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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre film^s A des taux de rdduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichd, il est film6 A partir de Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche h droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 : 4 • 6 H ■'*?' . I /o V liLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY BRIEF SKETCH OF TIIK HISTORY OF THE URSULINES Off QUEBEC FROM 1672 TO 1759, PART JL I- III- I! QUEBEC: PRINTED BY C. DARVEAU. 1875. : « 18 5 8 6 2 &0T- fA N/ Z m. "W::** GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. PART ir. " CHAPTER I. lors— loss. THE MONASTERY AGAIN. J The Venerable Mother, whose labors Iliad extended over the thirty-three first 5| years of the Ursuline Monastery, had dis- M appeared from the midst of her beloved I family, and her death had left a void that could not be filled. But the beneficent influence of her ad- mirable life remained : her dying bless- ing, w^ith the rich inheritance of her zeal for the glory of G-od and the salvation of I souls, rested there; and her spirit still # dwelt with those whom Providence had v.-S 4 QLIMPSKS OF THE MON'ARTKIlT. assembled tc continue the work she had commenced. Who were those favored souls, chosen to perpetuate the spirit and the labors of the Venerable Mother Mary of the In- carnation ? What are the vicissitudes which the Monastery was destined to witness in subsequent years ? I To answer these questions, we shall again open, in favor of Our Readers, that old Record of by-gone days, the monas- tic Annals. TheiC we find recounted the triumphs of Divine Grace in the call to a religious life, and in the faithful correspondence of the soul to her sublime vocation : there are detailed the simple, yet heartfelt joys of the cloister ; — with its toils, its provi- dential trials and occasional sufferings; its pious enterprises ; and other i^ oidents that vary the even flow of the stream of time within the protecting walls of the Monastery. There we may perceive, at all times, i deep under-current of peace, *l w * i ,T. OMMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. k she had Is, chosen 3 labors of of the In- which the witness in I / we shall eaders, that the monas- le triumphs 3 a religious pondence of ^tion : there eartteltjoys s, its provi- sufferings; er i^ -iidents be stream of walls of the perceive, at nt of peace, the sure indication of detachment from earth, and of hopes fixed on things above. Our first inquiry will he of the statistics of the Community, which we are about to revisit ; taking our date three years after the death of the Ycnerable Mother, 1G75 : ^*ust two centuries ago. Twenty-five professed nuns compose the cloistered family, tlie Superioress bein<y Rev. Mother Margaret de Fiecelles of St. Athanasius. Two new members have just entered : *— Miss de Lauson, daughter of the Senes- ichal de Lauson, and grand-daughter of the ancient G-overnor of New France of that name ; the other young person, from Ihe Cote de Beaupre^ is Miss Marie Made- leine G-ravel, who in the humble condi- jtion of lay-Sister, rende-t-s great services to her community during forty-eight years, % 1 The dowry of Mile Angeliqne de Lauson da St, Bsprit, and her si.«ter Marie-Madeleine de St. Charle.s, Already professed, gave the Monastery a title to the imall /ranc alleu noble of Lauson. 7*^s, f I 9 nLTMPSr.S OF TTTE MONASTKnT. and dying " in tho fervor ol' her iirst con- secration to Crod," merits a complete ulogium. Up to this date (1675) only four dentns had occurred in the Monastery since 1039; a period of thirty-six years. Passing over tv^^o winters more, we place ourselves at a hallowed anniversary, the 30th April. It is the lifth recurrence of the day since a death, " precious in the sij^ht of the Lord" has rendered it memorable ; and, far from being invested with gloom, there is a joyous ceremony prepared for the occasion. A young maid- en is about to enroll herself under the banner of St. Ursula, exchanging all the pleasures and advantages which the world could offer her, for the title of Spouse of Christ. She will receive, more- over, a name that is also an inheritance^ and Miss Marie-Catherine Pinguet, will henceforth be known as Mother Mary Catherine of the Incarnation. Two other young ladies are clothed with the dark robe and white veil of an n Bt\ OMMl'SES OF THE MONASTEUT. Ilrst con- comploto lUT deatns ince 1039; more, we iniversary, r ecu rr once irecious in endered it \cr invested ceremony oung maid- under the rinse all the which the :he title of eive, more- mheritance, nguet, will other Mary are clothed te veil of an Ursuline novice, bolbre the close of the year: the names which they will bear in the Communiiy, the one lifty-iive and the other seventy years, are Mother Marie- Madeleine Amiot of the Conception, and luother Marie-Anno Anceau of St. Te- resa. We shall have occasion to mention, I elsewhere, these three worthy Mothers, [all ol* whom will be found among the [Superiors of the Monastery. Passing to the department of the Ins- titute, w^e find there the usual joyous ^groups of ^oung French girls, pursuing the pleasant paths of science, proportion- ed to the times, to their years, aad con- dition. There were also a sufficient num- ber of little Indian girls to form a class, and these were not cared for with less tenderness than those, nor with less fruit for their souls. 7 It was the time when the politic Gro- fernor, Count de Frontenac, seeking to strengthen the influence of the French ^ver the restless Iroquois, had conceived le plan of adopting the daughters of li 8 OLIMPSRS OF TFIK MONASTERY. 1.11 their chic l*s— after their own i'ashiou — and placing them in the Convent to he in- structed. Each time he made the journey to and from Cataraqui, (Kingston) some of these dark-eyed httle girls of the forest, were sure to be in his company. The missionaries also among the Algonquins, the Ahenakis, the Hurons at Lorette, would send the most intelligent of their young female neophytes, knowing the immense beneiit it was for the whole tribe, to have among them one of these pious seminarisls, so well instructed in her religion. Fragments of old lists that have es- caped destruction, are yet inscribed with the names of some of this little class of forest-girls of 1682, 3. Thus :— *' On the 15th of July 1682, Marie Du- rand, left the Seminary (the Indian class is thus designated by our Mothers) after being furnished with board and clothing during the year. " " Little Barbe, of the Mohawk tribe,who had been in the Seminary six years, has returned to her parents at Old Lorette. " hi RT, CMMPSK8 OF TIIK M0NA8TEUY. 9 shiou — and t to be in- he journey ston) some t' the forest, )any. The ilgonqnins, it Lorette, mi of theii lowinj? the Ihe whole [10 of these Licted in her it have es- cribed with ;tle class of Marie Du- ndian chiss thers) after ,nd clothing ^ktribe,who c years, has i Lorette. " JItM'e an^ oth«T names, at the same date, lOS;} : " Throdosie, Denise (Abenakis) ;" — **(rt»n(»vieve, Charlotto, Anne-Thereso, Ai-nes Wt\sk\vos (Abenakis)." EvidtMitiy, the cliildron of the forest are no longer num»*roas at the Convent, as they were in thi) earlier times. I Let us make a longer pause at 10S2. It is the lirst of June, and we find the Community disposed to elect a Superior- ess; their House of Assembly on these occasions being no other than the Chapel where they have first consecrated their iives to the service of God ; their prepa- ratory consultation, a three days' Expo- Bition of the iilessed Sacrament, special .|)rayers, and finally the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and Communion. Our readers have seen the much es- teemed Mother St. Athanasius, and Yen. Mother Mary of the Incarnation, during thirty six years, called alternately to the Tank of Superioress, by the united voice of their Sisters. Each had held as IVom the Jiand of God, that ofiice of trust and res- ^1 ii I! i 10 aiJMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. ponsibility, which li'ives its possessor only a hu'G^or share of labor and solicitude for the common weal; while the title, Rev. Mother or more simply, "Our Mother," reminds her, at each moment, of the s])irit in which she is to wield the sceptre of authority. Neither had ever forgotten the words of St, Augustine, admonishing the Superioress to remember, that "if she precedes her Sisters in honor before the world, yet before God she is bound to plpce herself humbly at their feet, ren- dering herself of good example to all, and esteemjng herself happy, not in the right she has to command, but in the facility her position aflbrds her to serve and succor her sisters in a spirit of charity." The code of legislation adopted by the order of St. Ursula, provides further for the welfare of all its members, by limiting the term of the offices that entail the greatest amount of fatigue and responsi- bility, to a term of three years, —subject to be prolonged by a re-election to six years, and not more, ^vithout an interval of re- pose. STERT. OUMPSES OF THE MONASTEIlY. 11 ossGssor only solicitude for title, Rev. )ur Mother," nent, of the d the sceptre ver forgotten admonishing ', that " if she )r before the is bound to eir feet, ren- ple to all, and t in the right 1 the facility ) serve and of charity." lopted by the es further for 's, by limiting lat entail the and responsi- s,— subject to n to six years, nterval of re- Nor is the direction of the little Com- monwealth, left to the simple will of the Superioress, however excellent may be ker qualilications. JShe has her " Consti- ♦ntions," to which she must conform iu the acts of her government ; she has also jier coadjutors, who share, in the various departments of the Monastery, the burden of authority : this is the "Privy Council," while the "Legislature" comprises the l^hole community of Choir sisters, after a certain number ol years of profession. I But while we have discussed the form tf government, our nuns have had ether fffeoccupations. They have discovered ttiat Rev. Mother St. Athanasius, obey- ing the impulse of her great humility, fcas provided herself with the right to Recline the rank to which they were §o 4esirous to raise her, for the seventh time. ^he permission has been given, and the IJishop refuses to retract it. Grieved, but i'pbmissive to the decision of their eccle- ijastical Superior, they proceed to their flection. Another of the P'rench nuns Who had joined the Ursuhnes of Quebec, S i I 12 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY, !li I 1; !l in 1671, Rev. Mother Marie Drouet— of Jesus, is called to succeed Rev. Mother Gibault du Breuil, — of St. Joseph, who had iroverned the Monastery for the last six years. These two, with the Rev. Mother Le Maire — of the Angels, will guide the bark of St. Ursula till the close of the century, in the same spirit as their predecessors, a spirit of meekness and charity. Thus, during sixty years and more, the Community of Quebec had the advantage of being governed by Superiors who had imbibed the true principles of religious observance, in the full and fervent Con- vents of the Order iu France. These had been foundei at the beginning of the 17th century, by the daughters of St. Angela, under circumstances most favorable to the true spirit of her Institute. The two Congregations of Paris and Bordeaux gave rise, directly or indirectly, before the close of the century, to about 200 Monasteries : both had contributed to ibiind the Ursulinos of Quebec, the first of the Order in the New World. GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 13 Drouet — of ,ev. Mother )seph, who for the last Mother Le ie the bark ho century, redecessors, ity. 1 more, the J advantage rs who had 3f religious rvent Con- ce. These ^ffinnini? of aughters of ances most 3r Institute. Paris and ' indirectly, ry, to about contributed Quebec, the World. Eventually, five nuns of the Congrega- ition of Tours (or Bordeaux) and seven of tParis, — including two lay-sisters,— gave their services to (he foundation of this Mo- inastery. Six were yet living at the date fwith which this chapter closes; their fnames will appear, more than once, in Ithe Ibliowing pages. i :^# CHAPTER II. lO^O. A MEMORABLE DATE. I The dimensions of the Monastery as |ebuilt by Mother Mary of the Incarna- fion, with its adjoining Church and Choir, iad sufficed for some thirty years ; but the ^number of pupils augmenting with the population of the country, it was resolved, i'tw i 1 ;t., 'II M 14 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. ill the spring of 168(3, to build a separate department for the nuns, in order to ap- propriate the greater part of the main- building to the use of the Boarders. Accordingly, on the 22nd of June, the ceremony of laymg the first— stone took place in this wise : — "At one o'clock in the al'lernoon, the Community being assem- bled around the foundations, with the pupils, all knelt to sing an anthem, in honor of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Then a little Indian girl, named Marie- Kose, dressed in white and repre- senting the Infant Jesus, laid the first stone, upon which had been placed a medal of the Holy Family, as a perpetual memorial that this building was in honor of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, and under their powerful protection." Little Marie-Rose reminds us of an- other Indian girl for whom another ce- remony took place that same year. Let us see what religion could do for a child of the forest: — it is a brief and simple tale, and soon there will be no more to tell, for the Seminarists are fast disap- PERT. GLIMPSES OP' THE MONASTERY. 15 1 a separate order to ap- f the main- arders. of June, the -stone took •'clock in the >eing assem- s, with the an anthem, ind Joseph, amed Marie- and repre- aid the first m placed a a perpetual A^'as in honor and under Is us of an- another ce- e year. Let o for a child and simple no more to e fast disap- pearing, with their people, once sole pos- sessors of the country we inhabit. Little Agnes Weskwes hjlonged to the Irihe of the Abenakis, and to the mission bf Jkcancour/ The good missionary, Rev. Father Bigot, S, J. had first sent the little girl to the Convent to be instructed for lier first communion, at the age of ten or eleven. Agnes was gentle and attentive to the lessons of her devoted teachers : that great action which influences the ^hole life of a Christian, made a strong impression upon her, and when she re- turned to her parents it was to edify them hj her piety, and to impart to others the i^ly teachings she had received. I But, strange to say, the forest had lost |ts charms for her ; the rude, plays of her ^oung companions could no longer amuse fier, as they moved in cadence to their ©wn wild melodies. The fur-robe adorned %ith embroidery ; the moccasins, bright with beads, with which the tender mo- ther sought to win her little daughter # f i ^ Oppowite Three Rivers. dl (TV •■*' f' If t u. f : 1 1 I I ii 16 GLIMPSES OF TIIK MONASTERY. were of no avail to make her forget the Convent. She was often seen in the di- rection of the cabin which served as a Chapel ; for she went there to pray ; hop- ing also to meet the good missionary, who surely would take her back some day to " the House of Jesus," and to the dear Mothers who had taught her to love and obey the G-reat Spirit. Her importunities were at length ef- fectual, — an Indian mother cannot refuse the request of her child ; and doubtless the Black-robe secretly rejoiced to find one Grenoveva among his flock. In the early spring of 1686, the little forest-maiden was again admitted within the cloister ; again she knelt in the quiet Chapel where she had first received the Bread of Life. Did she, as she approached again the holy Altar on the feast of the Annunciation, confide some important se- cret to her Heavenly Mother ? Did she petition never more to leave her Con- vent-home ? It may have been so, for a few days Mi l!:i KRY. forget the in the di- erved as a pray; hop- ouary, who lome day to o the dear to love and : length ef- mnot refuse i doubtless ced to find jk. B6, the httle itted within in the quiet eceived the approached feast of the naportant se- r? Did she je her Con- • a few days GLIMPSES OP TIIR MONASTERY. 17 later, the wild liower drooped, as if it felt the rays of tho hottest sun. A mortal sickness had seized the gentle child ; and iruly it was an edifying spectacle for ihe nuns to witness with what patience, *— c:ratefiil for their least attentions, mur- Inuring words of prayer, — she could suf- fer. Soon the danger becoming apparent, |he last rites of the Church brought further strength for the supreme moment, |nd tha little Indian girl, on the 5th of g|.prii, breathed forth in peace her pure young soul into the hands of Him who gave it. ,f A canoe from the Indian settlement of jpecancour was already on its way to l^uebec ; for a messenger had been sent warn the parents that their Agnes was mgerously ill. When they reached the ^onveni, they found her pallid bier, dire wed with flowers, awaiting them in the Church. Around it knelt many of her companions, watching with the dead, and praying for the repose of her soul. The peaceful and aiching sight, joined to the recital of i 18 QLlMP.-iES OV TUB Mt) NASI BUY. iii' '1. m riiiM i! 1 hep happy end, which th.3 nuns, with consoling words, give tho alHictod pa- rents, moderated their grief. On the following day, the Service was sung with solemnity, in that Charch, so diiierent from the (Jhapel of the Mission; the voices of the nuns and the pupils mingled in the burial strains, full of an- ticipation of the joys of Paradise ; and the procession went forth. It was com- posed of the clergy from the parish Church, a goodly num})er of citizens, as well as all the Indians in or around Que- bec, and closed with that virginal bier, borne by the young students of the Col- lege ; four of our " Seminarists ", in whit: dresses and floating veils, upheld the cor ners of the muslin pall, while the otln'i little Indian girls attired in a similar man- ner, formed another group preceding the mourners. When the parents and friend? of the youthful Agnes, witnessed sucli honors rendered to the mortal remain? of one of their nation, it no doubt tendi'd much to console them, as well as to giv them 0. hi^h idea of that Faith whioii lY. OLIMPSRS OF TIIK MONASTERY. 19 uus, with licted pa- orvico was Ulinrch, so LO Mission ; the pupils full oi'an- L-adise; and t was com- th«> parish t' citizens, as iTOUnd Quo- ivgiual bier, 5 of the Col- s",iu whit: leld the cor le the otht'i similar man- eceding tlv and friendj nessed such 'tal remains oubt tend^Hi ell as to g-iv' 7aith whioli knows no distinction of race, but embraces all the children of Grod in one sentiment , of charity. "- For our part, assisting in spirit at this touching ceremony, we have involunta- rily brought to mind the iiaage of Ma- dame de la Peltrie, and all her love for the poor children of the forest, for whose salvation she would have willingly given her life : — and it has seemed to us fitting : that the last lleq;uiem Mass, sung in that IChurch where the pious Lady reposed, ^should be for the soul of an Indian maid. I The catastrophe which we have an- ^nounced as A Memorable Date was §now impending. I The summer season quickly passes, and ^October comes. The month brings one of $^hose days, which, in a community, re- f* emble a family-gathering : it is the Feast f St. Ursula, Patroness of the Order. On . these occasions, the Divine Office is chant- ed with the rites of First-Class ; High Mass is celebrated with solemnity; the ^whole Church is brilliantly adorned, and ! 1 .1 -m" li fli! :| I M 1 :•■ 20 OLIMPdES OF TUB MONASTEUY. the Altar fflows with lii?hts and flowers, The consecrated Virgins who follow the banner of the lar-famed Princess of Albion, are filled with rejoicing, as they contem- plate that heavenly kingdom, where they too hope one day to follow the Lamb, and sing that canticle, unknown to all the other inhabitants of the Celestial Jeru- salem. But thoughts far different from these are suggested by the date of the Vigil of that festival, in 1080. It was a Sunday, and as such the day formed a part of the approaching solem- nity, doubling its splendor and its privi- leges. Let us, for a moment, picture the aspect of the Monastery on that memorable 20th October. It was not, then, the " Old Mo- nastery, " but young and fresh, peacefully sheltering its happy inmates. The pre- vious week, in that early autumn, had realized the w^armth and loveliness of the Indian Summer. Not a tree in that wide- stretching landscape, had yet lost the ^1 ru ,,, it OLIMPSK. OP TFIE MONASTERY. 21 (1 flowers, lb How the i of Albion, 3y contom- vhevQ they tho Lamb, u to all the stial Jeru- trom these .r the Vigil Lch the day iuix solem- d its privi- e the aspect orable 20th " Old Mo- , peacefully The pre- itumn, had liness of the 1 that wide- et lost the wealth of its many-colored, aiid bright- ited foliage. Embosomed in the trees of I he original forest, the^Monastery stood, like a counlry-residence ; the sombre hues of Its grey stone walls, contrasting agree- ^ably with the bright green of the still Iverdant lawn in front, and the rich hues fof its surroundings. To the left, the pretty Church with its eavenward-pointing spire, gave a finish _;to the picture; while to the right, the Tising walls of the new building, an- nounced the enterprise and growing prosperity of the establishment. AVithin the Choir were assembled, on this early JSunday morning, the entire Population of the Monastery : the nuns l^ere there, kneeling in their stalls ; young jfirls, from the age of six to sixteen ; l^varthy faces that denote the forest ehil- iren of Canada, filled the lower extremity 0f the choir ; while, beyond the grating, not a few pi<3us worshippers offered their prayers in that quiet Church, rich in gilding and tasteful architecture, where P\ I ■■a 1 «r r 22 GLIMPSES OF THE .MONASTEllY. tM' ' ■ ' I ! the spirit of Madame do la Pol trio and the Venerable Mario do riucarnatiou seemed still to dwell. Mass was nearly over: the nuns, in theit long mantles, had lowered their veilo over their faces, as they retired from the Holy Table ;— it was thut blissful mo- ment, the *' Thanksgiving^ " after Com, munion, when each in peace and trust, is wont to renew that total sacrifice of her- self, implied in her sacred vows. Suddenly, a confused sovind of human voices, and the clangor of the parlor bell, rung as by an impatient hand, startled the peaceful congregation. Mother Superior quits her place to answer the unwonted summons, the import of which, in one moment, was but too evident. Her rapid footsteps bear her quickly through the smoke that already filled the passages, to the extremity of the main building where a fire had been lit, in the huge kitchen chimney of those olden times.— O terror! the whole apartment was wrapped in flames ! .1 hiu :uv. flLIMTSIS OF TIIK MOVASTKHY 23 oltrio and ucarnatioii 3 nuns, in orod their tired from blissful ino- it'ter Com, nd trust, is ice of her- vs. I of human parlor bell, startled the r Superior unwonted ch, in one ler quickly [y filled the f the main been lit, in those olden apartment l'joni[)lIy closini^" the door thvou^'h hich tlie smoke was densely pourin ^he hurrios back to the Chapel, and, in a 'oi(;o ot distress, cries out : " Ail is lost [ hole li is in Ihaaes: sret to a tiouse >laO(^ ol'sal'i'ly as (juiekly as possible.'" That sad voice was all that broke the aleiicc of the sacred fane. The order 'as olx'Vi'd with one imi)ulse. Th<» pupils, tTcllowd ))y tht^ nuns, issued from the ihearest door into the court-yard, while Ihp smok(» aiul the seething flames, burst- fco- from doors and windows, left no doubt as to the urgency of this precipitate flight. The citizens who had iriven the Jprst alarm, were soon joined, with shouts Ind lamentations, by all the population ■ ,#f the city. Ihit, with the fire, a strong ;wind from the north had arisen; and the pry pine-floors and partitions, })ore swiftly prward the destroying element through ftie entire length of the main-buildinjj: tbwards the Chapel and Church. Seeing the certain ruin that threatened the whole establishment, all efforts were now direct- ed towards saving, at least, the vestments, ¥.1 M H *■' j i I Pi 24 GLIMPSES OF THE M(^NASTERT, the sacred relics, and the furniture of the altars. These were in pari secured, with the business papers of the Community. And yet, at what risks ! The heroic lay. Sister, who was transporting the rich re- liquaries, persisted, after evauy one else had fled from the Janger, till, on a sud- den she perceives that the flames have left her no other egress but through the attic over the Church. She speeds her way, laden with her precious burden, and is saved from her perilous situation, by being helped down through the windows in the roof! ^ It was enough that no life was lost, although every thing else perished. All the movables, including the Annals of the Convent, valuable books, objects of piety or of usefulness, that were almost sa. cred from having belonged to the Vene- rable first Foundress or her companions ; all the stores and provisions ; the furniture ■ii * This brave Sister, whose name was Sr. Marie Montmesnil de Ste. Cecile, was a native of Normandy. She lived fifty-tour years after tlio narrow escape of perishin<j; l»y fire, related above = yhe was aged 81, at her decease* in 1740. mi tare of the lived, with immunity, heroic lay. he rich re- y one else , on a sud- imes have iroug-h the speeds her Lirden, and tuation, by 3 windows no life was perished. ! Annals of objects of almost sa. the Yene- n pan ions ; furniture ?s Sr. Marie )l"Noriuai)dy. u\v escape of I'lis aged 81, QLIMPSV.S OF THE MONASTERY. 2& of the school rooms, bods and clothing-, ail were destroyed there, as at the iirst burnins: of the Convent, in the space of a few hours. The new building, consisling yet of unfinished walls, underwent the Jate of the rest, though with less dam.:ge. trhe outhouses were included in the |lestruction, with the exception of two $mall buildings, the bake-house and Wash-house : even these had to be un- foofod, ill order to preserve them. One small building, at tho distance of some sixty yards, stood entire; it was the house of refuge, left by Madame de la Peltrie, which, thirty-six yi'ars before, had shel- tered the Community in similar circum- Itances. But who can well imagine the scene when the ilames, having obtained com- plete mastery, drove all the spectators to a distance, and revelled there with all the fory of short-lived triumph. The roof of the main building, with its cross-sur- mounted cupola, hud sunk, while the tossing llanics rose higher and brighter; but it was on the Church that all eyes I ■41 ■I'l ; m im lii » 1 ti'' ' 26 GLIMPSK3 OF THE MOXASTKRY. wore riveted. Its wide arched windows glowed with the furnace heat within ; when suddenly the spire was enveloped, ;is with a iiery shroud ; another torrent ran IVoui point to point along the pine beams of the groaning roof, till the whole gave way at a moment, with a tremen- dous crash ; and there remained one glow- ing heap of ruins, where an hour before had knelt devout worshipj^ers in ];)eace- ful adoration ! Among the spectators of tliis fearful scene, we lind three aged nuns, who at the dead of a w^inter's night, thirty -six years before, had witnessed the destruc- tion of the first Convent, raised on that same spot : — Venerable Mother St. Atha- nasius, now seventy-three years of age, Mother St. Croix, almost four-score, and Mother St. Ignatia, nearly seventy : — these knew by sad experience wdiat it w^as to be driven from their Convent-Home by fire. And how dear must those halls, those cells, that choir, the class-rooms, — the •m: GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTEllY. 27 (1 windows jat within ; enveloped, tier torrent g the pine I the whole a tremen- d one g-low- iiour bel'ove rs ill peaco- this fearful ins, who at t, thirty -six the destruc- sed on that ler St. Atha- Bars of age, r-score, and nty : — these it it was to it-Home by halls, those ooms, — the ^ery floors where the Venerable Mo- Ler Mary of the Incarnation had trod, ave been to all these her beloved Mo- thers and sisters, most of whom had lived ^ere many years under her maternal ^are. It was like so many relics doomed |o destruction. But grace was not less towerful on this occasion than on the )rmer. They "who forsake parents, or llrothers ond sisters, houses or lands," to fcllow their Lord, should be careful not "^ suffer their hearts to be captivated by any thing earthly; so, when the flames had made a holocaust of tlie fruit of forty years' economy, there was neither lamen- tation nor discouragement. At eight o'clock, on that Sunday mor- ning, the nuns, Iviieeling in their pious Chapel, had heard the signal of alarm ; at one, neither Chapel nor Convent remain- ed to shelter them or their pupils : yet hear what they have themselves testiiied of their feelings in these trying circum- stances : — *' This calamity, although severe and ignloreseen, hardly moved us, Divine i IT" >^m Hi. :■' i.::ii; 28 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. grace having so taken possession of our hearts at that moment, when God had given himself to us in his Sacrament of love, that it w^as not possible for us to regret the loss of earthly goods." Here, pity must give place to admira- tion ; — such sentiments tell how fully the Community had imbibed the spirit of its Saintly Foundress, or rather that they too were saints : none else could be ca- pable of such detachment ! CHAPTER Iir. 1i !», ' ; ; j ■ 1 • 1 ) M r Ml it III 1 I RESTORATION OF THE MONASTERY. In the mean time, measures were taken to shelter the homeless Ursulines. It had been, at once, decided that eight would remain to guard the beloved site, and to If 5TERY. jssion of our m God had lacrament of lie tor us to ds." 5 to admira- LOW fully the e spirit of its 3r that they 2ould be ca- GLIMPSES OF TIIU: MONASTEllY. 29 A' ASTERY. s were taken ines. It had eight would . site, and to ^^ 'oct the most urgent reparations, prepar- fcg the little asylum that was loi't thorn, to be the future residence of the Commu- nity. Ai'ter High Mass at the Cathedral was 4j|rer, about half past twelve, the Bishop ^int-Valier, and their Superior, Kev. Father Beschefer, S. J., came to escort flie others to the Hotel-Dieu, where they were received with the utmost cor- diality. Entering by the liospital, they reque&led to be conducted to the Chapel, where, on bended knees, they entoned the " Laudate," to thank Grod for having accomplished his holy will in them, by depriving them of every thing ; then they sang the "Memorare," to the Blessed Virgin, their Mother and principal Supe- ifioress,to beg her assistance and protection : finally, before accepting any further rites of hospitality, they assisted at the Holy Sacrifice, offered for them by Iv-ev. Father Beschefer, who had kindly deferred saying his mass till that hour "in order to console them more effectually.'-Happy «)uls ! to whom the consolations of Heaven m i'l 30 GLIMPSES OF TIIR iMONASTERY. *. ■ 1 sulTieo : never will you be overcome ' hv earthly trials ! Ill tact, the courage of our Ursuliiic; seems never to have faltered an instant. Their income, during h;df a century, would not have sufficed to enable them to rebuild their Monastery ; yet, trustiii:.' in the assistance of. Divine Providenco, they resolved to attempt its reconstruc- tion ; and until that was accomplished, to live there amidst its ruins. The geuo' rosity of friends, on every side, enabled them to effect the first of these purposes : their own generosUy in suffering, carried them through the second. Let us group a few of the incident? that have been handed down to us o: that period, duryig which our Mothers had to contend with the accumulated difficulties of poverty, sickness, and desti' tution. A part of the Community, as wc havt seen, had sung their perfect act of resig nation at the Chapel of the Plotel Dion where they had found hospitality, afie: % sTERY. )vorcomo ' by ur "Ursuliiiev [ an instant. f a century, enable thom yet, trustiiK' Providence reconstruc- 3complishe(l, . Tlie gene- dde, enabled se purposes ring, carried be incident^ wn to us o: our Motbei; accumulated ss, and desti' as wc hayt act of resig Hotel Dieii )itality, aftei GLIMPSES OF TUK MONASTEIIY. 31 ■ } ^h;it disastrous Sunday morning. Their kind hostesses did not tbrgi^t that the following day was the Teast of St. Ursula ; tnd made immediate prtjparations to have High Mass, Vespers, Sermon, and IJene- ^iction, in favor of their guests, The Ser- Jnon proved to b(; a moving exhortation ilrom the Bishop Saint- Via lier, who after celebrating Mass for the Ursulines and fivi ng them Holy Communion, sought, s he said, to console himself, while con- Soling with tliem; and who seemed, in- deed, more aifected by the sad accident than they were. Ai'ter such a proof of the delicate sentiments of the good IJo^- pil'ilieres, we are not surprised that the two Communities lived like one, recitins: their ollice, taking recreation, their meals, nd serving the poor invalids, together. Some may not be prepared to hear that 'Iho Ursulines were also seen at the Castle of St. Louis. It was deemed i)roper that the Mother Superior, with som>> of her Sisters, should pay her respects to the Marchioness de Denonville. Their con- ductors on the occasion were Madame do 32 GLIMI.-KS OF Tin-: MONASTKIIY. 111!;' i ; j,^ 1 M mm Yilloray, and Madame Bourdon. It is hardly necessary to say that th<'y wr'Vi' received at the Governor's with all the kindness and cordiality imaginable. Tak- ini>' leave ol* their friends, the Marquis dc ]Jenonville and the Marchioness, about live o'clock, they proceeded to the Palace of the Intendant. Here, they were not less cordially welcomed than at tho castle; but they had yet anolher call tu make, liidding- adieu to Madame Cham- pig-ny, they followed the streets back to their Iionie ; and, alighting from their carriage, they went in to wish a "Good Evening" to their sisters, the eight who had been left in possession of the house of Madame de la Peltrie. When they, at last, entered the IIotel-Dieu at six o'clock, " the peace of the cloister seemed delight- ful, after such a day of fatigue and dissi- pation !" On the 7th of November, the Convent of the Ursulines, as the house of Madame de la Peltrie was now styled, was in read- iness, and the exiles prepared to return The charitable importJunities of their I'! H f ■• f f: TKUV. CiLIMPSES OV THE MONASTERY. 33 rclou. It is i tlit'y were with all tho iuable. Tak- ! Marquis do 7U0SS, al)out :o the Palaco ey were not hail at tho oiher call to lame Cham- •eets back to from their sh a " Good 3 eight who »i* the house lien they, at t six o'clock, ned delig'ht- le and dissi- the Convenl of Madame was in read- ed to return es of their Jcind hostesses, were unavailing to retain thcnn longer ; so, amid good wishes on *the one side, and sincere protestations of Jfcisting gratitude on the other, the adieus, Sot without tears, were made. Three of jiho good Hospital nuns were authorized to Accompany the Ursulines, and visit with lihem the other religious Institutions of the ,«ity. The walk, thus extended, took them 4rst to the Seminary, wliere the illustrious Bishop Laval, lived with his Community of Priests and Levites, in the poverty, fer- vor, and simplicity of the Apostolic times. Thence, they passed to the gardens, and to the Little Seminary, where the students obtained a holiday in their honor. The Cathedral came next; then the College of the Jesuits; finally, entering the Cha- pel of the Congregation, they sang an anthem tu the lilessed Virgin, and con- tinued their way, always conducted by the Bishop ; their Superior, M. de Mai- zerets (of the Seminary), and Rev. Father Peschefer. :h The procession had leno^thened, with m 'f 34 GLIMPSES OF THE MONAhTKllY. !(i,:i !