. liift iviiiBt BBSS ■■.-.v,'". '■'.''« '''-.■''■''",-'■'• '.'• V-.-,.'. ■ . : ^/AV\-;;'y;V. ; ^:vo?/:v • ■'• ' 1 ' '• ■■■■ ■ _ ■ - ■ ■ - - ■ ■ B II MAY 12 1884 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Shelf jJMjDi UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. fc ^ > I H « 5 s o -S 2 s , ! i ■ £l \i ^-s t2 1 s v ^^^ SJ ; ^ v 5 - J * DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. Q diocese, from sunrise to sunset, each year, and shall there devoutly pray God for peace among all Christian rulers, for the extirpation of heresy, for the conversion of sinners, and for the exaltation of our Holy Mother the Church. " Moreover, we grant to each and all of the faithful a partial indulgence of seven years and seven times forty days, on whatsoever day they, being at least contrite of heart, shall visit said church and sacred image of the Blessed Virgin for a brief space of time, and pray for the above-named intentions. And we grant, finally, that each and all of the aforesaid indulgences may be applied, by way of relief, to the souls of the faithful departed, notwithstanding anything to the contrary. " These presents are good for the present and for all future time. " Given at St. Peter's, Rome, under the seal of the Fisherman, September the fifteenth, MDCCCLXXIV, the XXIX year of Our Pontificate. [Seal.] "»}.T. Card. Asquini." " We appoint the three additional days as follows : The Feast of St. Vincent de Paul, of St. Joseph, and of St. John the Baptist. "»I«John Cardinal McCloskey, Archbishop of New York. " J. M. Farley, Secretary. " New York, April 9, 1875." We believe the above-cited brief was the first document signed by the archbishop after his elevation to the cardinalate. Regaining the main road once more, you pursue your way, passing on the right a picturesque stone cottage and large stone stables and barn, built by Mr. Forrest, the celebrated actor; and, on looking to the southeast, you perceive a pathway leading to the Free School. The road leads down an easy descent, from the top of which you can get a passing glimpse of the white crosses in the Sisters' Cemetery, which lies to the extreme right, and of the little shrine of Our Lady of Consolation, within the cemetery. Onward we go until we reach the rustic gate, which bars the en- trance to a private road leading down to the rear of the Academy. IO DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. The principal drive at this point bears to the left, and curves into an avenue skirted with beautiful trees. On the right can be STONE COTTAGE. Donor : Catherine dwelt. seen the fair shrine of Our Lady of the Fountain topping the green hill-side, and on the left you can look down upon a wild spot — " The Ravine " — in which a pretty little shrine of the angels hal- CURVED ROADWAY. Donors : The Misses Ferrall. DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 1 1 lows the inclosure to the " Angels' Spring." This shrine is a thanks-offering for the discovery — October 2, 1867 — of the never- STEAM LAUNDRY. failing spring that bubbles beneath. The large steam-laundry is at the foot of this ravine. Turning a curve in front of the massive JUARDIAN ANGEL AND CHILD. Donor : Lilliiui Doyle. statue of the Guardian Angel and Child, which gives name to this roadway, you reach 12 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. Fonthill Castle, which, combining the Gothic and Norman styles of architecture, attracts the attention of all who pass up and down the river. * The castle consists of six octagon towers joined to one another, and rising to different heights, the battlements of some being notched with embrasures, and those of others capped with solid corniced coping. The highest, the staircase tower, rises about sixty-five or seventy feet from the base. The others are named the center tower, the main tower, the library tower, the drawing- room tower, and the dining-hall tower. The basement contains the kitchen, cellars, furnace, etc. The drawing-room, library, bou- doir, and dining-hall are on the first floor, f The library is now converted into a Mineral Cabinet, of great value and beauty. The library-cases were removed to the Academy, and replaced by some which were fitted expressly for the exhibition of the minerals. This cabinet contains the entire "Ar- nold Collection," donated to the institution, July, 1872, by Dr. Edmund S. F. Arnold, of Newport, who devoted many months to the classification and cataloguing of the same. The cabinet con- tains about fourteen hundred valuable specimens, without counting the duplicates placed elsewhere. The room being octagonal in * The castle in its exterior somewhat resembles the strongholds of those old Norman barons who at one time held sway over England, and whose descendants even to the pres- ent time retain possession of the land which they wrested from the people. Its greatest length is seventy-five feet and its greatest width forty-five feet. + The library is a beautiful room ; the floor is formed of a variety of woods — mahogany, black-walnut, satin-wood, oak, pine, and others — and the combination has a peculiarly pleasing effect. < <5 "3 H DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. form, we see only a small portion of the cabinet in the engraving. It undoubtedly ranks among the very first of the private collec- MINERAL CABINET. Donor : Mary E. Dodge. tions in the United States. There is also a representative collec- tion of shells and birds ; the latter are arranged in what was called the Drawing-Room. In the center of this room is a case of rare antique coins, collected and presented by that accomplished scholar, John Gilmary Shea, LL. D., of Elizabeth, New Jersey. The catalogue of the collection has been tastefully and beautifully illuminated by his gifted daugh- ter. Miss Emma G. Shea. These coins possess great historical value : one is the coin of the tribute ; another belongs to the time of Julian the Apostate; and still another commemorates the vanity of the Emperor Caligula, who, wishing to gain the glory of a triumph, went with his army to the sea-shore, collected a few DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 15 shells, and returned to enjoy the coveted honor. These are but a few of the many interesting pieces. The center tower comprises a vestibule leading into a magnifi- cent rotunda, which occupies about one sixth of the space of the NATURAL HISTORY ROOM. Donors : The Mints 'Rorkt whole castle. It is lighted by a glass dome, and the floor is of encaustic tiling of a tesselated pattern. The form of the hall is octagonal, and