IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I 1.1 11.25 WUil |U 116 I 7 o> r <%^ > Hiotographic Sciences Corporalion 23 WEST MAIN STRKT WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0 (716)872-4303 CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical IS/licroreproductions / institut Canadian de microreproductions historiqu« Tschnicai and Bibliographic Notaa/Notas tacltniquas at bibliographii^uaa Tha Instituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat originai copy avaiiabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may ba bibliographicaily unlqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction. or which may aignificantly changa tha uaual mathod of filming, ara chackad balow. □ Colourad covara/ Couvartura da coulaur r~n Covara damagad/ D D D D Couvartura andommagAa Covers raatorad and/or laminatad/ Couvartura raataurte at/ou pallicuMa rn Covar titia miaaing/ La titra da couvartura manqua r~n Colourad mapa/ Cartaa g^ographiquaa 9n coulaur Colourad inic (i.a. othar than blua or black)/ Encra da coulaur (i.a. autra qua blaua ou noira) nn Colourad plataa and/or lliuatrationa/ Planchaa at/ou lliuatrationa fi coulaur Bound with othar matarial/ RaliA avac d'autraa documanta Tight binding may cauaa ahadowa or diatortion along intarior margin/ Laraliura sarrte paut cauaar da I'ombra ou da la diatoraion la long da la marga intiriaura Blank laavaa addad during raatoration may appaar within tha taxt. Whanavar poaaibla. thaaa hava baan omittad from filming/ 11 aa paut qua cartainaa pagaa blanchaa ajoutiaa lora d'una raatauration apparaiaaant dana la taxta. maia, loraqua cala Atait poaaibla, caa pagaa n'ont paa «t« filmiaa. Thfl tol L'Inatitut a microfilm* la maillaur axamplaira qu'il lui a At* poaaibla da aa procurar. Laa details da cat axamplaira qui aont paut-Atra uniquaa du point da vua bibiiographiqua. qui pauvant modifiar una imaga raproduita, ou qui pauvant axigar una modification dana la mAthoda normala da filmaga aont indiquAa ci-daaaoua. r~] Colourad pagaa/ D Pagaa da coulaur Pagaa damagad/ Pagaa andommagiaa □ Pagaa raatorad and/or laminatad/ Pagaa raatauriaa at/ou pailiculiaa Pagaa diacoiourad. stainad or foxad/ Pagaa dAcolortea. tachatiaa ou piqui piquiak Pagaa ditachiaa Showthroughy Tranaparanca Quality of prir QualitA inigala da I'impraaaion Includaa aupplamantary matarii Comprand du material suppiimantaira Only adition avaiiabia/ Saula Mition diaponibia I I Pagaa datachad/ rri Showthrough/ r~1 Quality of print variaa/ I I Includaa aupplamantary matarial/ rn Only adition avaiiabia/ Pagaa wholly or partially obacurad by arrata •lipa. tiaauaa. ate. hava baan rafilmad to anaura tha baat poaaibla imaga/ Laa pagaa totalamant ou partiallamant obacurciaa par un fauillat d'arrata. una palura, ate, ont M filmiaa i nouvaau da fapon A obtanir la maillaura imaga poaaibla. Th« poi ofi filn Ori bat tha aid oth lift aioi or I Tht ahi T»\ wh Ma diH ant bai rigl raq ma Additional commanta:/ Commantairaa supplAmantairaa; Wrinkled pages may film slightly out of focus. Thia itam ia filmad at tha raduction ratio chackad balow/ Ca document ast film* au taux da reduction indiqu* ci-daaaoua. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X V 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X Th* copy fllm^ httr* Iim Imwi raproduoMl thanks to th« gmi«ro«ity of: Douglas Library Quaan's Univarsity L'axamplaira ffllmA fut raproduit grica A la g4n«roalt* da: Douglas Library Quaan's Univarsity Tha Imagaa appaaring hara ara tha bast quality poaaibia conaldaring tha condition and iagibillty of tha original copy and In kaaping with tha filming contract spacif icatlona. Original copias in printad papar eovars ara filmad baginning with tha front covar and anding on tha last paga with a printad or llluatratad Impras- sion, or tha back covar whan approprlata. All othar original copiaa ara filmad baginning on tha first paga with a printad or llluatratad Impraa- alon, and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or iilustratad impraaslon. Tha last racordad frama on aach microficha shall contain tha symbol — ^ (moaning "CON- TINUED"), or tha symbol y (moaning "END"), whichavar appllas. Laa Imagas auhrantas ont 4tA raprodultas avac la plus grand soin, compta tanu da la condition at da la nattat* da l'axamplaira film*, at an conformiti avac las condiitlons du contrat da filmaga. Laa axamplalraa originaux dont la couvartura an papiar aat ImprimAa aont flimte an commandant par la pramlar plat at an tarminant salt par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'impraaaloh ou d'illuatratlon, soit par la sacond plat, aalon la caa. Toua laa autras axamplairas originaux sont filmis an commandant par la pramlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'Impraaalon ou d'illuatratlon at an tarminant par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una talla amprainta. Un daa symbolas suh/ants apparattra fcur la darnlAra imaga da chaqua microficha, salon la cas: la symbols — »• signifia "A SUIVRE", la symbols V signlfis "FIN". Maps, platas, charts, ate, may ba filmad at diffarant raduction ratios. Thosa too larga to ba antlraly included In ona axpoaura ara filmad baginning in tha uppar laft hand corner, laft to right and top to bottom, as many framaa aa raqulrad. Tha following diagrama illuavrata tha mathod: Las cartas, pianchas, tableaux, ate, pauvant Atra filmte A daa taux da reduction diff Aranta. Loraqua la document aat trap grand pour Atra raproduit en un aaui clichA, il est fllmA A partir da i'angia supArleur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de haut en baa, en prenant la nombre d'Imagaa nAcaaaalra. Lea diagrammes suivants illustrant la mAthode. 12 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 . -I'-m i: - ■ THE AWFUL DISCLOSURES OF MARIA MONK, AND MYSTERIES OF A CONVENT. ^r^ m 4'*'^ ^'z'^j^Pf!^^!i^^^:^^i^if^ff^g^ i-'^!^,i^.^-t m-. ■ w .■■'f i^l ». ■*W*i««r.V«»dJ', AWDl DISCLOSURES OF MARIA MONK. AND THRILLING isd: STS •4 given tf OF A CONVENT REVEALED I PHILADELPHIA: X. B. psiEBsoir, 101, ORESssm nsm. ^t'^x\(0MiAy /hd .5 > ^ ^ % Preface. V iTlttobthopadfhalflMfMdwofllMMiMdiif BteniiiYt wmaolnfpoit. tbalttlM ft flotlQii, or tiMil the N«aM and ptnou thai Z hav* d«UiiMt«d, haanolawalwtotmoa. Itiaa]Md«iir0d,tbatthaaailioroftiilaTol«B« maybaNgaMadnoftaaaTOlimtaiy partidpator in fha Tiiy gnillif tnoii- •eHoiM wbioh an daaoiibed ; butnoaiTa qnnpathj for fha tiiala whlsh aha haaaadiuad, aadtha paonliar litaaUon in wbioh hor part aq^arianeof and oiaapa from tho powar of tha Saparior of tha HoM IMao Hmiiiarj, at Xob- tnal, and tha mm* of tba Boman Pritita In OmaJA, ha,v lafl bar, Uf IboUngi ara fraqnantly distw M ad and agltatad bf tba nooUaotlott ol what I bara palled thnmgh; and by night and bj day I hava Uttla paaaa of mind, and turn period! of oalm and pleaaing lefleetion. Fatuity alto appeaiB ^ineertain. I know not what zeoeption this little woik may meat with, and what will be tba eflfootof its pnblioation bate or in Canada, among ittangen, fHendi, or enemiea. I baTo given the world the tmih, •oftraa I ha?agone, on sabJeote of which I fin told tbey are genanlly if- noianti and Z &el perfbetconfldenoe, that any Iketi wbi<4i mayyet badia- ooveredf will oonflim my wordi wbenerer they oan be obtained. Whoerer shall explore the Hotel Dieu Nunnery at IContreal, will And wKLoestion- Oble evidence that the desoriptioni of the interior of that edifloe^ given in this book, were fiimished by one fimiliar with them } for whatever altera- tions may be attempted, there are obaages wbioh no mason or oarpenter oan make and effootoally oonoeil; and therefore there must be planttftil evidence in that Institution, of tha truth oT my desoription. Than araJliving witnesses, also, who ought to bemada to speak, withoul fbiir of ptnanoes, torturei^ and death, and possibly their testimony ataoma ft:.tare time^ nuqr be added, to oonflrm my statementa Them aza witnesses ^I should greatly njoioe to see at liberty; or rather there nwra. Arathoy Uvtsgnowt orwillthey ba permitted to live after the Priests aadSupe- rioia have seen this bookt Perhaps the wretehednuna in tha oaUs have aliaady soffnad for my sska— pariiaps Jane Bay has bean sDaaaed Ibraver, «r win be murdered, befoia dmhaa timatoaddlisrmosi important tisti* ^Qeedy death in relation only to this woild, can ba no great ealam- itytattoaawholeadflwlifoofanmk The mevaraeoUeetlott of It always imemlacraUe. It would distress tha readir, ihonU I repeat tha % 30^*5 .:;^S2a FnAuMk wMkwUakZmoflHilMrifltdatalgMt ftt Z BjrMlf pwnMd hf Ih* w«nl mmbImi fNVMBtty I tmm m tt ffiA ahat «piaih»OM?tBt| oft«iXlauiglMiByMlfpnMaltttk«nf«IUIoa«f th« wsolMMMilhiitZlMVtJdBtodatordMoribtd. •omtltmM Z itead bf tk* •teralplaMoriDtanuBtlatlMedlart fooMtimM Z think I oui hMurlh* ■hiliks«fthalMlpUMfbiBalMiBtlMluui4iof atrodoui bw ; MidMBM- tlB«alinoiliMm MiiuUyto look ■fdn upoa th«MlmM>d pkwIdllMF InrM of Bt. IhmoMy m dio appoond whon rairoandod ky bor nohUnn. Z flMBol haaUh Iho ao«MO aad duurkolor of thli book flrom my atmotj. ToBotlOMMTor onpctt UkoMi MnailDff fUblo, or loM lUlaiiiwIaad toportMioOi Thoitorjis OMwbkh !• oontlniMUy boforo m«^ Midmiiil ntoni frMb to nj mind, with polnftal «iiiollon% m long m Z Uto. With' tinii^aad O bii i t to n iMtrnotloa, and tht lympfttbj ud oamploo effho wiM Md good, Z bopo to loom nibmiiilvoly to bOMTirbatmr trUlf aro ap- pointod moi and to Improro undor tbom alL ZaprMMdaaZ oonttnoallj am with tbo Mi^ttalnaUty of tbopalnlbl oommnkatloiui that Z bato mado in tblavolnmOy Z can only oflir to All ponona wbo may doubt or dlibelloTt my itaUmontt, thoM two thlnga t— Fmnilt mo to |0 tbrongb tbo Hotel Dion Nunnery at iContraal, with aomo Impartial ladloi and gentlemen, tbat they may comparo my aooount with tbo Interior parte of the building, into wbioh no penoni but the Bo- man Biahop and Pilcoto are eror admitted; and if they do not And my do- Boilpliontmet thM dieoard me ae an impoetor. Bring me before a eonrt of Juatloo—tbere Z am wiUlngto meet Zatargut, D^fttm*, FhtUm^ JMilik, anA SUkqri$t and their wicked companioni, with the Superior, and any of the nnna,' beftwe a thonmnd men. VABIAMONX. Jf(NO 7ort,JaiitM»yll| 183fk .