THE AMERIC AN
roR uk iog nm a sisur
MI ,'H I tt MtHil
v t AiW m-o
fwMi t " r t"
ft t.'tt toHlft-t
!, Kt M" M, Hh tuee-mlt
iswinti-jr at He agof l ami cam t.t
tUsl Stw to Uit my iM-
H.,tt WelwhtWtetVll toWS 1 th
rdef of theUood Stt pb, nl, at Cin
cinnati, Oh to; b iv lti y had been for
) j-r-nin ptvtlon.
Owing tot It j i-ualon and Influ-eti.-e
lnmjhl Iti bear upon m a mere
child, by th tiH'ilx-r tnetlor, now
dead, I enered the order In 1"M. Th
jvrlr ImpivKwHl m my mind the
fact that mUm not of age and under
the control of my alstcra 1 had to lto
subject to them. I had an ensiled Id. -a
of convent I Kit, mitl const-ntm! to take
habit under the vow of oWttlloneo.
All the money mid riot lion I owenod
wero taken from i In exchange for
the black garb of an outdoor slater, It
was late In tho fall season ami cold.
My clothing was not aufllolent to pro
tect nu; I tiHik a severe cold which re
sulted In erysipelas, sotting lu my face
and eyes, and I was confined te my l'd
for four weeks. The treatment that I
received Ht tin hands of tho sisters dur
ing thin time wkh Inhuman In tho ex
treme, I was totally blind, find when
suffering excessively was shut up In a
cell by myself. Thoro I wan loft day
after day almost entirely unattended,
My food, which consisted exclusively
of broad and milk, wan placed on a stand
through a slide In tho wall; tho same
dlshoi being UMod tho entire tlm with
out biting WftHhod, tho food being placed
upon thorn through tho opening. I bavo
lain many long, woary hour longing
for a drink of water, but no ono oumo
to glvo It to mo, In my dark hour of
wretchedness, bitterly did I regret that
1 over saw tho Inside of a oouvont.
Tho sister Inflrmarlan, instead of
painting my fnoo with iodtno four tlmoM
a day an ordoiiul, porformod thl offloo
oni'e a day, standing at arin'H longth
from mo. I was told that I was a oroa
turo to bu drondod, an tryiilxilaN wait
oontagloim, TIiIh n a good nHottnon of
tho klmlnoH of tho MlMtom towaitU ono
anotbor. My own nlHtom worn wddom
KtriuttUd to vUll mo from tho fact that
long yoat": of oonvont llfohad notyot
liardotunl tholr lionrtM to all truo idttbr
ly f'Uug. Him of thorn In now nt Cln
joiTnnatl, Ohio, and th othorat Wash
ington, I). CI. ,
lloforo I had woll rcoovorod from thin
MlnoMA and wa ntlll wonk, I wan coin
tnandod to go out collect Ing tnonoy for
the inntltutlon, Hoinombor I wan very
young and a ytrangor In uMrango pliuio
and wui'ho, u dovout Cathollo who
thought It part and parcel of my obli
gation to mort ify tho fltmh that my noiiI
might notporlHh; thtm I buro my cx
purlcnco of nlokucH and luu'NhncMM tin
cotuplalnlngly. I remained In that place, km collect lug
iNtor, for throo yearn and wan noted for
being a good nollottor, I wan then trann
f erred to tho Iioiihc at Inillatmpollx, 1ml.,
whero I remained for two yearn more,
iMtrformlng tho mono dally tank of col
lecting In rain or uhlno, dokno or
health. Ono evening, at "general
chapter," tlm miperlor nollllod tin that
mime of UN had to come to Detroit to
collect for tho foundat ion of tho houmi
at that pluoo, and I wan Nont hern for
that purpiiH.i,
Upon my flrnt coining hero nho gavu
too full chargo of tho Nollcltlug, and my
flmt top wim to leg ntono for tho
foundation of tho lioiiwi to tho left of
tho community, or ward-mamdou an
' they culled It, 1 vUltcd all tho utono
quarrlc from horn to Toledo, and ro
eelved an ahundatico of utono from tho
Kotly Inland quarrloN, and vllted them
again oua year lnt.tr ami received
aimilar donation) to erect another
building, Then I ml lei ted all tho him
bor and plumbing, not cent lug tho In
Ntltutlon line cent, I hiul milllclout for
, all tho building. All thin U nhown In
a book at tho Iioumo, with tho namoM of
tho HUbHcrlbort and tho amount nul
wrlln'd. Tho next ste p waa to collect money
for tho purHof paying off tho debt
on thuward utaimiwu, which I nncoocded
In doing by taking up annual nulwirlp
tleiiK from gentlemen In buHlmwx, for
five year, During that period of tlmo
I collected $17,000 In cbmIi, boaldcn
thoiiHioiiln ofdollari worth of produce
and manufacture!!. I cannot toll how
or why I wan no kindly received by
thoo gentlemen I solicited from! they
wore, with a few exception, all Proton
tantn, which jM.rhapn aooounU for It.