a gallery, the facing of which is composed of a series of Norman arches, runs round its eight sides at a height of about sixteen feet from the floor. The ceiling is also in the Nor- man style, and is deeply groined — a feature in admirable uniformity with the general style of the structure. Large, grotesque-looking heads of men and animals, carved out of solid oak, look down upon you from above the gallery. The upper rooms form sleep- ing-apartments for the resident chaplain, etc. One is designated the " Cardinal's room." 3 1 6 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. The staircase tower has a spiral granite staircase, inserted in a solid brick column, rising from the basement to the top of this the highest tower, and with landings on each floor leading to good- sized apartments. From the highest point of this tower a cross of rare beauty of outline is now displayed, thus denoting the religious character of the present occupants of the castle, and the new pur- poses to which it is devoted. The castle, as we have remarked, combines both the Norman and the Gothic styles, softened in some of their details so as to embrace the graces of modern times. For instance, the cabinet, drawing-room, and dining-hall are lighted with deep, square bay- windows, while the windows of the boudoir and upper rooms are of the Gothic order. In other portions of the castle are to be seen the rounded windows of the Norman period, with their solid stone mullions dividing the compartments again into pointed Gothic. Loop-holes and buttresses are not wanting to impart the appearance of a regularly fortified castle. There are two grand entrances : one from the east, the other exactly opposite, on the river-front, each leading into the octagonal hall of the center tower. The site was well chosen. From the top of the staircase tower one can see as far as Sing Sing on one side, and Staten Island on the other. On the opposite side the stately Palisades rise precipit- ously from the river's bank ; on the north lie the city of Yonkers, the towns of Hastings and Nyack, the pretty little hamlet at Tap- pan's Bay, and the village of Piermont, with its white cottages glistening like shells on the distant shore. The castle is built of silicious granite of a gray color, of extraordinary hardness, and of a much finer grain than the com- mon Boston granite. The walls are not only composed of this DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. X j material, but the entire castle stands upon an immense bed of the same. Having made the tour of the castle, and gazed upon the gro- tesque faces and exquisitely carved tracery over the picture-gallery, perhaps you will wonder whether Fonthill Castle borrows its name from that marvelous architectural creation of Beckford, and known in England as Fonthill Abbey. We know not ; some say it does, others that our American castle derives its name from a local peculiarity. Mr. Forrest never passed even one night in his castle, and poor Beckford could not rest in his. Yet both these person- ages will live in the minds of men : one as one of the grandest impersonators of the greatest characters of Shakespeare, the other as the eccentric author of Vathek, and as a builder of two or three Fonthill towers. Coming out of the castle by the eastern entrance, we find our- selves in front of the Academy of Mount St. Vincent, which is thus situated in the midst of most beautiful surroundings. Spread out before it is the grand panorama of the Hudson. Such sce- nery can hardly be equaled in classic Europe itself; for, after all that has been said and written about the Rhine and the Fo and the Adige, can any one of them surpass the Hudson in sublime and picturesque scenery? It certainly comprises all the beauties of European landscapes, and at the same time a wild and sub- lime grandeur peculiarly its own. The Palisades, rising in solemn stateliness, form a wall of beauty along the western shore of the mighty river — mighty in its charms, and more than the " Rhine of America." The Hudson, it is true, has none of those old ruins which give such attractiveness to the great rivers of Europe to which we ° 5 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. Ig have just alluded ; but its historic associations are no less inspiring. The thriving cities and towns that dot its banks almost from its source to its confluence with the waters of the ocean are substi- tutes for the crumbling ruins of feudal strongholds, which bespeak a past that, with all its noble traits of chivalry and stern devotion to principle and truth, tell of a time of strife and bloodshed — a time when men must inevitably have relapsed into barbarism but for the civilizing, reforming, and humanizing influence of holy Church. Here from the elevation on which the Academy stands we have an uninterrupted view of the scenery up the Hudson for a distance of many miles, and away to the south we descry Staten Island, while we divine the position of the great metropolis by the clouded atmosphere which veils it from view. At the base of the Palisades — most remarkable specimens of trap-rock — flows the great river, with its ever-changing, ever-moving panorama of busy, active life, bearing upon its bosom the products of the Great West. Not far away are Yonkers and the picturesque village of Tar- rytown, so celebrated in Revolutionary history from being in close proximity to the spot where Major Andre was captured. Near by, too, is Sleepy Hollow, immortalized by Irving. There are, indeed, many places of legendary and Revolutionary interest in this vicinity. The grounds on which the Academy is situated are admirably adapted to its purposes. They are intersected by numerous prom- enades, some of which are cut through the grove, which affords a cool and delightful retreat on warm days. The recreation-grounds occupy about ten acres, and embrace a variety of hill and lawn, of wood and ravine. Shady seats are provided at various points, and 20 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. croquet-grounds are located in the rear of the house. A flagged walk extends in curves along the road through the grounds from the depot to the entrance, a distance of three quarters of a mile. Having described the character of the locality in which the Academy is situated, we shall now describe the building itself. It is constructed in the Byzantine style, the ground plan being in the form of a parallelogram, with projections on the longer sides. The principal of these projections are formed by the tower, as seen in the frontispiece. The