Awful Disclosures | Page 8

of the United States.
When I was about ten years old, my mother asked me one day if I should not like to learn
to read and write French; and I then began to think seriously of attending the school in
the Congregational Nunnery. I had already some acquaintance with that language,
sufficient to speak it a little, as I heard it every day, and my mother knew something of it.
I have a distinct recollection of my first entrance into the Nunnery; and the day was an
important one in my life, as on it commenced my acquaintance with a Convent. I was
conducted by some of my young friends along Notre Dame street till we reached the gate.
Entering that, we walked some distance along the side of a building towards the chapel,
until we reached a door, stopped, and rung a bell. This was soon opened, and entering, we
proceeded through a long covered passage till we took a short turn to the left, soon after
which we reached the door of the school-room. On my entrance, the Superior met me,
and told me first of all that I must always dip my fingers into the holy water at her door,
cross myself, and say a short prayer; and this she told me was always required of
Protestant as well as Catholic children.
There were about fifty girls in the school, and the nuns professed to teach something of
reading, writing, arithmetic, and geography. The methods, however, were very imperfect,

and little attention was devoted to them, the time being in a great degree engrossed with
lessons in needle-work, which was performed with much skill. The nuns had no very
regular parts assigned them in the management of the schools. They were rather rough
and unpolished in their manners, often exclaiming, "c'est un menti" (that's a lie), and
"mon Dieu" (my God), on the most trivial occasions. Their writing was quite poor, and it
was not uncommon for them to put a capital letter in the middle of a word. The only book
on geography which we studied, was a catechism of geography, from which we learnt by
heart a few questions and answers. We were sometimes referred to a map, but it was only
to point out Montreal or Quebec, or some other prominent name, while we had no
instruction beyond.
It may be necessary for the information of some of my readers, to mention that there are
three distinct Convents in Montreal, all of different kinds; that is, founded on different
plans, and governed by different rules. Their names are as follows:--
1st. The Congregational Nunnery.
2d. The Black Nunnery, or Convent of Sister Bourgeoise.
3d The Grey Nunnery.
The first of these professes to be devoted entirely to the education of girls. It would
require however only a proper examination to prove that, with the exception of
needle-work, hardly anything is taught excepting prayers and the catechism; the
instruction in reading, writing, &c., in fact, amounting to very little, and often to nothing.
This Convent is adjacent to that next to be spoken of, being separated from it only by a
wall. The second professes to be a charitable institution for the care of the sick, and the
supply of bread and medicines for the poor; and something is done in these departments
of charity, although but an insignificant amount, compared with the size of the buildings,
and the number of the inmates.
The Grey Nunnery, which is situated in a distant part of the city, is also a large edifice,
containing departments for the care of insane persons and foundlings. With this, however,
I have less personal acquaintance than with either of the others. I have often seen two of
the Grey nuns, and know that their rules, as well as those of the Congregational Nunnery,
do not confine them always within their walls, like those of the Black Nunnery. These
two Convents have their common names (Black and Grey) from the colours of the
dresses worn by their inmates.
In all these three Convents, there are certain apartments into which strangers can gain
admittance, but others from which they are always excluded. In all, large quantities of
various ornaments are made by the nuns, which are exposed for sale in the Ornament
Rooms, and afford large pecuniary receipts every year, which contribute much to their
incomes. In these rooms visitors often purchase such things as please them from some of
the old [Footnote: The term "old nun," does not always indicate superior age.] and
confidential nuns who have the charge of them.
From all that appears to the public eye, the nuns of these Convents are devoted to the

charitable objects appropriate to each, the labour of making different articles, known to
be manufactured