At that tlmo I alludo to, our "mi
porior" wan Mother Franoln Patrick, or
"Mother Pat," an I bavo often beard
her called by ono of tho prlontn at
Trinity church. She had her favorlten
among tho elxtcrn, and thoxo nhe con
ferred honor u'Mtn, mich an tho privi
lege of wanning her foot, combing her
hair, attending her at her Vwth, drenn-
ing her or attending her In a way that
no woman of tho world, with any
, modenty, would tolerate for an Instant.
She wan fond of luxurioun living, and
graUfiiHl her tauten to tho utmohtat tho
'Denms of my lalwr and privation, and
Sv)f tho other "Hintem," and the
i k,. i I .' - i In m. t
ll..' t.v ,i ,4 -. fi - ! '.
t.. o . t I - Ift.'.l a. t
1 1 1. I i 1 1 ..s. ,S in ' r i ,
Him e ,.-t t tlm ti.t..- it
"m.iH., r" l- l h ! "pt t., Ui"'
t M t ! n ' It at ' i I,,
nl.i- ii. tto l ifwe.1 MM H l.l
Uit on tw (-t.'i.. tn oiw
t f tVif bad to ItftMi M
l. pitn eiv hu.- t'- r tr b r on.
st, , a ib-iitM)-ilng etiin.'tr,
Ur.hr.nd lit 1.1 (ntto-rAm ttttld.Hl.
from thr "it.," (a.'h a hot
tmittiM a It. toi nttooo.1) i ter
tollng an opp.-j'.uiny to wound them,
humming Ibem too Mit!jf In tb petw
eOee of "K.-ouUm ' - 't,indling then' to
ii.'l while .t.-kieg b her-kU the
floor, au.l lu pleg anything t her to
Mm her baud Kvn h 'awlt-tant'
hud to oltw-i ve thin command. No one
iUiihI addre ber without falling Uon
her knii.. She nmde a rule that every
morning Ix font going out tooolhvt we
were obliged to coum to her o receive
her hlemlng: even the VlMem" In the
houne had to olwervc thin inmnmnd.
There nho would nit In an eay arm
chair, her feet roh Ing uHn a padded
foo-nt,yd, the very i'lnlHHllment of laxl
nen, and pronounce tho blowing In
Iatln over tin.
I had by thin lime lont nomo of my
"gintd Catholic" lilcaa, and her gronn
vlolatlotm of her vow and obligation!
dlngunted ino. To do tho woman Jun
tlit), however, 1 will horontaUi that nbe
In but a fair nampleof tho many "mi
perlorn" and women of her ponltion that
I camo In eontnet with while I won
under vowa.
Armed with her blcnnlng wo would
ntart out on our dally trlp.nho caring lit
tle, meanwhile, whether we went to per
dition or not, no long an wo brought
money back with un.
Thl "an per lor" remained with uu
for a year and a half, at tho end of
which time alio returned to St. Louln.
Who wan nuocccded by Mother Incarna
tion, from Ht. Paul. Injustice to thin
"miporlor" I wlnh tontato, an all thono
who camo In contact with her will
verify, that nho wan goodnonn pornonl
lied; nhe wan .dml, gentle and chart t
ablo; In fact, nhe wan tho Idol of th o
entlro community piuilleutn included.