chapel, which is in the rear of the building, is so constructed that a portion of it is within the edifice, by which arrangement it can be entered either from the Academy or convent, both of which, although within the same structure, are yet as distinct as if they were separate houses. A large extension, one hundred by sixty feet, projects from the southeast corner of the parallelogram, and a corresponding one is situated on the northeast corner. The other projections, except the kitchen, besides those we have mentioned, are simply the extension of a portion of the building beyond the front line of the ground plan. These projec- tions give an increase of space. The greatest length of the build- ing, including the extensions, is four hundred and sixty-seven feet, and its greatest depth, including the chapel, one hundred and eighty-six. The central tower rises to one hundred and eighty feet, and its summit is four hundred feet above the level of the river. High up in this tower stands a large tower-clock, whose hammer strikes on a sweet-toned bell of twelve hundred and twenty-eight pounds weight. The clock was put in position May 22, 1877, the day on which the Golden Jubilee of the late Holy Father was celebrated. It was made to strike fifty times on that joyous occasion. At the foot of this tower is a spacious porch, DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 21 BALCONY OF ACADEMY. Donor : Maria L. Feury. forty feet square and twenty-six high, forming an admirable balcony. Double verandas extend along the river-front, making in all over five hundred feet of pleasant promenade. GRAND ENTRANC1 Donor: Jane P. Thompson. 22 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. The front entrance, fifteen feet high, is reached by a double flight of steps. Having ascended these, you enter the first vesti- RFCErTlON-ROOM. Donors : The Misses Keilly. Jersey City. bule, finished with groined ceilings and rich moldings. Passing on to a second vestibule, ornamented in a different style from R.EI I PTION-ROOM. Donor : Olive Chatjield. the first, having coved ceilings and four frescoed medallions in vignette of St. Vincent de Paul, you reach the main hall. Pur- suing your way, you pass between fine busts of Pius IX and Archbishop Hughes, and as you now stand you occupy the line that divides the building, the southern half being devoted to the Academy. The vestibules and entrance-hall are tiled with white and black DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 23 RECEPTION-ROOMS. SECTIONAL VIEW, LOOKING SOUTH. Donors : The Misses Keilly, A'ew York. diamond-shaped blocks of marble. To the right and left as you enter are suites of reception-rooms ; and, directly in front of the entrance, folding-doors lead into the Chapel, which is, with its recent addition of 1874, one hundred and thirty- five feet long by fifty-eight wide, and forty-eight feet high. The sanctuary is a gem of beauty ; the altar-piece and the Angels of the Passion were painted by Brumidi in oil-fresco. During his long residence at the castle while executing his brilliant work, 4 CHAPEL OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. In Memoriam : Julia Farrell. DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 25 Brumidi became so enamored with the beauty of the surroundings at Mount St. Vincent that he wept like a child on taking his final leave. The sanctuary is a monument to the generosity of devoted friends. The expense of the canopy over the main altar, the altar of St. Joseph, the communion railing — all of purest white marble — together with the decoration of the entire chapel, was borne by the late Rev. Michael Curran, of New York. The white marble altar of the Blessed Virgin is the joint gift of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Cornell, of Yonkers, New York. The fine organ built by Hilbourne Roosevelt, is the gift of the late Rev. John B. Daly, of New York. The high altar was donated by Thomas E. Davis, Esq., and was privileged in perpetuity by the late Holy Father, Pope Pius the Ninth. The three altars were solemnly consecrated March 25, 1874, by the Right Rev. Francis McNierny, D. D., Bishop of Albany, to whom his Eminence, the Cardinal Archbishop of New York, had delegated for the occasion every privilege of office. At the south side of the sanctuary there is an extension, forming a side-chapel, about thirty by thirty feet, for the accommodation of the domestics connected with the institution. In the correspond- ing extension on the north side are two sacristies, both amply furnished. Passing down the middle aisle of the chapel we can see two beautiful paintings in oil-fresco, in the upper sections just outside the sanctuary — the Adoration of the Magi, and the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Temple. The next point of interest is the 26 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. Grand Study Hall, one hundred by sixty, and twenty-eight feet high. The com- mencement exercises are held here, and during sessions the senior and special classes use this hall for study, recreation, etc. GRAND STUDY HALL. Donors : The Misses Dunphy. Ascending the broad staircase outside the folding-doors by which we gain admittance to the grand study hall, we find our- selves in the Music Hall, into which twenty-three distinct music-rooms open. The hall itself is about thirty feet by sixty, and serves admirably for rehearsals, musical readings, etc. From the first opening of the institution, in 1847, the profess- ors of music have been distinguished. Mrs. M. E. Lacey, who still holds a signal rank in her profession, was among its first teachers. Very soon after the removal of the Academy from the Central DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 2 7 Park to its present location, Mr. Gustavus Schmitz, organist of the old St. Patrick's Cathedral, assumed charge of the vocal and instru- MUSIC HALL. Donor: William F. Pecker. mental departments, and continued his labors with rare success to within a few months before his death, in 1876. He identified himself with his work at the Mount, and imparted his own enthu- siastic love of his art to his many pupils, by whom he is remem- bered as a teacher of great ability and of exalted character. He has been most worthily succeeded by Mr. William F. Pecher, organist of the new St. Patrick's Cathedral. Mr. Pecher, declining to take charge of the vocal department, happily secured the distinguished services of Mr. Emilio Agramonte, who is as untiring as himself in imparting knowledge. Thus, pupils having a special talent for music, and