<l !; the road, till it res(Mn])le(l a trininplia! march. The door ol' their HttU? Convent, at hist, opened before them, and the crowd disappeared, as the nuns entered the nar- row apartments provided i'or their recep- tion. The walls had not g-rown wid»'r, and if partitions had separated the lowei story into a kitchen and a refectory, tlu other, above, retained its full dimensions, (thirty feet by twenty,) in order to accom- modate twenty-eight persons with a dor- mitory. A little Chapel and choir had been fashioned, not in the style of the Jie i.aissance, bvit in that of the grotto o: the Naissance in IJethlehem, — it was a small building, which had formerly serv- ed as a stable. This, with the other "ira-, provements" around, seemed to movt the company more to compassion than to admiration. " My good listers, I soi every thing prepared here to make yoi; suffer," remarked the kind-hearted Eis- hop : " But for our part, says the Annalist, our joy was apparent to all, so delighteJ 1]^ M' ■ I If t;; H! ! rKiiY. [\ triumphal tie CouvoDt, ,d the crowd ired the nar- their rect'p- rown \vid»'r. ?d the lowoi electory, tlk dimensions, [er to accom- s with a dor- ir had been of the Jio he grotto o; a, — it was a jrmerly serv- le other " m\ ed to moyt Lssioii than tu isters, I see o make yon •hearted Lis- the Annalist, so deh<]riiteil GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 35 rere we to find ourselves again reunited." '^Erre (iwim hon/fin el qiiam jucundum ha- bilarr, fntfrcs in unum. " — Yes ! it is a ||)od and pleasant thing for brethern or iiBter.s io dwell together in unity. if If adversity is the hour to know one's fi^ends, our Mothers had reason to congra- tlUate themselves on the number, the liber- ality, and devotedness of theirs. While the smoke was yet rising from the ruins of the ^Monastery, the Bishop had addressed himself in their behalf, to the faithful, assembled in the Cathedral for High Mass. Soon alter, he issued a Circular, informing the chn-gy throughout the dio- cese of the accident, which, he said, in- terested the whole country and was of itself sudicient to excite their parishioners, through gratitude and affection, to render all the assistance in their power towards repairing the disaster. For his part, he contributes, at once, three thousand francs ; and, during his absence in P'rance, he pleads the cause of his afriicted daughters so efhcaciousiy, \<'J> ';'f ■p'l" 3G GLIMPSES OP Tlld MONASTEaV. * -. that Iho Annals name him ^ asth«»ir cliic;! bonolactor in ilio roi'stahlislmipnt ol'thtT Monastery. Tli(3 ]\Iar(|uis chi J)enonvill.'> lirst oUorini*', is a thousand lV;uics ; \\\n\ the Marchiont'ss makes it her duty to i: from door to door throuL»'h the city, c<ii lectiuG: tor her dear Ursulines, to whoL she hears daily, with her sympathy, lli fruit oi'her charity. ■ The Rev. Falhers of the Society c Jesus, after their llrst offeriiiu;- of a tho sand francs, furnish for live or six tiiiii that value' in goods and provisions. Tli members of tho Seminary, and the Intci dant, contiibnte with equal gencrosii; The citizens of Quebec, the principal 1 mihes throughout the country, give a: according to their means ; the ITis lines of Paris, and the other Houses the Order, the relatives of the nuns thti especially the family Le Maiie, and! Flecelles, again, on this occasion, as : ^ The Bishop embarked in October, huviiiLi' j concluded the episcopal visit of liis diocese, Caiui. and Acadiu. lli i 'Ml iM! ASTKRY. (;iJIMl»8KS OP TIIK MONASTERY. 37 as iht'ir clii* llllK'llt of llu'i *) Donoiivilk" IVancs; wliil her duty to l' I iht^ city, c. iiios, to wlioL sympathy, th the Society ( riiiii,' of a tho ve or six tiiiii rovisions. TL and tho Intci nal o-enerosir 10 principal I Lintry, givo ni IS ; tho Ilrsi )thor Houses I 'tho nuns thii : Maiio, and 1 occasion, as : 'ctubor, liuving j his diocese, Caiui. [().') 1-2, S(Mid liboral sums to tho poor Ijisuiinos in Canada. 'l\u) wnitor passed away in providini^ the most neiMlfiil artich's of clothing, and ti i>lyn!i»' dilii^ontly th(i noiMllo, in such aiiity oml>roi(h;ry as would bring, hy its |nle, some proiits to lessen tho necessity ijor daily ahns. ? J^]arly in spring, the labors oi' rebuilding freie commenced, under tho skiU'ul di- lection ot* Uev. Father F. Italaix S. J. tfhilo tlui nuns invited to th-^ir humble Chapel, the little girls of tho city for the Instructions of the First Communion. As ipon as the snow commenced to disap- jij|ear, they made preparations for opening Hlasses ibr day-i)upils, by putting up a ^«)rt of shed, near Iho spot whore lately ^iood that precious memorial of the past, §18 ''Old Ash Tree." ^ This was no sooner ■f ^ Tluit venerable relic of the primitive forest was Ipll u inuirnificent tree at the 200th anniversary of jtjj^e Fuuiuiation of the Convent (1SIJ9). It lost one of life })!'inci|);il branches a few years later, anil, linally, |d tho month of Aujj,iust, 18G8, was laid prostrate by §k Btorni. f ' 4 Sv^l 38 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. f in readiriGss than fifty or sixty pupils as- sembled, and the Ursulines found labor congenial to their profession. But, as the adage tells: *' Misfortunes never come single." If already the hoat of summer rendered their narrow lodii- ings most uncomfortable, what would it be in sickness? A contagious malady (the measles) was raging in the city, After attacking the scholars, it fell upon the teachers, and it was necessary to have an Infirmary. A small building, serving as a wash-house, was forthwith accommo- dated for this purpose ; and thither the sick were removed and attended, till nearly the whole community had paid tribute to the unwelcome visitor. The month of September brought with it the mortal illness of the venerable Mother Cecile de la Croix, now seven! v- eight years of age. Her vigorous consti- tution had enabled her to bear a large share of the hardships of the foundation, in the early times, and to continue her services forty-eight years, edifying (lie iih FERY. CLIMPSKS OF THE MONASTERY. 39 y pupils as- found labor Misfortunes dy the heat arrow lodu- lat would it ous malady 11 the city, , it fell upon isary to have ling, serving th accommo- thither the ttended, till y had paid dtor. rought with e venera1)le ow seveniv- orous const!' boar a large foundation, ontinue hor edifying jhe ommunity by her humility, her charity, id her lidelity to all the observances of liiiious lite. The ofTices that she regarded ■:hv\[\i dread, were those of Assistant and Mistress of Novices to which she was Icalled more than once, and lor which she 'wa^ well qualified, in every one's opinion iut her own. She loved far better, to be ^employed at the Externs : the poorest Ischolars were her delight. " In short, says LO Annalist, she was a true Ursuline." ■^\ The ardors of a burning fever consumed Ipie little remains of her strength, while during three weeks she was attended iu that miserable hovel, with love and im- mi'iise compassion. It is the survivors we jnobt pity, when ibr the bier of their be- foved Mother, they could tind no better ^lace than the porch of that poor little |Cliaj)el ; no more convenient spot for her jgrave than the ruins of their former lovely IClioir ! To add to the sadness of the burial ^Cf remony, a heavy autumnal rain came ip(jurmi^ its waters over the funeral cor- l|tege, as they bore the dear remains across ^■.» 40 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. I 1 m: li;!!: i ;l the open court to the last resting place of the dead. . . r . The generous resignation with which the nuns had accepted the ailliction sent them in the burning of their Monastery, seems to have extended its soothing influ- ence to this whole period of privation and suffering. " During this year, sajs the Annalist, in order to second the desims of Divine Pro* videnceover us, each one strove to advance in virtue by the practices of mortification and penance. Daily prayers and thanks- givings were offered to God for the succor and aid he sent us, as well as to implore his protection for our benefactors. Among other prayers, the Litanies of the Saintb were recited every day, with the suffrages) as marked for the Eogation days. The anniversary of the conflagration, the 20th October, was a day of special devotion and fervor. In the morning there was general communion ; in the afternoon we went around the ruins in Procession, singing the Litany of the Blessed Virgin, ■•*■?". ^ TERY. GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTEllY. 41 ing place of with which lictioii sent Monastery, thing' influ- )f privation Aiinaiist, in Divine Pro- 3 to advance lortification and thanks- r the succor to implore ors. Amono" f the Saints le suffrages) days. The >n, the 20tli il devotion there was ternoon we Procession, sed Virgin, air Mother and Protectress. Our hopes ^%iave not been confounded, lor our (jrood iMother has so watched over us that even :#n our greatest distress, we have never >een reduced to want for the necessaries >fhie." Meanwhile the busy scene presented ►y the heroes of the trowel, the plane, and "the hammer, at their respective stations, •gave hopes of better days. In November, .the new wing, ^ hnished as to the exterior, - oll'ered, at least, one large Hall complete, and ready to be occupied. This was at once devoted to the use of the pupils, the Annals marking with characteristic pre- cision, that " twelve months and nineteen days after their accident, they were ena- ,bJed to admit Boarders again." During the winter, the workmen cou- ' ^ This wing, CO French feet by 25, was destined as a habitation for tlie nuns ; tlie pupils occupied the 'Marge ilall " only till the next spring (May;, wheu .J they removed to the apartnienls, which the nuns then J quitted, in the house uf Mde. de la Peltrie. ¥ m i '*'^* lliiM! it;! '!■ . i I M i'i'! ': 1 . H. Ml 42 GLIMPSES OF THE .MONASTERY. tinned their labors in the interior of tho building, with siich success that on tho 18th oi' May (1G88), the house was solemn- ly blessed, and dedicated to the Holy Family : on the following day, the nuns were occupied in removing to their new apartments. It mast have been a joyful exchange to them, especially to see the thirteen most aged among them provided with cells for their nightly rest, instead of a narrow space measured oli' by inches in a common dormitorv. The humble Chapel we have pointed out, after serving for Holy Mass and the Divine Oflice during eighteen months, after witnessing the profession of a fervent Novice, Miss Juschereau, the funeral of the venerable Mother 8t. Croix, the Ken- ovation of the vows, the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament several times, w^as abandoned for the large Hall/ already ^ This apartment, beneath tlie Coninninity-Hall \vhich served as a Cliapel tliirteen months, lias become historical since its occupation by General Murray for the sessions of his Council, Military i, lull;: terior of the that on the was solemn- o the HoJy y, the nuns their ne\y en a joyful to see the m provided est, instead ff by inches ave pointed ass and the sn months, of a fervent ' funeral of X, the lieu- ition of the imes, was 1, ^ already iiuimnity-Hall moiuh.s, lias 1 hy General iciJ, Military GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTEIIY. 43 [mentioned, in (he lower story of the new [wnig. The restoration of the main- building-, which gave another Chapel with the apartments necessary for regular obser- vance in the Community, a Kefectory, an Infirmary, additional cells, <S:c., was accomplished in the course of the same year(lG88.) The ancient choir rebuilt as class-rooms 2fbr the boarders, in 1080,^ at last restored and Private, in 1759. It liad been occupied as a ' Laumiry or clotiics-room, nntii tlie pre^^ent year, 1875. -;* ^ ''In rol)uil(linir the choir, say tlie Annals, a part \Only of tlie ancient loundations serveil, the width hav- ,,ring been enlarged six feet on the south, and tlie length also by several feet." This building, as reconstructed in 1GS9, served as ; class-rooms refectorv, &c., for the Boarders until I 18a4, when new apartments having been provided :, for them, by an additional stury the whole length of J tlie mam building (! 12 x 35) the old classes were oc- cupied by the Hall-Boarders. In 1871 tliis old build- m ^'^^ ^^'^s demolished and rej)laced by another, aug- iDented in dinieiisions and four stories high. m iil 41 QLIMPSKS OF THE MONASTERY. w m. :it; the house of Madame cle la Peltrie to its J ordinary destination, school-rcoms lor the v '^ Externs. CHAPTER IV. io»i>. CLOSE OF THE FIRST IIALF-CEiNTURY. The events we have had to record thus far, have presented enough of " hfe's chequered scenes " to prove that this edihce, destined to be lasting, had for its firm foundation the sacred Wood of the Cross. The Monasteiy, newly restored after a second burning, again sheltered the cloistered family, who felt they had much to be thankful for in the past; much to hope from tin protecting care of Pro- vidence, in the future. In their recent 'J ", M ' ',-i' > y.ili GLTMPSKS OF THE MONASTERY. 45 ^eltrie to its :oms lor the ENTURY. record thus of "life's e that this , had for its ^ood of the ^ly restored ri sheltered It they had past ; much care of Pro- :heir recent lisfortune, they had experienced prompt 1 generous sympathy ; all classes of so- cit'ty rejoiced to seethe Con vent not only , rebuilt, but enlarged, i The Church, I alone, had not risen from its ruins. The date of this restoration, moreover, coincided with the liftieth anniversary Mof the arrival of the lirst Ursulines in PC an ad a. The Community numbered, now, thirty- bur members ;— ten others, including the ;hree Foundresses, had, during that space of time, passed to their reward. No other year in those early times, seems to have been so fertile in vocations for the cloister, as 1G80. Twice the touch- ing ceremony of " taking the veil," was ^witnessed in the temporary chapel be- ^ Tlie wing, called '^ La Sainte-Faniille, had been ^ fxtendcd towards tlie south-west, forming an angle |wilh the inaiu-building30 feet by 38 affording a kitch- ' |en and its dependencies, an infirmary, etc. The ,,^first stone was laid on the 19ih July, 1G87, by Made- 'f. J 1 1 J rpnuiselle de Denonville, then a boarder, danjihter of . tthe Governor of the Colony. "V 4G OLntPSKS OP TIIK MOVASTKllY. !'! '!i iri; neath the present Comiriunity llall. On both occasions, the Bishop Saint- Vahor oihciated, assistive! by his clergy and some oi' the Itev. Fathers oi* the ^Society ot Jesus. The JNEa^qnis de Denonville, the Intendant, and their suite, were also pre- sent, — the new " Brides of Jesus," being Miss Elizabeth d'Ailleboust, and Miss Louise-llose de Lanaudiere ; henceforth known as Mother Marie de la (^roix and Mother St. Catherine. After the ceremony, the company were further gratiiied by being allowed to visit the interior of the Monastery ; — those cells which, with their humble furniture, bare walls, and narrow door with wooden latch, still excite the curiosity, or admiration of the rare visitors permitted to behold them ; that Com- munity-ITall, with its deep-channelled oaken wainscot, its plain benches around- instead of chairs ; —wearing yet much the same aspect as it did two hundred years ago ; the new refectory and Chapel, — of which we shall soon have further occa- sion to speak. So well did the company enjoy the treat, that it was almost six j* -.**. 1'. I il'iJMl:!!":' Ii'llt!'!,!;!*;:: GLIMPSES Ob' TlIK .MONASTEllY. 47 / Hall. On Saiiit-Yalier ^y and some Society ot lonville, the ?re also pre- L\sus," being , and Miss hencelbrth a Croix and e ceremony, gratilied by terior of the |i, with then and narrow 1 excite the rare visitors that Corn- channelled les around- et much the idred years Chapel, — of irther occa- le company almost six ilock boibre the cloistered i^'roands, the mrk and gardens, ha 1 re^viineu their routed look of repose and quietude. The food nuns console themselves with the ouu'ht that their cloister Will not lowj: be Lus ini'ringed upon, their new Chapel — iaving an exttu'ior part destined to the je of the public, being- nearly in readiness )r Divine Service. Four other young ladies, in the fresh iarsofUfteen and sixteen, embalm the jw Novitiate with the fragrance of their wly sacritice, before the close of that fiftieth year under consideration : these were Miss Marie-Anne Robineau ^ de "* Miss Hobineau, of Becaticoiir, daughter of Ba- fOti Kene Kobirieau, officer of the Uogimerit of Tu- Bniio, ChevaHer of the Order of St. Michtd ; her )ther belonged to the ancient and noble fanuly I.e- 5uf de la Potherie. Miss Gauthier da Coniporle, daughter of P. Gau. thier, Sieur de Coinporle and Grand Prevost of Qjiebec; her mother's I'aniily name was Basire. Her §ter Marie-Anne de Compurte made profession five irs later. :;Miss Drouardj of Quebec, took the nanjc of Mother > I r '•;'•,'• ■.t. i'l 48 OMMPSr-S OF Till'] MONASTKRY. 1 ' ti! ^. i . I "Docnncour, Miss Mario Madeleine G;ui thier de Coniporte, Miiss Marie-Madcleiii.; Drouard and .Jeanne Chorel. On anothcn' page of our old Ttecoid mention is made oi' the Episcopal visii which terminates to the mutual satisl'ac tion of the Prelate and his spiritiu daughters ; its close is marked by conlei ring the ^Sacrament oT Conhrmation, upo: a Tostulante and about tvventv of tli Boarders, among whom are several littlr Indian girls. On the 2ord of June, ih Holy tSacriiice w^as ottered for the lav time in the temporary Chapel under th Community, after w^hich the JJlessed ^. crament \vas borne, in ceremony, to tli new Chapel at the other extremity of tli Convent. The procession moved acro; the grounds through a winding avenii St. Michel, at ilie age of lllleen, and lived to the a. of eighty-two. Miss Chord de St. Rouiain was soon rejoined the Nuvntiate by her sinter Marie-Fran^oise, who". the first to bear (IGD3) the name of Mother Marie. Sac re Cceur. fal ■■If III Mi ii m iTRRY. leloinc Grauj ic-Madeleiin; old Ttocord i SCO pal visit, Ltual satisl'ac his spiritual ed by coui'ei •matioii, upoi ventv of til several litll: of Jane, tlit L for the la<: pel under th le Blessed S: ^mony, to tli tremity of tli moved acro; nding avenii id lived to the a; soon rejomea, an^ctise, who ". [Mother Miirie: UIJ.\irsi:8 UL' TIIK MONASTKUY. 40 >or(lt'r<Hl Aviiii yotnig lir-trees, and strew- id wiih 1 lowers The nuns, bearing- light- Id tiii)»M\s, led the way, followed by the hoarders, in iiolid ly attire ; the Clergy ►recediHl the IJishop, who l>ore with care- [1 step, the sacred Ciboriuin ; whde the AM nil P(Uf<re lingnd, an I the Anthem, sdcnmi Conririiun^ gave exprt^ssion to le s^Milimeut.s ol* piety and devotion ^hirli animated their hearts. ' ' Th(^ lirst Mnss celebrated in that little iiu 111 iry, destined to witness during tliir, M'our y«nirs, the fervor, the rejoicings, the larias, and ;hc trials of the Ursulines, ''as on the feast of St. John Ijaptist, 1689. Long since has that Chapel ceased to ,0 with reliuious chants ; its sacred des- [nation is but a picture of the fancy- '"okiiiu" the records of the past; — let us irn, then, to other memorials of those U'ly times, witnesses to the piety of our rst nuns, which are still in good pre- n'vation. Such of our readers as have ever made ^e Convent their abode, have not failed ^ "' 7 -=■ 50 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 11' • M^^- ■tl. 1 ■iil to iiotico, thosn niiciont statnos to wh'w] wo alluclo ; th'-y are, aj)parontly, the Guar dians of the " Jlouse of .lesus." It was the Tth December of that .Iiibilc year, 1(J80, that installed the Image of Hi Immaculate Vir^'irrwithin its scuiptiuv and gilded niche, at the entrance of Ih Community-Hall. Another, of 8t. ,1 osopk wau placed, with the same tender pietv on the second landini? of the c^reat stair way in tlie centre of the building, knowi as " St. Augustine's stairs." The wlioi^ community walked in procession, singiii: Hymns, while the litter, covered wit! llowers, on which the statues were placo! was borne to their respective station^ How many times, during the space now nearly two centuries, has the siuli of those statues been to theinhabitaiit.>i the cloister, the signal of a quick thoual; sent winged to heaven ; here by an ^i Joseph, there by a Tola pulrhra es to tli Virgin fall of grace and beauty. An how can we recall the memory of our a: cient Mothers, never too poor to liii means to manifest their tender piety t' if f^'ifM':^'': ULIMPSES OF TIIK MONAHTEIIY. 51 los to Avhiciil tly, the Guar I sus." I'thnt.Ii-ibiW Imai?o of th in sculptum itrance ol* th^ ^ of St. .losoph tender pii^ty le f^reat stair Idiiig", kno\vii The whol^ 'ssion, singiii; covered wii s were placet"; jtive station^ the space > has the sigli inhabitants I :^uick thoud. ere by an jh Irhra es to tli beauty. An lory of our a poor to lin. nder piety t' ards (rod and his Saints, withont beino- lOved bv a I'-tMierous impulse to follow Ijos.'ly m ilit'ir footsteps, emulatin;^ tho ^oly (\Kaniph's they have hd't us ! Y«'t all \v;is not bright and peaceful in at v^'iiv, l()8l). In the History of Canada, iili ;ill its pugcs of terror and warfare, UMO are none darker with anxiety. 'h<' counlrv seemed indeed on the brink a total ruin. The Iro(|Uois, far from be- g wi^akemul or disheartened by the long #ar tlu'y had waged against the French wad tln^ allitnl Inilian Tribes, rose bolder and more aggressive after each encounter. Th(^ environs of Montreal were infested with sfraii'gling bands of the blood-thirsty foe. AVe shall not here revive the ||oomy pi dure of the massacre of La- ||hine,i and the other feats of savage prow- ls fn tlio year IG^O, tlie Iroquois made a fearful JslauL^it iip!>n tlie T^laml of Montreal with 140O irrjiirs. Tlie iiii^lit of tlie 4tli of August was sig- lliz'd Ijy ati attack upon the ilwelliiigs of the inhab- mt^; and settlements on the borders of theSault St. )uls, of w]i')m several hundreds were ruthlessly pk'ii and ma le captives. Shocking barbarities were M * ■ •V. * \'\..'-< , 52 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. ,\ I i:c| ess, which rendered the year too sadly i:. morable ; but opening that old parchni ]. . bound Volume, our guide in revisi'iiu: the scenes of by gone days, let us see wlun record ol'passing events is there inscrilicd A few days alter the event j ust alludoc to has been recorded, the Annalist says :- " A territying report came in all ha,sui that Three Itivers had been laid in ])Ujji\ and ashes by the Iroquois, who a ravaging all the country around, news proved false, but a letter froi ; IL Governor, the Marquis de Denonvili>', re ceived later, gave undoubted informrlioi that he had lifteen or sixteen hunclm Iroquois to contend against ; whilst ni other party, in company with two ' ■": dred English Coloaists, were waitiv'U fall upon Three Elvers and the o;' j habitations. This news caused the jr perpetrated on tliis occasion, which is known nadian histor}' as the ^' Massacre do Tjacliine." '> "i | in the brief space of one lionr about 200 person cruelly butchered, and about tlie same numb* i' i':.:| ricd olT to be subjected to captivity and tord:*.^ History of Can. by Dr. Miles, p. 202. ERY. >osadl; : parchin us see V ■ e insciii; ust alludi list says ; in all ]; 1- aid in ] i , who round, ier lro]n i nonvilli', : inform pri en hundiXM.j ; \A^hilsl ! h two 1 ^ waitii- d the (' ed the *., is known iacliiuc.'* 00 persop : mt' nnnilK r v..: V and torti:'*'" 2. GLIMP.-^ES OP THE MONASTERY. 53 io:-: ODijsternation at Qao))ec, there being iojily two hundred and forty men hi the Icitv, capable of bearing arms." " "^lojor Prevost resolved to do all in ^ . .ower to fortify the place. A fort was :tod so near the Monastery (hat the •-.lie passed through the court-yard 'warden. Sentinels were placed on I at diilerent stations in the city, and ;i patrol made the rounds day and :d. ?) " I'igare to yourself, continues the An- [':'. i , a city without wal Is or gates, whose ill') cMtants have gone to defend another .it we have put our conlidence in who alone can deliver us from the impending. For this reason we offer Ku" ]>rayers incessantly to implore the iiie protection. If God be for us, have nothing to fe; r ; but if He forsake s, v/e are undone. This great tribulation xoites everyone to penitence. There are nily processions and other acts of piety to I'Pcase the wrath of God, irritated by ■ u 1 I ' fj I^o/ 1 •f'l ill'' ii I,:;! !l ;i' •! ii; ■Ml- ! I :; •1=1 :!i;i .54 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. the sins Am people. On the feast oi ^Nt| ced the ibllowiii justin, we coinraen devotions, for the preservation country, the humiliation of the Iroquoisl and the general welfare of all classes oil society. 1° A weekly Communion to be oilerj ed for these intentions. 2^ The Anthem, O sa^?/laris, sung aij Mass after the Elevation, and the Stiln Ilegina, after Matins. 3° Five of the Community, named each week, will pray specially for these intentions, as follows : — Two will say the oflBice of the Immaculate Conception be; fore the Jjlessed Sacrament ; two otheri the office of St. Joseph; a lay sister ^viil say nine times th j Gloria Fatri and An\ Marii. All the other penitential acts aiic good works of the Community, will N offered for the same ends. These practiceij of piety are to be continued the whole! year." Evidently, our nuns wt're not idle spec tators, nor speculators on the state of pu rxy TERY. LB feabi ol\St le Ibl lowing ition of the the Iroquois :ill classes of to be olfer-l IS, sung all id the Salul GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTEUY. 55 affairs. Like Moses on the Mount, they [had recourse to prayer, while their breth- jren battled with the enemy ; — we know that, of old, the victory depended more Ion the prayer of Moses, than on the valor [of the Israelites. The Ursulines, in fact, had need, not louly of pious zeal, but of courage, also, kbr the enemy would not always be at a distance. ij i ity, namedl lly Ibr th('«l will say tliti nception be| ; two otheiij ay- sister will alri and Aii tial acts ant nitv, will 1)^ ese practi( t-: I the wlio!^ lot idle i^P^'^gi Laleof publif^ CHAPTER V. IGOO, THE ALARMS OF WAR. When in the security of the present day, one surveys at leisure the magnificent j panorama of the fertile and cultivated valley of the tSt. Lawrence, its scattered l'^: ?■■.;;■••*, 56 OLIMPSES OF THE MONA>^TKRY. cottages, hnmlof.^s i^inl villnf^'os, poacexuily nestliiiL*' along' the ))ov(U'rs ol' tlio priiiit'- \ix\ Ibivsls ; itb tliriviiiL>' l^wns, reposing foarloss of an eiu'my ; lln' old Citadel o[ Q,iie])oc diyriiautlod, and its bat lories at rest; it may not ])e an easy nialter to hi inn- to mind that i'ai" diihMtMit pieiure it pre- sented in by Gfone days. The occasional apparition of an Indi:;!! in his characteristic cos! nine, may recall to mind those times \vhi*n I he whole land was peopled with a brave ])ut savaue race, that have now almost totally disap- peared ; and we think oi* the terror the name of the Iroquois once :nspired. 1 iio sii'-ht of the Eni-'lish ilai:'- r^'minds ns also CD O ~ of a terrible crisis ; and wo contrast the present security and hai;piness of the country, with the former stern and foarlul realities of war ;uid blood&hod. The TJrsulini o had their share in the consternation which the name of the In- dian, and the Ez/i^iis/u/iaj/, in turn, excited. That old vohuuo of the Annals seems, even now, to palpitate with dread, in the u \ IIY. [^oacoiully tlu' priiiu,'- ^, reposing C'ilndol (.1 latteries at ^r to hiu\\f ire it prt>- nil liuli:;!! nay recall A' hole laiul lilt sayaae ally disap- terror t!io ired. liie ids ns also Diitrast the _\<s ol" tlio ind loarlul are Ui the ) oi' the lu- ll, excited, als seeiii.s 'ad, iu the ca-iMi'iJw OF rnr. monastkrv. i) ]\'ciial it makes of the siege orcjucbec, iu i(;!»0. . Our readers will lollow 'Vvitli interest Ith'^ events already known to them by his- t(»i\', hut wliich lake th(3 coloring" ol' ac- tualitv lis our Annalist describes the jgc Mies oF which she was an eye witness. ^' On tlio 7th October, slu^ writes, news Kv IS receiviul tliat a.n Kni^lish fleet of thirty lour vessels ^vas approacliin^* to Itako possession of tlni country ; alrt^idy [on the second oF the month, the enemy hvas in sight at Mal])aie/ This news IcriMt'Hl great alarm. Quebec could oiler liio resistance^ there* 1)eing no soldiiM's in the city, and but two hundred male ci- [tizons. The Governor with all the troops lad gone to Montreal, to defend that place [aLiainst the [ro(]Uois. A canoe was de- jpatched, immediately, to carry him the [tidings of this new danger." " In the mean time, the Major Prevost worked at the foriiiiculious, batteries were ' Ni'W calU'il Murruv l!uv. 4J| 'I M r-i 58 ar.LMl'SIiS OF THE MONASTERY. moiuited at the Lower Town ; the streets were barricaded; the inhabitants ol'the environs were called upon to aid in tlio defence. There was a deliberation to send the two communities of nuns to Montreal ; but as no boats could be pro- cured, it was decided we should go toj Lorette. Four of us were to be sent toj make prej)arations for the rest ; then, asl soon as the enemy's sails should be in sight, the others were to follow. A place of concealment was contrived in the cel-| lur, where we stowed away our linen, stulfs, &c. AYe commenced a novena to the I Holy Angels, and to St. Joseph, the Patron of the country, hnving Mass said every | day in his honor ; — omitting nothing to ap- pease the Divine justice and to obtam tlie| favor of God for the country." " Onr vows w^ere accepted ; contrary! winds were sent, so that in nine days the enemv's? vessels did not advance as much as they might have done in half a day." " When the ileet reached Quebec, which I was on the morning of the IGth Oct., the ^i'lii'': OMMPSKS OF TIIK xMoNASTKRY, 59 city was prepare^!, liiw ing for its deriMice two thousaiid men, iiioludiiig tho troo])S ivc.iUod i'roiii Montreal, under the Count ih Frontenac; and the Canadian militia, und'.'rM. de Callieres. The same day, the Eng'Hsh captain sent a herald to summon the Grovernor to surrender. According to the insolent terms of tlie letter, not only the Fort, arms, munitions and stores, were to be delivered up, hut all the inhabi- tants of the city were to surrender at dis- cretion. One hour only was oliered for deliberation. The Grovernor gave imme- diately the answer they deserved namely : ' That Grod would not favor those who were traitors to their King ^ and their re- lii>'ion, and that he had no answer to i^ivo them, but by the mouth of his cann ^n.' The herald was dismissed without fur- ther ceremony and the next day theliring from the fleet commenced. On the 18th, a part of the English troops landing at JJeauport, there was a skirmish between .-■ . ( . , { (• • '^1 ^ JuiiR's Tl liiid beeinlrivcMi fivMu liis kitiLrilom, and Williiiiii III culled in Lo lake lii^ place on tlic throne of England. GO GLIMPSES OV THE :MONASTERy, i; them and (ho French militia, with a loss lor the enemy. The ibllowing' days the cannonade Avas renewed, but with less eil'ect. On the iirst day, a cannon hall burst through a window-shutter and sash, and finally lodged at the bedside of one of our board- ers ; another passed through the apron of one Oi our Sisters, carrying oil the piece; other balls fell in the garden, the parks and the court-yards; but, by the protection of Heaver, no person was injured. Our house was crowded with people, and tho Externs (house of Mad. de la l^eltrie) was filled with furniture and merchandise, placed there for greater security. Tho Boarders' department, the classes for the Indian girls, the refectory and novitiate, with our three cellars, were filled with tho pe^^pleofthe city, women and children, so that we could hardly pass to and from our kitchen, but ato our food standing c»ad in haste, liki^ the Israelites when they ate the Paschal Lamb.*' " We passed the first night before the iii|-'::;iiftHr ^l^-X^ GLIMPSES OF TIIK MONASTERY. 61 Jjlcssed Sacrament in proyor : the I'ol low- ing' nights, some took a iitt(^ rest in tht^ tSacristy, others in their ceils, remaining* dressed, awaiting death at any moment. "VVe had placed in the Choir the statues ol Jesus, Mary, Joseph, helbrc which a taptu* I was kept burning, while some ol' the sis- ters were constantly there in prayer. Wo lent, on this occasion, our painting of the Holy P'amily, to be exposed on the steei)lG oF the Cathedral, to l)ear witness that it was under their holy patronage that we(?) were combating the enemy." Having attempted^ in vain, to take the city by assault on the side oi' the Littlo iiivcr, (the St. Charles) where they were vigorously repulsed by our Canadians, the enemy retreated to their damaged ships. This was on the 21st of October." The evil fortune of the invaders pnr- fsned them still, during their perilous nav- igation hom<}w^T,rd. Several of their ships were lost, and hardships incredible, from [Want of food and the inclemency of the weather, attended the scjuadron to the "In ■ f 02 QLIMPSKS OP TUK MONASTKUY. I.,i: port oi' lioston, whifh they oiitorod only six \v(3eks after losiim* sii>'ht ol* Quebec. " The retreat of the enemy left th-j country in g'reat joy. The people sought to manifest their gratitude- to fleaven, ac- knowKnli^ing they had no part in the victory, but that it was Grod's rig'ht hiUKl tliat had delivered us. For this end, thu Bishop of Quebec ordered a procession to be made, in thaidvSL>-ivinii^. The imai^^t* of the Jjlessed Virgin was l)orne suc- cessively to the four Churches, endiii<>' at the Cathedral, where the Te Deiim was sung'. In the evening there were l^onliies (des feux de joie). Moreover, our Prelate has decided that the Chapel which is to be built in the Ijo^^xu" Town, shall bear the title of " Our Ladv of Victory," in fulfilment of a vow made to this efF»'ct. Every year, the fourth Sunday of October will be a commemo- rative feast ; there will be a procession in honor of the Blessed Virgin on the same day. Our readers know with what fidelity GL1MPSK8 OF TIIR MONASTERY. 03 niid lervor this anniversary is stili celo- hnitod. Happy the country that has marked it^ calendar by such testivals, which arc kept alter two centuries, in ilie spirit of their lbund«»rs ! iNot to interrupt h<'r narration, our clois- ttM'od historian has dehwed to anothiT paii'e, her record ol'tho festival ol\St. Ur- sula. It is in keepini^ with the s[nrit oi' these primitive times. The city was be- sieg'cd by an enemy, the roar of their camions, at various hours of the d'ay, was hoard so near that the balls ratih^d upon the roof and walls of the monastery. ^J'he danger was so real that the Blessed JSa- cranient was removed from the Taber- nacle, — nevertheless the N uns sim>' their iirst Vespers. The Breviary Oihce connot be recited, because their books, have been stowed away, with whatever else they held most precious ; but in order not to dolVaud Heaven of their accustomed tri- bute of prayer, they g'^ve an hour more to meditation. On the Festival, the Bishop is |in their Chapel to say Mass and give them Communion. At two o'clock P.M. they I 64 aLlMl'Si;8 OF TIIK MONASTKllY. iM ImIvi^ Ihoir •^ccuslotiUHl places in tho cli> to listen devoutly to a sermon, with ih oxpectjitiou that at four, a great halii. would icxkc. place vvitliin {siu,'ht of lli-ir windows. The sacred preaelier (iM. >; 111 Colomhier*') after ii panegyric of ili' Virgin martyrs, simzcs the occasion to ix. hort his audit Jis to similar intrepidity iiil the approaching danger, congratulatiii: them on the happiness oi' being called lol follow ho closely the i'ootstcps of tlnir illustrious Patroness. He concludes hi? exhortation in this pathetic style, wbi-ii the Jjishop entones that jilaintive Ilynui; *' 3Jaria Mdler ixraliic Et moilia liom SNsclpe,'" Math such a voice that the gooiil nuns were hall" persuaded that their In^j hour had come. It is easy to imagiiuj with what sentiments tlu^y i)rostrated lo receive the blessing ol* our Lord in iIk licnediction Service, at which the rrelaij olliciated, closing the festal solemnity] just as the roar of artillery recommencid Later, it was known that this last car, iionade of tht;» enemv was but a feint k* cover their retreat which they eflecicc (JMMTSKS OF THE MONASTERY. 