing the sweet yoke of Jesus Christ," and exchanged her name for that of St, Alhanasius, while she received the veil and vesture of an Ursuliue. Thus, at sixteen, commenced a long and useful career of more than three-score years within the cloister. Possessing a ready memory, an ardent temperament, a ■warm Irish heart, she loved next after God her country and all that belonged to the green Isle of Erin. To the latest day of her life, she remembered with vivid emotion her native land. Charged with the Irish children at the extern- school from the time it was opened (1822), she spared neither labor nor pains to contribute to the 'spiritual and temporal welfare of all who came within her influence. As a teacher she was indefatigable, holding the reins of govern- ment with a firm yet even hand. Her politeness was * proverbial ; she no less insisted that her pupi's should in all things comform to the rules of good breeding; and if refined manners contribute in no small degree to the well-being of the family circle and of society in general, in this respect also, the name of Mother St. Athaiiasius claims a tribute of gratitude. We omit with regret much that would charm and edify in the life of this venerable nun, who after celebrating her Diamond Jubilee left her place vacant among us in 1875, dying at the age of eighty-five. We can merely mention Mother McKutcheon of St. Helen, whose name, even during her life-time, was esteemed synonymous with that oi Saint, Long infirmities, borne with the patience of one who habit- ually contemplates the Crucifix, did not prevent her from discharging the duties of teacher, and especially that of CONVENT EDUCATION SINCE 1800 369 mistress of novices, with notable success. An unction, as sweet as it was penetrating, pervaded her words, which ever made a deep impression, whether in simple conference with her novices, or in addressing collectively her little flock. It was in 1862, while the community was engaged in the exercises of an annual retreat, that our beloved Mother St. Helen, aged seventy-two, closed in peace her earthly career. She, who had been the third English-speaking novice leccivred in the monastery, left twelve teachers of that lan- guage, yet not one too many for the ever increasing demands of the institution. CHAPTER XIV CONVENT EDUCATION SINCE 1800 )m of Catholic institutions for education in Canada had found in the policy of the government inaugurated in 1759 difficulties to which we have briefly alluded elsewhere. At the begin- ning of the present century, these institutious were far from the high position which they have at last attained throughout the land. Among the mass of the population especially, the scale of instruction had evidently descended. It would be an interesting study, to trace the gradual rise of our convent- teaching, from that simple, yet fundamental course including Christian doctrine and sacred history, reading, writing, arith- metic, and needle-work, to which it was mostly confined eighty or ninety years ago, to the wider circle it embraces at the present day. 24 370 GLIMPSES OF TUE MONASTERY By comparing the notes furnished by our annals, it is evident that the impetus given to studies about the year 1800, both in the novitiate and in the classes, by the well- directed efforts of Mother St. Henry and St. Augustine, was but the first wave of a new and powerful current, which without tearing up the solid bed of a time-worn channel, began to flow more swiftly, imparting fresh verdure and plentiful flowers along its pleasant banks. Already in 1810 " pupils commenced to be more numer- ous, and to remain longer at school. " In 1815, Bishop Plessis regulated " that more time should be allotted to the studies of the novices, in order to render them proficient in the various branches which they were required to teach, French and English grammar, geography, &c. "Thase branch- es, adds the annalist, attra,ct i;u|dls to the convent, and afl'ord us an opportunity tj form them to the virtues of a Christian life." Half-l)oarder3 had been admitted from the year 1800. Their class-rooms were distinct from those of the boarders until 1825, when the two schools were united, in order to afford greater facility for grading the classes, according to the rule." To the new branches already introduced were added history and translation. The number of boarders varied from sixty to eighty : the half- boarders were in greater number. The extern-school had never ceased to be numerous. In 1822, Eev. J. Signay, parish priest of Quebec, applied to the Ursulines to obtain instruction for the Irish Catholics of the city. We may judge what zeal animated our Mothers of that period by the foot that they received sixty of these young girls immediately, although they were obliged to admit them while the French pupils were absent, from eleven CONVENT EDUCATION SINCE 1800 371 to to /ere del I jater o'clock to one, in order to have class-rooms. Many of these (children being very poor, had to be supplied with the nourish- ment of the body as well as that of the soul. The Irish class was definitively organized, and opened to the scholars at the same hours as the French Canadians, in 1824, Between seventy and eighty children assembled, at once, to receive elementary instruction in English, under the devoted superintendence of Mother St. Athanasius, whose name became a household-word with the Irish, during her long and laborious services in the extern-school. While our nuns were thus im[)osing upon themselves new labors, a wider and higher course of studies in the solid as well as in the ornamental brandies, was being elaborated. Mother Dougherty of St. Augustine had formed excellent pupils, especially in drawing ; among these Mother Julie Paincliaud of St. Borgia rivalled and even surpassed her teacher. During the eighteen years of her too brief career, she was employed exclusively in the boarding-school, where she succeeded no less in forming her youthful charge to piety and good manners than in cultivating their talents and ornamenting their minds ^ Musical instruments were not unknown, in some of their simpler forms, even in the early times of the convent '^. In the f the rs of these d to leven ] — Tlie first lessons in crayon and in oil-painting were received from a French artist in 1820. Twelve years later, Mr. Bowman, a painter of distmction from Boston, was eniployeil with such success that the principal altars and shrines within the Monastery were soon decorated with paintings dne to his pupils. '2 — The piano forte was introduced by a friend of the convent, Mr. J. B. Glackmeyer. Regular lessons were first given to the pupils by Mr, Codman, the organist of the Anglican cathedral. 372 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY III 1824, there were novices qualified to give music-lessons, find some ten years later, secular teachers were no longer required for any instrument, the organ, harp and guitar included. The next fifteen years presented a concurrence of circum- stances singularly favorable to the complete development of a higher course of studies. Throughout the country there was the avvakening of a new interest in the cause of educa- tion. A society under the patronage of the Governor and apjiroved by the Bishop, to further that cause, first organized in 1820, became every day more popular and acquired new importance. As regards more directly the Convent, there were the united efforts of able and energetic Superiors both ecclesias- tical iind monastic, of devoted friends among the clergy, par- ticulnrly the priests of the Seminary,of accomplished teachers. Among these we must specify, in addition to those already mentioned, Mother Cecilia O'Conway of the Incarnation, who after being a Sister of Charity in New York, became an Ursu- line, by joining our community in 1823. Carefully educated by her father, who was a linguist and a man of exteu>ive learning, Mother Cecilia of the Incarna- tion had acquired also a fund of useful information by expe- rience, Vjefore giving her services to the monastery of the Uisulines. To a natural taste for those sciences which in our century have become so popular, botany, physics, minera- logy, &c., she joined uncommon skill in all the varieties of fancy work and embroidery. Active and energetic, she pos- sessed all that love for teaching, that sympathy for her pupils, that zeal for their progress, so necessary to form a successful instructor. About the same date opened an intimate and cordial intercourse by letter with ihe Ursul ne Convent of St. Mary's, CONVENT EDUCATION SINCE 1800 878 and rna- xpe- the ouv eva- les of pos- pils, ssful )rdial Lary's, Waterford (Ireland), recently founded by the Ursulines of Cork. Through the kindness of these highly educated sister- Ursulines, the classes were provided with excellent treatises and models of literature, in English , specimens of natural history and curiosities suttioient to form the germ of a museum, which every year has augmented down to the present day. In 1831, commenced that series of modern imjn'ovements, by additions to the original buildings, which havo continued from time to time during almost a half-century ^ The appointment of Rev. Thomas Maguire as chaplain won for the convent the services of that eminent friend of education, for the consolidation of the new plan of studies and the spiritual direction of the community, A voyage to Europe (1834-36) afforded him an opportunity to visit various educational institutions, and to purchase instruments, with stores of books, curiosities, &g., for the Ursulines, to whose interests he' was to devote himself duriug the nineteen remaining years of his life. Returning to Canada by the way of New York, in 1835, our good Father was requested by the Bishop of Boston to be the conductor of the remaining members of the convent of Charlestown, Mass., a part of whom had already sought protection in the Old Monastery of Quebec, Driven from 1 — A new story, added to the main building, gave two large halls, and four smaller class-rooms for the better accommodation of the boarders. These were solemnly blessed with pious rejoicings on the 15th of Oct., 1832, by Bishop Signay, After the ceremony, Lady Aylmer, attended only by the ladies of her suite, the gov- ernor being absent, paid a gracious visit to the i)upils in their new class-rooms. The same day, other ladies of the city, the parents and relatives of the pupils, enjoyed also that rare privilege of view- ing the interior of the Monastery, permission having been given to that effect. 374 GLIMPSES OF TUB MONASTERY m their peaceful home at midni<,'ht, Auj^iist 13th, 3 834, hy a heartless, dt'liuled mob, they had failed in obtaining redress At the hands of justice, before the tribunals of Massachusetts, and they were now, though with reluctance, abandoning the work of benevolence to which they had desired to conse- crate their lives. When the final arrangements had been made, permitting the Ursuline convents of Three Rivers and New Orleans to share the services of these worthy nuns, two of them grate- fully accei)ted the dispositions of divine Providence which assigned to them, as their future home, the house founded by the Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation. Thus were acquired the services of Mother Elizabeth Harrison of St. Joseph, an excellent religious, and a musician in the style of Saint Cecilia, under whose thrilling touch the poaling organ swelled, Filling the soul with thoughts divine. By another member of the Charlestown convent, Mother Mary Barber of St. Benedict, the teaching of the English language, already thoroughly organized within the monastery, was placed on the same basis as the French, a standard which it has never since ceased to maintain. Among the motives of encouragement, and the stimulants to exertion in the cause of education, during the years we are now considering, justice as well as gratitude would lead us to mention the high patronage, the friendliness and good will of the Governors of Canada and their noble families. At all times, a new Governor's visit to the Ursuline Convent, has seemed to follow as naturally his arrival as any another ceremony of his installation. The New-Year's visit to the CONVENT EDUCATION SINCE 1800 875 Ursuline Convent was as much a rule of etiquette at the Castle, as the New- Year's bull offered to the citizens. More frequent and more intimate were the visits of Her Ladyship and the children. Lady Provost and her dauj^hter, the Countess J)alhou8ie, as well as Lady Aylmer, were per- sonal friends of the nuns, seeking occasions to enjoy their society, taking interest in the amusements of the pupils or their success in their studies. More than once, the presenta- tion of a chart, a rare ])riiit or drawing, or some other o))ject useful for teaching.would follow the examination of a class, at which one of these kind ladies had presided. Lady Aylmer's friendly visits (1830-34) in the class-rooms and the emula- tion they excited will never be forgotten '. Alternately with the presence of the Governor, of the Lady of the Castle, it w'as the annual or the occasional visit of the chief Pastor of the diocese that awakened nev zeal and encouraged to new efforts f<" the good cause. Let our readers judge of this by an extract from a letter addressed to the community by Reverend P.-F. Turgeon, charged by Bishop Signay with the direction of the Monas- tery -. " Since several years, writes the new Superior in 1833, your educational department has acquired an importance highly gratifying to all the friends of religion. The efforts 1 — "In April, \S3\. Milady Aijlmer, writes the annalist, accom- panied by several ladies of the city, honored our boarders so tar as to assist at the examination of the higher classes, nnd expressed herself extremely satisfied with their answers. The examination lasted three hours. Her Ladyship had the goodness to present crowns of roses to the two that had most distinguished themselves, and to bestow the Cross of St. Louis upon two others for their appli- cation. The cross was worn several days, according to our custom 4vt these examinations." 2— Later, Archbishop of Quebec. ■:{ 876 GLIMPtiES OF TUE MONASTERY you have made to place your boarding-school on the re- spectable tooting it now occupies, arc viewed with admi- ration. All classes of society rejoice to see, that in addition to the good education you have heretofore given, you have introduced several branches of learning, which, although they may not be of great i)ractical utility, have one great advantage, that of enabling young girls to complete their education in the convent where their religious instruction will ever be kept in view. I'ious mothers (isteem them- selves happy to be exempted from the necessity of placing in secular hands the treasures they couKde to yours without anxiety. " I feel a lively satisfaction in perceiving that piety and virtue distinguish the pupils of your institution, etc." Another api)reciation of the education given sixty years ago in the convent may not be uninteresting. We shall take it from the newspaper account of an altogether unprecedented visit to the Ursulines ', The great hall St. Ursula had been ornamented for the occasion, and the pupils had i)repared for a little dramatic entertainment in view of the reception offered to the most distinguished assembly that Quebec could afford. The Kight Reverend J. Signay, Bishop of Quebec, attended by several members of the clergy, and a large number of gentlemen of the laity, all most respectable by their character 1 — The Ursulines, counting upon an indemnity for the loss of their property in France, had contracted debts in repairing the boarding-school. At the same time the old building that served for the externs was crumbling and needed restoration. In such circumstances, they applied for pecuniary aid from the Legislature and received the sum of $2000. It was an opportunity of which these Honorable Gentlemen took advantage to testify their desire of visiting the institution. CONVENT EDUCATION SINCE 1800 377 and |iositiou. had been introduced within the cloister on the 14th of Januury, 1836. On the following day the subjoined uccountai)peared on the newspaper Tte Canad'ien '. " Yesterday afternoon, the Hon. Speaker and lueinbi'r.s of the Legislature wore admitted to visit the Ursuline Convent of this city. The pupils of the institution represented, in presence of this honorable company, a sacred drama, which alone would sutlice to give the highest idea of the classii-al (ulucation young ladies receive in this pious institution. Specimens (»f jiainting, drawing and needlework, in all their varieties, which these gentlemen had an opjxatunity to examine, raised their admiration to the highest degree and all were enchanted with the gracefulness of the jxipils, as well as the affability of the ladies to whose zealous and enlightened care they are confided." The culminating point, as regards the efforts made in Canada to encourage education and render it popular, was the introduction of public examinations. The experiment had been tried at the Seminary of Quebec in 188(1 and the following years with full success. In 1837, the pu[)ils of the Ursulines, for the first time, presented themselves before an audience assembled at the invitation of their convent mothers, to be examined on the different branches they had studied. It was on the 3 1st of January. Father Thomas Maguire had offered for the occasion " the chaplain's room " not more spacious at that time than at the present day. At one end was the Bishop's chair, with seats for some twenty priests who had been invited. The other extremity of the apart- 1 — Of which M. Etienne Parent was then editor. ,'^' ?'"'Sirr'i 9ir ( t'i'^' I 1 :•■, ■ ' ■ 1 1 r .: ' ^ « ■V % ■ i ^ 1k. ■ ■t 1i>^ 378 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY ment was arranged for a class of young ladies with maps and globes ; the black-board for the grammar-class, for arith- metic and tracing maps; composition-books, written by the pupils ; specimens of their painting, drawing and embroidery, suspended on the walls. There was also a piano awaiting the well-trained fingers of young musicians, while the harp displayed its fine proportions, and guitars, their graceful forms. About one hundred pupils were in readiness in the adjoining apartments, to enter, one class at a time, to be examined. The programmes and ques- tion-lists on the various branches, were in the hands of Father Maguire, who invited, in turn, the cur^ of Quebec, Kev. C. F. Baillargeon, Rev, 1*. McMahon of St. Patrick's church, or some other cbrgyraau, to test the proficiency of the young students. The morning session was from nine o'clock to eleven ; in the afternoon, it lasted from two to four o'clock, during three successive days, the more serious labor of the examina- tion being diversified by the occasional recitation of a ftible, a poem or a dialogue, by music and singing, or by the read- ing of an original composition. At the opening of the last session, the apparatus of a school-room had disappeared. A king's throne and tapestried walls transported the spectators to a palace : it was that of Assuerus, the Assyrian monarch, as depicted by Racine in his tragedy of Esther. The dnimafis personce succeeded in fully interesting their audience ; but they were in turn even more interested, themselves, and we write here from personal recollections, when the names of the successful competitors in the arena of science being proclaimed, they came forward to receive, at the hands of the good bishop, the modest, yet much-prized testimonial, a wreath of flowers or a book in- scribed with their name. CONVENT EDUCATION SINCE 1800 379 A valedictory address, a few complimentary and encour- aging words from the venerable prelate and others who had presided, and the examination exercises were over. They had ])assed off to the entire satisfaction of all parties concerned. The following year, the large hall in the new building which bears the name of Ste. Ang^e, was opened to a similar audience ; but another concession was now d3manded. Parents were only half satisfied to know that their daughters had done themselves credit by passing a good examination ; they must witness it themselves. The question having been carried before competent authority and decided in favor of the petitioners, in 1839, the exercises took place in presence <»f the parents, guardians and sisters of the ])npils. The Bishop with the clergy of the city, judges and other friends of education, continued to form the " Board of Examiners " at the sessions of Wednesday and Thursday (January 30th and 31st), which were held in the same laige hall that had been occupied the preceding year. The Mother Superior and a certain number of the nuns, from an adjoining apartment, could see the pupils as they presented themselves before the audience and superintend the proceedings. The programme of the examination of which we here subjoin a summary, shows the extent of the course of studies in 1839 : Pupils, ono hundred and six (the little juniors not included). Four classes examined. iStudies: — French and English Grammar, Arithmetic, Geography, History of England, Roman History, Translation, Rhetoric, French and English Compositions in prose and verse ; elements of Astro- nomy, Botany and Mineralogy including Physics and Chemistry, with experiments. The programme was varied with vocal and instrumental music, the piano, harp and guitar. On the tables were displayed specimens of writing, drawing and painting' needlework and embroidery. The third session closed with the Drama, Cobiolanus, and the DiSTKIBUTION OF PRIZES. ■J •t' • 380 GLIMPSES OF TUE MONASTERY Some changes and improvements have naturally been called for, in the course of the past fifty years ; the most striking are those which regard the examination of the pupils.. These exercises being no longer performed in presence of a public audience, jre only the more serious and efficacious as well as more congenial to the taste and feelings both of teachers and pupils. V-\- ws In closing these rather desultory remarks on the subject of education in the Convent, we cannot refrain from mention- ing again the immense obligations of the community towards tlie Bishop of Quebec. If, in the coarse of the preceding pages, the paternal solici- tude of the chief Pastors of the diocese for all the inmates of the Monastery, has appeared, on every occasion that regarded their welfare temporal or spiritual, what shall we say of their judicious and enlightened zeal in promoting the principal object of the institution, the education of young girls ? that education which must never lose sight of its twofold object, preparing at once useful members of society, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven. Although the few extracts we have given from the pastoral exhortations addressed to the community by our worthy prelates and ecclesiastical Superiors, are sufficient to show how much the true interests of the institution have been forwarded by the Episcopal jurisdiction, yet we reserve for a future page, some further interesting details. THE OLD BELFRY — THE CONVENT-BELLS 881 CHAPTER XV 1831 THE OLD BELFUY — THE CONVENT-HELLS An animated and novel scene diversified the environs of the monastery on the 12th of July, 1831. The convent- grounds had been invaded by a company of laborers and carpenters, in the midst of whom appeared the architect, with Rev. Jer6me Demers, of the Quebec Seminary, and the aged Fere Daul^, Chaplain of the Ursulines. Already the roof of the main building has been scaled ; heavy blows make the shingles fly, the boards and rafters shiver. But the centre of interest for all, just now, is the belfry and its cross surmounted spire. That cross, with its arras pointed by the fleur-de-lis, is a relic of ancient times, and when tottering on its base, it is seen descending, many eyes are lixed upon it with affection, as upon something pre- cious. At length, it lies prostrate on the ground, and beside it, the bell that had swung beneath for the space of one hundred and forty years. But is not this a wanton desecration of old things, as uncalled for as it is unprecedented ? Gentle reader, do not think we shall readily admit such a supposition. Veneration for all that comes down to us from our " ancient Mothers " would willingly have preserved that antique belfry, which gave so monastic a look to the Ursuline convent. But the imperious demand for more room, on account of the pupils, that interesting population ever in greater numbers flocking in, had been taken into consideration. A third story, to be raised upon the foundation- walls built by Venerable Mother Marie de I'lncarnation, was resolved upon and served as TT^^'yi'^^^ry, ■ „^ ' ■ 382 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY I 'i ■■ a model of all the succeeding improvements which in the space of anotlier half-century would be called for. Leaving the workmen to continue their labors, let us join the group of nuns and pupils, who on that summer evening, when the grounds are again clear of men, surround the piles of fragments, and testing in playful mood the nearer sound of the bell, question of its past history. Is this the first bell that our Mothers ever had ? Is it the same that used to ring so musically, calling the neophytes to the waters of baptism, or the newly-made Christians to Holy Mass ? Is it that bell which Madame de la Peltrie rang so often, as well as Mother St. Joseph and Sister St. Laurent ? Alas, no ; that favored bell was not long-lived. It melted in the memorable fire of the 31st December, 1.650, and, according to old records, ungratefully threatened the life of the Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation, as she passed with intrepid step through the long corridor. Is it then that other bell which, some years later, swung in the belfry of Madame de la Peltris's church, and which tolled so sadly at the two successive funerals of 1671 and 1672; funerals that left the nuns in sad mourning, bereaved of their tender mothers ? No, once more, no ! A second conflagration put an end " To the swinging and tlio ringing" of that bell also. But the convent rises ag.iin from its ruins, and this time, the kind hand of charity provides a bell which is destined to outlive its belfry. It was the gift of Madame du Tronchet. a French lady who was ever on the watch to oblige the Ursulines of Quebec. Solemnly blessed, some years after its reception, the Marquis de Beauharnois and the Marchioness de Vaudreuil being its sponsors, the fortunate Marie-Joseph-Louise-Marguerile was not demolished when THE OLD BELFRY THE CONVENT-BELLS 383 dethroned in 1830, but was placed in due time in the church- steeple beside the other of louder tone. Its clear, yet rather sharp and imperious voice is still heard, alternately with its neighbor's, announcing various hours of the day from four o'clock in the morning to half-past eight at night. Now, of steeples also there is a story to be told ; a semi- tragical incident which occurred in 1754 affords the occasion. There was a violent thunderstorm on that dark December night. The wind blowing a perfect hurricane swept pitilessly over the whole country, unrooting houses, overturning barns and performing other feats, worthy of old Boreas in his worst humor. It shook the Convent tremendously, threatening des- truction to every thing less solid than stone walls. On the following morning, the first sight that greeted the inmates of the cloister was a church without a steeple ! The wind had borne it off, bell and all, and left it in ruins on the ground. How it cleared the roof without breaking it in, was a question ; but the fact was evident. The cross was a little damaged ; th(^ bell not at all. The same hurricane, which had lasted two hours or more, " had unroofed the barn and torn the cloister-gate from its hinges," causing a devastation which, in all, our Mothers estimated at 2000 livres. Of course, another steeple arose in due time, and again the bell was heard calling to prayer : calling at early hours to awaken the religious, whether in the golden days of summer, when at four o'clock, the sky is so glorious that its sight pays the early riser for coming forth from the most refreshing slumbers ; whether in winter, " In the icy air of night While tho stars that oversprinkle All the heavens, seem to twinkle With a cristalline delight." ifi:W7W7 384 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY fl ft Ever with undeviating punctuality the bell rings out its solemn peal, calling to prayer, to labor or to repose ; for, within the monastery, that bell is .he voice of order and authority ; it is the voice of God ! How joyously it rings to usher in the great festivals as the year goes round ! How cheerful is its tone on that morn- ing when the little band of white-robed communicants, after long preparations for the great day, are admitted for the first time to the table of the Lord ! How glad, yet solemn is the bell that announces to the happy novice, that the hour has come for her to pronounce the " good word," Ervdavit cor meum verhum bonum, her final divorce from the world. More solemn, yet not of utter sadness, is that other voice of the convent-bell, telling that a soul has gone forth from her earthly tenement to meet her Creator. " Yet 'tis not weariness of life That makes us wish to die ; Jut we are drawn by cords of love To our eternity." Sometimes we hear it ringing a loud, long and earnest peal, when the cloistered family, nuns and pupils, are already assembled in the choir. Through the air the chime is borne to the whole neighborhood, inviting worshippers to join in spirit or by their presence, at the sacred function, the after- noon Benediction service. " Hasten, it seems to say, hasten ye that are weary and worn with the ungrateful toil of the week. This is the moment when Jesus waits to bless and » » strengthen you. Come, hasten to adore Him But let us briefly recount the honors, and the end of that storm- vexed bell, which was precipitated to the ground on a December night, as we have just said. THE OLD BELFRY — THE CONVENT-BELLS 385 Purchased for our church — ^just finished in 1723, it was in the presence of a goodly cora[)any that its blessing or haptiaw, took place, the sponsors being the Intendant's son. Monsieur Bdgon and Miss Elizabeth de Vaudreuil; the officiating clergyman was the Vicar General M. de Varennes. Twenty years after the accident of the storm, from some unknown cause, the mellow tones of the said bell suddenly changed to a tinkling and discordant sound, " as unmusical, says the annalist, as that of an old brass kettle." It was necessary to provide another, and our Mothers were willing to have one of larger dimensions. Through some mistake in the order, a bell weighing three hundred and fifty pounds was sent: it was heavier tiian would have been desirable. Blessed with less ceremony than the former, and named Jean-Olivier after the good Bishop of the time, its reign was inaugurated in 1774. Having served during a century without any worse acci- dent than an occasional false turn, or a broken bell-rope, let us wish it a continuation of " its clear and musical voice ; although it may still merit the reproach bestowed upon it in its youth, namely, that '• it is rather hard to ring. " lat a • But another relic of the past has here to be accounted for. There was a cross -which had towered aloft over the Monastery of St. Ursula, for such a length of years that its origin is lost in obscurity. Would our readers behold it again ? Let them follow, if they may, the long winding alleys of the nuns' garden, till they reach the highest part of the gradually rising ground. Here, a rocky ledge, grass-grown now, and worn, makes a pleasant pathway while the fractures and angles of the rugged limestone, relieved by mosses and 25 386 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY J lichens, are enlivened by wild Howers that have outlived the ancient forest. Amid their bloom,stands the old FiiENCii Cross, winch once surmounted the beltry over the main building. Its pedestal is itself a relic, being cut from the trunk of the Old Ash Tkee, of historic memory. A rustic arbor, near by, would be at home in the midst of this shrubbery, the elder with its Hat corymbs of sweet-scented white llowers, the cranberry and red raspberry-bushes mingling with clusters of golden-rod, buttercups, the star-like white daisy, and fairy-looking campion. The jointed clover and arrow-leaved, buckwheat seem to have a mission here, in trailing over the dark-colored rock. The delicate corydalis and wood-sorrel, the dwarf speedwell with its pretty blue flowers — miniature forget-me-nots- remind us of solitary glades and untrodden dells amid the hills, far away from city-life. Oh ! this is the spot to dream of the olden times ! This height, which has preserved throughout centuries its primitive vegetation, should bear the foot-prints of the little Indian girls that wandered here, full of strange, new thoughts of the Great Spirit, and all His love for them, after they had listened to the glowing words of Mother Mary of the Incar- nation or of Madame de la I'eltrie. Here, ])erhaps, sat dear Mother St. Joseph, with a group of little Huron girls, to whom she was explaining the words of eternal life ; and here have strayed, at dilierent hours, all those holy nuns whose livts and examples are our greatest encouragement