2d. A large community-room, with plain benches fixed against the wall
to sit, and lower ones in front to place our feet upon. There is a
fountain in the passage near the chimney at the farther end, for
washing the hands and face, with a green curtain sliding on a rod
before it. This passage leads to the old nuns' sleeping-room on the
right, and the Superior's sleeping-room, just beyond it, as well as to
a staircase which conducts to the nuns' sleeping-room, or dortoir,
above. At the end of the passage is a door opening into--
3d. The dining-room; this is larger than the community-room, and has
three long tables for eating, and a chapelle, or collection of little
pictures, a crucifix, and a small image of the infant Saviour in a
glass case. This apartment has four doors, by the first of which we are
supposed to have entered, while one opens to a pantry, and the third
and fourth to the two next apartments.
4th. A large community-room, with tables for sewing, and a staircase on
the opposite left-hand corner.
5th. A community-room for prayer, used by both nuns and novices. In the
farther right-hand corner is a small room partitioned off, called the
room for the examination of conscience, which I had visited while a
novice by permission of the Superior, and where nuns and novices
occasionally resorted to reflect on their character, usually in
preparation for the sacrament, or when they had transgressed some of
the rules. This little room was hardly large enough to contain half a
dozen persons at a time.
6th. Next beyond is a large community-room for Sundays. A door leads to
the yard, and thence to a gate in the wall on the cross street.
7th. Adjoining this is a sitting-room, fronting on the cross street,
with two windows, and a store-room on the side opposite them. There is
but little furniture, and that very plain.
8th. From this room a door leads into what I may call the wax-room, as
it contains many figures in wax, not intended for sale. There we
sometimes used to pray, or meditate on the Saviour's passion. This room
projects from the main building; leaving it, you enter a long passage,
with cupboards on the right, in which are stored crockery-ware, knives
and forks, and other articles of table furniture, to replace those worn
out or broken--all of the plainest description; also, shovels, tongs,
&c. This passage leads to--
9th. A corner room, with a few benches, &c., and a door leading to a
gate on the street. Here some of the medicines were kept, and persons
were often admitted on business, or to obtain medicines with tickets
from the priests; and waited till the Superior or an old nun could be
sent for. Beyond this room we were never allowed to go; and I cannot
speak from personal knowledge of what came next.
_The Second Story_.
Beginning, as before, at the western extremity of the same wing, but on
the second story, the farthest apartment in that direction which I ever
entered was--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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