Hho wan no liolovcd by all that tho
"provincial" becoming acquainted with
the fact lnntnntly nctit her hack to Ht.
Paul, after a may of only 11 month,
Her treatment of tho ponltont bad
been In no marked a coot runt to that of
prevlotm "nuperlorn," and mo humane
wan her conduct toward both ''peni
tent" and "atatern," that ono of tho
"out-door nlntern," Mary Joncph, whono
name tn the world wan Minn Lynch, be
came no at tached to the "mother" that
nhe fell ill and died of connunipllon
miporlnduood by grief and tho uhmigo
In treatment.
After her departure came Mother
HlanlMlaun, ami onco more our trouble
licgnti; nhe wan a necond edition of
"Mother Pal," and, an tho Irlnluniin
nald "an Improvement' for I ho worno."
The community In the Detroit houno
inoompoHod of about twenty "alitor."
Mother Htanlnlaun had almut four favor
lten or "petn," a we called them, and
the remaining nlxteen got even with
her by abunlug each other on many uu
occanlon, Kllence In ntrlctly olworvod
In the clolnter; "nlntern" in panning
ono another never npeak -mertdy tn
cllno tho head. No convernatloim aro
MU'inllted to be held, but lu tho corri
dor many a good ('hrlntlan battle In
waged amongnt them.
One would mippoo, when paying a
vlnlt to tho iiiMtitutton, that tho "nU
ter" lived In perfect harmony, and
that peace reign iiircme, but how
different I the actual ntato of alTalrnl
Tho "superior" dellgh't In torment
ing thono umlor her charge, and they In
turn aro Intolerably dlnagreealilo to
each other. Mother Htanlnlaun fol
lowed tho example of Mother Patrick,
but being tho more keen-witted, amuned
hernelf alway at the expenno of nomo
defcnnelen "nlHter." Tho "inothor" wan
alway narcantlo and Innultlng; nho wan
promoted to ber pivnent ponltlon upon
coming to Detroit from Ht. Paul, where
nhe wan olann mlntrenn, having chargo
of the 'KnltenU" or girl placed tn
tho bonne, Hho wan even more Innolent
and domlni'orlng than Mother Patrick,
Her delight wa to place tho "nlnU.rn"
In ponnneo for tho mont trivial or no
olTcnno at all, In.cauno nho wan angry;
yet nho demanded that tho whole com
munity nhould bow heforo and renintct
her. Hho bad often preached at the
"ohaptor" that we nhould oliey her an
(led. Homo weakintnded nubject be
lle vo thin,
In thl "BUiH-rlor" wo found the mont
hard-bear. ed and nclllnh of human
being. Every ono tn tho houno wiw
coin adled to be subject to ber treat
ment and mibmlHnlve to the penance
ImjKined. Thono connlntod of eating oil
the bare floor, kneeling with a stick In
tho mouth during tho meal hour tn tho
refectory or dining-room, in tho pres
ence of tho other "sinters," or mado to
gather tho crumbs let fall by the others
and afterward eat them, and on their
knees beg pardon of each sinter In turn.
A moment's tardines in appearing In
tho morning wan punished by comjKdl
log tho offender to bring her pillow
Into tho refectory and lie upon tho floor
J la i -. 4 !. tW .-?
nil O i ') . "
j T , U Hi.tt- t .ttt.-
; tx -.! $ 1 j no', 1 ht "i...l W
j ! . a ni M ni).u Ht
: jkt ,,., tJ lilt lili!t H!lM'.,l.(i-l lit
j tn. t
Hot Is l.i i..l ) r t
ftj, Uti.rt.s ' it-liij
S-. t ' II. r o .t. bulling of IW
R.-l !in. n, b I tottaviij i-sb iiglb, II '
pr .ir, t Ibst t tt' isfib ltl fiinn
I'-le at V, 00 vf -mttit Sh w
s!si . vH-.t HI H( il il firj
thlej The v. lit II1K In to r
UmIiooi In tbe form ol snrAjnnlv
ion-r rsrp. t, rut, y halc. f.oi
Hlool. i to , a Wi 11 I'O.tllpp.'d Uh, and
Imtli i'.inK sit. In-.l tt tint 1-,1 citom.
