A Garden of Girls; Or, Famous Schoolgirls of Former DaysConcannon, Thomas, Mrs.
History
A Garden of Girls; Or, Famous Schoolgirls of Former Days
Concannon, Thomas, Mrs.
Catholic Church -- Education; Girls -- Biography; Women -- Education -- History
It was to the “Blues” that Hélène first belonged, and she has been
thoughtful enough to copy out for us their “Timetable.” From which it
appears that they rose at seven in summer, and 7.30 in winter, and went
to bed all the year round at 9.30. They were in their places in the
class-room at 8, to be inspected by the mistress of the school, Madame
de Rochechouart, and studied and repeated their catechism until nine,
when they had breakfast. Mass was after breakfast, and they studied from
10 to 11. At 11 they had a music lesson, and at half-past a dancing
lesson. From 12 to 1 they had history and geography. At 1 they dined,
and recreation continued after dinner until 3 o’clock, when they went
back to the class-room for writing and arithmetic. From four to five they
had a dancing lesson (where they learned to dance those “farlanes” and
“montférines” in which Hélène was so proficient.) At five “goûter” and
recreation until six. At six they practised the harp or clavecin, and at
seven they had supper. On Sundays and fêtes they came to the schoolroom
at 8 and studied the Gospel until 9. At 11 they had a sermon from one of
the chaplains, and at 4 o’clock vespers.
The best masters in Paris were engaged for these young girls. Molé and
Larive, the “Stars” of the Comédie-Française, taught them declamation
and reading aloud; Philippe, Noverre, and Dauberval, “premier danseurs”
at the “Opéra” taught them dancing. When they were ill, they had the
King’s own doctor called in to prescribe for them, and expense was never
considered in the question of their education.
Hélène sketches in a most comic way the three mistresses of the “Blues”
in her time: Madame de Montluc (in religion Mère Quatre-Temps),
“good-natured, quiet, careful, but far too fussy”; Madame de Montbourcher
(Mère Sainte Macaire), “good-natured, stupid, very ugly, and _dreadfully_
afraid of ghosts”; Madame de Fresnes (Mère Sainte Bathilde), “ugly,
good-natured, great at telling stories.”
The “Blues” were usually promoted to the “White” or First Communion
Class at ten, but Hélène’s tendency to get into scrapes kept her back a
whole year, even after her companion in mischief, Mlle de Choiseul, had
been promoted. Probably the nuns thought it better to separate these two
choice spirits for a while, even though Hélène knew at her finger tips
everything that was to be known of the Blues’ programme.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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