^4 iftht BOIJ« Iaa4 With' kffbt ••P- ilBltal toAU It— ' wUb lonnt iBo- f dt« Mnirt ■ay ,. AWFUL DISCLOSURES OF ohafubb I. SABLT siooujMnoira. BmIt lifb— Rallriou EdoMtion MglMted-— Flnt School— Entmnot taito tTi« BoMol of the Oongngatlonal Nnnnerj— Brief Account of the NnaaeriM In Montreal— The OongregfttUnud Niumery— The Blaok Nunnery- nie Orqr Nannerjr— PnbUo Beipeot for theie Inititatione— InitroolMni f»* oelTed— TheOateohiim— The Bible. Mt puvnto wer« both from Scotland, bat had been roridont in the Lower Ganada lomo time before tneir marriage, which toolc flaoe in Montreal, and in that city I hare spent moit of mj life, waa bom at St. John's, where they lired for a short time. My father was an officer nnder the British GoTcmment, and mj mo- ther has enJoTed a pension on that account ever since his death. According to my earliest redolleotions, he was attentiTe to his family, and had a peculiar passage from the Bible, which often occurred to me in after life. I may yerv probably have been taught by him, as after his death I did not recollect to haTcre- ceiTcd inj initruotion at home, and was not even brought unto read the Doriptnres ; my mother, although nominally a Protes- tant not being accustomed to pay attention to her children. She was rather Inclined to think well of the Oatholics, and often at- tended their churches. Tomy want of religious instruction at home, and the ignorance of my Oreator and mr duty, which was its natural effect, I think lean trace my introduction to couTents^ and tiie scenes which I am to describe in the following narrattTe* When about six or soTcn years of age, I went to school to a Mr* Workman, a Protestant, who taught in Sacrament street, and re- mained scTeral months. There I learned to read and write, and arithmetic as far as division. All the progress I ever made in those branchee was gained in that school, as I have never Impro- Ted la anj of them mice. A numoer of girls of my acquaintance went to school to the nans of the Oongr^pttional Nunnerv, or Sisters of Oharity, ae th^ are sometimes called. The senools tanght by them are per- haps more nnmerons than some of my readers may imajpne. Kuns afo sent out from that oonventtomany of the towns and TQlagee ci Canada to teach small schools ; and some of them are established as instructresses in different parts of the United States. WhenJE waa about ten years old, my mother asked me one day If lAoudiiotlilwtoleajrntoreaaaiia write French, and iheni 7 ^:^' 8 iwM Bi8oIiMnix8B lirwii>ww iljataaaifc-. IwM BisQioBnxqi of Xarla XbnL 9 thoaeof th« OongrsgatioiMl Nonnery: th^ do jiot oonfln* fham «lw«yi wittdn their walla, lik« thoM of th« Black Nonnafj. Thaao two OonTenta hare their commou naiaaa (Black and Ghraj) from the coloara of the dreaaea worn by their inmatea. In all theae three Ckmrenta there are certain apartmenta into which atrangera can gain admittance, bnt otherafrom which they are alwaya exdudea. In all, large quantitiea of variona oma« menta are made by the nnna, whicb are expoaed for aaie in the OmameiU BooaUf and afford larj^e pecuniary receipta every year, which contribnte mnch to their income. In theae rooma. Tiaitora often pnrohaae anoh thinga aa pleaae them, from aome of the old and confidential nuna who have the charge of them. Vtom all that appeara to the public eye, the nuna of theae Oon- Tenta are deyoted to the charitable object appropriated to each, the labour of making differenbarticlea known to oe manufabtnr- ed by them, and the religiona obaerrancea, which occupy a large portion of their time. They are regarded with much reapeot by the people at large; and now and then when a novice takeathe TciL ahe ia auppoaed to retire from the temptationa and trouble of thia world into a state of holy secluaion, where, by prayer, aelf* mortification, and good deeds, she preparea herself for heaven. Sometimes the Superior of a Oonvent obtains the character of working miracles: and when such an one dies, it ia published through the country^ and crowds throng the Oonvent, who think indnlgences are to be derived from bits of her dothea and other thinga she has possessed ; and many have sent articles to be touched to her bed or chair, in which a degree of virtue is thought to remain. I used to participate in such ideas and feelings, and began by degrees to look npbn a nnn as the happiest of women, and a Oonvent as the most peaceful, holy, and delightful place of abode. It is true, s6me pains were taken to impress such views upon me. Some of the priests of the« Seminary often visited the Congregational Nunnery, and both catechised and talked with na on religion. The Superior of the Black Nunnery adjoining, also, occaaionally came into the school, and enlarged on the ad- vantage we enjoyed in having such teachers, and dropped some- tUngnow and then relating to her own convent, calculated to make na entertain the highest ideaa of it, «nd make ua sometimes think of the jpossibility of getting into it. Among the instructions given to us by the priests, some of the most pointed were directed againat the FrotestantBible. They often enlarged upon the evil tendency of that book, and told us that but for it many a soul condemned to hell, and suffering eter- nal punishment, might have been in happiness. Thej could not aav anything in its favour ; for that would be speaking against religion and against Otoi. They warned ns against its woe, and- repreaented it as a thing very dangerous to our souls. In confir- mation of this, they would repeat some of the anawera tauaht na at catechism ; a few of which I will here give. We had little cateohisma, ("Lea Fetita Oatechismes") put into our hands to atady ; but tne priests soon began to teach us a new set of an- awera, which were not to be found in our hooka, from aome of which I have received new ideas, and got, as I uionght, impor- tant light on religious subjects, which confirmed me more in my belief m the Boman Oatholic doctrines. Those questions and an- awera I can atill recall with tolerable accuracy, and aome of them I will add here. I never have read them, aa we were taught them only by word of mouth. 10 kMfi& Mstkit^tmMW^ ^'^^' *'iiimUmt,'Potq!aeiUUm JUtaa'ftpM fill ton lit «omiiuad«- flMiiaf*^<*iZ0VeitM. PlMMqmVhomBMa'MtipMaii iort^a'il p^tnHw tout MM oi>miiMi|d«m«iu.'' ^ ** QiUMtion, Ytlty did not God mi^ all Um oomouuidiiMats P" — "^«M00r. Beoaaw man ii not ftrong «noiigh to kaep tham.*'^ And ADothor : ** Q. Poraaoi I'liomma na lit pM I* BTaogila r'«r^ "A, Paraa qoa I'ei^rtt dfrl'lkomme aittropbrania at tropfaiUa. poor ooinnreadxa iqa'aat oa qoa Diea a dcrit." ** Q. Why aia men not to zaad tha New Testament ?*-^**4k Baoanaa tha mind of man ia too limited and weak to andajnrtanicV what God haa written/' Thaiaqnastionaand.answanaranot to ba found in thaaoo^- mon cataehiema m naa in Montreal and oth^ places where I iMKve beoi, hnt all the ohildi|sn in the Ooogre^tioaal Nunnery waca taught thenii and many more not found in these hooka* ; OHAFTEBH. OONOBBaATIOirAL MUANJSKT* Story told by a Fellow Ftt|dl against a Priast -Other Storlea-^Pretty Mary --Oonfessto Fktthar lUobitrds^My subsequent oonfesdoa— Instmo* tions in the Catechism. Thxbb waa a girl thirteen years old whom I knew in tha achool; who resided in the neighbourhood of my mother, and with whom I had been fanuliar. She told me one day at school, of tha<»n<» duct of a priesewith her at confession, at which I was astoiush* ed. It waa of so crimiinal and shameful a nature, I could hardly^ belieye it, and yet I had so much confidenoe that she apokatha truUk, mxat I could not discredit it. • ^ She was partly persuaded by the priest to believe he oonld not ■in, because he was a priest, aod that anything he did to half would sanctify her ; and yat she seemed somewhat doubtful how she should act. A pdeaL she had been told by him, ia a holy man, and appointed to a holy office, and therexore what would be wUdced in other men, could not be so in him. She told ma aha had informed her mother of it, who expressed no anger nor ^a* approbation; but only enjoined it upon her not to speak of it ; and remarked to her, aa priests were not like men, but holy, aaa aeut to instruct and aav a us, whatever they did waa right. ^ I afterwards coofessed to the priest that I had heard tha alory, and had a penance to perf onnior indulging a sinful ourioaity m nuJEing inquiries; and the girl had another for oommunioatingit* I afterwards learnt that other children had been treated in tha same manner, and also of similar proceedings. Indeed it was not long before such language was used to me, and I well remembi.£ how my views of right and wrong w«a shaken by it. Anothw girl at the school, from a place above Hontiaal, ealled the Lac, told me the following story of what haA ooeurvad recently in th^ vioinitv. A young squaw, oaUad Jla Belle Harie, (vnttj Mary,) had Seen seen gomg to oonfeanon ai tha house of the pnest, who lived a little out of thevillaga. Xa BsllaMuia waa afterwards missed, and her mtutderad body waa found in ttia river. A knife waa also found bearing the priast^a nama. Great indignation waa exdted among thalndii^^and the ptieat iaunadiatuy absoondad, and waa never heacd ficoaou A note waa found oa hiitaUa addressed to him, tolling him tofly, if ha waa galltf. V- ipp .i '!>liAia'JII»U.)^ilitf»Mja^ ■>! at/^-^ -''til MM Mg/f^^mm of Ibria lonL 11 V ■>A . UwM fonpoNdtiuil; " pilait wm taaieEiil fluit Ui Modnol might be b«n»7«d bjf thkA jroiuiglnulA; sad he nndartook to dMur bimMlf Iqr kflling hur. ThMtitat IgndoallT htgwtoleel diflarantlj, «T0a tappodng them tnie, and tolO(»: upon the prieete li men inoapable of no. ; berides. when I flnt W«Bt to oonfaMi whieh I did to lather lEUohmrde in the old SVeneh cihnxdh, linoe tajcen down, I heard nothing improper ; and it was not vntil I had been Mveraltimei that the priens beeamemore and more bcdd. and were at length indecent in ttieir aueitiona, •ad even in ueir ocndnot when I confessed to them in the Sa- etiirtii. Thia sabiect, I believe, it not understood nor sospeeled among Fsrotestants ; and it is not my intention to speak of ft T«rj partieidaily, because it is impossible to do eo wtttiout saying things both shameful and demoralising. Z will only say here, that when quite a child, I heard from the months of the priests at oonf ession what I cannot repeat, with treatment oorroMponding ; and scTeral females in Oanaaa have aa> sored me that they have repeatedly, and indeed regularly, been VMuired to answer the same and other like questions, many of wMiii meseiit to thtf mind deeds which the most iniquitous and oormpt heart could hardly iuTent. There was a frequent diange of teachers in the school of the Nunnery, and no regular system was pursued in our instruction, niere were many nuns who came and went while J was there, bdng frequently called in and out without any perceptible rea- son. They supply school teachers to many of the country towne, usually, two to each of the towns with which I was acqutdnted, 4»esid6S sending Sisters of Oharity to many parts of the United States. Among those whom I saw most was Saint Fatridk, an old woman for a nun, that is about forty, very ignorant and groM in her manners, with quite a beard o& her face, and Tecy ^tou and disagieeable. She was sometimes our tearaer in sswing^ •ad was appointed to keep order among us. We were allowed to enter only s few of the rooms in the Oongregational Nunneqr, although it was not conridered one oi the secluded OouTMits. In the Black Nunnery, whieh is rery near the Oongregatianal, is aa ho«pital lor sick people from- the city ; and sometimes sonw cf our boarders, such as were indisposed, were sent there to be cured. I was once taken ill myself and sent there, where I re- maiaedafewdays. * ~ There were beds eaough for a oonsiderable number more. A physician attended it dauy, and there are a number of the TeQed nuns of that GOnrent who spend most of their time there. These would also sometimes read lectures and repeat prayers toui* After I had been jfat the Oongregational Nunnery about two rmn, I left it, aad attended scTend different schools for a short nmt. But I soon beeame dissatisfied, haTing many and sever* Mais to endure at home, which my feelings will not aUow me to deamibe : aad as my Oatholio acqnaiatances had often spoken ta m« fai ftfotur of thor faith, I was inoUned to belieTe it true, al* thottgh, as I before said, I knew little of any religion. While ovi of tte annaery, I saw aothing of religion. If JK^had, Z belianra I li 3«IdiM(fsr haTO tho^^fat of beeoaung • noo. .1 a! .W. -S 18 IvM BiaoilosQni of ][id& lloukt /^ OHAFCBB m. B&AODK I I UJ I Maii r . SMgantttwi to beflome a Norloe in fhe Blaoik NunnnT— AitnuMe-Ooon- Mttoni of tho Norloet— The apartmenti to whicb thogr h«d aaeow Firak interview with Jane Bay— BoTerenoe for tha BoMrior— ▲ wen* darftil Hun— ^Ber reliqaee— The Holj Good Shqpheid, or NumImi Nnn— Oontadon of Movioee. As leoffth I detennioed to become a Black Nun, and called upon one of ue oldest priests in the Seminaxy, to whom I made known myintention. The old priest to whom I applied was IVither Socqae. Be is ■tin aliye. He was at that time the oldest priest in the SMninaxw, and carried the Bon Dien, Good God, as the sacramental wafer is