desirous of devoting time to the »8 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. highest culture therein, have every opportunity afforded them for a thorough study of the science. A singular impetus to the study of music has been given by GUSTAVIS SCHMITZ. Donors : His nieces — the Misses Grosz. the foundation of four medals — two of gold, for excellence in instrumental and vocal, and two of silver, for the second in merit. These exquisitely wrought medals were founded in 1881 in the vocal department, and in the following year those for the other department were added by the same liberal benefactress who has very amply endowed them. We transcribe her letter : " Paris, a 24 Mars 1881. " Madame la Supirieure de l ' Acadhnie de Mt. St. Vincent. "Madame: Ayant toujours pris un grand interet aux instituts d'enseignement diriges par des corporations religieuses, et ayant et6 moi-meme eleve au Convent du St. Nora de Jesus a Toulouse, je prends la liberie de m'adresser a. vous, par DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 29 1'entremise de mon beau-frere M. Emile Agramonte, qui m'a donne les renseigne- ments les plus favorables sur l'Academie de Mt. St. Vincent a laquelle vous pre- sidez si dignement. " Comme je possede une fortune considerable, je me propose d'offrir deux medailles, une en or et l'autre en argent. Ces deux medailles, que nous appele- rons celles de Ste. Cecile, en honneur de la patronne de la musique, seront dis- tributes aux deux eleves qui se seront les plus distinguees dans un concours qui aura lieu devant un juree de connaisseurs dans l'art du chant dans l'academie et auquel l'arrangement du dit concours appartiendra. " Esperant que vous voudrez bien accepter ma modeste offrande, je suis, ma- dame, Votre humble servante, "(Dolores Fernandez Bramosio) Mme. de Aris-Agramonte." September 1, 1881, Mine. Agramonte was married to Prince Dominique Radziwill, now of Paris. Rules of the Instrumental and Vocal Competitions for the St. Cecilia Gold am> Silver Medals. 1. Both competitions shall take place either in the last week of May or the first week in June. 2. To be a competitor in either department a pupil must have studied music in such department of the Academy two consecutive years, and by the date of competition must have merited an aver- age of eighty per cent — that is the largest number possible. 3. The selections for the competitions shall be announced be- fore or immediately after the Christmas holidays. 4. There shall be three judges : the Academy chooses one, the professor one, and the professor of instrumental music shall be the third in the vocal competition and the professor of vocal music in the instrumental competition. Should either professor have pupils of his in the other department, and, in consequence, feel unwilling 30 ?( UPTIVE SKETCH, to act as judge, he ma) name some one to acl For him, or request the two judges chosen to appoint a third. 5, The medals shall be awarded, in the presence of the supe- rioress and directress, to the first and second competitors in the ordei of merit. A written document stating the result shall be signed by all the judges, but shall be kept private until the com- mencement 6. A pupil to whom the silver medal has been adjudged is tree to compete again for the higher medal. l 'in- senior classes may be present at the competition. \ . \ DESCRII' Tl I ■/■: SKETCH. On the floor above the music hall is the oratory of 3i Mater A dmi kahilis, to which so many privileges are attached, through the instance of his Eminence the Cardinal. The following is a transcript of the tablet on the wall of the oratory : "Indulgences granted by our Holy Father, Pope Pius the Ninth, to the oratory of the Most Holy Virgin, known under the title of Mate)- Admirabilis, at the Convent of Mount St. Vincent, confirmed in perpetuity at the request of the Most Rev. [now ORATORY MATER ADMIRABILIS. Donor: Julia Rtgina Spellman. Cardinal] John McCloskey, Archbishop of New York, July 30, 1865 : " 1. Once a year, at the choice of the Sisters, to the pupils and others living in the convent, who, after having confessed and com- 5 32 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. municated, shall visit the oratory and pray for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff. " 2. Twice a month, on the above conditions. This indulgence extends to priests who are in the habit of saying mass in this ora- tory, and to all in any way connected with the duties of the house. In cases of illness and infirmity, these indulgences can be gained by the confessor assigning some other good works instead of those prescribed. " 3. To all the Sisters, pupils, and others who reside in the con- vent, as also to the faithful of either sex who, having confessed and communicated, shall visit the oratory on the twentieth of Oc- tober, the day on which, by a special privilege, the Feast of the A/ost Holy Virgin, under the title of Mater Admirabilis, is cele- brated, and also on the following feasts : Christmas, the Circum- cision, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Corpus Christi, Immaculate Conception, Nativity, Annunciation, Purification and Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, and of St. John the Evangelist. " Partial Indulgences. " 1. Seven years and seven quarantains on the feasts of the other apostles to all who visit said oratory, and, with contrite heart, pray for the intentions of the Sovereign Pontiff. " 2. Three hundred days' indulgence to all the faithful who recite the 'Ave Maria' and the invocation, 'Mater Admirabilis, Cra pro nobis' three times before the representation of the Most Holy Virgin in the above-mentioned oratory. " All these indulgences are applicable to the souls in pur- gatory." DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 33 Class-Rooms, There are fifteen cheerful class-rooms, large and well-ventilated The Kindergarten and junior classes are on the first floor, the UNI) K RGR A li I A TES ROOM. Donor: Emma G. ffannon. middle and special classes on the second, and the senior classes on the third. Tin-: Printing-office is on the floor above the oratory, but in the northeast corner of the building. Catalogues, programmes, and many small volumes for the Sisters' private use, have been printed here; also a truly PRINTING-OFFICE. Potior: Angela Keenan, magnificent quarto edition of the " Conferences of St. Vincent de Paul," containing about twelve hundred pages. 