The U-t of all obtainable lunurloa In
the way i f eilibliHi f.tr lu-r table, and In
nil aiwrlment adjoining ber otIW, a
eiipbtwcl uppliiMl with the chol.Htst
wiium and ll.piors to Im bad.
The "sUb-m" who left tha onler d
ciIIuhI It wmpletely. Catholics would
not Udleve all thin, and many Prott
tauts wore unwilling to do so, but this
I the slmoh'sU plnliiot truth told In
the simptcM way,
Tho "sinter" Immaculate Heart" and
"Mary Xavler," and others who left,
were pronounced "Insane."
"They did not know what they were
talking alnml," Hlshim Foley said the
fault was with tho Individual, not with
tho institution.
Hlshop Foley would not speak against
tho Institution, of coursewhy should
heV Tho "house" Is a line placo for
him, wherein finest cigars, wines and
liquors aro at his disposal at all times.
Thin statement, of course, Is also false
from a Uomlnh standpoint, but wo who
havo been upon tho Insldo know it to
be (lod's own truth.
Hlshop Foley will tell tho Inquirer
that tho "superior" and "sisters" all a to
at ono table. It seems a presumption
on my part to deny tho statement and
brand It as an unquul tiled falsehood.
Yet, presumptuous or not, such Is tho
case. Tho table of tho "superior" a.id
tho assistants wan separate and distinct
from that of tho "sisters." Upon tho
first was served tho most fragrant of
coffee, rich oream, chicken, choicest
outs of porturhouso steak, hot cakes,
tho finest of dairy butter, eggs, etc. I
often served tho table myself.
Tho "sisters" wero oomiollod to par
take, standing, of dry broad, thlncolToo
and skim milk that had Inten solicited.
By tho way, they keptaoow for supply
ing tho "superior's" tablo with dairy
delicacies and for tho tiso of tho priests.
Homo mornings tho ,'slstors" wore glad
to get oleomargarine; upon otjyfc
spoiled and frequently putrid meat
mado up Into hash. I never noticed
any changes In tho diet after tho ex
posures had boon mode by tho "sisters."
On Mother Htanlnlaus going to Ht.
Louis, for her "retreat" a tlmo of
meditation, sllcneo and prayer uud ex
amination of conscience, lasting for
nine days, she sent word to mo to send
by express two cases of claret, This
wlno 1 purchased from O'Hrlon & Co.,
ami forwarded to ber to tho houno at
Ht. Louis.
Even when homo at Detroit she
always had what drinks she wanted;
occasionally I would bring her homo a
quart bottle of Holland gin for a change,
When the "sisters" spoko of her break
ing tho rules by drinking tn tho chapel
of tho convent, which sho did, she
avoided censuro In this regard by stop
ping Into an adjoining room to partake
of ber drinks, then sho would return,
This seemed qultoallttlu trouble to
Mother Htaulslaus, as sho was accus
tomed to having a "sister" bring It Into
tho chapel to imr previously,
Heforo coming to Detroit sho had
Isten troubled with her throat. Whilst
hero sho always had tho best treatment,
no matter where tho money was solici
ted to defray such expenses; such a
coupe hire from Case's livery, bolwoon'
tho house and tho doctor's. Previous to
her coming to Detroit I had purchased
a carriage from Mr. Neweomh for 150,
but this was a slow mode of travel and
did not suit Mother Htunlslaun,
During all tho tlmo that she was liv
ing in such luxury and taking such as
siduous caroof herself, I knew "sisters"
in tho house who wero lying In sick
ness and suffering In their cells or at
tho infirmary, devoid of not only tho
necessities of cxlstonco, but oven tho
medicine prescrilsid for them,
Tho "mother" was waited uMn, hand
and foot, until tho last thing at night.
Most of her luxuries, such as wine,
whisky, boor and mineral water, wero
supplied through my solicitation from
various merchants In this city. Of
these, It Is unnecessary to stato, not a
drop found itn way down tho throat of a
"sister" unions a bosom favorite of the
"mother," either tn sickness or in
health .