called. . When going to administer it in any country place, ha used to ride with a man before him, who nuijg; a bell as a signal. When the Oanadians heard it, ^hose habitations he passed, they woidd come and prostrate themselves to the earth, worshipping it as a God. H6 was a man of g^reat age, and wore large cnrl% so that he somewhat resembled his predecessor, Father Bone. Ho was at that time at the head of the Seminaxy. This Institntioa is a large edifice, situated near the Oongrecntional and Black Nunneries, being on the east side of Notre Dame Street. It is the generu reudezvous and centre of all the priests in fho dis« trict of MontrMil, and I haye been told, supplies all the countiy as for down as the Three Bivers, which place, I befiere, is under the charge of the Seminary of Quebec. About one hundred and fifty priests are connected with that at Montreal, as erery small .place has one priest, and a number of larger ones haTO two. Father Bgoque promised to converse with the Superior of fho GouYcnt, and proposed my calling again at the end of two we^i. at which time I visited the Seminary again, and was introducea by him to the Superior of the Black Nunnery. She told me she must make some inquiries, before she could give me a decided aiiswer, and proposed to me to take up my abode a few days at the house of a French family in St. Lawrence suburbs, a dimant part of the city. Here I remained about a fortnight; dniing which time I formed some acquaintance with the famiiy^partU oularly with the mistress of the house, who was a devoted Fiapisl^ and had a high respect for the Superior, with whom she stood on good terms. Atlengch. on Saturday moming about ten o'clock, I called, and was admitted into the Black Nugnery as a novice, mncd^ to my satisfaction, for I had a high idea of life in a Convent, se- cluded, as I supposed the inmates to be, from the world^aad'S^ ito evil influences, and assured of everlasting happiness in heai* ven. The Supenor received : room, where the novices, who i were assembled, and engaged iu their customary occupation tewing. Here were about forty of them, and they were collected In groups in different parts of the room, chiefly near the windows; out in each group was found one of the veiled nuns of tiie oon* Tont, whose abode was in the interior apartmehis^ to which no liovioo was to be admitted. As we entered, the Snperior inform* •d fhe assembly that a new novice had oome^ and sho doatoed •nw one piesMit who might havo known mo in fhowocldlo/rif> nifyitt ouox everiastmg happiness in heai* me, and conducted me into a laigo are called in French, PostidanfMk 1 in their customary occupation of >; :V WWiWiMPMiPiii . jtf'«f1lkMU.1im,iMUi4J>J »ii..UV4^ «,; :.2.« ^vw" BiiolioBtiiai of Hbsik MosIm 13 , . TmoWmWmmmmimBAmUimBawuA. fcom 7anB0Bl» wbo iMd bin aoqr Mlow^mpib in th* Oongftfaftioiwl Nmmaiy, I WM fhcn plMed ia one of ths noBM nUhedbyanvn, Mllad MiBW B flo^ niiow*ini| lyvtoogiilMdBi . , •IftdiiMaMfMmithaiii, and fanUhed . CMOda^wlthouitiriAlitomalMnpan^iaoh m pciMto nit to •■ay^fteoonMontodwafaruitWhMiihaj go to adminiilv Ih* aaonaMnt to tiio ildc. IwonnmembormyfMlingtatflwItfnKk riMng nBMmg n numbor of ttnHigon, and «zpeotinc with painiol •nsii^ tho aniTal of tlie dinnevbhovr. Thon, mi know, om- oioniM won to bo porfonned, thoui^ for wbiob I wm but SQ pn> puid. Ml bad not 70I hoard fho ralei by which I was to bo go* Tmod, and know nothing of tho fuma to bo lopoated in tho dittlf •nraiioi, oKoopttho oread in Latin, and that imporfoetly. This waadoiing tho timo of leotoation, aa it if oalloa. Thoonl/n- oraation ttioro aUowed, howoTor, ii that of tho mind, andofthii thoroia bnt littlo. Wo wom kopt at work, and pormitted to ipeak with oaoh othor only in hoaiing of tho old nans who sat by ns. Wo pcoooodod to dinner in oonpUw^ and ato in sUenoo whiloaleMora waaroad. The noTioea had aoooM to only eight of tho apartments of tht OonTont ; and whateTor else wo wuhod to know, wo oonld only eonjoetnra. The deeping room was in the seoond story, at the ted of tho western wing. Tho beds were plaoed in rows^ with- out ooHaina or any thing else to obstmot the Tiew ; and in ono earner wasa small room partitioned off, in ifhioh was tho bed of a idght-watoh, that is, the old nnn who was appointed to O T s r ssa nsfortheniffht. In oaoh ndo of tho partition were two holes^ throoghwhion she oonld look ontnpon as whenoyor she pleased. Her bod was a littlo raised aboTO the level of tho others. There waa a lanq;> hong in tho middle of oar dhamber, Kthieh showed ivecything to her Tory dittinotly ; and as she had no light in her littlo roon^ wo never oonld peroeiYO whether she was awake or idoM^ As Wo knew that tho slightest deviatirn from the rolea Wonld ezpoao ns to her obserratfon as well as to that, of onr omm* paBions,inwhomitwasavirtaetobetray ono another's fanlti^ oontinnal ekposore to saflOr what I dUAiked, and had my mind 00- onpiedin thinking of what I was to do. next, and what I mnst avoid. Though I soon learned the rales and oeiemonies we had topasiLwhioh wore many, and wo had to' bo very particular in their observanoe, we wore employed in different kinds of work while I waa a novioe. The most beantifal speoim«B of tho nan's mannfat^nro whioh I saw, was arioh oarpet made of fine wonted, ithioh had been began before my aoqnaintanoo with the Ctonveni^ and was finished while I waa there. TUs was sent as a present to the King of England, as an expression of gratitado for tho money iannally rooeivea from tho government. It was about forty yards in length, and Tory handsome. Wo were ignorar^ of tho amount of isioney thus reoeived. Tho Convent o J! tho Gfoy Nuns aa also reodvad funds from tho sovemmml^ thouf^ on some aotount or other, had not for levoral years. I was sitting by a window ai one time with a giri named Jano .IFOt^.whononoof thooUnunaoamo up and apokotousin* tono of liveliness and kindness, whioh seemed strange in a phw^ what* evesy thing appeared ao sold and reserved. SomorttnaslEa iibieh dia made wore evidently intended to ohoor and eaeonraga 4i%ndaudaaathink that aha felt aoma interaat in mew lao M^ffaooOoetiHkatBhoaaidtbutlrsmambaritgavo me ^eaaura* ■:.ti:'t» 14 AwM BfiddBOiHi of Ifuit Xioiib laltoMmealwrfluithsraaiiiiwi ilnwk n* iiiifvUrij. 8ha wuy»tltar'oldfovaBvn->flMt ia. pcobaUy tUrfy; hm igvM UKt^btrfMtwri^dadySadlMrdfMioaralMt. SoeMMMdalio taMiiiid«rle«TCttniiittliMithooth«n, Mid tUt I ftlltnrMilt ftrand WM th* oaie. She lometimM 0fwi Mt tht rnlMatdaAaaft. Am would ipMlc aload whan lilenoe wm veqnirtd, tad kwmk tiai6k walk «bo«t wh«a the ought to ham kept h«r idaM t iho woqIcI ercn lay and do tbinga on murpoaa to inake ua bagh, and, although often blamed for hir ooadaoi, had her offencea fraattant- Ij pa w ad OTer, whan othera would have bean pvniahed with pan* I learnt Uiat thia woman had alwaya liaea dngnlar. She i would oonseotto takeaBainVanamaonreoeiTingtheTeiltandhad alwaja been known by her own, whioh waa Jane Bay. Her if* ragniaritiea were {oandto be nnmexooa, andpenanoea were oi ao little QM in gOTaming bar* tl>«t ahe waa pined by aome, who thought her partially insane. She waa, therefore, oommonlr apokenof aa mad Jane Bay ; and when ihe oommitted a faulty ft waa apologised for by tiie Superior or other nuns, on umi ground that aha did not know what aha did. The oooupationa of a novice in the Black Konnery are not aoiA aa aome of our readers may suppoae. They are not employed in atudying the higher brandies of education : they are not wid toianhar; die did not mingle with the other nun^ d^arat w«dL woiah^ or maala; for aba had no need of food, nnd not only her aanl, bnt bar body, waa in he a v e n n great part olhaff Whntadded,if poa^Ui^to thamfsiaoei aBdnvatflOoan '''■'•'■ fu'rk'Ti AifM xyaolBBnrai of lUaAi Ibnic Iff vm with wliieb I fhonght of hu, wm Um iMt I leanitd, that ih* haAaonuM. The titlM natd in raaddng of hM' wofo, tho hoi j Mial wvoNBd mother, ot Mlat Doa peateor, (the hoty gooa Ifleirondeifal thetweooald IwTe oairied our levennoefor ' Ike Superior lo fer m we cUd| althoogh it waa thedireettandenof el many imtmetioiia aiid regulationi, inc||ped of the whole ars- lem, to permit, eren to f oater. a raperatitioaa regard for her. Oae ef va waa oeeaiionally oalled into her rooin to eat her aaila, or drew har hidr ; and we wonld often eoUeot the dippino, and aia> tribate them to each other, or pieMrre them with the utmoat eare. I onoe picked up all her itray hairal oould find after oomb- ii^ her head, bound them together and kept them for aome time, •ntU aha told me I waa not worthy to poaaeaa thinga ao aaontd. Jane ITOoy and I were onoe aent to alter a dreaa for the Supe- lior.. I gathered up all the bita of thread, made a little bag, and put them into it for aafe preaerration. Thia I wore a long time loond my neok, ao long, indeed, that I wore out a nambw of lirinffaL whieh i remember I had replaeed with new onea. 1 be- lieved it to poaaeaa the power of removing pain, and haTO often prayed to it to oure the tooth-aohe, &o. Jane Bay aometimea pro- zeaMd to outdo na allin devotion to the Superior, and would pick- up the f eathera after making her bed. These ahe would diatribute among ua, aaying, ** When the Superior diea, relica will begin to grow acaxoe, and yon had better aupply yonraelTea in aeaaon." Then ahe would neat the whole matter in aome way to torn it into ridio^e. Equally oontradictorv would ahe appear, whmi oo« eaaiomally ahe would obtain leave from her Superior to tell h«r dreama. With a aerioua face, which aometimea impoaed upon all of oa, and made na half bdieve ahe waa in a, perfect atate (A aano* titjr, ahe would narrate in Frendi aome unaoeonntable viaion which ahe aaid ahe had enjoyed ; then turning round, would iay, ** There are aome who do not underatand me ; you auooght to be informed." And then ahe would aay aomething totally different in Buflrfiah, which put ua to the greatest agony lot fear of laugh* inc. Bometimea ahe wonld say ahe fxpe^bed to be Superior her- aau ona of thoae day% and other thinga whkdx I have not room to lepeat. While I waa in the Oongregational Nunnery, I had gone to the pariah ehvrdh whenever Iwaa to confesiL for although the nuna' had a private oonfeaaumoroom in the building, the boarders were taken in partiea through the atreeta, on different day a, by aome of the nuna^ to confeaa in the church ; but in ^e Blaek Nutmeg, aa we had a diapel. and prieata attending in the oonfeaaional% we never left the building. Our oonf esaions there aa novioea were alwaya performed in one Wi^, ao that it may be aufftcient to describe a aingle eaae. Thoae dt tn who werii to oonfeaa at a particular time^ took onr plaoea ou our knees near the confeaaion-lMn, and, after Lairing repeated m aamber of prayer^ &c,iffeacribedni our book, came up one at a time and kneebd beaide a fine wooden lattiee-wcvk, whiA an* tilibr aeparated the aonfeaaor from ua, yet pwmitted na to place out iaeee almoat to hia ear, and neariy oonciealed his countenance utm onr view, even when ao near. I reeoUect how the nricBta vioi to leeliiia their heads on one side, and often aoveiea th«br ftMB with fhsir handkerehiefs, while they heard me conlase my iiai, iadpnt fn es ti o n s to b% which wesaoftanof themocfia^ 18 kwMllMmm of Xttia look licoMc m4 nvoltbi iuikm% naming erinMi boOi wnHbooAM <|C uuinlranuui. StOVitimnmM lftBajMMn,IwMpinaii3tdto MIST* that aU tUawca tSatodaty^orat laastthatit waidana without ain. Tailad nnna wonld oftan appaar in tha dhapa! at aonfaadon; uIirIe«8edwlthth»OonT«nt~Left it-Beddente at St. Deals— Belles— Msrriage-^Betum to the Black Nannery— Objeotioni mads by soma Kovlcw. - ArsKSk I had been a no^ee four or five years, that is from tha time I commenced school in the