05 Avith givat procipiliitioii during the night. AVhoii tho report ol" this victory reached the court of France, the conduct of Fron- feline iuid that of the officers and men uikUt his command, were so highly ap- ])rociated, that the king ordered a medal to hi3 struck in commemoration of the event, ^ome of our Readers may have seen this modal : it bears the folloWing motto : — IvEHECA LIBEKATAM. DC. XC ;— and o'n the other side : Fkancia in novo oebe victrix. — Qnehe.c deliver edy 1600. France victorious \in the New World. !. f. f f . . •]' .] A ^i&; CHAPTER VI. lOO REV. MOTHER MARGARET DE FLECELLES OF ST.ATllANASIUS, BKCOND SUPERIORESS OF THE MONASTEUY :— PA- RISIAN NUNS. !;.' Early in the history of the Monastery, we meet with the name of Mother St. Athanasius : — our Yen. Mother Mary of the Incarnation, her contemporary, has left us an appreciation of her merU, in terms of the highest eulogium. Called to govern the Community dur- ing eighi^^en years, and to edii'y it by her virtues throuo^h her loni>' career of| more than half a century, her memory is still fresh among us, embalmed in that gratitude, esteem, and afft^ction which, | surrounded her during life. In reading of the vocation of Mother ^^.. OLI.MI'SES OF THE MONASTERY. G7 M. (le rincariiation, we are struck with the conviction that Divine Providence had prepared her in a special manner for her work; that, truly, the trials and the toils of preceding- years, were her " no- vitiate for Canada." l]ut such was not the case with Mother [St. Athanasius. In her youth, she was the i'avorcd child of fortune, as well as of nature. The honorable family de ^""16- colies, to which she belonged, was dis- iiiigiiished, even in the polished circles of Parisian society. Mirgaret, the pearl of that noble house, was placed, at an early age, in the Board- ing school of the Ursuline Convent in the Fdubourg St. Jacques, (Paris), an Institution then recently founded by Ma- dame de St Beuve, yet already flourish- ing and enjoying the highest reputation. Here, while her rare talents were cul- tivated with success, the excellent qua- lities of her heart were developed and fortitied by the relii^ious instructions and pious exemples of lier teachers. Cheer- I rx- ■'<*■ i f- ! -: 1 68 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTi.RY. 1^ > fill and good humored, modost and obliging, graceful and engaging in hei manners^ the youthful Margaret was a geiieral favorite, while the solidity ol hor judgment, her sincere and unaflrctod piety enchained the hearts of her iriond in the lasting bonds of esteem and ai lection. Returning to the bosom of her family, fitted to become its ornament as eh' might have been its idol, she did noi suffer her soul lo be fettered by the silken cords of love and ease. tShe had heard the voice of grace, calling her to a life of s^lf-abnegation, and devotedness to the good of souls: waiting only to obtain the consent of her worthy parents, she has- tened to present herself, in her fresh sev- enteen, to the Superioress of the Ursu- lines, in the same Convent where i^hei had received her education. Admitted to that Novitiate where all was fervor, she pronounced her -^ows after two years, thH usual period of probation, — and continued her course with fresh ardor, aiming at the highest perfection. Already seven yearsl GLIMP.SES OF THE MONASTERY. 69 had quickly passed away, in the service ol* Him who has said that his "yoke is easy and his burden light," when the little missionary band, destined ior Que- hi^c, received hospitality in the '* Grreat Convent " ol* Paris, Mother Margaret of St. Athanasius, does not appear to have been attracted by the sight of the Christian Heroines, to seek to share their enterprise, as were others of the Community. No! her vocation to Canada, like that of her call to religion, was one of pure generosity, unaided by the sensible attractions of any special grace. Crod had permitted her soul to ])e visited by a season of desolation, as dark as it was trying. In this interior cunllict, — the precise nature of which is not stated, — the faithful Spouse of Jesus abandons her fate, more completely than ever, to his mercy. " Though he slay me, yet will 1 trust in him" said holy Job. The pious Ursuline resolves to do still more tor Him, whose hand presses so heavily upon her breaking heart. Sho 1 i n n hi 70 QLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. VOWS to ofier herself to her Snperiors, to be sent to that little Convent, devotpcl to the Savag"e tribes in Canada. tSo g( Mic- rons an act obtained its immediate ro- ward, in that " peace of the soul which passeth understanding;" a strength un- known to her before, fortified" her w^iJl, and urged her to fulfil her engagemeiil, sacrificing a second time, her family and friends, with the Mothers and Sisters scarcely less dear of that second home, where she had hoped to pass the re- mainder of her days. Such was the first vigorous step of Mother St. Athana^ius in the rugged path to which she had com- mitted herself. Let us now introduce the amiable companion Providence had pre- pared for her. Mother Anne Le Bugle, — of St. Clare. In her vocation, unlike Mother St. Athanasius, she is borne on the winci-s of a holy ardor, and deems the happiness to be chosen for the mission, lightly bought at the price of a final separation from her beloved parents, and her community. rier heart is so consumed with zeal lor GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. 71 tho salvation of the benighted heathen of America, that siie feels no longer bound by earthly ties ; and we are forced to sympathiz) with her weeping parents more than with herself, when they at last '\for Gofl's sake,'" as she had entreated, consent to. let her depart. Then she casts herself with an uttt abandon, into the arms of Divine Provi- d'.Mice, without solicitude for the present, or the fature. On her voyage, every thing turns out for the best : the ocean is never seen but it is "calm;" the sea-breeze ever proves " mild and refreshing" : as she nears the shore, " a clear sky is overhead ; verdant groves and lovely flowers rejoice her sight." They reach Quebec, at the end of two months (1040) without acci- dent. That little Convent on the beach in the Lower Town, ^ has a poor Chapel which to her looks devout : — within, she finds a V, 'I 1(1 M •at" ■ i. ! •s f ^ The sniiill lionso wlilcli served as a Convent over tliHM^ V'ars, stood opposite the present Church of Our Lady ctf Victory. 72 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY, sweet solitude, where with " most amia])lo and saintly Sisters," she lives in •' wondor- fulpeace and union." Her cheerfulness and filial trust in God, fitted her for the trials of h'fe; like the reed that, bending to the wind, is never crushed by the storm. This commencement was but a presage of the edification which the life of Mother St. Clare afibrded, serving her Master, as she had resolved, with her whole heart, till he called her to her reward, thirty-six years later (1677). The accession of these beloved Pari- sian Mothers, seems to have been highly providential for the little Convent of Quebec. It obtained the powerful aid and protection of that Monastery, the Mother House of the Congregation of Paris, which being of older date than that of Tours, and situated near the centre of the Missions of the Society of Jesus, enjoyed greater facility for pro- moting: the welfare of the new foun- dation. The Biographical Notice of "<5urmost d Pari- 1 highly vent of rful aid ry, the atioii of te than ear the ciety of tor pro- foil 11- ur most GLIMPSES OF TIIK MONASTERY. 73 honored and belovi^d Mother Marg\ de Flecelles of 8t. Athonasius," describes her as a shining" rnirror of every virtue, nourishing her union with God ))y a special devotion to the Passion and to the Blessed Eucharist, assiduous to pray- er, walking in the presence of God, in the constant exercise of that two-lbld charity which is the abridgment of all perfection. If she still remembers the rich halls of the parental mansion, it is to provide for herself, the poorest cell, the poorest raiment, and the most meniaii employments in the Monastery. When her Sisters, pained to lind her in the hake-house or in the wash-room, seek to persuade her to spare herself, she insists that it is her consolation to be there, and the best preservative of her health. — When from the place of command, she descends to the rank of inferior, her obedienre has only acquired the addi- tional lustre of a more perfect submission ; she is the willing servant of all who need her services, more humble in heart 'M %i '.ft ■i . l.l, ■i: •i: f ■'•■. ^i I ;•,. ' t' .1 . i^ 7t GLIMPiSES OF THE MONASTERY. than it is possible for any outward cir. cumstaiices to make h(3r. Oiico, only, did Mother St. Athanasius disoblige her Si^stv^rs, and give them cause for ^orro\ iirl complaint. It was wheii she sou£^hi ;i.ud btaiiied of her Kcclesias- ticai Superior, th I^ishop of Quebec, the permission to withdraw her ntme at the election of a new Superior, of the Mo- nastery, wishing to oijoy the full benefit of her vow of obedience, the rest of her days. Guided in this demand by her humi- lity, she found from the same motive, abundant cause of confusion, witnessins: the affliction of her Sisters, and by their distress knowing, truly, how very dear she was to them. There would be much to add, here, of her zeal for the int ruction of yonth— a task from which she would never wil- lingly be exempted, unless it were in her old age, the last six months of her life; — of her detachment, never sniftering herself to be personally benefited by I^fll GLIMPSES OF TFTR MOXASTKRY. 75 ^^ard cir. ^ the m; ly rich* donations of her family ; oi'hor i»enitenti*xl spirit, her mo iilication, hanasius >m cans« as whei! ^]cclesias- ebec, the ic at the the Mo- il benefit st of her er humi- motive, itnessinsf by tlieir :ry dear here, of ronth— a ver wil- were in IS of her snfftn'ing [ited by her z '1 fv^r the conversion of sinners, and particularly i'c i that of the poor In- dians. But let us conclude ; citing from the Annals the details of the last few days of her life. " Our venerable Mother Margaret de Flecelles of St. Athanasius, charged with years and with merits, fell ill on the 28th of May, 1605, in the eighty-lirdt year of her age. Eising, as usual, at four o'clock, she had gone to the Choir to prostrate herself before the Blessed Sacrament. Au hour later, the inlirmariau perceiving that she was feeble, conducted her to the infirmary and pressed her to refresh herself by tak- ing a little repose. ' Oh ! this will be noth- ing,' said the venerable patient; — and, in the afternoon, returning to the choir, she approached the Sacrament of Penance in preparation for the Feast of the mor- row, the Holy Trinity. After Communion the next mornin-r, and after assisting at an assembly in chapter at nine o'clock, I : •J 76 GlilMPSKS OF THE MONAhTKRY. she look h(3r bod to rise no more. Duriiiir three days, hor vigorous constitution af. lorded hopes that the fever which wa.s co)isunnn<»' lit be abated : l] er, iriigni be ar)atecl: but on Wednesday the symptoms of aj)- proaching dissolution appeared. Mother St. Athanasius knowing the danger, asked for the last Sacraments, and received them w^ith exemplary piety." " Althouah her snfIerinQ;s w^ere ffreat, and her soul absorbed in God, she still w^as attentive to all around her, receivino- the visits of her Sisters with admirable kindness and cordiality. " Perceiving that her lips were dry and parched with fever, one of us remarked it to her, asking if she w^ould not drink to allay her thirst. She was answered by these w^ords so full ofmeaninc^: — "I have another thirst w^hich cannot be allayed." The Superioress, Mother Mary of the AuG^els, seated bv her bedside, enterini.^ into her thought, added : " You thirst, dear Mother, to glorify God, to suffer for his love, to o-ain souls to his service." To this ; lis. ?J GLiMrsES OF Tin-: MONA.^TKIIV. 77 iht' vonorable MoiIkm* replied wilh I'orco : ' V^es, yes! 1 thirst to gloiily God, and to love him." Then, with th(» same fervor, she exclaimed, in the words of the Psal- mist : — " For thee niy soul hath thirsted! Ill ades'^rt hind, and where no water is ! so, ill the sanctuary have I come before thee, God, to see thy power and thy glory." The last moments of her hfe were passed in that sweet and intimate com- munion with God which was habiiual to her, till, pronouncing three times the holy name of Jesus, she gently gave up her soul to Him who made it ; it was the 3d of June, 1G95, — the sixty-third anniversary of her religions profession " Rev. Mother St. Athanasius will ever bo regarded as a signal benefactress of this Monastery. God alone knows how much we are indebted to her. "We hum- bly hope she already enjoys her re- compense in the happiness of heaven. Hl'V many virtues, and all our obligations, render us most sensible to her loss, .....J!. her memory will ever be held dear among us." f 5 .'fj. . -! i ! »i il ■1^1 :.i! 78 GLIMPSES OF TIIK MONASTERY. In closing this slight tributo to I ho memory of our two first Parisian Motliers, wo may remind our Iveacb^rs of the thrto others ol' th(^ same Congregation, who were welcomed to Quel^ec in liJTl; Mother Marie Le Maire — oi' the Angels, Mother ]\Iarie Drouet—oFJesus, and Moth* cr ]\larie Gihault du Breuil — ol'St. Josei^h. Thirteen years previous to the decease of Mother vSt. Athanasius, the Constitu- tions of Paris, by Uie advice of the Bishop, had been adopted by the Com- munity of Quebec. These Constitutions, published lirst in 1G23, and reprinted with some slight amendments a few years after, bear the impress of their origin, — the linger of God guiding the hand of his saints. Composed by per- sons of the highest merit deeply versed in theology and in the knowledge of the human heart, every Chapter and every sentence was made the subject of care- ful examination, and tested by being put in practice, before it linally received the seal of l!]piscop;d approbation. The ex- perience of two hundred years, has but GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. 79 roudered those Coiislitntious more pre- cious and venorahle in this Monastery, where thoy are still in full ibrce, wilh such moditications only as the circum.- slaucos ol' the times have required, and the proper authority sanctioned. CUAPTER VII. FOUNDATION OF THE UHSULINE CONVENT OF TIlllEE RIVERS. r fU "*' '/ (>'^ Quehec had made provision, from an early date, for the two classes of society, the most helpless and the most in need of succor, — children and the poor inlirm. The College of the .Jesuits, the Ilrsuline Convent, and the Hotel-Dieu, p^rew up with the rising city : the Theological tSem- 80 OLIMPSKS OF THE Mr NASTERY. -,«'!■ iiiavy, with its " Little Sominary " for students, was founded by Bishop L aval. in 16(jo ; the General Hospital, by Bishop Saint-Valier, in 1G92 : these were all nour- ishing institi]tions at the close ot* the seventeenth century. . Montreal had also, from a period near- ly coeval with its first settlement, wel- comed the heroic Mademoiselle Manse, and the devoted Mar2;uerite Bour2;eois. The former endowed Vllle-Marie with its Hospital ; the latter, with an Institution for female youth, the Congregation of Our Lady (lu53) ; the Theological Seminary ot St. Sulpice, founded in 1677, offered also, the advantac^es of a Christian education to youth. Three liivers, which from the begin- ning of the Colony was regarded as an important post, and which received a permanent settlement, with a local Go- vernor in KHo, had not, at the end of sixty years, an Listitution either of edu- cation or of charity, beyond what the Mission of the good Jesuits and the Fran- ciscan Fathers airorded. u GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 81 ■y" for > Laval. ]>isho[) ill llour- ot' the :)d near- Jilt, wel- Manse, )urgeois, ? with \\> stitution )n of Our ninary of red also. ducatiou le begin- ed as an ceived a ocal Go- end oi' r of edu- hat the he Fran- This want had no doul)t seriously re- tarded the prosperity and importance of lhiM'isini>- City, whatever may have been said by a late author of the lolly of ibuiuli Hospital, almost le [most contempor- ary with the settlement of a country. The zealous Prelate who had endowed Qii»'l)ec with its second Hospital, con- sulted with the local Grovernor of Three- iiivers, M. Rigaud de Yaudreuil, and it was dc ided that one establishment, at least, should be undertaken. Unwilling, ncveriheless, to leave tne sick and infirm I unprovided ibr, he conceives the possi- P bility of uniting the two works of mercy in one Institution. Ursulines would teach ; —it is an indispensable article of their con- II stitutions: but they could also, by Episco- M pal authority, attend to the wants of the I sick, in a part of the Monastery to be II callod The Hoi^inlal. The project was S now and untried ; it is an additional proof ^1 uf 1 10 zeal and spirit of sacrifice of our auciont Mothers, when they accept the foundation on these conditions. h mansion on the marixin of the ^St. Law- 82 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. rence had been built for the residence of the Governor : the Bishop proposed to pur- chase it, if it would be found suitable for a Convent. This point being left to the decision of the nuns, they must needs make the journey to see it. Rev. Mother Le Maire of the Angels with the newly ap- pointed Superioress, Mother Marie Drouet of Je^us, and a lay 8ister, issuing froui the cloister, were met by the Grovernor of Three Rivers, M. Kigaud de Yaudreail the Bishop Saint-Valier, and M. de Men- tigny, ^ the ecclesiastical Superior of the Monastery. The voyage was without accident, and business was settled to the satisfaction of the parties concerned, the contract passed, and the germ of a tuture Community planted. It was plain that the nev/ foundation would not have to endure the hardships and privations which had attended that of Quebec ; but it is possible there will be other trials, for the works of Heaven are ever buih upon the Cross. Of tlie Seiniuary of Quel-ec. GLIMPSES OF THK MONASTERY. 83 A few day later, there is another part- ing scene at the Ursulines of Quebec. Mother Mary of the Angels stands in readiness to conduct an Assistant, Mother Le Vailiant of kSt. Cecile, ^ and two more ot her daughters to the new Convent: Mother Marie Amiot of the Conception, and Mother St. Michel have been chos- en.— i]ut let us join the little colony, die day preceding their departure from the dear Monastery, when they go forth to nay their farewell visits to their friends in the City. Their first station is at the Castle, where they offer their re- spects to the veteran Count de Frontenac, and receive his compliment of adieu. They next visit the new Monastery of 'the JxecoUets, and the Bishop's palace, where a most cordial and paternal re- ception awaited them : the eminent Pre- late conducted them himself to the Se- minary, to present their homage to the i < 1^^^ ' ■ i . ! !:■. ^ Mother St. Cecile luid l)Ut lately arrived from licr Convent in IJayeiix', Fninee: she was a persou (if rare nun'h, — ])Ut lived only twu years after joiuiug the Ursuliucs of I'hrce Kivers. 'If' "I 84 GLIMP6ES OF THE MONASTEllY. venerable Bishop Laval, and the mem- bers of hiS Community. Here, again, all was cordiality, and tlni most obligiiin- testimonies of good will. Thence, M. de Montigny led the way to the Colleiie of the Kev. Fathers, whose hospitality was displayed by a collation, of which the nuns must partake, betore they pro- ceed to the Hotel-Dieu. The scene here, may easily be imagined. Foi" some, it was the meeting of old schoolmates and early friends ; for others, the cherisiu'd hostesses who had received with such sympathy, eleven years before, a Com- munity without a shelter. But let us hasten on, for at the Intoii- dant's palace Mr. and Madame Champi- gny are old friends of the Monastery, wait- ing to give a hearty welcome to these rare visitants. — At the newly-founded General Hospital they are also eagerly expected. Is there not indeed, a new lie added to tIi*Mr friendship by the adoption of the title of HospiUUicres, added to that of Ursu- hues? The day was scarcely longenoniili for all these demonstrations of interos^ 3 mein- , agiiin, Dbliginq- iico, M. College spitality r which hey pro- ne here, le, it was ties and ;herished ith siu'h a Corn- he 1 11 ten- Chaiii[)i- ry, wait- Ihese rare 1 General ected. Is I to tht'ir the title of Ursiv kenoiiiili hiterost ,4 mi GLIMPSES OF THR MONASTERY. 85 and kindness. The following morning, at an early hour, w^e find our missionary Histers hastening their departure, lest the farewell embrace should move Ihem too deeply: — they only alight from the car- riau'e to get their w^orthy Prelate's bless- ing ; then, descending Mountain Street to the Low^er Town, they embr.rk for their future home in Three Rivers. Another voyage up the River, m the leisurely style of those days, gives Motuer Mavy of the Angels an opportunity to accustom herself to the features of that laudsoape, w^hicli still strikes the behold- er Avitli its grandeur and beauty. Tl^^. milder borders of the Seine w^ould havo Ijrought her pleasing reminiscences of her youthful days ; — the St. Lawrence carried her back to the lirst time she had beheld, a cjuarter of a century previous, the wild scenery of her. adoi:>ted country. Our limits will not permit us to follow them further, unless it be to see the return, three years later, of one of these young nuns, Mother Mary of the Conception, S6 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. J '■'■ whose absence had taken the light from her Mother's hearth. Mrs. Amiot had made the sacrifice of her daughter, in giving- her to the Ursulines of Quebec, but she had counted on the pleasure oi" seeing her, from time to time, in the House where she had consecrated herself to God. IMeadiiigher cause with a Mother's eloquence, she moved the Prelate to de- cide upon recalling her to Quebec. Here, her mission extended to long and useful years, as our Annals show. In the spring of 1699, we iind Mother Mary of the Angels, returning to Three Rivers as Superioress. The ]]ishop and the ecclesiastical Superior are there to receive the vows of live novices, and give the veil to another; thus the Community numbered eleven members, four of whom were the professed of Quebec. Its generous founder, l>ishop Saint- Va- her, spared no pains, economising even upon his personal expenses, to assure the prosperity of an Institution whose useful- ness he fully appreciated. During the GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 87 yet perilous period of its foundation, Mother Mary of the Angels writes:—" I may be blamed for having undertaken this work, but after the proofs I have hud that it is the will of God, 1 cannot repent of the essay. If I am in error, it is in company with many persons of va- rious rank and condition, who are more enlightened than I am ; and should G-od permit it, I shall witness the failure of the enterprise as cheerfully as its success, for I desire nothing but the accomplish- ment of the will of Heaven. " With sentiments like these in the foun- di esses of the new Monastery, it is not si.rprising that the blessing of God rested upon it. Superiors, already exercised in the difficult art of governing well, like Mother Le Maire of the Angels, Mother Marie Drouet of Jesus and Mother St. Teresa, were deputed from Quebec by the Bishop to guide the young Community, until, in 1781, it was found capable of subsisting by itself. Ten years previous, it is mentioned by the historian, Rev. F. hi 88 GLIMPSES OF TIIK MONASTERY Charlevoix, as a " flonrishiiig' Monastery, composed of I'orly Ursiiline nuns, who have the care of a line Hospital, in addi- tion to the labors of their Institute." The trials which were spared in tho commencement, were reserved for a lator day. In 1752, the noble mansion which had sheltered the devoted LTrsuiines in their double mission of charity, during fifty-hve years, became, in the space of a few hours, the prey of a destructive con- flagration. The same iire ei>veiop<Hl a good part of the town in a like misfor- tune. The nuns were offered hospitality l)y the /"ranciscan Fathers, who gave up tlieiv ow^n house, retreating to a smaller ono, in order to accommodate a Community in distress. An appeal to the public in ia- Tor of the victims of tke conflagration, was follow^ed by a gradual restoration of the ruined town. The Convent, also, was rebuilt in the course of the following year, Bishop de Pontbriand, in person, over- seeing and sharing the labors of the re- I ■ i GLTMPSr.H OF TIIK MONASTERY. 80 construction, Iodising ill tho house of tli(3 J (lomesiics, and paying the vv'orkuK^n IVom ^ his own purse. The eminent rreiate died seven years later, with the li'lory oi' having accomplished to the letter thi^ Gos- pel precept ol' |jestowin«i' his g'oods upon Ww. poor, that he mii^'ht have a treasure in heaven :— hi^ is justly considered as the second founder of the Ursulines uf Three Itivers. After a lapse of another half- ceiitary, a second disaster called for a simi- lar devoted uess and generosity on the part of another Bishop,-— but thore are details connected with that event which, to avoid anachronisms, must be reserved for a future page. Let us not delay however to inscribe : —Honor to the Institution, which during nearly two hundred years has rendered services of inappreciable value to all classes of society, both by its well-con- Uicted Hospital and by its nourishing educational department. CHAPTER viir. iroo. FEAST OF THE SACKED HEART ESTABLISHED. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is no longer a practice reserved to a lew pious souls, who, like a St. G-ertrude, a St. Catherine, a Saint Francis of Sales, or like our own Ven. Mother Mary of the Incarnation, have known, in their silent communion with Heaven, that the graces, and gifts from on high, flow most abundantly through this sacred channel. Since that auspicious day, when, in the solitary cloister of Paray-le-Monial, (IGTo) the voice of inspiration was heard, direct- ing this devotion to be made public and extended to all the faithful, it has gra- dually taken root; the fair tree has risen, its branches have spread, its delicious fruit has been ofiered to every palate. ■•• ) m> OMMPSES OF THE MONASTKRY. 91 ).; ]]\\i the finger of God is apt to move slowly Avhilo it leaves its broad, and bright, and indelible trace. Thus it was, that the decree i'or the celebration of the Feast of the Sacred Heart throntihout the Church, which has filled all Thris- trndora with joy, was delayed two full centuries; and has but lately issued from the heart of the illustrious J^ontilf, our weil-beloved Holy Father, Pope Pius IX. Canada may well exult in having understood and accepted the blessed, cou- soiinu" devotion, as soon as it was made known : if it met with opposition in some parts of Europe, it found none here. It is not surprising that the Feast of the Sacred Heart, with the other pvac- tices of adoration, reparation, and special love, which belong to it, first found a shri)ie in that spot where the Yen. Mother Mary of the Incjarnatioii had so often prayed, offering her petitions to the Eternal Father on the living altar of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and where her IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A K 1.0 I.I 1.25 UiM2B H2.5 bs Ki2 12.2 H? I4£ 12.0 1.4 III 1.8 1.6 V] v^ m 7 y».v '/ -<^ Photographic Sciences Corporation # •1? :\ \ ^^\. ^ > ^^ <^>. 6^^^ h. ^. ^ 4^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 ,<»\^ Cv ^ ^ <° 92 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. daughters had since labored to keep alive the llame she had once kindled. During the thirty-three years of Mother Mary's sojourn in Canada, she had each day lifted up her great soul to God, in that ardent effusion : — " It is through the Heart oi my Jesus, my way, my truth and my life, that 1 approach thee, Eternal Father," — that form of prayer which, to day, w;«rms thousands of hearts, happy to learn from its burning accents the secret of obtaining most efficaciously those graces which have been purchased for us by the siiiferings of our Saviour, but which must be sought in an acceptable manner, ere chey are bestowed upon us. The daughters of Mother Mary of the Incarnation, imbued with her spirit of zeal and devotedness, adopted as natu- rally, not only her sentiments, but even the expressions that were so familiar to her. Thus, as we meet throughout her nu- merous letters allusions to this efiect :— ' " I salute you in the Sacred Heart of my QLIMPSES OP TnE MONASTKRY. 93 Diviiio Spouse." — " I offer you daily to the Eternal Father on the sacred altar oi" the Heart of Jesus, &c." — so, in a letter writ- ten by one oi' tht; nuns I'rom Paris, a short time alter she had reached the Monastery oi' Quebec, we iind this tender a[)peal : " I entreat you to meet me ol'ten in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, beseeching* iiim to accomplish his holy will in me. It is there I embrace you, &:c." U as yet this devotion had not taken the form of its exterior manifestations, as was revealed, later, to Blessed Magaret-Mary, it was latent here, in every heart, and only needed a signal to burst forth. As early as 1G02, we iind the name of *' Sr. Mary of the Sacred Heart" bestowed upon a novice. Ill 1G99, while yet the practices of piety which are now so familiar to all Catho- lics, were scarcely known, in Europe, be- yond the cloister walls of raray-le-Monial, the Superioress of our" Monastery, Kev. Mother Mary of the Angels, consults her nuns in Chapter, and wnth their advice, the first Friday of the month is set apart ij^ ■'ts ■m [imfi ;!■: '■1 -I .«;' 'ft: :■: -i mvf m 94 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. for the act of Reparation to the Sacred Heart. Ill the following June, the tirst Friday- after the Octave of Corpus Christi, was kept as a Feast of first class, with High Mass, Vespers and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The festival was established : — and never can theUrsulines of Quebec be sufficiently grateful to G-od for having chosen their Chapel as the first, and during many years the only sane-, tuary in Canada, where the Sacred Heart received that public tribute of adpratiou, iove and reparation which He is pleased to accept from his feeble and erring crea- tures. If the homes of genius and the haunts of learning affect the spirit with a species of fascination, what must be the influence of those pious fanes, those holy places, where the pure in heart have received the visits of Angels, nay of the Lord of Angels, and have conversed with G-od in the manner most acceptable to his Divine Majesty. GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. 95 And what is more touching for us, in- habitants of the Old Monastery, is to see in what a poor and humble shrine our Divine Lord, during fifteen years, deign- ed to accept the homage of his servants. Let us re-people that little Chapel,^ long since abandoned to other uses, but which must ever be sacred in our eyes. Entering, w^hile some pious members of the Confraternity are engaged in per- forming their stated " hour of adoration,^ we behold them, oblivious of the world, 1 This apartment, at the soutli-eastern extre- mity of tlie main-building, now called tlie Old » Depot, served as a Cliai^el in tlie time of Mother Mary of the Incarnation, both before the first coutiagration of the Monastery in 1G50, and after its restoraj^ion, till the Church was finish- ed in 1GG7. The martjrs^ Fathers Brebeufand Lalcmant ; Mgr. Laval, the Missionaries, have all offered the Holy Sacrifice there. 2 In the original Association of the S. II., each member was expected to pass an hour in prayer, in presence of the Blessed Sacrament, on one day in the year, as specified in the ticket of admission. ' »' :>3 It* s 1 il: ? 96 GLIMPSES OF TUE MONASTERY. its cares or its enjoyments: their 'eyes are closed to meditate, or lixed upon the Ta- beriia^.le, where i'aitli piv^ces the mys- terious veils and shows the JSaviour, dis- phiying in proof of his love, that furnace of llames, his own divine Heart. Yes ! " G-od has so loved the world " and shall we not return love for love ? Many adorers are present, perhaps, al- thoug"h it is not the Festival of the Sacred Heart, for each great feast of the year brings a certain number. The highest kneel beside the lowest before their com- mon Grod. But who shall tell with what sentiments the nuns, w^ho had so long practised the devotion of the Venerable Foundress, welcomed that hrst Feast of the Sacred Heart ! Entering their little choir, with holy joy, they adore "in spirit and in truth." -Now, it is the aged Mother St. I;[^natius (Charlotte Barrej, who seems to have but waited for the triumph of this .precious devotion, to sing her " Nunc dimiltis in pace r Now, it is Kev. Mother ill! GLIMPSKS OF TIIK MONASTERY. 1)7 8t. Ag'iios, just elected Superior, with some of those teu nuns still livinoj, v/ho like herself, have learned the secret of the devotion to the vSacred Heart, with the lessons of religious perfection, from the lips of the Ven. Mother Mary of the Incarnation. But when the fair proportions of our present (church arose (1723), to replace that little (Jhapel, it was a welcome ex- change. Then the artistic taste of the nuns was called in requisition, and they vied with each other in adorning the sanctuary, especially the altar of the Sacred Heart. Not a few of our good Mothers are commended, in their obitu- aries, for their zeal in decorating that fa- vorite shrine, over which the spirit of the Venerable Mother Mary of the Incar- nation seems still to brood. New members of the Association have been added from year to year, while volume after volume has been filled with the names of the best and the highest in rank and virtue^ throughout the land. v^ m K :\ Uh M '1^ t I v" I i * !.. .1 »' L ^ l' '& 4'-,-. . ^■ f ti" ' , ''1 1^' 98 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 4 I ■3;; A glancft at those early Registers shows us such names as the following": — Bishop Saint-Valier, whose name heads the list,— the Marquis de Vaudreuil ; the Chevalier de Repentigny, — des Meloises, — de Ville- donne, — deContrecoeur,— d'Argenteuil,— de Lanaudiere, etc. The Marchioness de Vaudreuil, and her sister Mrs. Tascho- reau, — Mrs. de la Gorgendiere,— de Ver- cheres, — de St. Ours,— d 3 Lery, — de Gas- pe,— de Salaberry; — the Baroness de Longueuil, etc., etc. Now^ it is a long list of young girls ; — for, of course, no pupil ^vould leave the Monastery without t^ntering into the As- sociation, so dear to her Convent Mothers. As we examine those long pages of names, priests and missionaries; magistrates and lawyers ; officers and soldiers ; here, w^hole parishes ; there, congregations, families;— the thought naturally arises ; — Were not the people of Canada, in that eighteenth century, preparing for themselves by these most salutary practices of piety, a means to escape the deluge of woes that was about to inundate the mother couu- CL MTSKS op TFIK MONASTEHY. 99 try; niul thus to prosorve, yot a whilt\ the spirit ol'tho mid llo agos, when the ac- kiiowliHloHMl Sjpct ot'lifo was to know (rod. and to advance daily in the path that loads to heaven ? And, it* our Lord himself has promised to those who e8tal)lish, practise and pro- paiiate, the devotion to the Sacred lleart» "peace and concord, fervor in the service of God, consolation in troubles and trials, with a calm confidence in the hour of ecid we look further for the death ." n source and orii^in of all the graces and blossings bestowed upon this Monastery since its foundation to the present day? E-," * -li bM^'^' ^^R nm-^ ■■^'■'1 Mr'* '■ fri*'fl %B^/ . k't'-' i Ill% "?'| ' 1' '< i ■n * i' ■ :i.» •,'■:. * 'r-ii ■ i-. ^1 CHAPTER IX. THE LAST SURVIVOR OF 1G39. <i;<' f^ **Oii the 22d January 1701, our dear Mother St. Ignatius, witnessed the dawn of the great day of eternity, ardently desiring her hist hour, in oider to end, as she said, her sinful life, and to be unit- ed to her God. She expired in admirable sentiments of piety and joy, her last act being to press the crucifix tenderly to her dying lips." *' She was eigbty-one years of age, hav- ing passed fifty-five in religion." Thus concludes, after a long enumera- tion of her virtues, the Biographical Notice of Miss Charlotte Barre, the first professed of the Ursulines of Quebec. This name carries us back to the time of Madame de la Peltrie, and reminds us of scenes worthy of being portrayed before our Headers. It is not an everyday occurrence to QLIMPSKS or THE MONASTEllY. 101 meet with instances ol* magnanimity, such ns Miss Barre, at the age of nineteen, Avas enabled to disphiy, and which won her valuable and prolonged services to this Monastery. Horn in th'^ town of Azay, near Tours, in France, of parents truly christian, Char- lotte, at the age of thirteen, had already found within her heart an immense de- sire to consume her life in the service of Clod, for the salvation of souls, — but how ? or where — ? that was the secret of divine Providence. Her piety seems to have run in the smooth channels of fervor and peace, when, at the age of nineteen, she is sent one day, by her director, Rev. Father Salin, to introduce herself 'o Mother Mary of the Incarnation, and Madame de la Peltrie. From them she hears of the enterprise they have in view, and learns that Madame de la Peltrie, disappointed in a companion who had promised to accompany her, is in search of another. To the question : — " Are you willing to go with us to Canada ? " Miss ■i.