48 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



ebbing after it, lingers long on liappier notes, bifore it dies away, down 

 the dim corridors be3'ond, into the silence of remembered bliss. 



The crowning glory of a convent education is, of course, the taking 

 of tihe veil. The ceremonial used in Quebec is the one approved by the 

 Theological Superiors of the Ursulincs in Paris on Micliaelmas Day, 

 in the year 1625. The appointed Sacristine carefully divides all the 

 gannents of the Postulante into sacred and profane. The profane are 

 the clothes which will be discarded during the ceremonial. The sacred 

 are those wliich will be worn at tiie beginning of the life regenerate. 

 Then tlie Postulante is dressed up as lay women dress for Avorldly cere- 

 monies; and the cross-bearer leads the way into the chapel, while all 

 the nuns follow, two and two, holding their lighted tapers in tlie outer 

 hand. The long-drawn procession is closed by three abreast : the Mother 

 Superior on the right hand, the Mother Assistant on the left, and, in 

 the centre, the Postulante, radiant in bridal white, with wreaths of 

 orange blossom in her hair, and flashing delight to ever)- worldly eye 

 wiipi the jewelled ornaments of the life she is renouncing. Attending 

 her are three little bridesmaids, also in wliite and also wearing wreaths 

 of flowers. 



In the solemn middle of the Latin mass the whole sisterhood turns 

 towards the altar, as the Archbishop begins to ask the momentous ques- 

 tion of vocation in French prose. The change of language is an abrupt 

 surprise. Suddenly, insensibly, your attention is teased with memories of 

 Faust: — ^the Dom, Amt, Org el und Gesang, the Bbser Geist, and 

 Gretchen's : 



Weh! Weh! 



War' ich der Gedanlten los ! 



Dies irse, dies ilia 

 Solvet sœclum in favilla. 



The Celebrant and Postulante are now alone, before the eyes of 

 God and man. 



Ma fille, que demandez-vous? 



La miséricorde de Dieu, le saint Itahit de la- religion, la cliai-ité de 

 l'ordre, et la société des mères. 



Ma fille, est-ce de bonne volonté, et de votre propre mouvement? 



Oui, mon Père. 



Ma fille, avez-vous ferme intention de persévérer jusqu'à la fin de 

 votre vie? 



Appuyée sur la miséricorde de Dieu j'espère le pouvoir 



faire. 