34 In DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. The Dormitories there are seventeen large sleeping-apartments occupied by the pupils, and it is probable the number will be much increased on the completion of the north wing of the institution, the founda- DORMITORY. Donir : Mary G. Smith. tions of which will be laid this autumn (1883). Alcoves or pri- vate toilet-rooms are arranged along the partitions. Even the walls of these rooms are carefully ventilated, and the best sanitary regulations are enforced. Descending (unless you wish to ascend the one hundred and forty-two steps of the tower), we will visit first the Art-Room. This room is twenty-five by forty-three feet. It is almost a pity that all the fine paintings, etc., possessed by the institution are not grouped in one gallery. We append a list of the principal oil- paintings : DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 35 ART-ROOM. Donor; Annie L. Boyle. Gifts to the Art Department. " The Ecce Homo." (Oils.) After Carlo Dolci. Donor : Miss Greene, of New York. (1847.) " St. Catharine of Bologna." (Oils.) Donor : Rev. Jos. A. Lutz, New York. (1847.) " Mater Dolorosa." (Oils.) Donor : Miss Greene, of New York. (1847.) "St. Basil." (Painted on Copper.) Donor : Very Rev. John Powers, D. D., V. G. (1847.) "The Holy Family," Correggio. (Oils.) Donor: An Artist Friend. (1856.) Two fine Paintings of "St. Francis of Assissium." (Oils.) Donor : A Clergyman, (i860.) Life-size Painting of our Lord. (Sacred Heart.) (Oils.) Donor: Rev. William PlowJcn Morrogh, D. D., New York, (i860.) "The Old and the New Law," an allegorical painting. (Oils.) Donor : Most Rev. John Hughes, D. D. (i860.) " St. Jerome's Last Communion." (Oils.) Domenichino. Copied in Rome. Donor: Chas. Gibbons, Esq., New York. (1861.) "Our Lady of Rimini." "Our Lady of Perseverance." "Our Lady of Sorrows." (Oils.) Donor : Rev. Edward Mc Glynn, D.D., New York. (1866.) 36 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. " St. Anthony of Padua." (Oils.) After Murillo. Donor: Jas. Con ray, Esq., of New York. (1867. "The Annunciation." (Oils.) A Florentine painting after Guido Reni. Donor : Michael Gcrnon, Esq., New Orleans. (1867. " Mater Dolorosa." (Oils.) Donor: Rev. Nicholas O'Donnell, of Brooklyn. (1867. Portrait of the Most Rev. John Hughes, D. D. (Oils.) Healy. Donor: His Eminence Cardinal McCloskey. (1867. " Mater Admirabilis." Roman Engraving. Donor : Very Rev. IVm. Starrs, D. D., V. G. (1867. "St. Francis de Sales." (Oils.) Donor: A Lady of New York. (1867. "St. Jerome." (Steel Line Engraving.) Donor : Mrs. Coffey, Brooklyn. (1867. "Life Duties of the Sisters of Charity." (Oils.) Galliardi, Rome. Donor: Hon. John Kelly, Neiv York. (1873. " St. Vincent de Paul." " Madame le Gras." (Oils.) Copied from origi- nal portraits. Donor: A Lady of New York. (1874. "Crucifixion Group, and the Angels of the Passion." Oil-Fresco, Brumidi. Donor: Rev. M. Curran, of New York. (1874. Portrait of the Very Rev. Wm. Starrs, D. D., V. G. Donor: A Lady of New York. (1874. " The Sistine Madonna." (Oils.) Copied in Dresden. Donor : Miss Eugenie Dolan, of Boston. (1875. "St. Jerome." (Oils.) Donor : Rev. M. P. O'Earrell, New York. (1875. "The Last Supper," after Leonardo da Vinci. (Swiss Carving.) Donor: Rev. Thomas Mooncy, New York. (1875. "The Good Shepherd." (Swiss Carving.) Donor : Prof. Jas. Montcith, New York. (1876. "Seven Etchings of great merit." Donor : J. Karst, Esq., of New York. (1879. A Set of Models in Plaster, including Michael Angelo's " Moses." Donor : G. P. Morosini, Esq., New York. (1879. "Christ Talking to the Woman of Samaria." (Oils.) Florentine Painting. Donor : James Otey Bradford, U. S. N. (1880. "St. Peter Curing the Lame Man." (Painted on Copper.) Donor: A. Dowdney, Esq., of New York. (1880. "Louis Sixteenth surrounded by his Family." Engraving. Donor: A lady of New York. (1880. "Christ Talking to the Samaritan Woman." Donor: Airs. Wm. Cash/nan, San Francisco. (1883. DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 37 Statuary. " Our Lord and the Apostles." After Thorwaldsen. " Life-size Statue of St. Vincent de Paul." Donor : Mr. Beck, Danish Consul. (1849.) " Bust of the Most Rev. John Hughes, D. D." Donor: A lady of New York, (i860.) " Christmas Group, Manger, and Eight Life-size Statues." Munich. Donor: Rev. Wm. H. dowry. (1867.) " Statue of the Sacred Heart." Life-size. Donor: A lady of New York. (1867.) " Mater Amabilis." (Classic.) Donor: Anonymous. (1S69.) " The Repose of Jesus in the Arms of St. Joseph." Life-size. Donor: A lady of New York. (1869.) " A Crucifix." (St. Louis), 4^ ft. Masterpiece. Donor: Rev. Eugene Maguire, of New York. (1872.) " St. Anthony of Padua." Donor: Mrs. C. Bruguiere, of New York. (1873.) " Bust of His Holiness Pius the Ninth." Donors: Three ladies of New York. (1876.) " Our Lady of Victory." (Bronze. ) Donor : Win. If. Sadlier, Esq., New York. (1876.) The Refectory is a large room, about forty by fifty feet. There is another refectory for the middle and junior classes. smaller PUPILS REFECTORY. Donors: The Misses Kentpston. Perhaps we have tarried quite long enough within-doors, and, if so, let us go out and meet our friends who are coming by rail. They alight on the platform at the right, and cross to the 38 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. Mount St. Vincent Station, which is most picturesquely situated on the southern point of a small headland, running out opposite the castle, and extending northward along the whole frontage of the Academy, and forming, with the river's bank, a little sheltered cove or battery, from whieh a fine boat-landing extends. Northward from the landing are large bath-houses for the convenience of the pupils ; the water being MOUNT ST. VINCENT STATION. Donors : Misses Reitty, Jersey City. quite brackish, many of the advantages of regular sea-bathing re- sorts are enjoyed here. This little cape, covered with trees, is separated from the Academy lawn by the track of the Hudson River Railroad. Over the cut of the railroad, which is thirty feet in depth, is thrown a strong foot and carriage bridge, thus con- necting the beach with the grounds. Now we find ourselves in full view of the Academy and castle, and before us stretches an undulating lawn. At our left is a rustic summer-house, commanding a full view of the river, railroad, and 40 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. lawn ; to the right, a beautiful shrine, inclosing a life-size statue of St. Joseph. Farther up, along the curved roadway and flagged sidewalk, we approach the fountain called " Mater Divinae Gratise," MATER DIVIN.B GRATI/E. In Memoriam : Ellen C. Kent. VIEW OF CASTLE FROM TERRACE. Donor : A nnie