in the midst of our labors, similar to those for which they are now rewarded. This height, at the present day, is a favorite haunt, espe- cially in the late afternoon of a summer's Sunday, when the rays of the declining sun are screened off by that protecting line of houses along the street beyond the cloister-wall. On THE OLD BELFRY — THE CONVENT-BELLS 3S7 that day of rest, tho evening recreation brings out to enjoy tlie cooling shade the whole population of the monastery. The pupils have their spacious grounds, bordered a;id set out with trees ; their arcade built on the plan of the ancient cloisters, only of lighter materials ; their crotpiet-grounds, their summer-houses. We, from our station near the "^'old cross," may hear their merry shouts and calls. They are to our right, in the environs of Notre-Daine-de-Grace and St. Joseph's, the two modern edifices connected with St. Augustine's, that constitute the department of the boarding- school. Before us, at the distance of some twenty rods, is the build- ing occupied by the community, tlci Holy Fatally, budt in 168G ; its two luodern winys, St. Tltomis and Mi trie-do Via- carnation., giving it an aspect massive, and almost severe. Beyond, at the distance of twenty rods more, is a modern structure, the extern school-house replacing Madarae de lriest the gift of a tender piety, which retained its freshness even amid the chills of age and the burden of infirmities. When he discoursed of spiritual things, the unction of his words was irresistible, while his zeal for the welfare of the souls committed to his direction rendered him indefatigable in seeking their perfec- tion. The pupils were won by his gentleness, as the nuns were by his sanctity. Among the means to promote the piety of the pupils, he employed with success that of associating them to the acts of divine worship, by the singing of hymns and canticles which he had composed and set to music; for Father Daulti was both a poet and a musician. Tn the isolated life of a parish priest, he had found a comjianion and a solace in that oft derided yet highly sympathetic instrument, the violin. Under the intelligent fingers of our good chaplain, it seemed a voice from the spirit-land — but a voice of good spirits only — while it accompanied the pious hymns dictated by a heart that felt the force of the double law of charity. TF' PAlUEU JKAN DENIS DAUL^i 891 Father Duuli' dcliyhted to exorcise the pupils to sing at Mass and Menudictioii, vviiercus hurutoftjre the nuns had mostly th(! monopoly of singing, using exclusivLdy the plain- <:hant of the Church. As the chaplain's apartments are situated opposite the community, it was not a rare occurrence that the sound of the favorite instrument accompanying the good Father's magniticent voice was heard at the hour when around the monastery all is hushud in the evening silence. The })ious accents telling of a holy longing to he with (Jod, a tender invitation to holy Communion, a hyn»n of thanksgiving or of petition for new graces, C(juld only aid the recollection of that bltissed hour which prepares for the night's repose. Father l)aul(5 at sixty l)egan to feel the iniinnities of age ; lie was no longer able to fultil all the duties of his charge. His sight was failing to a degree that threatened total hlimU iiess. With pain and regret the Ursulines parted with their good chaplain who, however could still retuler service in ])arish labor as an assistant ])viest. In 1840, our Father Daule celebrated, at the Ursulines, Ids golden jubilee of priesthood. The church, decorated at its best, holy Mass celebrated by the venerable jubilarian, during which there was music worthy of the occasion, a banquet for thirty invited priestly guests, the whole followed by a little dramatic entertainment : such was the programme of the feast which naturally terminated in crowning the veteran of the sanctuary, who already wore the peerless crown of virtue, beneath the silvery locks of age. A few more years rolled on l)earing on high their record of good works ; for Father Daule, in the pulpit and in the humble confessional, continued to exercise the ministry as fruitfully as heretofore. He never forgot his former flock 392 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY within the cloister, and when in Quebec never failed to visit and bless his former i piritual daughters at the friendly parlor grating. His last visit was in 1852. At the age of eighty-six the holy priest could still find a voice to sing a hymn of his own composing, Beau del ! ^ternelle patrie, while from his sight- less orbs raised heavenward rolled tears of devotion. A few months later, and three was a solemn Requiem mass sung in that chapel, now draped in mourning, where, during so many years, the saintly chaplain had officiated with tender piety and holy awe, at the same angust Sacrifice which was now offered for the repose of his soul. '; -it-i "W ■ -■*■ i if* CHAPTER XVII 1828-1833 A FAMILY OF JUBILARIANS SPEEDILY REUNITED MOTHERS ST. BERNAUD AND ST. JACQUES The venerable Bishop of Quebec, Bernard Claude Panet,, celebrated in 1828, the Golden Jubilee of his priesthood. The following year his brother Eev. Jacques Panet completed also the half-century of his consecration to the service of the altar. Within the Ursuliye Convent, their two sisters, Marie Archange and Francoise, in religion Mother St. Bernard and Mother St. Jacques, attained also the Fiftieth anniversary of their religious profession. Let us recall the seconu of these occurrences which could not fail to be a celebration of unusual brilliancy, even without A FAMILY OP JUBILIARIANS SPEEDILY REUNITED 393 the presence of the brother, Bishop Panet, who at the age of eighty, and in feeble health, had lately resigned the pastoral charge into the hands of an administrator, and retired to the H6tel-Dieu. On the 12th of February 1833, Mother St. Jacques, at the close of her eight days' retreat, renewed in the joy of her heart the vows she had faithfully observed during fifty years. The Administrator, Bishop Signay, ottered the Holy Sacrifice, and addressed the pious jubilarian in an exhortation of which the theme was : " Quid retrihuam a Doviino." What senti- ment but gratitude to God for all His gifts and graces can fill the soul on such an occasion ? When he entoned the Te Deum, his voice was answered by a numerous clergy who filled the sanctuary, and to these responded the thirty cho'r-nuns from the adjoining chapel. A few hours later, a part of this goodly company was admitted to the interior of the convent, to witness an interesting entertainment prepared by the younger Sisters and the pupils to honor the venerable Mother on this interesting occasion. Mother St. Henry, the beloved Superior, leads the way to the new hall of St. Ursula, which has been decked in festal style and is filled with the bright and happy faces of the pupils, who welcome their guests to the sound of gay music. When seated. Mother St. Jacques occupies the arm-chair near the Bishop ; next to her is her sister. Mother St. Bernard, the jubilarian of the preceding year. Mother Superior has taken her seat on the left. Mother St. Mary (La Ferri^re) assistant. Mother St. Catherine (Oneille) zela- trix, and Mother St. Gabriel, depositary, are mingled with the company, while a second circle is completed by the other nuns of the community and the novitiate. ■■.^)',> '4 394 GLIMP6ES OF THE MONASTERY ,. \ Bewildered at first by the fairy-laud to which they have heen introduced, all are soon attentive to the song of greeting and the congratulatory address. Let us not attempt to describe the sylvan scene amid which wander nymphs and goddesses, singing or discoursing of the beauties of the flowery mead. An animated discussion arises i«e they seek out the fairest of the lovely Howers, and entwine a wreath to crown the heroine of the day. Mother St. Jacques may have recognized the theme which is hardly new, yet it admits of so many variations that it has all the charm of novelty. Doubtless she has discovered among the graceful sylphs many of her kindred : grand-nieces and their cousins, the Pauets, Taschereaus and others. The morning rehearsal is over ; dinner also, in the ban- nered and tapestried refectory; but St. Ursula's hall is filled again at two o'clock. Mother St. Henry's devoted friend Lady Aylmer wishes to enjoy the treat, and she has been gra- ciously welcomed with the ladies of her suite at the convent door. We need not follow the company till they retire : Lady Aylmer is no stranger at the convent nor to the beloved jubilarians. Alas ! for them, and for us all, if there was not another Day of Jubilee more lasting than those of earth. Too soon must notes of joy yield to those ol' Iness. Ven- erable Bishop Panet, as we have said, was not present at the morning's celebration. The evening brought alarming tidings of a change for the worse in the malady from which he was suffering. Two days later, aided by the holy rites which he had so often administered to the dying, at pveace with all the world as well as with his Creator, the aged prelate passed away, regretted by the clergy and the diocese he had wisely governed twenty years, mourned by all who A FAMILY OF JUBILIARIANS SPEEDILY REUNITED 395 knew him, and especially by his two Ursuline sisters, whose footsteps were now uearing the entrance to the same dark. Valley of Death. Only four months later, and Mother St, Bernard had rejoined in heaven her favorite brother. Mother St. Jacques who had entered the convent a year after her sister, outlived tJie loved one twelve months. The last survivor, Rev. Jac- ques Panet, at the age of eighty years, died at I'lslet, two months after the sister who in religion hiid borne his name. Thus the four jubilarians, brothers and sisters, united in serving God on earth, were speedily reunited in His bosom for their eternal reward. A few lines must suffice to characterize these two beloved Mothers whose memory has even remained fresh in the affec- tion of the community. Gentleness and refinement, with the ardent temperament inherited from their French ancestry sanctified and ennobled by true piety : such are the outlines of the picture preserved by tradition not far removed from the present day. Blessed with health, talents and education, both were employed successfully in the class-rooms the greater part of the half-century and more which they gave to the service of God in the Monastery. To Mother St. Jacques had also been happily confided alternately the duties of Assistant-Superior and those of novice-mistress. Their lives had been peaceful and\innocent, their last malady was neither long nor p-^inful. All gently the hand of death set free the pure souls of the sister jubilarians to join the beloved brothers who had pre- ceded them by so brief a space to that heavenly abode where there is no more parting. 396 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY CHAPTER XVIII 1834 THE MONASTERY NARROWLY ESCAPES A TOTAL CONFLAGRATION Every time the r2th of January has come round since 1834, the nuns after mass are heard joining in the hymn of thanksgiving: " Praise ye the Lord, all ye nations; inaise him, all ye people / Laudate Dominum, omnes gentes," In the course of the day, some of the pupils, or the younger members of the novitiate, are apt to inquire : " Why was the Laudate said this morning " ; and the story of the fire is rehearsed. The most minute details never seem superfluous, so imminent was the danger and so providential the escape from a total conflagration. First, it is explained that an out-house or shed, some twenty feet long, stood adjacent to the kitchen, on the south west of the main building St. Augustine's, serving as a store- room for fuel and a cold-pantry. A lighted candle, it is supposed, had been unwarily left there late in the evening upon a shelf, and burning down to the socket it set fire to the combustible matter near it. This fire had been creeping from one smouldering mass to another for several hours, when it was discovered at two o'clock in the morning by the crackling sound of the earthen-ware it had reached in the kitchen. The infirmarian, awakened from her sleep, had only to step into the corridor to behold the flames issuing from an aperture in the door of the apart- ment beneath. Without losing her presence of mind, she ran to awaken the sick, and then to warn the nuns in their dor- THE MONASTERY ESCAPES A CONFLAGRATION 397 niitory, aud the boarders who were sleeping in the adjacent building. While this was being done and all were dressing in haste, the convent-bell had sounded the alarm, and the fire, inflaming the roof of the shed where it had originated, was perceived in various directions. The convent steward and the domestics were hurrying in. Our nearest neighbours, Judge Vanfelson and his son, Hon. Thos. Aylwin and Mr. E. E. Caron, (later Lieut.-Governor) met in the convent porch the chap- lain Father C. Gauvreau, and at his request, undertook to guard the front door, in order to prevant the crowd from entering, for the terrible tocsin was ringing aud awakening all the city. Colonel McDougall had called out his troops, and the convent grounds, although piled with snow, were filling with crowds of citizens of every class, all anxious to render service. The seminary priests, J. Demers, L. Gingras, John Holmes and their colleagues constituted themselves the special guardians of the Monastery ; their day-students, rivalling with the regular firemen, were so prompt that their engine was the first brought into action. In the mean time the pupils had quietly followed their mistresses to the chapel, to implore the protection of Heaven, and thence, to the extern school-house, where they would be in safety from any immediate danger. The nuns, as they passed with hurried step, dropped on their knees before the Tabernacle for a moment's prayer, and preserved their calm- ness while hastening to save every thing that could be removed from the apartment" nearest the danger. The night was every m ment becoming brighter with the spreading flames. Now, the guarded conventual door opens to admit the Governor's Aide de Camp, who must see the Mother Superior immediately. Mother St. Henry, calm 398 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY .w:i and self-possessed in tlie midst of the confusion, promptly a))pears, and the messenger delivers to her an open letter. It was a pressing invitation on the part of Lord and Lady Aylraer for the nuns to accept a refuge in the Castle ; the apartments were already being warmed and put in readiness, and carriages were in waiting at the conve..L door. But all hope was not yet lost, and on every side the most vigorous efforts were directed to arrest the progress of the conflagration. A file of soldiers through the long corridors connected the kitchen with the cistern in the interior court- yard and buckets of water passed rapidly from hand to hand. The garden-cistern, buried in snow-drifts, was uncovered to supply the tire-engines working on the outside. Yet thera came a moment when it seemed that the de- structive element was doomed to have the mastery. The collar beneath the kitchen, into which the floor had fallen, was one burning mass of coals ; the infirmary above it, the attic and the roof were on fire. The refectory beyond the kitchen where the pine wainscoting and ceiling were as dry as one hundred and fifty years could make them, was so filled with smoke that one who penetrated to explore it i succeeded in making his exit only by creeping on his hands and knees. He had ascertained that the beams and ceiling were burning ! While the least delay must prove fatal, shouts from the firemen announced that the pumps were freezing and could not be worked without large supplies of hot water. At this crisis — one to make the strongest heart quail in view of the impending calamity — the loud cry of faith went up to Heaven : Masses were promised, the pupils were called into l_The Hon. Judge E. Bedartl. THE MONASTERY ESCAPES A CONFLAGRATION 39i> the chajjel where many f)f the nuns Imd fled to pray, all our holy Protectors were called upon to help us. One of the nuns imd confided the protecting rihbon of St. Amdbilis to the hands of the chaplain, worthier she thought, than her own to obtain a miracle ; she had also fastened the precious badge to the door of the refectory, with a fervent prayer for the preservation of the convent. Another friend of the Ursulines, transported by compassion and the extremity of the peril, rushed into the infirmary and there, prostrate on the floor beneath which the flames were raging, he prayed like Moses on the Mount witli outstretched arms, invoking the Divine clemency upon the sacred mansion, every stone of which, telling of past favors, pleaded for their continuance ^ That mingled concert of sighs, and vows, and prayers, was heard ! All at once, new energy seemed infused into every heart and every arm. From one point to another the wild flames were driven or kept in check, till at length, the most violent of the elements was under control. At seven o'clock, most of the engines had ceased to work. People could approach and look upon the charred remains of the small wooden building which had put the whole establishment in such jeopardy ; they could behold the denuded kitchen, with blackened and creviced walls ; the yawning cellar where smoked the winter's provisions; the refectory, with its ceiling broken in throughout half its length, and a pine beam that should have burnt like tinder, only marked by a few inches of charcoal : the infir- mary without windows, and the roof above the attic partly consumed. 1 — This friend was the Rev. John Holmes. 400 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY •{ It was Sunday, and at eight o'clock, the Convent bell rang again its signal for mass. Oh ! with what grateful hearts did the nuns and their dear pupils kneel around that altar, to join the Eucharistic Sacrifice, that adequate thanksgiving for all blessings, spiritual or temporal. The convent grounds were still occupied by the troops, in case the fire shouldagain re-appear; but when another hour's tranquillity had proved that all danger had ceased, Col. McDougall, who had declared that he was ready to lose his life, if necessary in order to save the Convent, gave the word of command and with a light heart led off his faithful 4^"xiliarie8. The students of the Seminary would not lose so good an opportunity to manifest their chivalry. Their fire-engine which won the prize for being the first to render service, remained all day on the grounds with a guard around it to give assist- ance in case of need. They probably deemed it a fortunate occurrence for them that the fire rekindled in the cellar, giving them an opportunity of proving their good will by working to extinguish it. During that Sunday and the following days, visits of congratulation and sympathy succeeded each other, till it seemed as if all the ladies of Quebec, from Lady Aylmer to good dame Jalbert, our steward's wife, had been to the convent. They must compliment the pupils on their quiet, orderly behaviour ; they must assure themselves that none of the nuns have been seriously incommoded ; they must see the ruins, and only after having been on the spot, could they fully realize how imminent had been the danger. Yet, not even the nuns, perhaps, fully appreciated the protection of Heaven over the Monastery, until, only a fort- night later, the old Chateau St. Louis which, had withstood three sieges, took fire at mid-day, and in spite of all the THE MONASTERY ESCAPES A CONFLAGRATION 401 efforts of the troops and the aid of a dozen of fire-engines, was entirely consumed. • No ! it was not in vain that so many vows had been offered for the preservation of the Monastery. Bishop Signay acquitted his promise on the following morning at the cathe- dral, by singing High Mass which became a public act of thanksgiving by the crowds who attended. On Tuesday, anotlier High Mass was sung in the convent chapel, in the midst of a large concourse. Clergymen showed their sym- pathy by saying their Mass at the altar, where so many prayers had been offered in the moment of danger ; and thus through the octave was manifested a spirit of faith and a charity, which we love to find tin? same as in the olden times. The accident had only resulted in a comparatively insig- nificant loss ; yet, for the moment, it was an embarrassing situation, in a family of about one hundred and forty persons, to have at hand neither cooking utensils, table service, nor food. Through the delicate attention of friends, and their unbounded kindness, all these wants were supplied with the utmost liberality. At the dinner hour* the table, both for the nuns and the pupils, was spread with prolusion. Now it was Lady Aylmer, sending from the Castle roasted sirloins and choice viands, the Governor adding his dozen of wine ; so that our nuns feared to resemble the rich man who fared sumptu- ously every day. Now it was the nuns of the Hotel-Dieu, with a full measure of wholesome soup and steaming veget- ables. Allthe more wealthy lad s in the Upper Town hadtheir turn in furnishing a repast for the inmates of the cloister, before a new state of things could be organized. Benefactions came in various forms; plates and dishes for the nuns' table, cooking utensils, coarse linen for kitchen use, provisions, 26 402 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY money : all is duly entered, with the donors* names, and many an expression of gratitude, on the pages of the annals. The Quebec Gazette rendering an account of the fire, made the following remarks : " In a convent of religious ladies, leading a retired and pious life, such an accident as threatened the Ursulines must have ai)jieared very distressing. Yet these ladies displayed courage, activity, and self-possession in the highest degree. The Governor General had hastened to offer them the Castle, in ruse they should bo o))liged to abandon their house. Happily, their own intelligent efforts, aided by the zeal and energy of their friends, prevented the painful necessity of a'^cepting the alternative," Then follows from the nuns a card of thanks, " most grateful and sincere, to His Excellency and staff, to the officers and troops, to the gentlemen of the City Council, the magistrates, the seminary priests and students, to the fire- company, as well as to the numerons citizens of every class for their timely and efficient aid. The religious are most sensible to the reserve and politeness, manifested by all towards the inmates of the cloister, " They acknowledge with gratitude the services of the watch kept around their goods, as well as around the ruins, and which was continued till Monday morning, in case the fire might break out anew." The annalist has not forgotten to commend the good con- duct . the pnpils, their docility and the cheerfulness with which they accepted all the inconveniences entailed by the accident. TUE THIi'LB FESTIVAL OF JULY 12t1I 403 CIIAFrER XIX 1835 THE TRIPLE FESTIVAL OF JULY 12tII In the Church-calendar for 1835, the 12th of July is annotated as the feast of the Dedication of churches. It is a hallowed anniversary which moves the devout soul when, in its contemplations, it buholds the heavenly Jerusalem, ifrhs Jerunalem heata, and traces the similitude Ijetween that City of our God and our Christian temples, whose })recious founda- tion is Christ Himself. lUit a record of this yearly festival would hardly have been found on the pages of our annals, had not some other less ordinary event marked the day. It was the 0e, by anticipation, of the beloved Mother St. Henry, Superior of the community, and now in her fourth triennial term of oHice. Mother St. Henry has just })assed the meridian of life, and for the last quarter of a century has had no respite from the responsibilities of government either in managing the temporal affairs as depositary, or the direction of the house as Superior. Yet is her countenance radiant with smiles, as her eyes rest with motherly affectiyn on the numerous family confided by divine providence to her soli- citude and direction. To-day however, the Superior's feast receives its chief eclat from its concurrence with other joyous eelebrations, for this twelfth of July is also the occasion of a diamond jubilee. It was the sixtieth anniversary of her religious profession for an aged nun, whose reminiscences extended over all the period that separated 1759 from 1835. She was there await- ing in the calmness of soul which is a foretaste of heaven, the moment to renew he" vows publicly, even as she had 404 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY Jl ':?' ';i! .'.' n ' spoken them in her heart every day lor the hist sixty yeurs, Mother Ainahle Dub(5 of St. Ij^natius i.s the same who as a chihl, followed in the 14th Sept., 1769, at a late evening hour the funeral cortege of Montnalni, when the dead hero was borne in silence through almost deserted streets to be buried in the dilapidated church of the Ursulines. Our readers have seen already that a jubilee festival is one of peculiar interest and rejoicing within the cloister. JJut on this July morning the inmates of th(! Old Monastery had other motives for their inwonted gladness. They shared the joy of the angels in heaven who were exulting to behold an immortal soul just invested with innocence in the sight of Ood, just purified by the saving waters of bai)tism. Near the sanctuary railing knelt that youthful maiden •whose white robes and flowing white veil were emblem- atical of the whiteness of her now happy soul. The holy sacrifice was l)eing ollered at the two altars, both brightly illuminated and glowing with rich summer flowers. At the liigh altar officiated the venerable Archbishoj) of (,)uebec, llight L'everend Joseph Signay, At the altar of the Sacred Heart stood the brother of the neoi)liyte, alisorbed in the ])riestly functions whereby he sought to testify the fulne&s of liis intense gratitude. While this happy young girl is waiting to be fed for the first time with the Bread of Life, let us briefly trace lier history. Since nearly two years Miss Sarah Ann Holmes liad been a pujjil of the Ursulines. From her infancy, this descendant of Puritan forefathers had been taught to rever- ence the Almighty, to observe His commandments and to ask His assistance. Often and seriously had she pondered the question : " What shall I do to be saved ? " but how •discover the true road to heaven where so many by-paths ■were crossing each other on every side ? THE TUI1»LK FESTIVAL OP JULY 12tII 405 Ileri', while sho has been a pupil in the convent, the Catholic relij^ion has apptiureil before her in its true light, not iia misrepresented by enemies. At tirat every thiny seemed strunj^e and unmeiiniii<,', butj^radually, uj)on iiKiuiry into the signification of rites und pra(!tices, all appeared reasonable and consistent. Finally, acting upon the principle which all Protestants profess, namely, the right to judge for herself in religious matters, she resolved to examine prayerfully the tenets of the Catholic Church, and read attentively the little volume entitled " A Catholic instructed in his religion. " There, to her great surprise, she discovered that the great truths of Christianity which she had hitherto believed and which are contained in the Apostles Creed, are all taught in the Catholic Church. The doctrinal points which were new to her ; the one true Church, the invocation of Saints, purga- tory, etc., were as fully proved as those. The evidence flashes upon her, " But if this be so, I am then in error." The fulness of light was not refused to her redoubled and earnest prayers nor the grace to determine upon following her convictions. Further instructions soon prepared her to join that Church which founded upon the " rock of truth, " Christ Himself, can never err nor deviate from the teachings of its Divine Founder. Many years previous her brother had been most providen- tially led to embrace the Catholic faith. The eldest of her five sisters had been baptized (at Berthier) by that brother's own hand, and now, could the secrets of future years have been unfolded before the brother and sister as their united prayers ascended to the throne of grace, they would have seen not long afterwards in that same ohapel a younger sister baptized, who two years later would there consecrate herself to God. They would have seen another and another 406 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY of the six sisters, after mature research and deliberation, enter the true fold, till all happily knelt at the same altar, blessing to their latest breath the merciful hand of God that had so wonderfully led them from the darkness of error to the full light of truth i. But to return to the cloister where the triple festival of July 12th is not yet over. At the mid-day repast, the young convert wearing the white wreath of hei First Communion, has her place among the nuns. She is seated at the table of honor between the Superior, Mother St. Henry, and the venerable jubilarian, Mother St. Ignatius, while the assistant-superior. Mother St. Mary (Laferri^re) entertains two of the Sisters of the Con- gregation, invited guests on this joyous occasion. Never had the old refectory, with its oak-pannelled walls, its brick-tiled floor, its elevated reading-desk and, above all, the long file of nuns who on either side, seated at the well-spread tables, were now smiling and talking, gayly enjoying the con- vivial hour, never had it presented a more animated scene, or borne an aspect better fitted to remind one of the Agapes of the earlv Christian times. 1 — Four of the six converts mentioned here exchanged in Canada their family name, the eldest becoming in Berthier, Mrs. Montferrand ; the second (the neophyte), at St. Laurent, Mrs. De Celles ; another, at Vaudreuil, Mrs. Edouard Lefaivre, and the fourth, at Atton, became Mrs. Cliarles McLean. Of the other two, the choice of one lias been told ; the younger married Mr. William Baldwin of North Stratford, N. H., where she is happily living at this date (1897). Neither of the survivors can ever deem herself a stranger in Canada, the land of her spiritual birth, the home of so many of her relatives bearing the names of Noiseux, Carmel, Lefaivre, Duchesneau. The only surviving son of 'le neophyte baptized on the 12th of July, 1835, A. D. De Celles, Esq., bears a name not unknown to literary circles throughout the Dominion. THE 200th anniversary 407 In conclusion let us add that the venerable Mother St, Ignatius, already an octogenarian since eight years, prolonged her holy life to complete her eighty-eighth year, taking leave of her beloved community of thirty-four professed choir-nuns to join the greater and happier one above, March 27th, 1839. CHAPTER XX 1639-1839 THE 200Tn ANNIVERSARY The preceding pages liave displayed before our readers something of the Monastery's past ; they have seen the prc^ tecting hand of Providence ever extended over it through the two centuries, from August 1, 1G39, to the same date in 1839. No doubt such an anniversary was one to be celebrated in the Convent with gratitude and pious rejoicings. The spiritual renovation to which it manifestly invited was foreseen from the beginning of the year. The examples of the venerable iirst foundresses were made a special study, and the words of the Apostle, " Be ye reiewed in spirit, " seemed to have their application to every individual soul. But the prepa- rations carried on in this interior world of the spirit being intended for the eye of God alone, are mostly invisible to mortal sight, and scarcely come within the scope of ordinary observation. Exterior preparations were not neglected. The chapel which in 1739 shone forth in its pristine beauty, now needed some rei)airs, and the decorations were to be as elabonte as possible. 