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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 10, 1913)
he Omaha Sunday Bee PART TWO EDITORIAL PAGES ONE TO EIGHT PART TWO SOCIETY PAGES ONE TO EIGHT VOL. XLin NO. 8. OMAHA, SUNDAY MORNING, AUGUST 10, 1913. SINGLE COPY N FIVE CENTS. Sifters of Mercy Enjoy Days Spent at Summer School t I inn if Hi ir I ' I i i i 1 1 I N I ' 1.1 I I l Li A, ; f r. i t. , ,:,'r.' '. .' W I ill It III l.VI , II i 'i.ll iirii if I I nip n iti'r tfiin . i v in i-u wii,aiii ,n i ui iiNJt: iii.ii, r i nr tllkMr.i.H'.'i urn , , IUI IIIIIVVIVf 1 V 1 1 f iii i ' i -Hr.niii i v ix' I' e i i uviith r iiiiiw ii i.m .n?ia mnittiui . i ii m.. i.r A'' fli W'I II 41IH4HI . II III' HI ,, . .... II II If i lid I"!" H l' ! Ml tiiIUIrfft .M - Ti l ii mriMwiiitunii ' 111 t.'fc III - lfl Mil- H I HW III II -IX 1 II ltU-ll II inn -ru 'l li--i'ii ii HIWM I W mini r-"i i iivimm i ' 11 mi ii HUH JIW - if g Ml II TV l II',' IliniHH II II !" U iw . AJk 1 m J JtSI EPTEMI3ER days will soon be hero, and when they come the path to the parish school will quickly' bo worn clear-of HhBgraisthatVla" now 'grSwi Ing over It; llttlo foot will patter along It, Joyously taking their early stops up the groat hill of Knowledge, under' tho guidance of a gentle .woman whoso faco denotoa the' peace that Is within her and whose kind de meanor betokens her devotion to the cause of those little ones who seek her out. Her garb bespeaks her one of those women who haVe given over thlng3 that are of earth earthy, and have set themselves apart from the ordinary existence of the world, consecrated to the most noblo of tasks, that of do ing tho work that 'only a woman can do in tho world, 'and with the self-effacement that is only possible to ono who has professedly renounced all worldly Interests save such as touch upon her dutioa as a devoted Christian. Those nunB or "sisters" will soon again open their schools, and further pur sue ono of the greatest of their functions, that of oi-ening up the Infant minds of the children' who are sent to them to bo taught. Como Hero to Study. And school room tasks will bo taken up this time with greater zest and a better understanding, for many of these good sisters are now in posses sion of more modern equipment for the pursuance of their work. This is tho result of a summer school that has Just closed Its sessions In Omaha. It was unique In its way, becauso It was attended go largely by nuns who are devoted to teaching. Its sessions were held at the college of law of tho Croighton university, and were attended dally by 'hundreds of nuns who came from all over the west and Bouthwcst to be given the Instructions afforded "by an able corps of lecturers on the most modern and approved methods of teaching. It was the science of teaching that was set before these women at the dally sessions of the schools, and the in structors waro those best equipped for the purpose, regardless of any sectarian difference that might exist. Daily for weeks, morning, noon and night, these "women In the garb of tholr ordor gathered for the purposes of tho school; they came on foot and in ttreet cars, and some evon rode down In auto mobllesr for they wore the guestB while in the city of tho several roliglous orders here and of various families, whose hospitality was bestowed without stint. On tho street cars they were noted conning over their lessons, making ready for the quiz of tho class room, with tho assiduity they may expect from their youthful charges during the school season. In all essential regards they were "pupils" themselves, and they seemed at all times to rocognizo tho force of this fact, too, ad gavo eloso attention to the business that had brought them together. But not so close that they entirely overlooked the things about them that were novel o: unusual. The Interesting poIntB about the city woro visited and carefully Inspected, for of such is tho knowledge of tho teacher made up, and on her experience rests her value. Also They Enjoyed Their Stay. That a closely religious life does not destroy tho sweetness of a good woman may be determined from some of the faces shown In the snap shots taken of these nuns as they passed In and out of the college building. Let It not be thought they knew they were being photographed; far from that. Tho n In turns waia fair An iinlrnnwti f r 4ha a it Vt 4 cutm and show them just as they came and went from and to school. When the photographer was finally discovered, he was incontinently "chased," and the reporter who sought