I lagan. at the foot of the terraces. Along by the basin of this fountain is the Cardinal's favorite walk, and to the left we can see his shel- tered seat. VIEW OF TERRACE FROM FOOT-rATH. Donor : Kiltie Yates Hagan. Winding our way easterly around the castle, we obtain a trans- verse view of the terrace. DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 41 Approaching the front entrance of the institution, we see, about one hundred yards onward, the shrine of St. Vincent de Paul, containing a large statue of the saint. It was presented by Mr. Beck, Danish consul in 1849. Shall we now continue our drive SHRINK OF ST. VINCENT HE PAUL. In Metnoriam : Cecilia Casey. along the tortuous road leading to the rear of the Academy and to the shrine of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which contains a life- ROADWAY NEAR GROTTO. Donor : Nellie E. V. Hagan. size statue of our Lord, and is enriched with special indulgences, obtained by his Eminence Cardinal McCloskey on the occasion of 42 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. his visit to Rome in 1875 ; so that, on the usual conditions, a plenary indulgence can be obtained by visiting this shrine on the Feast of the Sacred Heart and on the first Friday of every month? Trusting that you will alight to say some devout prayers at this favored spot, we invite you to drive on through the rustic entrance to the main road and along Riverdale Avenue to St. Vincent's Free School, which is situated near the corner of Riverdale Avenue arid the road running along the southern boundary of the Academy prem- ises. Half an acre of ground, with a frontage of one hundred and thirty-three feet on the roadway, has been set apart for the Free School. The building itself is of brick, sixty-four by ninety feet, ^^^^W^Svais^!^ ST. Vincent's free school. Donor : Elizabeth McEnroe. with a high stone basement. Two large furnaces are in this base- ment, which is divided into spacious halls, affording ample room for recreation in unpleasant weather. There are four class-rooms in the first story, each thirty by thirty feet, and fifteen feet high ; two smaller rooms, a very pleas- ant reception-room, and a cloak-room, thirteen by fourteen feet. DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. 43 Two winding staircases lead up to the grand hall. The hall is sixty feet square and sixteen feet high. Its stage is on an elevated platform, twelve by twenty-eight feet, with two pleasant rooms on either side, and a large lobby and hallway in front of each room. One side of the class-room floor is appropriated to boys and the other to girls, each side with separate grounds, gateways, and entrances, and with separate and roomy stairways leading to the grand hall. The entire building is well heated, lighted with gas, and fur- nished throughout with all modern appliances and' school-fixtures. About one hundred and thirty pupils from the neighborhood have been in regular attendance since the opening of this school in Sep- tember, 1876; and, after the wear and tear of seven years, the fur- niture and entire building look as fresh and new as when it was opened. Every succeeding Christmas-tide convenes an immense crowd to view the beautiful crib, which is always arranged with taste, devotion, and exceeding care, in the recess formed by the stage in the grand hall. St. Vincent's Free School is a monument to the zeal and piety of the pupils of Mount St. Vincent. It cost as it now stands, without the ground, about twenty-seven thousand dollars. Miss Elizabeth E. Duffy, deceased, a former pupil, left a legacy to the Academy of Mount St. Vincent, without designating any special object to which she wished it to be devoted ; a clerical friend, the Rev. John B. Daly, had given several thousand dollars to be used for some charitable purpose ; and the former and present pupils of the Academy, in 1874 and 1876, contributed or transmitted funds amounting to several thousand. These moneys paid for the erec- tion of the school-house. Mrs. John Purcell, for a long time a 44 DESCRIPTIVE SKETCH. domestic at Mount St. Vincent, gave an amount sufficient to fur- nish the entire building. Thomas C. Cornell, Esq., of Yonkers, New York, whose name is identified with the rise and progress of religion and education in this vicinity, contributed his invaluable services as architect and superintendent. The school is supported without public aid ; the classes are graded ; and music-lessons are given to such as evince a talent for music. In front of St. Vincent's Free School, which is near Riverdale Avenue, there is a direct roadway extending along the southern boundary of the Academy premises to the Mount St. Vincent Railway Station. This road or lane was opened, to exclude public travel from the Academy grounds. feC,^^/>&- :W HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE ACADEMY MOUNT ST. VINCENT, FROM ITS OPENING IN 1S47 TO 1883. The institution now so beautifully situated on the majestic banks of the " Rhine of America " was first located on an emi- nence overlooking Harlem, Astoria, and Yorkville, and designated on all State maps as " McGowan's Pass." Manhattan Island could OLD MOUNT ST. VINCENT, IOgTH STREET AND FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK. Donors : The Misses Mackay. not have furnished for an educational establishment a fairer or a more eligible site. Its elevation was equal to that of any spot, save one, between the East and the North Rivers. The extended 4 6 HISTORICAL SKETCH. views from the balconies of the Academy were delightful : the eye was charmed by the panorama of the city to the westward, and of the miniature islands which intercept "the meeting of the waters" at Hell Gate and its vicinity. The villages of Harlem, Yorkville, and Manhattanville formed a kind of cordon around the base of the majestic height upon which the Academy stood. The snowy galliots, schooners, and sloops, for inland commerce with Long Island Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, rendered the outlook one of exceeding beauty. At the other side of the East River the pleasant suburban villages of Astoria, Greenpoint, Will- iamsburg, and the city of Brooklyn, presented a charming prospect. The locality possesses some historic repute, the center building, as shown in the illustration, having been occupied by Washington as his headquarters. A bastion, dating back to 1776* lies to the BASTION, 1876. Donor : Mary Jackson. north of the hill. The premises were held by the McGowan family until purchased by the Academy. The first mass was said at Mount St. Vincent, May 2, 1847, by the Right Rev. Bishop Hughes. After mass, he said: " My dear children, as I am pressed for time this morning, I can say only a few words. I need not delay to bless the house, * From Valentine's "Manual of the Common Council," New York, 1868. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 47 since no blessing can exceed that of having the Holy Sacrifice offered for the first time on this newly erected altar. " My dear Sisters, and you, my dear children, who are aspiring to become Sisters of Charity, you are like the little grain of mus- tard-seed — small, indeed, in the eyes of those who see no further than to-morrow, and perhaps not that far, but great in the eyes of God. You all intend that this house shall be a house of prayer ; for God says, ' My house shall be called a house of prayer.' Let your prayer be humble, fervent, and constant. Have nothing in view but the love and service of God, doing in all things his most holy will. " Thus you will consecrate this house by your fervor, and you will prosper. From this humble beginning God will be glorified and served, if you are but faithful to the graces he will dispense to you. That you may be so is the blessing I invoke upon you, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen." * The new home, on what was then but a bleak rock, was cer- tainly most uninviting. But the living presence of Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of Justice, illumined it, and, from his altar-throne, he united the hearts of his daughters in one firm, determined, self- sacrificing purpose, to honor his holy name and to advance his work. The house as it then stood was a small frame building, con- taining only four rooms and an attic-floor. The southwest parlor had been devoted to the purposes of a chapel, and so dear did its little wooden altar become, that it is still preserved at the new Mount as a sacred memorial of those days, and as the wit- * These notes were preserved by a novice who was present on the occasion. 7 48 HISTORICAL SKETCH. ness of the first vows of the sisterhood. How many holy and tender memories cluster round those days of destitution and ob- scurity ! In the September of 1847 tne north wing was completed, and the distribution of prizes of St. Joseph's Select School in New York had been purposely delayed that they might serve as the opening exercises of the new Academy. These exercises took place on September 13th. The morning had been dark and lower- ing, later the rain had fallen in torrents, but just before the hour named the sun shone out in great splendor* Everything passed off satisfactorily, and from that day the Academy of Mount St. Vincent dates its local origin, for forty young girls of St. Joseph's Select School were then entered as resident pupils at the Mount. On July 18, 1849, Bishop Hughes presided at the commence- ment exercises at the Mount. As he entered the crowded hall, the audience was surprised to see at his side a noble specimen of the Catholic priest and Irish gentleman — of benevolent countenance and amiable bearing — who was no other than the great "Apostle of Temperance," Father Mathew. He sat at' the place of honor, and, by request of the Bishop, distributed the crowns and prizes. The exercises were agreeably suspended by the appearance of a little miss.f who came to welcome Father Mathew. She bore a beautiful garland, which she gracefully presented, saying : " Accept, dear father, these simple flowers as a trifling memento of our deep regard and affection : they are frail and perishable, and, like all of this earth's beauty, their fragrance will soon pass * The Bishop had watched the weather closely, and, as soon as the sun appeared in un- usual glory, he dispatched a messenger, saying, " Go tell the Sisters that yon gleaming sun is my only answer to their inquiry whether I shall drive to the Mount this afternoon." + Mary Manning. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 4g away. But the treasure which you have acquired by a life devoted to the service of Him who regards the least action is not so eva- nescent ; and, when your bark, freighted with the gold of many an action seen only by the Divine Eye, shall have moved on to the blissful shore of eternity, the quicksands and tempests of life securely passed, may you receive from him a munificent reality of which this is only a type — a crown of unfading glory!" This brief address, which was well delivered, was received with loud applause. Father Mathew rose instantly, saying : " You have taken me quite by surprise. I did not expect this tribute from you. I receive your beautiful garland with gratitude, and also the sentiment of the address that accompanied it — every line breathes eloquence. These flowers are an emblem of your purity and virtues. I am sure I speak the sentiments of every one present when I say that we have all heard with heart-felt pleasure the delightful manifestation of a high musical talent, and have witnessed in the rewards conferred the evidence of advance- ment in other branches of education. The progress you have made is highly creditable to your Alma Mater, from whom you have also imbibed the pure milk of virtue. I congratulate the Sisters of the community ; their labors are abundantly evident in the exercises of this day. Their best reward is in the glorious con- sciousness of training up future mothers and matrons, their present safeguard of honor and virtue. For myself, I can not express my feelings for your kindness ; but I shall always preserve this memento."* The Bishop, at the conclusion of the exercises, thus expressed himself : * A beautiful chorus, composed in his honor, was sung, and was warmly applauded. 