Oonrent, one day I was treated by ona of the nuns in a manner which displeased me, and be* cause I azprassed some resentmeut I was required to beg her pardon. Js^t being satisfied with this, although I complied with the command^ nor with the coldness with which the Superior treated ma, I determined to quit the Oonvent at once, which I did without asking leaye. There would have been no obatada to my departure, I presume, novice as I then was, if I had asked permission ; but I waa too much displeased to wait for tha^ and went home without speaking to any one on the subject. I soon after Tisitea the town of St. Denis, where I saw two young ladies with whom I had formerly been acquainted in Mbn" treal, and one of them a former school-mate at Mr. Workman'a School. After some conversation with me, and leuming that X bad known a lady who kept a school in the place, they advised me to apply to her to be employed as her assistant teachar; lor she was wen instruotiag the government school in that place. I visited her, and found her willing, and I engaged M onca aa her assistant. Tha govemment'sodety paid her £20 a year ; aha waa obHgad to teach tan ohildren gratnitously; might have fifteok pence a month, about a quarter of a dollar, for each tan acholara mora^ and than she waa at liberty, according to tha regnlatimis, to de- mand aa mnoh aa she pleased for the other pupils. Tha oommac^ faistraotiim aa tequired by the aociety, embraeed only-caa^ttag, writing, and what waa called dphering, though I thmk imoKM*' pariy. Tha only hooka nsadwaraan|Miling.r &istraoticmi:da]a Ja«nasaa» tha OathoUa Kew Teatamen^ and T ffistoira 6»Ouum da. Wbenthaaa hadbaan zaadthroogb, in regular soieMmi^ 1i 1 I I 3 I 1 1 - a ti 9 s « lijjWiftititlirii ivft} Wwdmitt of XMa ^1^ 17 ^fjmm irws AiMBiMtd M hatliif oonpkM IhdrtdaqMioiu Ho anoalW Ja loond ia owkinc th« oommon.IVwiok OfcnMiaiit mni witii radi mi tmoimt of in«trootion m Ihit ; on tho oomf* r, ife IS oftm lonnd tut hud indeed to pre?eU np(m,lliem to ^, IMMirelilldiennlaiLlorlh^Myittnkee too mnoh of fho tofoof God from them to tend them to eohooL The teeohee iMotlj ooflbpUed with the reqniiitior i of the eodety in whoee em- BMvaent the wm, and the Boman Oatholio oateohiim was legii* UMj lelight in the whool, aa mnnh from choice, ae from ■abnue- ■lon to authority, as the was a itrict Oatholio. Z had brought with me the little bag before mentioned, in which I had ao Imig fceirlttke oUppinn of the thread left after making a drem for tiie gn^Miior. Such was my regard for it, that I oontinaed to wear KOouitantlT round my neck, and to feel the same rcTerencefor up anppoeed Tirtaei as before. I occasionally had the tooth-aohe wring my stay at St. Denis, sad then always relied on the infln- epoe a my little bag. On such occasions l would say—" Br the yirtue of this bag may I be delivered from the . tooth«acbe I and I e u OTOsed that when it ceased it was owing to that caase. . While engaged in this manner, I became acquainted with a man who B0nvent, and pursue my former inten- tion of becoming a Black Nun, could I gain admittahoe. Know- ing the manv inquiries the Superior would make relative to me firing my aosenee, before leaving St. Denis I agreed with the lijlywith whomlhad been associated as a toacher, (when she ifint to Montreal; which she did very frequently) to say to the ^Imj Superior I had been under her protectioa during my ab- IM|9m«, which would satisfy and stop further inquiry ; as I was sflOfllble, should they know I had been married I snould not gain adalttaaee. ,1 soon left and retamed to Montreal, and, on reacbLig the dfy, I visited the Seminary, and in another interview with the Supe- liipf of i^ communicated my wish, and desired her to procure my re-admimion as a novice. little delay occurred. After leaving lor a short time, she returned and toldmetiiat fhe Superior of the Gonvent had consented, and I was soon intro^ diwed uto her presence. She blamed ^e for my conduct in leavingfhe nunnery, but told me^nat I ought to be ever grateful to my guardian angel for tayiig,ea>e of me, unless pr^bited by the Sunerior ; and this she pCMpedme.^ The money usually required for the admisdkm of ^Nr«i|ahad-not been expeetod from me. I had been admitted ^ WK time without any such requi8itioa;but nowlchose to |iiK%f myre-admissionk I knew that ehe was able to dispense .wmkjtfm^im^aA as ^ell in this as in the former ease^ aira shf WMnot ittposeassioDof any thing like the sum xn^ M tirtii>*^^rwia»- ■'■**■ - iWtt 'ft '^' • 'i'- , ' i- fo- Bml Z #il ImbI M ptshui to Ibt HVnntM sitahv tiM iotfiUM fmm f$pmlMi to im fe wkta tho odTontOfo of ttio dnurdi wm oonMlM. tho ilv ir«NjiiHilAbto,l«tlionilMirluitthoyiroold; twniufmmmm^ •d to obtain noooy on fdbo pratenoM, eonfldont thai tf dD UMl knoim, I ihonld m fu from displOMing tho Baporior. Z wmfkm' tho brigado-mojor, ood Mkod han to iTto molhomoiMynffaili to mj mothor nom hor pondon, whiob amomitod to abwn lkirl|^ doUwt. and without quottoning ny amthoiHj to loooiTO it in bar aano, ho gare it mo. iVom MToval of tfadr fHands I obtaisod amaU BiuBa«nd«fh» namo of loau^ ao that altogothor I had aoon raiaod « nnmbav ol pottada,with irhioh I haatenod to tho Nmwoiy, and diporftad ft part in tho handa of the Snparior. Bhh reooirod Ibo mraty wUh ovident aatiafaotion, though ho moa( havo known that I «olda ndthoTo o/btainod it honoatiy ; and Lwaa at onoo to admittofl io lanoTioo. Mooh to my gratiflOation, not a word fel\ from tho Upool ifltf of my old asocxuitoa in relation to my nnoeremoniont dopirta% nor my Tolnntaxy return. The Efnperior'a ordera, I had not a doubt, had been ezplidtly laid down, and they oertainly wore oarefull:^ obeyed, for I never heard an uluaion niado to that tfohm Jeot dnring iqy ■ubseqaent itay in the OonTont. eaceeptthal^ whan alone, the Snpelrior would lometimei say a litue about it. niere were nnmbera of young ladiea who entered airtdla M notioea, and beoama weary or diagaited with lomo thinga they obierved, and remained but a abort time. One of my oowini^ . Who lived at Laohine, named Beed, tpent about afortnmhtinHw OOnvent with me. She however, oonoeived «noh an annpalhy to theptieati, that she used expreuioniwhioh offended the Snpeifiar. The first day that she attended mass, while at dinner with m in full oommnnity, she said before us all, ** What n ntsoal thi;:; priest was, to preaoh against his best friend 1" A31 stared at snob an unusual ezelamatiMi, lamd 'aottio oofa «>• quired what she meant* **I aay," she oontinued, '* he has been proMhing afl;ain8t Mtti Who has given him his bread. Do you suppose thu if there iNWi no devil, there would be any fhriesta F" Tliia bold youn^ novice was immediately dismissed, and in Una afternoon we had a long aermon from ttioBuperlor on thoauMeoft. It happened that I one day got a leaf of an English BiUo waMk lud been brought into the (Convent, wrapped around aomo ao«Hn|f •ilk, purebased at a store in the oity. For some twMoh or other, I determined to oommit to memory a obaptOr it oontained, whi tbO iaaiv » of it waa discovered. I waa ooodemned to ^ ponanoo ftr aj^ oilenoo. Great dislike to tho Bible WaO ihown by those wlio oeny staa i Willi mo about it, and 'aevoral have ruBiarked'at miamt dllMttMl timoa, that if it were not fO^ Hiit boctk, CathoUOs ifMtfEr aiHife^ led to renounoo their own faith. Ihnvoboardpasaagearoadfrom ^0 Bvane^^ ridlatfhtisttM death of Ohxiat; thononvoJMion of Fhnl ; m^w ottaptavs milili UattTtew. and perhapa a fair otinra. Tho pileMs wonld aAloi tiniea take a verse or two, and preaoh firom it. IhavOi ,1 ,'-.1 ..- I l^ii£;- w" kw§A WiH i iBBirW f of Jbdi KdbL 19 b •I Mi Mr Om rol riD yl « ftISM fhi.;; ming ««|tf'»liii^taltMr««tttbookMlMlkt«LlfMil diM«»iMiMiiM Ite kmof iMftVM nd MI, aiM fdow«hiMk. Atior«aiBl FMri,ZiMMBlMr,Ml io MteillMdtt, ttUKlkt WMMMta CWJkfKo^ tmlU WbMMM ooBTistod, Md •qoImmA to OM of tte A- ^ ihtrm\pi$ont 1 don't know whioh. For who ma ospool to bo lQi|if on, who doM not booomo n OothoUe^ and oonf on P OHAFTBBY. JUotiwtA OonflnMttan— Pttiafbl 7MUiig*— SptdaMMi of lutmolloni n- octTadoBklMSabjMt. Itai dagr on whioh I nooiTod Oonfinnation wm n diitieMinf one tojMo. I boUoTod tho dootrino of the Bomnn OathoUes, ana ae- oocdini to them I was guilty of three mortal lini; coneealiag aemetung at oonf embn, Munlofte, in patting the bodjr of Ohiiit In theaaerament atmy feet, and oy reoeiTinfrr while -^ot ina itate offraeeland nowlnad been led into all those una in emiio- qoenoeofiaymaKriage. whichlueYer had aoknowledge^ as it woald have oat me dl from being admitted aa a nao. On the daji therefore, when i went to the ohoroh^ be ooB> firmed with a nnmber of others, I suffered extremely from tho lo* nroaehes of my oonsoienoe. I knew, at least I belieTed, as I had oeea told, thai a person who had been anointed with the holy oil of oonflrmation on the forehead, and dying in the stato in whioh I- waa^ woidd go down to hell, and, in the mace where the oil had been fabbed, ttie names of my sios wonla blase out of my fore- head ; these would be a sign by whioh the devils woiUd know msu and wonld torment me the worse for them. I was thinking of all fhli, while I was sitting la the pew, waiting to receive the oil. Z fstt howivw some oonsolation, as I often did afterwards, when asf liiiB oame to my miud : and this oonsolation I derlTod from auotiMT doetiine of the ohureh, via., that a bishop oouldabsolto ma fMoi all these s^ any minute before my death ;and I intend* ad to oonfiass them all to a bishop before leaving the world. At lou[th the moment for administering of the '* saoramentf' wriTed. aoCa bell was rung. Those who had come to be oonfirmed had bronght tioketo from their confessors, and those were thrown in* vto a Sat, and oasried around by a priest, who in turn handed eaoh to a bishoik by whioh he leanrod the name of eadi of na, and ap- itfiad a UktM of the oil to the foreheads. This was immediately tabbed off by a priest with a bit of cloth ^uite roughly. I went home with some qualms of oonsoienee, and often thought with dread of the following tale, which I have heard told, to illua- txato the sinfulness of oonduct like mine. ▲ priest waa enoe traTolling, when just as he was passing by a hoaii% hii hoise fell on his knees, and wOuId not rise. His rider dJamoontad and went in, to loam the oause of so extraordinaij •aoeooiianoa. He ioond >ttere a woman near death, to whom • i f ri aa t w aa tsyimr to administer the saorameut, but withont sao- eeati^ avsvy lima she attempted to swallow it, it waa thrown Viit«al4f harmonfh into the ohalioe. He peroeivad it waa •wittil to on coaissc e d sin, and took away the holy wafer iron *^~7,« ffi ^liiek Ua hone mee from his knaes^ and aa pnrsoad Ua ■also thtftlhadbaen told, Ibatwa ahatt OS, if wa go to haU,aa wahava i ■ ^:f- kr i '* r. I' " '■; ^- ^. ;■■ n - UrM BlMteoni of liffli Indt I vai itqviNi lo dtvolt MfMlf lor abovl » ywr «6 Ito tMr «f tte pnfWt AM ptMMM of tM MnaODiM BMMMiy oolb«i«* Mpoon of ft Bon. This X found a Ttiy todiow d«ty;b«lM| WM itlMUNd in A gTMt dMiM fiom tlio dftUf kbooit vMtlijr BiMdfd of norioM, I hit uttlo diipoiitloii to oompkin. 