408 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY mm. Within the past thirty years however, the walls had been covered with rare and beautiful paintings from France, whicli were a richer ornament than would have been the most costly drapery or the most skilful combination of artistic embellish- ments. Our cloistered artists, wing with each other in their efforts to honor the occasion, put into requisition the pencil and easel, and every hour of leisure saw the results of ingenu- ity and good will. Plmblematical and commemorative paint- ings on transparent tissues filled the windows, banners skil- fully wrought and light banderoles inscribed with appropriate mottoes, streamed at various heights around the sanctuary, alternating with festoons of evergreen and blooming wreaths. The altar presented one bright array of flags and flowers. Enthusiasi.., moderated by religious feeling,and that solemnity attached to enjoyments, the recurrence of which cannot be expected, prevailed throughout the community and reached its climax on the great day. The large number of masses celebrated at the three altars, the skilful execution of one of Mozart's Masses by the nuns and the pupils, while at the grand altar officiated the Bishop of Quebec and sixty clergymen filled the sanctuary ; the singing of Vespers, the same dignified assembly forming one choir and the forty-two nuns, the other ; the remarkably appropriate oration, by Reverend C. F. Baillargeon (then pastor, afterwards Archbishop of Quebec) ; the benediction of the Blessed Sacrament ; the Te Dewm chanted to the ful-^ lest swell of the new organ : these were the principal features of the day. They were sufficient to mark the commemoration as one of the most thrilling interest, a day never to be recalled to mind without emotion by any who took part in its festi- vities. As at the first centennial, the Communion of Saints was not forgotten ; the dear deceased had their part in the THE 200th anniversary 40& festival and thirty Masses were offered for their more speedy admission to the realms of bliss. The circumstance that reminded one most forcibly of the changes that Two Hundred Years had brought was the absence of the Indian race from the celebration. Was it not especially for them that in 1G39, the Ursulines and the Hosintalieres had landed on the shores of a wild and savage country ? The poor aborigenes had been among the first to reap the fruits of their heroio charity, but to-day there exist only scattered remnants of a race destined to a gradual extinction. Surely no one can reflect upon such a fate with- out commiseration, nor stand unmoved beside the grave of a people. In the few rude hamlets that still remain to the Indians in Lower Canada, the tradition of what the Ursu- lines have done for them has been preserved, and will pro- bably perish only with the last of their race. If we regard the political aspect of Canada in 1839, in contrast to its early times, we remark that for many a year no shadow of war had overcast its prospects with gloom. There had been indeed some recent disturbances ; but they were not wide-spread nor lasting. There were painful memories in the city of Quebec, of the terrible visitations of 1832 and 1834, which could not be forgotten i. Yet Canada was to experience again " that she is a country guarded in a special manner by Divine Providence : that at the moment when all would seem lost, there would arise unforeseen succor and events favorable to its prosperity." 1 — The Asiatic cholera in 1832, made in Quebec 3,451 victima ; in 1834, 2509. It appeared a third time in 1849, and again in 1851-52, .and 1854, but its three last apparitions were far less fatal. -, 410 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY To the nuns the contrast of the present with the past was of a nature to excite their devout gratitude. In the calamity just alluded to, that had darkened the land (1832 and 1834), filling Quebec especially with mourning on every side, the convent had stood unharmed, proving once more the salubrity of the site chosen for the home of the Ursulines by their incomparable foundress, and manifesting the kind protection of Heaven over an institution devoted to the most beneficent of works, the instruction of youth. Within a few years also the same kind Providence had brought them a signal protector, " a second founder, " in the person of their revered chaplain, Reverend Thomas Maguire, Vicar General of the Diocese of Quebec, to whose merits the Bishops of Canada had lately rendered a striking homage by twice deputing him on a voyage to Europe on business of importance to all the country. To him the Ursulines with their ecclesiastical Superior, had confided the temporal affairs of the monastery, and to his intelligent investigation, his patient and laborious research, his foresight and firmness, his experience, his spirit of order and economy, they were hap]>y to ascribe the prosperity which had succeeded to a labyrinth of pecuniary difficulties. We shall close this brief account of the bi-centennial cele- bration by two lists which may prove of some interest to our readers. The first is a list of the Superiors who have presided over the destinies Of the community from 1739 to 1839. The 11th Superior Mother Migeon of the Nativity elected first' in 1735, was re-elected and governed till 1741 ; also from 1753 to 1760. 12. Mother Genevieve la Grange of St. Louis; from 1740 to 1744. 13. Mother Genevieve Boucher da St. Pierre ; from 1750 to 1753. 14. Mother Esther Wheehvriglit of RSMmiSCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS IN THE CLOISTER i m mm' •A ? y. K ■r. - as I s- -f REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS IN THE CLOISTER 18;i!l - 1881) " Sweet is the remembrance of juya that are past, pleasant and mournrul to tho soul." — OasAiN. A SEQUEL TO GLIMPSKS OF THE MONASTKIIY BY THE SAME A. M; D. G. QUEBEC PRINTED BY L. J. DEMERS & FRERE 30, De la Fabrique street 1897 .,-. V Imprimatur, t L. N., Archiep. Cyren., Adm. 30 Sept. 1897. CONTENTS CIIAPTEU I KKOM TlIK PAST TO THE I'RKSKNT I'AQBS. Introductory j CHAPTER II SUPERIORS FROM 1839 TO 1872 MOTHKRS ST. (lAHRIKI, AND ST. ANDBKW Biographical aketches 6 CMAFTER III VERY REV. THOMAS MAOUIRE, VICAR OENERAL CHAPLAIN OK THK M0NA9TKKY I»(JKIN de Charital, St. F'aul, St. Schoiastiea, St. Philip, St. Anne, St. riiiloniena 140 vrii CONTENTS CHaPI'EU XX (llMt 7KNBRABLK CIIAIM.AIN'S .SAnRKDOTAI. JUIIII.EK MBKAI.DS TUB I'KAOBPUL OLOSB OK A HOt.V I.IKK PAUB8. Poem on the occasion of tho Golden .liil)ileo. Last illneBH of our venerabio Chaplain, his dpiitli 164 CIIAPTEU XXI UETIIANY IN TIIK UKSI^.INB CONVKNT Martha and Mary, types of the two orders, tho luy-sisters and the choir-sisters in Ursuliue convents 171 Oil AFTER XXII TUB '250th ANNIVERSARY OF TIIK KOirNDATKiN DK TIIK MONASTKKY Concluding remarks Lists, Superiors since I83'J. — Professed nuns forming the ooiumunity in 1897 176 ILLUSTRATIONS 1 The Ursuline Convent at the present day. facing the title page. ■ >:l 1*11 vn 2 Corner of the Play-grounds, Boarder's department, page 8y REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS IN THE CLOISTER is;!:»-issi CHAPTER I IMtOM Tin: PAST To Till". TUKSKNT IXTUOUI'CTOllY On the first of August, 1830, the Monastery was celebrat- ing the fourth of those groat epochs, a period of fifty years, of which at the present date (1897) it reckons five. The last pages of the "GHnipses of the Monaster}-" related the pro- ceedings on that occasion, and now it is expected of us to set forth on a similar plan the scenes ol the last fifty years, all of which are within the grasp of memory. It is no longer the mingled threads of tradition we have to unravel, nor the brief records on the pages of the annals that will be our sole guide, but we can now tell of " what we have seen and testify to what we have known ". •t> <'^>, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) V <• '^O ^/ gj> 1.0 I.I 1.25 l^m iiiiM "* 12.0 i.8 1.6 V] <^ -a c^: -f^ % -^'^ /^ -/ % "} "s-y A '/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 »^ ^4^' ■e o "% V -!^. '^1. c> -b^ » 9)^ K .-w»^ppr- FROM THE PAST TO THE PRESENT Among all these thirty eight professed choir-nuns, there is but one jubilarian, Mother Giroux des Anges, while not far away in rank is the amiable Mother la Ferriere of Ste. Marie who now presides at the novitiate. Our readers will soon have an opportunity to form an acquaintf^.nce with these young Sisters, the novices, as they will also with the well-beloved Mother. A few names and titles, and our introductions will be over. Here let us present the mistress-general of the boarders. Mother Couture of St. Ursula, as dignified as she is bene- volent, Mother Vermette of St. Angela and Sister Dechene of St. Francis Borgia, first and Fecond directresses and teachers of the boarders. The half boarders' department is under the superintendence of Mother St. Athauasiiis, and the day-school under that of Mother St. Helen, with a good staff of teachers, for in both these schools the pupils were numerous. After this rapid view of the personnel of the community in 1839, we might make a longer pause in the midst of that moving population, the pupils' department of the institute. There many of our readers would discover by her maiden name an aged grand-mamma, a grand-aunt or some aged friend of the family, who allows no one to ignore the fact of her having spent some years a boarder in the convent. If the school-days of that aunt or that grand-mamma included the celebration of the bi-centennial, she remembers the convent biiilding of those days, which seems almost lost to-day in the many additions it has received. Yet will it be found that the same spirit reigns to-day as in the olden times. The convent is that " garden enclosed " over which the heavenly guardian ever watches with tender care and loving predilection. « REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS CHAPTER II SUPERIORS FROM 1839 TO 1872 MOTHEKS ST. OABUIEL, AND ST. ANDKEW It seems natural to unite here under one heading the names of two Mothers who governed the community so many years in the same spirit, guiding St. Ursula's bark alternately with the same firm and gentle hand, the same uniform kindness and charity. Who then was this much esteemed, much beloved Mother St. Gabriel ? Her family name was Adelaide Plante ; she was born in the parish of St. John (Isle of Orleans), of highly respectable parents, M'ho cultivated their own farm, and brought up their children in the pure principles of our holy religion. After her first Communion, and an elementary education in the parish- school, Adelaide was sent during two years to our convent .^here she continued her studies. At sixteen, she aire dy wore the white veil as a novice, the gayest oi the gay, in that nursery of cheerfulness and religious fervor, the novitiate. Her self-possession, her dig- nity and aptitude for enforcing the discipline of the school must have been remarkable, to have warranted her appoint- ment as diiectress of the boarders shortly after her profession. Yet it is related that if she succeeded in restraining her joyousness in presence of the pupils, it often happened on returning to the quiet apartment of the novices, that a hearty fit of laughter would be silently enjoyed before she could commence the occupations that awaited her there. In 1830, she was elected to take charge of the temporal affairs of the Monastery as depositary; and in 1836, she J'f*'i'tll'Ml"'I|*".'"W«'JF" SUPERIORS FROM 1839 TO 1872 was chosen for Superior, replacing the able and beloved Mother St. Henry, whose second term of office had expired. The Convent which since one hundred and twenty years had preserved the same dimensions, no longer afforded sufficient room nor conveniences for the yearly increas- ing number of pupils. Mother St. Gabriel's first care was to provide the half-boarders with a separate depart- ment for their classes, by the erection of a new building named St. Angela, along Parlor street. The same year, the house known as Madame de la Peltrie's, which, although it had been enlarged, was still insufficient for the numerous pupils of the day-school, was demolished and rebuilt. Mean- while, aided by the experienced hand of our excellent chap- lain, Father Thomas Maguire, the course of studies in the institution was carefully revised, and a new Order of the day elaborated. To the system of examinations by the Mother Superior and the teachers, which had hitherto prevailed, was substi- tuted (1837, 1838) as our readers have already been informed, a semi-public examination, followed by the distribution of prizes, the Bishop presiding with other members of the clergy. In 1839, by the advice of the same indefatigable friend of the institution, Father Maguire, the parents of the pupils were admitted to this examination and entertainment which took place in a spacious hall in the new wing, St. Angela. In 1848, Mother St. Gabriel was again at the helm, ren- dering her community happy by her judicious management r.nd motherly care, ever animated by the spirit of our Lord wno has declared that " his voke is eas v and his burden light." Before the close of her second term (1853-54), another building of fair proportions, " N"otre-Dame de Grace " (120 i 8 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS 1* ' feet by 50) had risen within the cloistered grounds, destined to afford a separate department for the exclusive use of the senior division of the boarders. Another iinpoitant measure decided upon during Mother St. Gabriel's administration, in 1859, was the admission of the pupils of the Normal School to occupy a department of the institution, while the progi'amme of instruction was to be conducted in part by secular teachers. The suitable accom- modation of these sixty or seventy students ultimately required the erection of another large building, St. Joseph's, in the near vicinity of Notre-Dame de Grace. But our readers are waiting for a closer acquaintance with this Eeverend Mother, who is evidently held in high esteen by those who know her best. It would be almost superfluous to say that Mother St. Gabriel was at all times and in all circumstances the model of a perfect religious, animated with xmbounded charity, unfeigned humility, a spirit of faith which seemed to realize the unseen. In her daily life and conduct she was the living rule. When before the altar, her very attitude was an incentive to piety. At the hour of recreation, her cheerful manner and pleasant smile invited to innocent mirth and sprightly conversation, while her busy fingers, responding to her natural activity, were ever engaged in some useful occupation. Our Mother cherished above all the privilege of working for the altar, and following the example of our ancient Mothers, long before a Tabernacle Society was known in Quebec, the resources of her energetic cha^ icter and bene- volent heart were exerted to supply the poor missionary with church articles, vestments, flowers, altar linen, &c. Year after year, as new chapels were built along the Gulf, the coasts of Labrador, the Saguenay, or the distant posts in the SUPERIORS FROM 1839 TO 1872 9 wilds of the North- West, Mother St. Gabriel was ever ready to furnish the eciuipments for the occasion. If the funds generously placed at her disposal by the community were exhausted, there were friends and former pupils to send in old silks and satins, velvets and ribbons, flowers, &c., know- ing how gratefully they would be received, and how skil- fully renovated, until they would bo as good as new. They knew also that while the good Mother and the young Sisters her willing aids were thus piously engaged, many a fervent ejaculation would be sent up to Heaven in behalf of the donors. Mother St. Gabriel bore lightly the burden of the office of Superior, neither disheartened by its solicitudes nor elated by its honors. When persons of rank and distinction visited the cloister our dear Mother, ever calm and self-possessed, conducted the recdption with all the grace and serenity of one " to the manner born." In her intercourse with the pupils or with their parents, her invariable composure, her benevolent countenance, the interest she manifested in their welfare, never failed to conciliate their good will and to reconcile them to an authority so gentle and condescending. Before pursuing further our notice of Mother St. Gabriel's long and useful career, let us introduce her colleague in office, whose name is equally dear and venerated in. the community^ Mother St. Andrew, known in the world as Isabella McDonell, made choice of the Ursuline Convent to consecrate herself to God, without any previous personal acquaintance Avith the sisterhood. Her then distant home was Glengary, Canada West. There is, however, a key to the mystery of this choice of the Old Monastery for her future home. A few months previous to her decision, there had been great rejoicings among the staunch Catholic population of II. I 10 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS Glengary, on hearing of the appointment of the first Bishop of Upper Canada, their Bishop effectually, since he was not only a Scotchman from Scotland, but a McDouell. The Right Reverend Alexander McDonell ^ was moreover, Isabella's uncle, and knew of her desire to embrace the religious state, while his own most ardent wishes were to secure a foundation for the new diocese from the Ursuline Convent of Quebec. This project was not destined to be realized, yet it was doubly fortunate, inasmuch as it procured the advantages of the religious life for Isabella and a younger sister who joined her later, both of whom, by their exemplary lives and ser- vices, have merited to be gratefully remembered in the com- munity. Mother St. Andrew had pronounced the vows of religion in 1823, and her first services were rendered in the day-school, where English classes had just been opened in favor of the children of the Irish congregation in the city. From 1836 to 1842, Mother St. Andrew was charged with the formation of the novices. From this important office, the votes of the community called her to succeed Mother St. Gabriel as Superior. Of different national origin and in many respects different in character, they were one in heart and purpose, equally zealous for the general good and the welfare of each indivi- dual. Both were eminently conservative, venerating the traditions of the past, the simplicity and poverty of primitive times, yet appreciating modern improvements and ready to introduce them when required, especially in the departments appropriated to the pupils. 1 — From Dumfries, Scotland, born 1762; received the Episcopal consecration in the church of the Ursulines, Quebec, December 51st, 1820. Created first Bishop of Kingston, 1826. MOTHER MCDONELL OF ST. ANDREW 11 To characterize Mother St. Andrew, we should describe her as a person of deep sensibihties, a heart to feel and share another's sorrow or happiness; a sound judgment, matured by experience, a tender and conscientious sense of duty, a truly religious spirit which guided her on every occasion ; such is the picture of this much revered Mother, indelibly fixed in the mind of all who were so happy as to have passed many years in her society or under her maternal guidance. It was during Mother St. Andrew's first triennial term of office that the pupils, after a public examination and distri- bution of prizes (July 10th, 1843), were dismissed for a summer vacation, a measure which has now become a law, sanctioned by custom and general approbation. The following years 1844, 1845, the sodality of the Chil- dren of Mary, made known to us by our beloved Sisters, the Ursulines of St. Mary's Waterford (Ireland), met Mother St. Andrew's ready approval and was established with the required formalities. But at this date, 1845, how can we fail to recall to mind the awful calamities of the 28th May and of June, when two successive fires reduced to ashes the homes and comforts of two thirds of the population of the city, besides distroying several lives. The suburbs of St. Louis and St. Roch were one wild scene of ruin and disaster. " Heart-rending were the tales of woe heard on every side ", wrote one of the nuns after the fire. " All the clergy have their hearts wrung at the sight of their suffering fellow-beings ; the poor Bishop weeps when he speaks of the tragic scene." Deeply the heart of our good Mother felt these woes, too great to be fully imagined or adequately relieved. Whatever alms or supcor she could bestow was doubled to the sufferers by her tender condolence and sympathy. 12 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS The pupils of the iustitutioii knew how to appreciate Mother St. Andrew's invariabhi kindness, as well as her solicitude for all that regarded their comfort or their improve- ment. The sentiments expressed in the address which they presented her in 1802, ou the occasion of the feast of St. Andrew, Nov. 30th, and which has fortunately heen pre- served, were doubtless as sincere as they were well-merited. TO KEV. MOTHER ST. ANDIIEW, SUrEKIOll Dear Reverend Mother, Long our wishes call Tills festal day, that gilds at last our hall ! For now, all clustered round thee, we may tell The feelings kind that in otu- young hearts dwell, And speak of gratitude, unfeigned, sincere. For all thy countless favors, Mother dear I Who is it seeks with true maternal zeal. Our present happiness, and future weal ? Who watches o'er her flock with tender care ? Whose warning voice would guard from ev'ry snare ? And n'hen our wayward feet are prone to stray, Who guides us sweetly back to wisdom's way ? Ah I it is thine, dear Mother, thus to blend The offices of guardian, parent, friend. Yes I as the gardener tends with equal care The various plants that bloom in his parterre ; This from far China, that from India's shore. These from the mountain clitt' where torrents roar ; On each bestows the needful time and toil. Till each unfolds as in its native soil ; So we transplanted to the cloister's shade. The objects of thy special care are made I Oh I may our minds' unfolding beauties prove Some slight return for thy unwearied love I MOTUER MODONELL OF ST. ANDREW 13 Here let me pause I 'tis an inspiring theme. But words, alas ! how very weak they seem, And how they mock our efforts to portray All that we feel on this dear festal day ! Ah 1 let the echoes of this proud hall ring, While with one voice, as with one heart we sing : Long live our Mother dear 1 long live our friend I May joys unnumbered on her steps attend I Long may that star of " purest ray serene," Gilil with new gladness every convent scene ; Nor disappear, hut brighter still to rise, And glow with fadeless lustre in the skies ! Meanwhile, as years revolve we'll hail its gentle ray. And raise the joyful shout : " Long live St. Andrew's day ! " November 29th, 1855. After filling a second term, Mother St. Andrew was ai)pointed depositdi'ij in lieu of Mother St. Gabriel, and thus, alternately, she had guided the community twelve years, when she was elected in 1860, although still suffer- ing from an illness which had confined lier to the infirmary for some months previous. " What we ardently desire, we readily believe," and thus it was that our beloved Superior's recovery appeared so certain. One short month proved the fallacy of our sweet autici- ])ation3. The announcement of the approach of death was sudden, but the venerable Mother calmly welcomed the summons, and prepared for the departure by calling to her aid the last consoling rites of holy Church. The grief and consternation of all the sisterhood, thus unexpectedly called to part with the Mother of their choice, may be better imagined than described. But the dawn of an eternal day was at hand, and with the evening of the feast of the Blessed Trinity, our venerated Mother sweetly passed away, cheerfully laying down a life 14 REMINISCENCES OP FIFTY YEARS which had been wholly devoted to the service of God. Nor could the Angel of death efface the smile from those dear lips upon which a blessing for her Sisters seemed still to rest. ■:vMy, Another election.rendered necessary by Mother St. Andrew's decease, recalled Mother St. Gabriel to the office of Superior, nor was she spared a re-election three years later. This eighth triennial term completed the twenty-four years of her admi- nistration, the longest period on record among the twenty- three Superiors who until that date had governed the Monastery. To Mother St. Gabriel had been reserved the honor and privilege of commencing the labors in the cause of the beati- fication of our first Superior and foundress, Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation, On the 25th of March, 18G7, the first step was taken by the appointment of a procurator ; the first proceedings of the Commission opened on the 13th of May. Those who took part in thq first proceedings were sanguine in their expectations of a speedy and successful issue ; but, after thirty years, the happy event is still waited for yet with ever increasing confidence. lielieved of the superiority in 1872 Mother St. Gabriel continued to serve her community in the office of zelatrice and counsellor, and still plied her needle as in her younger days, although her failing sight would no longer permit her to prepare it for use with the all-necessary thread. Only during the last three years of her long career had she to relinquish her usual seat in the community-hall and her favorite place in the chapel. But the infirmary also has its chapel and altar. There the divine Physician deigns to visit the sick and the infirm, even as in the days of his sojourn among men during his mortal life. MOTUER PLANTE OP ST. GABRIEL 15 The enu oai.ie gently, and without any violent suffering. Like St. Paul, our venerable Mother could say : " I have finished my course. I have fought the good fight, I have kept the faith ; henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of justice from heaven." Her death occurred on the 25th February, 1888, in Memoriani. The following lines were written the day after our dear Mother's decease. TO TIIK SWKET MEMORY OK MOTHER ADELAIDE PI.ANTE OF ST. OARRIEL. 'Twas tho decline of a long summer's day ; Hour utter hour had slowly rolloil away, Anil now the sotting sun's rays lingering fell On tree and hillside, flowery knoll and doll, As loath to quit a world it made so bright, And yield its glorious place to sombre night. An aged shepherd watched the peaceful scene, But chiefly, on his flock upon the green, Rested his tender, longing gaze ; for there Was life, with love responding to his care. Full well his cheering voice each lambkin knew, Nor ever truant from the fold witiidrow To perish in the wild; but, whore ho led, All followed, docile to the hand tiiat bred. Now the long day was fading in the west ; The aged shepheril knew his hour of rest Had come Beyond those purtals wide, Where greener pastures laved a crystal tide, And flowers forever bloom, his place would be With his dear flock, from every ill set free. How culm that scone ! and now, mid convent shades. We '11 trace another ere the picture fades. .Mt 16 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS t An aged nun awaits the peaceful close Of her long span of life : its sunset glows. Like that old shepherd, gazing on the west She longs to reach the land of endless rest : Beyond the crystal flood a rapturous sight, Her faith beholds It tills her with delight. " When will He come, she cries, the God I love ? When shall I see His face in bliss above? Faint is my heart with longing to possess My sovereign Good, my only happiness ! " Thus, wliile our hearts were moved beyond control, Breathed she the ardors of her parting soul ; And still upon her Hock in mourning near Would rest her loving eye, dimiued by a tear. Mother beloved ! thy course so nearly run Brings to my mind tliat time when it begun. In early youth thy happy choice was made, At " sweet-sixteen." Witiiin the cloister's shade Thy years passed on, noiseless and without strife, But rich in merit on the Book of Life. How great was thy amaze thyself to find Called to high oHice I In thy lowly minil E'er thou Avust deemed unworthy of the last. Nor ceased to wonder how the votes were cast. In many hamlets thou hadst never seen, 'J'hy name was known, " the holy Ursuline ", And through the breadth of Canada's domain, Nay, far beyond, on rising hill, or plain. Where stands some humble chapel, there behold Our Mother's gifts, precious tho' not of gold. The holy altar, how she loved to deck ! And, silks and satins, — often fashion's wreck — Her skilful Angers deftly would combine In vestures bright which costlier might outshine. Vases and brilliant flowers were next her care. And linen, white as snow, she must prepare ; In all, she thought of souls redeemed with Blood I Oh ! how she longed to pour that sacred flood O'er all the earth 1 Such fire her heart consumed ! Such love her daily sacrifice perfumed ! VEPY REV. THOMAS MAGUIRS, VICAR GENERAL 17 The cloister's inm»ias ever were her care ; And each was happy in her certain share Of that affection vast, that knew no bounds, More than the ocean which the earth surrounds. No weight of care or toil could dim the smile We loved to meet benignant, without guile. Her gentle words and kindness ever true Dispelled all doubts, inspiring ardor new. 'Twas Charity's own hand that led the way, And all is sweet beneath her gentle sway. Rejoice then, dearest Mother, in thy God ! Thou didst pursue the path the Saints have trod ; A dazzling crown is thine, O Mother, now, And well doth it befit thy noble brow I Protect us still ; and from his gloriou. throne. Let Gabriel send his blessing with thy own. •One day assembled on that happy shore, We'll praise with thee, our God, forevermore ! Feb. 28th, 1888. CHAPTER III VERY REV. THOMAS MAGUIRE, VICAR GENERAL CHAPLAIN UF THR MONASTERY DURING NINETKKN YKARS The name of Eev. Thomris Maguire could not be omitted when treating of education in our convent schools on a preceding page ; but a further tribute of gratitude is due to the eminent services rendered the coirunuuity during nearly twenty years by our devoted and excellent chaplain. Father Maguire's family history carries us back to the days of the penal laws, when so many of Ireland's best and 18 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS 11/ bravest, preferring poverty aud exile to wealth with apostasy, fled from the land of their birth, " the green Isle of Erin," to the distant but more hospitable shores of the American '^iolonies. The ancient and honorable Maguire family was represented among these exiles " for conscience* sake " by Mr. John Maguire, who having settled in Philadelphia, married there in 177o Miss Margaret Shut, a respectable quaker's daughter. Their eldest son, whom they named Thomas, was born^ May 9th, 1774. The struggle for Independence, then commencing, would have afforded the exile a good opj)ortunity for avenging the wrongs his family had suffered under British rule ; but the loyal Maguire preferred a second exile to revolt, although it were against the government which had driven him from the land of his birth. He retired from Philadelphia, and soon after found his loyalty rewarded by an appointment in the British Army at Halifax where he was gru Commissary General, Faithful to his sovereign " for conscience, sake," John Maguire was ever the fearless and conscientious observer of bis duties as a Catholic. The religious education of his children was his first concern, and no sooner was Thomas of an age to follow the course of .studies in a college, than he was sent to the Seminary of Quebec, where his remarkable talents, his ardent temperament, his natural intelligence and love of study, enabled him to terminate the classical course at the age of eighteen. His choice of a state of life needed no long deliberation. What vocation but that of the priest- hood could satisfy the aspirations of one whose heart was on fire with the lovo of God, with zeal for the extension of the faith and a boundless desire to contribute to the salvation of souls ? VKBY REV. THOMAS MAQUIRE, VICAR GENERAL 19 Even before his ordination (in 1799), his extraordinary- abilities had attracted the notice and won the confidence of his ecclesiastical superiors, as may be inferred from his. appointment before that date to the confident al post of Bishop's secretary, A few years later (1806) the important ])arish of St, Michael, including Beaumont, was committed to his pastoral care with its various duties and great responsibilities. Never, perhaps, were the labors of a devoted pastor more fruitful or better appreciated. And what sweeter recompense could the Lord of the vineyard have reserved for his faithful stew- ard, after the docility of his people through which the whole aspect of the parish had been changed than the conversion of his now widowed mother to the Catholic faith ? This excel- lent lady, whose early convictions had been sincere and whose life had ever been most edifying, had the happiness to embrace our holy relig'on before leaving Halifax for St. Michael's, where she spent the remainder of her days with her sons, Eev. Thomas Maguire and Dr Charles Maguire who resided in that parish. Her death occurred in 1827, at the age of seventy-five years, and her ashes repose with those of Dr Maguire, since deceased, and several of his family, under the shadow of the cross, in the cemetery just near the church where her son Thomas had so often offered the holy Sacrifice to obtain the light of faith for his beloved mother. After the immense services rendered in 1827 and the following years by Eev. Thomas Maguire in the college of St. Hyacinth where he is regarded almost as a second founder, after a journey to Eome in 1831 on business of high impor- tance to the religious communities in Canada, his nomination, in 1832, to the office of chaplain of the Monastery was regarded by the nuns as one of the signal favors of divine Providence. I m- 20 BEMINISCBNCES OF FIFTY YEARS f- :i The new chaplain hu'l hardly ontered upon the duties of his charge, wlien he was r^nuired to undertake a second voyage to Europe, an ev^nt ot less frequent occurrence in those days than in ours, on business equally confidential and of vast importance to the Church in Canada. This time his absence was prolonged nearly two years, during which the interests of tae convent, if secondary to his embassy, were no less faithfully attended to and promoted. His letters to the Mother Superior and community enabled them to follow in spirit the intelligent traveller, now to the tomb of the Apostles beneath the vast dome of St. Peter's, where he offered the Holy Sacrifice with emotions too deep for words to describe ; now to the ancient church of St. Agnes or to the hoary precincts of the Coliseum. Another day he returns from Naples, having visited the shrine of St. Philomena, and witnessed the wonders wrought at her tomb ; or he writes still overpowered with emotion as he recounts the