| ■'7- 1' i If n 'A n H :;»' liii' ■'hi 102 GLIMPSES OF THE MONAbTEUY. Barre roplios: ''All my dc-^iro is to con- secrate inysoll'to God, ajul I shall iiio.st gladJy embrace this oirci, which furnishes me ail opportunity of risking my lil'e lor Him." Like the Apostles, she obeys the call of the Divine Master williout hesita- tion, and susiains unmoved the solici- tations of her family, who would have retained her. There was indeed, no time for delay, the vessels being ready to sail, — and the only favor the generous girl requested, was to take the key of her trunk, before it was carried off with the other baggage, to a trust-worthy person, in order to return some article of value, which she w^as keeping for a friend. Madame de la Peltrie knew, from this moment, what a treasure she possessed. She was happy to retain her, and pro- mised to facilitate later her entrance into the Convent, w^hich they were going to establish, by paying her dowry. Char- lotte, on the other hand, was overwhelm- ed with the conviction of her own un ■ 1 'i! OLIMPSKS OF TIIR MONASTERY. 103 \vorthinoss, and unal)le to understand how it was that God had i)laced her in the company oL^difits, calling her to share the labors, the merits, and the glory oi* ail enterprise so sublime. In these sen- timents, she humbly accompanied Mad. de la Pel trie wherever she went, as long as her services were required ; then as a novice, in 1640, she applied herself with fervor to fullil the new duties that de- volved upon her, aimmg at nothing less than a perfect imitation of the Divine {Saviour, in his life of obedience and morti- fication. Her zeal for the instruction of youth, and her talent for teaching — ,her aptitude for every other office in the Community, rendered her most useful during her long career, while her kind- ness, her universal charity, her amiability, won her as much love as esteem. The magnanimity she had given proof of, in bidding adieu to her home and country for God's sake, without a sigh, did not relapse into love of ease and con- tort in later years. If she once rushed i^ f: • J 'I i < :.i : it ■ 104 GLIMPSES OP THK MONASTERY. into the flames to save those chihlnni ^Yho. ill the conflagration of the Monastery ^ were exposed to perish, she never on any occasion spared herself, whi^n there ^velv crosses to be borne, or hardships to he eu- dured. Whether she must have had many of these, can best be told by those who have read at length the history of the Monastery, during the first sixty years of its existence. One that truly loves God never says : " It is enough," when there is question of corresponding to grace in the practice of virtue. " This generous soul, says the Annalist, following the exjlmple of her Divine Spouse, who calls himself the hid- den Grod, had no other ambition but to be ULknown and forgotten, treating her body as her greatest enemy, seldom ap- proaching the fire even in the extreme rigors of winter, abstaining from food so far that she may be said to have fasted continually, refusing herself the most in- nocent satisfaction. Whatever leisure re- ^ Glimpses, Part I, p«Mge IIG. GLIMPSKb OF THE MONASTERY. 105 mninod to her, al'tor her numerous occu- pations, was given to ])rayer. Hastening to the loot of tlie altar, prostrate in the hunil)le attitude of the rublican in the Gospel, she sought to annihih\te herself before God." The Ions: career of Mother St. Ii^natiu'^, who had crossed the Atlantic with our lirst Mothers, and w^ho knew every inci- cident of those strange early times, must have furnished a strong link in the chain of traditions that have come down to us. As we have already stated, she was the lirst professed of the Convent of Quebec : twenty-six choir Sisters surrounded her death bed, having made profession alter htT. One of these w4io had also seen Mother St. Athanasius, Mother Genevieve Boucher of St. Peter, prolongs her vigor- ous existence till 17()5, having passed seven ty-t wo years in the community. At that date, we find, among others. Mother Louise Taschereau of St. Frs. Xavier, who was still living in 1825, and consequently known to six of our present aged Moth- ers, who impart to others the precious I.--' 'fli t'kh. I'Y^ i .-• .■ t.\ W ^'■' 106 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. ir Ik souvenirs, once derived from the vener- able Mothers St. Athanasiusand St. Igna- tius. Doubtless in those former times, as at the present day, it was a pleasure for the younger members to surround the aged, seeking wisdom in the company of those whose minds have been enriched by the experience of multiplied years. It is in this manner that many points of valuable information, many interesting anecdotes which have eluded the notice of the cloistered historian, are perpetuated by tradition, and thus finally transferred to record. CHAPTER X. iroo-ins. DAWN OF THE XVIII. CENTURY, There are some gloomy pages on our old Iiegister, at the begiiiniiig of the 18th contary. "Within the space of thirteen years, famine, pestilence, and war, alter- nately menace, or invade the Colony ; and oil such occasions the Ursulines necessa- rily have their share in the common mis- Ibvtuues. The scant and blighted harvest of 1700, is followed by a scarcity border- ing- on starvation ; while an epidemy, as unknown to the medical art as it is fatal in its attacks, augments and renders more poignant the general distress. There are not enough people in health to have care of the sick, nor priests enough to attend the dying and bury the dead. The Convent escapes the famine, but pays its tribute to the cruel malady. So m K 1 ^evvsfi 108 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. many of the nuns were prostrated by the fever, that the Infirmary not sufficing to lodge them, it was necessary to take care of them in their cells, those who waited on the others being almost as ill as their pa- tients. The two victims of this epidoinv were the Mistress of Novices, Mother Bourdon of St. Joseph ; and the charitable Inlirmarian, Mother Boutet of St. An- gustin. Two years later, another malady, evei dreaded in proportion as it is known, (the small pox) made still greater ravages, I carrying off', it is said, in the space of a few months, one fourth of the inhabitants! of Quebec, making victims in every house, as well as in the religious Communities. In the Monastery, every precaution had been taken to keep the unwelcome visitor at a distance, and with success until ii had raged during six weeks in town. Ii penetrated, at last, from the adjacent Chapel, where the people had come in procession to offer prayers, and perforn] their devotions. A lay Sister and several GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. 109 boarders were first attacked ; a lew days later, the list included seventeen nuns, and thirty-seven boarders. In the lodgings ol the servant-men, out of seven, one alone remained in health, to wait upon his companions. The depart- ment of the Externs (Madame de la Pel- Irie's house) was transformed into an hospital for the sick boarders ; the Infir- mary and Novitiate served for the nuns. Class-duties were suspended, it being impossible to find teachers, while so many sick needed attendance night and day. There were besides, other and more sorrow- ful duties to be ptirformed. Three among the nuns, all of them young, were, in the space of ten days, consigned t^ the tomb ; with the usua' mournful rites, but without the ringing of bells, lest that tribute to the departed, should overpower the poor patients yet struggling with the fearful disease. The city authorities had, indeed, issued an order, forbiddino: to ring for funerals, the oft-repeated knell having so affected several persons as to hasten their death. 110 GLTMPSKS OP THE MONASTERY. After another respite of two years, the winter months pass again (1700,) in bestowing compassionate cares upon the sick ; seven or eight patients were con- lined to their bed all winter . — it was a strange intermittent fever, requiring night watching, and attentions of every kind. Other epidemics appear again in ITOli and 1711, continuing to depopulate the Colony. On these occasions, there was much suffering, but no death occnrrpd among the inmates of the cloister. Thouah our pen is weary of so mournful a pane, we have yet to enumerate other calami- ties which befel the city, or the country, during that period of twelve or thirteen years at the beginning of the century, If these did not regard our nans person- ally, they shared them by sympathy and compassion. Let us mention, first, the conflagration of* the Seminary of Quebec, 1701, while the gentlemen were absent at >St. Michael's with the students : then fori "a second time, four years later, wlitMiJ coJi.sidering the recent improvements, the loss was greater thaji on the prectnliiig GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. Ill occasion. The buildings were all nearly finished, when a carpenter, carelessly- smoking in the midst of shavings, let a [spark fall, which caused this second dis- aster. The details are all duly consigned I ill our Annals, with expressions of con- dolence, and regret at not being able to lend any assistance in the restoration of jan Institution so precious to the Colony. They do not forget the venerable Eishop [Laval, whose affliction must have been great, if it was in proportion to the inter- est he bore this Institution, which he had founded and watched over during forty lyears of his episcopacy. The captivity of Bishop Saint-Valier, Idetained nine years (1704-1718) as a pri- soner of war in the Tower of London ; the death of Bishop Laval, (1708) leaving the Colony without a chief Pastor during live years; a scarcity, bordering on fa- mine, caused by a failure in the grain crop, ravaged by an army of caterpillars 1(1709); the menace of war (1710, 11) ever rowing louder and more alarming, while [the military preparations to defend the ,i<,- .■ f. i it »•■ fi..-" If OMMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. city, commenced in 1689, in the imme- diate vicinity of the Monastery, wore continued, to the gieat annoyance of the inhabitants of the cloister :— these are the events detailed on several pages of the Annals, forming a picture suificiently gloomy, yet never tinged by impatience nor by despondency. The nuns are evid- ently not vvathout their consolations. In fact, the life of a good religious has an intrinsic joyousness of its own, indepen- dent of outward circu nstances. Onr Mothers were joined by several aspirants to the religious life, during this period, as may be seen by referring to the list ol entrances. The classes were interrupted but once ; and with youu!:: girls to instruct; Ursulines must be happy. Our readers remember how provi- dentially for Canada that dreaded inva- sion of 1711, combined with so much ap- parent ability on the part of the Colonists of New England, came to naught : a powerful fleet having been held in check I by dark fogs and ^strong winds till, with the loss of eight hundred men by ship- GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. 113 wivck, the discomfited invaders retire witliQiu even seeing the heights of Cape Diamond ; or meeting with any other enemy but their own adverse fortune. This event was recorded to posterity, by the pious Colonists, who in memory o' Heaven's protection, erected an enduring monument to testily their gratitude. The votive Churck of Our Lady of Victory, received the addition of a graceful por- tico, reared by public contribution, while the titular cognomen was changed to, *' Our Lady of Victories." But these long years, so beset with (lifiiculties, were drawing to a close. The Treaty of Utrecht (1713), setthng many political differences, was favorable to peace in America. This Treaty had also set free, after nine years' imprison- ment, the illustrious Prelate, Bishop Saint Vaiier ; and we seem to share the glad anticipations of better times, with which the "joyous firing of the cannon" announces his arrivaL " All the population hasten to the wharf I • f: i) |: 4 ^ tl h-"'^'. i,i. l.( I! ■ - r If I '> h 114 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. (i to welcome the venerated Pastor, and con- dact him in triumph, while the chime of bells and the roar of artillery, mingle with their shouts of joy." " In the course of the afternoon, adds the Annalist (August 18th, 1713), we had the pleasure of seeing our good Bishop and hearing him express his joy. For our part, great is our gratitude to the G-od of goodness, who has vouchsaf'jd to grant us such consolation after our long and heavy trials." I • w CHAPTER XI. THE THREE CAPTIVES. MISa WHEfiLWIUQHT MAKES PROFESSION, • V %.i in4. Who that has read the history of New England, or of Canada, knows not the meaning of that fearful word, ** captiv- ity"? It tells of treachery, of long and bitter fireside mourning :~ it brings me- mories of all that is most lamentable in that long dismal period of Indian w arfare, and of conflict between the French and English colonies. Our Annals and our traditions, furnish us the means of tracing, even among the Indian captives, the hand of Providence, accomplishing that truly Divine work, bringing good out of evil. Three of pur Ursuliue Mothers of the < ; Mt; ■ 1*1 IIG OLIMPSES OP THE MONASTKUY. eighteenth century, owed to cnptivitj' Ihi? inestimable gift of faith, and that of a vocation to the leligious life. Let us ro- hearse some of these tales of— happily, by. gone days. In the environs of Boston lived, at the commencement of the last century^ a highly respectable family oi' the name ol' Wheelwright. Surrounded by such comforts as a Now England home aflbrded, even in th(j^e early times, possessing ailiuence and ro- linement, blessed with lovely childroji, more precious than riches ;- -happiness might have taken up her abode in that quiet country-residence, had it not booji for the cruel feat of Indian treachery which we are about to relate. Whether it was in the early spring of that year, 1703, when the red twigs of the young cherry-trees, piercing the last snow- bank, enticed children into the verge of the forest ; or whether it was in autumn, when the bright-tinted leaves of the ma- ple, or the ripe beech-nuts rattling on the fallen leaves, tempted them to stray a few OMMPSES OF Tlir. MONASTUUY. 117 rods IVoni Iho path that led to the school- honso, we caiin'ot jsay : — but we know that, at a liiven moment, a hapless child of six or seven years, was tightly bound in tlie grasp ol' a prowling Indian, who, cover- iiin- her lace with his brawny hand, bore away our little Esther with rapid strides, to thi^ thickest of the wide, old forest. Jveaching the camp, and hailing with a prolonged, ho ! ho! his savage brethren, he set down his trembling prize, by the side of his own half-clad children and their tawny mother. Then commenced the wanderings of this innocent lamb, sud- denly purloined from the fold, and forced to dwell in a den of wolves. Yet, for her, thpy relaxed their barbarity, as far as was possible for the circumstances of savage life The dark-eyed squaw spoke in gen- ik tones, and guarded with marked pre- ference the pretty little " pale face ". But, alas! what altered scenes, what dismal company, for that little girl brought up with tenderest care, by her own g<Mitle-born, loving English mother ! How long were the marches, and how tangled .11. I. m m ' - .1: M J^; i >'' 'J 118 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. ■^,^•'^, the paths, when the camp broke ap and the whole party set out for the chase! How rude the fare, and how repulsive the resting-place at night; — while the days lengthen into weeks, and still our little Esther solaces her childish hear . with its thoughts of revenge. — "I will tell my Papa, indeed 1 will." — But no papa is there more for her ; and the months roll on. Her tattered school-dress, still clings to her, but it is getting short ; her blond tresses forget to fall in clustering ringlets, smoothed only by the oily fingers of her squaw mother. More than this, her En- glish prattle is almost lost, and her tongue is getting used to the strange dialect of her companions, when, one day, a Mis- sionary appears in the midst of the Indian village. The Black-robe is not a stranger, even to the savage Abenakis. He is invited to the best lodge, where the children are assembled to hear him tell of the Great Spirit. What does he there behold ? A little white girl among the rest, a child of some eight or nine years, whose grace- JC .1^ '• GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 119 ful manners still betray the gentle teach- ing's of her infancy. To rescue the little captive was the lirst thought of the good Father l3igot ; to restore her to civilized life, and to her parents, if they could be discovered. But it is well known with what difficulty an Indian would relin. qiiibh one of these adopted children. It was not possible to move, by threats or promises, the proud Abenakis, who had placed the pale flowret in his cabin. What then could the Missionary do ? — He could yet do much for her. He could watch over her ; he could teach her, like the little Indian girls, to adore and love Grod, there in the forest, while he waited some favorable conjuncture to set her at liberty. No wonder that the child, intelligent beyond her ai^e, and speaking the In- dian dialect at the end of three years, as wel I as if it had always been hers, was ever the most attentive listener to the good Father's instructions. No wonder the woods grew pleasant to her, now that the love of Grod filled her young heart. f^ h. • h -i 1 i'd '-■■■t' ;<i 120 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. Hi tiil: But when those bereaved parents, who had mourned their child as dead, learned that she was still living, and living in the depths of the forest with the Abe n aids, the enemies of their nation, — what must have been their sentiments? The only hope of recovering their child depondc'd npon the possibility of obtaining the in- fluence of the French Grovernor. Trusting- in his humanity, they present him their petition ; and little Esther, through the intermediary of E.ev. Father Bigot, be- comes the subject of serious negotiations between the Marquis de Vaudreuil and the Chief of the Abenakis. Even under such patronage, it was no easy matter to obtain the release of the charming and well-beloved prisoner. Powerful presents, at last, overcome their reluctance, and the Indian Chief delivers up the little English girl to the great Captain of the French. Exchanging the bark-roof of the wig- wam, for the Yice-regal residence of the Governor, at Quebec, the youthful Esther, I* 1 i GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 121 HOW ill ^he eleventh year of her age, speedily wins the love and admiration oi' her new friends. The Marquis feels for his protegee the tenderness of a father, and. "while awaiting an opportunity to restore her to her parents, provides for her wel- fare as if she were, indeed, his own child, by placing her in the Convent. Her home still lay at the distance of seven hundred miles ; the intervening wastes, without roads, were at this time infested by wan- dering bands of savages, at enmity — the Iroquois and the Abenakis. — Four years passed away, without lessening that dis- tance, or the difficulties of communica- tioii. The young girl, happy in her Convent- home, had made her lir&t Communion, with angelic fervor ; and having acquired the graces and accomplishments which became her so well, she w^as recalled to the home of her protector, at the Castle of St. Louis. Very soon, however, the Mar- quis Wi.s informed that Miss "Wheel right's only desire W'"».s to prolong her stay in the Monastery, and even to share the life of 1- • i' ! t - ' • 1: i ■' I t • !f ! ". 122 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. her pious Convent- Mothers; but he na- turally refused his consent, and souo-ht with more activity, to discover some means oi' sending the lovely young girl to her parents, whose grief he compassjiou- ated so sincerely. He conducted her to Three Rivers, placing her, while he re- mained there, with our Ursulines; and afterwards to Montreal, where she \vas protected by the good Mothers of tlie Hotel-Dieu. Unsuccessful in his laudable attempts, on account of the continuance of hostili. ties between the Colonies, ^ the Grovernor, at last, consented to her return to the convent. Our Mothers, struck Milli the peculiar circumstances of the case,- the long years during which the two countries being in a state of warfare, it had been impossible to restore her to her parents ;— the changes that might have taken place in her family;— and, above all, the wMU of Divine Providence inaiiij festing itself by the course of events, adj 1 In 1711 a floet, uiulor the Ailmiral W^alker a:| tempted to talte Quebec. GLIMPSES OF TIIK MONASTERY. 123 niittoil the interostinn- captive to tho Xovitiate, in October, 1712. During* the following' year, newsol'the treaty ol' peace bt't\vee)i France and England, restored the Colonies to comparative security, and the Ursulines were in daily expectation of liearin<^ from their beloved novice's family. She had taken the white veil, with the name of Mother Esther of the hilimt Jesus. Her two years of pro- bation had not expired, when, at last, mes- sengers reached Quebec, bearin<^ letters from Mr. and Mrs. Wheelwright. Her heart was not insensible to the pleasure of beholding the signature of a beloved father and mother; — but the voice of grace was louder than that of nature I in her well-balanced soul; and she linds Istrength to resist thj importunities of her family, as well as the exhortations of her friends at the Castle. Far from renounc- ing her cherished vocation, she entreats the Bishop to hasten the day of her final engagement, by admitting her to the vows |of religion. She addresses the same petition to the % ^1 "11 M 1 4 >' ii * * ■; 1 1„. •■■tl I 1" , n- ' \ ': 11 m^..-y:^ i ■ 124 GMxMPSE.S OF THE MONASTKRY. Goveinor, whom she cons-iders as her adopted i'ather, and to the Coininunitv, the Mothers and Sisters ol' her choic, who were now dearer to her than iaiui;v or home. Al'ter mature deliberatiun, taking into consideration that the youiiir girl, according to the French laws was now of age, and that on the other hand she had no longer the use ol' the languaire of her native country, nor would she find there, the means to practice the re- ligion she had embraced, — ascertaining also that the Bishop, as well as the Govlm- nor, had given their assent, the nuns admit her to pronounce her vows : thus settling the question according to her desires, be- yond repeal. In the eloquent address ot the liev, Father Bigot to the youthful novice, at I her reception, we have noticed that he makes mention of this circumstance *' that as long as she had been a minor she had no opportunity of returning' to| her country ; that now being of age, he: parents cannot object to her choice of a vocation, or ii they should disapprove, GLIMPiiKS OF THE MONASTERY. 125 it will be because they are not aware of ers as lier ^| j^j; excellence and its saiieliry : he exhorts the happy novice to lasting gratitude I'or the favors of Divine Providence in her ii'gurd, and tells her she may well ex- Iclanii in the words of the prophet King: The God who has wrought these wonders in my behalf is the Lord of the eternal ages : ever shall he be my God ! under his amiable law I shall live Igecure !' Mother Esther "W'hechwright of the llnfant Jesus is another of those ancient inns whose names are never pronounced iLut with love and veneration in the [Cumrniinity which she edilied and served hiring sixty-six years. She is not however, the only one of the Indian captives who iound the liberty of lie soul and the light of faith, in recom- )t'nse for earthly misfortunes. With her memory we naturally associ- ate Miss Davis and Miss Jeryan, rescued |ike her from captivity among the Abe- lakis, to end their days in the sweet ■ m. mm •» : ctM '.hm "/' i n : "4 11 " .« <■'•■■ iH ^m > ' '. •^iF 'i It "^ ♦ = ■>; ■' i: ■ J. I, 126 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. captivity of Jesus Christ in the Mo. nastery. Miss Mary-Ann Davis, in religion Mother Mary Benedict, was already a professed nun some years, when our little Esther entered the Convent as boarder. Born in the village of Salem, Massa- chusetts, she had been taken captive (1686) at the age of six years, by a war party, after seeing her parents massacred and her house in flames. To recount her subsequent fate, her adoption by the Chief of the tribe, who cherished the little orphan more tenderly than his own children ; — her life in the woods, where she learned to plant the maize or gather baskets of fragrant wild-berries, but knew not the taste of bread, nor the use of a needle; — would be to repeat, in parti what has been related of our interesting Esther. Let us merely tell how another Apostle of the Abenakis, Rev. Father Rasle, found little Mary-Ann d jcile to his instructions, and faithful in following m GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 127 counsels, till after many dilliculties and delays, he succeeded in extricating* the young girl, at the age of seventeen or eighteen, from the perils and hazards of s;\vage life i—then, after finding friends for her among the French, he placed her as boarder in the Convent. This was the House of Jesus" of which she had heard I so much, and which she already regarded I as her future home. Passing from the classes to the Novitiate, in 1698, she was admitted to profession two years later, and was thus the first Ursuline of English Idescent in the Monastery of Quebec. Fifty years spent in the service of Him h'ho had spoken to her heart there in the [depths cf the primeval forests, were not too long to testify, every day, her grati- tude, by her fidelity to the least point of the rule she had embraced. Humble, leek, laborious, submissive and pious, ler life in the Convent was like the fra- grant May-flower of the woods of Maine, )lighting all by its gentle perfume, while It hides itself in the most shady recesses. V m \J %l 128 OI.lMP.-rES OF TIIK iMONASTKllY. t. ■ ol'tho valley where it has chosen its iv. treat. The third captive who became an Up snline nun, wa.s Mi.ss Mary-Dorothea Joiv- an. liorne ofl' to tlie woods at so toiKk-r an ag"t» that she had no recollection oi'aiiv other house but tlie wigwam where !^ht> w^as living, she hnd marked the lapse of years only by the springing flowers or the I'-dling snow, until the same missioiuirv who had baptized IMiss J)avis, met this other little wanderer, and taught her to kiiow the true Grod. J^egenerated in the saving waters of baptism, and instrnctcj in the sublime truths of religion, Mary- Dorothea feit her youthful heart boat with the desire that constitutes an Lrsii- line,— that of teaching oWwx souls the wav of salvation, while the Celestial Bridegroom, inwardly inviting her, bade her hope for the day when she woiiltl become his consecrated spouse. Another missionary succeeding the I martyred Father Rasle, cultivated \yilli| care this lily of the woods. Transplanted, GLIMPSES OP TIIR MONASTERY. 129 Tie an I'r. jihoii.loiv • t so teiuk tiou of any where s^he he lapse o[ wers or the missioiuiry is, mot this Liight hi'r to rated in the id instructt'd gion, ^lary heart beat es an rvsw V souls the e Celestial' o- her, bade she would] e. at leii^'th to another soil, after some lifteen years had gone by, and placed within ihe pale of civilization, it was yet a toil to engraft upon those rudimentai dispo- sitions, the forms of education and retiue- mont. Her liberator, Rev. Joseph Aubery, constituted himself her teacher, until having acquired a sufficient knowledge ol' the French to be able to make horself understood, she was placed at our classes. The progress of the new pupil was not rapid ; but our Mothers, hiving regard to the good will of the subject, her precious dispositions, her piety and zeal, admitted her to the Novi- tiate ; and, after the usual delay required by our rules, to profession (1722). The future career of Mary-Dorothea, i now known as Mother St. Joseph, fully jus- I tilled the hopes that had been entertained pi" her usefulness. The Monastery became jh»r second home and country, a thousand- jfokl dearer to her than her birth-place )r native land. During the siege of n ! ,>!v 130 OLIMPSE.S OF TIIK MONASTKIIV. '4 I'i Quoboc by tho Eng'lish in nr>0, wlii^i the nuns wim'c Ibrcod to nhaiiddn their s;icrocl asylum, soekinii^ saloiy ]w. yond tho wails oi' tho bosioi^od city, ii(;. thing', could equal tho grieroi* Moihor St. Joseph. Would tho victors, hor count! yiiiiMi, now ])oconio tho persecutors oi* h^u* Coin- uiunity? Was tho country of lior ado|). lion destined to lose tho priceless gilt of faith, tlirougli tho instrumentality of her own race ? — These afUictive thoiightM joined to an enfeebled state of hcahh, rendered her exile from her belovoii cloister, one long agony. Iler heart had received its death-wound, and when, on the 13th September, she became aware i ot her approaching dissolution, she h'<\\U\i\ the approach of hor last hour, as a pri- soner would welcome the joyful lu^v? of his speedy release. The reception oil the last consolations which the Chuicii offers her children, soothed her dyind moments, as she passed away to a betterl country, on that memorable 14th ^m aUMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 131 l" hv»v Com- hov ado\v itteloss gill ;o thonglit>' . of lu'^Hh. XQX bolov»nl V heart h^d (1 when, on Icame awaie \\\\ as a pi'i'' joyful ne^^•^' [recoptioii oil the Chuvc'n her ayiii: to a betteil .e 14th M'\ tt^mbor, (1750) which marked the down- lall of the Fro>ich Government in Canada. [This temporary sojourn of the Ursu- linos with the beloved Mothers of the General Hospital, was marked in many- ways for lonp: remembrance : we shall only mention here, with gratitude, the cordial hospitality, exercised towards our whole Community by those true friends, during' that memorable period ; — reserv- ing other details for the proper date, 1-1750.] . I > . i ' ^1 CHAPTER XIL 17"1?^-1^«3, THE MONASTERY ENLARGED. Within the space of eleven years, from 1712 to 1723, the Monastery attained th. proportions which were found sufficient for the wants of its inhabitants till more than a century later. It was a period when the Colony Avas entering upon a new phase of its exL- tence. Public calamities were to be fol- lowed by a season of comparative repose and prosperity ; there was to be a respit from hourly dread of the Iroquois; thel future conquerors of Canada also were,| unknowingly, willing to wait their day. During the judicious administration ol| Grovernor de Yaudreuil, up to 1725, the resources of the country were considtil ably developed ; many internal improvej ments were effected, while the populatioc| increased to 25,000 souls. GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 133 The Ursulines seem to have noted the 'signs of the times." As early as 1712, we Hiid them deliberatiii<]^ m Council, and unnnimously deciding upon enlarg*- iiin- the Monastery and rebuilding the Church, notwithstanding the depressed state of their finances. According to the oiiu'inal plan, the buildings to be con- .<truoted would have completed a quad- rangle, with a IVont of more than two hundred feet, facing Donnacona Street, and ibrming a large interior court-yard. It was Rev. Mother Le Maire of the Anuels, the last survivor of the nuns from France, who at the age of seventy-one, undertook this arduous enterprise ; press- ing its execution with vigor and obtain- iiio", several times, generous subsidies from her wealthy relatives in Paris. The pro- cess of construction was necessarily tedious and expensive ; but far greater were the diiliculties, when it was ascertained that the phin was really too vast for the im- I mediate wants, as w^ell as the actual re- isoLiices of the Community. The found- 134 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. ations already commenced had to be abandoned, and begun anew in another direction, at the price of much loss and delay. The only part Eev. Mother Mary of the Angels saw completed, was the Novitiate, an addition, seventy-five feet in length. to the wing styled, " La Sai7ite FamiUe:^ which had been erected in 1687. The parlors were also commenced by her, and the foundations of the present Church ; but the aged Mother was then taken from her labors to Ker eternal rest, and the task of continuing them devolved on another Superioress, Rev. Mother An- gelique of St. John. The building front. ing the street, destined for the conventual entrance, and the parlors, was completed in 1717. Then, only, could the nuns continue the construction of their "se- cond Temple, " and that they did with such ardor, that they labored at it with their own hands. The Annals relate the buildinG: of the Church as follows : — " On recommenoinii in OLIMPSKS OF TIIK MONASTKRY. 135 loiumeiicing the labors, vve drossed a little Indian boy, to represent the Infant Jesus, and caused him to lay the corner-stone in honor of St. Joseph Then each one devoted her- self with all the energy of which she was capable, to contribute to the erection of that sacred editice which had so long been in contemplation. At the hours when the masons were absent at their meals, we used to mount upon the scaf- folding:, carrying up the stone and the mortar, our Mother Superior leading the way, and the Community following her example with alacrity and emulation. ^Vith the blessing of Grod, every thing seemed to succeed marvellously. " When the masons were served, all re- turned to their respective labors, some to painting, gilding or embroidery ; some wrought tapestery or bark-work, others made artificial flowers :—- this was to augment our revenues and aid in pnying the workmen. During ail this time, adds the Annalist, we omitted none of our spiritual Exercises, we in- fringed upon none of our holy rules and til n : ■ ■ i !!• 136 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. I ! observances. We have alpo io be thank- ful that not one of the laborers met with any accident while working on our build- ings. A kind Providence has blessed us in a special manner, enabling us to meet all these expenses, notwithstanding the loss of half our income, by the reduction of the funds on the liotel-de-Yille, in Paris." The construction of the Church was terminated ; an altar had been raifjed : and, although no pillars yet lifted, their crowning capitals around it; no sculptured decorations adorned the sanctuary, no paintings hung along the naked walls, yet the sacred edifice, bare of all orna- ment, could be called the " House of God ;" — and great were the rejoicings of the Ursulines, w^ho, for thirty years, had suffered to see the Tabernacle reposing ?n that narrow chamber, on which, through courtesy alone, they could bestovv^ the name of Chapel. These rejoicings were not confined to the inmates of the cloister : the citizon*? ' I- GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 137 of Quebec shared the same sentiments, as ihoy proved by coming in crowds to celebrate with them three const'cutive festivals:— the ceremony of the consecra- tion, the Feast oi' the Assumption,' and that of the holy Ivelics. At all these })ious festivities Bishop tSaint-Valier presided, ^vith his clergy, in the midst of all that was then most distingnished in the City. Although consecrated, the Chapel still required the presence of workmen, and did not serve regularly for Mass and the observances, until the 19th March follow- ing' (1723). It belonged to St. Joseph the titular patron of the Church and of the Monas- terv, to h'ansfer the Blessed Sacrament to :tlie new Altar, as to another Nazareth, after a Ioniser exile than that he once en- CD I (lured in Egypt. It was only thirteen years later (1735) ^ Ithat the architectural decorations, design- led, it is said, after a plan of the private ^ The ('(ill('<r(ii of the Jesuits coninKMiccd i)i lO'i,"), hiis cuinpk'ted about l1ic .same time (17IJi)). ^ .