'H OHAFTEBTI. Ttldng th* Ttil— Inttr?l«w aftennirdi with the Soptrior— 8aiprf« aoi honor •! tha dlidorarM— Btaolttttonto lubniil. I ifif introdaoed into tho Superior'i room on tho fTwingpttet d ing tho day on whioh I wm to tako tho toil, to h»TO an UMCViifr with tho blahopi, Thar Saperlor was proaont, and tho intonltw lasted about half an hour. The bishop on this as on othor d«ei>> sions appearsd to bo habitnally rough in hii manners. Hia ad> drass was br no means prepotaeasing. Before I took the Teil, I was ornamented for theoeremony, and was olothed in a dreaa belonging to the ConTeo^ whioh was used on auoh oocasions; and placed not far from the altar in tho dui* Eel, in tho Tiew of a number of spectators, who had assemUod, 1 number, perhaps about forty. Taking tho Toil is aa alMr whioh oocurs so frequently in Montreal, Uiat it has lon|^ oeiMid to be regard^^ <^ <^ noTelty ; and, although notice had been glTeii in the l^enoh pariah ohuroh as usual, only a small audioooa ai- sembled aa I have mentioned. Being well prepared with a long training,'~and frequent rs* hearaala, for wnat I waa to perform, I atood waiting hi my large flowing dreaa for the appearance of the biabop. He soon preseu- ed himself, entering by a door behind the altar $ I then threw inj^* self at his feet, and asked him to oonfuz ii i^on me the rail. Ba expressed hia oonaent ; and then turnint' to the Superior, I threw myaelf proatrate at her feet, according to m j instrttotion^ repeat* ing what I have before done at rebearaala, and nuAk a mora* ment as if to kiss her feet. This ahe prevented, or appealed to prevent, oatdhing nie by a sudden motion of ner hand, and grant* admyrequeat. i then kneeled before the Holy SaoramenL thai is a large round wafer held by the Biahop between hia f ora-fingar and thumb. *nd made my vowa. This vr ' il had been taught to re|;ard with the utmost Tana* tation aa I>ne real body of Jeaus Obnat, the preaenoe pf wUeh made the Towe that were uttered before it binding iuthe meat solemn manner. After taking the TOWS, I proceeded to a small apartment In^ hind the altar, accompanied by four nuub, where there waaa?^- fin prepared with my nun'a name enftrayed upon it : "SiJNT ExnsiAOB." My oompanioca lifted it by four handlea attached to it(Whila I threw off my dreaa. and put on that of a nun of ScsutBoutga- oiM ; and vhen ' we .til returned to the ohapel. I proceeded flisiL and was foUovcd kjr four nuns, the Bishop naming a unmbMr in worldly plaasui^jk ^'>> rapid succession, in reply to whidi I uift* pidly r^eat?Tarad io thi Mma manaar, but on tha iamo?al of tha ooTiring wa« f oaaA Tr>«r. ' w >« nnooTarad, I roia, itappad out of my aoffln, and Vr.ti^ .: >. ' )• .ar oaramoniM than loUowad, of no partiottlar iota* < itt di'-M wj\ioh tha mado oommenoed, and hara tha whola wm f iU' ' • I . I then pcoceadad from tha chapel, and latarned to the Supani it's room, foUowad by the other nnni, who walked two by two, in their ooitomary manner, with their hands folded on thdv iMMstib and their eyes out down npon the floor. The nun who WM tj bamy companion i&fature, then walked at tha end of tha J)rooossion. On reaching tha Supwior'a door they all left me, an4 '. antdred alone, and f onud her with the Bishop and two Priests. Tbfl Superior now informed me that having taken the bUok Tsil,itoniy remained that I should swear the three oaths cus- toniary on beooming a nun ; and that soma explanatioa would be naoessary from her. I wm now, she told me. to haTe access to atery part of tha edifice, even to the cellar, wnere two of the slif- tars wara imprisoned for causes which she did not mention. I must be informed that one of my great duties wm to obey tha priests in all things ; and this I soon learnt, to my utter astonish- BMnt and horror, wh to Uto in the practice of criminal intw« oonrM with them. I ezpreised some of the feelings which this amoQnosment excited in me, which came upon me luce a flash of lightning i but the only effect wm to set her arguing with mik in ftivour M the crime, representing it m a yirtiie acceptable to Gfiod. and honourable to me. The priests, she said, were not sitoatea like other men, being forbidden to marry ; while th^ liTcd sa* dttd^d, laborious, and self-denying Utm for our salyanon. They all^t, indeed, be considered our saviouriL m without their ser- ?iM we could not obtain pardon of sin, and a ItwMonr solemn duty, on withdrawing fi«pr^ilM»; world, to con* seorata our Utcs to rangion, to prMtice eIreiioi'Miss of self-ds- aiaU We could not be too humble, nor moroly our fMlinga too ^ t chis WM to be done by opposing them, and acting contrary to them; and what she proposed was, therefore, pleasing in the right of Giod. I now felt how foolish I had been to place myself, in tha power of such persons m were around me. Item what she saacL I could draw no other ocmdusbM but that vZ WM required to aat Uke the most abandoned of bainga, and thai aUiay future aassaiaNMas were habitually guilty dC tha most habMnu and ds t Mt abI a wtmea. When I repeated my ezpresaiona of 8uptiaa4Uidhcsfar.ihatold mathatsuoh feelings were irery OMUBoa at ftisl^ and ttiat many other nuna had Mpi ssse d thwn- aslffiMl did, w^ had long slaM changed their minds. She •aid, that aa hat mimm into tha nunnery, she had fdt «' n sha deohuad, were iriflyillMiilni»ii>«lii tiMMigh, M JL hare ramarkad, tiiwa was Boihing'iii bar faea. lotia. Of aiaiinara» to gire me any pleasoze, ahe addxenad ma with ^p- pannt iriandliness ; and wmle ahe seemed to ooneav with soma thioffaq^kaa by tbem, took an opportunity to whiaper afmr woxdi in my ear, unheard by them, intimatinff that I had beltat comply wi» every thing the Superior dedred, If I would WTa mv life. I waa aomewhat alarmed before, but I now became mioh mora ao, and determined to make no further zesiatance. The Su- perior then made me repeat the three oaths; and, when I had sworn them, I was shown into one of the community'rooms, and remained some time with the nuns, who were released from their* usual employments, and enjoying a recreation day, on account of the admission of a new sister. My feelings during the remainder of the day I shall not attempt to describe, but pass on to mention the ceremonies that took place at dinner. This description may give an idea of the manner in which wa always took our meals, although there were some points in which the breakfast and sup- . per were different At eleven o'clock the bell rang for dinner, and tiie nuns all took their places in a double row, in the same order as that in which thev left the chapel in the morning, except that my companion ana myself were stationed at the head of the line. Standing thna for a momtot, with our hands placed one on the other over the breast, and hidden in our large cuffs, with our heads bent for- ward, and eyes fixed on the ftoor, an old nun, who atood at the door, dapped her hands as a signal for us to proceed ; and the pro- eessioa moved on,while we all commenced therepetition of litanies. We walked on in this order, repeating all the way until we reach- ed the door of the dining-room, where we were divided into two lines ; those on the right passing down the side of the long table, and those on the left the other, tiU all were in ; and each stopj^ed in her place. The plates were all arranged, each with a knife, fork, and spoon, rolled up in a napkin, and tied round with & linen band marked with the owner mame. My own plate, knife, ftc, were prepared like the rest : and on the band around them I fonnd my new name written—" Saint Eustace." There we stood till all had concluded the litany, when the old null, who had taken her place at the head of the table next the door, said the prayer before meat, beginning, ** Benedicite," and we sat down. I do not remember of what our dinnef consisted, but we usually had soup, and some plain dish of meat ; the re- mains of which were occasionally served up at supper aa a frioa- see. One of the nuns, who had been appointed to read that day, rose, and begun a lecture from a book put into her hands by the Superior, while the rest of us ate in perfect silence. The nun who reads uoring dinner, stays niterwards to dine. As fast as we finished our meals, each rolled up her knife, fork, and spoon, in her napkin, and bound them together with the band, and sat with hands folded. The old nun then said a short prayer, arose, steppod a little aride, clapped her haoda, and we marohed towards the door, bowing as we passed, before a little ehapal, or glaaa box, oantaining a wax image of thaJnf ant Jesus. -Nothing important occurred till lata in the aftomoon. when, as I was sitting m the community-room, Father Dufresne called me 24 )M^TikmmiaW^ «tt|,«ftylttg:ii«widMatoi|M«iewl^iB«» XfMWtdirliiitwifttm uAMitiaa ; biit I muwd not aiiolMy. In « fri#att'»p«ii»tli^ Iw trailed m« in ft bruial mftdiMr ; audi horn tiwojmkt nrlwt^ I fifUnrwardtnioelT«d dmiUur in«g« that vreniiig. VmMt "DH^ fraine afterwiurdi ftppMured igftin ; and I was oompelled to innala in oompany with |i{m nntil mottiiog. ^ I am aMnred tl^at the oonduot of prieatsin onr OonTioli bad nerer been expoied. and it is not imi^ed by the people of thf United States. This indaees me to say what I do, notwithstand* : ing the strong reasons I have to let it remain unknown. "Stitt X oannOt force myself to speak on snob subjeets esoept in the most brief manner. OHAPTEBVU. Dally oeremenies— Jane Bay among the nnns. ONThursdar morning, the bell rang at half-past sfiE to waken OS. The Old nun who was acting as night- watoh immediately spoke aloud ; ** Voioi le Seignenr qui yient." (Behold the Lord oometh;) The. , nuns all responded : "Aliens— ydevantlni." (Let us go and meet himO We then rose immediately, and dressed as ezpeditioudy M possibly, stepping into the passage-Vay, at the foot of our bed, as soon as we were ready, and taking place each beside her omKMite companion. Thus we were soon drawn np in a double row tike Whole length of the room, with our hands folded across our breasts, and concealed in the broad cuffs of onrsleeyes. Not n word was uttered. When the signal was given, we all proceeded to tiie community-room, which is spacious, and took our places in rows facing the entrance, near which the Superior Was seated in avergiere. We first repeated " An nom du Pdre, dn Fils, c^ du Saint ShM prit— Aninsi soit il." (In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Qhost,— Amen.) We then kneeled and kissed the floor ; then, still on our knees^ we BKid a Terr long pn^er, beginning^; " Divin Jesus, sanyeiup demon ame," CDivine Jesus, Saviour of my soul.) Then oaaM the Lord's prayers, three Hail' Marys, four creeds, and Ave eon* feasions, (confesse & Dieu.) Next we repeated the ten commandments. Then we repeats the acts of faith, and« prayer to the Virgin, in Latin, which likfl ererything else in Latin, I never understood a word of. N«Et we said litanies of the Holy Name of Jesus, in Latin, which ware • afterwards to be repeated several times in the course of the day* Then came the prayer for the beginning of the day; then bend- ing down, we commenced the Onson Mental, (or Mental Orison.) ^hioh lasted about an hour and a half. This exercise was considered peculiarly solemn. We were told in tiie nunnery that a certain saint was saved by the use of it, as she never omitted it. It consists of several pans: First, tibeSa- perior read to^ns a diapter from a book, which eoenpied five mi* untes. Then*piK>found silmoe prevailed for fifteen minutM^ dtic* Jng which we were meditating upon it. Then she read anOtlMflr chapter of equal length on a mffer^t snbjeet, and we meffitated upon tbi^ another quarter of an hour ; and after • third leadfini Mid meditation, we finished the ezereise wUh n prayer, w^ttmlf^ ■■■'••i. , \ I '} --.^ y i m *";":-• ■•■^ffli''=> (kt|i|/ -;',^:Vf i •■■•' »*!;*•' ^. ' V^ 1-'- r&L-^^'^:S, l'^ KBifti; ■ ■--!, V •' " " ' 4 WS' \ n»i»a fx--^ of 111* Btmx imoifc raken iatel^r Ay M wmU » our ETotA eeded Mtia ted in J i it: awttv >ooa« hliktt tstw* idftf. baauU «told itM It Ba- li nd- .due* ofhiar -,.