liquefaction of the blood of St. Januarius which he has witnessed six times, standing near the altar and exa- mining with the coolness of a critic as well as the deep veneration of a Catholic. Other letters from Paris, where Mother St. Henry's beloved brother, Dr. McLaughlin, is ever ready to give substantial proofs of his affection as well as his liberality, in defraying whatever expenses may be incurred for the convent, enter into all the details of his purchases there : class-books, church ornaments, an organ /or the chapel, a harp for the votaries of St. Cecilia. Many of these letters, inimitable in delicacy of sentiment as well as in graceful diction, were addressed to the pupils, for the absent chaplain never lost sight of his relationship to the inmates of St. Ursula's cloister, and his chief enjoyment consisted in seeking to contribute to their pleasure, welfare, and happiness. VERY REV. THOMAS MAQUIRB, VICAR GENERAL 21 It was in this view that he visited tlie best educational establishmeiits, tho most nourishing ooarding-schools, remark- ing whatever might be useful to his friends under the con- vent roof, keeping in mind that precious portion of the Master's vineyard which there await his vigilant and fostering care. At last, the return of the interesting traveller was ar - nounced, and in August, 1834, his arrival awakened within the cloister such enthusiasm as could never be forgotten by those who witnessed or shared the rejoicings. Entering immediately upon the duties of his charge, the devout and learned chaplain lirst concentrated the resources of his wisdom and his long experience upon the spiritual and temporal interests of the community confided to his direction. To maintain the strict observance of the rule and to preserve undiminished the spirit of the sainted Foundresses ; to rescue the house from the depressed state of its finances, and lo place the boarding-school upon tlie footing of the best insti- tutions on either continent; such was the plan which his able hand had drawn out for himself, and which he ever pursued with ardor. The financial difficulties were of olden date. They had commenced with the change of political government nearly eighty years previous, and had accumulated especially within a few years. Long hours were passed in examining titles and properties, debts and spoliations, revenues and expenses, till there only remained to trace the path to a prosperous issue, through a practical system of economy and a prudent administration, to which the authorities of the house were most happy to subscribe. The following address presented to Father Maguire on the feast-day of his patron St. Thomas shows with what enthu- 22 REMINISOENCBO OF FIFTY YEARS siasm tlie pupil* loved to £(reet the venerable chaplain, whom they had learned to regard as incoinpaTnl le for wisdom, learn- ing, piety and zeal, as- .veil as for d'lvotedness to their interests and welfare. On this and on similar occasions, the address was followed by a song, and by a little dramatic entertain- ment suited to the season or the circumstance : ,' , A FRSTAL ADDKnSS (Oa the foast of St. Thomas of Canterbury, patron of our venerable chaplain.) ileard ye that silvery strain of triumph ring? Saw ye, descending swift on radiant wing, That bright-robed angel ? who's the victor now ? — That glorious crown is for a martyr's brow 1 For thine, heroic son of Albion's Isle, Thou of the upright soul, devoid of guile ! Illustrious Prelate, whose unblemished name Is wreath'd with laurels of immortal fame. Vainly did foes insult ; their feeble rage Moved not the steady purpose of the sage. Let vile assassins couie ; he'll calmly wait, True to his trust, and firmly meet his fate. Oh I glorious fate, to give one's life for God! To hold the faith and seal it with one's blood. Ask Canterbury now who is her boast ; Will she proud Henry show, and all his host, Or the meek martyr ? But wherefore call on heaven For bright examples holy men have given ? Live there not still the just, the pure of heart, E'en as the Syrian cedar towers apart, Resists the storm, and casts a goodlier shade Where all the forest's pride is prostrate laid? Lives there not one whose merits we revere ? Companions say : on'e whom our hearts hold dear, Whose cherished name is linked with all we love, With present joys and hopes of bliss above j VERY REV. TB'.'MAd MAQUIRB, VICAR GENERAL 23 One wlio has tuuglit our j onUiful minds to soar Above those ploasuros wor "inj58 vain adon* ? Yes, Roverend Futhor: and iniglit wo f.liis day Attempt thy worth exalted to por ''ay, What glowing imagery the muse should bring I How would the Convent's loudest echoes ring ! But if the garland thus unformed we leave, A fairer wreath our grateful hearts shall we -ve. When, humbly bowed before the sacred shrine, We join thee at the mysteries divine ! Ursulino Convent, Dec. 28th, ISrw). The regularity and austerity of our chaplain's daily life would have suited a Carthusian, yet his vigorous frame and excellent health seemed not to suffer from the privations and constraint to which he subjected himself. A benevolent smile ever lit up his venerable countenance, encouraging the timid and winning the confidence even of little children. The youngest members of the community as well as the ciders, were ever received with that perfect urbanity which inspires assurance while it cheeks familiarity. It was a privilege to be sent on a message to our Father's room. On appearing at his wicket, he never failed to reward the intru- sion upon his solitude by some sprightly remark or amiable repartee which revealed the habitual cheerfulness of his her- mit-life. In the direction of souls, our venerated Father exercised a rare discernment, and while some were urged with a certain vehemence to press on with greater alacrity in the narrow path that leads to perfection, others, more timid, more in need of encouragement, would listen with comfort to words which St. Francis of Sales might have addressed to his Philothea on the love of God. The eminent sacerdotal virtues of the Vicar General, his integrity of life and exalted worth are sufficiently proved by 24 REMINISCENCES OP FIFTY YEARS the confidence placed in him by his ecclesiastical superiors, and the veneration in which he was held by all classes of society ; but the inmates of the Monastery may claim to have known him intimately only to esteem him more highly, as they witnessed from year to year the wonderful spectacle of a life of total self-abnegation, a life consecrated, in its highest sense, to the service of God. From four o'clock in the morning till ten at night, the duties of the day succeeded each other with uninterrupted^ uniformity ; from the confessional to the altar, from the daily walk down Donnacona Street, or perhaps to the Seminary, back to the quiet of his plain apartment, when writing or business for the convent, but chiefly prayer, marked the passing hours, the months, the years, till our venerable friend and Father, still erect in frame and agile in gait, had seen his eightieth birthday. Thus had nineteen years sent up their safe account to heavea, when a severe attack of illness on the 18th of July, 1854, suddenly changed all the scene. Death had laid his icy hand upon the form which age had not bowed, and bore away the unresisting victim within the space of thirty-six hours ; but not before the holy priest had called to his aid the sacred rites he had piously administered to so many others. These he now received with the simpli- city of a child, and as the end drew near, he clasped his crucifix to his breast, and pressing to his lips the medal of the Blessed Virgin, he softly murmured the invocation it bears : " Mary conceived without sin, pray for us." That simple act bore witness to the childlike faith of a great soul ; " of such are the kingdom of heaven." Thus lived and labored among us that eminent ecclesiastic, whose vast erudition rendered him a competent judge of the IN MEMORY OF OUR JUBILARIANS AFTER 1839 25 most intricate questions ; whose credit and ability had been employed in negotiating matters of the highest importance to the Church in Canada, and, who before his appointment to the charge of chaj)lain of the Ursuliue monastery, had thrice refused the pastoral staff and mitre. CHAPTER \V IN MEMORY OF OUK JUlilLAKIANS AFTER 1839 If the royal Prophet has declared that " one day in the courts of the Lord is better than a thousand years in the tent of sinners," what may not be said of the merit and happiness of spending so long a period as fifty or sixty years in the " House of the Lord " and in His holy service ? The convent register at this period, between the dates of 183?^ and 1889, presents us with the names of twenty-three nuns who attained the measure of the Golden Jubilee of religious profession. Seven of these lived to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their consecration in the monastery ; while one, our beloved Mother St. Gabriel, prolonged her vigorous existence to the seventy-second year of her religious profession. By a singular coincidence, twenty of these Sisters destined to live their half century each, entered the convent succes- sively, were admitted to profession and maintained their ranks unbroken till each in turn had celebrated her Golden Jubilee. First on the list of the jubilee celebrations after 1839 appears the name of Mother Francoise Giroux des Anges, 26 REMINiaOENClCS OF FIFTY Y£ARS l)orn ill 1708,who in 1847, had attained the sixtieth anni- versary of her jtrofession. Her reputation as a skilful florist, an artist of unrivalled skill in ^iidiiij,', was at its height in the early part of the century, while her zeal for the strict observance of the rule, for the |)salniody of the divine office and for Gregorian chant in which she excelled, continued to characterize her even when her advanced age no lonp,'er j)ermitted her the success of former years. Prayer and labor rendered her useful to the coraniunity and agreeable in the sight of Heaven to the end of her mortal existence in 1849. Mothers St. Helen, St, Elizabeth and St. Athanasius were sister-novices who pronounced their vows on the same day in 1810, and whose religious career might bo summed up in three words : fervent ])iety, fidelity to rule, meekness and charity. Mother St. Helen's chief services in the monastery have been mentioned already; those of her companions must not be totally omitted. Miss Sophie Rose Fiset, whose honomble family resided in Quebec, was educated in our classes from her earliest years, and entered our novitiate at the age of seventeen. Humble, laborious and exemplary in piety, her life in the community was like the course of the modest streamlet, which noiselessly pursues its way, attracting little notice, yet bearing blessings to everything within its reach. To oblige her Sisters by her charitable assistance, to offer prayers for them and for all the living or dead, seemed to be quite naturally her duty as it was her delight. When after a long illness her end drew near, and she was warned of the approach of death, her quiet answer was : " The Lord be praised ! I long to see my God and to be with Him forever." Another jubilee celebration was that of Mother St. Atha- nasius in 1861, repeated for the 60th anniversary in 1871, IN MEMORY OF OUK JUJilLARIANS AFTER 1839 27 four years before her decease, at the a^'e of ei^'hty-seveu. Of the lonj? and fruitful hibors of this nged Mother some mention has been made in the jm'cedin)^ im]i,'cs. In the later years of this venerable octa^^enarian, when with the feeble frame, the faculties of the mind were also weakened, it was a subject of remark and admiration to iind the dear old Mother ever engaged in prayer, yei offering by a sign and a smile to lay aside her book to receive her welcome visitor. Her memory seemed to have retained none but the most agreeable images. Kach day was for her the recurrence of some happy feast or anniversary, and if any one object d that it was not altogether a fine day, she was fpiickly lUiswered that " the clouds were breaking and the sun would soon shine in all its splendor." Happy illusions, which were clearly the mark of peace of mind and passions nibdued. The two Catherines, Mothers St, Ursula and St. Agnes, " united in life, in death were not long divided." Born in 1794, and during their early years strangers to each other, these two pious young ladies entered the novi- tiate at the same age and pronounced their vows together on the 15th of May, 1818. The end of their long career of eighty-five years parted them only for the space of three months; it was in 1880. They had celebrated together both the golden and the diamond jubilee of their profession. Mother Catherine Couture of St. Ursula was a native of St. Joseph's parish. Point Levi; Mother Catherine C6t(5 of St. Agnes, belonged to ih?, parish of St. Augustine, both of these lovely villages being quite near the city of Quebec. Apart from these coincidences of names and dates, each of these dear Mothers is remembered by her own peculiar char- acteristics and personality. 28 REMINISCENCES OP FIFTY YEARS Until the age of nineteen, Miss Ccatlieiine Couture had na thought of entering a convent. Pressed to give her consent to another vocation, it then first occurred to her that a choice of a state of life was a serious matter, and she realized the necessity of taking time for prayer and rellection. In order to have an opportunity of judging of the nature of the reli- gious state, while she would complete her strdies, she passed a year and a half in our boarding-school, and there decit^ 'd to consecrate her life to God as an Ursuline. That this was a happy choice, all who lived with her might bear witness. During her long and useful career she was ever the treasure and the joy of her community. In whatever office she was employed, whether as assistant- superior, mistress general,infirmarian or seamstress, her charity was conspicuous over every other quality and perfection. It was in the exercise of this godlike virtue that her good heart found its delight and its proper element. The institute was the object of her special predilection. For the welfare of the pupils, their progress in virtue, she still offered her sufferings, her sacrifices and her prayers when age and infirmities no longer permitted her to labor among them. Such is the memory dear Mother St. Ursula left us, when in 1879, at the age of eighty-five, she passed away from our midst to join the angelic choirs. Mother St. Agnes comes to our mind as the personification of humility, diligence and fervor, in short, as the type of the interior life. Her health was ever delicate, but sufficed to carry her through the daily duties assigned in the various offices confided to her during her long and laborious exist- ence. Not a moment of time wasted, not the slightest delay in obeying the signal which calls to the different observances in the course of the day, not a useless word infringing upon the sacred hour of silence ; these were the outward signs of IN MEMORY OF OUR JUBILARIAN8 AFTER 1839 29 the interior life of Mother St. Agnes. Who can reckon the amount of merit thus acquired during the space of sixty-six years spent in the monastery ? It was a goodly sight to behold these two venerable mothers receiving the congratulations their sisters offered, as is usual on such occasions, by that angelic group of little children, the first communicants. It was. besides, the delight- ful month of May, when the return of spring with verdure and flowers, the song of birds and new life every where attune the mind to joy and piety. Long years after, when the realities and perhaps the trials and sorrows of life, have effaced many of the joyous impressions of youth, <;he little ones who have figured in these convent scenes, now changed to sober matrons, recall with pleasure the name of the jubi- larians they have crowned, and the companions whose voices mingled with theirs in the song of greeting. We shall here merely mention the name of the jubilarian crowned in 1878, Mother Abigail Barber of St. Krancis Xavier, at the age of sixty-seven, still youthful in appearance after a lifetime almost spent in convents. Our readers will meet this gentle nun, whose ambition was to merit the title of " Mary's lamb," in the story of the Barber family. Mother St. John's name in her family was Anne McDonald ; she was a younger sister of Mother Isabella McDonald of St. Andrew, whose memory, as our readers know, is ever cherished among us. Admitted to the novitiate in 1821, she found her happiness in the religious life for the next three score years, outliving her beloved sister by a score, and kaving us at her decease as a sweet legacy the bright example of her holy life. Gentle and forbearing, as attentive to oblige others as she was forgetful of herself, her heart ever burning with the love m 30 REMINISCENCES OP FIFTY YEARS of God and of her neighbor, Mother St. John found daily occasions for the exercise of multiplied acts of these sublime virtues in the various offices she was called to fill. Her success in the management of a class was not in propoiiion to her desire for the improvement of her little pupils. Too great a dithdence in the exer^'.ise of authority is quickly perceived by the young who, while they take advantage of it, will wisely declare that " the mistress is too good." Many years she was employed as mistress-general of the day-school, where by her kindness and longanimity, she won the confidence of both parents and children, while by her prayers she no doubt contributed to the cause of education doubly by drawing down the blessing of Heaven upon the labor of other teachers. Humble as a child and as docile to the voice of her supe- riors, Mother St. John was a pattern of fervor and of exacti- tude to all our religious observances. So efficacious was her spirit of faith and so tender was her piety, that in the acute sufferings of her last illness, nothing so surely brought her relief as an invocation to the Sacred Heart, a prayer in honor of the Sacred Wounds, or the sight of the crucifix. Her willing soul took its flight to the bosom of God, January I8th, 1888, at the age of eighty-three years. She had com- pleted the fiftieth year of her profession in November, 1878, but in the excess of her lowly aspirings, she had appealed to her superior, and obtained as a favor that there would be none of the rejoicings usual in the community on such occa- sions, only " the prayers and ottering of a general communion for which she would be most grateful." Our first group of jubilarians might end here with Mother St. John; but another name deservedly dear presents itself for a brief notice. It is that of Miss Christine Vermette, iu religion Mother St. Angela, who, had her dear life been pro- IN MEMORY OP OUR JUBILARIANS AFTER 1839 31 longed only a few mouths more, would have also attained her jubilee anniversary of profession. Miss Vermette belonged to the city of Quebec, where her father Mr. Francois Vermette supported his family honorably in the calling of a merchant. Christine, on leaving the con- vent, was soon introduced into society and at first relished the frivolous pleasures of gay soirees as do most young girls. More than once however, after the vain pageant was over, she had regretted the quiet enjoyments of her school days, the peace and restfulness of her convent-home. On one occasion, when the giddy dance and light conversation had worn the whole night away, her carriage drove past the convent as the heavy four o'clock bell rang its loud peal, calling the nuns from their peaceful slumbers to begin the day by prayer. Like another young lady whom we have mentioned, this young girl was awakened by that bell to serious reflections. Her night had been wasted in vain amuse- ments which, promising pleasure, had left her exhausted and listless. The nuns from their night's rest had arisen refreshed and ready for the holy labors which would merit a reward in heaven. These reflections were not the simple result of that passing disgust which often succeeds immoderate enjoyment. They were rather the prelude to a serious discussion of the great questions : " For what end has God created me, and how may I best attain that end ? " In her case Miss Vermette found the response to be the same as was once addressed by Our Lord to the young man who enquired : " What shall I do to inherit eternal life " — " Leave all thou hast and follow me." A few months later the young girl obeyed the summons, and entering the novitiate of the Ursulines, prepared to follow the footsteps of their Foundress, even as that heroic soul had followed those of Our Lord. ■ v i' WW 32 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS Was it by a special favor that the postulant, born in 1808, the year that St. Angela was canonized, obtained the privi- lege of bearing her name when taking the veil in 1827 ? Of this thepe is no proof, but we can bear witness to her special devotion to her holy patro ness, as well as to our Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation. These names were often on her lips, when as directress of the boarding-school or as mistress-general, she inculcated their holy maxims or invited her pupils to emulate the saintly examples of these patro- nesses of the order. Mother St, Angela, fully imbued with the spirit of Angela of Brescia, loved to form her youthful charge to the fer- vent practice of their religious duties and the virtues that should adorn a Christian maiden. Not a few of her pupils were ca lied to follow her example by entering the religious state, an d others, settled in the world, lived the holy and edifying lives of truly Christian women. Mother St. Angela, however, had been chosen by divine Providence for another mission, that of patient suffering. During nearly half of her life in the community, through debility and ill health, she was debarred tlie sweet privilege attending in the choir, or following the common rule. Atone time, when her sufferings had brought her to the verge of the grave, her health was suddenly restored, in answer to the united prayers of the nuns and pupils who had had recourse to the intercession of our Venerable Mother to obtain this favor. Never had our good Sister been so strong and healthy as she was during the two following years. But her normal state was destined to be that of a victim of suffering. Therefore, after the recovery of her health had been fully tested, another malady was sent which, after procuring her daily and hourly occasions of increasing her merits by patient and loving endurance, opened for her at length the gates of the city of ■\ ; MOTHER ST. Andrew's novices 33 rest, on the 29th of April, 1879. Mother St. Angela had been successfully employed many years in teaching as well as in the offices of novice-mistress, directress of the boarding- school and mistress-general. In all these offices her inva- riable kindness, her persevering efforts to benefit the souls of those under her charge, her cheerfulness and pious conver- sation made an indelible impression, and won her the deserved meed of affection and gratitude. CHAPTER V 1839-1842 and one the the se to avor. IS she state efore, other lourly oving city of MOTHER ST. ANDREAV S NOVICES ■ We have already s-t before our readers the statistics of the Monastery in 1839, and now we are prepared to examine what promise of future property is to be found in the novi- tiate of that period. Only four professed choir-sisters, with three white-veiled candidates destined to perseverance, appear on that brief catalogue of Mother St. Andrew's novices. On the other hand, only one was taken young from the field of her labors ; the others generously devoted long years to the instruction of youth, or sought to promote otherwise the best interests of the house, according to the talents bestowed upon them for this end by divine Providence. The first upon the list is Sister Cdcile Michaud, professed in 1835, with her gifted companion, Sister St. Thomas Burke. The others in their rank of profession were : Sister St. Frs. de Borgia Dechesne (1836); Sister St. Philomena Kelly Mur- • 8 ■ ,-■'.■;■•' ' 84 REMINISCRyCES OF FIFTY YEARS ■5 !,,«., phy (1838); Sister Aloysius Dechesne (1840); Sister Ste. Croix Holmes (1840), and Sister Winifride Deligny, professed in 1841. Sister Josephine Michaud of St. Cecilia, and her two cousins Ernihe and Eliza Dechesne, were nieces of Mother St. Henry McLaughlin, and allied through their relatives to the best society in Quebec. Their parents resided in Kaniou- raska. iJuring their school life they had frequent opportuni- ties of forming acquaintances in the city, which in those daya united civic and military splendors, as well as attractions and dangers of which it has been shorn in great measure by ceasing to be the capital of all Canada. Their exit from society excited much comment, and their choice of the seclusion of the cloister was far from meeting the approval of their relative!.' Within the convent nov/ever, where their sentiments and aptitudes were better known and appreciated, the event had been foreseen and provided for in the special care bestowed upon the cultivation of their talents, destined to be conse- crated to the service of religion. While the young nun» were taking lessons in drawing and painting from an Ame- rican artist, ^ recommended to our Superior by high autho- rity, these young ladies were admitted to share the same advantages as the cloister artists of those times. But these are things of the past, the " long ago." Not only the three cousins, but their companions, all that happy group, of novices, with one solitary exception, have passed away. That lone survivor has still fresh in her memory each of those beloved Sisters by whose exemplary life she has been edified,, and on whose tomb she ventures to place this little tribute 1 — Mr. Bowman, ol' Philadelphia, a convert, recommended by- Bishop Fenwick, 1824. MOTHER ST. ANDREW'S NOVICES 8& of affection, by introducing them one by one to her readers, following the order of their " passing away." Miss Eliza Dechesne, the youngest of the three cousins, entered the novitiate in 1837. Her profession took place, March 16th, 1840, in company with a young convert to the faith, whose baptism aud first communion she had witnessed four years previous. Very Rev. Felix Cazeau addressed the happy novices in an eloquent and touching exhortation, founded on the words addressed to Abraham, when called by the Almighty to quit the land of Ur. The text which the sacred orator proved to be applicable to the young candidates before him was the following : " Go forth out of thy country and thy kindred, and from thy father's house, and come into th.- land which I shall show thee." (Gen. XII, I). Miss Dechesne had chosen for her patron St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and like that angelic youth won her crown within the brief space of four years after her profession. The messenger sent to bear her to the tomb was a pul- monary affection which declared itself a few months previous to the close of her noviceship. Without regret she resigned her pure soul into the hands of Him who gave it, leaving her Sisters to mourn her the more sincerely that her amiability and tender piety had drawn closer around their heaj'ts the sweet ties of sympathy and fraternal charity. Made perfect in so brief a space, And crowned so young : O, precious grace, Worthy of envy ! Sister dear, 'Tis not for thee, this falling tear, Thrice happy thou ! but ah ! iiow lone. My pathway to that blessed throne, 86 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS ;3i:l;v Where f'aitli and hope rest satisfied. O'erwhelmod in love's all blissful tide. Extend thy care from yon bright shore, To aid the lingering footsteps sore Of one whose course in nearly run ; The shadows lengthen with the setting sun. Miss Eniilie Dechesne's vocation had been decided upon only after mature and serious deliberation, during which the world's alluring promises, as well as its vain threats, were " weighed in the balance " and found unworthy to be com- pared with the invitations and gracious promises of the Spouse of virgins. On taking the veil in 1836 and adopting the name of St. Francis of Borgia, the fervent novice had determined to offer the Almighty a true holocaust hy regulating her whole life in strict conformity with her sacred engagements. The natural vivacity of her temperament she moderated by interioi recollection, carefully reserving for the hour of recreation the sallies of wit and humor which rendered her conversation so engaging. A remarkable facility for self-con- trol, generosity in self-sacrifice, joined to a solid piety and some experience of the world, rendered her an able directress of the senior division of boarders, an office which she filled till transferred for six years to the department of the half- hoarders, and thence in 1860 to the novitiate as mistress of novices. Her skill in drawing and painting was exercised not only in teaching these branches, but also in copying from good models many of the holy pictures with which the monastery is now enriched. It was especially her delight to contribute to the good work, pursued through many years by that noble French priest ^, who brought into Canada valuable paintings, 1 — L. O. Desjardins, Superior of the Monastery from 1825 to 1833. m /• MOTHER ST. ANDREW'S NOVICES 87 rescued in a damaged state t'roiu among the ruins left by the revolutionary destroyers. These paintings, carefully mended and skilfully retouched, were eagerly sought for, serving as an embellishment of the altar in many a church throughout the country. Among the pupils. Sister St. Borgia exerted the happiest influence through her superior talent for imparting religious instruction. As an example of her zeal in forming the pupils to the practice of true piety, we must mention the establish- ment of the Sodalities of the Children of Mary and the Holy Angels, as well as that of the Holy Childhood, all of which were introduced while she was first directress of the boarder?. These sodalities, which we shall have occasion to mention again, were the cherished objects of Sister St. Borgia's soli- citude, and an unfailing source of consolation amid the inces- sant labors of her charge. Often she was heard to say, con- gratulating herself upon the part she had taken in establish- ing the sodality of the Holy Childhood : " It is upon the souls of these thousands of baptized infants that I count, to be escorted safe to heaven in spite of all my failings." The year 1866, already so cruelly saddened by the death of dear Mother St. Andrew, had other days of sorrow in store for us. Sister St. Borgia's health had been on the decline for the past two years. An obstinate cough, with other symptoms of consumption had frequently reduced the courageous mother-mistress to the necessity of moderating her zeal in following the observances. The month of April found her at the infirmary. The 6th of June witnessed her last act of resignation and her tranquil departure for the land of the blest, in the fifty second year of her age, and the thirtieth of her religious profession. to 1833. 