American essays; Convents; Eden Hall (Torresdale, Pa.); Pennell, Elizabeth Robins, 1855-1936; Repplier, Agnes, 1855-1950
In the year of grace which I now chronicle, the Archbishop was going
to Rome, and had promised to say good-by to us before he sailed. Those
were troubled times for Rome. Even we knew that something was wrong,
though our information did not reach far beyond this point. Like the
little girl who couldn't tell where Glasgow was, because she had not
finished studying Asia Minor, we were still wandering belated in the
third Crusade,--a far cry from united Italy. When Elizabeth, who had
read the address, said she wondered why the Pope was called "God's
great martyr saint," we could offer her very little enlightenment. I
understand that children now interest themselves in current events, and
ask intelligent questions about things they read in the newspapers.
For us, the Wars of the Roses were as yesterday, and the Crusades were
still matters for deep concern. Berengaria of Navarre had been the
"leading lady" of our day's lesson, and I had written in my "Compendium
of History"--majestic phrase--this interesting and comprehensive
statement: "Berengaria led a blameless life, and, after her husband's
death, retired to a monastery, where she passed the remainder of her
days."
It was the middle of May when the Archbishop came, and, as the
weather was warm, we wore our white frocks for the occasion. Very
immaculate we looked, ranged in a deep, shining semicircle, a blue
ribbon around every neck, and gloves on every folded hand. It would
have been considered the height of impropriety to receive, ungloved,
a distinguished visitor. As the prelate entered, accompanied by the
Superioress and the Mistress General, we swept him a deep curtsy,--oh,
the hours of bitter practice it took to limber my stiff little knees
for those curtsies!--and then broke at once into our chorus of
welcome:--
"With happy hearts we now repair
All in this joyous scene to share."
There were five verses. When we had finished, we curtsied again and sat
down, while Mary Rawdon and Eleanor Hale played a nervous duet upon the
piano.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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