A friend of mlno sent mo a flvo-gallon
keg of wlno from across tho river for
tho "sisters," but they never received
any of It, nor did I dare acquaint them
with tho fact of it having been sent,
or tho donor with Its being misapplied,
so groat was my dread of tho humiliat
ing ponaneo that I knew would follow
such a confession on my part.
The choicest viands, tho bent brands
of wines, and tho most expowive brands
of cigars wero kept apart for tho nno of
Hlshop Foley and the various priests
who called at frequent Intervals and
! i H, t-.tiltll.a l,-n 'v
' l ; ; it
j 1 1 a m. 1 J :, dtiH i l n;ft
i). !.! i M , I !M hf
j ' ia-!..! i.j.hH ..! tJ
J I . 41 U. j "'', tV -i.
j c-w-)vf. J.t. .U ,. fat-!.-' itjn
' Hn-tr ( !'.', m1 Ink.' It,, ir ) l Ibv
,ifc.l IKt,.. U li O.. , fcft
. , fc . . . ? -
f-,!?J SSSIV t, II. I IM if. tlt H s
j stiet H..t m,tt "'til, t" to '(
K)Hitng o:Ui,.- ,4 r. !. Ut, j y,
ijihnlij M.tOtir MsniiMi. aU then
bi .!. i,. n .'.. "t.n.',.l trf'-tvf no tit
Imktlif t.ot- trf Hie rom ttbst hc
t sea bj ar jltf
"nUl. r." bt Ho Ulti-r hottl.l ri jxtrt
brrbl the "pM(n.'lsl."
Mother Kianltdaus w tiaturally a
h.althV, roiut woman, a largo aiir
and an indulgent drinker; yet f.rda(
at a lime sho would remain in ber I hi,
with or without the oitnnny of a
"sinter," and put the following notice
upon her door to prevent intrusion oon
her privacy: "Do not disturb our
mother." Sho w as very seldom In at
tendance at the exerclst-i of the com
munity. If mont of the "sinters" fob
low.sl suit whenever they had an o
Hirtunity, they cannot 1st so much
blamed when their "superior" sets
them such an example.
On June Id, ltl, I called uxm Hlnhop
Foley to ls dlnponned from my vow of
ols'dleniH.. He said: "ForUod's sako
say nothing about the house." 1 mado
no reply to this. He bogged mo to give
my article, which I hail mado up my
mind to give to a daily paper of this
city, to tho Michigan Cittholic if I was
firm in my resolution to make tho mat
ter public, evidently fearing to arouse a
suspicion in the public mind that there
was more in what had been said than
was admitted by him at tho tlmo of tho
exposure by tho two "ex-sisters" who
bad previously exposed tho Institution.
I refused his offer, however, and gavo
my article to tho paper to which I had
first intemlod giving it.
Tho fact that I had been absolved
from my vow was proof that I had boon
a member of tho order, nor could tho
bishop consistently say at any time
later Unit I had not been a member, I
was careful to tako this precaution, as
ton years' hard and bitter oxorlonoe
had taught mo that tho word of a priest
was but a Bllm reed for any ono more
especially a weak woman, to lean upon.
Ten years of contact with tho dupli
city and deceit of a convent had taught
mo that a priest, bishop and "mother
superior" can do no wrong, and that no
llo is sinful If uttered In defense of tho
Cathollo church.