* ■* I t IP i Ml ■ i M I, I' I 138 QMMrSKS OF THE MONASTERY. chapel of Louis XIV, gave the last Iinisli to the interior, rendering the Church of the Ursulines one oi'the neatest, consider. ing its dimensions, of the four principal churches in the City. The gilding, ot which there is that profusion required by the taste of those times, was all executed by the patient toil of the nuns themselves, The paintings with which it is adorned at the present day, belong to a later pe- riod,— the beginning of the nineteenth century.' CHAPTER XIII. QUEBEC IN 172U :■ UKVIEAV CF THE NOVITIATE OF THE URSULINES, AT THE SAME DATE. All amiable historian, writing in 1720, has left us a picture of life and manners ill Quebec, at once so graphic and so curious in its details that, although it has often been copied, it will bear r(^.petition, and will help to set off another picture less known, — that of life and society in the cloister. Recording his personal observations, Charlevoix says: — "There are not more than 7,000 souls in Quebec ; but one finds there a little world w^here all is select, and calculated to form an agreeable society. A Grovernor Greneral with his staff, — no- bles, officers, and troops ; an Intendant, with a Superior Council, and inferior courts ; a Commissary of Marine, a Grrand '• I ; ' ; \ • i! K-ll ■> ' ■ V*.*" J 140 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. fv rrovost, a Grand Yoyer ; a tSuperiiiton. daiit ofAVaters and Forests, whose juris. diction is certainly the most extensive in the woild; merchants in easy circum- stances, or, at least, living as ii' they weiv; a Ijishop and a numerous clergy; Uecol- l(3ts and Jesuits; three female commun- ities, well established ; other circles olso> where, as brilliant as those surrounding' the Governor and Intendant : — in short, it seems to me, that for all classes of person:,, there are abundant means of passing the time agreeably. Every one contributes to h.;s utmost. There are games and ex- cursions, the parties using in Summer calec'ttes or canoes ; in winter they have sledges and snow-shoes to bear them over the snow and ice. Hunting is a favorite amusement : many gentlefolks have no other resource for living comfortably. " Current news are confined to a few topics, as the country does not ailbrd many. The news from Europe comes all at once, but lasts all the year, furnishing endless comments upon the past and con- jectures upon the future. The arts and i? . !| GLIMPSES OV THE MONASTERY. Ul scitMicos have their turn, so that conver- sation never languishes. " The Canadiiins breathe, from their birth, an air of liberty which renders them very agree. ible in social intercourse. Nowhere else is our language spoken in oToater purity : one observes no defective accent. " There are no rich people here ; if there ■were they would do honor to their for- tune, as very few persons trouble them- selves about laying up riches. They live well, if they can also afford to dress well ; if not, they spare at table in order to wear richer apparel. And it must be allowed that dress becomes our Cana- dians. They are fine looking people, and the best blood of P'rance runs in their veins. Good humor, refined and genteel manners, are common to all, and rusticity either in language or habits, is unknown, even in the distant country-places." Thus far our historian: let us now inquire at the Ursulines, how that "little world " described as so deliR'htful, is re- i ' ( ' 'it 142 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. 1 1. presented with ihem. l]ntoriiig* the No- vitiate, new and lightsome, commaiidinff a pleasant prospect from its windows thai overlook the garden and wide extendin^r landscape, we lind assembled under the eye of a grave but gentle Mother- Mistress, twenty young ladies, of whom lour wear the badge of x^robation, the white voil. These must have but hitely renounced the good cheer, the pleasurs, and amuse- ments, which even the dispassionate Jesuit seems to have found so engaging. A glance upon the old Register shall be our guide, for in the cloister rank and title count as nothing : the only prece- dence acknowledged among sister-no- vices, is founded on the relative date of their entrance. The familvname however prouil or honorable, is laid aside, and the spouse of Christ is henceforth known by some appellation that serves to remind her of heaven, more than of earth. First, then, in seniority of profession, we meet Mother Esther Wheelwriofht— of the Infant Jesus : she has nearly com- ■ !' i'i GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. 143 plctod hor sixth year in the Noviliate, and will thorclbre soon exchaip^i^ thi» lirst phioo here, I'or the la^it in the Coninmnity ; and happier will she esteem hersoil' in occupying' that last place, than when, in later years, she will be called to g'overn the Monastery as Superiores.s. Jler his- tory is somewhat known to our readers, as well as that of the last white -veiled novice, Sr. Mary-Dorothea Jeryan of tit. Jose[)h; we have called them: — ''The Captives. Unmindliil of the etiquette of the Con- vent, we shall revive, for the moment, discarded honors, to present Miss Char- lotte de Muy (Mother tSt. Helen) daughter of the Chevalier Danneau de Muy, G-ov- ornor of Louisiana ; and her cousin Marie- Anne de Eoucherville (Mother St. Igna- tius), naming one of her venerable an- cestors, Pierre Boucher de Boucher vi lie, first Governor of Three. Rivers. Not six months after the entrance of Miss de Muy, the Monastery-door opened to the eager appeal of Miss Catherine do ^,'i I, ■ t ■ W ' tj ' ',! i ' J Ill aMMP.SK3 OF THE MOVASTKRT. ■■'i, Iiarnosny, now known as Sr. 8t. Rada. gon(l(», (lani^htor ol' the ChoviilitT (Maiul' de Itaiiiosjiy, ^Seio-ncnir of tSorcl and kSu.. Mario K^ Mannoir, Oovernorot' Mojitr^a;, The absj'iic^*^ of Mi.ss dt) Itamosay uiul Mij<s do May IVom the circles oi' lashion ill Moutical, doubtless produced, a si'iisa- tioii, at the time : —iu the parental mansion above all, there was a void left which it was dilHeult to lill. IJut thc^y, iC not indillerent to the charms of a llattiMJii^ world and their own high position, Ibund strength to despise them, and they consi- dered it as gain to exchange the hightM worldly distinctions their country could ailord, for the humblest rank in Ihe House of the Lord For the benelit of such as cannot believe in a disinterested sacrilice, let us open the Annals at once, to see to what grade Miss de Ramesay as- pired in religion, on quitting the highest in society. " From the day of her en- trance into the Novitiate, she gave proof of the excellence of her vocation by laboring seriously to advance in poriec- tion.— She pronounced her vuws in the ,,ll!i (ILIMTSES OF TlIK MONASTRllY. 145 most oclifyiii!^ dispositions, to her groat satisi'aclioii as woU as to ours. From this momoiit she advanced daily in the prac- tice of every virtue, detached from every thiii^' created, zealous for the instruction ol' youth, and for all that regarded the si'i'vice of G-od, avoiding the parlor, and every thing that could remind her of the world she had abandoned." As to Mother Marie- Anne de Boucher- ville, of St. Ignatius, one line will suffice to characterize her. On our usual author- ity,— the Annals — we can assert thai she had retained one predominant passion: it was " to employ every moment of her time for the benefit of the Community, or ill aiding and rendering service to her Sisters. 8he rejoiced to be second in the odices, seeking in the obedience she ren- dered her companion, more frequent op- portunities to practise her favorite virtue, humility." Not less edifying in piety and abnega- tion, v^as the religious career of Mother de Muy— of St. Helen, whose health gave small promise of a long life. Delicate and / 146 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. ) •: fragile as was the casket, the pearl it enclosed was of great price : - a gifted and energetic mind, "enabled her to reiukr great services in the classes, notwith- standing the long sufferings which she endured with astonishing courage." To her pen, as Annalist, the Convent oww long and interesting details of the seven years' war, that closes the French domj. nation in Canada; her own death on that memorable 14th September, silently imparting new pathos to the sad picture she draws of the distress and defeat ul her countrymen. But returning now to the .31st Auirnst, 1717, the day when Miss Kamesay, in the midst of the elite of the society both of Quebec and Montreal, recei'/es the white veil from the hands of Bishop Saint-Vnlier, and Rv. Father Gerard, S. J., makes a "rav- ishing discouiovi " on the happiness to he found in the service of God, we may discover among his auditors the sudden awakening of another religious vocation. The sermon wrought the conveision ol 4^? * ;',<■• GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 147 a "young worldling," whom we now in- troduce as Mother St. Borgia, lately Miss Catherine-Margaret des Meloises. That white veil and linen band conceal a brow which was then adorned with all that is most admiied in wreathing tress, or spark- liim' gem, or opening rose-bud. That sable robe of serge, replaces the rich brocade or liortting gossamer, that often enveloped her gr;icefal form, radiant with the fickle joys of the ball-room, at the Castle, the palace of the Intendant, or the " brilliant circles elsewhere." The transformation is due to divine grace, which, after pursuing her with gentle importunity from her early years, had asserted its claims victoriously on the occasion just alluded to. Issuing iVoiii that little Chapel, where the voice of an internal monitor had seconded the eloquence of the sacred preacher, unable to control her emotion, she flies from the presence of the gay company that had attended her ; she hastens along the yet d^'serted streets. " Passing the door of the Jesuits Church sh(^. enters. There, mi If * if^ ] i^ 148 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. al(?ne with her reflections, in the presence of God, listening to the reproaches of her conscience and to the voice of grace, she begins to detest a life of vanity ; she begs pardon for her long resistance and delay; she implores the divine mercv for strength and courage to break the ties that bind her to the w^orld, humbly confessing her own weakness and ina- bility without (he powerful aid of Heaven : she addresses herself to the Blessed Virgin and to the saints, par- ticularly to St. Francis Borgia, to whom she had a special devotion. " Her prayer had been already accept- ed ; she rises comforted, strengthened in her resolution to give herself entirely to G-od. During the two years she was still obliged to delay entering che Monastery, never more was she to be met with at soiree or ball, or party of pleasure. And when, at last, having arranged with her brother and sisters all that regarded her inheritance, she humbly demanded and obtained admittance amonff the daughters of St. Ursula, the Novitiate appeared to GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 149 her the gate of Paradise ; she longed for the day, when she would put off her worldly attire, as a mark of her voluntary divorce with the world, " From that moment she seemed indeed to become a new creature in Jesus Christ. Her piety was most exemplary, her cha- rity unbounded. Her detachment from self and from every thing earthly ; her mortilication, her fidelity to the obser- vance of the rule and her holy engage- ments, rendered her a bright example of what is meant by religious perfection. It was necessary, on more than one occa- sion to moderate her fervor, which always exceeded her strength. Her services, which were extended to all, even to the lay- Sisters in their laborious avocations, were especially precious in the classes, where her zeal for the salvation of souls, and her own experience of the vanity of the world, made her eloquent in exhorting her young charge to avoid its snares, and to assure their salvation by the prac- tice of virtue. if 150 GLIMPSKS or THE MONASTERY. (' " Although she loved her family tender- ly, she was extremely guarded in spenkinir ol' her relatives, and if, in conversation, there was any allusion to the nobility of her birth, she evidently suffered, and would adroitly introduce some other topic of discourse. " One which suited her humility better was, to be reminded of her defects; and, seeking to expiate the self-love which once led her to relish compliments, she would willingly tax herself with hypo- crisy, when her piety — for want of some other fault more apparent— would be dis- creetly blamed, as excessive. " in short, our fervent Mother St. Bor- gia, pressed with such ardor the affair ofher perfection that she won her crown early, passing from the Novitiate, her earthly Paradise, to that above, just as she \vas completing the fourth year of her reli- gious profession." We have insensibly been led to dwell too long, perhaps, upon the interesting Miss des Meloises. The *' little world " ol GLiMPSi.S OF THE MONASTEUY. 151 Oiiolx^c has yet other representatives of its hifi"h'\st circles in this Novitiate of 172i). Plere are the two daughters of Mr. Charles Graillard, member of the Su- preme Council, — Mother Marie-Louise of the Vn'^in, and Mother Marie-Clare of St. Thomas; these fervent young girls, have each chosen the narrow path, in prefer- ence to the broad and flowery one, before thoy had attnnied their sixteenth yiiar. Here are also, daughters of erchants and professional men, of the type named by our historian, " in easy circumstances.*" —Miss Angeli(|ue PtM*thiu8,(Mother of the Angels), novice of the white-veil ; and among the professed, Mother St. Francis Xavier, (Miss Louise C. Pinguet-Vau- coars). Mother Teresa of Jesus (Miss Fran- 9oise Baudouin) ; Mother St. Elizabeth, (Miss Angelique Langlois) ; Mother St. Stanislas, (Miss Angelique Normandin). These four young girls have discovered in early youth, that the world, all fascin- ating as it may appear, is insufficient to satisfy the cravings of the soul for hap- piness : they have sought it in the service f k' .■!- li 152 aLTMPSFS 0^ THE MONASTERY. of Him who has declared that " His yoke- is easy and His burden light :" the test- imony of those who lived with them, till the close of their peaceful lives is ;— thai they found within our cloislor " the hun- dred-fold " that is promised by One who cannot deceive. Let us now introduce a few more youii2 ladies from Montreal. In the course of the same year that saw Miss de Ramesny quit the gay w^orld for the cloister, htr example v/as foPowed by three of hir former companions. Miss Marie-Rence du Mesnil, (Mother St. Grertrude), w^hose hi- ther accumulates the titles of Major in the army, Lieutenant of the Navy, Knight of the Order of St. Louis, &c. "This amiable Mother, writes the Annalist thirty four years later, adorned with all the qualities that would have enabled her to occupy with advantage the high position Providence had assigned her in society, had the greatest esteem for a life hidden in God. Penetrated wath seiiti- me'iits of humiiitv, and submissive to the will of Heaven, she rejoiced in those in- GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY, 153 firmitios which roiidered her incapable of occupyin;^ any oflice of importance, or of discharging those dutiesof the Institute, at once so delightt'al, so meritorious, and so honorable. m Another of Montreal's high-born ladies among oar novices is Mother St. Anthony, dauMiter of Charles-Juchereau Duches- nay. Like the other young ladies we have named from Montreal, Miss Teresa Jii- chereau formed her lirst acquaintance with the Ursulines as a boarder. Iveturn- ing to the bosom of her family, where she was cherished most tenderly, at the same time that she was surrounded by all that lis most calculated to dazzle the youthful imaorination and soften the heart, she had I not always paused, to distinguish between what she owed to her position in society, and what she was giving to her ow^n love [of the world, and to vanity. That danger- ous passion was taking deep root in her heart, while the daily round of dissipation and pleasure was as surely extinguishing all true piety. Our Annalist notes the vo- cation of Miss Juchereau as "a conquest ' I t3 B ^11 154 OMMP>ES OF TIIK MONASTKIIY. \h.'- $ V of £^raco, the IVuit of a fervent rotrcai, " This pi'ivih^ged soul won heaven eaiiv, her exile hi'ing ahridired by the Divm,. Master in order to hasten her recom- pense." As to Miss de Repentigny (Mothnr St. j\gatha), although Miss Jueh.'ro;Hi's friend, we shidl reserve the particulars ol her vocation for anothi'r momiMit ; anl inlrodnce next, Miss r]liz:i!)eth Jost'ph de Villedonne, whose lather was Etiemie de Yilledonne, Ca|:(ain of a detachnieiU of the Marine. Uidike the two hist namej young ladies, Miss de Villedonni', dur- ing Ih;) two or three years of her absence from the Convent, never shared but with reluctance, in the gay amusements thai offered her their attractions. Three other novices remain to be in- troduced : thev are not from the cities ol 1 i Q'lebec or Montreal, but from coniitrv- manor or farm-house, not less attractive, From the Island of Orleans there is I Mother St. Margaret, (Miss Le Clerc); from Chateau-Richer, Mother St. Monica OLIMPSKS OF THE MONASTERY. 155 (Miss Marguerite Cloutior); from the parish of St. Joiichiin, Mother St. Agnes, (Miss Marie- Ann Uuteau), who is destined tooutHve all her companions of the Novi- tiate, prolonging her active and uselul existence to the age ot* eighty-three years. The ceremony of this introduction has been long, yet would we name our three (rood lay-Sisters, whose services are not loss precious in the eyes of God and of his Saints, nor less appreciated by the Community, than those of the Choir- ^^isters. They are Srs. St. Thecla (Blanche Marier), Mary of the licsurrection (Marie- Anne Kacine), and Sr. St. Andrew (Marie- Julienne Mauhs) : the two hist named live cheei fully their fifty years, in the humble occupations to which are attached equal rewards, and far greater facilities for .cquiring them, than in the more ar- xiuous, or honorable offices in the Com- munitv. As we retire from that Novitiate, where we have seen so many young ladies ! ■. I.: ^-1>. 156 aiilMPSES OF TUE MONASTERY. I, ^l'' '" goiiorously triumphing over the m\\. iniMits ol' nature, and trampling upoiiaii that is most esteemed aiul sought altn; in the world, are there not some ainoii; our readers who are struck with appr^ hension and pity, as if they had just be- held so many victims doomed to feel ik intok^rable weight of perpetual solitude, and to drag out their weary exiv tence in the bonds of an unvarying sub missiou to obedience and rule? Are there not some who forget what the Apostle says of himself: " That the world is crucified to him, as he is to the world, and yet that he superabounds in joy V Bat the firm decision of each id the trying moment of separation from home, and lier perseverance in her cherished vocation, h the best reply to any mis- giving of the kind. Truly the cloistered nun may say : I have separated myself from all that the world holds dear and delightful, but I have done so willingly. and I consider such a loss my greatest gain. It is my pleasure, my honor, hence- forth to seek to live for Grod alone. GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. 157 nviiiL^' my follow croaturos for ilu» lovo lol' (rod. I trust myself to one who does Inot eliang-e ; in him I shall iincl a remedy for my own inconstancy. " Hero, as Tho- nias a Kempis promises, I am excited to [good by example, and warned from evil ]bv admonition. Here, are diverse olHces, and one spirit of charity. Here, when one is weary of attendance on duty, another supplies her place ; while one roads many are edified, and each having her weekly course, all are mutually re- liovod. When one happily sleeps in the JLord, she has many intercessois to deliver hor the sooner from the place of expia- tion.— Her labor and good conversations Kvill not be forgotten, but will prolil many, in future times for an example." Here, as St. Clement and St. Basil tell, I" One is able to pray for me to God, another to console me when sick ; another to teach me what is useful to salvation : another will correct me with kindness, or consult together with me like a friend ; and all will love me truly, without guile, |^Yithout flattery. O sweet attendance of 158 UI.lMrsKS OV TIIK >H>NASTKHY. iViomls, O blossoJ mini^lvj'' ot'ooiulnrt % O iho faithful sin'ioosof (li(\s«» \vli(>;. onlv Ciod, () tho truo sinn^lioitv Nvhiih* iiuwpahlo of a falsohooil. O tho hon •. ablo h\bov whioh i?^ in obodionoe to G : to pKw^o (lOil ! "() nionastio Hfo, holv, anuvlioal. Monj. oJ ! Xo toiiiiuo can oxpross tlio so;,. niouts of lovo whioh I fool for thoo. l voioo oaii paint tho joy witli whioh llu: dost lill uiv hou-t!" * No woiidor, thon, that tho happy so;;, ohoson bv Ibwvon lor so sublinio avo:.- lion, makos hor wholo lifo tiiiio, oiio livni:; of t hail ksui vino-. l>y lidolity to.horrulo, to j^rayor, aiic tho saorainonts, sho obtains stronuih ! sustain witli iov tho o'ontlo vokoof Chii>; •» « I. . laborino' at statoil hours in tho soluw room or ii\ tho sorvico of lior sistors; hav- inu' no othor ond in viow but to accoiii- plish hor duty for tht» lovo of God. Ik: lot us also iiu]uiro, ^hat provision h;i> boon mado for rolaxation and ropo.^o. The Order of the Day, as mapped out STKUY. t>M^ who : • iMty whuh i ) \\w \w\\ •■ on 00 to Ti , li'olical, Mo<i ss tho 8tMi:>| tor thoiMi: I which ih : h:\ppy so::. ihliino a voo;v no, ono hyu;:. > pvayor. aiic s stron<:'ili i okoofChrw tho sohiV, sistors; li;iv- ut to accom- r God. ]k\ »rovisjoii hA> d roposo. mapped out D nl.lMrSES OF TUP. Mi>NASTF.UY. 1 M^ oKUmi linios, and still adhoviul {o as li as is possihlo, is soniotlunn* roniark- iMo. Kaoh honr has, it is tnio, its aUottod HMipatiiMi. IVoni tho tinio whon tlu» hril in Ut lour o c [ock announoos tho lu>nr to in (\ till iho si;Linal lor rotirinj; ln^loro nino tho ovoninu"; vot withsuoh aniplitnvlo )f spac »«v s uol I " rooifimrss as Kal )or i'alls 11: ii ; that ono dnty prosst\s not on tho sti'ps )l aiiothor, in snoh a nianniM' as to uivo tho loolinu' of hiMnii" omdiainod or on>lav- J TluMo aro intorvals, of nioro or loss iliratUMi, wliioh sorvo as a halt or rostinii- ;> ot for tht* I'oohlo, at tho sanu' tinit* that ii s a spur to tho vigorous, hy allonlini;- evasion lor sonio spontanoous aot o[' )w\\\ kiudnoss, or zoal. Tho hour oi' rocroation is ostooniod of llu^ sanio valuo for Innivon as tho hour ol' >ravor ; it is onjoyod with zci^i, in i>ro- )ortion to tho siK^ioo that prooodi^s. Tho ayoty of convorsation is puri» and sin- 'vo. It is tho family oirclo, wilhoul its mxirtios and caros ; it is sociotv, without fts tedious forms and shallow compli- leiUs. % ^h '■* , s 160 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTEKY. * , r There are excursions too, in summer, when the day is fine; for the Con\ent grounds are spacious, and not devoid of shade. The birds seem to sing more sweetly there than any where else, and build their ncsts, in security, in every clump of lilac, plum, or cherry trees. Ine buzz and hum of bees and every gay-winged insect that loves to nestle in the cups of liow^ers, make music that is not lost by the ove .'-boisterous merriment of the groups that stroll leisurely through the winding alleys of the old garden, Here, a favorite bed of pansies, there, a mingled glow of roses, pinks, and lilies, the gaudy tulip or the gladiolus, attr'\cl and delight the eye ; or it is growih of some new shrub or tree that is watched with interest. The wonders of vegeta- tive life, the special beauty of each leal, afford pleasure to the contemplative mind, shadowing forth the beauties and wonders of that unseen world, to which she constantly aspires. Or, let it be a later hour, when the offieej h -^ ■■ GLDirSES OF THE MONASTERY. 161 anddutios of the day being over, the eve- ning is closing around the Monastery in that mysterious silence which is its great est charm. Then it is that the S'lcred words of the iJivine Office are heard, from many voices that form but one chant, in which the Angels join, although their heavenly accents m:.y bo inaudible to mortal ear. Thus falls the curtain of night around the peaceful cloister, while each one, ac- cording to the attractions of grace, enters into the recesses of her own conscience; there, finding all at rest, all passions hashed, who can tell the deep feeling of security and thanksgiving that sweetly lills the soul, rendering that humble cell au image and an anticipation of Paradise. CHAPTER XIV. THE CHAPEL OF SAINTS. A little sanctnciry, mncli IVoqueiitt'd by the inmates of the cloister, a, sort of pil- grimage to which they resort with special coiilideiice and consolation, is known ;i8 the Chapel of Saints. An ancient gilded statue of Our Lady of Great Power, occu- pies the centre of the altar, amid sculp- tured decorations ; — the whole breadth of of the Avail on either side, Ixuni.': covered with paintings, and reliquaries of various size and. form ; the larger ones resting on gilded stands, the smaller ones, endorsed under glass, in the four pilasters that sup- port the arching entablature. The vault- ed ceiling, painted of the color of the sky, is studded, with gilded stars, while the central arch, over the altar, encompa.^ses a painting ; as if the skies had opened there to permit the view of the heavens beyond. The nine choirs ol' Angels, the \^ .entod by ft of pil- li special vuowu as nt gilded ^^er, ocen- id sculp- ireadth of <• covered of various estiiig on enclosed that Slip- .'he vail it- r the bky, vhile the oin passes d opened heavens Ingels, the arJMPSKS OF THE MONASTRIIY. 1G3 various ranks of Saints, hearing- aloft the symbols oF their triumph, surround the th one ot the Most High, in the midst of a ii^lory, to which the uiuiccustomed eye l(Mids sj^lendors ev(U' new, and depths ever widening into the vast ahyss of eternity. [This is the Chapel of Saints as it was, not many years ago, and a? we hope it yi^t will be : — its present a])pearance is not so striking.] But the wealth of the Chapel consists in the quantity of relics with which it has been endowed: the antiquity of the shrines even, that enclose them, and the names of the donors, add new interest to the objects, already so precious in them- selves. Among ihe iirst of these pious donors we may mention Don Claude Martin, who was a Benedictine Monk. He had already in 1662, procured for the Monas- tery which his Ven. Mother had founded, and where she was then living, the relics ol'the martyrs, Justus, Modestus, Maxim- in and Fehx. CEijir 1G4 GLIMPSES OF THE MONAbTEUr. One of the Ursiilinos of Metz, sent us from Cologne, precious relics of St. Ur- sula and her companions. Madame de Guise, Abbess of Mont Martre gave others. In 1071, Mother Le Maire of the Angels, coming to the Monastery, brought relics of the mar- tyrs, Placide, Firniin, .lanuarius, Tere- grinus and Honorius, which her brothvM* the Abbe Le Maire, had procured for her in Rome. Some years later Kov. Father C Uoilleau, another relative of Mother Mary of the Angels, enrich- ed the Monastery vsath a casket con- taining the entire body of the holy martyr St. Clement, which he had ob- tained from Pope Innocent XI. Other relics of the Martyrs, Vital ,Amy, Denis, Candid, Marcellinus, &c., whoso names are venerable and illustrious for their sufferings for Jesus' sake, were bestoAved by the same generous friend. In short, so large a quantity of these treasures had been received, from various pious donors, that in 1G74, it was decided OLiMPsEs OP Tni-: monastery. 165 to prepare a Chapel where they might bo deposited with special honor. This primitive Chapel perished in the coiillag-ration of the Church and choir, oi' which it formed a part, in 1G80. Bat the relics were not safFered to perish. A lny-8ister, animated with such liU'vor as gave her new strength and cour- age, persisted in transporting them, till she had nearly become herself a martyr to her pious zeal, as we have elsewhere related. „ In times more recent, other treasures of a similar nature have been added. Looking over the Catalogue, we find the names of St. Augustin, the great Legis- lator of Monastic mstitutions, St. Francis of Sales, *' the most amiable saint ;" Igna- tius of Loyola and others formed to sanctity in his Society, — St. Fr. Xaverius ; St. Aloy- sius and St. Stanislaias, the patrons of youth; St. Angela Merici, foundress of the Ursulines; St. Madeleine de Tazzi, &c. The recent martyrs of China and ^11 , :.S.,-,|i 166 GLLAIPSKS OF THE MONAsTEliY. ) Japan are also represented there, as well as those of Canada. Our Chapel of Saints has other objects of still higher antiquity. Like the " Saiiito Chapelle " in Paris, it has a parcel of the True Cross and of the Crown of Thorns; the former enclosed in a small crystal tube, forms the centre of a silver cross about fourteen inches in heiuht; it was presented to the Monastery in 1G77, ])y Don Claude Martin. Other touchino; sou- venirs of Grolgotha, are a Fac Simile of one of the nails that pierced our ]jlesso(I Saviour's hands; another of the holy shroud that enveloped his sacred liody in the tomb ; a crown of thorns, made (lately) from such thorns as grow in Palestine,— long, sharp, and thick-set. Is it necessary, here, to make the apology of the Chapel of Saints? to tell w^hy, and how, we honor the friends of God, the champions and defenders of the Faith? and, wdien they have gone to their re- compense, how w^e love to have some memento of them, some souvenir to recall GLLMP. LS OF THE MONASTEUY. 167 tlicm to miiul, with the thoiig'ht of the heaven win re thev are rewarded, and where we linally hope one day to dwell with them ? It is a sent uient .so natural that we all practise the devotion to relics, when there is question oT lri<^nd.s or relatives. Not many years au'o, the grateful countrymen of AVashinL»t.)n, bore in a procession, a lociv of his hair, as a trophy of which they might be proud, and were not afraid of being' called superstitious. Our shrines and reliquaries enclose similar objects, and we venerate them with a kindred feeling, ho:2:htened bv the knowleds2:e of favors granted by Heaven, on more than one occasion, to tJiose who thus honor them "whom Grod delights to honor." It is a feeling similar to that which renders the Catacom])s sacred, or makes the soil of the arena within the crumbling Colise- um, seem holy ground. Yes ! when the first twilight shades are descending, after that plaintive anthem of the Yesper-Ofiice ; " lit manus luas Domine, 168 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTRRY. etc. ** Into thy hands, O Lord, I commt lul my spirit," — one loves to knool in that little sanctuary where repose, so many memorials of those that hiive s>iven their soul to Grod in peace. And when, at ear- liest dawn, one ent'^rs 1h to, rememheriiiir tliose who i'ko the J ^-cihiiist could say: Ad ie de luce vi;i^iL--" To thee, O Lord, have I w^atched from the earliest lidit of day," the soul will ever be refreshed, and prepared for the sacred hour of morn- ing prayer. Nor is it less ^.alutary to bring to mind, that for the last one hun- dred and fifty years, every nun who has lived in the solitude of the Old Monastery, has aften prostrated herself in prayer before that antique statue of Our Lady of Great Power, m this same quiet Chapel. The ashes of the heroic Foundresses, those of the Venerable Mother, who now awaits the highest honors the Church of God awards to her most faithful children, seem to speak in words of gentle encour- ao-ement. Oh ! how fervently should each one pray that nothing may ever penetrate within the precincts ol the CLT^iPSES OP THE MONASTEHY. 169 Monri.-story to derogate in the least from the spirit of M^aco and sanctify which is here so pal] 'b!y felt. — J.>ut there is something hev) more Langible, even, ^liaii the sphit of :.ao place :— there aro also Ex-YoTOS. An fix-Yoto ! the word tells of pressing (lanGCor and of succor obtained in the moment of peril. It tells of some suf- fering relieved, for which there was no earthly alleviation to be obtained ; and who has not, at some time, su tiered such anxiety, or seen such woe threatening, that there went up to God the deep cry ot the heart, which pierced the heavens, and brought speedy help for the hour of need ? For all who have thus prayed, that little twinkling llame, dimly lighting an ancient sanctuary, has a language; and they turn to view it again, with more of sympathy than curiosity. If they have read a delicious page in the " Ilisfoire dii MonasterCj^ under the title of " La Liunpe iC 'VSt t .. 170 OLIMISE' OP TIIK MONASTKRY, qui ne iiclcint w/s," thoy ask no ruilhiM- oxplniKiiion. For those who have not, we shall inscribe here the rollowin<? Hues on TriF, Votive Lamp. twinklinii; Lamp ! tliy feoblo ray - Sheds no rc'fiilu;ont ijjbire ; And yet tliou knowest no decay, Since once — thrice {ifty-y(;ars away, Thou first wast, trimmed with care. Dire was the conflict, when her chains That maiden sonujlit to break: Now in her soul triumpliant reljj^ns God's holy love, atid now it wanes, — *Tis earthly flames that wake. " Mother, Powerful ! lend thine aid ; Pity my dire distress ! I've fled me to this cloister's shnde ; Let now all worldly phantoms fade, If Heaven my project bless." *• Will not the pitying Virt^in hear A suppliant in her need ? AVill she not make my pathway clear, Sending me grace to persevere. From all this darkness freed ?" arJMI»SF.S OF TIIR MONASTRUY. 171 Lo ! swift dopcciidniii; froin on hi,i:,li, I'oace to hur bosom flows ; — As swi.' i tho ^loom Jind sorrow fly, — Ilcr soul ii! sweet security, Forgets its recent throes. For liu^lit so pure in d.irkost iiour, A L;nnp bnriift r- 'ar the shrine Where Mary Mother of Great Power, Still liears our prayers : and graces shower, Where beams so tender, shine. Now, many circlinij; years have sped While yet that tiny flime, By gratitude is fotully fed, As when at first its light was shed Around that hiirh-born dame. Still does it point the way secure To Her, our Queen above; Whose tender bosom, ever pure. Pities the woes we may endure, And succors us with love. Come, then, at twilight's pensive liour ; Come, in the early dawn 1 Come, when the skies around you lower, Come to Our Lady of Great Power, Sure Help of the forlorn I 172 OLIMPSKS OP THE MONASTERY. Tliouuh titles new, round Miiry's n;uno, May cluster every year, Yet aa I vii'W that votive flamo, Jjit by the hand of noble dainc, T love tlio more that ancient claim, " MuTiiKU OF PoWKii " reij^n here ! Who, then, had lit that tiny Lnmp helbro tho shrine of Our Lady of Great Power ? that hirnp which has llickcrcd and spent daily its little life, to see it per- petually renewed during one hundred andlii'ty years? — That maiden's name was Miss Marie ]\Iadcleine de llepentij^niy. Her vocation altords an instance of the manner in which God sometimes pur- siies a soul, rebellious at hrst, forcing her, as it were, to take place at the " marriage Feast " to which he had long invited her by the voice of his secret inspirations. The family de liepentigny were among the lirst of the UDbility that came out to settle in the Colony. Mother Mary of the Incarnation makes mention of them with eulogium, writing in 1GG4. The daughters were always to be found OLIMI'SES OF THE MONAKTERY. 173 anionic our boarders : Maric-MadrhMno h;ul hor turn irom the ago of about ten years, till her education was considered to bo in accordance with her rank and jiosition in society. Oil leaving tlie Convent, slu', had not like many o thins, formed to hersell'any lixiul plan of life, and she soon found hor.solf surrounded wi<h those temptations that often l)eset the pathway of a young ^irl on her entrance into the world. Cray parties of pleasure, frivolous amu- sements, idle conversations, filled u^) the precious hours from day to day, leaving her little time for rellection, serious read- ing*, or prayer. The prestige of rank, wit and beauty on the one side, that of merit, politeness and noble demeanor on the other, soon resulted in the preliminaries of an alliance, which appeared advanta- geous in the eyes of the world ; and which met the approbation of Marie Madeleine's parents, as well as those of the young officer, who was a relative. On isuch occa- isions, when all seems so bright in the fu- 174 GLIMPSES OF THE MOXASTFIIY. I I ture, \\'lio thinks of soriouslv coiisullino- to know the will of Grod ? Suddenly the young officer is calloij away on duty. Alas ! for the fallacious pro- mises of earthly happiness, — the next news is of his death ! To the violent gri<'f and mourning of the lirst months, succeeds an attempt to dissipate this irksonn^ gloom of mind, by X:)lunging anew into the vortex of worldly pleasures. But the kind hand of Trovidence wis stdl extended, waiting the moment to TPclaim this prodigal child, and reconduct her to a mansion of peace and seciirity, At one of the churches in the citv, an eloquent an'd zealous Jesuit was givii]!,^ the exercises of a retreat, for youno' ladies Marie-Madeleine went with the rest, but soon found that the Sacred Orator was preaching— so it seemed to her — for he" alone : — ""What wnll it avail a man to v:m the whole world, and yet to lose his -.vii GLIMPSKS OF THE MONASTERY. 