to get some "human interest good women is trying her utmost to "swallow her icpe" from theae grown-up puolls met with such sweetly termed but positive rofusdr the questman abandoned. Hut it waB not al) dull work at ,the -summer scnooi, as,wneBS mo laugning groupinajjy iert the Duliaing one qay at noon, une or ineso grin" and preserve nor dignity, but wilh p6or suc cess, while tho slBter who walks by her had al lowed her laughtor to buret forth without restraint, and the other two are also vory much amused over something. It may bo a source of soma, astonish ment to some youngsters somewhere to know that the gentlo but auctero woman who directs thelf efforts as tho assault on tho mysteries of tho lan guage and multiplication tables has in her those elements of risibility that may bo touched, by a human incident but she has. And some of those same youngsters may wonder at the sight of the patient sister with her arms full of books, endeavoring to hoist a sunshade for pro tection against tho direct rays of a blazing July sun. She has not appeared to them as other than tho devoted saint whom they revere and in whoso presence they stand In unconcealed awe, becauso sho embodies In her person those mysteries . thoy may never hope to understand, but It will not hurt nny for them to know that sho is first of. all .a woman. Her devotion Is all the more slncerobof cause it takes on the form of trying to perfect her skill nnd-ablllty as a teacher to the end that aha can in better effect serve those who aro placed within her chargo for their early mental training.. And that is why she carried books and papers in her arniB as she went to apd. from the Bchool room while in Omaha during thoso hot weeks. Hchool Days of Interest. And the school had lta compensations, too, such as the youngsters never dream of. The lectures were of the highest order, on topics that woro not only pertinent but intensely of Interest to tho teaching nuns, while novelties unknown to the Tjulet seclusion of the convent wero shown undor Buch conditions as made them doubly of value. Among these were the "movies." "And now, whero do you thing we're going?" said the spokeswoman of a visiting delegation to tho editor of The Bee. "Ye'ro going to see tho moyles," she answered herself, and then qtilckly explained they wero the moving pictures that wero being shown each afternoon In the main assembly room at the college of law. This was the first glimpse the great majority of these women had had of this wonderful lnvontlon of modern times, and the subjects were such as gave them newer and better and broader ideas of the great world about which the.y are expected to inform the children they teach. And bo their days were spent in work that had its serious purpose, and yet was made part pleasure because of 1U rare Interest and novelty. The summer schqol at Creighton was not con-, fined to the limits of a religious sect, but was opei' to the world, It is one of two great summer BChooIs conducted by Catholic-controlled universi ties, the other being at Washington. Its conven ience for the uses of the nuns who are domiciled in the western part of the country was proven by the numbers who attended the sessions. They came from north, south, east and weBt In search of higher education. During the summer, while the . convents are closed, 1b the only time that the sis ters have an opportunity to devote their entire time to study, and they came from 100 different orders in the United States to avail themselves of this time for study. The summer school Is estab lished for all, regardless of creed and box, who have not the time during the year to devote to study , that they would like to have. It appealed to the sisters first because It was under the patron age of the Catholic church, and secondly because the directors of the university bad made the tultlou 1 L. iiflt. for the term so nominal that It made it possiblo for them to take advantage of It. Faithful In Attendance. Each day from June 23 until August 2 eighty eight nuns climbed the stairs leading to the class rooms at the Creighton university law school. So pleased are they with the work of the classes that many have made their plans to return next sum mer. The classes began at 8 o'clock in the morn ing soon after the school had opened business men and women, who were going to their offices at that hour, noticed he sweet faced women gowned In the simple garb of the church making their way toward the college of law. The keen look of inter est war most apparent, and even after