\ AiMI ifeilt. idfng Mi#Wtttif ttwL bi #lii^ w* Mind fMgliraiMM for iha du oom* Wmid dQring ttio Oriion. , Dning thii hour «nd a hi^ I baoftma' ^ery weaiy, having W* . foyi'lMiii knaAiag for Mnne time, and having then to dt in iao* ,fhef i|oaition mofe nnoomfortable, with my feet nnder me,and ■ty nmdi elaeped, and my body went bumbly forward, with my Mad bowed down. ' When the Orison wai orer, we all rose to the npright kneeling poetare, and repeated several pravers/and the litanies of the providences, 'Vprovidenoe de Diea,'^&o., then followed a number of Lattn prayers, which we repeated on the way to mass, for in the nunnery we had mass daily. When mass was over, we proceeded in- our usual order to the eattng-room to breakfast, practiiiDg the samefonns which I have desenbed at dinner. Having made our meal in silence, we re- peated the litanies of the ** holy name of Jesus," as we prooeed* ed to the conAnunity'rbom ; and such as had not finished them on their arrival, tiirew themselves upon their knees, and remained theire until they had gone through with them, and then kissing the floor, rose again. Athine o'clock oommenced the lectore, which was read by » nun appointed to perform that duty that day : . all the rest of us in the room being engaged in work. The nuns were at this time distributed in different community rooiiis, at different kinds of work, and each was listening to a leotnre. This exercise continued until ten o'clock, when the re- oreation-bi^ rang. We still continued our work, but the nune bttnn to converse with each other, on subjects perlbitted by the riues, in the hearing, of the old nuns, one of whom was seated in eadk of the^iroups; At half-past ten the silence bell rang, and this conversation in- stantly ceased, and tbe recitation of some Latin prayers oom- menced, which continued half an hour. At eleven o'clock the dinner-bell ran?, and we went through the 2orms and ceremonies of the preceding day. We proceeded two hy two. The old nun who had the command of us, dapped her huids as the first couple reached the door, when we stopped. The first two dipped their fingers into the font, touched uie holy water to the breast, f orehead^and each nde^hus forming a woss. said, "In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Qhost, Amen,** aikd then walked on to the dining-room repeating the litanies. The rest followed their example. On reaching the door the oon- J ties divided, and the two rows of nuns marched up, stopped, and aOed the table against their plates. There we stood, repeating the dose of the litany aloud. The old nun pronounced "BXNBKOKB," ind we sat down. One of our number began to read a lecture^ whkh continued during the whole meal ; she stays to eat after Iha fsst haye retired. When we had dined, each of us folded up ovdraapkin, and again folded her hands. The old nun thenre- jMitM a diort prayer in French, and stepping aside from tho .headof the table, Un us pass out as we came in. Bach of usbow- •d in pasdng the little chapel near the door, which is a gjass- oaa^ eentaimng a waxen figure of the infant Jesus. When we .MiNiad the oommnnity-room we took our plaoee in lows, and lnMiili.vpo& tbe floor, while a nun read aloud, **I>oale«re de aitfm fiainte Marie," (the sorrows of our holy Mary.) At the end ^■liUoiioo'o|iooh. Wolh«iibogontoz«pi!atliteiifa%oMot« time in foooeMion, itiU engogod in sewing, for an hour. At two o'eleeii eommooeed the afternoon leotiMtee, wMoli liHed till aoar three. At that hoar one of. the nnno mod «p in tiki middle of the room, atid aaked eaeh of nia qaeationovt. el the eateehim ; and eooh as were nnable to answer oocrsetly w!«ra Ob* liged to kneel, until that ezerciso was ooQelnded, vnmi aa maa(|p drf peaa aa there were- verses in the chapter oni of whieh thef were questioned. This seems like a penanoe of no great impovU anoe ; out I hare sometimes kneeled on peas nntil I soffered gr e at iaeontenieaoe, and even pain. It soon makee one feel as if nee* dlee were running through the tkin ; whoever thinks it n title had better tiT it ^ At four o'iuook recreation commenced, when we were aUawif^ as usual, to speak to each other while at work. , At hau-paat four we began to repeat prayers in Latln^%»1lAe we worked, and ooncladed about fire e'c|ook, when we ooal« menoed repeating the " prayers for the ezaminakian <^ oesndk en9e.''the ** Mayer after eonfesdon,** the ** prayer b^inosittik menv' *nd ^e *' prayer after sacrament.'* Thua we oontfaraid our work mitil dark, when we laid it aside, and began to goresfir the sam« ]»ay«n which we had repeated in thamomini^ wttiilSi* eipoeption of the orison mental ; instead of that Ions enerciae^ i||e eanwnined oar oonsdences, to determine whether, we nad perform^ ed the resolution we had made in the morning, and fuen aa hmi kept it repeated an " aote do joie," or expression ol gratitadi; wmle iuch aa had not, said an " aete do contritiao*'' When the prayers were ooncladed, any nun who had bee»die« obedient in the day, knelt and aeked paraon of the Supeiiorand her oompanions ** for the scandal she had eaosed them," and thaa' teqneeted the Superior to giTe her a penanoe of perf onn* "VHieii all the penances had been imposed, we all proceeded to thaeat- , Sng«room to supper, repeating litaniee on the way. At sapper, the ceremonies wer e t he same aa at diniier, efsospt that tbwe was no lecture read. We ate in nlence, and went oal bowing to the dhapelle, and r^)eating litanies. Betuming totha oommunity*room, which we had left, #e had more prajrws to re«i peat, whion are caU6d La eouronne, (crewn,) which eoaiiists ol tibc following parta: let. Four Paters. 2Qd. Four Ato Marias. Srd. Four Gloria Patiia. 4th. Beoissez, Santeys. At the dose of these we kissed the floor; after which .^ had te- oreation tiU half-past eight o'clock, being allowed to converse on peimitted subjects, but elosely watched, and notiallowed to sttia uiaownerSt. a At half-past eight a bell was rung, and a chapter waa lead to ns^ in a book of meditations^ to employ our minds upon duiiDi out wakiag hours at night. Staadiag near the door, we dipped eurflngere in fhebdbrwa* ter, erossed and blessed ourselvea, and proceeded up to ttm:ai/lfl0* %' '■»;- 4^Mii/iHido0inl (■'-■Ibdi ilNtti.. «AMMit » 191^ w»hai golteto m4 tihM •» old mni» bniigiDf toaw holjr water, ^lialdad II ca ««r liida to4iiv« mtat tli« dtfiL wliil* wvlook lomftMid !»)■■■ < jM nibM^dodc ih« b«U nuur* mbA all who ww wrato Mgmt «d a fMrayti^ oallaA tlM dEcanoo; fhoM wlio w«n a ri oa pw a wooB* aidMradtaosoaiad. ' Alfewmj adniMrioa aiaong fhanvna^Ihadmonopportanity fluMtbafofa to obaarra tha oondiiet of nad Jane Bay. f^ h^ luanA q^rito differantly from tha nat, aad with a danaa oi Ufrttf {nraoonoOable with the nilea; She was, aa I have d aae rih a d bar, • la^woaMug^ with nothing- bttMitifal or attraotivafat harlaaib !(«■, Of nuuimam; earoleaiin her drea^ and oi a ro a H iia dJijipal* Ilea, whleh proTOntad hw horn applying heraelf to amrtttei far tty laogth of tima^ and kept her roiring abont, and umml^Tm^ ' fanal^ talldag to aomeboay or other. It wonld be vaiy ottt* eolito giTo an aoeuzate desoription of thia atngolar woaam; drataad m the plain garments of the nnns, bonna by tha flaOM Towi, and aeenstomed to the saaielife, resembling them in no- : tiling iSm, and ftaqomitljr intermpting all their emi^yaMnla. JEHha waa mppasnatir almost always stadying, or pnrMiiag aemn •diianoy; now nsing irom sewing to wuknp and down, or atnq^iM in from anoUMr apartment looking aoont. addrssnng Boaraal^^mjandpaasingont again, or saying somethuig to SMika nalattgh. But what showed she waa no aorelty, waathalitlio a^tanoon paid to her, and the levity with whioh ahe waa tiaatad bytiMWholaanns; even the Superior every day paased over ir* lagalarlkias in thia singular perscm, which she woidd have powi ilMtft with penance^ or at least have met with lepifmanda, in any OittMt. From what I saw of her I soon perceived that ahe betnqr- ad tNvodisttoot traits of oharaeter; a kind diqsoiition towasda anqh aa she ohose to prefer, and a pleasure in teaang theae «h« ^wtifced, or aoeh m'- had offeaded her. GHAPTEB YUL i t ss et j a i i on sf apartOMMts in the BUok Niiimer]r,.iB order : lit noor>-tBd ybsr-Gsmit— The FOumiei^-Supeiior's aumacpeaicnt with the ■ frirads of Novioes— Beligioni Um— OrimiBsUty of ooaosaUng aiasat lintt now give from memory a general description of ttia lata* ri« of tha Oonvent of Black Nuns, except the few apartmanta wl^oh I never saw. I may be inaccurate in acme things^ aa ttw apmrlmanta and passagea of that si>acious building arennmetmu imd -fiaridua ; but I aim willing to risk my oreditiw truth andsia^ oaiil^.oii tha general e(»reapondenee between my descri p t ion an d thfa^iaaafteyara. And thia would, perikaps,baaagcoda«a8a m aaj t/ whiah to test the truth of but statements, wera itpoa* snla to obtain acossa to the interior. It ia well known, thitnana^ bwtfaOldnnmLtHI bishop aad priasta, are ever admitted: aad. 4ifeoaarae, thai I oaaaot have seen what I prof esa to describe^ if thiifa not been a Maoknnn. The prieatswho- read tUabcSak W^a#knowladga to thamselvaa the troth «fmvdaseriji>tion; but WW, of oonrai^ deny it to tha world, aad probably aaart them* .'11 ""■■J ""'ll i' .* i5vi J-' filvMto^UilNjfllf cltdtti Zoflteto«f«nn«dtrtli»i aMMntonoii» lmowi% thifc ttoMiiMj poMtuy U^co1r dp«ttl MMnrMnoMM{k anf aOoir the MteMUM ol t^t iMrho e«a i ' thamMlT«% with their own »••» of its tmth. thttA o^ * t. ol«r»ti6os may bo thought dofiaoiit in* oridonea^ and thtofhw nliutof neoeMitybointheprepent ttato of things. Bat holOM a kind of oTidenoo, on which I rsly, m I mo how nnqaeslionaMM and latisfaotory it muit pxoTo. whenever it ihall be oDtainod. If the interior of the Black Nunnery. whencTcr it thall be aaiE' amined. is materially , different from the following description, then I sni^claim no confidence, of my readers. If It resemble it, they wiU| I persume, place confidence in some of these deQlanM tions, on wmch I may never be corroborated by true and liting witnesses. I am sensible that great changes may be made in the famitnr* of apartments: that new walls may be constmcted, or'old ones .remoTcd; and I have been incredibly informed, that masons hava ; been employed in the Nunnery since I left it. I well know, bow* ever, that entire changes canuot be made, and that enough must '. remain as it was to sabstantiat> my description, wheneTer the 'truth shaU be known. The Fira Story, Beginning at the extremity of the western wing of the Oonveiit . jowwds Notre Dame street, on the first story, there is-* ; let. The Nuhli^ private chapel adjoining which is apassi^ to A «maU projection of the building extending from the upper i^iy ' to ^e ground, with'very small windows. Into the passagS we w ere sometimes required to bring wood from the yard, and |^ ■" it up for use. 2nd. A large community-room^ with plain benches fixed against the wall to sit, and lower opes m front to place our feet upon. Qlhere is a fcantain in the passage near the chimney at the furaier end, for washing the hands and face, with a green curtain alimng on a rod before It. This passage leads to the old nuns' sleeping- ilM>monthe right,and theSuperior'ssIeeping- room just bevonait, as " 'well as to a stair-case which conducts to the nunr sleeping-romn, or donnitoire above. At the end of the passage is a door opening ,into— . 8rd. The dining-roQm ; this is larger than the community •ro(nil» and. has three long tables for eating, and a chapelle, or coUectiioiii ^f little pictures, a crucifix, and a small image of the infant 8atl<> * ^ionr in a glass case. This apartment has four doors, by the firit of which we are supposed to have entered, while one opeostoa ^^try, and the third and fourth to the two next apartments. . .. 4th. Alarge community-room, with tables for sewing, and a stair-case on the opposite left-hand comer. 