I knew what falsehoods had been ul
tercd against all other "sisters" and
priests who havo loft tho church, and,
profiting by their bitter experience, I
prepared myself to meet all their sub
sequent attacks. I left tho house, after
giving too years of my young life, as I
at first ladlovod, to tho service of Ood,
to find at tho last that tho grapes had
turned to ashes in my mouth and that
tho so-called servants and mediators of
tho Most High were, with a few, if any,
exceptionally pocrl tea and blasphemers,
When I contrast tho fooling! of divine
hope that animated me, with tho bitter
repugnance and aversion that seized
possession of mean soon us I learned tho
tricks, artifices and irrollglon of tho
"sacred" order, my heart turned almost
to stone and I felt how far Cod was
away from mo. Many nights havo I
laid mid wept upon my pullet tours of
agony and wretchedness ut tho hollow
ncss and mockery of a godless com
munity with which I had bound myself
to move until the grave should closo In
over my wretched body. In my break
ing heart there still lingered u hope
that somewhere in Clod's grout universe
there was a puro heart and honest pur
pone with whom I might kneel in prayer
and speak to my Maker from tho full
ness of my pent up soul, und not through
tho diseased and corrupt medium of a
foresworn priesthood,
Those alono who havo passed through
tho mlsoruolo, grovelling hours of
abase men t and mental degradation that
tho puro-mlnded neophyte, in her
graduation through this academy of
falseness and disillusion to apostasy,
can alono sympathtzo with my suffer
ing during those long years of trial
and agony.
When I, who had brought in tho
many gifts and donations which tho
kindness of God-fearing people hod be
stowed upon mo for that church which
they believe so charitable and pure. I,
a "good sister," a devoted worker for
God," a "favored" ono of tho "holy
virgin," worn In health and good look
through my weary tramping to enrich
tho institution, left, I had not a second
garment to tny body nor a cent in my
pocket. I left tho bishop's presence
habited in my "ulster's" garb. Uo knew
full well that I had no homo or plaeo
whore I could go, nor any place where
I could rest my weary head, nor any
friend In this broad land to whom I
could turn for aid, save to my God, and ,
llo, my religion told me, I had offended
when I cancelled my vows of obedience.
This bishop, who Is quoted for his be
nevolence undchurlty, jiormltted mo to
go forth Into a world where I was a com
parative stranger, without offering mo a
cent or tho means to procure a meal or a
place to lay my head for a single night.
I must admit that I expected just such
treatment, for by this tlmo I bad learned
from observation tnd experience how
b CwlWie llt!tlt rvu its
t i i o fi ',,.( ... i
' trttn-t-k
1,-tltW it'Kit k, a'fv H si H
t-,.tv! ,j H ., . :.,, i t Ht,
' 1H I ! K.ir, !.. l,o ,',tot. t .
1h tt , t-v ling, r l --1 f , tvs
i tl,,!, Incn- tW :. ft of tW lftitw
!' I bint,.! Hut the t. 0.
I s.i. t. ho r. r,.t a l .. i.. iin.l. i I .,.
l!iiitK!n Nf f t (l,er i'jkif t,-l In
te.b r thtB)ifi pilislo a)Utm K
btpiial tt.sy t tun sih.lef th g'tim
ana nt'ni'iiiiia ui :,! !U:.:.j j-atna
t.Ht. tr rlwt nertbil, liKe freaV In a
mium, ar t.b-no- of It.tme'n Uxo.ty.
As th t) tor of 'be ll.tttne of the
tiito.1 Hlicpht cl cbAl behind ie for
th lnt time, j nnllen, homel.-
though I wan, and In a glib that I had
I. -sin.il to bmtbe, and il. pl' as the
cloak of hytxs'rlny, lmmrlty, unclean-
lies and jtotty bstre.1, my h.art
throhUnl w ,h a now liorn pl,-auiv; tny
blood pnlnaUil with a new-found hope
the pleasure ofCtsl'sown fti-.-dom and
the host ofC. si's ow n psrdon for that
cowardly fear which hail kept me so
many years the slave of a god lens com
munlty for the waste of ten years of
ttisl s pntolous lifo.
Those Protestant who read this may
smllo at the cowardice of a woman who
could not summon courage enough to
do right. To, such I would reply by
anklng them Uj place themselves in my
poHltlon; a lone girl, sworn and pledged
by Impious and tricky vows, which to
tho novtco aro made to appear as God's
own commands, to iorfoct obedience to
all commands of her superiors. No
fault is punished so severely in the
Cathollo church as disobedience, there
fore, as-tho no v loo hopes for heaven and
absolution, sho must plaeo herself,
body and soul, In tho hands of tho
priests. How they degrade tho ono and
uso tho other for their own vile
pleasures, all thoso who havo boon
their victims know only too well.