'Fi I' • H4* 88 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS J' I ;ii 1 Miss Josephine Micliaud had sought admittance to the novitiate in 1833, at the age of twenty. Endowed with great energy of character, she embraced the practices of religious life with an ardor, which, after rendering her a model of piety and exactitude, continued to distinguish her throughout her long and laborious career. Her daily life was not oidy a living rule, but, indeed, often far exceeded the rule by its austerily and lengthened hours of prayer. Her chief difficulties lay, not in the exercise of obedience ov humi- lity, which were her favorite virtues, but rather in the obligation to direct others and make them submit to authority, whether among the j)upils, where she was long employed, or in the offices of assistant and mistress-general. If her labors in the class-room were rendered more difficult for herself by her own temperament, they were not the less meritorious, nor were they less appreciated. Her golden jubilee of profession, in 1885, brought her abundant evidence of the affectionate and grateful remem- brance of her former pupils in the many congratulations and offerings she received on that auspicious occasion. Like her cousin. Sister St. Borgia, her artistic talents had enabled her to produce some good oil-paintings, which will long serve to remind the community of her own example of a holy life, as well as of the saints whose portraits she has left us. Whatever occupation was confided to her received the attention she would have given to an order from our Blessed Lord Himself. Thus it was that whatever came from her hands was found perfect. The same principle had taught her the diligent employment of her time, neatness and order, which she almost carried to an excess, as well as the careful observance of even the minutest dictates of the rule or of charity. Such, is the picture evoked by the name of Mother St, Cecilia ; joined to the remembrance of her habit- J MOTHER ST. ANDREW 8 NOVICES 89 ual state of sutferiiig of which ahe never complained, but rather was unwilling to admit when compaasiouated by others and exhorted to repose. Even when attacked by a hemorrhage of the lungs which was to be followed in less than a week by her death, she could with difficulty be persuaded to retire to the infirmary. The poor, worn frame could resist no longer ; it sank under this last stroke. The tottering edifice crumbled swiftly, yet not with a violent shock. It seemed the " dissolving of the body to be with Christ ", which as St. Paul declares, " is far better," and we laid our dear sister beside the other departed ones, all in their last sleep, awaiting the resurrection, when the " corruptible will put on the incorruptible," and death will be exchanged for immortality. The next in that group of novices, named in the order of their departure, is Miss Lucie Deligny, known in the Con- vent as Sister St. Winifride, It is a name linked with plea- sant memories for all who lived with that gentle, retiring, low-voiced Sister, whose emblem for hidden worth and excellence would be the costly pearl lying far down in the depths of the sea. With a casual observer. Sister St. Wini- fride might have passed for a person of ordinary abilities and perhaps inferior merit, but in the intimacy of convent life, the daily intercourse of sisters, the deepest veil of humi- lity and reserve becomes transparent. Silent and unobtrusive, yet ready and competent for every charge; as alert to oblige and render service as she was careful to avoid giving trouble or inconvenience. Sister St. Winifride was at once an example and an exhortation in the novitiate. The pupils to whom her lucid explanations unfolded the intricacies of mathematics or French syntax, rendering those m. 40 KBMINISCENCG8 OF FIFTY YEARS Studies both easy und uttnictive, were nut tbe lust to discover and appreciate the abilities of their excellent teacher. In the otlice of secoml mistress of the senior department of boarders her acute discernment of character, as well as her invincible longanimity became conspicuous ; but her services were required in another otlice, and during the rest of her too brief existence, her assistance as aid-depositary relieved dear Mother St. Gabriel of nearly all the labor and anxiety entailed by that important position. It is a rennu'k of Father Kaber tliat sickness affords a true revelation of character; that friends are often amazed at the treasure of affection, piety or devotion discovered where years of close relationshi]) had never brought it to light. Thus it was with beloved Sister St. VVinifride, whose habitual reserve and apparent reticence now expanded like the fragrance of a rose, attracting to her bedside each loving Sister with her gentle invitation to " come again," or to " stay longer," an invitation which each affectionate visitor was only too happy to accept. Sister St. Winifride was the daughter of Mr. Francois Deli- gny, a respectable merchant of Quebec ; her mother's maidea name was Genevieve Drolet. She had entered the novitiate at the age of seventeen, after having been five years a boarder. When her death occurred on the 6th of March, 1867, she filled the office of Hrst Depositary, She had labored in the vineyard of the Lord nearly thirty years, and had lived to the age of forty-seven. Sister Catherine Burke and Sister Mary Catherine Kelly- Murphy were not born in the Emerald Isle, yet were they of Irish parentage and disposition. These two gifted young ladies met as sister-novices under the guidance of Mother St. Andrew in 1836. ItOTUBR ST. ANDREW'S NOVI0S8 4t To the sympathy of mce iiiid of congeniftl tastes ami sentiinentH, were now added tlu; stroii^'er ties of sisterhood, the long iiitinincy of the religious life, with its similarity of pursuits, eujoyments and sacrifices. Miss Catherine Hurke, who bore in relij^ioii the name of Sister St. Thomas, fret|ueuted our extern school at an early age, hor parents having removed to Quelioc from Newfound- land, where our future Ursuline was born, March 7th, 1814. In the boarding-school her piogreas was as rapid as her talents were remarkable. Invited to spend a few months at Itivic^re du Loup, in the family of Miss Josephine Michaud, her fri^'ud aiul future companion in the novitiate, the enjoyments of that summer in the country were never forgotten, nor the scenes of Canadian home-life, with which she there became familiar. Many a }iage of her Ifisfoire den [IrmUines bears witness to the vivid pictures of peasant-cottage or seigno- rial-manor with which the writer's youthful imagination had been impressed. During some fifteen years after her profession. Sister St. Thomas engaged in teaching, cultivated with success the talenls of her pupils, at the same time that her own improve- ment in literary studies was preparing her to write of the house she loved so enthusiastically, Circumst'inces en '"rely unforeseen awaited to widen her experience. A journey across the continent, as will be noted elsewhere, with a seven years' residence in an Ursuline convent during the ai-duous period of its first foundation, contributed no doubt to inspire the design, and aid in the accomplishment of '. this work, which required literary powers and a clear judg- ' raent, as well as a masterful love of the " Old Monastery." After her return from the South, while resting from the labors which had greatly impaired her health, Sister St. Thomas, with the approbation of her Superiors, silently 1:1 ■ ^ : \ 42 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS gathered from various sources, and gave form to the amount of historical, legendary and miscellaneous information con- tained in the four volumes of the '• Histoire des Ursulines de Quebec ". In 1864 the first volume was under press. By the advice of liev. Geo. L. Lemoine, our excellent chaj)lain, the work iiad been reviewed and had received some additional pages, introducing more of the history of Canada collaterally with that of the Monastery. " with which, according to the remark of Sir Etienne Tachd, it is so intimately linked." In all this labor, Mother St. Mary, being freely consulted, lent as freely her aid and concurrence. Mother St. Thomas at " three-score and ten " .vas yet light in her movements, clear in her faculties, and spiightly in her repartees as she had been in her younger (iays. Her piety had only become more marked and tender, her charity , if possible more delicate and expansive, her abnegation and self-control more complete. Her motherly features alone told of age; but the hour of a final departure was silentlv nearing, and after a short illness and a peaceful preparation, for the great change, on the 20th of January, 1885, the loss of a beloved sister was wept by the afflicted community ; while in the courts above another faithful soul was welcomed to her eternal reward. Sister St. Philomena, whose name we have coupled with that of Sister St. Thomas entered the novitiate in January 1836, at the age of sixteen. Her double family name, Murphy-Kelly, demands an explanation. In the early part of the present century, there lived in Hanover Street, Boston an elderly couple, wealthy but without children, Mr. and Mrs. Kelly. In the neigh- borhood dwelt another Irish family, of the name of Murphy, MOTHER ST. ANDREW'S NOVICES 43 whose youngest girl, a rosy-cheeked cherub of three summers, with golden ringlets and soft blue eyes, had attracted Mrs. Kelly's notice from day to day, till the good lady felt she could give all her fortune to possess such a child as her own. That little girl's respectable parents were not rich in this world's goods, and when Mrs, Kelly offered to adopt that wee one, and ])rovide for it as if it were her ovn, on condition only that it should bear the name of Mary Kelly, instead of Catherine Murphy, they thought it a ])rovidential event, even as it proved. Little Mary, at her tender age, hardly noticed the change, and soon learned to love her benefsictress as her own mother, though later nature asserted its rights, and she never forgot the first love due to her real parents and family. After having placed her in the Ursuline convent of Mount Benedict at the age of five, her parents of adoption had both gone to their reward before the time of her first communion. Mrs Kelly had outlived her husband, and nobly kept the pro- mise of providing for the little one she had adopted, leaving her an ample provision for her future maintenance, whatever might be the state of life she would embrace. In conformity to the will of her benefactress, Miss Kelly continued her studies under the able teachers in the convent of Mount IJenedict and grew up an accomplished young lady, without lessening the piety and candor of her early years. That nothing might be wanting in the education of his ward, whose progress was remarkable, and whose talents for music were of a high order, her guardian, H. Derby, Esq., of Boston, desired to give her the advantage of taking lessons in French in a convent where the language was habitually spoken. Miss Kelly was accordingly sent to Canada, the convent of the Sisters of the Congregation in Montreal having been selected from motives of convenience for the journey. =1 ' I ■■ 44 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS Thus it was that the gentle young girl was spared the riotous scenes that attended the destruction uf the beloved convent where she had spent so many happy years. After a tew months in Montreal, Miss Kelly returned to her Ursuline Mothers, who driven from their peaceful retreat had taken refuge with their Sisters of Quebec. Already she had retlected deeply, and had resolved to con- secrate her life to God in the religious state. Before the close of the year she decided to ask her admission to the novi- tiate in the Old Monastery. The pupils of that New Year's day, 1836, were not a little startled with the discovery that their aimable young com- panion had quitted their ranks and now wore the white cap and black silk scarf of a postulant. Three months later they assisted at her reception of the veil and habit of an Ursuline, under which garb they fancied she looked still more graceful and angelic than ever on that occasion, veiled and arrayed in white as on the day of her first Communion, When Sister St. Philomena, as she will hencefor'.h be called, assumed the rank of teacher among those who had lately been her companions, her quiet dignity and lady-like demeanor insured their ready submission and respect. In the department of music especially her services were long and unwearied. To train those young voices to sing the praise of their Creator, to move their hearts to piety through the influence of sacred anthems, harmonized by the great masters ; to enhance the solemnity of the different Church festivals by the skilful combination of all the instru'nents at her disposal and thus to procure the glory of God and the good of souls, was the height of her ambition. In teaching music, her tact in imparting to her pupils the ease and self- PIOUS ASSOCIATIONS INTRODUCED 45 reliance requisite for success was evidently the result of her own invincible patience, of her perfect calm and self-posses- sion. Ever gentle and considerate, ever seeking to implant in the ready soil of youthful hearts the love of God and the love of duty, how deeply must these saving principles have been implanted in her own heart to have sustained her, ever cheerful and ever ready for every sacrifice through the long labors of fifty years, chiefly devoted to teaching music ! The mention of fifty years will remind her former pupils of the bright celebration of her golden jubilee. It is not to be •omitted, but only reserved to its proper date. CHAPTER VI PIOUS ASSOCIATIONS INTKODUCED THE HOl.V rHILDHOOD. t-T. ANGELA'S fUlRCn IN CHINA In connection with the name of Mother Dechesne of St. Francis of Borgia we have mentioned the pious association of the Holy Childhood. This appeal to children in behalf of abandoned infants in heathen countries originated in France, in 1843, through the zeal of the illustrious Bishop of Nancy, Count Forbin-Janson. It would be superfluous to explain here that the objects of the society are to reserve and baptize children in danger of death ; to bring up in Christian families or in convents the survivors, and to found establishments where some of these children can be trained to become catechiats, teachers or apostles among their countrymen. f!f 46 REMINISCENCES OP FIFTY YEARS It was the last crowning work of the venerable prelate's apostolic life, and was rapidly propagated through the Catho- lic countries of Europe. Among the numerous associates, princes and princesses of the royal Houses of Belgium, Spain and Austria inscribed their names while they sent in their munificent donations. Canada was not slow in adopting a society instituted by a saintly bishop, whose eloquence had irresistibly moved her populations wherever he had passed. In Quebec, pious ladies welcomed it and established it on so firm a basis, that it has now passed its jubilee anniversary without ever failing to send to the central directory its annual offering, including that of the pupils of the Ursidines. The first president of the Holy Childhood in Quebec was Mrs. Vital Tetu, 1841. The first remittance from the asso- ciates in the convent was the lesult of an ingenious expedient, suggested by their first directress Mother St. Borgia. It was the year when young ladies in the city had dis- covered the beauty of embroidered muslin aprons. Sud- denly it became fashionable in the convent. The swiftest fingers were put in requisition to furnish the elegant article, which proved the more saleable from the certainty that the proceeds woidd be devoted to the work of the new society. When all had been supplied with aprons, other articles of daily wear were found indispensable ; wrappers of which the supply ever seemed insufficient, collars of various styles and patterns. Among the half-boarders, a lottery had been organized, and some pretty articles had been offered to raffie. In short, success had crowned the efforts of the associates, and taught them the pleasures of beneficence. The following year, at the request of the ladies who directed the Society in the city, and wiih the promise of their concur- rence as guardians, the pupils of the Ursulines held a " Chil- PIOUS ASSOCIATIONS INTRODUCED 47 dreu's Bazaar," in one of the halls at the St. Louis Hotel, where was realized the sum of over four hundred dollars, The young ladies from the Convent who particularly distin- guished themselves by their zeal and generosity were the following : Miss Caroline Nault (later Mrs. Ernest Gagnon), Miss Clorinde Mondelet (Mrs. Judge Routhier), Miss Amelie Duchesnay (Mrs A. Lindsay), Miss Margaret O'Brien (Sister St. Joseph of the Congregation of Jesus and Mary), and Miss Mary Boxer, an amiable ProtesUmt young lady. Every thing had passed off to the satisfaction of all the parties concerned in its success ; nevertheless, it was not deemed expedient to repeat the experiment, from which some inconveniences might naturally be apprehended. To organize within the convent a bazar with its various attractions, its useful and fancy articles, its tables of refresh- ments, its raffles, its fish-pond, &c., and this without inviting other purchasers than the pupils daily in attendance, was another expedient which has been repeatedly and successfully adopted. At other times a concert or a literary and musical entertainment is prepared, in order to provide an offering for the Holy Childhood or other works of charity, for the pupils are taught to patronize other Societies besides that of their predilection. These lotteries, bazaars, and entertainments have their charms, as deviations from the routine of school-life, while their financial success becomes a new source of pleasing excite- ment. From year to year the annual contribution of the pupils, keeping pace with their zeal for the Association of the Holy Childhood, has varied from one hundred and sixty to two hundred dollars. Another means of augmenting the pecuniary resources of the society, and one which is for many reasons preferred to \.- , 48 REMINISCENCES OP FIFTY YEARS all the others, is that of a collection taken up during the holy mass offered for the associates and their work. This festival, announced at the Cathedral on i Sunday in the month of May, takes place on a week-day. It is la fete des 'pet'iteii, the feast of the little ones. Two of the smallest among these little ones, boarders and half-boavders, are selected to take up the collection. It is an event in their little lives, one to be remembered when it will be their turn to give, rather than to receive. The older pupils, suddenly invested with the right to bestow alms, handle their purses with becoming dignity, and listen with pleasure to the chink of the falling coins as the little collectors pass through their ranks. Meanwhile, the holy sacrifice proceeds, and pious hymns acoompany the Offertory, till the tinkle of the bell gives warning of the most solemn moment of mass, for which the best preparation is the silent prayer of the humble worshipper. A few moments later, our little collectors are again seen gliding through the ranks of the congregation in the exterior church, where are assembled their mothers, their elder sisters, and other pious ladies. The little purses are filled again for the last time. Mass is over, and means have been provided for the zealous catechist in a far-off pagan land to pursue his labor of love by purchasing for a few cents the right to pro- long the life, or if too late for that, to open heaven, for an infant abandoned by its own parents. Let us now explain by what means a church at Tsi-zd-i^, China, has been erected and dedicated to St. Angela. A missionary, after laboring many years in the Celestial Empire, required rest ; he was sent by his superiors to €anada, and came to Quebec. But the Jesuit Father Vasseur -did not forget the poor neophytes who mourned his absence. PIOUS ASSOCIATIONS INTRODUCED 49 slestial ors to '^asseur bsence. In their interest, he still exerted himself, and willingly enter- tained the nuns and their pupils by graphic descriptions of that world apart called China. • Details of a most interesting kind, important concessions obtained, whole villages asking for catechists to instruct them, difficulties surmounted and dangers that threatened; the gt)od missionary speaking from the fulness of his apostolic heart could not fail to reach the hearts of his audience. Especially were they moved, when they beheld in spirit the divine mysteric^s celebrated by the missionary in an open boat on the great Imperial Canal, while from other boats surrounding his, would be heard the morning prayers, the profession of faith, or the commandments, chanted in unison by these recently converted Christians, assembled in so strange a place to hear Mass. " They have no church, not even a roof beneath which the missionary might find a shelter for the holy altar ! Yet the coat of a pretty church, all tapestried with tablets on which even the pagans might read the great truths of religion, would not exceed a thousand dollars." " A thousand dollars ! why, such a sum might be reached in a few years by doubling the proceeds of our annual con- cert or bazaar." A few days later the offer was made in due form, on condition that the church would be named after the foundress of the Ursulines, St. Angela. Henceforward the treasurers of the Holy Childhood econo- mized, until the stipulated amount having been realizetl, in 187fi, it was placed in the hands of Father Vasseur, and by him transmitted to the Supnior of the Foreign Missions in Paris. A letter from Rev. Father Koyer, the missionary stationed at Tsi-zd-ie, to whom the offering of a thousand IHIIiifF 60 REMINISCENCES OP FIFTY YEARS dollars had been sent, was addressed to the Mother Superior ill September 1877. After explaining the situation of Tsi-zd-ie, a borough about fifty miles east of the city of Tchan-chen, he continues : " Since ten years the poor Christians of this borough were praying for a foothold w here they might assemble, and where the missionary might find a roof to shelter his head. Last year 1 was still saying mass in an open boat, each time I came to this })lace. I promised a novena of masses in honor of St. Joseph for the poor souls most devoted to him asking some special help to build a Church. Two days later, meet- ing at Vonsi the Rev. F. Ponblard, minister of the section of Tchan-chen, he said to me : " 1 have just received from the Eev. Father Superior a letter enclosing funds to build a church in honor of St. Angela in the name of the pupils of the Ursulines of Quebec. Yes- terday you were praying to St. Joseph, and telling me how urgent it was to build. To day our dear Lord sends you the money you rei][uire " A few weeks later the work was in progress, the ground levelled, the materials purchased, and workmen engaged. The next letter announced that the poor Christians no longer assisted at Mass in open boats surrounding that of the missionary, but in their own little church, the wonder of iheir pagan neighbors. S'nce the building of St. Angela's church a regular corres- pondence has been kept up with Tsi-zt^-i(^, on the Imperial Canal in China. Sometimes the good missionary has a parcel to send. Opened in Quebec it is found to contain most interesting curiosities : Chinese embroidery, scapulars, collar.?, tablets of curious raised work, pictures, etc. Sometimes the church needs repairs, and oi course, there is always a little amount that can be remitted from Quebec. SODALITY OF THE CHILDREN OF MARY 61 At other times the letter in simply a page of the history of the mission, the difficulties to be met, the vexations exercised by the pagan Chinese, ever adverse to the progress of Christianity among their countrymen. These letters are carefully preserved, they may form at some future day the annals of St. Angela's church in China. At all times they may serve to encourage the members of the Holy Childhood to emulate the zeal of their ])redecessors, by whose generosity this noble work was accomplished. CHAPTER VII 1846 SODALITY OF THE CHILDREN OF MARY ;es- ial -eel nost ars, irnes ysa The Sodality of the Children of Mary is too well known to the generality of our readers to recjuire an explanation. To others who might suppose that it is simply a " Ribbon Society," a distinction without merit, we would remark that in our convent schools, and in Catholic parlance, a sodality has a higher signification. Besides the spiritual advantages which are attached to these associations, such as special instructions and aids to piety, a pupil is not admitted as a member without such efforts in the performance of daily duties, as are of vast importance in the formation of character. Children of Mary are then the dite of the senior department of the institute. Their insignia, a medal and a blue ribbon, is a mark of the victories they have won ; it is an ennobling title, and *' noblefise obliye." 52 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS This sodality, first introduced here, in 1843, had been made known to us by the LFrsulines of St. Mary's, Waterford (Ireland), who, with indefatigable kindness, after giving us ample information relative to its object and organization, copied out the rule for us, and tinally procured us from Rome a Diploma of Affiliation ^. From that day forward, the sodality among the pupils of the convent, has not ceased to produce abundant and excel- lent fruit. The desire to be numbered among its members exercises a salutary intluence uj)on the pupils both as regards good order and their advancement in their studies. Among the Chiklrcu of Mary are chosen, not only the president of the sodality, but also the president of the Holy Childhood and of the Literary Society of St. Ursula. Is there question of v/orking for th-^ poor ? the Children of Mary are the first to offer their contributions and their services. In the course of the scholastic year, other calls upon their charity may be expected : they will never meet with indifference on the part of the Children of Mary. From the ranks of the sodality are most often chosen the candidates for the religious state ; now for the instruction of youth, now for the care of the sick and infirm, sometimes also for the contemplative orders. It is the Master's voice ! They must obey. Nor is the membership of a Child of Mary confined to the period of her school days. On leaving the convent her certificate and medal are a passport every where to the sodality now so widely established. If her home is in the city, she continues to come to the convent for a weekly 1 — This diploma dated Nov. 17th, 1845, constitutes an affiliation ■svitii the Prima Primaria of Konic, approved by Pope Gregory XIII, 1584, by Sextus V., Benedict XIV, and Leo XII, 1824. SODALITY OF THE OHILDRE^f OP MARY 53 assembly devoted to .snwiiij^ for the poor mider the direction of one of the nuns. There she has the ad\'antnj^e of hearing a pions exhortation or instruction given by the local director, the chaplain of the convent. There also, breatiiing the atmosphere of peace which come to her laden with her early associations, she feels stren<,'thencd against tlu; worldly influences that may surround htr. Space will not permit us to pursue the subject further, nor introduce our readers into the interior chapel of Our Lady, where the youthful Virf;in smiles upon her votaries from the lovely white altar the y have erected in her honor. Neither can we depict the processions on the great festivals of Our Lady in the course of the year, when the Children of Mary, in flowing white veils, follow the glittering banner of their mother, reminding us of that virgin choir above, "following the L.iMH whithersoever He goeth. " Their gala day above all others is at the close of Mary's month, when all nature, in unison with the joy of their youthful hearts, displays her charms, her clear blue sky and soft temperature, her birds and her flowers, as the whole population of Notre- Dame de Grace, St. Augustine and St. Ursula ^, issue from their respective departments, and assemble before the statue of the Madonna presiding over the play-grounds, and whose niche becomes a sanctuary on that occasion. The sacred chant of the Litany is entoned. To its undulating measures, the procession begins its march, appearing first near the cross on the highest ground within the cloistered enclosure and following, group after group, each with its distinctive filiation ry XIII, 1 Names by which are designated the different buildings occu- pied by the different divisions, the senior or first division of the boarders, the juniors and tlie Normal School. Wi\ S4 REMINISCENCES OF PIfVy YEARS banner, the windinfj alloys, till like a livin«^ wreath of beauty, it enibrac(!s the whole extent of the nuns' f^aiilen. The last cluster in that wreath rivets our attention. It is St. Angela, j)ersonate(l by a Child of Mary, surrounded by little ones like so many angels. The holy Patroness of the Ursulines carries a glowing diadem of fragrant tlowers, the pure lily of the valley, the sweet violet, the blue hyacinth and other flowers of spring, which she will lay at the feet of the statue of the Virgin Mother, when all have entered the chapel. The ceremony closes amid waves of melody mingled with hymns of praise, rendered more impressive by the splendor of artistic decorations around Mary's throne, the flickering light of tapers, and the clouds of sweet incense rising there, when all assembled kneel to oiler the floral crown to their heavenly Queen and ask her blessing. How lovely is the spectacle of youthful piety ! The term angelic " seems perfectly appropriate when applied to a pious young girl, a member of the sodality ; for Mary is the model held up to her imitation, Mary the Immaculate, the gentle, the unassuming, the kind, the compassionate ! Mary, the modest young maiden who was troubled at words of praise, although uttered by an angel, who shrank from the highest honor Heaven couM bestow until assured that it was con- sistent with the choice she had made of virginity. Children of Mary ! cherish the precious title which is yours and let it ever accompany your name. Love your sodality, and hesitate not to sacrifice at times your ease or your pleasure, in order to attend its assemblies, to take part in its good works, and to show yourselves worthy of it, by your fidelity to your duties whatever may be the station in life assigned to you by divine Providence. FIFTIBTU YEAR OF TUB SODALITY 55 FfFTIKTII YKAK OF THE HODALITY A (luict f(unily-;^'atheriii^' w»is alltlmt marked the day, yet liovv impressive the seeiu! just witnessed within the two great hulls of Notre Diime de Grace, thrown into one for the occasion ! There were assembled all the inmates of the monas- tery, the eighty-live nuns v/ith their two hundred and fifty puj)ils,in memory of the fiftieth anniversary of the first solemn reception of the Children of Mary on the same festival of the Immaculate Conception in 184G. How sweet the singing of the Virgin's hymn of thanks- giving, the Magnificat, entoned by our good Chaplain at the foot of the new statue which he had blesstid from the ritual. How touching the act of consecration renewed in the name of all present ! The sodality to-day has seen its Golden Jubilee ! FEAST OK THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, 1896. The number of names among the boarders and half- "boarders inscribed upon the list at the various receptions that have marked these fifty years now amounts to five hundred and fifty. Let us foretell, if we may venture to prophesy, that in 1906, at the sixtieth anniversary of the foundation of the Sodality of the Children of Mary within the Ursuline Con- vent, the long foreseen event will bring to each member the satisfaction of receiving a complete list of all the associates, with their after fate or state in life, as far as it may be ascer- tained. i: I '] s J Wm 56 REMINISCENCES OP FIFTY YEARS CHAPTER VIII ANOTHEU MAUY OF THE INCAHNATION (C'ECII.IA O'CONWAV) 4'< The fourth to bear in the coininunity the revered name of the venerable foundress was Miss Cecilia 0'Ci)nway, whose history is within our own times and can be written in part from our own recollections. Born in Pittsburg, Penn. 1788, of highly respectable parents, the vicissitudes of her chequered life commenced with her earliest years. They were a family inheritance. Her father, Mathias Ignatius 0'Conway,a nativeof Galway, Ireland, had seen the family estates confiscated under the penal laws, and while yet a stripling, was a wanderer on the shores of America. In 1787 he married the only child of wealthy Irish parents, Miss Maria Archer, whose conversion to Catholicity entailed upon her also the loss of the property to which she was the rightful heiress. The babe Cecilia was but six months old, when Mr. O'Conway with his young wife traversed the wilds which then separated Pittsburg from New Orleans, seeking a home among Catholics, and hoping to obtain an honorable subsistence, by teaching English in that French and Spanish city, while he diligently pursued his own studies in the foreign languages there spoken. The position of official interpreter which he obtained later led to a sojourn with his tamily in Baltimore, in Cuba, and finally in Philadelphia. From her earliest years, our little Cecilia spokt hree languages, but chiefly Spanish, which she ever preferred. In Cuba her favorite walks led to the church, her favorite visits were to a convent of ANOTHER MARY OF TUB INCARNATION 67 cloistered nuns. All her inclinations tended to piety. She was admitted to her first Communion at the age of eleven iu Philadelphia, and confinned there three years later by Kev. Dr. Carroll, first Bishop of Baltimore. Meanwliile her educa- tion was not neglected. Her father, highly gifted, learned and dee])ly religious, had constituted himself her teacher, and took pleasure in cultivr.oing the remarkable talents of this eldest daugiiter whose tastes and aptitudes were like his own. These studies were chiefly religion and church his- tory, literature, profane history, natural history and the lan- guages. Of her vocation to the religious state we have heard her speak, and we know that the aspirations of the young girl of sixteen were only to a closer union with Him whose " laws she had observed from her earliest years." Hence, when that generous widow lady. Mother Seton, opened a school in Baltimore with the avowed intention of changing it later to a convent, Cecilia O'Conway readily accei)ted the invitation to join her. Before the close of that year 1808, the new Sisters had adopted the religious habit and removed to Emmittsburg. Gradually, as the institution began to take a definite form with the title of Sisters of Charity, Cecilia experienced such a disappointment as had nearly decided her to return to her family. Her heart was set upon a cloistered life, and from having read the Life and Letters of Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarnation, she had hoped that the little society would adopt the rule of the Ursulines. Mother Seton knew of these secret aspirations of Sister Cecilia, but regarded them as temptations. The directors of the new society were still more opposed to a step which, through the influence of example, might disturb the stability of other members. In the mean time, a few Sisters were sent 68 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS to New York to make a foundation with Sister Cecilia as their Superior ; but every change in the institution only served to augment her difficulties. " A private religious com- pany," she wrote