5th. A community-room forprayer used by both nuns and no- vices. In the further right-hand comer is a small room, paxti- tidned off, called the room for examination of consoienos, whi^ I had visited while a novice by permission of the Supttior^Sundt:. mime nuns and novices occasionally resorted to refieot on ttntqop diaraoter, usually in pi aparation for the sacrament, or when tiiey li#d transgressed some of their rulee. This littib room was hardly ; lane enough to contain half a doaen persons at a time. ^. Nen, beyond, is a large community-room for Sundays. A doorlM&itotheyard,«ndtnencetoagate in tha waU on Vm •rossstreet. }.:'-' s 'iLB *!( 1 * '*• SMtmni df fttitft iuM n TMi. M|oii|iiiff «hit it • •itt&ii looii, hm^g tn ^ iMt^wlQif«olHndoiri,ttada«lonioomoiitlii^^ opsoiil*, thin. Vh«»fo bat Uttt«funittiif«.«nd that ▼«f7pUia. flOu IVom this loom a door leads into what Imay eall tha was- rgMBf M it eontaini manT figures in wasc. not intended for lale. TliM we eomeiiniet need to pray, or meaitate oi^ the SaTienr'i pipwn. This room projects from the main bnUdin> ; leaTinjr it, jcu entar a Ions passage, with cupboards on the rigbi^ in wmoh aM stored erooKery-ware, knives and forks, and other artideeof table fomitnxe, to replace those worn out or broken— all of tho ^Unest description ; also, shoyels, tongs, fto. This passage leads 9th. A comer room, with a few benches, ftc, and a door lead- ing to a gate in the street. Here some of the medicines were kept, and persons were often admitted on business, or to obtain medicines with tickets from the priests; and waited till the Sn- perior or an old nnn could be sent fot. Beyond this room we aerer w«re allowed to go ; and I cannot speak from personal knowledge of what came next. The Second SUny. Beginning, as before, at the western extremity of the norfli winir, bat on the second story, the furthest apartment in that di« leetton whidh I oyer ebtered was,— 1st. The nuns' sleeping.room, or dormitoire. which I have al- ready described. Here is an aceesB to the projection mentioned in spealdng of the first story. The stairs by which we came np to bed are at the further end of the room ; and near them a om- oifix and font of holy water. A door at 'the end of the room opens into a passage, with two small rooms, and dosets between thenu cont^ning bed-clothes. Next yon enter, — 2nd. A small community-room, beyond which is a passage with A narrow staircase, seldom used, which leads into ibe foorth «ommnnity-room, in the fourth stoty. Following the passage lost mentioned, you enter by a door, — Sfed. A little sitting-room, furnished in the following man- ner :— with chairs, a sofa on the north side, covered with a red- figored coyer and fringe ; a table in the middle, commonly bear- ing one or two books, an inkstand, pen, &o. At one comer is a lime projection into the room, caused by a staircase iMding from 9boTe to ttie floor below, without any communication with the second story. This room has a door opening upon a staircasa leading down to the yard, on the opposite side of which is a gate o|iening into the cross street. By this way the physidan is ad- initted, except when he comes latc» than usual, wnen he comes in, he usually sits a little while, until a nun goes into the adjoin- ing buna' siok-room, to see if all is ready, and returns to admit , him. After prescribing for the patients, ho goes no further, but returns by^ the way he enters ; and these are the onl.T rooms injto whidi he is ever admitted. ' ^. The nnnsf sick-room adjoins the little sitting-itoom on tibe wuKf and haiL I think, four windows towuds the north, witii beds ranged in two rows from end to end, and a few more be- tween them, near The opposite extremity. The door to the sit- ting-room swings to the left, and behind it is a table, while a glass ease on the right contains a wax figure of the infant Savi* otte^ with several sheep. Kearthe nortn-eastem comer of this room ace two doors^ one of which opens into a long and narrow &H ,^Miil BfaNUSQCf fiWisik Hoik oomMuAwilMn • — ^ tkip *• btH ftl; tiM gate, wUoh I WM toM had • «OM0ri«d pill, teoira only to him acd &ii6priwli,ptoeeedtiip itaiii and ihiMigk 4lwpaMag«^ nuppiag thiM tfniMat tht door of thariak w aw, whkfe la ^ipaaaflpy a nnii in attondanoa, after dia haa gtHm «•• n^te laply. when ha haa Tiaitad his patiauta and y a t i rib i d lor thaaa, ha ntam by tha Mune way. Ml. Sfozt bayoud tha aidc^room, la a lavga nnoaoapiad apart- laaBt, half divided by two partial pertitioas, whidh ^^ %ve an open qMUM in the middle. Hare lome of the old nnns oc.timonly meat in Hia day time. 6th. A door flrom thia apartment opens into another, not appio- priatad to any peenliar nse, but oontidning a table, waere JMdi* einea are somenmes prmparad by an old nnn, who iansoally found theea. Pauing through thia room, you enterapassaga^ irith doors on ita four sides; that on the lefc, which is krat faatanad on the inside, leads to the staircase and ^te ; uid that in ficoot to theraiTate sick*rooms. soon to be desonbed. 7th. That on the right leads to another, apmropriated to nnns aaABring with the most loathsome disease. There waa nanally a nnmber of straw mattresses in that room, as I well know, havisg helped to oai(yman had filled them. A do«iblio hon>itale succeed, and ortend a considetabla cHa- tance-^ believe, to the extremity o^the boildljiig. Byapirtilia entraiioe in that part, priests often come into tiiaKuauieiT'; and I have often eeen some of tiiem thereabonta, who nraat havean- teted that way. Indeed, priesta often get into tha ** holy Mtaaat* withdttt esposing tiieBsselvesintheviewofpeiaeaain'tbaollMr |Nwts of the Convent, and have been first known to be tSwiie, hp the y axd-nuns beiujf iaut to the Seminary for their clothes. . ■•>(! ^! >." km 1{^ OoBgnnllMal HtoMiy ww ioudtdlif*^ ilMBMdqM** SttMi«M«tdlMfilinlfcNilrMLMidkilp»> MtAv f6vfh«lottbflftllan of ft OoBVMt. H«r body ubtfifiL aaA ditlMHitktptttndArfhoKumMfytefniioii oljwfe, wUoiiluM WMiAMmtoaOfWillitlMMMinaM tiMt it ooitiiNWi in pivfial Mtwmu tiop, •IthOMh van aa a aiiiii% whkdi waa on acconnt of the aingnlar diaupear- nioe «f VMHiML of the older nana alwaya at the mtrnnoe of new * lb witneaa the acenea which often oooorred between oa and atrangeta wtfald have atmok a peraon moat powerfnlly, if he had hB»Wtt how trath waa act at nought. The Superior, with a aeri- oaa and digniSed air, and a pleasant voice and aspect, wonld com- m««oe it recital of thmga moat favourable to the character of the abUnt iieviee, representing her equally fond of her aitoation, and beiofMbythe other inmatea. The tale told by the Superior^ miatwflir it waa, however unheard before might liave been any «f her itatemantB, was then attested by us, who in every wi^f wt «i(pidd Hiifkk o^ endeavoured to confirm her deolarattooa bag^ond »e iceadh of doubt. Sme ti mea thejBuperior would entmat the managementof ao^ a «tm to atmie or the nana, whether to habitnate na to the piao« tiee in which afae waa ao highly accomplished, or to relieve her> adf of what would have been a serious burden to moat4>ther peratntfe, or to aaoertain whether she could depmid upon ns, oaridi together, I cannot tell. «Often, however, have I seen her throw open a door, and say, in a harried manner, ''Whc oantdltiie beit akny P" One pMnt, on wUoh we have recced frequent and partimlar inatracliona was, the nature oi falaehoods. On this subject I have heoid nuu^ a speech, I had almost said many a sermon; and I ma led to,beUeve tut it waa one of great importance^ one on triiidi % %«i a duty to be well informed, as well oa to aet. ** What I" acclaimed a prieat one day— "what, a nan of yoor aoa^ and not know the offorence between a wicked and a i«U« ^a^r» BettMatW«aton,-aa had been done many Mmee pvevionifyin my heailnir, to diow the eaaential diffarence between the two dtf- i«oat kind* of ffclaehooda. A lie told merely for the iaiasr of «pofibev,te onrown interest alone, or for no ohjeot atol^be A-- .H, *'M ■■^ 88 . ' 'JkwtA ObdMRiiai of Vuii i um fr t ^ p«iittdMAdnirofttiyotp«BaaM.— B«t A}i«(olA fotlUfe#l^ ol ^« eluinh or oonTtnt, wm mtrit(»toYU, aiid ol povnt iMWiU nt ftte : ftnd to ny tiiftt it wm gonerally nooiTod, would bo to tiH ptnof thetnitb. WeoftenMwthepnotiooof it,ftnd wmmIp^ oatntly miide to leaks part in it. Whonerer anything whi«li flia oaperior thought important, oould 1^ most oonToniontly aooonp pUihed by faliehood, she rewrtad to it without ■oroplo. Thoro wat a data ol oaaei^ in whioh aha mora fraquantiy ilIMt on deorotion than any other. ^ The nionds of noTioai freqaently applied at the OouTeatfto Mi fham, or at least to inquire afteMoeur welfare. It waa oonunou for them to be politely ref oaed an interriew, on i^ma aoooubt ov other, generally a mere pretext ; and then tha Superior genaral||( sought to make as f ayourable an impression aa possibto oa fM ▼iaitors. Sometimes she would make up a atofy oa the spot^ aii4 tell tho strangers ; requiring some of us to donflrm it in tna mosli oonyinoing way we oould. ▲t other times she would prefer to make orer to oa the task of deoeiving, and we were oommended iu proportion to our ingaus* ity andsuecess. ■^.,, Qoma nun usuallf showed her submission, by immediately tUip* ping forward. She would then add, perhaps, that the pazanta of Buoh a novice, whom she named, were in WMting, and it waa uot eessary that they should be told suoh and suoh Ihings. To per- form so difficult a task well, was considered a difflomt dufy, aaa« aant immediately to tell it, and the other nuns proMut were huZi< riad off with her under strict |ajunotions to uphold her in avary- ' thing she might state. The Superior, A there waa ecvery raaaoa to believe, on all such occasions, when she did not herself appear^ hastened to the apartment adjoining that in whioh tha nuns were going, there to listen through the tun partition, to hear whetkav all performed their parts aright. It wm not unoommon for her to go rather further, when she wanted to give suoh esplanationa u she oould haye desired. She would then otter abruptly, «nd Hk, " Who can tell a good storv this morninff P" and hurry oa dl wiukout a moment's delay, to do our best.at a venture, withonl^^ waitine for instructions. It would be curious, oould a stnuigar from the "wicked world" outside thePonvenL witness snon ft scene. One of the nuns, who felt in a favourable humour to nn* dertake the proposed task, would step promptly forward, and sig- nify her readineu in the usual way, oy a knowing wink of one eye, and a slight toss of the head. ** Well, go and do the best you can," the Superior would say. t ** and all uie rest of you mind and BWeax to it.'' The lattnr pwl of the or^r, at leMt, wm always performed ; for inlvery caaa, all the nuns prcMot appeared m unanimous witnessM of avefy* thing that wm uttered oy the sjpokeswoman of the day. We were constantly hearing it repeated, that we must never again look upon ourselvm m our own ; bu^ must remeniber^ thai we were solely and irrevocably devoted to God. Whatevar waa required of us, we were callM upon to yield under the meat so* - tonn. Gousiderationa. I oannot speak on avery partioular with /a *:-■ Ni * If % : It her rat IwM dfldlosara of lula llonk. 