Thoro Is no greater crime In tho eyes
of tho church than for Its dupe to re
nounce their vows. This Is a fool
which ts impressed upon tho novice In
every conceivable manner. Isolated
from all outside Influences, compelled
to submit to all tho indignities and de
grading olllcos which their "superior"
and tho priests thrust upon them tn
order to seouro tho safety of their
souls, onoyeur's residence In tho Catho
lic clokters breuks tho spirit and cows
Into submission tho most courageous.
By tho tlmo that tho mind has arrived
at tho fact that priests aro not God, nor
"mother superiors" tho mouthpieces of
Christ tho Cathollo church a sham,
and its Institutions an lmmonso fraud,
tho neophyte is usually crushed in
body and broken in mind too enfeebled
morally, montallv and physically to
raise a hand or protest against tho oj
pressor, Tho knowledge, too, that out
side the walls of tho convent tho nun
will meet with nothing but scorn and
derision from her own religionists In
placo of help and sympathy tho fact
that Protestants uro too "vllo" to bo
tolerated and entirely outside tho palo
of God's church, makes It almost itn
Misslblo that sho can turn to them for
help. Llko tho drowning man who
clutches at straws to savo himself, tho
poor nun clings to tho priests, knowing
that they will, as a matter of self-Inter-est,
protect her against everything
except themselves. There aro hundreds
of poor wretches who, llko myself,
know tho corruption that exists In tho
convents und "houses of refuge," but
fear to trust themselves upon tho
waters of tho wide world without
friends or money.
Leaving the House of tho Good Shep
herd, I also left tho' I Ionian Cathollo
church forever. Thanks to tho assist
ance of Protestants, who In tho good
ness of their hearts helped mo to gain
a course of instruction at tho Detroit
University, I was enabled to become
proficient In tho business of typewriter,
which I now follow and derive my sup
IKirt from.
It may bo asked why I waited a year
from tho tlmo of my leaving tho "house"
boforo making my present statement to
tho public. In reply I would stato that
hud I dono so when I firt loft tho
house or until I had obtained some
moans of permanent self-support, I
should havo arrayed every Cathollo In
tho country against me, while tho
teachings I hud received as a "sister"
led mo to four that Protestants would
spurn mo as soma hated reptile. Thank
God, I havo learned to know Protes
tants as they are in truth, and not as
tho Catholic church paints them. On
tho other hand, my knowledge of
priests and tho priesthood is such that
no pupor circulating In a family daro
publish one-hundredth part of tho in
famies and immoralities that aro prac
ticed under tho risif of tho priest who
Is supposed to bo the protector of chas
tity and puro womanhood.
Priests aro men frequently of tho
most vicious class, and but few, I bo
llevo, observe the vow of chastity. Tho
priest lives in luxury and elegance,
drinks the finest wines and liquors, and
smokes tho best brands of cigars.
Whatever aelf denial they may inflict
upon themselves boforo their ordina
tion, It does not enter into their priest
ly lives with them, for there It Is ono
round of self-indulgence, and, the grat
ification of every whim or caprice that
may seize them. I have known a priest
in Bishop Foley's diocese on many oc-
- t , ) ,
( !'- Vl '-, . a i-" t , ;4 1 1
' 4. ba-h at,f j-i w .-u-a, at
' 1. 1 H,,- ri4tn ,4 n ,., , ,14
. ran 'n hv i!,r m ami
!W.,b-mv 4 Han f i. i If to r
j H,re f,t a US r llHte il U ,,. e. 'j 0
KWf.it H.t -Id, J.-'.., ht of i-Ho r SM
e,.ni asm H, tit!!, t m
VUny .. bsvr K n t .mi nd
Hi!y i.iltt-4 bj t b-W m h.te Un
if -tag and In nt'y manners or too
iUngu.ting t, br tvp-tittn. Mln
s f t an Jm1ai! r. Tr if
thitonand of tiMn. li in th rlolnier of
the I toman rhuivh who oxil.t tvlat
nimllar "vvoHing ci.rbm-. If they
dnl to do , but their tti.mvhs, lik
mine for ten years pant, an eabl
through a deadly fear of vengeance,
lth here at lb bands of a Mentions
prlenthmsl, and h. resflor In purgatory,
Vm lu.l.-d nrtt in k.l
CAMPBELL ON SCHOOL NEWS.
