rance. You then
pass into a room of fifty girls, generally from twelve to sixteen
years of age. Here they exhibit specimens of needle work, painting,
etc., all well executed. These schools are under the especial care and
management of the good sisters, and nothing can exceed the orderly,
neat and well-behaved deportment of the girls. We next visited
the kitchen; if a clean, neat, ungreased apartment can bear that
appellation. There we found the Lady Superior up to her elbows in
dough, and busily assisted by several charity girls in cooking dinner.
She was a fat, healthy looking lady, about forty years old, and looked
like she had more of the good things of this life at her command, or
rather appeared to have made better use of them than her sisters.
The dining-room is well arranged, so are the dormitories, which are
composed of four spacious rooms, very airy and commodious. Each
school has its dormitory, and every girl has a separate bed, neat and
comfortable, exactly corresponding to her size and length. Just as
the good sister (our conductress) opened the door of the chapel, she
dropped upon her knees and repeated something to herself. On opening
the door, we saw another sister "solitary and alone," kneeling, rising
and prostrating herself before the altar. She was deeply engaged in
her devotions, and never once turned her head to look at us.

Being struck with the infinite degree of trouble which the Sisters
must daily encounter in nursing and rearing over one hundred orphan
girls from a month to sixteen years of age, I alluded to it, she
replied, "That is what we are here for. We give up the allurements of
the world to devote our days exclusively in doing good, and what you
call troubles are our pleasures."

This immense building, with four school rooms, four dormitories,
dining rooms and many other apartments, are all under the management
of seven Sisters, who attend to every thing, even wash and scour
the floors, dress and teach the children. But the most interesting
apartment was that of the infants. Here we found about thirty children
about four years old, clean and well dressed and sending up their
innocent and sweet little voices in singing praises to God! It was
almost impossible to notice any difference in the sizes of this
interesting little circle. Not one of the little sweets had father
or mother alive. No one could look upon them with feelings other than
those of pity and love. Like so many young birds