8S •qoalflMdemt Imt I wiA my iMdon oImiIj to midanlMid tti« floadttie n fai whinh w wen puMd, and the meeni weed to aedace «■ to what wo hod to snbmit to. Not only woM wo reqoiNd to peitem the iOTfval toehe iapoaod upon us ot work, proyen, oad poDonoei^ under the idea that wo were perfuming aolonn dutiea to oar Maker, but overTtUng elee whioh waa roqnired of oa, we were oonatantly told, waa something indiapenaaUe in hia eight. The vriests, wo admitted, were the senranta of Ood, eapedally appointed bj hie authority, to teaeh ns oar dntr, to abeolTo ue 'from sin, and load ua to heoTen. Withont their asaistanee, we had allowed we eonid nerer enjoy the laTonr of Gkxl ; nnleaothey administered the sacrament to us, we oould noteojoy orerlasting hap^ees. Hating oousented to acknowledge all this» we had no okrieotion to urge against admitting any ^or demand that might be made for or by them. If we thonght an act OTer so eiiminal, the Superior would tell ns that the ^esta acted under the direct sanetion of God, and could not iin. Of course, then, it oould not'bo wrong to comply with any of their reouests, beoanse they could not dMnaod anyuiing but what waa nght. On the oontrary, to refuse to do anything they asked would neoesaarily be duful. Sttoh dc trinee admitted, and such praotieea perform- ed, it will not seem wonderful when I mention that we often felt aomothing of their preposterous charaotw. Sonetimea wo took pleasure in ridiculing some of thefaTOurite themes of our teachers ; and I recollect one subject particularly, which at one period aaorded us repeated merriment. It may seem irroTerent in me to give the account, but I do it to ehow how things of a solemn nature were sometimes treated in the con- ▼ent, by wmnen bearing the title of saints. A Canadian novice^ who spoke Tory broken English, one day remarked that she waa performing some doty "forthoQod." This peculiar ezpresaibn bad somettiing ridi«aloua to the ears of some of us : and it waa Boon repeated again and again, in application to ▼arions eeremo- nice which wo had to perform. Mad Jane Bay seised upon it with aTidityj and with her aid it soon took the place of a bv- word in conversation, so that we were ooostantly reminding each other that we were doing this thing and that thing, how trifling and unmeanine syerer, *' for the God." Kordid we stop here; when the Snperfor called upon us to bear witness to one of her religi- one lies, or to fabricate the most spurious one the time would ad- mit; to save her the trouble, we were sure to be reminded, on our way to the stiranger's r6om, that we were doiiis[ it '* for the Ood." And so it was when other things were mentioned— everrthin^ whioh belonged to our condition was spoken of in somewhat si- milar terms. I haye hardly detained the reader long enough on this subject to give him a fust impression of the stress laid on ooof sssion. It is one of the great points to which our attention was constantly directed. We were directed to keep a striot and constant waton oyer ourthoaghta; to haye continually before our minda the rules of the conyent, to compare tiie one with the other, remem- ber eyery deyotion. and tell lUl, eyen the smallest, at confession, oithertotheSupeilorortotlieprieet. My mind was thus kept in a qontinual state of aotiyity, whioh proyed yery wearisome; attd it tequfared the constant exertion of our teachers to keep us up to th#pi|utioa th^ inculcated. AiiOthArtiii Wjours to me, of tiioee whioh were frequently told tu, to make ualeel tte importance of nnreseryed ooiuessicm. 84 iwM IMidMoiii of lifia IbaL ▲ Bfui dt ooar •onvwli who kad bidtai mbo lia fcnor, ditd luddmly, and wilhovt uy on* lo oonftM hir. Utv ritttn UMmbtod lo vnj lor tho ommo of htr soul, whoa A» mp» pMftd, Mid inlonMa thtm tluil it would bo of no qm. bol nlkor tiooUoiomo to htn, m h«r poidon w«tf ImpoMiblo. Tao doatriao is, tbol pmy tn BMOo f or Mmlo foilty of onoonfOMod lia, do b«l ■iok Ikom OMpor in boll; •adlbii«U tho roMon I bat* botid ffiron for not proying for Frotostonta. Tbo ontbonty of too prioats in oTorytbing, and tbo oaormity of trory aot wbiob oppoMO it, woro «l«o imra«Med npon onr mindly in Tnriont woyi, by oar tooobora. ▲ ** Fatbor" told no tbo loU lowing itory ono day at oAteobitm. ▲ man oneo diod wbo bad f ailod to pay lOBia monoy wbiob tho priMt had aakad of bim ; bowaa oonaomned to bo bamt in pniw gatory nntil bo ibonld pay it, bat bad pormiMion to oomo baokto thif world, and tako a bnnian body to work in. Ho mado kli ^7 poaranoo, iboreforo, i«ain ou oanb, ;.jid birod bimielf to b rich man aa a labonror. & worked all day, with tbo Are working in bin, nnaeen by other people ; but while be wai in bed ttiat iilgbti a girl in an adjoining room, peroeiTing the smell of brimitoni^ looked through a eraok in the wall, and saw him eoTwed with flames. She Inf ormed bis master, wbo questioned him tho nezi morning, and found that his hired man was seoretly suffering tha Eains of purgatory, fo; neglecting to pay a oertain sum of money > tho piieslT He, thereiore, funushea blm with the amount due; it was paid, and the set cant went off immMiatelyto beaTon. '^e priest oanaot f orgire any debt due unto him, beoause it is tha liord^s estate. While at confession, I waa urged to hide nothing firom the priests, and bare been told by them, that they already Knew what was in my heart, but would not tell, beoause it was neoessary for me to oonfess it. I really beliered that the prifsts were acquaint- ed with my thoughts ; and often stood in awe of ibem. They ofteo told mo^ they had power to strike me dead ^i any moment. 0HAPTE2 EC VuDM with similar namas— Sqaaw nana— Flni Tidt to tha cellar— Daserip* tion of it— Shocking diacovary there— Soperior'a inatructioDa— Prifata atonal of tha prieete- Booka used in the Nannery-Opiniona azpreaaad Mtha Bibla-^Bpadmena of what I know of tha Boripturea. I wouiiD that I bad seyeral namesakes anK>ng the uun% for there were two others who bad already borne away my new name, Saint Eustace. This was not a soutary case, for there were fire Saint Marys, and three Saint Monroe, besides two novices of that name. Ox my nameaakea. I haye little to aay, for they reaembled moat nuna ; being ao mnon cut off from interoourae with me and other sisters, that I tfever saw anything in theih, nor learnt any* thing about them, worth mentioning. SoToriJ of my new companions we^ squaws, who had taken the Toil at different times. They were from some of the Indian settlements in the country, but were not diatinguiababla by any atfUdng babita of cbaraotcir from other nuna, and were generaUj not Tory different in their appearanoe when in ^heir usual drossy and'engaged in their customary ooonpations. It was eridentthef were trealed with much kinduesa and lenity by fJia Superior ana thaoldnaBSi and this I disooTONd waa dona in order toiindat »IWR»I5W!?>!W IvM OWum tf Ink iBiilL m4 aiMald hat» lAMbiitad tka oMtifw fot lliif pMlia% IQ «Mff wtMsff tkAllktj Miflbt AOl laflMiiM oIlMn to kMp«waj,kail I Ml KoowB Ihtj win, lik« oontlTM^ vnabU lo •xtrt worn im laflotiiM* And thMifor*, I ooald not Mtiaf j my own mind wkj this dillMMM WM made. Hmj of tho Indisnt wtto rtmaricablj dofottd to tho prfMt^ b«)U«ti!:s oftrjuing thoy won longhf i •nd M il ii xo|MrMOut«a to bo not only n Ugn hoiionr, bal n nol advontago to n familj, to hata ona of ita niemban boooaa f . nan, Xadian navanta will ofUn pay larga aami of monaf for tiia admia- aion of thair daogbtan into a conTont. Thafathac of onaoftha aqnawi^ I waa told, paid to tha Saparior naarly bar waigbt in ail- Tar on bar raaaption, althongb ba waa obligad to aall naarly all bia proparty to lalaa tba monay. Tbia ba did Tolnntarily, ba- oavia ba tbongbt bimialf orarpaid by baring tba adTantagia of bar prayara, aalf •aaorifloaa, fto., for bimaalf and tba ramaindar of Ua nnuly. Tba aqnawa aometimaa aarrad to amnaa na; for wbaa wa wara partially diipiritad or gloomy, tba Suparior would oooa- •lonally aand ibam to draaa tbemMlraa m tbair Indian garmanta, wbiob oanally azdtad ua to merrimant. Among tba aquaw nana whom I partienlarly ramambar, waa •na of tba Saint Hypolitei, not tba ona wbo flgurad in a draadfol soana, daaoribad in anotbar part of tbia narratiVa^ but n woman of n far more mild and bumana obaractar. Tbraa or four day a after my reception, tba Saparior aant ma in- to tba oallalr for ooala : and after aba bad giren ma diraotiona, I {»rooaadad down a ataireaaa witb a lamp in my band. I aoon ound myaalf on tba bare aartliT in a apaoioua vlaoa, ao dark tbat loouldnotatonoa diatinguiah ita form or aiiM, but I obaarred tbat it bad TaiT aolid fetona walla, and waa arobed OTerbead,at no great eleranon. Following my directiona, I prooeeded on^ waraa from tba foot of tha ataira, wi;ere appeared to be one and of tba oallar. After walking about fliteen pacea, I paaaed tbree amaU. doora, on tha right, f aatened witl^ large iron bolta on tha ontaide, puuied into posts of atone work, and eaohJutTing a amall opening abore, ooTered witb a fine grating, aafured by a amaller bolt. On my left were three aimilar docra, reaembling thaae, and plaoed oppoute them. Beyond these, the space became broader; ttia doora erridantly doaed amall oompartments, projecting from the outer wall of tho cellar. I aoon stepped upon a wooden floor, on which wete heapa of Wool, coarse linen, and other articles, apparently deposited there for oooaaional oae. I soon croaaed ua floor, and found tba bare earth again under my feet. A little further on, I found the cellar again oontraoted in a by a row of closets, or smaller compurtmenta, projecting on .uMh afdo. Theae were doaed by doora of % different deacripiion from the flrat, having a simple fastening, and no opening through them. Jnat beyond, on the left aide, I passed astairoaae IcMingnp, and thw three doors, much resembling those first desoribedtStena* ing oumstanoes. I passed the spot, therefore, with dreadful thoughts, it is true, about the little corpses which might be in that secret burying Elace, but with recollections also of the declarations which I had eud, about the favour done their souls in seading them direct to heaven, and the necessary virtue accompanying ul the actions of the priests. Whether I taoticed them or not at the time, there is a window or two on each side nearly against the hole, in at which are some- times thrown articles brought to them from without, for the use of the Oonvent. Through the wiudow on my right, which opens iato the yard, towards the cross street, lime is received from carts ; I then saw a large heap of it near the place. Passing thehole, I came to a spot where was another projec- tion on each side, with three cells like those I first described. Beyond them, in another broad part of the cellar, were heaps of vegetables, and other things, on the right ; and on the left, I found the charcoal I was in search of. This was placed in a holotlies, as two of the nuns she named, whom she said she '* abominated." She soon after found means to get possession of their fine warm f\anuel night-gowns, one of whioh sne gave to me, while the other Whi put ou at bedtime. She presumed the owners would hare a secrei. s^uroh for them ; aud iu the morning hid them in the stove, after the fire had gone out, whioh was luudled a little before the hour of rising, ana then sufiFered ter-burn down. This she did every morning, taking them out at night through the winter. The poor nuns who owned the garments were afraid to complain of their loss, lest the^ should have some penance laid on them, and nothing was ever said about them. Wlien the weather be^an to grow warm in the spring, Jane returned the night-gowns to the beds of the nuns from whom she had borrow- ed them, aud they were probably as much surprised to find them again, as they had been before at losiuff them. Jane once found an opportunity to ml her apron with a quan- tity af fine apples, oaMod faineases, whioh came iu her way, and hastening up to the sleepiug-room, hid them under my bed. Then ooming down, she informed me, aud we agreed to apply for leave to make our elevens, as it is called. T avoid the disagreeable fate wa had brought upon onrselveaw Jane, therefore, began to search the beds of the other nuns; but uot finding any trace of the ap« pies, she became doubtly vexed, aud stuck pins in those that be- longed to her enemiea. When bed