later, " without the sanction of holy Church, so mixed up with the world and secular duties, was to me insupportable." Still she labored as bravely and cheerfully during the first fourteen years of the establishment of the Sisters of Charity, as if her whole heart had been in the work. But in 1821, the sainted foundress having been called to her reward, the same attraction for the cloister ever persisting, the way seemed opened, and Sister Cecilia made a formal demand for her with- drawal, which after much consideration was accepted. Having obtained the approbation of the archbishop of New York, she wrote to the Superior of the Ursulines, Mother St. Henry, stating in the fullest manner the pecu- liarities of her delayed vocation. Letters exchanged between Bishop Plessis, Bishop Hughes and Mother St. Henry resulted in the canditate's admission to the novitiate, and some weeks later. Miss O'Conway, who had been transferred to Philadel- phia before her final separation from the Society, appeared within the cloistered precincts of the Monastery, which she had so long sighed to make her home. Henceforward, the desires of her heart s re satisfied, and all her letters from the cloister breathe of peace and content- ment. With retirement from the world, she still enjoyed the opportunity of doing good by the instruction of youth, pre- paring young souls for their duties, as well as for the true happiness of life, by the truly Christian education to which the Ursuline Order is devoted. Mother St. Henry soon perceived that the novice, who with the veil and habit of an Ursuline, had received the honored name of Sister Mary of the Incarnation, was ANOTHER MARY OF THE INCARNATION 59 thoroughly prepared for the institute. Appreciating the varied accomplishments of the new aisLer, she soon confided to her the direction of the first class in the hoarders' depart- ment. Here, besides the study of the English language and composition, certain hours were devoted weekly to ancient and modern history, to the elements of astronomy with the use of the globes. Botany, and the oLher branches of natural history had their turn in the course of the year, and these especially, the teacher who had studied in various climates and countries under the tuition of her scholarly father, rendered so interesting that her pupils looked upon her class as the most pleaseant of the day, while they regarded her as a living encyclopedia. Her influence over the young girls confided to her charge tended above all to form them to become fervent Catholics and useful members of society, teaching them, by examples drawn from her own experience and observation, the impor- tance of fidelity to duty even in the minutest points, the necessity of habits of industry, of self-control, of correspon- dence to grace and of living in the constant view of eternity. These salutary principles were not inculcated in the form of a dry exhortation, but they broke in naturally like a gleam of sunlight between the rifts of the clouds, making an impression the more vivid and durable from being the spontaneous effusion of deep conviction. The different festivals of the Church afforded opportunities which our indefatigable teacher faithfully grasped, to impress the great truths of religion upon the minds of her pupils. Christmas especially had its touching representation, in -all the vivid realism of the Spanish taste. Not only the principal personages, the Virgin and Child, St. Joseph and the shepherds, or the three Kings would appear in wax figures nearly life-size, but around and beyond the 1 ■ ' J. 60 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS grotto, the trees, the fiocks of sheep grazing on the distant hills, with Bethlehem near by. Here, at evening, groups of children would come in to sing the sweet Christimas hymns, the diligent Mother profiting of the moment to rehearse the story, ever new, of the birth of the Saviour. In Holy Week it was an illustration of a different character. Pictures of Jeru- salem and the Holy Places, engravings of the Stations, the sorrowful Virgin, Our Lady of Pity veiled and standing near the large crucifix, while we pupils sadly chanted the verses of the Stabdt Mater, On these occasions how in)pressive were the looks, the accent, the voice, the words dictated by the holy faith of one who seemed to behold the invisible ! At other times, and often, we were entertained by the reminiscences of our beloved teacher's younger days. Now it was of her walks with her dear papa and mamma on the seashore in Cuba, where she would gather pretty shells like those in our collection Or she would tell us of the church of the Angel, all in rock and shell-work, where they buried — as they do in Cuba — her sweet little sister Dolores, We knew Mother Seton, good Father Babade, Mr. Dubourg-David, bishops Brut^ and Carroll, as if we had lived with them. The names of her brothers and sisters, all were familiar, especially to us who aided her in the various metamorphoses which her little class-room underwent as the months rolled on. Here she set up her Crib or her Calvary ; here also she taught embroidery as well as the sciences ; and here, when a holiday gave us a vacant hour, she would invite the select few who were so disposed to take lessons in the pure Castilian Spanish she loved so well. Thanks to her disin- terested zeal for our improvement and to her innate love of learning, the class of young ladies formed under her teaching were prepared for the more extensive programme which was :''n. A ■ ■ \ ANOTHER MARY OF THE INCARNATION 61 being introduced from 1834 to 1836, under the direction of an eminent director of the Quebec Seminary. Sister Mary of the Incarnation assisted at the lessons and experiments in physics and chemistry, with the pupils of her class, as well as the novices who had been her pupils. And when years came and went, bringing in their train feebleness and infirmity, our earnest teacher could rejoice to see her work ably carried on by pupils she had formed and directed, and who were now members of the community. The last of her class-labors was in the line of embroidery and ornamental needle-work, of which specimens are still admired. The trials inevitably attached to longevity, failing health and strength, the loss of relatives and dear friends, the chang- ing scenes around, which constantly remind the aged of the change which awaits themselves, were not wanting as finish- ing gems in our beloved Sister's crown. The acute sensibi- lities of a heart like hers needed the balance it possessed of a virile faith and a boundless love of God. Thus armed for the combat, the prospect of her approaching end did not alarm her. There was no definite malady, but rather a general decline, the result of age and infirmity which after a few months brought her to the verge of the tomb. With the full use of her strong faculties, with that deep and tender piety which had ever distinguished her, she prepared for the last rites of our holy religion. In the late evening hours of the 8th of March, with a last absolution from her confessor and a few watchers by her side, the feeble chord of life silently gave way. The glorious day of eternity had dawned upon the trembling soul in presence of Him she had faith- fully loved and served. " Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord ; for they rest from their labors, and their works do follow them." r ■ ^ 62 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEAKS CHAPTER TX THE MISSES MARY AND ABIGAIL UABUEk i!> ' IN KKLIOION 8I9TEUS ST. HENEniCT AND KUANCIS XAVIEIt With the names of the Misses Barber we are introduced to a family history which reads more like fiction than real life. The ancestors of the Barber family were living in Con- necticut before the period of the Kevolutionary War. Early in the present century, Eev. Virgil Horace Barber, an Episcopalian minister, had married Miss Jerusha Booth, a lady of high intelligence, and had become the father of five children. One day, after reading the life of St. Francis Xavier, brought into his house by a Catholic servant-girl, he was led to inquire into the teachings of a Church which " could produce such godliness and inspire such heroism." The result of his long and anxious researches, which were shared by his wife, was their embracing the Catholic faith with their little family, their subsequent separation through the conviction that Mr. Barber was called to the priesthood i, che decision of Mrs. Barber to consecrate herself to God in the convent of the Visitation, Georgetown, I). C. while he, after the absence of a few months in Rome, entered, in the same city, the novitiate of the Jesuit Fathers. Three years later, Mrs. Barber, now Sister St. Augustine, pronounced her vows as a nun in the chapel of the convent. 1 — With Mr. Barber's change of religion. came necessarily a change of prospects. The Acach^my in Utica N. Y. of which he was the President, had to bo abandoned, as well us his little farm with its pleasant parsonage and an assured comfortable living. Moreover, Mr. Barber had chosen the clerical state believing himself called THE MISSES MARY AND ABIGAIL BARBER 63 Mr. Barber, the Jesuit novice, at the same mass, pronounced his, as a member of the Society of Jesus. The chihh-en, four little girls and a boy, were present at this solemn consecration of their parents to the service of God, an example which in later years they all followed. A few years, not uneventful, have passed: the tliree little girls in the convent of Georgetown with their mother are now respectively thirteen, fifteen and sixteen. The two eldest, Mary and Abigail, have made their choice of a state of life : they will be Ursulines, But there must bo a double sacrifice : they will go to different convents. When this is made known to Rev. Virgil H. Barber, he comes to Georgetown from his distant missionary labors in Maine. The newly consecrated Bishop of Boston, Rt. Rev. B. Fenwick, has also come to bless the family whom he had received into the Church six years previous. There is an affectionate gathering and a tearful parting in the parlor of the Visitation Convent. It is their last meeting. The strong minded mother bids adieu to her eldest daughters and they depart by stage-coach, under the protection of a worthy lady. One of the two sisters remains in Boston ; the other proceeds thence to Quebec. Mary the eldest daughter has chosen the convent near Boston as her home, but strange vicissitudes will bring her to the care of souls. This divine voice ho still heard calling hitn now to the priesthood, and willingly woulil ho follow it were it not for his wife and children. Mrs. Barber became aware of his perplexity, and although the thought of separation from her husband filled her with agony, she ielt she must make the sacrifice to God. It was done, though at the expense of untold mental suffering on both sides. Later, when asked by one of her daughters how she had been able to give up her chil- dren, she answered : " 1 did not do it. (rod did it for me. He took me up and carried me through it." u REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS one day to accept with thanksgiving, the hospitable shelter of the monastery of Quebec, where she will end her days '. At the age of sixteen^ Mary M'as already as mature in judgment, as accomplished and well informed as might be expected of a young lady at twenty. The convent of Mount Benedict, near Boston, was a recent foundation, enjoying a high reputation as an educational establishment. Here Mary Barber, now Sister Mary Benedict, pronounced her vows in 1828. Six years later, calumnious reports, ignorantly credited, and wickedy propagated, led to the destruction of this beautiful convent by an infuriated and incendiary mob. The ten nuns composing the com- munity, with their fifty boarders, were driven from their peaceful home, and the heights of Mount Benedict, lately crowned by a fair structure, the home of piety and learning, presented only the dismal scene of a total ruin. On hearing of the terrible disaster, a preSvsing invitation had been sent to our dear sister Ursulines to come to us. After an unsuccessful attempt to obtain redress and aid to restore their convent, the longjourney by carriage was under- 1 Two years later, the two young sisters, Sasaii und Josepliine, left Georgetown, the one for Three Rivers, as a pupil, the other for the Ursuline Convent in Boston, where Mary the eldest was shortly after professed. Josephine returned to Georgetown, and in 1833 accompanied a foundation of the Visitation to Kaskaskia, where she made profession and lived to celebrate her Golden Ju- bilee. Susan made profession at the Ursulines of Three Rivers, in 1833, under tlie name of Sister Mary Joseph. She died in 1837. Samuel, after two years at the Jesuit novitiate in Maryland, was sent to Rome where he was ordaineil priest, and returned to his native home in 1840. Alter a holy life, he died in 1804, in the oOth year of his age. He had tilled with ability the ottices of vice-presi- dent and professor of Georgetown college, president of Gonzaga college (Washington). The lust of the family disappeared with the Visitation nun Josephine Barber, who died at St. Louis, Mo. 1888, THE MISSES MARY AND ABIQAIL BARDER 66 sent taken under the guidance of Father Maguire who was return- ing from Rome. The nuns reached Quebec on the Feast of all Saints (1834). Further efforts were made for the restoration of the con- ' vent during the following years, and it was not until six years had elapsed that, in 1840, the little community finally consented to disband, resigning themselves to the mysterious will of divine Providence. Two choir sisters, Mary Benedict Barber and Mary John Harrison, with a lay-sister, obtained permission to remain in the Monastery of Quebec. In the mean time, Sister Mary Benedict had taken her place in our class-rooms in 1835, as teacher of English literature and composition, giving lessons at other hours on the harp or the piano. , Thoroughly educated and accomplished, as well as fully imbued with the spirit of the religious state, her influence over the pupils was most salutary. The few ladies now living, who had the advantage of being under her tuition, must still remember her as* one of the most distinguished among that staff of qualified teachers who labored in the institution from 1835 to 1847. Not only among the pupils, but also among the novices, were the superior acquirements of Sister Mary Benedict turned to good account, especially by lessons in English literature and in elocution. Her penmanship, which was a free and graceful running-hand, may be said to have imparted a character to the writing of the nuns as well as of the pupils of that perit^ But her too brief and most useful career was destined to receive the sanctifying touch of suffering, patiently endured, and this for nearly a whole year. It was during the summer and autumn of 1847 that an acute spinal affection began the 5 66 RESIINISOENCES OF FIFTY YEARS slow undermining of her health, till till her energy no longer sufficed to bear her to the class-room nor even to the dearer chapel. It was a touching sight to behold that patient victim on her couch of suffering, where her wonted grace and gentleness of demeanor seemed to triumph over pain, even as the malady itself was triumphing over the energies of life and the skill of medical ussistance. With angelic piety our dear Sister had received the last rites of the holy Church ; still she lingered peacefully, awaiting the coming of the Bridegroom till His call was heard on the 9Lh of May, whilst the community, her own Sister among theni, surrounded in prayer the bedside of the dyi, j one. She has heard the signal ; she raises her emaciated lianu to form the sacred sign of the cross, then bowing her head she calmly expires, recalling to our mind by her attitude and by the sweet expression of her placid features, the death- sigh of our Blessed Lord when lie exclaimed : " Father, inta thy hands I oonimend my spirit." Miss Al)igail Barber had commenced her novitiate at the same time and pronounced her vows in the Old Monas- tery (181^8), on the same day that her sister Mary had per- formed that great ac*^ of the religious life in the convent of Mount Benedict. Our Ursuline, known as Sister St. Francis Xavier, was destined to fill a long career, even to the seven- tie' b year of her life and fifty-second of her profession. Gifted, as were all the members of the family, carefully educated, and nurtured in piety from her infancy, our good Sister possessed all the requirements of an Ursuline as a teacher of young girls. Yet was her usefulness, through exces- sive diffidence in lier own abilities, necessarily confined to the elementary classes, where however, her success was most THE MISSES MARY AND ABIGAIL BARBER 67 satisfactory. In whatever office she was employed, order, nea* ness and despatch were paramount. The (hities of that ottict were a .siicred trust for which she wouhl ho strictly accountable to God. In this conviction, every moment of time was precious, every point of the rule strictly observed. Whatever labor was conimilled to her was perf )rmed with perfection. " Do what you do with all your might," seemed to be her motto. To this day her embroideries and fine sewing, her pen-printing and embellishing are models of their kind. The piety t»f her childhood was never lost; its fragrance ])erfumod her whole life. Confidence in the Blessed Virgin was especially a source of comfort and strength to her on every occasion. Hovering around the altar to which she would bear the first tender blossoms in spring and the freshest llowersiu summer, she loved t(» represent herself as " Mary's lamb," a title which suggested her complete reliance on her heavenly Mother. Although our good Sister St. Francis Xavier lived to an advanced age, her health was never robust. In the sufferings and infirmities to which she was subject, she was fortifieil and consoled by letters from her admirable mother, who would urge her to bear her illness " not through custom or necessity, bnt because our Lord is pleased to send the suffering, often recollecting that He stands behind the lattice, looking on and counting the degrees of glory He is to obtain from each act of meekness and resignation ". A severe stroke of ])aralysis in 1879 left our dear Sister helpless and for a time unconscious, liecoveriiig partially the use of her faculties, it was consoling to us and especially to herself that she was able to receive holy Communionf from time to time, as well as to join in the pious aspirations suggested to her. Her death occurred on the 3rd of March,. •68 REMTNIflCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS 1830. Her whole lifo from the ago of suven had boen spent in the House of the Lord; to the iniioceuce of a cnild had succeeded the angehc fuuctions of the religious life. The third diuighter of this remarkable family, Miss Susan Barber, entered the novitiate of the Ursulines of Three Rivers in December 1830. With the white veil, she took the name of Sister St. Joseph, and pronounced her vows, March 19th, 1833. Her notice written by the nuns of Three liivers repre- sents her as a model religious, remarkable by her fervor and generosity in the practice of all the virtues of the religious state, especially that of holy obedience. This lovely Hower of the cloister was gathered by the heavenly Bridegroom, on January 24th, 1837. Sister St. Joseph was only twenty- seven years old ^" The name of Miss Elizabeth Harrison, in religion Sister Mary John, later Sister Mary Joseph, has been mentioned in connection with that of Sister Mary Benedict, The services both rendered in our institution were highly appreciated, while hoth found a second home in the Old Monastery where they "were admitted as permanent members of the community in 1840. ■' . Received at the age of sixteen among the Ursulines of Boston, Sister Mary Joseph was admitted to her religious 1 — The youngest daughter, " the baby Josephine," became a Visitandine. She wrote, at request, an interesting account of the conversion of her father and mother, which under the title of " Life of Mrs. Jerusha Barber," has been publislied among the Catholic Memoirs compiled by Rt. Rev. L. de Gocsbriand, in 1885. Sister Mary Josephine lived to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her religious profession, and died in the Visitation Convent ol St. Xouis, Mo., 1888. TUB MISSES MARY ANI> ABIQAIL BAHHKR 69 profession in 1824. On her arrival in Quebeo ten years later, she was an experienced anil thoroughly «|ualiHeil teacher of music, both vocal and instrmuental, includinf^thef)ry and com- position, with the whole rani^e of instruments ustially taught in institutions for young ladies. Sacred music was t(» her a link between her soul and Crod. In her thoughts of heaven, it was the ctdestial orchestra, the golden harps of the angelic choirs, the thrilling chords of instruments unknown to mor- tal ear, that awakened in her heart a corresponding thrill of the love of Him to whom her whole being was consecrated. Her own admittance to that heaveidy home was preceded by no long suffering or apprehension. A few hours of warning on the eve of the great Feast of St. Peter and St. Paul, during which the last sacraments were administered, followed by a day of unconsciousness, and all was ever. She had been called to the eternal feast for the possession of which she had 80 often and so ardently sighed. Sister St. Joseph Harrison was in her sixtieth year, and the thirty-second of her religious profession, at her decease, June 30th. 1866 \ I — The prospect of restoring their convent liad kept the little com- munity together until 1840. At that date the ecclesiastical superiors decided tliat tliree communities of Ursulines, those of Quebec, of Three Rivers and of New Orleans, would " share the spoils.'' The two oldest professed and a lay-sister remained in Quebec, the two following in rank went to Three Rivers, whil6 two choir- sisters and another lay sister were gladly received by the Ursulines of New Orleans. In each of the convents, these good Sisters rendered important services and gave great edification. Sister St. Augustine O'Keofe governed the community of her adoption several years. All have now gone. ■^-^fJS^- 70 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS CHAPTER X 1849 FROM QUEBEC TO GALVESTON As cloistered nuns never travel merely for the sake of a change of place, there must have been some serious religious motive for the journey announced in the above heading, which was undertaken by Sisters Jeanne de Chautal and St, Thomas in 1849. Two years previous to this date, Bishop Odin, lately appointed to the new diocese of Galveston, had obtained from the Ursulines of New Orleans a few Sisters to found a con- vent of their order in the Island City. As in the beginning of nearly all similar institutions, the little community had to struggle with many difficulties. " The harvest promised to be abundant, but the laborers were few," and already the worthy bishop had authorized the Superior, Mother St. Arsene, to apply to the Ursulines of Quebec for aid to accom- plish the foundation of the new convent. Letters had been exchanged without obtaining the desired result when, in August, 1849, the zealous missionary bishop appeared at the parlor-grating to plead before the Mother Superior and her council, the cause of the little community of Galveston. The eloquence of the worthy prelate must have been very persuasive to have obtained the services of two sisters from the Monastery of Quebec. The deeply religious heart of Mother St. Gabriel could not refuse the sacrifice, when it was urged that it would promote the glory of God and the salvation of souls. The measure having been duly discussed and sanctioned, it remained to make choice of the Sisters for the important FROM QUEBEC TO GALVESTON 71 undertaking. Sister Ste. Jeanne de Chantal and Sister St. Thomas, both highly educated and well qualified in many ways, were nominated. After consulting God in prayer, they generously accepted the mission as a favorable opportunity to signalize their zeal for the glory oi their Divine Master. The preparations for the departure need not be described, nor the emotions excited by an event so unusual in the Old Monastery. Friends and former pupils were loud in their expostulations. " How could the dear Mothers endure the fatigues of such a journey, and such a change of climate ? How could they go among strangers, to labor with them and give them their confidence and affection ? " But our Sisters remained firm in their purpose and quietly prepared for their departure. At three o'clock p. m., on the 4th of October, after a reiterated embrace an I many a heart- felt " au revoir ", the tearful farewells had been said and our dear Sisters, now in iheir secular travelling dresses, issued from the cloister to meet our venerated Fath»n- Maguire, who had volunteered, as on a former occasion, to be the conductor of the missionary Uraulines as fav as New York. Friendly greetings awaited them at the conventual door, whence a covered carriage soon conveyed them to the quay, near which lay the stet mer destined to bear them far from their convent home. The cordial and sisterly reception tendered them in Mon- treal by the good Sisters of the Congregation, many of whom were personal friends of the Ursulines ; the glad welcome received at the Ilotel-Dieu, at the convents of the Grey Nuns and of the Good Shepherd during the three days the travelling company tarried in that city ; all was duly appre- ciated, and recorded with many expressions of gratitude and affection in the letters addressed to the community by our •Ursuliue Sisters. 72 REMINISCENCES OV FIFTY YEARS At the present day a journey across the United States to New Orleans would he accomplished in a few days by a con- tinuous line of cars; but far different was the undertaking fifty years ago. To our younger readers it will be a novel experience to follow the missionary colony as they slowly proceed, now by the cars, now by steamboat, without being spared the experiment of a twenty-four hours' journey by stage-coach. From Montreal to St. John's the conveyance was by the cars, exchanged there for the steamer United States which they designate as a " floating palace," Then the cars again from Whitehall to Troy ; thence by steamboat, a varied journey through the unrivalled scenery along the Hudson through le State of New York, in the company of Father Maguire and several Oblate Fathers, en route also for Texas ; such is the itinerary of the three days' journey from. Montreal to New York. Mother de Chantal, when traversing the same region some twenty years previous, little foresaw this return to her native land and to the home of her childhood, for it is at her brother's house in Northmore street that the travellers are invited on arriving in the great metro- polis. ]>ishop Odin welcomed the missionary sisters with the affection of a father, but he would be detained in the city a fortnight longer to transact the business which had brought him hither from his distant diocese. In the mean time, the nuns are not left in solitude. Father Maguire is their most intelli- gent and attentive cicerone^ and often are they invited from the palatial residence of Mr, White, in Northmore street, now to visit the Ladies of the Sacred Heart at Manhattan- ville, now to the college of the Jesuits in Fordham. Another day they call on the Bishop of New York, Dr. O'Connor ; or they perform their devotions in the church of the Trans- FROM QUEBEC TO GALVESTON 73 figuration, they assist at Vespers in the French church, where they hear singing that brings tears to their eyes, reminding them of their convent home. Father Bernard O'Reilly is joyful at meeting his IJrsuline friends and [miises their under- taking. Nowhere perhaps was their visit more welcome than in Morissania, at the house of Mr. Harrison, brother of our good Sister St, Joseph. " There, says Mother St. Thomas, we received real American hospitality. " Oftenest they are at Sister de Chantal's home in Northmore street, where the bishop comes to cheer them, and where they discover that Father Maguire is " the most genial of conversationalists," so effectually did the good Father exert himself to dispel their homesickness. At last. Bishop Odin and his company were ready to pursue their journey. Our Sisters bid a sad ad'eu to their dear aged Father Maguire i, rightly apprehending that he had given them his blessing for the last time. Our readers will remember that in 1849, the longer lines of the railroad-network which now covers the United-States were not laid; therefore it may prove interes- ting to follow our missionary band as they proceeil westward, so moderately that it will be the loth of November when they reach the Crescent city. On the 25th of October, they traversed Jersey City and took the cars for Philadelphia, 1 — The grief of our Sisters at the thought ot'hidilmg Father Maguire a tinal adieu won them the favor of possessing his portrait a daguerreotype, the only style of photograph tlien known. On their return to Quebec, this j)ortrait, supplemented by the vivid mental picture our artist Mr. Theophile Ilamel had retained of his vener- able friend, enabled him to gratify the community by producing an excellent likene.ss, an oil painting, life-size, doubly esteemed by all who were personally acquainted both with the painter and the original. 74 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS their company consisting of seven persons : the Bishop, three Oblate Fathers, and Mr. White, Mother de Chautal's brother. They could not but admire the city laid out by William Penn, its princely residences of white marble, its spacious avenues, its broad streets bordered with trees, its lovely parks and picturesque environs, where the crystal waters of the Schuylkill reflect the features of an unrivalled landscape. In Philadelphia they were joined by three other travellers, a Mrs. Malone with her daughter, and another young lady, a postulant for the convent in Galveston. They reach Balti- more by the cars, and have only time to see the cathedral with its white marble altars and rare painLings, when they are again en route through pleasant country scenes, diver- sified by the elegant residences of the wealthy. Leaving Harper's Ferry at noon they have reached Cum- berland on the Potomac, the terminus of the railroad, 180 miles from Baltimore, at six o'clock p. m. They are now at the foot of the Alleghanies ; the sun is sinking behind the beautiful forest-crested heights of these mountain ridges through which they must pass. There is time only for a hasty supper in preparation for the night's travelling. Around the hotel are ranged eight or ten vehicles to which are harnessed horses whose neighing and prancing tell of their impatience to begin the journey. Our missionary band of ten persons is quite sufficient to fill one of the coaches, and now they strike off into the solitude of the mountain- road, refreshed by the cool invigorating forest-breeze, and highly interested by the novelty of this moonlight scene, whose beauties they would doubtless have enjoyed still more in the full light of noonday. There is no sleeping in a stage- coach, but the night isenliverad by many pleasant anecdotes related by the good bishop, who has seen the Alps, the monks of Mount St. Bernard, and has met with many amus- FROM QUEBEC TO QALVESTON 75 ing adventures. Morning finds them still in the grand old forest, A bishop and a priest are there, yet no mass can be said, and the only music heard is the sound of the rolling cavalcade and the occasional shouts of the drivers. The des- cent to Union Town at six o'clock allowed them to halt and take breakfast ; then again they pursue their way, till at Brownsville they exchange their carriage for a small steamer on the Monongahela, which in due time lands them at Pittsburg. The large and opulent city which has succeeded to Fort Uuquesne and the habitations of the Indians is soon left behind, and their next halt is at Cincinnati, where the Bishop is constrained to remain with the Oblate Fathers, one of them being too ill to continue the journey. The nuns ])roceed under the protection of Mr, White to Louisville. Happy are they to rest a while at Gait House, to hear Mass at the cathedral, to be graciously welcomed by Bishop Spalding, and to receive words of encouragement and a special blessing on their future labors from the venerable Bishop Flaget, whose saintly career is now near its close. Cordially welcomed by the Sisters of Nazareth, founded by Bishop David of saintly memory, they also visit and accept the hospitality of the nuns of the Good Shepherd, a community of sixteen nuns, governed by Sister Serena, a Scotch lady, whose assistant is a cousin of the noted Father Matthew. Only on the 6th of November were our travellers on board the steamer Olencoe,\v\\\ch carried, besides the usual passenger- freight, a heavy cargo of live-stock destined for the market at New Orleans. They are rejoined by the bishop and the Oblate Fathers two days later, and continue their way. Sunday, November 11th, finds them still on board. No r^ass, of course, but the bishop at the request of the captain of the boat, conducts Divine service at noon, reading in surplice and 76 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS stole the beautiful prayers from the ritual, and ])rea(*hiug a sermon " which makes so profound an impression that he is requested to preach again in the evening." After sailing four days upon the bosom of the majestic Mississipi, noticing " the vast forests of Arkansas, the orange groves of Louisiana, the fields of cotton and sugar-cane, the charming habitations of the planters and the little huts of the negroes," every where something new to remind them of the vast distance which separates them from the shores of the St. Lawrence, they pass Baton Kouge, and halt at Lafayette on the 15th of November i. Here the c^.ptain lands his live stock, the boat undergoes a thorough irrigation, the passengers attend to the duties of their toilet with unwonted care, for they are nearing the great city which lies there spread out on its low plain, as if to bask itself more completely in the burning rays of an almost tropical sun. On landing, the whole missionary band proceed to the bishop's palace, a vast edihce which had formerly been the convent of the Ursuliues. Soon our Sisters were on the way to the stately new convent, delightfully situated at some three miles distance from the city. There they were welcomed as old friends by Mother Ste. Sersxphine and her community, among whom were three Sisters well known and well beloved, the Sisters St. Charles from Quebec, the Sisters St. Augustine and St. Clare, formerly of Boston, but also from Quebec, as our readers may remember. ' 1 — Our traveller.