The Argosy — page 369: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

. 7 348 Trish Convent Life. what is technically termed doing up: when soiled, simple washing and drying will restore it to its pristine daintiness. Besides this, it is quite uninjured by any amount of pressing or crumpling. There are nuns of many different orders in Ireland. It is the duty of some of these recluses to confine themselves strictly and perpetually within the convent limits: others go about, at times, in couples, closely veiled, for the purpose of ministering to the poor and sick. Their black uniform and absorbed, retiring demeanour always insure a certain amount of interest and respectful admiration from those with whom they come in contact. Although, apparently, blind to all that goes on around them as they pass through the streets, they are ever ready to do an act of kindness. They will pause to comfort a crying child, or ~ to lift a fallen cripple from the ground. When amongst the destitute, they are bound not to shrink from the performance of any office of mercy which offers itself, however painful or disagreeable the task may be. Protestant nursing sisterhoods are now established in different parts of Ireland, but, where this is not the case, the Romish sceurs can always be had in times of need. The power of securing the presence of one of these in a sick chamber is, on many occasions, an inestimable boon. . cS The Sisters are not allowed to receive any payment themselves for their services, but a guinea a week is generally charged for their attend- ance in a family by the Mother Superior of their house, to whom all dues must be paid personally. The lay Sisters are, generally speaking, persons belonging to the lower classes of society. When a Roman Catholic woman feels what is called a vocation for the religious life, without having means sufficient to enable her to enter a convent as an ordinary nun, she goes in as 2 subordinate, under the obligation of acting as a servant in the establish- ment. | I have been told that in Ireland no lady can become a religieuse, and retain her original position, unless she is possessed of property to the value of, at least, £30 a year, which becomes the property of the house she joins as a member. I have thought that an account of a_visit paid by me to a convent in the quaint old town of K might interest readers; but before entering on the narration, I will tell how a nun of the Order of the Visitation takes her irrevocable vows upon her. As she stands before the celebrant, he says to her, “ My sister, thou art dead to thyself and to the world ; henceforth live only to God.” The other nuns then sing, “‘ Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord” ; and the newly professed sister lies down and is covered with a pall. A nun reads a lesson from the book of Job, and the “ De- profundis” is chanted. After a prayer the priest sprinkles the pall with holy water, saying, ‘“‘ Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the GCOmIGDOOoKsS.com