She once asked for pen and paper, and when the Superior told her that
if she wrote to her friends she must see it, she replied, that it was
for no such purpose; she wanted to write her confession, and thus make
it once for all. She wrote it, handed it to the priest, and he gave it
to the Superior, who read it to us. It was full of offences which she
had never committed, evidently written to throw ridicule on
confessions, and one of the most ludicrous productions I ever saw.
Our bedsteads were made with narrow boards laid across them, on which
the beds were laid. One day, while we were in the bedchamber together,
she proposed that we should misplace these boards. This was done, so
that at night nearly a dozen nuns fell down upon the floor on getting
into bed. A good deal of confusion naturally ensued, but the authors
were not discovered. I was so conscience-stricken, however, that a week
afterward, while we examined our consciences together, I told her I
must confess the sin the next day. She replied, "Do as you like, but
you will be sorry for it."
The next day, when we came before the Superior, I was just going to
kneel and confess, when Jane, almost without giving me time to shut the
door, threw herself at the Superior's feet, and confessed the trick,
and a penance was immediately laid on me for the sin I had concealed.
There was an old nun, who was a famous talker, whom used to call La
Mère, (Mother). One night, Jane Ray got up, and secretly changed the
caps of several of the nuns, and hers among the rest. In the morning
there was great confusion, and such a scene as seldom occurred. She was
severely blamed by La Mère, having been informed against by some of the
nuns; and at last became so much enraged, that she attacked the old
woman, and even took her by the throat. La Mère called on all present
to come to her assistance, and several nuns interfered. Jane seized the
opportunity afforded in the confusion to beat some of her worst enemies
quite severely, and afterwards said, that she had intended to kill some
of the rascally informers.
For a time Jane made us laugh so much at prayers, that the Superior
forbade her going down with us to morning prayers, and she took the
opportunity to sleep in the morning. When this was found out, she was
forbidden to get into her bed again after leaving it, and then she
would creep under it and take a nap on the floor. This she told us of
one day, but threatened us if we ever betrayed her. At length, she was
missed at breakfast, as she would sometimes oversleep herself, and the
Superior began to be more strict, and always inquired, in the morning
whether Jane Ray was in her place. When the question was general, none
of us answered; but when it was addressed to some nun near her by name,
as, "Saint Eustace, is Jane Ray in her place?" then we had to reply.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account