1 '"rc 1 i'O sonl. or what shall he ji:ive in exchaim'e for his soul ? ' These solemn words of our Jjlessed Lord sank deep into her soul, and she then })erceived that there had been a void in her heai^t, which the vanities of the world had never been able to lill. But long habits of sell indulgence, the ener- vating influence of ease, and the servitude of fashion, do not impart energy to the will, nor consistency to the character. Marie- Madeleine hesitates stillj when, behold the merciful hand that pursue, her, rais- es an impediment to her vanity, in an accident almost imperceptible,— yet ef- ficacious. The swelliuf^: of a a'land in her throat threatens to mar her beautv. She con- salts an experienced friend and learns that it is not dangerous in itself, but may become so, if healed. She is thus led to serious thoui^'ht :-~the future seems to stand before her, wnth its chances. She t;'kes times T>r reiiection, and. at last, beginning to perceive the designs ol' Pro- 17G GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. vidence, she resolves to correspond to them. After due consultation, she solicits admission into the No\atiate of the Ur- sulines. The nuns, remembering her many good qualities, willingly accept her. But all is not yet settled between her- self and God. kShe has long been rebel- lious to grace ;— that grace now demands a restitution ; ^he homage of a will sub- dued bv sulFerini]^ the assaults of its own inconstancy. No sooner had she reached the Con- vent, than she began to experience the torments of doubt and perplexity. " Was she truly called ? Had she strength to embrace the austerities of the cloister?"— She overcomes this ilrst temptation ge- nerously, conscious that a passing feeling of repugnance, is no proof that she is not in the path of duty. Once in the Novitiate, the trial disappears for a time : later it re- turns with such violence that the Con vent seems to her as irksome as it had appeared delightful. But Marie-Madeleine, now Mother St. GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 177 Agatha, had learned the force oi' prayer. She taki^s reiuge at the I'eet of Mary. She calls upon her as the Mother of Mercy, the Virgin Most I^owerful, — and is heard. The clouds have rolled back from her soul, that now basks in the eifulgence of joy ! Confirmed, henceforth, in her voca- tion ; grateful for the protection of Heaven, she begs permission to found a perpetual memento of the grace, the invisible //g/// she has received. Her own life, cheerful, courageous, mortified, (luring the twenty years slie had yet to spend within the Monastery, was another light, rejoicing her companions more than the Vollve Lamp which she daily trimmed with sentiments, ever fresh, of piety and gratitude, CHAPTER XV. lO'ra— iT3i>. STATE OF EDUCATION IN THE CONVENT. In picturing the Monastery at any pe- riod, we must surround it with that interesting portion of humanity, joyous, careless, ingenuous youth. For the sake of these lambkins of the fo]d of Christ, the cloister of the Ursulines is not as strict as in the contemplative Orders. The conventual door opens as readily to the appeal of children to ])e instructed, as if it had not a double lock: the welcome that awaits a pupil is as warm, the greeting as tender, as if the inmates of the Convent were the house- hold friends of her infancy. ,The name of Mother, which she is allowed to bestow on those who are re- ceiving her vith open arms, tells the measiiro of love she may expect; iht- GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 179 amount of care and solicitude she may claim as her right. For the Spouse of Jesus remembers the word of Him, who once took little children in his arms and blessed them, sayi.ig : "Let little children come unto me and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of heaven : *' Whosoever receiveth one of these little ones in my name, receiveth me." Far from regardin^^ the duties of a teacher as irksome, she rejoices in them ; and esteems no employment more sweet and hono- rable, than that ot forming the youthful < heart to piety, and storing the tender mind with useful knowledge : convinced that she is thus contributing, most cer- tainly, to the welfare and happiness of society. The Boardino^-School, like the Commu- nity, is a little commonwealth in itself, with its own statutes, privileges, and immunities. The " Local Grovernment" nominated by the Superioress, is com- posed of a General Mistress, with her daff of Teachers and Aids, — as many as miiy be required for the intellectual, the 180 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. spiritual, and the physical wants oi' tliu pupils. It is the Crcnoral Mistress, for instance, who welcomes the little stranger as she enters, and dries the tears that will come when we say adieu to fond parents for the lirst time ; it is she who comforts the trembling child with gentle words, and conducts her to the Chapel, near by, to ask the blessing of Grod on her sojourn in the Monastery. Then, the same ma- ternal hand, after weighuig the little stock of knowledge the new pupil may already possess, guides her to the class to which she will belong, continuing, as the year advances, to note her progress by the Report of the different Teachers: for the General Mistress is entrusted with the Porie-FeuiUe ; she distributes the certifi- cates, and is responsible to tlie parents. In short, she is the intermediary of autho- rity, maintaining tiiat of the subordinate mistresses, and applying to the tSupeii- oress in all cases beyond the limits other own jurisdiction. Thus, as the Apostle has advised, " all things are settled in QLIMPS'IS OF TTIE MONASTERY. 181 oi'iliM*, thnt all being of one mind and living in union, the God of peace and love may be with his servants." Our little pupil is soon at home in the Convent ; and, passing* from the class- rooms, where the toil of learning is sweet- ened by the kindness of the teacher, to the refectory where she is served with love ; to the recreation-hall, or the play- grounds, where innocent sports make the hour pass only too swiftly, she forgets the sadness of the parting scene, at the con- ventual door. Then, as the months roll on, the crood seed, destined to produce ten or a hun- dred fold, is gradually sown : — the love of God ; the fear of offending Him ; respect for authority; fidelity to order and duty; lial)its of virtue and self-government : such is the basis which the conscientious teacher seeks to lay, broad and deep when laboring to form the character of her youthful charge. In the early part of the eighteenth century, which is the period we are about 182 GLTMP>ES OF TIIR MONASTERY. to consider, ino Course of Studies in ouv Convent school, was the same as that followed in the Mother-House in Pcuis; the Ursulines of Quebec having adopted, with the Constitutions of that Con^ro- gation', their Ivules for the educational department. Th(i curriculum embraced Heading and G-rammar ; Arithmetic and Penmanship; Ileligious Instruction, including Sacred History; with occa- sional recitations in prose and verse, to impart a taste for reading, as well as to ornament the memory and improve the mi Li I. Dramatic dialoi^ues on moral or pious subjects, Pastorals, or compliment- ary apologues on anniversary occasions, were held in steem, as a means of forming the pupils lo grace of manners, and that degree of modest assurance which is so becoming, yet so difficult to attain in youth. Embroidery, in its various styles, and needle-work in general, received great attention, as well as domestic economy. Such a course, announced in the Pros- pectus of an Educational Institution at OMMI'SFS OP TIIK MONA«TKRY. 183 tho present day, woald excite surprise and be declared positively too elementary. Yet we may be allowed to doubt, whetber any system of modern education can be foaiul that does i^reater justice to the re- cipient of it, than the old training did ; the chief object of which seems to have been to prepare the mind for the great object of life: — that of living well, and perform- ing well the duties of one's state of life. AVhen we can name such women as Madame de Maintenon, and many other distinguished ladies of her time; w^hen we see a Marchioness of Vaudreuil, a pupil of our Convent, called (1700) wath- ont any further preparation, to fill the oflice of sub-governess to princes of the royal line of Bourbon ; when w^e have read the lives, and the writings of many of our ancient nuns : we cannot but ad- mit that there are reasons for not depre- ciating the old system of education in Convents. Zeal for the education of their children is one of the honorable traits of the 184 GLIMPSES OF TIIK MONASTERY. •/ early settlers of Ciinada ; " many oCwliom would never have crossed the Ocean to New France," so they assured Father Lejeune, " it' tliey had not been ceriiiiu oi' finding there, persons able to auidtj their consciences in the care oi' th(Mr salvation, as well as to instruct tlieir oflspring in virtue and K*arning." In this respect as Le Cierc says, " Canada was more fortunate then new settlements in other parts of the world." It is not, therefore, surjMisinii', that our lists show the prominent names of the country, from one g'eneration to another; those of lesser note come, also, intermingled, while the Day-school or Externat provided for the religious ins- tructiou and primary education of all classes, rich and poor, in the city. ^ Terms for board were always moderate, and our good Mothers accomodating. Money being rare in the Colony, pay- ments were made in goods and provision,^, sometimes in wood for fuel, or in ma- terials for building; and not unfrequently from the alms box of the Monastei y, or OM.MPSEs OF Tin: M(>nastf:uy. 185 fioiii the smus occasionally runii,>liod by thi.' French Government. The best laniilies \ver(^ often not less in need of concessions and " favors," ihiiii the poorer vAas^ ; for, if ilie latter hiivini^ to labor ibr their subsistence, were dependant on " \viiid and weather," a lino, season or a g-ood hu'vest ; the former liad to reckon with the casualties of the Ocean, or tlie acci<lents of war, and the rrrlainties of an inadequate sa- lary. As to the number of pupils frequent- ini^' the Day-school, or residing in the Convent as ])oardors, our anciiuit mothers seem to have left to the good A)igels who assembled them, the care of counting and comparing one year with another. Lists are often without date ; the Registers, held by dillerent hands, are incomplete, or defaced ; moreover, that epoch of renovation ami reckoning, the Vacation, heiiig unknown, there were [)upils entering or leaving throughout th(» year, without any obligation or motive for presenting a /ola/, ibr any given period. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /K/.. ^ % ^o 1.0 ^Ks I I.I 1.25 I 2.5 1^ i 2.2 1^ 2.0 1.8 1.4 lim w ^ c^ ^ /A y Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 o ''%"'^. f/. %^ W h :\ \ ^* ^O ;\ }' 18G OLTMrSES OF THE MONASTERY. Tf'tho Annals state that there w^ro, in such a year, "sixteen little communicants," or "twenty" on another occasion, it is not in order to enumerate, but to record a trait of benignity of their chief Pastor, who, ** addresses the dear children a mov- ing exhortation, and communicates them, as well as the nuns, from his own hand." Or the good Bishop is present on a Passion-JSunday, and witnesses a little action in honor of the mystery, at which " he manifests his entire satisfac- tion." When, at the beginning of the century, there is a terrible epidemy, and thirty-seven of the boarders are ill at one time, the Annalist records the fact ; but she does not tell us how many escaped the malady, only that the classes were suspended for want of teachers. We see that from year to year, there is a gradual increase; new classes are form- ed; new class-rooms provided. The "Mon- astery enlarged " (1717), has shown us the whole building, adjoining the parlors, oc- cupied by the boarders. A class of little Indian girls continued GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY, 187 till about the year 1725. The extern- school was, nt all times, formerly, far more numerous than that of the boarders. Some ofthe pupils entered the Convent very young, and remained seven or eight years ; generally, they came at the age of ten or eleven, to be prepared for their lirst Communion —remaining from two, to four or live years. The biographies of the nuns have enabled us to form these es- timates; and to observe, at the same time, that a young girl of fourteen or iifteon was able to give proof of a maturity of judgment, and a decision of mind, which at the present day, we hardly expect at eighteen. The phenomenon may not be easy to explain ; but it must be admitted. Could we now follow in spirit, through the devious paths of life, some of these ancient pupils ; could we consult family records, as we have passed in review thcde of the cloister, it would complete, in a satis- factory manner, our appreciation of the value, and the effects of education in the eighteenth century. ■ i:.! i I' i ! i! 188 OLniPSES op THE MONASTERY. When as competent a judge as Jiov. Father Charlevoix, tells us, in 1720, "da total absence of rusticity throughout the country;" that he Ibiind the colonists " most respectable lor their probity, their candor and solid piety," we naturally attribute no small share of the merit to the good religious instruction the mo- thers of these families hid received. AVho knows not the iiilluence of the mothiT, on the rising generation ? AVhocan cloubt the truth of the aphorism of the old i)io- tons, upon wliich the ancient settlers of Canada seem to have acted : " It is bettor to indrucl a little child than to gather wealth for him." \ye might fancy we hear one of those good Christian mothers, imparting to her offspring the lessons of piety she had learned at the Convent, in huigunge as simple and sweet, as in the following song of the blind minstrel Herve, the monastic bard of Armorica :— "Approach my little children; come and heiiv a new song which I have com- posed expressly for you : take pains to remember it entirely. GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 189 ""When you awake in your bod, ollor your heart to the i»-ood God. make the si^u of the Cross, and say with I'ailh, hope, and love : ^ 'SSay : my (Jrod, I give thee my heart, my body and my soul ; make me to be a good man, or else to die before my time. " When you see a raven lly, think that sill is as black and wicked ; when you see a little white dove llv, think that vour soul, if pure, is as sweet and white." Oh! happy the child that has a good mother. Never will her lessons of piety, her examples of virtue be totally cilaced Irom the mind ! Let us now take a specimen of the names that occur on our lists, bei^innino' by Miss Jeanne Le Ber, the admirable liecluse of Montreal. The piety of .Jeanne, her tender love of God, and her desire to imitate the Child of Nazareth, in sim- plicity, in silence, in labor and humility, were manifest,* even at the age of eleven and twelve, when she was an inmate of the convent, in 1675. Siie found compan- ?\f.: i m; 190 GMMPSK8 OF THE MONASTERY, ( ;.' ions of her fervor in such young ladies as the Misses Denis, — des G-rpnges, — JSt. Amand, -Neveu, — La Forge, — Nolan,— Marie and Margaret Le Grardeur, — Marie lierthelot, — Angelique de Lauson, <Jfec. Taking up the list at anothjr date, we meet with the name of Miss Mavie- .Tosephine Fezeret, followed by the three Misses des Meloises, the two Misses Ville- donne ; Margaret Gravelle, etc. Miss Fezeret affords us a noble exam- ple of energy and filial piety. Returning to her home in Montreal at the age of seventeen, she finds her family plunged in the deepest affliction ; her three bro- thers had fallen in battle where they had hoped to win glory and fortune ; her aged parents, left without resource, were dis- hearted^nd overwhelmed with the weight of their misfortunes. Miss Fezeret, far from adding to the afflictions of her fam- ily by her own despondency, exerts her- self to find, at least, a remedy for the in- di2:ence that threatened them. She draws up a petition to present to the Governor GLIMP8KS OF THE MONASTERY. 191 to obtain a grant of lands, " with all sei- gniorial rights," pleading the losses her f'niily had sustained " in the King s ser- vice," and their present necessities, with such ability that she gains her cause in its lull extent. The Mnrquis de Vaudreuil as- signs to the young claimant, in due form, a remnant of ungranted lands to which he gives the name of Eourg-Marie, under the title of lief and seigniory, "sub- ject to fealty and homage to be. render- at the Castle of St. Louis in Quebec." Miss Fezeret was destined to enjoy the blessing of surrounding the declining years of her aged parents with joy and comforts, — happy especially, in having nobly fulfilled a noble duty. Her subse- quent marriage with an officer of the marine, M. de Thiersant, seems to have been equally blessed by Heaven. The name of Mrs. Thiersant, found among the few who in ancient times obtained the privilege of " Parlor boarder " ( pension- naive en chambre) proves that she never forgot her Convent-mothers, nor the clois- 192 (JLLMPSKS OT- Till-: MONASTF.UY. t(T wlu'io feho had sp<'iit hor yonnM-ev yt' Ill's. Itotununi:^ to our lists, wo Avrilo \\'\\]i plensnro tlio iiaiiio ol* Miss C AulxMt de \[\ Chesnayo, oiu^ of iho ancestors ol' . the family Do Gaspo, avIioso doscoiidaiits occur at all datos dowu to the prosont day; — tho Missos do Chavig'iiy, — do la Gorg'oiidioro, — do Jjoauliou, — do la Tos- sorio ; — with tho uainos equally anciiMit of Lo Moino, — d(\s Crrosoiili(M*s, — do la Garoinit% — do Jj''cai\oourt, — Mig'i^oa de Bransac, — Bolduc, — du Tuy, — Landron, — Picard, — Joly, etc ; i'^.^iiong the companions of the young* captive, ]i]sthor Whoolwright, (1709) we may notice tho daughter of the Gov- ornor her protector, Miss Elizabeth do Vaudreuil, placed tho Coiivont, at the same time;— and, in their company, Missos Anne Denis de St. Simon, Charlotte Lo Gardeur, — Couillard, — d'Ailleboust dos Musseaux, — du Meiiil, — Duchesnay, — Ivoy, etc. etc. In 1712, tho Monastery was edilied by I'^i GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. 193 r yonnirev the yontht'ul virtuos of Miss Margaret du Frost de la Gosmorais, bettor known to our readers by the name of Madame (i'Youville ; who after experiencing the bitter vicissitudes of life, constituted her- self the servant of the poor, the maimed, and the sick; triumphing over misfortune by the cheerful practice of the works of mercy, and endowing h^r country with that noble institution, bearing the time- honored name of Scciirs-GriseSy or Sisters of Charity. Contemporary with the heroic exam- ple of Miss de la Gesmerais, ^ we find the admirable charity of the three daughters of the ancient Governor of Montreal, the Misses De Uamesay. The six amiable 1 Miss (le Li Gosinorais wua djiugliter of a dis- tint^ulsliod officcM- who served inider tiie Marquis de Dcnonvillo : lier Motlier was Miss Rene de Vareur IK'S. Several of her relatives were Ursuliues; — her tliree aunts were tlie Mothers Varennes de la Prosentatlou ; dn Me.y de Ste. llelene ; Anne-Ma- rif de 15ouc,herville de St. Ignace : tlie Rev. Mother ]?nu(']ier, de Boiiclierville dn St. Pierre was her graii(J-a!unt. f ' i ) ' . I I ^' .v± GLIMPSES OF TUE MONASTEUY. sistors had passed through our classes, to the mutual satisl'actioii of teachers and pupils. The eldest, after a brief sojourn in her family, had returned to Qut'hce and entered the General Hospital, where she lived nearly half a century, servin;r with angelic piety the suflering menihors of our Lord, for the sake of his lovo. The second, Marie-Catherine, bade a cheerful adieu to the oijoyments her position in society promised her, to ho- come an Ursuline; Genevieve, the third had accepted an alliance in the world. ^ The three youngest remained in their family, leading a life worthy of the clois- ter. Their chief delight was to succor the indigent, to visit and comfort the sick ; being ever ready to expose their health or to endanger their life, if thereby they might procure relief for the distressed, or minister to the corporal or spiritual ne- cessities of the dying. One instance will suffice to show how they understood and practised the pre- cept of charity. OLIMPSES Oi THE MONASTERY. 195 In IT-)'), tlio city of Montreal was vis- ited hy :i violt^iit and loari'ul epidomy. The Hospitals woio soon filled with the sick and the dying. Nine of the Hospital 8isters had fallen viciinis to the cruel ma- lady, when by the interference of the ecclesiastical and the civil authority, limits were set to the devotedness of the worthy nuns. The remainder of the Community, were ordered to quit the cloister and the city, in o-der to breathe the pure air in the country; six, only, W(Te excepted, and these olfered the sa- crifice of their lives, in order to continue serving the unfortunate sufferers in the Hospital. At this moment of terror and general consternation, the Missi sdeRamesay did not abandon their usual post by the sick- bed. Knowing that the worst cases of the malady were assembled in the Hospital, they hastened to offer their services to aid the nuns in their sublime act of charity stipulating the following conditions in their own faror, namely : to have a place in I i !?■ it' m 196 OLIMPSKS OP THE MONASTr.IlY. the Hospital, should th<»y l)0 attacked })y the disease ; ami to bti l)iirii»d in the Chapel of Our jjady oT (lood Il<'ii)-ilie cemetery ol' the nuns, — in case ol'tleath. "We must add that by a reciprocal act of generosity their oiler was not accei)ted ; — but who can doubt of the recompense it obtained in the sight of Him who es- teems and rewards the will for the deed ? Let us take a few more names, se- lecting from the list published in the llisloire du Monaslere, for the year 1722. There is mention of a little pupil's death, at the age of six years: the innocent child had her last resting place in the cemetery reserved to the nuns, beneath the choir. She was the youngest of tlie three Misses Begon, who were all in the Convent that year, — the daughters of the Intendant M. Begon, Captain and Knight of St. Louis. The list reads on as fol- lows : — Misses Fran^oise de Lotbiniere,— Cartier, — Pugibault,— de Beaujeu, — Te- rese d'Aillebout, — Felicite du Chesnay,— Jeanne Pinguet-Vaucours, — Lemieux, — ! 1 t GLIMPSES OF TUB MONASTERY. 197 do la Cliovrotiore, — de Lery,— Baby, — deJorifjiiirres, — Duiruet, — do Crirardin, — de la Croix, — de llertel, — Boucher, — de Nivorville, — th<» Misses Bissot, — tSt. Ours Ueschaillons, — JJedard,— Divvis,—de lieau- jeu. — Bouneau, — St. Lucde la Come, etc, Charlotte iTAnlicoiiti^ * \vhose ancestor Louis Joliot, with Kev. Father Marquette, discovered the Uiver Mississippi; Let us mention, for the last time, the little forest girls, as boarders, having their separate class under the title of '• <Se»u/i- art/.^^ Frum time to time, even after our Mothers had ceased to name them in . their vow of instruction (1725), the mis- sionaries would send some unprotected child to the Convent, as in earlier days, but these were no longer little pagans to be instructed in the Faith. The rem- nants of the Indian tribes along the ^ Tlierojulor wlio would see injiny curious details of Jcnculogy etc. is referred totlie lists publislied iu tlio diffen'iit Voluiiu^s of tlie llistoire du Manas- the : tlie extnu^ts printed here are tulicn from Vol. 2. p. 174. uud p. 175. M .1 i if ■: I 198 GLIMPSES OF TIIK MONASTERY. Lower 8t. Lawrence, which war and sick- ness had spared, had embraced Chris- tianity ; while their incapacity to adopt the civilization ol' European nations, luid become an acknowledged i'act. JLiiico- forth, the devoted priests who continue to labor for the salvation of these natives of the frreat forests of America, find amonji: them evident traces of a christian Mother's influence ; and have less difficulty in ins- tructin<]f them in all that is needful for the service of God. We know that, as a judicious author ^ has remarked, " thoy often exhibited, by their lives, a simplicity and fervor of intelligent faith, which races, called superior, would do well to emu- late. " ^. How far the teaching of young females from these tribes, in the Convent, during a period of eighty years, may have aided the missionary in his God-like task, is only known to he Remunerator of good deeds. ^ Rev. X. D. MacLeod : Devotion to the B. V. iu Auiericii, p. IGii. CIIAPER XVI. ANCIENT SUPERIORS : o the B. V. iu MARY, PERPETUAL KUPERIORKSS OF THE URSU- LINES. A Picture Gallery, hung with the por- traits of our Ancient ^Superiors, would not be, for the cloistered Family, the least interesting part of the Monastery. Placed in their order, aftci" that of the Venerable first Superioress, Mother Mary of the Incarnation, they would now amount to twenty- four ; — ten of them belonging to the first centennial period, from 1639 to 1739. Our readers are already familiar with the names of several of those Mothers, who have been called by Divine Provi- dence " to bear the heat and burden of the day," at the post of chief respon- sibility, while their sisters enjoyed the enviable priviiege, the merit and security 1 t\ i|-!H 200 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. of obedience. It may be said that the Superioress, also, governing with humility and condescension, performs an act of meritorious obedience; — yet how unlike that of the private religious, who, with- out solicitude or anxiety, makes a peace- ful and happy voyage, leaving to the watchful and careworn pilot the charge of guiding the vessel. The following list will serve as an introduction for the first ten Superiors of the Monastery of Quebec, presenting at the same time an epitome of their ser- vices : — Superiors from 1639, to 173D, 1. Ven. Mother Marie Giiyart de 1 'Incarnation : — Sup. from 1639 10 lCi5:— 1651 to 1657:— 1663 to 1669. = 18 years. 2. Ilev. Mother Marguerite de Flocelle do St. Athanase : — Sup. from 1645 to 1651 : -1657 io 1663 :- 1669 to 1676.-18 years. 3. Rev. Mother Marie Gibault du Breuil — of St Joseph: — ! 1 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 201 Sup. from 1676 to 1682 :— 1688 to 1694.= 12 years. 4. Rev. Mother Marie Dronet — do Jesus : — Sup. from 1682 to 1688:— [also Sup. at Three Riv<T>^] = 6 years. 5. Rev. Mother Marie Lo Maire — des Anij^es ; Sup. from 1694 to 17U0 :— 1712 to 1717 [S. also at Three Rivers] = 12 ycar.-^. (The following made profession in the Convent of Quebec). 6. Rev. Mother Marie-Anne Bourdon — of St. Agnes, Sup. from 1700 to 1703 = 3 years. 7. Rev. Mother Angi^lique Poisson — de St. Jean rEvangoliste : — Sup. from 1703 to 1706:— 1717 to 1723: — 1726 to 1732.= 15 years. 8. Rev. Mother Catherine Pinguet — de I'lncar- nation : — Sup, from 1706 to 1712. = 6 years. 9. Rev. Mother Marie Amiot — de la Concep- tion, Sup. from 1732 to 1725, = 3 years. 10. Rev. Mother Marie Anceau— -de St. Thi^r^se: — Sup. from 1723 to 1736 [also 19 years at Three Rivers] - 3 years. 'Mi ■ ■ ) H 2{y2 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. W I The 11 til Superioress elected in 1735, was Rev. Mother Migeoii de la Nativito. Kev. Mother Drouet — of Jesus. Ai'ter the decease of Our Yen. Mother Mary of the Incarnation (1G72) and Mo- ther St. Athanasius (1G95), the lirst to pay the debt of nature, among these ancient Superiors, was Mother Mario Drouet — of Jesus, (1700). She was no longer an inmate of the Convent of Quebec, but at the head of the UrsuHnes of Three Rivers, a post she had occupied to the entire satisfactioii of that little Community for the space of nine years. During the second term of her Super- iority at Quebec, the burning of the Con- vent, (1G8G), and the subsequent hardships attendant on the accident, gave her such trials as, happily, but few are called to bear ; but her energy, her piety and sul)- mission to Divine Providence, rendered her equal to the emergency. Her tender devotion to the mystery of the Infancy of Our Lord, was perhaps the secret of ■"Will GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTKRY. 203 the mildness and suavity which charac- terized her as a Superior, as well as of the meekness and charity which rendered her the perfect relii2,'ious. She has left us a perpetual legacy of thf^t devotion, in the commemoration of the Saviour's birth, renewed on the 2oth of each month, by singing a Hymn and an Anthem, before the Altar dedicated to the Infant Jesus. Mother Mary of Jesus at her death, had attained the age of 75 years, — in rehgion D<. Kev. Mother Anne Bourdon — of St. Agnes. — Two years later (1711), there was mourning for another Ex-Superioress, our beloved Mother Anne Bourdon of St. Agnes, one of the early pupils ^ of our Venerable Mother Mary of the Incarna- tion. In the obituary ISotice of this good Mother, we perceive a strain of tender- ness, unusual even on those pages which ever breathe of charity : " We have lost our dear amiwe/t'beloved Mother St. Agnes," says the^ writer. " This good Mother is M H ^ See Glimpses. Part 1st; p. 62 uud (J4. 20-t GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. f deeply regretted by all her Sisters, to whom she had greatly endeared herself ill every way. The many virtues which adorned her life, the many amiable ex- terior qualities which distinguished her rendered her a real treasure for our Com- munity The close of a peaceful and meritorious life, was in the embrace of the Lord, sweet and holy, leaving us all filled with the desire of imitating the examples she has left us. " Ilev. Mother St. Agnes is entitled to the lasting gratitude of our Monastery, particularly by her labors as Annalist. To her faithful pen we owe the summary or Narrative of the lirst forty-eight years of the history of the Convent, replacing the regular Annals, which had perished in 1086. Once charged with the care oi consigning to paper the details of passing events, her discrimin ation is as remarkable as her style. Her historical narrations, neither too brief, nor yet redundant, are full of vii^or and animation. One of the last articles that fell from GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTEP.Y. 205 1.1 •J' ■ f '} at tell from hor pen, still firm at the ago of seventy, although heavier than when she com- menced some thirty years prtnions, is the account of the expedition of the Ame- rican Colonists against Canada, in 1711, the result of which was still impending, at her decease. It closes with these words so expressive, and so characteristic of the lively faith of the writer : — "Our enemies trubt in their multitude and in their strength; but for lis, O Lord, our sole hope is in thy pro- tection. " J\EV. Mother Gibault du Breuil— • OF St. Joseph. — At the decease (1715) of this ancient Superioress, the new Annalist declares she can find no expressions " to give an adequate idea of the merit, the rare qualities, the many virtues of this dear and venerable Mother." She had spent forty-four years in Canada, contri- buting zealously to the solid establish- ment of this Convent, to which she liad given her services in 1G71. The last year of her life she was enabled It: ■ J H M'! 206 GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. i\' to coiitributo to its wellaro in a mannor most cruciiyiiig to nature. It was no longer her part to guide others, but she needed the helping hand of kind sijsters even to pass I'roni one apartment to an- other. Blind, and very inlirm, she found in the charity of compassionate hearts and in her own complete resignation to the will of Providence, the only alleviation her sufferings admitted. Borne several years, with admirable meekness and pa- tience, these infirmities w^eie the crucible wherein the virtues which Mother ^t. Josepn had long practised, became as the fine gold purified by fire : she expired, surrounded by the consolations of reli- gion, aged sixty-two. Rev. Mother Marie Le Maire of THE Angels.— There was still left one survivor of our beloved French Mothers: her recent re-election to the office of Su- perioress, at the advanced age of seventy- five, proved in what estimation the Com- munity held t^ev. Mother Mary of the Angels. GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. 207 AVo have mentioned already her soli- citude ier the establisment ol' the Ursu- liiies at Three-Rivers, wliere she hold the office of Superioress, six years. She had discharged the same duties here, during seventeen years, when arrived the peace- ful close of her useful life, in 1717. Four times during the lutuinn of that year, did the beautiful ceremony of a Reception rejoice the heart of the aged Superioress, who congratulated herself, with reason, on witnessing such a con- quest of grace as the vocation of Miss de liamesay and her companions. All around the Convent, daring that fall, workmen had been busy laying vast foundations for a Church ; — too vast, un- fortunately, so that much of the labor had to be abandoned, and recommenced on another plan. Mother Mary of the xlngels continued to acquit herself of the duties that devolved upon her as Su- perioress, in addition to the cares and difficulties that attended her in the build- ing line. 4^ •A ^ * Hi 4 'f , ! I ii 208 OLIMPSKS OF TIIK MONARTKRY. > I . VI lh\i winter lind now sot in, and a w\v (liivs liivon to a rctrc^at, would be rost i'or body Mild mind : — or, was it a i)ros«Mi- tiinent of her ap])roachini^ dissolution that caus(Ml the Venorable Mother to withdraw from Iku' usual oc(Uipations to attend to the grave question of her own progress in perfection ? Certainly, ilo one else foresaw that the Angel of death was hovering near, prepared to strike a blow that would plunge the whole cloistered family in grief. The exercises, commenced with such fervor were speedily interrupted: Mother Mary of the Angels, seriously ill, became at once the object of the most tender and anxious care; the skill of the best^phy. sicians was called in requisition, while the sympathy manilested by the Bishop and clergy, as well as by many of the citizens and their families, showed how they all appreciated the worth of the pious Superioress. The sentiments of the Community, when, after a few days of suffering, a life of piety and zeal was crowned by a happy death, are summed QLLMPSKS OF THE MONASTERY. 209 ^ :; up ill that concluding' line of her eulo- giuin, in tiio Annals : " God aloiio can console us for such a loss." The honorable and much esteemed rela- tives of Rev. ^lother Le Mairc of the Angels, are ranked among the benefactors oi' the Monastery. Their liberality was experienced on many occasions, particu- larly after the disaster of 1G8G. Among oilier acts of benelicence, the Ursulines of the present day must be particularly sensible to their delicate attention, in pro- curing for the Community the portraits of our Venerable Mother Marie de I'lncar- nation and Madame de la Peltrie, after the loss of the original paintings in the second conllagration of the Monastery. Rev. Mother Aingeltque Poisson — OF ISt. John the Evangelist. — How oi'ten have we had occasion to remark that when the Divine Master removes a person eminently useful, he has another ill reserve to supply her place in the Com- munity, that the wovk^-^His work, may suffer no interruption. t: 1 • 1 i 1 ' I 210 GLlMPSIiS Oi THE MONASTERT. Thus it i)rovecl -when Rov. Mothor An- geliquc roi.ssoii ol'St. John was s^Mecltd, to replace the larneiited Mother Mury ol the Angels (1717). This seventh Superioress, whose loiiir services in the Community have merihnl a special return of love and gratitude, was also the seventh proiessed Choir Sister in the Convent oi' Quebec. From the Seigniorial Manor of CnMi- tilly, opposite Three Rivers, the youth I'lil Angeliqne had passed to our Classes, and to the maternal care of our Venerable Mo- ther Marie de I'lncarnation, at the age of eleven, in 1G62. The epoch of her lirst Communion, impressed her heart remnrk- ably with the sweet influences of pioty; and the love of God ever afterwards con- tinned to be the ruling principle of hor actions. In her studi»^s, her success wns assured by her natural talents, — a good memory, taste and judgment. " She was fond of reading, expressed herself with facility in conversation, and still more gracefully in writing. " OI.IMPSKS OF TIIW MONaSTKHY. 211 \i Our pnult'iico of tlu» IDth century >iaiii[), may tako iilarni \vhi'ii wo hear of IiiT exchiiui'in!'