-i remark that any other boat but the Glencoe would have taken but five days for the voyage from Louisville to New Orleans in 1849. In 1816 it required forty-six days. The Mississippi in those days was the river of accidents. Our Sisters learned that in 1842, sixty-eight steamboats had perished; two years previous to their voyage, thirty-six. FROM QUEBEC TO GALVESTON 77 After a most agi'eeable sojourn of twelve days with the.se amiable Sisters, our missionary band proceed five hundred miles further to Galveston. The newly founded convent was but an ordinary dwellin<^- house with few accommodations either for the nuns or the pupils. Our Sisters were warmly welcomed by Mothers St. Arsene, St. Stanislaus, and the rest of the little colony, and soon had their offices assigned tliem. To Mother de Chantal was confided the formation of the seven novices ; to Mother St. Thomas, the direction of the classes as mistress- general. The climate was not equally favorable to the Canadian Sisters. To Mother de Chantal, who had always suffered from the rigors of a Canadian winter, the heat moderated by the sea-breezes seemed to impart new life and vigor while Mother St. Thomas experienced its debilitating effects to such a degree, that all her natural energy was insufficient to enable her to continue her labors beyond the period of seven years. At the first intimation of her desire to rejoin her commu- nity on account of her failing health, our Superior, Mother St. Andrew, wrote as follows : My beloved slater, I received your communication of the 18th November and hasten to answer it. My dear Sister St. Thomas, you are welcomed home by all your mothers and sisters, who will press you most affection- ately to their heart. I spoke to our worthy Bishop on the subject ; he i)romised me to write himself to Bishop Udin. Write to me unmediately, and let me know at what time you will be able to leave, that I may take the steps necessary to forward you the funds to defray your expenses. Your departure will be a blow to poor little Mere do Oiantal, but she must resign herself since your health compels you to abandon your i>08t. Give my best love to the dear little Mere and the com- munity, remaining. n:y beloved sister, your' ever devoted, Sister St. Axdibw. 78 RBMINISCENCBS OP FIFTY YEARS On her return voyflge Sister St, Thomas was fortunate to have tlie companionship of a Texan lady, who was on her way by the same steamship from the Gulf to the city of New York. For the rest of the journey, a protector had been prov'ued for her in the person of Mr. Hamel, a respectable citizen of Quebec, whose business as a merchant had taken him to New York very opportunely. She reached home on May 14th, and met, as Mother St. Andrew had promised her, with a hearty welcome from all her Sisters. Mother Ste. Jeanne de Chantal, in the mean time, had been appointed Superior, and before her return to the Old Monas- tery in 1868, had aided in founding a convent in San Anto- nio de Bexar, an enchanting spot noted for the salubrity of its atmospiiere, its gardens of roses and its general health- fulness. But Mother de Chantal was now on the verge of her three score years ; she felt their weight, and longed for the peaceful retreat where she had commenced her religious life. It is one of the prudent and maternal provisions of our rules, that a member of the community has always a right to return to the house where she has made profession, and most cordially was our dear Mother invited home. Escorted by her loving In-other, Mr. Louis White, she traversed the continent in a few, days and with far less fatigue than in 1849, to meet with the warmest welcome from the com- munity. Onr readers will notice in the biographical sketch of this esteemed mother, that she was still enabled to accomplish the duties of important otfic(?s contided to her here, till her last malady opened to her the gates of the heavenly City in 1885, seventeen years after hcM- return to her first convent home. REV. GEORGB L. LEMOINE, CHAPLAIN 79 CHAPTER XI 1854-1889 REV. GEORGE L. LEMOINE, CHAPLAIN In the successor of our venerated and regretted chaplain, Very Rev. Thomas Maguire, we were blessed with another true friend and father, whose inappreciable qualities and eminent services during the next thirty years would challenge the lasting gratitude of the community. Rev. George Louis Lemoine, on whom the sacred office of the priesthood had been conferred in Quebec, March 16th, 1839, had oxercised the functions of his sacred ministry during fifteen years, in different ])arishes or in the scattered Catholic settlements along the Laurentides. These humble duties of parish priest or missionary were not of a nature to make him feel competent to replace so eminent an eccle- siastic as the Vicar General, Very Rev. Thomas Maguire. The position was accepted however with simplicity, in that spirit of faith and submission to the Divine Will for which our future chaplain was so remarkable. Entering upon the duties of his office, he won pupils as well as teachers by the suavity of his manners, by his kind- ness and the fatherly interest he manifested on every occasion in all that related to their welfare. The duties of his charge were his only concern ; his diligence and application in their accomplishment could not be surpassed. Weekly instructions, suited to the cloistered congregation gathered in the convent chapel on Sunday mornings, confer- ences to the nuns, to the novices and to the Children of Mary at stated periods, weekly instructions in catechism to the pupils, and their spiritual direction from preparation for «0 KEMi..ISCENCB8 OF FIFTY YEARS first Coiniminion to the end of their studies — not to enu- merate the other labors and duties essential to the jiriestly ottice and the charge of souls — such was the rule of life marked out to himself by our indefatigable chaplain, and strictly adhered to during the long period of his fruitful and duly appreciated ministration. A soul to direct, to console, to absolve, was to our good Father the most sacred and dearest employ; every act that tended to promote the s])iritual good of his Hock was a privilege not to be easily relimiuished. The lively faith, the piety with which he celebrated the Holy Mysteries, was ca{)iible of inspiring fervor and devotion to all who assisted at his daily mass. As a director of souls. Father Lemoine was gentle and sympathetic, yet firm and deliberate ; slow in counsel and prudent above all, both in speech and action, while the deep sincerity of his charity was such that each individual soul felt safer in his hands than in her own. The devotions i)eculiar to the Order were lovingly culti- vated by our good chaplain. The legend of Saint Ursula and her companions, rendered palpable during the middle ages by confraternities in the great institutions of learning; the prophetic zeal of Saint Angela, inspiring her at that criti- cal period of the sixteenth century to found an order devoted to the instruction of youth ; the heroic courage of our Vene- rable Mother, of Madame de la Peltrie and their companions, foundresses of this monastery ; these where themes on which he delighted to expatiate, deriving therefrom salutary teachings and precious encouragements for the souls committed to his charge. The hermit-life which a chaplain of the Ursulines is expected to live had seemed to him at first an intolerable solitude and constraint ; but in the accomplishment of its REV. QEORGB L. LBMOINE, CHAPLAIN 81 lain Attraction's laws, both when it i)innding siphon lit'tH thH yielding tide—. Don't say w\\n hastciii'd tht'n to Grach'n side— . Whilt' Manj, phicid, gravely weighs with oaro Tlie mimic orown, in water and in air ; " Arrhimede.1 hiuis't'lf, she says, thuH sought To know whether th(' king was wronged in aught." Again tho themn is changt^l : nf air they speak And all its wondrous pro/nrlieH they st'ek. " 'Tis heavy, 'tis fhisUr, 'twill expand ; Co7nprenseil beyond a limit 'twill withstand. It presses on us like a sea of lead, VuU fifteen pounds oji every inch that 's spread. " All this experiments most clearly proved, Whiley'r^/z/f /u/u.t gushed, and ponderous weights were moved. 'Twas Marie, Jnsie, Jinxe and Emetine, With CMulie and Kmnia, six, in Hue, Who all these curious properties discussed, Drawing conclusions, all a[)proved as just. Mamie one point forgotten called to mmd And showed hnw J'alfint/ Ijodies souietimes tind Their speed retarded. First, with skill and care, From a long liilje, she has expelled the air. A tjniuea and a feather downward tend. With the same force, and side by side, descend, Proving, triumphant, tiiat 'tis air alone Prevents a feather _/a//tny like a stone. Once more the subject changes. 'Tis for Kate To tell how through the air waves undulate, Beating with nicest Knger, every note That issues mellow, from a tuneful throat, Recounting, thro' the ear-driuu, to our mind, The thousands secrets which were else confined. Oh, sound! what power to soothe 1 what charms untold When thy full waves, harmonious, are unrolled ! What stores of wisdom, else in thought concealed. At thy command, instantaneous, stand revealed 1 TUB CLASS OK 1874 AT AN EXAMINATION 98 But natiiio's Ijiij^htoMt page Ih wiiiiting Htill. Tis yourn, Vat/rie, to iintblil with flkill, Tho tlioory .A' lii/lif ; to tell th«> Ihwh (Jivon to tlu) stiiiWeiiui, by the grciit Fimt ('aiine. " Rright int'HuniigtM* ! Liko thought, it hutps o'er Hptioe. lat'titig th(> glooui that veils fair Ntituro's luce. Its threo folil lioain, now .spn'iidiiig into m-vt'ii, Now blonilin^ nil in one piiio my of hoavon. GlaHsed on tiio l)080:n of thn fulling showor, It paints tho rainbow, ua it paints th« Howor." « But haste we to record what UUdnh says Of tho electric fhiiiVii womlrous ways. "Since Franklin, fearlfss, calh'd it from tho cloud, Wo know 'tis ^jiiUitTol when the thuii'lor's loud. Two fluids — so 'tis said — must be combined, Or restless are thoy, as the changing wind. A fieri/ upark betrays the eagtn' leap ; — Join hands, and you shall know its rapid sweep. 'Tis not more strange, says Clavde, than what we tell Of the maynetic fluids. Mark me well. This lifeless needle ever knows tho North ; The trusting mariner with it goes forth O'er unknown seas, all safe as on the shore. But wherefore should 1 now detain you more? Strange sympathies philosophers have found Among the Jluids which this earth surround." Eugenie, Susan and Augusta rise : Attention, listeners, fix your wondering eyes. Electro-magnetism, that is the word, With apparatus that will proof afford. GalvanVs name and Volta's first appear ; But science has advanced from year to year. The magnet and the electric fluid aevve, As feeble man directs, nor dare to swerve. To bear tho humblest message swift they fiy, Or strike the alarm-bell, when flames run high. But not content with telegraphic skill, Susan shows how physicans at their will] Send the electric current thro' our veins. . , t> vb IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) y / O // , % ^Etf ///// :/ 1.0 I.I 1.25 2.5 ill 12.0 1-4 IIIIII.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation iV ^\^ c^-^ \\ 4 ^ ^ Cn> "ekioi(, 1874 To inauy of our readers Mother St. Mary requires no intro- duction ; she has so recently disappeared from among us ! Born in 1830, of the worthy family that still resides in the picturesque village of Malbaie, Ad^le Cimon, at the age of ten, was preparing for her First Communion among our pupils, under the careful spiritual direction of our Chaplain, Rev. Thomas Maguire. That important act accomplished, the following year& witnessed the rapid development of her rare talents, no les» than her advancement in piety and in all the virtues that best adorn the youthful character. At sixteen she already aspired to the dignity of Spouse of Christ, by the choice of the hidden life of a religious ; and neither the rosy dreams of her youthful imagination nor the powerful attractions of her pleasant home were sufficient to move her steadfast will to postpone the sacritice. On the Feast of the Annunciation, 1848, the young candidate was admitted to the novitiate ; in July she was clothed with the habit of the Order and obtained the beloved name of our Heavenly Queen, to be known henceforward as Sister St. Mary. Her success as a teacher dated from her tirst appearance in that capacity in the class-room. The resolute dignity of her bearing, her perfect self-command, the evident pleasure with which she sought their improvement, impressed her pupils with a due regard for her authority and a high esteem for her qualifications. MOTUER BT. MART 105 From year to year our good Sister's advancemoiit in the various branches of learning as well as in the virtues of the religious state, rendered her services ever more available and precious to her conununity. ller facile pen was ready for every occasion, were the subjects to be treated serious or gay, in prose or in verse, while her willingness to be of service seemed to render every thing easy to accom|)lish. Charged with the teaching of French Literature, and General History as well as Religious Instruction, her aim was to impress upon the youthful mind the lessons of wisdom and piety, rather than to excite excessive admiration for the exploits of war or the productions of genius. During the several years that Mother St, Mary was directress of the senior division of boarders, her influence in forming their character laid the foundation of solid hapi)ines8 for many a family throughout the Dominion of Canada and beyond. Her part in the publication of the History of the Monastery has already been noticed. Yet neither for these labors nor for the numerous services she rendered in the Institute, is her community under so many obligations as for the indefatigable zeal with which she devoted her energies to forward the Cause of the Beatification of our Venerable Mother. The cogency of argument in her long defence of the heroic virtues of the servant of God, did not escape remark before the learned mSmbers of the Commission. Great admiration for the "Theresa of Canada," and unbounded contidence in her intercession were among the earliest impressions of her infancy ; the same assurance of her pro- tection continued to nourish her piety to the latest hour of her life. The votes of the Community in 1872 called Mother St. Mary to the administration as Superior. 106 RBMINISOENCBS OF FIFTY YEARS It was again " the right person at the right time." Young and in perfect healtli, full of energy, the long deferred project of extensive repairs and building was not an enterprise to alarm her. Plans were made out, and soon the site of a new-building of large dimensions was nuirked off from the north east angle of the block formed by the old buildings ; a pendant to the wing added to the west angle in 1858. This new extension rears its massive walls to a height of fouv stories from the basement, affording a spacious novitiate, dormitories and other apartments chietly occupied by the novices. When this undertaking had been accomplished, the recon- truction of the old buildings along Parlor Street required the demolishing of walls more than 200 years old, in order to obtain broader foundations. It was an animated and busy scene all summer, while the masons were at work, followed by the necessary staff of carpenters, plumbers and painters till in September the new building was in readiness for its various occupants. To the Normal School department were assigned several well- lighted apartments, dormitories. The space remaining afforded class-rooms, a new suite of ])arlors, and more suitable accommodations for the Chaplain's lodgings. Other desirable repairs were undertaken in various parts of the old buildings, till the Monastery stood not only much enlarged, but in a great measure renovated. Mother St. Mary was next appointed to the office of Mistress General of the boarders, and subsequently to that of Assistant Superior, in which employ she was destined to close, all too soon, her meritorious and useful career. Neither the multiplicity of affairs with which our good Mother was often charged, nor the difficulties which some- MOTHER ST. MARY 107 times threatened to retard their accomplishment, sufficed to depress her spirit or riitlle her serenity. Ever accessible, and considerate for others, she bore sweetly the burden of authority, as if in preparation for the burden of the cross which awaited her at the meridian of her days. Healthy in appearance, and first atevery observance imposed by the rule, no one knew that an insidious siclvuess was poisoning the life-spring of her existence. As in most cases of the kind, the cancerous nature of her malady was only discovered when already beyond the reach of remedy. But it could be borne for the love of Jesus and be rendered highly meritorious by resignation and patience. Thus did our beloved Mother sanctify the long hours of those three long years of gradual decay, devoting whatever remained of her strength and life to prayer and such labors as could benefit her community. The young sisters, to whose studies she lent the light of her long experience, have not forgotten the lessons so cheer- fully imparted during the decline of that devoted teacher. Nor has the Monastery ceased to admire the persistent energy which enabled the trembling hand of an invalid to aid in correcting the second edition of the first volume of the History of the Ursulines a legacy, as it were, of her love for the Venerable Mother and her community. The day of her release dawned on the 10th of October, 188G, before she had completed her fifty-sixth year. May her dear soul rest forever in the bosom of Him she so ardently loved, aad so generously served ! 108 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS CHAPTER XV SUPERIORS FROM 1875 TO 1889 MOTHEU ST. <4EOKOE AND MOTHEK ST. CATIIEKINB At the close of this half century, from 1839 to 1889, two Superior.s, Mother St. George Van Felson, and Mother St. Catherine Tims, were alternately charged with the govern- ment of the community, as had been Mother St. Gabriel and Mothor St. Andrew at its commencement. Companions in their later school-days, sister-novices and colleagues in the offices of superior and depositary, their companionship hardly ceased with life, their death occurring at the same date, the 16th of August, the one in 1892, the other in 1894. Their graves in the lowly garden cemetery, which first received dear Mother Saint Catherine's loved remains, are only separated by a few feet of earth. Mother St. George, known in the world as Miss (^Tcorgina Van Felson, was the youngest daughter of the late Hon. Judge Van Felson, whose handsome residence was on St. Louis Street, bordering on the convent-grounds. Georgina, as well as her three older sisters, was a pupil in our half- boarders' department from her early childhood. In the family circle, that little one, with bright expressive eyes and round rosy face, was seldom called by her baptismal name. Her womanly ways, her frequent offers of service and pro- tection had won for her the pet name of la yndre. At school, her proficiency in her studies was remarkable, while in drawing and painting she excelled. At home her quiet disposition was remarked as vei'y peculiar ; the amuse- ments usually so enticing to young people in society had no attractions for our future Ursuline. While her sisters were .■i SUPERIORS FROM 1875 TO 1889 109 receiving company, and gay music filled the halls of the paternal mansion, Georgina, at the age of seventeen, would have been found in some distant apartment, or se.ated on the solitary steps of the winding stairway, with her netting or embroidery in hand, or perchance, her beads and prayer- book. Thus it could not have been a surprise to the family circle, when the young girl solicited the permission of her parents to offer herself as a cuididate for the life of an Ursuline in the neighboring monastery. Meanwhile, as her father's secretary this favorite daughter had often been employed in copying the letters written in his office, or in writing under his dictation, thus forming herself to the style of business and the elegant permanship of which later she availed herself so advantageously as circumstances required. From the day of her profession in 1846, to that of her return to the novitiate as mistress of novices, in 1866, Mother St, George was afforded ample opportunity for the exercise of the fourth vow of an Ursuline, her attainments readering her competent to take charge of any class that might be confided to her, while her happy talent for imparting instruction never failed to interest her pupils and captivate their attention. We, who have labored by her side, living under the same roof from the time of her entering the convent to the day of her departure for a better home, can bear witness to her solid piety, her devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, and her ardor for Holy Communion, as well as to her solicitude in acquiring the virtues of a true religious. E.xact in the observance of the rules of the monastery, she was not less vigilant as Superior, to prevent the decay of the primitive spirit and to promote the welfare of all who were confided to her care. Sincerely devoted to her community and 110 REMINISCENCES Oy FIFTY YEARS economical of her time, her skilful fingers were ever busily occupied, and often had her work-basket to be replenished with the linen fabric which she fashioned so deftly and so rapidly. When busy at her easel, often would the younger sisters gather around to admire the progress of her painting, or they would watch her jialette of water colors at the social hour, when without interruption to the How of conversation, wreaths of flowers wonld blossom from her magic pencil, or sacred emblems unfold upon the church vestments which it was her delight to ornament. Even when charged with the government of the com- munity, or occupied with the cares of providing for the house as depositary, the young artists were ever free to present their work to her esthetic taste for approbation or remark. On such occasions it was not rare that a finishing stroke, a relieving shade, or a fleecy cloud flouting over the waiting landscape, would elucidate at once and enforce the suggested improvement. At the close of her second triennial term of superiority in 1890, her enfeebled health had not permitted the community to charge her with any office, but they were happy to see that her long experience would still be made available among the councillors. In illness as in health, her liabitsof industry prevailed over her need of repose, and the work-basket as well as the escritoire followed her to the infirmary. She could still write with steady hand, and her last neat stitches on the nuns' linens might serve as a model of sewing as well as an example of the useful employment of every moment of time. The gradual decline, destined to end iu death, was not ' attended by any violent pain or suffering, but as the mid- " summer passed, it became evident that the end was drawing near. 8UPERI0KS FROM 1875 TO 1889 111 The immediate preparations were made in peace ; the attenuated thread of life broke without a struggle, setting free the captive soul which only longed to be at rest henceforth, in that eternity where God is all n all. It was the feast of the Assumption, August 16th, 1894; Mother St. George had attained the seventieth year of her age. Around the lifeless form the sisterhood gathered in mourning, yet while they gazed on that placid countenance, transformed and beautified by the Angel of Death, they found themselves comforted by the assurance of the eternal happiness of their departed Mother, I'' I ■&■; MOTHER ST. CATHERINE, 71^6 KLIZA TIMS The highly respectable family to which our future Ursu- liue belonged was originally from Oldcastle, county of Meath (Ireland). In 1834, they came to Canada and settled in Quebec. Eliza, the third daughter, was but seven years old when she beheld for the last time the green fields of Erin ; yet even at that tender age pictures of her beloved home and its surroundings, were indelibly engraven on her young imagination, and in after years were ever recalled with pleasing emotions. Entering the convent as half-boarder at sixteen, she was already prepared to join an advanced class and to relish the studies in the higher branches of education. Generous and warm hearted, she had also the quickness of repartee as well as of temper, which seem to be the natural inheritance of the children of the Emerald Isle. Let us relate how the latter served, at a critical moment, to turn the tide of her life, and direct her to the iieaceful harbor of the religious state. 112 ' REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS A rather severe reproof for absence from school had pro- voked the young girl to the rash decision to return no more to the convent. One of her teachers hearin<4 this, and powerless to persuade her to change her mind, besought her to go to the chapel and pray a few moments, adding : " Ask Our Blessed Lord to guide you. Who knows what grace He may have in store for you," Many years later, that teacher learned how fruitful had been the word of caution and the silent visit lo the Blessed Sacrament. There for the first time had arisen before the mind of the young girl, the great problem of life : " What does God demand of nie ? Has He destined me to serve Him in the world or in the religious state ? " The secret impulsions of grace were not left unheeded ; at the age of eighteen. Miss Eliza Tims had taken her place among the novices, under the gentle guidance of Mother Ste. Marie de la Ferri^re, and on the 26th of November, 1844^ she was clothed in the habit of the Order, under the name of Sister St. Catherine, But her vocation was to be tested by a severe trial. In the spring of 1846, as the time of her profession drew near, her health became so impaired that the conmiunity, seriously alarmed, decided to suspend the exercises of the novitiate for the beloved novice, allowing her to return to her family, with the assuiance of resuming them as soon as her recovered strength would permit. No pains were spared by the dear relatives to render that home more than ever pleasant and attractive, and gladly would they have prolonged the reunion thus effected; but ■ Eliza's heart was in her convent-home ; and happy was that 24th of June, 1846, when she was enabled to rejoin her beloved companions in the novitiate. Her preparations for SUPERIORS FROM 1875 TO 1889 113 holy profession were prolonj^ed till the 24th of June, 1817, a whole year, according to our constitutions. Few have been more affectionately and universally beloved than Mother St. Catherine ; in the more immediate circle of the sisterhood where her amiable qualities were best known, there also were they best appreciated. The ready wit and acumen of the Irish character, joined to a solid judgment and rare abilities, rendered her society as delightful as her services were benelicial. At the hour of recreation her presence, like a cheering ray of sunshine, was ever welcome. With her talent for narration the most ordinary occurrence would interest the hearer as much as a more important event, and a trifling anecdote, depicted with the lights and shades of her vivid imagination, never failed to entertain agreeably. Recalling to mind these by-gone hours, we behold again that cheerful countenance, we hear the gleeful laugh tliat called for answering mirth, the pleasant voice that soothed while it exhilarated; we feel the influence of that graceful charity, that religious spirit, which stamped her features and regulated all her demeanor as of one whom all might seek to resemble. Many are the former pupils, now perhaps mothers of families or fervent religious in convents, who remember with love and gratitude dear Mother St. Catherine, their teacher or their directress. Another circle of acquaintances and friends was formed while she was engaged in the office of depositary, or that of superior, and these have not forgotten the gentle nun, as intelligent of business as she was edifying in her conversation, whom to know was to esteem and xidmire. ■.-. • ^ ; .. -VT-- 114 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS Called to j^oveni tlie community during two consecutive terms, from 1878 to 1884, the iinportiint enterj)i'ise of tlie foundation of the Convents of Roh(;rviil on Liike St. John and of Stunstead fell to her share. The responsibili.y of the undertaking was fully realized, but she had recourse to prayer, ami jdacing all her contidem^e in Or d, she felt His hand guiding her and conducting all securely. A careful selection of the subjects who were destined to the foundation of Roberval, and a prudent attention to provide for its temporal security, have thus far ensured its prosperity and won for it the confidence of all ranks of society. Another foundation having been demanded by the Bishop of Sherbrooke, Right Rev. A. Racine, the j)reliminaries had been settled and every thing provided for, except the nomin- ation of the foundresses, before the expiration of Motiier St. Catherine's second term of office (1884). These two branch-houses were destined to enjoy the beneficial inHuence of our good Mother's watchful care, her counsel and her prayers, even after she had ceased to fill the office of superior. During the following six years, as depositary, she had frequent occasions of rendering them service. To crown all her benefits, in 1890, she consented to her appoint- ment as superior of the little community of Stanstead, thus bequeathing herself to her dear missionary daughter.-;, and giving them the most undeniable proof of her affection and devotedness. In the space of a few months, however, it became evident that the sacrifice she had made in retiring from the mother- house had filled the measure of her merits and obli- gations. Her declining health required her immediate return to her community, where the most tender and assiduous care surrounded her to the close of her long and painful illness. CONVENTS AT UOBERVAL AND STANSTEAD 115 Hci' well earned crown acquired thus its brightest gem:i by the long and patient endurance of physical autt'ering. If at all times the amiability, the ever ready Hashes -^t' Irish wit, the tender piety, the truly religious spirit of our beloved Mother St. Catluu'ine had rendered her company edifying and delightful, the same lovely qualities exhibited, in the sick chamber excited reverences and admiration. On the 16th of Auguiit, 181)2, tht; summons came for a speedy departure, speedy a'vi unexpected at that precise mo- ment, yet long foreseen and abundantly provided for by the reception of the sacraments and frequent recourse to the prayers for the dying. Is it not a merciful dispensation when, all being ready, the parting scene is abridged ? " May her dear soul rest in peace ! — and it surely does " — was the silent ejaculation of each tearful mourner as we laid her to rest, August 16th, the first to break the green sward in our newly enclosed cemetery where " When we think of uU her winning ways We ahuost wish there had been less to praise." CHAPTER XVI \,l!