Most of tba Trouble With tha Present
System it caused by the Catholics.
'Our Public School and their
Perils" was tho subject of tho Rev. J.
L. Campbell's sermon at the losing
ton avenue llnptlst church, 11th street
and Lexington avenue, New York,
last Sunday night.
"Tho lack of proper school accom
modations In our city," be said, "is
ono of the greatest perils which besots
tho advance of education among our
children. They aro crowded out in
hundreds, especially in the down town
districts, and I claim that it ts an out
rage that in a city as rich as Now York
oven one child should bo obliged to go
without education.
"Another peril that menaces the pub
lio school institution is the influence of
tho itoman Cutholio church. The
Catholic hierarchy ts tho deadly foe of
the public schools and will ever remain
so. At their plenary council in 1884,
war was declared on the public school ,T
system by the Catholics, who ordered
that at once parochial schools should
be erected in every parish qf the
church. What a comment on thoir re
hfcto.)that it cannot stand contact
with another than its own in the mat
ter of eduoation. y
"If you divldo the sohol fund to
favor the J torn an Catholics, to enable
thorn to teach their faith and educate
their children in-thoir paroohlql .
schools, vou will soon have to share,
with each donorjimatlon separately?
The principle Is orttirly anti-Amerielin.
Tho Boman Qatholio 'rollgion.r and
always has been tho foe of oducalionT"
This Is proved by the poor progress
made In oduoatlng the people of the
Cathollo countries snob, as Italy, Spain
and Mexico. ,. The great proportion of
the pooplo In those countries are Vo
illiterate " . i .
In conclusion, Dr. Campbell said
there was too much hostility to the
reading of the Bible In the publlo
school. He advocated Its reading bo
fore the afternoon exorcises as well as
in the morning, and urged that more
time and care bo expended in elucidat
ing tho passages and chapters that are
road. Patrlotlo American.
Roman Catholic Obedience. ,
Tho Roman Cathollo priest at Ells
worth, Maine, was invited to make the
address at the graduation exorcNos of
the Ellsworth High school, recently.
It was a scholarly production, and did
credit to that gentleman whodellvorod
It, and yet the question has been askod,
we are Informed, In the town and else
where, why it Roman Catholic priest
should havo been honored in the elec
tion for such service, when it is ro
mom bored that Priest Ilutler was In
vited by Protestant ministers of Ells
worth to join a ministers club, hoping
that (hereby the good of tho community
might bo subsorvod. No sooner did
the bishop of the dlocoso learn of this
fact, than ho nt once forbade Father
Butler to associate with tho club, and
ordered him to resign Immediately,
which ho did. If tho authorities of tho
theohiirch thus Insult Protestants, why
should honors bo given tho priests who
reprosent the church V A little whole
some ''snubbing" like they havo had
In Chelsea of Into, doos them good, and
will ultimately bring them to tliulr
sonsos, and oonvince them that thoy
own only part of the earth. Womun's
Voice.
Immigration continues to hold its
own, and more, the arrivals during
Juno having been 73,120, against 68,-
817 in the samo month last year, and
853,001 for tho first half of 1892, as
against 820,807 for the first half of
1891. Thore has boon a falling off In
the arrivals from every country In the
United Kingdom, tho wholo numbor of
Irish Immigrants during the first six
months of the present year being only
34,664. Germany has sent a few thou
sand more this year than in the samo
period of last year, and Iho Scandina
vians have also boon aomowhat nioro
numerous, but most of the Increase in
the grand total is due to the loss desir
able races, the Polish contingent hav
ing grown from 16,422 to 18,207, the
Austrian from 17,844 to 20,127, and
the Russians from 20,467 to 37,541).
The statistics seem to present only one
thing to be grateful for, and that is the
falling oft in the arrivals from Italy.
The immigration evil grows more snd
more threatening, jet congress seems
utterly indifferent to tt.
fy