* at \\w. ai»'o of rourteou years and a half, the tithi of pupil, for that of conrlidale I'or the relii^ious life : at least, after consideriuG: her long career, usefully employed in the instruction of youth, aiul in the i^overnment of the Mo- nastery, we must coincide in the opinion of those who were judges on the occa- sion, and regard her as *' a pcMson of rare and precocious intelligence." Called by the vote of the Community to lill the place hd'L vacant by the decease oC the regretted ^lother Mary of the Ang(ds, we have seen her at the age of sixiy-six, take the lead in aiding with her own hands in the building of the Church. Sh'^ had retained the vigor of the prime of Hie to the advanced age of eighty-one, and was again at the post of duty, by the voice of election, when a sudden failure of her usual good health obliged her to (losist from her ordinary occupations, lu^posing at the Infirmary for a few '4 ill k ■ ■ u 212 GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. days, she thought to turn time to good account by making a review ol' her past hie, and sent lor her Conlessor to con- fer upon the matter with him, and receive the holy sacrament of penance. His mission w^as just over; the Conventual door had not closed upon him, when ho was recalled in all haste to administer the sacrament of the dying. The dear Mother, in the unutterable peace of a soul just purilied by absolution, had time to receive Extreme Unction, when her spirit, as angelic as her name, passed to the bosom of the God she had .so faithfully served. Mother Angelique of St. John had celebrated the sixty-second anniversary of her religions profession, w^hen her death occurred, in 1732. In their grief for so sudden a loss, our Mothers hesitated to proceed, imme- diately, to the election of another Su- perioress. The Bishop provided for a delay by appointing another to that ofRce, of his own authority. GLIMPSES OB' THE MONASTERY. 213 IiEV. Mother Marie Axceau— of St. Teresa. This worthy Mother thus phiced at the head of our Communit}^, had but lately returned from Three Kivers, i?i hopes of resting from the charge which she had loiiGr exercised there. The early life of Rev. Mother St. Teresa, was, in many points, but the counterpart of that of her predecessor, Itev. Mother St. John. Sent to our Classes as boarder at a tender age, while our Venerable Mother was Superioress, she pursued her studies during nine years, without regretting the parental mansion at Three Rivers, or sighing for the delights which the uni^nown futurity is wont to promise the youthful imagi- nation. Without returning to the world, which she may be said to have known, like the Hermit of Parnell, only by re- port, she joined that little band of no- vices who, in 1672, lost an incomparable Mother-mistress ; but who never forgot 1 " 1 ( i li: 2H GLIMPSES OP THE MONASTERY. her, nor hor iiifetrnctions. Moihor St. Teresa's whole lite breathed of iiinoceiii>o, simplicity, and goodness of heart. Skil- ful with her needle as with her pen ; patient, devoted, pious, and laborious ; she was eminently qualilied for tlii instruction of youth ; and was almost exclusively employed in teaching, until her services, as Superioress, were re- quired at Three Rivers : there, she guided that Community in a most satis- factory manner, during nineteen years. A few months after her release from that office, which had been imposed upon her anew in our Monastery, as we have seen, she passed peacefully to her eternal repose (1735), at the age of seventy-eight, greatly regretted as she had been much beloved. Two Ex-Superiors were still living in 1739, at the epoch of the hundredth An- niversary ; — Itev. Mother Marie Pinguet — of the Incarnation, and llev. Marie Amiot — of the Conception: the Jatler had yet to see the year 1747, and attain II I GUMPSKS OF THE MONASTERY. 215 the a^eof'eia'lity-five, completinrr seventy years of religious life. Their names will occur later. For the present, let us suspend the re- view of our "Clallery of Portraits," be- neath each of which we have inscribed Iv. I. P.; — for the Ursulines have a Supe- rioress who is not subject to change nor death. OUtt PERPETUAL SUPERIORESS IS THE IMMACULATE VIRGIN MAKY, MO- THER OF GOD. In every religious Order, there is a special devotion to the Blessed Virgin. It is with her example in view that, in all Christian ages, so many young maidens have separated themselves from the pre- tended glories and pleasures of the W'Orld ; seeking in vigils, fastings, and humble charity, to render themselves worthy of being numbered in her train. To the Ursulines, it is a peculiar con- solation and privilege to remember, that they are bound by an article of their ^ • 1 ' , 1 * 16 OLIMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. Constitutions, "to cultivate a tender de- votion to the Mother of God;" and the motive of the precept is, at the same time, an encouragement.— It is *'that by her intercession, and especial protection, they may labor more fruitfully to form Jesus- Christ in the hearts of voung* girls, in- stiUing into their souls her excellent vir- tues, according to their institute." Another article of the same code makes the following provisions:— "In every Convent, the Blessed Virgin shall be especially chosen for first and chief Superioress, which election shall bo thus made : *' On the day appointed by the proper authority, all the religious of the Com- munity being asseml>led in a chapel, wherein shall be placed a statue of Our Lady, holding in her sacred arms the Infant Jesus, they shall invoke the Holy Ghost by singing the hymn Vem Creator Spiritns. Then shall follow some prayer to the Mother of God, and Jifter that the Mother Superior shall place the keys of >^^ GLIMPSES OF THE MONASTEUY. 217 code makes the Convent at the foot of the statue; and, all kneelinu', she shall olfer her chari»'e, and the Convent, to Our jjady by some devout i'orm of consecration." This solemn act of homnge and fealty which the Superioress is to pronounce, commences in these words: — " Most-holy and most worthy ^lother of Grod, Queen of heaven and earth, Tem- ple of the most August Trinity, llcfug-e of sinners and of ail who have placed their conlidence in thy protection ]]ehold us ham})iy prostrate at thy feet, wliile we promise in presence of the Blessed Trinity and of all the Court of heaven, to take and hokl thee as our special Mo- ther, Queen, and Protectress, beseeching thee from the depths of our hearts, to adopt and protect in a particular manner this Community, as thy possession. AYe choose and acknowledsre thee for our iirst and chief Superioress, desiring to depend upon thee in the most absolute mann(U\ And I, Sr. N. N., Superioress most unworthy, resign this charge into ^ • i 5' n r jl J 218 ai.IMPSES OF TIIK MONASTERY. thy hatids, rosiM'viTig' to mys. 11* no riiiht to exorcise it })ut in submisisioii tothoo; placini^ mysolt* and all this House undtT thy direction nnd conduct ; renderiii<v thee the homage, honor and obedience diui to thee from us, in the quality of most loyal' sul)jects and most humbly devoted children." — Next is sung- iho iVo.s cirm prole pia, ^'c. "Do Thou with ihy JJivine Son, O Virgin most benig'nant, give us thy ])lessing." All incline to re- ceive it, and immediately entoning the Te Deion laudamvs, the Mother Superior advanc«»s to render homaif-e, by kneeling to kiss the feet of the statue of the Blessed Virgin ; all the Community follow, and do so in turn, passing processionally, while the grand old hymn is sung to the end. This act, which recalls so vividly the fealty and homage of feudal times, was made — spontaneously it would seem — in the first Convent of Paris, in 1G38. Here, it dates from the year 1G50, hav- ing been made known to our Ven. Moth- er Mary of the Incarnation by the Iavo OLiMP-ES or THE :\rov \FTria'. 219 Pajii^ian iiniis, M(>thors St. Alhaiinsius and St. Clare. Quo who has assisted at the touching' corcinony, taking* part in it as per- sonally interested, needs not t\n} aid of fancy nor reminiscence, to feel herself deeply moved by the simple pathos of the language, the piety of the scene, and the })athetic accent of the kSa]X'rioress, \vho pronounces the form of consecration. kShe need not picture to herself that lirst act of homage, just before the eonllagration of the Monastery, when the voices of the lirst foundresses mingled in that hymn of thanksgiving, for favors and trials- past and future, — both being equally the gift of Heaven : nor recall to mind that the same pious sanctuary where she kneels, has witnessed for the past century and a half, the triennial recurrence of the same solemn homage to the Mother of God. All the Ancient Superiors, from the time of the gentle Mother St. John who saw the Chapel iivst linished, down to the present day, have here successively oil'ered themselves and the Community, III '-h i!,v ' |] it ilfl 220 GMMrSES OF THE MONASTERY. li to constitulo the rii^hll'iil inhoritanco and possession oi' tho Queen oi* Heaven. On these occasions, Our Jjady ol' Groat Power descends IVom her loftier pedeslal, ars ii' to render herself more accessible to her most loyal and cherished sii))joct.s. Her throne is all aglow with lights and decorations. 11* the splendor dazzle our eyes, let us rest thorn on the titles oi'Oiu" Blessed Lady, written in large and gilded characters upon the base of the lour pilasters beside the altar : MaIUA, EeGINA YlRGlNUM : — DlRIfJE Nos! Mahia Mater Ursulinarium:— Protege nos ! Yes ! O Queen of Virgins, O Mother of Ursulines ! direct us, protect us, thy children, thy subjects. Succor and defend us, O Mother of Mercy, Queen of Martyrs ! Maria, Mater Mi- SERICORDI.'E SUCCURRE NOBIS : — MaRIA Eegina Martyrum : JJefende nos ! CIIAPTELl XVIIT. ITliU. THE CENTENNIAL ANNIVERSARY. For the splendor ol'puhlicworsliip, the decoration ol' Altars, and the celebration of religious festivals, the present genera- tion must yield the palm to the past. Readiiig of these things in the early times ill Canada, is like obtaining a glimpse of the middle ages. The Hundredth Anniversary of the ar- rival of the Ursulines on this continent of America, was not one of the least of those occasions, when the population of Que- bec, uniting in one sentiment, seem, like the first Christians, to have but one heart and one soul. The renovating fervor of the Community at that period, reminds us of the Cenacle, where the disciples of the Lord pray with such ardor that the Holy Ghost descends visibly upon them, '•t IC!' 222 arJMPSRS OF TFIR MONASTKllY. f lilliiii,^ thnni with new zeal for acoom- ])lisliiiiir iho divine mission with which thev are entrusted. A whole year is not too long to prepare for the great day. Ent let the Annalist herself, tell us how these thinirs wovq done. " To dispose ourselves ibr the ceh'- hration of our Hundredth Anniversavy and in order that it might be for our Community a motive for a more perfect rtuiovation, returning thaidcs to Grod for the iniuimerable benefits bestowed upon iho Moiuistery during the past century, we began our prepar;itions a year before- hand. On the 1st of August, 1738, beiiii^ assembled in tln^ Chapel to listen to an exhortation on the subject, one of our Ilev. Fathers addressed ns in a maniun' well calculated to inspire us with the fervor that animated our ancient Mothers • as well as with their zeal for the instruc- tion of youth, and the conversion of the poor people of these countries, in laboring lor which thoy consunied their lives, GMMrSF.S OF TITR MONASTKRY. 223 n tell us how "roiiotrivttKl wilh tlio livt^liest iiTaliludo towards God, W(» detcnniiu'd to testily it by g'ivinji' more tiiiiothun usual to prayer : for this purpose ^ve prolonged nearly all our ordinary pious exercises. " On Fridays, three were appointed in turn to observe silence, rel'rainin2: iVom the usual recreations, and adding' several acts oi'mortili?ation and oC other virtues. *' All our young Sisters desired to renew the exercises preparatory to proiession, ])eribrming them with fervor, in order to draw down upon this house a continua- tion of Hie Divine favor. Finally, on the approach of the great solemnity, the 1st of August, 1730, the anniversaiy of that day on which our worthy Foundresses Madame de la Peltrie, Ven. Mother Mario Guyart de rLncarnation, Mother Marie de Savonuiures de St. Joseph, and Mother Cecile Richer de St Croix, arrived in Quebec, all the Community entered upon a retreat. " The renovation of our vows had been postponed until this day, instead of tak- IHi 1^ :i I 22 1 (JLIMPSKS OF TIIK MONASTKIIY. iug" [)hi('(» nccordiiii^* to custoiu, on the second i'oria alter rentecost. "All tlien was in readiness lor the coni- meniorative services, had not the suddtni decease of an ancient and beloved Mo- ther, o])]iL>ed us to dcler the rt'joieini»;s lo the Octave. The r(\stivity oi' our Cvn- tennial Anniversary had been announced to the people, with an Indulgence ac- cor(h3(l by ()ur Holy Fathm*, Innocent X., not only lor ourselves, but for the people who desired to participate in the cel(^- ])ration. On the day i)reccdini:^, at noon, the chimes oi'lhe Cathedral bells mini^-led with ours, to announce the festival ; and this was renewed during* the three days, with the same solem}\ity. The Triduum was opened by the can- ons of the Cathedral, wdio did us the honor of coming to celebrate High Mass, Vespers, and Ikmediction of the J^lessed Sacrament, closing the exercises by sing- ing the Te Deum. " The second festival w^as solemnized by the clergy from the Seminary, attend- I] GLlMrsKS OF TIIK MONASTKUY. 00% Oil by tlii'ir sIiuImiIs uikI (MicUv-iastics. in ;i siiniiiu in;mii»M'. 'lh\i 1 liird and hist day bi'lun^ed to tin; J^'raiioiscans "Allllic I'athors cani<; in [)r()cossion, >ii!i4inu' lilt; To Dt'iuii, and ai'UT crlcbra- tiii^' Mass, riMurniHl in lln* sanio order, to til'' cliinii's oi" tlb^ C'alliodral Ixdls and ours. Tlii^ lu'V. l^'aMuM-s ot' Oio Society of Jesus, preached on each the three days. " or the ahns that were distributed, we need not take note. The ChM'gy as well as the reJio-ious Conmiiinities, were |tMitertainod at our expense, and to the best of our power. TJie concourse in our Church w^as ^reat during* the three days; the people beini^' attracted by tlio Exposition of the Blessed ^Sacrannuit, which commenced at four o'clock in the morninu", und ended only at live in the 1 alter noon. '' The Church, where every thing w^as fresh and new, was richly decorated without the loan of ornaments, and all was ]U"onotinced to be in good taste. The wails, newly llnished, were hung with ■I !|i tl 22G QLLMPSES OF THE MONASTERY. ,1' paintinn;s. In the Jarg-e grate, six olo- g-aiit, silvered, mural lamps, each beariiiu' fourteen tapers, were suspended, prodiic- inu' a Jine eifect. A lai'U'e ehandelii^r hung in front of the Chapel of the Saercu Heart ; and another, bearing also twenty- two tapers, adorned the nave. The num. her of tapers burning during the l]eno- dietion of the Blessed Saerarnent, was four hundred ; comprising those of tlui altar in the choir, which was also bril- liantly decorated." "Between the three statues that orna- ment the portal of our Church, hung the portraits of our worthy Foundresses, Ma- dame de la Peltrie, Venerable MothiV Marie de flncarnation, and Mother :St. Joseph. " Beneath the portraits, were inscrip- tions in poetry, making known a part of their heroic actions. An address to tk people was not forgotten, all being placed at a convenient height to be easily reaJ. The frames of the portraits, as well as the Inscriptions, were black, wi(h giUlo u GLIMPSES 0£^ TJIE MONASTERY. 227 ornamoiits. Eolbre the Church door, youn^ ilr-troes, i)l;intod in several rows, present' (1 a pri^tty siii'ht and afl'orded aii aiiTeeable shade. Diirini^ tJiese three days, there were constantly priests at the two altars, celehraiin:,^ the iloly 8acrihce, from ibnr o'clock in the morninGT till noon. Could we do too much to thank the Almiiiiity for the blessings showered down in such profusion on this House since its iirst establishment? " The same motive induced us to sa- criiice a part of the silver plate, belon<^ing to the Inlirmary, in order to make a Sanctuary Lamp, with which the Church had not yet been furnished. " The solemnity ended by a High Mass colebrated at the demand of the Indians, who attended it and sang* the Kijrie^ the Credo, etc. After mass they pronounced harangues in the parlor to our address. " On our part, we offered them a good, substantial banquet, to which they did ample honor. '' Not wishiuiT to have our dear de- I |l!'' i U Hi X !i 228 GLIMPSES or THE MONASTERY. ceased Mothers excluded from tliis fes- tival, we had ili'teen masses celebrated for their repose, as wtdi as to thank God for hisi^reat mercies over our Community, and to implore their continuation." Nothinir was wantinc:, then,, to render this celebration, a'' success" except the pre- sence of the Chief Pastor of the Diocese Bishop Dosquet, who was absent in France, where he had gone to resign the charge he had held since 1733. One of the Inscriptions reads much as follows : Beboiu the Christian lieroines advance, AfiVonting ])C'ril with intrepid ghmce: All I'earlesK, braving Ocean's angry wave, Innnortal souls from endless death to save. And, now One Hundred years have passed away. Since first these countries hailed the happy day, . When landing, they embrace the cherished soil, Wiiich they will render fertile by tlieir toil. They lived Angelic lives ; they loved the Cross ; They counted every earthly gain as dioss; They taught the Red-man. and his child, the road That leads to that bright world, now tiieir abode. And every Christian maid, or Motiier, liere, " Blesseb the day wlien Ursulines ai)pear, GLIMPSES OF TIIR MONASTERY. 229 To train tlio yontlii'nl miri'l ; to guard from ill, AikI teach tlie;n life's high .lestiny to fill. — Ail honor, then to th<.)>e who led the nay! Nor if beneath the Convent ro(jf to day. So niany souls are laboring tl>r Heaven, All glory to tlie Foundresses be given ! Grant, thou, Lord, that [."essings may increase From age to age, around this House of peace ! And let it flourish, like a goodly vine, For 'lis thine own ! let all its fruit be thine! Another inscription takes the form of an Epii^ram ; and both are evidently fur- nished by pens beyond the enclosure of the Monastery : — One hundred years this House has stood, Yet all within is firm and good: — Without reform the charter stands, Thus let it pass toyouiiger hands; For where no rotten wood is found, It kills the tree to bark it round. 'I i ft ■< i . I)/ CHAPTER xvni. ir3o. I ' • THE SFXOND MOTHER ^lAPiY OF THE INCAR- NATION, AND MOTiiEU ST. CROIX. At the dawn of tho Centennial year of 1789, the Community was composed of fifty-three professed nuns; iifty-three others, during that period of a hundred years, had passed to a better life. The family above, was, therefore, al- ready as large as that which was pre- paring the festive celebration here below ; and doubtless there were rejoicings also in that better world. A fresh accession to their number in the course of the year, — a deputation, one would say, from the Community on earth lo that in heaven, presents a curious coin- cidence of names, at such an epoch. Our readers all remem])er those throe first nuns whose arrivdl illustrates the (JLIMPSKS OF THE .'\HiNASTERy, 231 date, 1039; the Yen. Molhors Mnvyof the Iiicarnatioii, St. Croix, and Si. Joseph. The dcparinrc oC three others of nearly the same name, marks the obituary list, ill 173',) : — the first was Mother Marie de liepentig-ny of 8t. Ai];';ithn, who aUhongh she bore not the same reliL>*iovis name, had hke Mother Mitrie de hi Troche of St. .Joseph, Hved about the same number of years in r^digiou. The second death that occurred, iiiterruptiHl the centennial celebration. It was Mother Marie Cathe- rine ringuet of the Incarnalion ; the third was Mother Marie-Elizabeth D'Ailleboust of ^7. Croix. Madame de la Pel trie had also her re- presentative, in one pi* the boarders. Miss (les Meloises, who died in the Convent^ at the age of twelve years ; and, by a rare exception, was buried in the cemetery of the nuns. The last pages of this little Volume, shall, with pleasure, be dedicated to the memory of the two venerable Motlnu's, whom W'C miu'ht call the iciti?esses of all that it has described. I ::1 ^»; it!i !!'■ 1= 'k. II J I '1 • . i 232 GLIMPSKS OF THE MONASTKRY. ■>« AVho then was tliis iig'od ^lof lier ^laric- Caih^riiio ol' ilio iiicarnali-jii, who alU'r a year's preparation to celebrate the g'reat Anniversary, eontentin'^' lier.si*!!' wiili the renovation of her vows with her Coiii- inunity, and sharing* tJie si)irilaal ri^joj. cings oi'tlie 1st August, ITC'J, hastens to join the choirs above, before the pal)li(3 festival takes place 1 The faithful pen of the olden time tells us that ju-t m^ir Qn d)ec, on the Is- land of OrJi^ans, a bright and happy home awaited Marit^-Oathernie as she left the Convent, in 1075, at the age of fourteen : but its attractions were not so stiong, nor so sweet, as were those ot'an intm'ior voice, crdling htn- to a life of separation from the world, and all its pleasing, but fdlacious prospects. Her generous-hearted Chrisr- ian ]>arents had already, some t{},n years previous, consented to see themselves deprived of the company of their eldest daughter, Marie-]\Iadeleine, who had con- secrated herself to God among our Ur- sulines. Could they now resist the plead- RY. CM MPS IS OF TIF-: MONASTKUY. 233 her ^laric- who al'U'r i:; tlie i^'ri'ut i' wiih the ht'i- Co 111- ilual n'joi- hastens to llio public Idea timos on the Is- appy home ■<lie lei't the f fourteen : strong', nor u'ior voice, )n iVom the t raUacious ted Christ- teu years themselves heir eldest 10 had eoii- H' our Lr- the plead- ini»'s of Marie-Catherine? Thi'V miuht have ol)jected that her lienlth ^vas deli- cate, and her IVauKi of the most frau'ile mould ; but the. f Tvor of the youthful aspirant anxious only to ol)ey Him, Avho is the Master of our destiny, overcame all ohstacdes. The Novitiate was opened to her, and doubtless she had reason to write to her parents in such words as the following : ^ "No language can paint the peace and happiness of mind I enjoy. Fear not for me ; I shall continue to be happy, for I have given myself v^Uhout reserve to God and his holy Church." The months of probation passed quickly by, and the ap- proach of a great day, filled the fervent novice with new joy. "We have witnessed — in spirit- -on the oOth Ap^'il, 1677, the ever touching cere- mony of Taking Ike Veil, when, with the livery of the ^Spouse of Christ, she re- ceived the venerated and beloved name of Marie de I'lncarnation. 1 Life of Archbis*liop Spaklnij^-; Student life in Rome. r 1 !i I'!- Z'A (IM.MrSES OF TliE MONASTEUY. 'i' The i'utnrc caioor marked out lor that (l(>lictite youii!L>' novice, was.a sealed hook l)eroro her, as it is ibr us all. Her only care was to accomplii-li IVom day to day, with checriiil heart, the liiile she hnd embraced, which is an epitome of the Gospel precepts ol' perfection ; conlbrmiiio- her will to tliat ol' IJivine Providence, iu the various trials, and even hardships which awaited her on more than one occasion, iii common Vvith the rest ol' the Community, After many years devoted to the care and instruction of the pupils in the Boarding school, she was called to ex- ercise, during- six years, the charge oi Superioress ; and, at various times, that ol Assistant, Zelatrix, or Mistress of JNo- vices. The Novitiate must have derived the L'reatest benefit from the direction of a person, endowed with such prudence, meekness and piety; and w^e observe that she was re-appointed to that important office, even at an advanced age in the last years of her life. These are the principal services our second Motlier of the Incar- ■i' (iiiiMi».si:s 01)' xmo mjna-'Tkiiy. 235 nation was enablvnl to rondor hov Com- munity. AYore thoy not sulliciont to jus- tify hor in the choico oriierVocatiou ? — and also to iustiiV Divino rrovidonco in calling' ]ior to a})an(l()n the paternal man- sion, where she had indeed a pleasant home, but subject like all the others ou the face of the wide v/orld, to cha ir;e, to sorrow, and to the i^'radual dissolvinix of its tenderest ties by death. At length, the summons to quit her adopted family of the cloister, came; but she was not to know the grief of a part- ing' scene ; nor the dread of that last hour, so terrible, even to the just. A slight indisposition — so it seemed — a sudden prostratioii of her strength, which had caused her to lose consciousness for a few moments, during the night of the 1st of August, retained the venera])le re- ligious in the Iniirmary, all the next day : but without any delinite pain, fever, or other alarming symptom. It was a Sun- day, the 2d of August: the clebration of the centennial jubilee by the public, was lUi), )ifv \¥' ■•ii! V^^ ■f a MM IVES OF THE MONASTKIIY. lit' to take place on ^Monday. Iii the itk an lime, as evening' came on, there was a Midden alarm within the JMonafctcry. Their venerated ]\Iother of the Iiicai- nation had sunk, as in a swoon, into ht-r arm-cliair, to which she had walked from her bed. She seemed to be dyini* : yet the })hysieian who had been sent tor, in the course of the day, had found her m no danf>'er. In a lew moments she had passed away all ,i>ently, as the ripened leaf in autumn ghdes IVom its stem and descends sih.^ntly to the gTound. It was a death unlooked for, — but not unprepared : and although it changed the accents oi' thanksgiving to those of mourn- ing, yet each one felt that it was the angel of mercy that had snapped the silver thread of lile, just as it was brightest in the sight of Heaven ! On the 4th of September, the Annalist writes again with tears : — " The Almighty who has decreed that perfect happiness shall never be ours in IJ:?' i\ CLIMPSES OF TIIR MONASTEIIV. 237 lliis hfe, has pi'rixiitt(Hl tho rojoiciii^'s of our lluiulredlh Amiiversiivy to ho I'ol- lowed by redoiihliHl ailli-ctions, in Ihti sudden death ol* another of our veneraMo ancient Mothers. Jjiit y<^sterday our he- loved Mother Maried']lizuhi4h d'Aille- boust oi"8t. Croix, was appar<3ntly in piM'- I'ect health, She had serv(Ml at table in the reiectory all the week; she assisti^d at the recreation, aiid at the Divint^ ollice with us last evenini;"; this movninij:. at lour o'clock, the tSister who awakens the Community, entering her cell, ibund her at the point of death, — speechless and, ap- parently, unconscious. The pliysiciau was sent for in all haste, as well as our Confessor. They found her dying*. She had merely time to receive a last abso- lution, and Extreme Unction, Avhen she gently breathed her last. It is impossible to say what had caused her death, the physician finding* no mark of apoplexy nor any other known malady." Our readers have recogni/ed in the family name of our beloved ^lother St. Croix, that of the third Grovernor of the 2r.8 (ILIMPSKS OF TflK MONASTERY. Colony; she ^vas liis i^Taiul nioco. Uox l'alli(»r WJi.s Charles d'Ailluhoust, Sc^ignciir dos Ma.s.soniix ; and her mother, ]\Ii.s.s Ca- therine L'i Gardeur de liepeiitigny. They have also called to mind, that they as- si.sted, in spirit, at the ceremony ol' her Jtecei)tion, in lOSti, — in the temporary Chapel, beneath tlie present Commiinity- liali. Iler contemporaries tell us how she bore, ibr iil'ly years, with hapj^ness, the sweet yoke of tliii Lord, serving him in a spirit of love, and with so lively a faith in his p?esence that her whole exterior l)ore its in^press. The remembrance of the Sacred Mysteries of the Passion of Our Saviour, possessed her soul to such a deo-ree, that she had learned to disre- g-ard her own sulferings ; while his Cross had given her the secret of voluntary hu- miliations. Providenee iavored her pious inclinations, by appointing her often to those duties which had to be performed chieily in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar ; as that of Sa- cristine, and of Mistress of Ceremonies at I! fJMMl'Sr.S OF THE MONASTi'.UY. 239 tlio Diviiio OlRco, wIkto hor mnu'iiili- C(5iit yo\vA\ loiiiid its mission iii JLMdini^ the choir, and chautinp: tho pruisi^s of (rod, "To this trut* d:\ui^*htor ol' the Church the least of its certMiioiiic.j was sacrtnl ; and to see h(M* take holy water or iriake i\\c sii^'ii of the Cro^s, was enough to convince the ]>t'holder that she was penetrated with a lively i'aith." AVas it not a recompense of her dinotioii to the Sacred Heart to he called to appear beiore the Divine tribu- nal on that lirst J^'iiday oi' the month? the day on which she had sung ibr so many years that touching hymn : " O Cor aniorh Vir/imd. Heart oi' Jesus, Victim of love ! be thou my protection in all the trilmlations and sorrows of life ! abovo all, at the hour of my death, say thou to mv soul : Behold ! I am thy salvation ! " -II 5i !?l i^ H 240 aLlMPSKS OF THE MONASTERY. In ihc view of a life so peaceful and coiisoliiir^ ill its course, as at its close, we take leave, for a time, of our beloved ancient iMolhers; presenting our JieadtM's with a list of their names, at the epoch of the llrst Centennial anniversary. TABLE \)t the rrofcssnl \iins of the Ursiilinc Convnit, (liicbcc ; from 1019 to 1739. aTrivjll ill C.tn;i<i;i. i(;ni) Au^'. 1st. idetn. IGIO July 14. iileiii. 1044 J uly 14. i.letii. itiein. IGf)? J mIv, 14. IGTl s ei)t. ID. idem, idem. ir,07 Sept 7. FROM FllAXCK. 1. Vi x. Meiik Makii-: Ouvart dk LTn'caiin-ation, [Tours.] 2. llev. Mere Marie de hi Troclie (le Savonuieres de ist. Joseph, [Tours] :\. llev. MereCeciUIlicber de Ste. Croi.r [ Dic'jipe] 4. llev. Mere Auue le Buglcde>S7e. Claire, [l^iris] . 5. Kev. Mere Mari^aret de T^lecel- 1,'s de »SY. Alhdnase, [Paris]. . . G. Rev. }^[evQ Aline de Sle. drile. [Tours] 7. Rev. M ere An ne des Scraphins. 8. Rev. Mere Atiue Le Roue de Sotre Dame. [Tours]. . 'J. llev. Mere Mane de V'illiers, de Si. /l/?^/rf [.\la;^tiy] 10. Rev. Mere Marie Gihault du r>roui!, de St. Jcsejih, [Rour- gt's] 11. Rev. ^lere Marie Urouet de Ji'sus [Hourires] 12. Marie Le Maire des Anges. [Paris] .' Rev. Mere ^[arie Le Vaiilant de Vocelle.s de St. Cccile (^froni Jkiyeux) « u 1672 1651 1687 1677 1695 if 1683 1715 1709 1717 1699 bo 71 34 78 65 81 60 52 80 71 77 57 ii i."/i. I h' V 242 TABLE OP THE PROFESSED NUNS. Entered tli« Novitiate. 1647 1648 1652 165S 1658 1659 1665 1667 1667 1667 1668 1668 1675 1676 1677 PROFESSED IN QUEBEC. [This mark * signifies, — living ftt the Cen teuuiul anniveruary, Aug. 1st., 1739.] 13. Re 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. V. Mere Charlotte Barre de St. Jgnace " Philippe de Boulogne de St. Dominique . . *' Marie Genevieve Bour- don, de St. Joseph. . . . Anne Bourdon de St. u (( Agne.s. Marie Boutet, de St. Augustin Jeanne Louise Gode- froy de St.Frs. Xavier Marie Angelique Pois- 8on de St. Jean V E- vangeliste Agnes Duquet de la Naiivite Marie Madeleine Pin- guet de r .'issom/jiion. Marie Charlotte Gode- Iroy du St. Sacrement Marie Le Ber de I' A nonciation Marie Madeleine de Lauzon de St. Charles Angelique de Lauzon du St. Esprit ..... Marie Catherine Pin- gtiet del^ Incarnation* •* Marie Madeleine Amiot de la Conception * . . . <( << (( i( ii u (< u (I I- X 1701 1667 1700 1711 1701 1713 1732 1702 1721 1720 1714 1731 1732 1739 1747 9 bo 81 G4 01 G7 58 68 81 54 09 70 72 79 70 77 85 TABLR OP THE PROFESSED NUNS. 243 EiitiTPd Hie JS'ovifiute. PROFE 1G76 28. Rev. ^ 1G83 29. '' ' 1684 30. '' ' 1088 31. '' ' 1688 32. '' ' 1G89 33. ^' ' 1689 34. '' ' 1680 35. ^< ' 1689 36. '' ' 1692 37. <' ' 1693 38. " ' 1693 39. " ' 1693 10. '' ^ 1698 41. << ' 1699 42. <' ' hi PROFESSED IN QUEBEC. Rev. Mere Marie Amie Anceau de Ste. Titer ese Marie Routeville de Sle. Claire Catherine Juchereau dts Serajj/iins. Marie Elizabetli d'Ail- lelioust de Ste. Croix L(jiiis('-Ro.-e de Naiidiere, de Ste Ca- tliHrine * Marie-Anne Rohinean de La Ste. Trinite * ... xM. Madeleine Gauthier de Coinporte, de Ste. Agnthe M. Mad. Droiiard de St. Michel * . . . . Joanne Cliurel <ie Ste. Uraule * M.-Frun^oise Cliorel du Sacre Cceur de Anne-Marie Gauthier de Coniporte de St. Gabriel. .... .... Aiii:elique Roberge de St. Marie * xMarie Dnpuy de l^ En- fant Jesus Marie-Genevieve Bou- clier de St. Pierre * . Marie Fran^oise Her- to I de St. Exiipere. . . 1735 1705 1722 1739 1748 1743 1703 1756 1745 1735 1732 1750 1703 1766 1770 bo 75 37 54 70 75 72 29 81 71 59 54 72 24 89 90 ' 1 -O ifii.'i i'T <^ 244 TABL'^. OP THE PROFESSED NUNS. il I Ellt<TC(l till' Novitiuti;. 1G99 1702 1703 1703 1708 1712 1712 1712 1714 1715 1715 171G 1716 1715 PROFESSED IN QUEBEC. 11. 15. 16. 17. IH. 40. r.o. 51. 52. 31). 54. Rev. Mere Aiiiu'- Mar^jjueriic Gauthier lie Varcime ^e Id I'^rcsentdtion .... Maru'-Aiuio Davis de >S7. /Jeiioit * Mane Anne Migeun de Id Ndtirite * Maru'-(!etievieve ]?au- iloiii de St. Avgustin. Mani,' A line Du]:'.o> dc Sle. Madeleine Genevieve La Grange de »S't. L'diis * Mst her Marie- Joseph Wiieeiwright, de I' En fdut J^sus * Marie Louise Gaillaru di la Sle. Vierge. . . Loui.-e-Catlierine Pin- guet Vanconrs de St. Fvan^oiii Xatier *. . . Mnr-iicriie Cloiitier de Sle. iMonique * . . . Marie Anne de Pon- cherviHe dc St. Jgna- ce * ■n 1726 42 1740 70 1771 86 1735 47 1734 62 1776 S2 ' Marie Anne Buteau de iSt. Agnes * .... ' Frati9'<ise Elizabeth Baudciiiin de Jesid^ *.. ' Anuelii]ue (^enevieve Norniandin de iSl. Sta- nislas . 1780 1764 1740 1770 1772 1781 1747 83 67 70 76 83 51 1727 28 LTNS. TABLE OF TlIK PftOFESSEU NUNS. 2^5 c. Oj t a; , r^ leriic ne de is de igeoii 0; 172(') 12 ITt'J 70 1771 so l',im- is///?.. 1735 47 )iil:'.u^ I e 1734 02 range I77r» W2 -eph • * • « lillaru • • • e Pin- e Si. loiUicr! . • • • lute an 1780,83 17G4 07 1741)54 1770|70 1772i76 1781 83 51 kabetli U-*.. 11747 'Vieve 1727 Ent<'rf'(l flic Novitiate. i7lG 1717 1717 1717 1717 1717 1717 1717 1719 1719 1719 1720 1722 P110F1-:SSED IN QUEBEC. 57. Kev. Mere Marie-Cliarlotte ile Miiy, dtSlc. llclene* 58. '' ^' Marie-Catherine <le Rami sav de St. lladc- gonde 28 59. '* " Marie-llenee Dmnes nil de Sle. Gertrude * 1)0. '' " Anne-Loui>e-Tliere-e Juuhereau de St. An- toine. . ()1. ^^ '' Marie Madeleine de llepentigny de Ste. A'^athe G2. '* '^ Marie-iiouise Gaillard de St. TkoiiKis * 63. '' " Angeliipie-Fran^oise LaiiLrlois de St. Eliza- beth * Marie- Airatlie LeClaire de Ste. Miirguerite * 'oi^. *' '' Angeiique Victoire Per- tliuys des Anges ^* Catherine JVradeleine (\oi^ Meloises de St. Francois de Borgia Elizabeth-Joseph de Villedonne de Ste. Ge- necicve* '* Marie Dorothee Je- ryan de St. Joseph * .. '' ]''eliciie Ponliii de I' Assoinpiion * V be G4. '' <' G7. G8, G9. a li a u a 1759 1725 1751 1732 1739 1773 1758 1759 174G 1725 1743 1759 1754 G5 29 52 33 44 71 GO 59 45 23 44 Gt 72 I* If m\ hi: 246 TABLE OF TU ') Plli^FKSSEI) NUN'S. Entered flie Muvitiutv 1723 1724 1724 1728 1729 1731 1735 1T35 1737 1736 1737 1642 i ! * PROFESSED IN QUEBEC. 70. Kev. Mere Marie-Jonepli d'Ail lebon-^t do Maiitct de St. Nicolas * 71. " <' M. Genevieve Per tliny.s de St. Charles * 72. « « Marie-Keiiie Le Page de St. Louis de Gon- zague 73. *< *' Aime-Cutlierine I'etit, de St. Stanislaus de Kotska * 74. " ** Marie An<re!iqne Ma- rianclieaii d'Esglys de St. Eustache * 75. *' " Marguerite Ijaiuloin de Si. Fr. de Borgia * 76. *' " Louise Lefebre des Seraphinst * 77. ** *' Jeanne Marchand de St. Hyacinthe * 78. *^ '' Marie Marguerite Da- van ne de St. Louis de Gonzague * 79. << *< Marie Elizabetli Ri- chaudrfe St. Augustin* 80. " ** Marie-Catherine La- gere de St. Gabriel * . . LAY-SISTERS. 81. Sister Anne Bataillede St. Lau- rent, Professed in Dieppe 1749 17G1 1733 I77b 1751 1757 174'J 1782 1802 1798 1790 48 GO 31 (JG 39 3S 39 o3 83 53 82 IGG9 5G I UN'S. TABLE OF THE PROFESSED NUNS. 247 :c. . c •.ti I'Ail- L't de • • * * 174018 Per rles * 1761 GO Pat^e Gon- • • • • - 1738 :n Petit, w.s d^ ■ • * • 1775 (;g e Ma- ys de 1751 :^D iiuloin ^ia* 1757 ;is ; des 174i) at) tid dt 1782 g:^ to Da lis df J 180:; ! 83 Ri- istin* La- ian in 1708 1790 53 1GG9 Year of ar- rival. 1G71 5G Entered the Novitiate, 1647 1653 1657 1657 1674 1678 1680 1687 1691 1696 1696 1698 1700 LAY-SISTERS. 82. Sr. Marie Dieu de la Resur- r«.'ction, Professed in Paris PROFESSED i:^ QUEBEC. 83. Sr. Catherine Lezeau de Ste. Uraule Frati^oise Ouen de Ste. Madeleine Antonette Makinon de St. Marthe Anne Dudier de la Pas- sion Marie-Madeleiue de St. Paul Fran9oise Gravel de St. Anne Marie Montnieny de Ste. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 9L 92. 93. 94. 95. Cecile Genevieve Gravel de la Visitation M. Claude Le Vasseur de de la Visitation * M. Louise Huart de Ste. Genevieve. M. Anne Cote de St. Joa- chim * Fran^oise La Foret de St. Jean Baptiste * . . . . M. Feuilleteau, de Ste. Anne * 0) c 0) < 1708 76 1684 1697 1676 1710 1722 1699 1740 1691 1745 1703 1740 174i3 1744 56 77 47 80 67 40 81 23 74 37 65 67 63 248 TABLE OF THE TROFhSSKD NUN; Ent^H'd fli( Novitiuft). 