they had left the class root! i street he could obsd 1 j tlon on their faces.l f Washington, D, C for the western sisters, and when the Creighton university announced the open- . r. - n .1 ll,., 1 1. a vino imoaDu kuoiii uii wio H Avnrnflalnii n f frmtlflf.ii- is a lime iar to travel to ing of tho summer school the hearts of the sisters in this part of the country were filled with' Joy, for they knew that it moant an opportunity for study during the summor months, Mother Katherlno of St. Berchman's, who is the mother superior of tho Sisters of Mercy in Omaha, urged all who could lo take advantage of the summer course in study. Tho result was that forty from the order, Sisters of Mercy, attended the classes at tho first sosslon. Flftoen who are resi dents of Mount St. Mary's academy were in attend ance, and Sister Mary Michael of that institution eald that they were greatly pleased with the work which they had accomplished. Some ot them are candidates for degrees. Tho local ponvents wero most gonerouBjlth. tholr Invitations to the(jvlBltlng BtKiurs to make their "stay In tho city at those placoa. Bchool Work Made Interesting. Classes woro hold in the morning from 8 until 12, and In tho aftornoon entertainment was pro vided for them in tho form of lectures which woro Illustrated with moving pictures, Somo ot tho BUbJoctn included "Yellowstone Park," "A Trip In tho Vartoy of Vesuvius," "Audiences with Popo Pius," "Tho Inauguration of President Wilson, "Tho Panama Canal" nnd many other topics. It was with the keenest interest that theso women listened to the lectures and obsorved tho views, of the foreign countries and pictures ot world-wldo known people. In many instances It was tho first tlne thoy had witnessed the motion pictures, and all felt that as wo.l as entertaining thoy woro most interesting, To see tho wonderful geysere In the great Yollowstono park In action and still bo sev eral hundred miles away from them; to boo tho construction ot tho Panama canal, the greatest pleco of engineering work of the day, and to bo given tho prlvilogo of. seeing His Holiness, Popo PIub X, was a moot wondorful experience tor these women. With the excoptlon ot tho summer school at Washington,. D. C, tho 'only other similar ochool opened by a university under the patronage ot tho Cathollo church for tho summor months is the one which has Just finished Its sessions at Creighton x unlvorshy. All mombors ot tho teaching staff havo had a great doal of experience, Many of tho sciences wore taught by tho instructors in tho sev eral dopartmonta of Creighton university; the two women members of the staff qf teachers aro both members of tho Omaha High school faculty, Miss Pearl Rockefeller and Miss Theodora Borglum. Dr. I. Curtis Arlodge, who wna instructor In botnny and other sciences, camo from tho Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, and Dr. Chnrjes F. Crowley, pro fessor of chemistry. Is a graduate of Michigan. Hchool a Great Success. Paul L. Martin, dean of the law school, was di rector, of the summer school. Mr. Martin in speaking-of the succcbb of tho work of the school said that it had been an experiment, but had been a most successful one from every standpoint. , "Wo expect to have twice the number of at tendants at the session next summer," eald Mr. Martin, "Many of the sisters came to me as they left nnd said that they had gained bo much through tho work of these few weeks that they would re turn next year and bring many others with them. Some of then) came from the south as far as Texas, othors from Indiana, several from North and South 'Dakota and many from Montnna and Wyoming." Tho slsterB who came here from the Bmaller places in the west were greatly interested in the skyscrapers of Omaha. Not only did they marvel ni the helghth of tne buildings, but the interior decorations and the archltecturo ot them. During the hours not occupied with study, they visited many of the public buildings of the city. The public library Interested them very much, and the fact that one could have the privilege of such a splendid reference room appealed strongly to them. The visitors were greatly Interested and expressed much sympathy for thoso who had suffered losses In the tornado. Many of them visited the Sacred Heart convent and were told of tho experiences which pupils and sisters had In the tornado. Upon several occasions thoy were addressed by Bishop Scannell, who encouraged their attending the summer school and said that he hoped they would brine many more with them next summer.