- 1882-1884 CONVENTS AT ROBERVAl. AND STANSTEAD n An Ursuline Convent, as described by our Rules and Con- stitutions, is an establishment complete in itself. It has started, perhaps, from a small beginning ; but when fully equipped it is an independent institution, admirable in its. IIG REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS organization, truly efficient and prepared for its twofold object : the sanctification of each individual member by the exercises of the religious life, and the promotion of the welfare of society by the education of young girls according to the prin- ciples of true Christianity. * In a cloistered convent each member is assured of a permanent home with the Sisters of her choice ; a condition which to her se^ms essential to her content and happiness; while tiiere are conareifations otherwise or<'anized which seem more attractive to souls of a different cast. Thus is accomplished that beautiful " unity and variety ", which is characteristic of the work of the Holy Ghost in the Catholic Church. Founding an Ursuline Convent is not simply opening a school, or providing an academy where young girla may obtain a medal or a diploma. There must be the prospect of a house, where souls consecrated to God can carry out the provisions of their rule, and the observances of religious life, whih^ devoting themselves to the arduous work which •distinguishes their Order. For these reasons, and from ever awaiting the manifestation of the will of God, the foundations from the Ursuline Convent of Quebec have been few. The first, that of Three Kivers, has celebrated the 200th anniversary of its existence this year, 1897. Founded by Monseigneur de St. Valier, and governed during thirty years by Sujieriors from the mother- house, it has its own edifying and interesting history, published within a few years past. It has also its recent 'foundations in the State of Maine. Many times and from various quarters the Ursulines of Quebec had been solicited to detach a branch from the i' ' vigorous old tree planted here two hundred and fifty years ago by the Ven. Mother Mary of the Incarnation. IT^ CONVENTS AT ROBBRVAL AND STANSTBAD 117 Our Mothers iiiul their ecclesiastical Superiors hail not foutul any one of the proposed fouiulation.s really o[)p()rtune, or uniting all the recpiisite conditions to ensure its stability and success, until a recent date, when circumstances peculiar and providential seemed to manifest clearly the will of God. At the same time it was a patriotic enter[)rise. The fiutile region around Lake St. .Fohu and some other parts of the Province being rapidly coloni/ed, the evil of emigration, had diminished which at one time threatened to depopulate the banks of the St. Lawrence. Along the Saguenay, and espe- cially along the fertile shores of that lake which has given its luuue to the whole region around it. Catholics had settled, and the population was on the increase, but destitute of institutions for religious education, beyond the common parish schools. There also was the Indian Reservation, and possibly an opportunity to benefit these ever wayward children of the forest. Was it not a repetition of the condi- tions which had brought the first Ursulinesto New France in 1639 ? Concurring with these inducements were other favorable circumstances : a numerous and well appointed novitiate, the prosperous state of our convent finances, the approval of ecclesiastical authorities, withheld on many other occa- sions, and, the unanimous consent of the community, wherein the ardor of enthusiasm was not wanting to fan the tlame and draw down the blessing of God, without which no good work can properly be commenced or be continued. The project of a railroad which would shorten the distance between Quebec and Lake St. John had long been agitated and would soon become a reality. The new bishop of Chicoutimi, Rt. Rev. Domini(iue Racine, on the I8th of February, 1881, with the approbation of His Grace the Archbishop of Quebec, proffered a formal demand f. I .;■ j: 118 REMINISCENCES OP FIFTY YEARS for the foundation of an Ursuline convent. Th(? project met the approv'tl of the conitnunity ; a convent shotikl ho founded. This nM|uir«!(l a journey to the Lake, to select ^he site of the future convent, and to decide upon tiie plan of its construc- tion. That journey was then far from heinj,' the iileasant trip which the railroad has nuide it. 'i no departure was fixed for the 24th of May, whei. Mother St. Catherine Tims, Supe- rior, Mother St. Geor«?e Vanfelsou, Depositary, and Mother St. Mary Cimon, Mistress-General, issued from the cloister, accompanied by Mrs. E. Gagnon, a sister of Mother St, Mary. The early morning hour did not prevent the party from being the object of an amicable demonstration, wherein former pupils, friends and relatives vied with each other in mani- festing their affection and their delight at this opportunity of presenting their kindest greetings. We need not follow the travellers to the Lower Town where they met with an ovation which threatened to prevent them from reaching the .steamboat in time to embark, nor ask what were their impressions as they sailed down the St. Lawrence, whose dark waters and pleasant borders they had seen before, but had never expected to see again. They noticed more especially the points which they had formerly visited, St. Paul's Bay, the Eboulements, so descriptive of its name, Malbaie, the native parish of one of the travel- lers, where loveliness and grandeur unite their attractions. Passing from the broad expanse of the St. Lawrence to the black waters of the Sagueuay, and remembering that in the olden times our first Mothers halted here at Tadoussac, they continue their voyage between stern and threatening cliffs till the steamboat whistle warns them that the wharf is near. Chicoutimi, the pride of cne Sagueuay river, is reached in time to hear mass, in the Bishop's church, on Ascension CONVENTS AT ROBERVAL AND 8TANSTEAD 119 day. The rest of the journey, some ninety miles, must be performed by liinil in priinitiv*! vehicles, suited to a rouj,'li roail through u wild and hilly country. Our travel- lers enjoyed the aspect of the growing parishes, St. Domini(|ue, Hebortville, St. Jerome, Pointoaux Trembles, and finally reached their destination. Here arches and banners saluted their arrival with the inscription.s ; " A thousand times welcome." "Blessed are ye who come in the name of the Lord". In a few days th»>. choice had baen made of a property at Roborval and the purchase concluded. The return toChicou- timi coinciding with the Feast of Pentecost, the nuns had the advantage of assisting again at the Pontiticil mass, cele- brated l)y Bishop Racine, who greatly rejoiced at seeing this fair commencement of the realization of his plans. The " welcome home "at the Old Monastery was naturally most joyous. Meanwhile, the dwelling-house purchased with the p'"o- perty was fitted up to serve as a temporary convent. Four of the Sisters named for the foundation repaired to Roberval to prepare for the ceremony of the installation, which was to take place in August. Already the Superior of the new community had been named ; it was Mother St. Raphael, nie Gagne : Mother St. Henry Dion was named assistant, Mother St. Francois de Paule Gosseliu, depositary. The other foundresses were Sister Mary of the Nativity Lt^tourneau, Sister St. Alexander Poitras, with two lay sisters, St. Joachim and St. Vincent. All were on the spot in readiness for their future labors, when on the 1st of August, 1882, in presence of Mother St. Catherine and Mother St. Joseph, the ceremony of the ins- tallation took place. The sky, as it should be on such an occasion, was unflecked by a cloud ; the lake spread out like '/ 120 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS a mirror was unruffled, save where the picturesque Indian canoe rippled its glassy surface. All around the Convent and along the road leading to it, a fresh young grove of fir- trees had risen as if by magic, with banner-crested arches at various distances and mottoes telling of joy and good wishes. At an early hour the Bishop of Chicoutimi who to-day witnessed the fulfilment of his ardent wishes, sang high Mass in the village-church surounded by a numerous clergy, the nuns being present. The good pastor. Rev. Jos. Lizotte, to whose zeal tlie Convent would ever be so much indebted, read the pastoral letter approving the foundation. A sermon worthy of the occasion was delivered by Very Rev. B. Leclerc, V. G., pastor of Hdbertville. After Mass, the blessing of a bell, the generous donation of a pious lady, Mrs. Wm. Muiray, of Toronto, one of the benefactresses of the Convent, gave occasion for many generous hands, and among them some of the Indian race, to offer their gifts. Dinner, prepared by the ladies of Roberval, is served by them to the clergy at the Convent. The final ceremony commenced at 3 o'clock P. M. Solemn Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in the village- church after which, in procession, the people, the nuns and the clergy proceed to the convent. When the new cloister is blessed, the prelate addresses a few touching words to the nuns who stand near him surrounded by the crowd, and invites them to take possession of their chosen habitation. Kneeling for his blessing, the Mother Superior receives the key from his hand, and joyfully followed by all the Sisters, disappears within the sacred precincts, which are henceforth a barrier between them and the outside world. From the adjoining chapel, now filled by the clergy, the bishop entones the hyma CONVENTS AT ROBERVAL AND STANSTBAD 121 of thanksgiving, the Te Deiim, which is responded to with joyful hearts by the little band who feel strengthened for the labors that await them. Meanwhile the bell already suspended aloft in the new belfry awakens the echoes along the lake shore with its first joyous vibrations. Thus was the young colony safely started, comfortably sheltered, its wants provided for, and its future success prepared. If at a later period a terrible and unforeseen disaster is sent them by divine Providence, it will be met with firmness and resignation. The difficulties and privations which had been wanting in the beginning, will now serve to manifest the solidity of the religious formation, and assure the durability of a work, which to be lasting, must be founded upon the cross. But let us not anticipate upon a distressing page of his- tory. Here we narrate the events of the foundation, not those of Jaunary 6th, 1897, which have rendered a restora- tion necessary. In gratitude to divine Providence, however, let it be recorded that the convent at Roberval has fully answered the expectations of all who contributed to its foundation. Its benefit to that section of Canada can hardly be over-estim- ated. From the beginning, its aim has been the welfare of the rising generation by f^ solid religious instruction, by form- ing them to habits of irvlustry, thrift and economy, to use- f! Iness and the social virtues which are the true basis of domestic happiness. In this view, the practical arts of an industrial school formed a part of their programme of teaching from the first opening of their classes. The pro.ximity of the Lake, which on the north forms the boundary of their cloister-grounds, affords the pupils an occasional sail upon its pellucid waters, if not for the rarer m %'(\ if pi- Ill' ' AX 122 REMINISCENCES OP FIFTY YEARS sport of a venturesome angling for the Ouananiche. In the convent grounds already young plantations of forest trees give promise of goodly shade, and fruit-trees offer the succu- lent plum, cherry and apple, while tiny wild-flowers still assert their right to blossom by the side of their more bril- liantly clad cultivated Howers in the convent garden. The industrial school would require a long description. It is the pride of our legislators who have willingly endowed it and who have not been sparing in their praise of its manage- ment. Here the resident pupils of the convent-school, or others who desire to follow this practical course only, are initiated into the secrets of the kitchen, the bake- house, the laundry and dairy ; here they may learn to spin and weave, to fabricate their own clothing or that of their household, to knit or sew in all the varieties which taste and leisure, as well as utility and economy, may suggest. The growing prosperity of the community will be suffi- ciently indicated by the mention of a new stone edifice of large dimensions added to their temporary convent in 1885 ; of successive additions to their number by the reception of novices, till they were sufficiently numerous for all the offices and even for a separate novitiate (1889). The same year a regular Bill of Incorporation, obtained from the legislature, has authorized them to govern their temporal affairs as an independent institution. UIISULINE CONVENT OF THE SACKED HEA.KT, STANSTEAD The southern borders of Canada, where they meet the Green Mountain State and New Hampshire, received their first settlements in the trying times of the American Revo- lution. Then, had each one to choose between the Old Flag of England, or the Stars and Stripes just unfurled in the ■ r- CONVENTS AT ROBERVAL AND STANSTEAD 123 colonies, and not a few loyalists passed the " Lines " and " hewed out for tliemselves new homes in the Canadian wilderness." All along the frontier, as I)r, Grant says, " the early Massachusetts pioneer transplanted to Canadian soil the old fartn-life of New England origin nowhere more evident than at Stanstead." The first opening in the magnificent forest which in 1796 still covered the })lain where now reposes the neat village of Stanstead, was made by the sturdy axe of one of these New England farmers, in search of a new home for himself, his wife and two children. The rustic dwelling of Johnson Tapliu was ere long replaced by a more comfortable mansion, and surrounded by the clus- tering houses of many neighbors of the same New England origin. To-day that elevated site in the centre of the plateau a mile square which constitutes Stanstead Plain, is occupied *by a handsome Catholic church, dedicated to the Sacred Heart. Lovely villas, comfortable residences, varying in style and dimensions with the taste or means of the owners, succeed each other behind a canopy of spreading maple trees, along the principal street of this Pearl of the Eastern Townships. The population, less than formerly at the present date, is stated to be r)80 souls, among whom and in the environs of the village are fifteen Catholic families. In 1874 this section of the Province of Quebec, including the counties of Sherbrooke, Compton, Richmond, and Stan- stead, was formed into a new diocese, the see being fi.xed at Sherbrooke. The first Bishop, lit. Rev. Antoiue Racine, soon had his seminary, under the patronage of St. Charles Borromeo, an academy for boys, and some other religious institutions. In 1883 the Bishop of Chicoutimi, Rt Rev. 124 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS Dominique Eacine had obtained the promise of an Ursuline convent for his diocese. Why should not Bishop Antoine Eacine be equally successful ? The locality selected for the future foundation in the diocese of Sherbrooke, was Stanstead. There, at a distance from the convents already established, were numerous families, mostly Catholics of French origin, destitute of schools in which their children could obtain the needful instruction in the tenets and [)ractices of their religion. The situation of Stanstead, besides, promised a wide field of usefulness. By railway communication, pupils might reach the convent from the neighboriug towns, as well as from the American cities which annnally send mauy young girls to study in Canada. In the flourishing village of the Plains there were doubtless many thoughtful matrons who would rejoice to confide their daughters to the nuns, whose influence in forming the character of their youthful charge as well as in refining their minds and manners is well known. Beyond the frontier, in the pretty hamlets and villages along the Con- necticut, and all through Vermont and New Hampshire, there are bevies of young girls belonging to Catholic parents, who, without coming as far north as Quebec, would be happy to find an Ursuline convent ready to initiate them to the same course as is pursued in the mother-house. With these considerations in view it was decided that Bishop Antoine Eacine's request should be granted. A suit- able tract of land, at a convenient distance from the village proper, was secured, and the handsome building destined to serve as a convent erected under the kind and able inspec- tion of good Father Michael McAuley, who contributed generously of his own funds towards defraying the expense of the foundation. CONVENTS AT ROBBRVAL AND STANSTEAD 125 The journeys reijuired on such an occasion were more pleasing than those that had been undertaken in the direction of Lake St. John. At one time the route chosen enabled Mother St. Catherine and Mother St. George to pass a day in the Ursuline Convent of Three Rivers, where it would be difficult to say which were the happier, the visitors or the visited. The Sisters named for the foundation were as follows : Mother Dion of Ste. Eulalie, Superior ; " McDonald of the Sacred Heart, Assistant ; " Mary Ldtourneau of the Conception, Depositary. The other members of the community were : Sisters Roy, Marie des Anges ; Murray, Mary of the Purification ; Coupal of Ste. Euph(5mie, Lindsay of St. Agatha, and two lay- Sisters, Ste. Luce and St. Roch. The elections in August (1884) having appointed Mother St. George Superior, and Mother St. Catherine Depositary, the latter was commissioned to proceed to Stanstead with a part of the little colony, in order to complete the ;ireparations for opening the new convent on the 18th of August. On the eve, an illumination transformed the pretty village into a fairy land, the entire population taking part in the rejoicings. On the following morning, it being the solemnity of the Feast of the Assumption, High Mass was celebrated iu the Parish church, by the most Reverend T. Hamel, V. G. rector of Laval University. An a})propriate sermon was deliv- ered by Very Reverend A. E. Dufresne, V. G., of Sherbrooke, in presence of Right Reverend L. Z. Moreau, Bishop of St. Hyacinth, and of some twelve or fifteen clergymen from the colleges and parishes in *"he vicinity as well of as the nuns. After mass an imposing procession was seen winding its way 'M > si \\ \"V^*nB*Fi", >f * W "7 126 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEAUS from the parish church to the new convent, while the chant of the Magnificat and the Ave Maria Stella, resounding' there for the first time perchance, awoke the echoes around with Mary's song and Mary's praise. Tlie l)lessing of the convent, and the solemn blessing of the people from the convent-balcony with the uplifted ostensory by the IJishoj) of St. Hyacinth, closed the morning ceremony of the instal- lation. Dinner, prepared and gracefully served by the ladies of Stanst(!ad, refreshed the goodly company before they dis- persed, leaving the nuns grateful to God fur this auspicious beginning, and grateful also t(; all who had shown so much cordiality and good will on this occasion. At six o'clock P. M. the keys of the conventual door are in the hands of Mother Superior ; the little family are now mistresses of the situation, freed from the importuiuties and useless interruptions of idle visits, while ready to welcome all who on business or on other useful errands would ring the convent door-bell. Already there was sufficient work before them in organ- izing a comfortable abode for themselves and their expected pupils, setting school-room furniture in place, preparing the sleeping apartments, kitchen, refectory and chapel, buying provisions, and returning thanks for the kind attention of their neighbors, who for many days kept them supplied with choice viands ready for the table without further application of the culniary art. The school opened on the first of September with a fair numb;^r of pupils : it has continued these fifteen years to enjoy the confidence of the public, drawing away pupils, at times, from the Stanstead female college, its rival, and even some few from the mother-house in Quebec. rr^^ ^WT CONVENTS AT ROBERVAL AND 8TAN8TEAD 127 The convent of the Sacred Heart ut Stanstcsad, after being under the direction of its first Superior six years has since been governed by Mother Mary of the Conceiition, with Mother St. Aloysius as her Assistant, and Mother Ste EuhiHe as Depositary. It has increased its dimensions by a second building, while its grounds })lanted during the first years with trees for fruit and shade are improving yearly in loveliness as well iis in usefulness. Other members have been added to their original number from the mother-house, and novices formed by themselves to the religious life have made profession. , There would be much to .say of the natural features of this region, where the Green Hills of Vermont and the more dis- tant White Mountains of New Hampshire skirt the horizon in one direction, while level plains intersected by winding streams, and rounded hills crowned with forest trees, vary the scenery in another ; of the salubrity of the climate, the bracing air, ever in nn)tion over these heights of land which separate the streams destined to bear their tribute to the distant St. Lawrence, from those that form the origin of the lovely Connecticut, Howing south to the Atlantic Ocean. But let us remark the nearer environs of the new convent, and we shall admire the modest stateliness of this home of the Ursulines, embosomed in verdure and surmounted by its graceful spire, " . tj •^1 Around which the swallows ohii p And robins sing at early morn, pointing heavenwards as if to remind us of the chief aim of our existence ; the ever growing attractions around in orchard, grove, garden and avenue, all perfumed with the breath of flowers ; the extensive lawn " carpeted so green and sweet ", 128 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS ending only at the precipitous edge of the little rivulet, the Toinfobia, which serves as a cloister-barrier on that side. These are the principal features of this peaceful and happy retreat, where science and religion, ever advancing hand in hand, shall shed a beneficent influence over all the vicinity, and far beyond the local horizon which sets a limit to our vision, but not to our wishes for the future usefulness and prosperity of this recent foundation, the Convent of the Sacred Heart. CHAPTER XVII VISITS OF ENGLISH GOVERNORS TO THE URSULINES DISTINGUISHED VISITORS Our readers have already remarked that the pupils of the Convent are afforded opportunities which not unfrequently would have failed them in their own lamilies, to approach very distinguished personages, to address them perhaps, and to listen to them discoursing untrammelled by the formalities of their official capacity. The visits of the representatives of our Gracious Sovereign especially, while they break the monotony of the school-routine, serve to awaken the attention of the pupils to the importance of many of their studies, while adding a page to history and a day to be recalled with pleasure in after years. Even the youngest of that group, selected perhaps to offer bouquets while they plead for a holiday, will be likely to associate with the pleasure they enjoyed, a name and a date which will be a land- mark on the fresh soil of memory. Neither should the preparation for an entertainment or the occasional reception of visitors be deemed a loss of time, ' VISITS OF ENGLISH GOVERNORS 129 when all things are properly ordained. Besides the formation of the manners of the pnpils by enforcing the rules of etiquette and the usages of society, the attentive teacher will find these occasions an excellent test by which to know the disposition, the defects, or the virtues of her youthful charge, thereby to aid tiiem in the dilliciilt task of moulding their character. But, returning from this digression, we may state it as a fact, that a visit to the Ursuline Convent has, from the earliest times, formed a ])art of the programme of Governors and other persons of high distinction when first entering the city of Champliiin, the old Stadacona, now called Quebec, which for so many years was the capital of Canada. We here recall to mind these distinguished visitors, omitting, however, in the receding vista the more distant figures, most amiable and courteous though they were. We can merely mention a Governor Bagot with Lady Bagot and their children, a Lord and Lady Elgin, so friendly in their visits or in presiding at a distribution of prizes ; a Sir Edmund Head, a Lord and Lady Monck. the latter revisiting the Convent with her daughters several times, assisting on one occasion at a nun's profession, and making it a duty to come and take leave of her " Ursuline friends " on the eve of her departure for England. The present chapter will give occasion to such of our readers as made the convent their home between the years 1868 and 1878, to revivify some pleasant pictures on memory's page by the mention of Lord and Lady Dufferin, whose first official visit they have not forgotten, nor perhaps the second, nor others, when they were accompanied by their family of lovely children. 130 HEMINISCENOBS OF FIFTY YBARB At the last visit of the distinguished Governor the young lady appointed to speak for the coinniunity, after expressing " unfeigned regret for his departure, profound admiration for his merit and gratitude for the favor of this and former visits," added " the warniest good wishes for liis safe return to his ancestral home, the ever undiminished pros- ])erity of his future career in which", she prophetically declared, "new duties and new honors awaited to add new lustre to a name already so distinguished." In answer His Excellency declared that he could not think of leaving Canada whithout spending a few moments under the venerable roof of the Ursulines, and bidding farewell to its in nates, paying many a graceful tribute to the institution, and dwelling in a manner whicli his own word and emphasis only would adequately render, upon "the self- sacrifice of the inmates of the cloister, and their generosity in giving up everything earthly for the training of the tender youth committed to their care," At the nuiment of departure he took occasion to tell the Su])erior, Mother Elizabeth Tims of St. Catherine, herself a native of the Emerald IsIl*, that he would not have ventured to return to Ireland and have to tell his wife that he had neglected the jtromise lie had made her a few weeks since — " that he would not leave Canada without bidding farewell to the Ursulines of Quebec." Thus closed the visit of Oct. 20th, 1.S78. We have devoted a page to theottioial visit of the Marquis of Lome (1879) ; but the Marquis preferred an informal visit, and with friends from Albion's Isle, just arrived in Quebec, more than once rang at the conventual door asking leave to show them tiie antiquities of the Old Monastery. On one occasion the Covernor's visit, coinciding with a religious profession, the relatives of the newly professed 'i! VISITS OF ENGLISH UOVBRNOKS 131 beinj^ known to the vict!rcj,'al purty, were adniittcil with His Excelluiicy iind his suito us well as two Aineriiian ladies sisters of two of the nuns ; and certainly of all the i:;uests, they naturally considered themselves the most fortunate '. Nor is it forii;otten in the Convent that, when in ISSG the Honor- able G. Ouiniet, visiting at the Kxposition in London, met the Munpiis and the Princess, "they spoke with interest of their friends in Canada, and sent kind messat^iis to the Ursulines." None (jf the (rovernors who have since b(!en nanieil to the high office have deviated from the programme adopted by their predecessors. Thus were received, in 1884, Lord and Lady Lansdowne, with little lady IJertie, seven years old ; in 1888, Lord and Lady Stanley; in 1893, Lord Montgomery Moore and the amialjle Ladv Moore. Lord and Ladv Aberdeen, with their interesting family, have likwise lioiior.'d the Monastery by repeated friendly visits, otficial or informal, presiding at the distribution of ]irizes when the ocasion has permitted, and in every way manifesting their high appreci- ation of the institution which Lord Dufferiu had called " the eldest daughter of science in America ". If we have not been able to give a 8e})arate piige to the receptions of our Lieutenant-tjovernors, we would at least not omit to mention their friendly readiness to make use of the yjrerogative of their dignity by visiting the cloistcp soon after their appointment to office. Our annals are equally faithful in recording the event, which is historical as well as social. Possibly it is more familiar, as the Governor's wife is likely to be a former pupil, already well known to ; I i 1 — Mrs. William Baldwin of North Stratford, N. H. aind Mrs. Sea- brook of Wasl ington, D. C. 182 REMINISCENCES OP FIFTY YEARS tho nuns and iilVectionately remmnbercd, oven as their own memory is faithfully kept in tlio sanctuary of her grateful heart. How many other distinguished personages have visited the Monastery whose names, had leisure yerraitted, it would have been a i)Ieasure to inscribe ! Ablegates ami I'upal Nuncios, missionary Bishops from Hong-Kong anil Vancouver, Archbishops and liishops from all thv great cities of the United States, not to speak of our own beloved Cardinal, nor the Archl)ishops and Bishops of the Domini llrauliiKH, we shall confine ourselves to those who finished their course before the year 1884, a period of thirty- three years dating from the first entry, in 1851. From the establishment of the Sodality in 1846 to its fiftieth year, 1896, the names of five hundred and sixty pupils, following the course of studies in our classes as boarders or half-boarders, have been inscribed on the list of (Children of Mary. This simple fact is already a certificate in favor of the yo\uig ladies thus distinguished. Of their fate in after years, of their trials or their consolations, of the good odor of their virtuous deeds, of their long life or early death, we are not alw.iys prepared to render an account; although we are aware that a considerable number have already passed through the vicissitudes of their earthly existence, and gone forth to that unknown country where we shall all one day be gathered. At this date, seventy-five of these Children of Mary are known to have entered the religious state, forty-two having made profession in the Old -.lonastery. Of these, more than half are still active laborers here, or in our two recently founded convents, some reckoning their twenty-five, thirty or more years of profession. Let us hope they may long be spared to cultivate the Vineyard of the Lord, and become as remarkable for their longevity as they are for their piety, zeal and usefulness. The first member of the Sodality who entered our novi- tiate was Miss AdMe Cimon, known in religion as Mother 134 REMINISCENCES OF FIFTY YEARS St. Mary. Of her lifo and labors we liavo givon a 8k(3tch as one of the Sii|i(!ri()r,s oF llio monastery. Ilor conjpanion of profession, JMavic Loni.sc l*roiil.\ of Ste. Jnlit;, is .still among tho lahorerd alhidtid to iibove. The next Ursuline from tho ranks of the Sodality was Miss Moni(Ni I'lante, a niece of our beloved Mother St. Gabriel. Admitted to orofession in ISoll Sister St. Stanislaus seems to hav(! followed the example of her holy patron, by her love of the rule and her lidelity to all the duties of the relig- ious state. Like him also, her short life was crowned by a holy and happy death. Following the footstejjs of Sister St, Stanislau.s and com- pleting her course likewise at the age of twenty-eight, we meet another sister-novice, MissGlaphyre Crosselin of St. Gertrude, received into (he Sodality in 1852, and admitted to profession as an Ursuline in 1857. Her memory is particularly dear to those who knew her Ix^st, her companions in the novitiate, or her juipils over whom she exercised the happiest iniluence. Five years after her profession, the bright coun- tenance which promised health proved — as only too often is the case — the prophecy of an early death. Consum])tion lurked beneath these fair apjjearances, and Mary had led her child into the cloister, only to assure her place among the virgin train whose entrancing song is the ilclight of Paradise. That none bi.t consoling thoughts are suggested by the last moments of beloved Sisters like these, may be seen by tho lines we subjoin, which were written after the death of dear Sister Monica Plante of St. Stanislaus. ^ ON THE DEATH OF DEAR SISTER ST. STANISLAUS. I 8ftw hor on lier dying bod, Tiuit meek nnd gentle one. She looked op. death without a fear, Well plensed her race waa run. I;' CHILDREN OP MARY, UNDKR THK HANNKR OK ST. URSULA 135 Sho 8we«tly .-smiloil, us tlioro she li'uiit Upon lior Saviour's l)r(>aat ; All inlaiit in its iiintlnM-'s unns TIhis (iiiliiily tiikt»s its rest. How (loar unto the Lord, tlioii>;lit I, Must ho tho hoiirt's fVosli l>looni, Since, in rowiird, such blossotl light Is slicid iii(mnil thc! ton that lifeless form, Nor start with dread or fear ; Is not the seal of blessedness Upon her hallowed bier? Say, is there not a holy spell Brooding this cloislered ground. As angels, with their clustering wings. This peaceful tomb surround ? And is there not, in such a scene, A power your hearts will own, A power to win you all to live, Like her. for God alone ? The two next Children of Mary early lost to us were our dear Sisters St. Isabella and St. Ignatius, known in the world as Miss Ellen Allan and Anna Neville, both of the city and both educated in our classes from their early years. Lovely in character as they were in person, none who were their companions as pupils can have forgotten their piety and good example, the charm of their conversation, the modesty of their address, their talents and application to their studies. The novitiate seemed the proper sphere for the unfolding of these lovely flowers, and the community had a right to anticipate much consolation in beholding the fruit of their holy lives and labors. •' ' ; -flwiy T Tr;,r.;?y^- 7p