170G 1701) 1711 1715 1710 1719 1722 1723 1725 172i 173i PROFESSED IX QL'EJ;I':(:. DO. Sr. Genevieve Le Vii'^sonr (K St, .loM'jih * . ^I. MiidcKine Crave d*. St. l''tietme D7. J8. ' 100. 101 102. 103. 104. 105. jM:>":^uerite (int\'el tie St. Cici lU'Ui. l)laiiche Maurie de Ste Tli ecie M. Anne Itacine de 1: .(^-urrei^tKtn ^l. .(lilieiiiie Miiufis de St. Andre * Mari(; OaLnioi), de St Paul Mane-J Patonaiide de St E raiiC(.)is Loui.-e Gravel do Ste Marthe M. Catherine Constantin, de St. Denis * . 174!) 1711 17G2 174(i 1770 1774 174!) 71 ..M <> Ul 106. ^' Genevieve M. Miiiiaux de la P rcscntatiun 174: 174, 172.< 40 21 177i) 7 SU.NS. c. ii" (K' 0^ •A ■; ! io 171!' VG ■•,l..l • • • - 1711 2t e St. 17G2 71 "Su". 171(1 .")5 L' ' la 1770 71 leSt'. 177-1 St. iUl) 'Jl e St". 174:5 .■)7 "Sto. 174:; 40 utiti. I72S •li ■ ■ • • 1779 '•'i APPEXDIX A Note for piigo 25, supra, M(i(J(ime dc lit l^eUvie^R house: — Uiiilt in KIl.'J, aiul bcariiii^ iri'ovocubly tin? iiaiiM! of tli<' iiol»l(> and })l(nis touiulrcss of the Ur.><n lines, it (1(»lvs not upjXNir to liavo over scrvcfl her as ;i n'sidcnrc. IJcntcd, at lir.st, to tiu! pndit of tlio Coinnnmity, it twic-o .sholtcrcd tlicni, when driven from their Couvout by lin; — l(J5l, ItJrfU. In 1(159, on llu^ arrival in Canada, <»f the first liishop, ^Ii;r. Fr. Laval de Monlniorciu'y, it served as an eiyiscopal luilacc! A high Cencc; rnnning tlirongli the nni.s' t(ard(Mi, gav(3 the eminent Prelate a part for his own use, and left the nuns to enjoy their (doister. licpaired many times, the walls wen; finally de~ vwlishcd, in IS-ii). The j)res(Mit huildin<;-, o('eu})y- ing the same site in part, is much lai'ger than tho original house, hut has uo windows on the street. Its ordinary destination has ever been that of i\, school-house for the free or ext(M"U-sehool. Tho bakery and wash-house [see same X>age'\ stood in the vicinity of the [late] Old Ash tree. Tho wells excavated in ohl times, of whicdi four are still in jrood repair, are from 12 to 25 feet in diameter, — iu the old French style. -li it '"■ i'i iH. 250 APPKNDIX, B l*ago 51. Yet all teas not hriglit, d'C. Duriiii,^ tlio years 1(188 — 8!), i\w. Froiich Colony, more tliaii over, schemed on tlio brink of dcHtrnctiou. '^riio Iro(|Moi.s, stiniulatod by the English Coh)ni.stM, prolitcd of every pretext to bn^ik ix.'m'O with the French. The nnl'ortnnate p(dicy of tlie Governor Detionville in caiJtnring and sendinj^ several of their chiefs to France, tlio late success of the Fn^ucli in th(Mr ex})e<lition aijainst the Senecas, tlie treachery of Kondiaronk, added fnel to tlieir natural fire, and '' lik(i hujii^ry and infnriat(Ml wolves they spread themselves along the rivers and borders of the forests, every where ravaging tlie French settleni(;nts. '' The English on the other hand, had carried their arms into the country of the Abenakis, and dv^vastated their setthMiients. UnfortunaNdy for the prosperity of the European c(donies on the Ameri(Nin continent, their jealousy of each other, a'<d their too great sympa- thy with their respective mother-countries, kept them at variance, — and the French and English seemed now intent only on each other's destruction. 'Yha Canadians, unable from their snuiU number, to mea- sure strength with their enemies, sought by every means to obtain the alliauco of the ditiereut Indiau tribes. De Frontenac arrived in an opportune moment for New France. Adopting the most energetic mea- sures, the invasion of the English CVdonies was re- solved u])on, and three diHereut expeditions were . \ ; » APPKNDIX. 251 ill (liiTctod iiij.'ilnst (Jarlaor [Siilioiioctmly], Salmon Fn\h and Cas(;<i Hay. TIk'So liostilit'n'.s roused tlie Eiijj^lisli to pntinpt and decided action, 'rims was tlie cai»t«ire ot* Quehec; ])laiined and undrrtaUen. Its noii-sn(M*oss is related in oiir 'I'ext. The siiiiullaneoud attacU upon Mont- real was nut nioro succussi'ul. Mr. and Madame CluunpKjny arc oldfriendx dc. CMiani}»igny, wo must rolato Apropos of a littio anecdote. It was in tlio olden times, — 1()!K3. Our nuns liad a farm alouijf the banks of tlie St. Charles, and on soni(i few occasions, tlu^ Superioress witli her c<»uncil, had leave, or orders, to ^o and visit it. On one of tiiese occasions, — it was in August — the nuns, with the re^iuired authorization from IJishop Saint- Valier, issued from the cloister at a very early hour, and iu their modest vehicle; proceetled to the farm. 'IMie morning passed iu examining barns, ditches, fences, &-C. as they thought best, under the guidance of Kev. Father llalfeix and M. de la CVdombiero. An iuvltation to dine with the good Mothers of theGeneral-IIos})ital — Notre Dame desAnges, could Hot but be agreiiabhi to all, and doubly so for the three sisters Bourdon, two of whom were among the excurtiouiritb. At three o'clock^ the cumpuuy, APPEN'MX. ill Mils'- cr t<( MPdtluM* |)res>iii^ invltatluii, jiro oi, tlnii- \v;i y l<> flu- II«»t('l-I)inj, wlicii they iiM'ct Madaiini «lc ('li:iiiij»ii;iiy wlin, tnistiiiij lirr iii('s.s:ii((> to no oiir, liMs ('OHIO licrsclf in Iicr carriai^o to tircct the nuns, mI sccmi! a call at llic Palacu jiH tlicy rurntcr tin; HI city. '^riic ([Ucslioii is ciiiltarrassiny ! It in lat(<. Tim good iinn.s of tli(f IIi»t<'l-I)i('u an; waitini;: tlicy niiisf M(ili('i"(' to a previous cn^ai^cnicnt. lint Ma- (laiiM! (Ic ( 'liaiiipiirny tinds lliis a poor cxciist'. (iiviiii^ orders to lier coaidiinan, slie retraces her Ht('[)s, ami bids the sentinel close the gates of the town. No otlier entraiuMi remained Init throiiLfli the apartments of tlie Iiiteiidant'.s Palace. TIk! jimiaMe lady appears at tin? door in triiinipli t(t wch'oine lier ^in^sts, wlioiii slio has so i^racioiisly canijlit in tho snare, and after the most amplo do- inonstrations of poIitcMiess and ad'ection, sho op(;n,s llie way and condmrts tlieiii herself te tlui Ilotel- 1) leii. 1I( er(^, tJKJ rece]»tion, not less C(»r( lial, was iiion; ndiuioiis. The Hospital imns wer(i await- inir their visitors in tli(( Chnrcli, and Widcomed ~ 'A th(;m l)y sinuiiiLj the Ldudate. The moments (lew so swiftly that evening came on, all unperceiv<'d, and the excursion was over only at eight o'clock ! ^' We entered our dear Convent, at last, as tli(! dove returned to tli rest. •Ic le arlc, weary and lu ueet I d of li f To tell all tliv3 politeuess, the cordiality, the Al'PKNIUX. 253 tiiill, MTf' <'li iiiM't M.Klaiiic ir(> to no Ollf, •cct till' imiis, y il'CUtcr llli! is la to. Tiu> .vaitiiiii '- tlK'V il. r.iil Ma- podV excuse, i retraces lier gates of the hni tliroii^li Palace. 'IMie ill trimn[)li to I HO ,i;raci<>"^ly )st aiiipl<' <li3- ,„^ sIh^ opens t(> llio llotel- cordial, was M'eiHi await- viiil wel^conieil moments llew II unpeireivetl, eii;lit o'clock ! last, lis tlio 1(1 ill ueeil ot cordiulity, tlie MUiialde attentions of wliicli we wore t1ie olij(>et in tlu' two CoiMinnnities, would l>e ini[»ossil>le.'' Sc e Nut c CO n t i n u c d paga 207. The voice of fj race, in her heart, iC'c. For tlie salx'e of [H'escrvini!; tlieir f'aitli, otluM* ('ap- tives, besides those ulio Iiad enil»i"aeeil tlie reliuious state, refused tlic invitations of friends, ur^inj; tiieiii to return to their native laud. a 'V IMk; dau^'hter of the minister, Eunice Wil- liams, whom no otiers of ransom cotild I'escue IV(Mii the Indian \v'ho had taken Ih'J- as a j>ii/.e in the raid on De<'rliel<l, l»ecann'i the wife of a Cahiiewana chief. Lonj^ years after, slie visiteil iier friends there, ar- rayed in an Indian dress ; and after ;i short sojourn, in s}»il<' of a day of fast of n whole villas, , whi<'h as- semhled to jiray for deliverance, she ictiiriied to tho tires of her own wiiiuian and t(» the love of her own Moliawk children. " — IhincrofCs Hist. U. S(<i(cs. In several Indian villages of Lower Canada there are still English luinies borne by descendants (tf fornier captives. After Miss Who(dwri<ilit had pronounced her vows, slie ixave her family inf(»rmation to that elfect, and :soon had tim satisfaction to kn«»w that her wortliy parents wei'e not displeased. On tlnicontrary, they sent another messenger with letters and pres<'nts for tlieir dau'/hti'r, Later she received lier mother's por- 254 APPKNDIX. tniit, wlii<'h ia still piv'sorvod iu the Convent, — as a J Mild onn — Ainoii^ tlie pi'sents were a silver ^oUit'v, marked with tlie family arms, tine linen, vie. Madame Wheel\vri,<(ht never came to Qindjec, ]»iit was ahnndantly consoled for \]\o. ahs(Mie(^ of Ikt danghter by the assurance that she was hai)i)y. I a«re 128. ¥-, if: ■]■. The martyred Father liasle, iC-c. Tho Ahenalvis ofMaiiu^ had first invited a Black- ro?>c among them in ]C)\(). Father Dniillettes was sent to them, and hia labors, followed by those of the Fathei-s Higot — La Cliasse, — Loyard, — Aubry of the Society of J(\>na, atid Tlinry and Ganlin of the Seminary of Quelx'c, effected the conversion of the tribe. '' For thirty years had Fatlier Sebas- tian Kasle dwelt iu the forest, teacliing its wild, red- children the love of Go(l juid the dcivotion t(> Mary. To the Clia[)(d every night and morning come all the Indian Christians. At morning they make their prayer in common ; they Jissist at Mass, chanting in their own dialect, hymns written for that )nr-; tse by heir r ast(»r, W len tl le sun ( le- clines westward, and the shadows cret^p over the village, they seek tho Cliapel for the public prayer, and to sing a hymn to Mary. u It v^as on the feast of St. Barthol omew the th Apostle, August 24th^ l?.")-!, j»hat a band (►f M(»- bawks and English Colonists burst ujxju the town of APPENDIX. 255 Convent, — na were a silver tin(! liucii, etc. O QucIkM*, l)Ut Ll)S(!n('.(> ()f licr us ha[)i>y. ivitcil a Black- )l-uill(!ttOS WMS mI by tliose of loyanl, — Aubry ' and Gaulin of e conversion of Fatlier Sel)as- its wiKl, ved- (levotion to and morning tnorniiiii; tliey issist at Mass, s written for 1 the snn de- recp over the public prayer, e n •thob>nie\v tbe I ])and of Mo- M)n tbe town <»f Owenac^nn^a [Nowridi^ewoek.] Tlio women and eliibh'eu tied; a few young braves wlio were in the vilhige, cauglit up tlieir arms to witiistand tlie ene- my. But before tliey could be slain, tlie priest, remembering tlscso words of our Lord '■Bonus pastor animam suam dat pro ovibiis siiis, Tbe good shepherd givetli his life for liis sheep,' and know- ing liiuiself to bo the real object of the attack, advanced to meet his foes. They Isaw him just as he reached the vilbige cross. A yell of savage exultation, a volh.'y of l/ullets, and the missi()nary lay dead at the foot of the symbol of salvation. lieu. X. D. Mcleod. F Page l.*J2, — The Monastery enlarged, d'c. We place here ample topographical notes for the exclusive benefit of the inmates of the Cloister : a sort of Guide Book, around our ''little world". The foundations of tlie iirst Monastery were laid in 1()41 ; its dimensions were 92 feet by 28, French measure. The Venerable Mother Marie d(; IT near- nation with her littbi Community, entered it on the 21st November, 1G42. It was then far from being iinished. The building was three stories high including the attic, and surmountyd by a cupola. In the second story was the nuns' dormitory ; Our Ven. Mother's 25G APPKNDIX. cell Ix'iiii; in \]\o ('(Miti;', diroctiy inidcr tlio LcllVy IS ' Tlic liitclicii was in llic It.isciuciit stoi'y, ;it tli(» ii(»rili- wcst ('xtrcmify ; the (Miapcl occiipiiMl tlio iirst story at tlic oilier extremity of the liiiildiiiijf. 'IMie parlm-.s were Jilxive tlie cliapel. It Avas tliroii^li tlie i;rate of one of the ));irhtrs, occiipyiiiii; the site oftlio Uoard- (M-s' new In Urinary (1875), tliat Onr Veil. Motlierand several of tlie iinns fonnd ineaiis to escape, on the lii:;ht of tlie .'Ust Deeeinher l( >.")( I- 1 ( 1.") I , [Set? (illinij)- ses, Part 1st] when the Convent; was destroyetl hy iire. 'I'he second ^loiiastery was coninuMiced on the same foniidatioiis as the Iirst ; Madame de la IVdtrie laid tluHirst-stoiH' on the l!Mh May, K).')!. Its di- mensions — hetweeii the walls —in I'^'encli ieet, weri^ 1{)8 by X!S, or 1 \2 l)y ;}(), English measure. The uiins heuaii to inhabit it, May IDth, .1(152. The conier-stoiK' of the Chnndi wlTudi Madame de la l\dtrie bnilt, was laid in ^:,■rea^ eeremony by the Governor of the C<dony, M. de Luusou, ou Aise-ensioii day, June, Id;")!). It was consecrated with the solemn c(M'(Mnoni(^s of the Church, under the titular invocation of St. Jo- seph, liy liisho^) T^aval, at the riMjuest, and in \)vo- sence of tlu^ Mar([uis de Tracy, Aiii;nst 17th, l()()7. This Chur(di oc<'n[)ied the site of the present par- lors, its portal faced (and rea(died) Doiiiiacona street : there was, also, the handsome Chapel dedi- cated to St. Anne, erected by the liberality of the APPENDIX. 257 r \]\o Lclfry. at tlic norih- tlio tirst stnry 'Vhv, piuiitrs iiU tliC! i;rat<' (tt'tllO Una 1(1- 1. Mother and scape, <>H tlu^ J [S('(? (iliiiii)- lU'stroyetl by (MHmmI on tlio (' »l(' la r«'lti-i<' h;:)!. Its ai- Micli feet, were snro. i!)t,b, lone. 1i Matl'uuc i\o iioiiy by tin' on Ast'i'iisiou ('(MMMHOuioS of 1)11 ot" St. iJo- ^ and in \)V0- st 17tb, l()(i7. pr('s(Mit |>ar- ) l)onn;u'oii;i Chapel (ledi- )oriirity of tb(3 Mar<inls do Tracy. IJrasH-bcaded nails in tlio tloor, aloiiii; tli(* corridor, show the pbuM? ol'tlio bii^b Altar ; tlic present door leadiiii^ into tin* conrt-yard, 1(h1, tlien, to tbo interior sacristy by a passai^o. lu tbia Cbnrcb, \()(l(), Jif/ij-seren deri^y-incu wero present, with liisliop Laval, on tin? occasion of tbe transla- tion of the relics of St. Felicity and St. Flavian. All th('S(5 buildings were covered in slato. On the 2*-2d June, l()8(), tlie lirst-stone of the \vini,', La Ste. Famillc, <)(> feet by "iH —[exterior] — was laid by a litthi Iniliaii-i;irl, Mari(^-Uose. The walla were biiilr, n[» to tlie second story, when the second con narration (»f the Monastery took place, Oct 20th JtiHli. [See Gliniitses pagi^ (18.] The l[ous(^ of Madame do la Peltrio now served as a Convent for tln^ 2d time dnriiii; 18 months. The Chapel, which bad ])een a stable, stood just near the '' Old Ash 'I'ree." The wash-house oc- cupied the site of the present wash-ro«)m (lavoir). In restorinj^ the C<»nvent, tlie lirst l»uilding fm- ished was L(t Sdinfc-KaiiiHle ; which was l)less(3j on the LSth May l<!H8, and occupied the following day. 'I'he pupils had occuiiied the large hall [Laun- dry for many years] diirini; the precfMling winter. The corner stone of the kitchen (with Infirmary above) was laid by a boarder. Miss Marie-Cathe- rine <le lirisay de Denonville, daughter of the (Jovernor, on the llHh July 1(581). — Kitchen vaulted, 1()!I8. — 'I'he old refectory [now kitchen] lirst occu- pied on the 2x1(1 June l(i86. II 'i 258 APPENDIX. ii, Tlio rostoratiou of tlio iiiain-Lulldiiiiz, — the Malls of which w(3r(3 not detjlroycd l»y tht! fire — was com- plctcd durii)*^ the year 1(188, 8JJ. Tho Gruiid Vi(*ar, iMr. Mcrlac, paid the la.st Mmsh in the tcjiiporary Cliaptd under the Coininu- iiity-hall, and transported the lU(!Ssed Saerauieiit to the new Cl»apel (Ohl Depot) on tluf 2M June J(WI. Here the divine mysteries were eelehruted during .*>.') years. The apartuieu t adjoiuiuL? (Superior'ti Kooni J 854 to J875) was the nuus' choir ; beneath which was the cemetery during the same space of tiuu' : 13 bodies interred there, were transferred to the pre- sent cemetery only iu 18J32. The translation of tho bodies from the ancient choir had taken })lace in \7'2\. On that occasi<»n the precic'.is remains of our Venerable Mother were reunited with those of St. Jose]>h and IMadanie <le la Peltrie, in the b'ad colliu of the latter. 'J'he anciciil choir was rebuilt as class rooms in l(>89-!)() six feet wider; ii was also lengthened, some feet. In 1712, the ISlere des Anges being Superioress, the wing, la Ste. iNimille, was extended 7.5 feet, for ii Novitiate, wasii-room and bakery, cells «5v:c. In 1715, the wing for })arlors, Superior's room, &c., was commenced. Mother des Anges's jdan was to continue the build- ings to fonn a double s(pnire, the eastern extremity very near Madame de la Peltrie\s house. I'he lari^e interior court-yard wcnild have been divided by a narrow buidiug — - (leaving a porch) for portresses' APPENDIX. 259 r. the \Yl\lls 7 7 (J — was coui- the Counim- BacvauicHt to M June KirlK iteil Jniiiig '')') pt'ri(»r'5£ Kuom beneath whidi -pace of Tniie : ■reJ to the pre- 111 the aiK'ieut 1 that oecasioii ,h' Mollier ^vt re 1 ^huhime <h" la Tiie aiu'ieiit ;r9-iH) t^ix IVet tVet. ItciHhHl 7.") feet, u-y c( lis &e uperioi's rooin, the hnihl- ^teni extiemity The lai-ue Viv'Klea hy a litiinie use li « i) t'oi' poitvesse room, Depot, room for se\viiiL(-uir] See. witli a corri- dor t))e whole length ot'tiu; hnildiiigs antiitid the inte- rior-court } replacinu^ th(3 cloister of European Con- vents. In \7\() and 1717, the orii^inal plan haviui; heoii consid<'rah1y nioditii'd, the foundations of the jmi*- sent choir and Church were laid, [see p. I. '54, 5 &-c.] 'J'lie Church was 1)lesse<l ]»y l>isli(»p Saint- Valier, 14th Auix. 17"2vJ. If, 1 i L(an to servo regularly March ii)th 17xi.'i : the interior w'as completely liii- ished tw(dve years later, 17*5."). The Cliurch measures 100 feet hy 45, — interior walls 25 ft. in height: the choir 100 l)y JiO, is but 20 feet high [interi'jr]. Tlie buildings, -as completed in 172^1, formed a block, exclusive^ of the church wlTudi extended from one angle beyond th(^ s([uaro — whole length, if }daced on a line, — about 700 feet, not including the Externs, nor the [late] low passage to the <'lioir. Tlie Mon- astery received no further enlargementK) till 18-51. C !''*>»' pjigo 105. The Chapel of Saints. Wo co{)y, with ]deasure, a description of tho Cluqxd of Saints in the First Convent (»f tin* Con- gi-egation of Paris. J t is easy to see that our little C'hapcd, altlnjugh greatly inferior, uas »!;;;,Ielled on this ]triniitive (Uie. '' Cett(! Chap(dle est un des [dus beaux licux du Monastcro, siluee au dcssus do l'Avaut-Cha;ur dos h ': i , ii-l i! • M ■ ,M -\ - 260 APPENDIX. r. lloliu^icnsos. Ello a jm-os do qnairo t(»is(*s dc Imi- gMoiir (ft cuui do lar^ciir. An iiiilicu dii iii \.i di i!ir (h III H do Piiutro cote I'Autcl dii CluiMir) est jk>s(' I'Autcl dr la Cliapol. II est chmix en toriiic (rAniiuirc uiiii 'I'y pouvolr sorror Ics R(diqiiaii-('S. Aiix deux- cotrs .hi PAutol soiit d(MJX tonnes d(? pilastrcs dc laiiil»ris quaiTcs, aiissi chmix pour lo iiiriiif dt.'ssciii, y ayaut au dedans dos separations ornocs de riclics otcdl'cs a francos d'or, avoo dos vitros an dcvaiit dcs pilici- Kel ; lines (|Ul d'ou I'on pent voir u traveix les S iint( y roposont. Denx antres piliers pareils sont aiix deux bouts on droito lii,nief; si Men ([n'il y a en t<Ma quatre piliers dont rantei est an iniHeii. Kt entre les donx do cliaquo ootO; est inie fenetre (^ui rend dans le Clia^nr. *^Lo taldoan do TAntel, en iiunre ronde, est nne tation dii Paradis : la Tres-Saint<' Trinife, roDreson rej la Sto. Viortre^ qnoLpies Ani^os et A})otres et ([iiel- ques Saints do ehaqno ordn^ y sont tres bien depeints. Outre cola la ClKH)ello est touto lambrissdo et tonto poiute. Lo bord du tablean, 1<'S (tnieinents do I'An- tel et les quatre piliers, sont dores a fond d'a.znr, avec des tetos do Cliorubins dordos. Lo lanibris do bois qui regno dc; liaut on bas tout antour^ est sd[>are en deux par dos jyointnres divorsos; car lo dessns est ornc de grands jxnlraits do tons los Patriarclios d'Ordre, en lour bantenr, ranges solou lo tomps (pi'ils ontv(5cus. Kt an-dessons S(»nt represeutes, en petit volume; les Mystcros do la vie do Xotre-S«.'ignenr. APPENDIX. 261 is(*s (Ic li>n- i Hinr (<iui H s(' 1' Ant el .!(' loirc ul'm 'I'v (MIX t'otrs «lo ; (Ic lailll»ll.S iciii, y avMiit •lies (Motl'cs ;i t <l("S jiilicrs, •il.s !;*ont aiix il y a cu t<Mit ■u. Kt ctitn^ c-8<.'igntuir. '' An plafond paraissciit ([uantitu do tetoa d'Angos pci^'aiit loH nncM's, ct t'livironnant six i^loltcs do In- mir'n', en dciix d('s<[n('ls on voit dans nn SuK-il d'ur I cs sacrc'S noms ( k- Ji IS < •t ^r inc. I't anx (inatm nitres, tons It's instruments de la Passion de Xi»tro- S eiirneur " Le jour donne dans ce lien par denx fenetros, eu ontnint a main dntite. La (rliapelle est fort [H'opre- ment ]dau(d)ee. Knlin tout y est dans nne Ixdio s^ymmotric et avec unc agreable decoration. Pour en sortir sont aux deux extremites, denx petits por- c.lies on forme de cabinets j)eints dedans et deliors; I'un desijucls rendait, an commencement, dans l;i cliumbre de Communaute et ([ui de[>uis ;i etc ferme pour plus grand respect; rantresiUie vis-a-vis a dans 1<? mur a cote ganclie, et tout [U'oclie de la [)<»rt«! (la- (pndlci donne sur I'escalier ([ui cttnduit du dortoir h I'Eglise) nne grando table da marbro noir, ou e>t decrite on lettros (Tor TlnttMition d(j la pieuse Fon- datrice, [Maibdeine Luillier, Dame d(5 St. Beuve] en Feroctiou de cette Ciiapelle. (l(!:25.) " Awialcs mamiscritcs du Grand Convent de Paris Tliese precious Annals of the first balf-century o. tbe Grand Convent, form oin^ largo Volume of 000 pages, in folio; written by tlio same band, and in tbe same leisnrly style as the extract givoi above. Some account of tbo destruction of tiiat Convfuit during th<^ reign of ten"(»r; will Ix^ given — God willing — in a future volmne of the Glimpses. •it 2o: APPKNDIX. ! p!' H For p;i,i,M) 1(59, Ex-votos. \ scries of nrticlos on Ex-Votos^j written l)y ]\[iss Kosc Howe, Mini ))iil)lisli(Ml in VOL Xf. ofthoyl/.v Maria, aro lii,i(lily suijiicstivo fur iis, AinoricuM rcadcvs. [TIkj full hi^adiiig is : Noth.F'^, 1/Ami; dk Fo' •. '?!-' iKs]. TIk! Siyiioio Ci.'nonico Palnrun-i, uX (»"r)'>a, explains liow to make a Sanctuary. '' Til!;- . ways tli(^ Doctor, is ginieraliy the oriuln of a Sanctnary [in lOiirope] ; — some one prays be- fore a certain altjir, and Kvls that lie receives fnnn Heaven that for which h(^ Ix'.t^s, so h(^ sends in t>ra- titiid(! an cx-i'olo : another seeing it there, does lik(>- wis(i; others follow their example. Fveutnally there S[)rings np in the In^art (4' the i)eoplo a C(..i- fid<Mic(MJi prayer offered at that altar ; ex-votoft in- crease, and in time it l)econies a venerated Sanc- tnary." Further on she ex]>laines tlio cx-roto ; '' Au cx- voto is siin])ly a standing thanksgiving for any gra(U> obtained, any p(ii"il escap<'d, or petition graiited.'' She giv(^s tln^ form of the most connnou in France : ^' "Wooden tablets in neat gilt frames, containing a concise narrativf^ [of favors] in hitters of g(dd on a blue ground. INFarble tablets, — six by eight inches, quadrangular, oval or square ; these an^ imbedded in the walls; the letters cut in, gilded, or black. In Notre-Daiiie-des-Victoires, in Paris, the lime walls are entirely siipersed<»d by these marble r<>- cords <}\ the compassion of the ^ Refuge of Sinners' I : ArPENDIX. 2G3 tlie ^ C(tinf()-.-tr(\ss of [ho AfHictud.' J'Zv-votost mmj he the work of our otin hfoids : — litllc l>aTiii(M\s (un- l)n)i(K 'cd, — It'ttiTs \v< kcd on ciinl-hojinl (Mary luiH licljicd. Tiiaiik.s to tlio Sacred Heart, — Josepli lias heard my prayer &;e.) Iiiscrijjtioiis in letters ofi^idd- C(.'or'-i clotli, or searlet or Idiie satin, inoire-anti([U(i ; ])aintiiig on J5rist(d Itoard with an inscri[»ii(Hi, Ace l\i'fn(jiam Pecmtonim dc. " I Pago .182. Course of S ladies in the First Convent I r/".s. i(n- any gra(U) Tlio study of Latin, witliout l>eing ^H'citied as forming part of the course, was so succe>*.'ii.ily pur- sued by some of the nuns, tliat not only could tliey read witli ease the Psalms, and the Homilies of the Fathers which form the oilice of the Jireviary, l)ut some couhl even write in that language. AVe have noticed in tlie (d/ituaries of our nuns, tiiat ex})ressiiig their sentiments of piety in their hut moments, they made use of the Latin in citing tlw A'ords t)f the Psal- mist, orof other parts of the I Joly Scriptures. Our V(Mi. INIother was as familiar with Latin as witli Fr<'nch ; yet, in her case, her science was rather infused than acc^uired. It was chieliy by transhiting, and study- ing traushitions that the nuns appear to have gained their knowledge of the language of the Church, so useful, especially to those who, every. <lay, incdude in their devotions the recitation c .' the Divine oliice. I 2G4 APPKNDIX. We may iidd that the kiiowlcdije of Ljitiii, was hi tliose tiiiK s coiiiindii aiiKMii^ well-iutonncil feiiuiK's, if couipaii'd to tlic present (•ciitury. r iiaii Irfl Cdnada was more fortmuttc dc. Till' rollowiiiij^ extract fnnii the ^'Tith's and Do- cnnients I'clatinu- to the Sei,i;iiiorlal Tennn*" in Ca- iKuhi, sliows willi what truly Cliristian intentions th(i settl(!nients oi" the Fren<'1i in America were nn(h'r- takcn. 'rh(? n'^:iuient <•!" Cari^tian, so often ref(.'rred to in the liistory of Canaihi is designated [>articnhiily in tliis act : its name in Canada, la equivalent to a tith' of nol>ilily. ^'Tlie Sieur (h' *Mkan 'I'alox, on(i of the Kind's Councilhu's ol' State and Privy Coimcilhti's, Intenihint of Justice, Police, and Financi's in Xcw France^, the Island of New-foundland, Acadia, atid other ct)unirie8 of New France. '^'I'o all who these present letters shall see, greol- iug: — 'Mlis Majesty having at all times sought with earo, and the zeal s'litalde to his just tith^ of eldest son of the Church, the means of making known in the most unknown countries, l)y the pro})agation of the Faith and the diifusiou of the Gospel, the glory of God, and the Christian name, first and prindiml la APPENDIX. 205 it in, vva^< lu t;il fcinalca, object of Uio oatiil)llslnnout of tlio Froiich Col«»iiy in (c. Ics iind 1)<>- uiro" in Cii- intcutious tlui vvcrc mxlcr- ()ft(>n rcfcrrctl a particnlaiiy ^uivaUiiit to a ;^(»iui('illo»'s of ,t of .Justice, th(3 Islaml of foiiuiricsi of iall so'^, ijjreel- [olit witli caro, of cliU'st son |kn(»\vn in tlie ligation of till! I, the iilory of md priticq^nl /Uiiailji, luid nccesaoii ily (»f MuiUing known to tl 10 parts (»f tlio Earth roinotost fnun iutorcourso with civilized men, tlio grcatTicsa of his nanio ami tho power of Iji.s urnis, and Iniving judged ti)at tliero were no surer uufana to tliat elfect, than to compose tliis Coh)ny of men (it hy their personal (pialities to till it up, to extend it hy tlieir lal)or and a2)pli('ation to agriiniUure, and maintain it hy a vigorous defence against tho insults and attacks to vvliich it miglit hereafter he exposed, has sent to this country a iiumher of his faithful sulijects, officers of his troops in the regiment of Carignan, and others, most of them agreeahly to tlie great •dlu\2no^lS designs o( Wis Majesty, heing willing to connect themeelves with country hy forming tliereiu setlements and seignior- ies of an extent proportionate to their means, and tho Sieur N having petitioned us to grant him a portion of laud : '' Wo, in coDsideration of ihe good, useful and praiseworthy services, grant and concede to the Baid Sieur &o. K Pago 184. — Terms for hoard, d-c. Wheu the little Indian girls, for VA^hom INIadaine do la Peltrio had left funds, ceased to come to the Con- vent (after 1725) tho donati' s applied to tho education of young persons in indigent circumstances, particularly those who had become poor through 200 APPENDIX. accident or inisfortnnos. Thoso fiuida, placed in Fnuice, were lost during tlio French Kevolution, and licver recovered. In justice to tbe French government while it ruled Canada^ wo should state that all th(! cducatioua.i estahlishinents in the country received (after 1(]()<)) a certain suhsidy, to be applied to the purpot'Co of education. L r*;>g<^ 218. This act, first made in the Great Convent, Paris, in 1038, dx. We transcril)e from the original : Cette atince, au ineine tcinps que lo roi trtis-chrc- tien Jjouis XIII, poussc d'une devotion speciale en- vers Notre-Daine, mit sa personne et son royaunie, sous sa protection ; la Mere Beron do Ste. Made- leine eut uno forte inspiration de prendre la memo Notre-Dame pour premiere et princi[)alti Superieure do CO grand Couvent, lui remettaut la charge, et tout Fetat spirituel ot temporel eutro les nuiins, pour relever deso'inais d'elle. Ses lleligieuses y iiyant tres volonticrs consenti, s'assemblereut pour cet eflet en leur Chapelle des Saints., au sortir do la Ilauto Messe, ou elles avaient communid, le pro- inier Dimauche d'Octohre fete du llosaire, qui dcheoit cetto anueo lo troisieme du memo mois. Ui fut chantd le Veni Creator, et un Saluta la Ste. Vierge, apres quoi la Superieure a genoux devant son Imago en relief tenant le petit Jesus, mit la clef de la APPENDIX. 2t7 Ih, placotl ill vohitiou, ami A'liilo it ruled ) ('(Im'iitioiKii (iiftor UJ(i<I) a 3 piirpoH'Jo of e in the • 1 roi tr^s-chv6- in Hpeciale cmi- , son royamrie, lo Sto. Mado- lulre la incine il.^ Siipericuro la charge, ol ro les maiiia, llellgieuscs y [iiiblerout pour jiu sortir do |muuic, le pro- re, qui dchcoit moia. Jjh> fut a Ste. Viergo, |aut son Imago la clef de la porto Convontncllo ^ S(>.s picds, puis ])rouon(ja ii, liaiito voix roflVatido (rdlo ct do la niaison u rMlo Ste. Muro do Dicn, hcIou quo la fervour lui suggd- rait, I'acconipagnaut do larnu's do toudrcsso ausHi bion quo tout(?s h(!S iillcs, l('S(piollos (hMuandoront aprcs, la bonodiotion a lour priiicipalo More ot Su- j)oriouro, ot cbantiirontou action do grace uu Laudato Doniinuni (unnos gontos. Cott(; Holonnollo action so ronouvollacliaquo ann6e u paroil jour, suivant la fonnulo qui en a oto drossdo, Et lo Suporiour avoc Cliapitro con.sontant a sa con- tinuation do trois on trois ans, oil encore, quolquo jtnir plus couunodo apros PEIoction do la Snporiouro. IjOs Roligiousos en la niomoCliapollo dos Saints al- laiont toiitos en lour rang rondro lours honnnagos et reconnaissaucos a la tros Ste. Viergo, clumtant pen- dant c(^tto Corouionio lo To Doum Laudanjns. A I'inijirossion dos Koglomonts do I'Ordro, on y insora COS deux prati(j[uos, pour otro observeos par tous lea Mouastcres do la Congregation do Paris. IVI Manuscri^pt Annals 'of Paris. Page 84. [Note C continued.] 8*^1110 of our youthful readers, inhabiting Quebec may naturally enquire vvhere the Inteudant's Palaco was situated. An extract from the ^^liues de Quehec^\ a recent pamphlet duo to the indefatigable and eru- dite pen of J. M. Lenioiue, Esip, will give t];- de- sired iufonuatiou : 7 , \ \ I :-•. ■ ■ f . ^' 268 APPENDIX. *' L'lntoudaut Do Mrullos, vers 1G84, dota la j)oiiite est (111 qiuirtit'i' [Saint- Roch] d'uu ediiioe ro- inan[iiable par sos dimensiods, sa iiiagiiiticeiKM', s<'S jardins ornes, lo Palais do IMutoudaut. Oil Talon Hvait laissc uue brassorio v.n dccadoiico ct ])rc8 do dix-y('j)t arpouts do terro iion occuix's, Louis XIV, sur I'avls do sou iutondaiit De Mcullcs, })rodigua do VMstos sommcs pour y t'riger uu }talais faistucux, oil la justice frau^aise se reudait, on plu.s tard, sous Bi- got, die so veudait Pros du site de I'aucieu palais, s'eleve maintenaut la brasserie de M. Hoswell. " The pabiee, situated so conmiodiously on tlie banks of tlie St. CMiarles, at a short distance from th< " 'j^ter Town, was left in ruins by the war of tlie American invasion, iu 1775-1 77(>, under Armdd. 1^ rs 1G84, (l(Ua h\ h] d'uu edUioe rc- , uiagui licence, ses ;i(liUit. Ou l\il(iu adeiico ot pros do ii|)cs, Louis XIV, Millcs?, jn'odigiui do Kihiis fiLstiieiix, oh i)lu.s turd, souH Bi- ^ do I'aiiciou pulais, M. Hoswell." iously on Iho hanks ico from tli< '^}»})er ir of tho Anicriciiu lold. CONTENTS. (VOL. II.) CHAPTER I. THR MONASTERY AGAIN. Tlie work of Mcihor Mary ot the Incarnation con- tinued, p. 'A. — iStatistic??, 5. — A ImHowimI anniverdury, 6. — Tlic pupils^ 7. — Election ul'a Supurior, U. CHAPTEU ir. A MEMORABLE DATE. Layi.ig tl.e lir.at-stone oi' LdSainteFaviille, p. 13. — Deatli and burial of AgnesWe-kwes, 1.0. — Octoljer, afi])('cl of the Mona.^tery, 19. — The alarm, 22. — ''All is lost," 23. — Three of the spectators, 26.— How the Nuns bear the trial, 27. CHAPTER in. RESTORATION OF THE MONASTERY. The Ursulines at the Hotel-Dieu,;?. 28.— The feast of St. Ursula, 30. — Incidents, 31. — A little Convent, 34 — Friends in adversity, 35. — The winter and spring pass, 37. — Classes, 37. — Mortal illness of Mother St. Croix, 38. — Fervor, 40. — The restoration completed, 43. CHAPTER IV. CLOSE OF 'IHE FIRST HALF-CENTURY, Coijicidence of the restoration, p. 44. — Vocations, 45. — A new chapel, 48. — Guardians of the Monas- x^, II CONTENTS. tory, 50. — The country on the britik of ruin, 51. — Preparations lor uar, 52. CHAPTER V. THK ALARMS OF WAR. Coiitrani of tlie present witli tlie past, p. 55. — The Annals furnish tlie recital of the Sieize, 57. — Oui Lady of Victory, (32. — lluw the Nuns keep a festival, 63. CHAPTER VI. THE SECOND SUPERIOUESS OF THE MOXASTEllV. Rev. Mother Mariraret de Flecelles of St. Athana- sius, ^. (')().- — Her youth, G?.— ller vocati<»ii to Ca- uada, (ID.— MothiT St. Clare, 70.— "O/o' most hon ored and bclocvd Mother'"' described hy the Annals, 7;> — The Constitutions of Paris ado})tcd, 78. CHAPTER Vn. FOUNDATION OF THE I'llSULINES OF THREE RlVEi;S, Educational Institutions in Canada, p. 79. — Pro- ject of liisliop Saint-Valier, 81. — Consultations and journeys, 82. — Prosperity of the new Convent; 80. — Trials of a later day, 88. CHAPTER Vm. FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART ESTABLISHED. Orii^in of the Feast of tlie Sacred Heart, p. 90. — Tiie devotion already known in tlie iMonastery, 91. — Establishment of the J'east, 94. — The th*st slirine, 95.— The Association, 97. CHAPTER IX. TOE LAST SURVIVOR OF 1G39. Biographical Notice of Motlier Charlotte Barre of St. Ignatius, 'p. 100. — Early i>iety, gcMierosity, 101. — Her edifying life, 104. — Links in the chain of tra dition, 105. CONTKNTS. in CriAPTER X. DAWN OF TlIK IStiI CKNTl'RY. The Colony visited \>y lanrnio, Hickiies.s .'ind war, p.lOl. — Maliulics in llie Convent, lOM.— Oiher c])!- demies, 110. — Consolutujiis in the midst oftriuln, 1 12. CHAPTER XI. THE TIIRKE CAPTIVES. Allusion to ourly tiine«j,/>. 11 o. — The fjitnily Wlieel- riulit, 1 U). — Esther anion;j; tlie Indians, 117. — Tiie Plack-robe, US.— The Caj)live n-cued, i'iO— She enters the Convent, 121. — Takes the veil, \2:\.- — is adniittevl to proiessiun, 12 t. — Two other Captives, 125. CHAPTER XH. 'iniO MONASTKIIY ENI.AUG kl). The Nuns note the si^ns ol" the times, and resolve to build, p. 1.T2. — Their ardor, 135. — Their Church completed, (1T2;J) 137. CHAPTER XIII. QUKBEC IN 1720 : TlIK NOVITIATE OF TIIE CUSULINES. Charlevoix's j)icture of life and manners, p. 139. — Our Novitiate at the same date, 141. — The novices introduced : Miss Wheelwright, 142. — Miss de Muy, Miss de Boucherville and Miss de Kamesay, 143. — Miss des Meloises, 140. — The Misses Gaillard and other novices, 151. — More youn;L? ladies from Mon- treal, 152 — and from the environs of Quebec, 154. — Thoughts on the Religious life, 155. — Recreations, 151). CHAPTER XIV. THE CHAPEL OF SAINTS. Description of the Chapel, p. 102. — The relics, 1G3. — Other sacred objects, IGG.— Ex-Votos, IGi). — w i 11 IV CONTENTS. I / The Votive Lamp, 170. — The donor, Mis8 de Repen- tigny, 172. CHAPTER XV. EDUCATION IN THE CONyr:NT. The relation of pupil and Convent Mother, p. 178. — Load Government, 179. — Courpt of studies, 182. — Zeal for education, 18,'J. — The Day-School, 185. — Etl'ects of religions teaching, 188. — Specimen of names on old lists; Miss Fezeret, 100. — The Misses de Kamesay, 195. — The Mis.'^ea Bcgon and their schoolmates, 1^6. CHAPTER XVI. ANCIKNT SUPERIORS. Nuuiber of Superiors in 2U0 years, p. 199. — Rev. Mother Drout't of Je.-^us, 202. — Rev. Mothers St. Agnes and St. Joseph, 203.— Rev. Mother Le Maire de's Angos, 20G.— Rev. Mothers St. John and St. 'JY-- resa, 209. — Our Perpeuuil Superioress, 215. — Act of consecration, 217. CHAPTER XVIT. THE CENTENNIA.i ANNIVERSARY. Celebration of religious festivals, p. 221. — Prepa- rations for the Centennial, 222. — The Tridaum, 224.— The Indians, 227.— An Inscription, 228. CHAPTER XVm. THE 2d mothers MARY OF THE INCARNATION AND S''. CROIX. Statistics of the Community, coincidences, p. 230. — Mother Catli. Pinguet of the Incarnation, her youth, 232.— Her life in the cloister, 233. — Testimo- ny the Annals render to Mother Dailleboust of St. Crcix, 236. Table of the Professed Nuns from 1639 to 1739, p, 24^ APPENDIX. NOTES AND DOCUMENTS, p. 249. or, Mi&8 de Repen- INYCNT. -^ ,,-""♦ mi Mother, ;?. 178. I'Ft of ptiulies, 182. Day-School, 185.— 38."^ — Specimen of , 190.— The Misses Begoii and their I. eari^, p. 199.— Rev. -Rev. Mothers St. . Mother Le Maire it. John and St. 'j'e- orees, 21.'). — Act of IT. VERSARY. i\8, p. 221.— Prepa- i.— The Trid'uum, script ion, 228. III. i INCARNATION AND oincidences, p. 230. ? Incarnation, her 3ter, 233.— Testimo- : Dailleboust of St. om 1639 to 1739, p. s, p. 249.