50 HISTORICAL SKETCH. " You have delighted all with your musical performances, my dear children and young ladies. The gentle and eloquent voice that spoke in your name has right truthfully interpreted my senti- ments in reference to this institution, and it were impossible that other sentiments could animate me when I remember that, two years ago, this beautiful spot was a barren ground, or rather rock, for there was more of that apparent ; and reflect on what the zeal, ability, and perseverance of the religious ladies to whom your edu- cation is intrusted have accomplished on so bleak a field. " To-day they are surrounded by a host of young ladies, who exhibit, not only in the progress they have made in scholastic studies, but in all their demeanor, the value and importance of a religious education. How, then, could I but be delighted? It seems as if this little spot were nurtured with the spontaneous dews and sunlight of heaven, so rapidly has it grown up under the fostering hand of Providence. " My children, you will now separate, but in heart and soul you will be one. You have one true faith whose beauty has been revealed still more and more to you in this institution, and around the altars of that faith you will meet in spirit, just as every part of the earth, however remote, is bathed in the light of the sun, for the rays that shine on all have a common center. I feel that I speak not only my own sentiments, but those also of the clergy by whom I am surrounded. In their respective flocks they will easily be able to trace the many points of difference between those who have enjoyed the blessings of this Academy and those who have not. " In the name of religion, in the name of education, in the name of the hopes of the Church of God in this place, I return HISTORICAL SKETCH. 51 you my thanks and the thanks of all who have witnessed the crowning of your merit for the past year." When the premises were first purchased, as we have said, the middle building alone stood. In 1847 tne wing at the left side VIEW OF THE OLD MOUNT FROM THE NORTH. Donor : Victoria Olwell. was added, and in 1848 the other wing. In 1850 the larger struc- ture at the left in this cut was built. On March 19, 1855, the large brick chapel at the right was dedicated, which, though not as commodious or as beautiful as the chapel on the banks of the Hudson, was deemed a marvel at the time, and afforded every pos- sible aid to devotion and the exact carrying out of the ceremo- nies of holy Church. Bishop Hughes, styled by the journals of the day " The Father and Founder of the Academy of Mount St. Vincent," was raised to the archiepiscopal dignity in 1850. He went to Rome to receive the pallium from the hands of the Holy Pope, Pius IX. We find him at the commencement exercises in 185 1. The 52 HISTORICAL SKETCH. address to him on the occasion evinced the enthusiasm of the pupils : " With what rapidity does not time bear on the dreamy inspi- rations of youth ! But a few short months have passed since our souls were filled with sorrow and anxiety at your departure for a MOST REV. JOHN HUGHES, D. D. Donors : The Misses Sadlier. foreign shore. In spirit we followed your stately bark exulting over the azure sea ; we marked its course as it rode gallantly on, HISTORICAL SKETCH. 5, the parting waves playing around its prow ; the billows were proud to bear you on their breast. " Even to the presence of the Sovereign Pontiff we accompa- nied you ! Most reverend and beloved father, as your spiritual chil- dren, allow us to offer you our most respectful and affectionate con- gratulations on the higher dignity added to your sacred character. We feel that words are inadequate to express the overflowing joy and exultation of our hearts at your speedy and safe return, and to greet you in our midst again — a happiness greater than we had anticipated. The mild and balmy air of Italy, the pleasure experi- enced when your eye was gladdened by the view of the rich ver- dure of your native hills and the clear, glancing waters that brought back again the dreams of childhood, and the healthful sea-breeze, appear to have reinvigorated you with fresh life and spirits. The remembrance of this occasion will ever be enshrined in grateful affection in each young and happy heart around you. Whether our pathway be over thorns or roses, the sweet reminis- cence of our most reverend and beloved father and of this peace- ful home will live for ever in our hearts." The Most Rev. Archbishop was surrounded on this occasion by many honored and distinguished guests : the Most Rev. Dr. Blan- chet, Archbishop of Oregon ; the Right Rev. Dr. O'Reilly, Bishop of Hartford; and the Rev. Dr. McCaffrey, President of Mount St. Mary's, Emmettsburg, each of whom in turn addressed the pupils. In the summer of 1852 the Most Rev. William Walsh, D. D., of Halifax, the devoted friend of Mount St. Vincent, was received in the Study Hall, and his address, in response to one delivered by Miss Annie L. Olwell, forms one of the most interesting remi- 54 HISTORICAL SKETCH. niscences of the old Mount. The archives of the community con- tain many of his pleasing communications. Visit of a Roman Prelate. The Papal Nuncio, the Most Rev. Cajetan Bedini, D. D., Arch- bishop of Tarbes, visited the Mount on several occasions. He was formally received by the pupils November 3, 1853. He came accompanied by Archbishop Hughes; Right Rev. John Loughlin, Bishop of Brooklyn; Rev. Thomas Martin, O. P. ; Very Rev. Will- iam Starrs, V. G. ; Mr. Virtue, etc. After a greeting in music and song, a young lady of the grad- uating class came forward, and thus addressed the distinguished guest : "Most Illustrious and Reverend Lord: I have been named to the honorable and difficult task of addressing your Excellency in behalf of my young classmates, and of expressing the joy with which your presence here to-day has filled all hearts in this insti- tution. The most eloquent and brilliant professions of respect, interest, and gratitude would not be out of place on such an auspicious occasion as your visit to our Academy, and yet they could but faintly portray the lively sentiments of my companions and superiors. When we lift our eyes reverently toward you, most illustrious prelate, we are reminded of numberless attributes which call forth our esteem, admiration, and love, while we are met by no single trait which gives rise to doubt or fear. Were the personage who moves in our midst only a representative of some renowned and friendly monarch, our youthful imaginations might welcome with eager interest the statesman highly honored and widely respected even among the splendors of ancient Euro- HISTORICAL SKETCH. 55 pean royalty. It can not but add to the greatness of our esteem to reflect that so distinguished a stranger is an Italian nobleman — a gifted son of the land of history, poesy, and art — a compatriot of Columbus, Verazzani, Cabot, and Americus Vespucci, the veritable pilgrim fathers of this continent, which they discovered, and which bears the name of one of them. But all such titles to our respect seem to dim their lustre when we come to remember that in the person of your Excellency we behold so much more than the insignia of senatorial majesty or military command. We are de- lighted to venerate in you the character that always inspires with entire confidence and filial affection the heart of every Catholic of every clime and tongue : we see and know a successor of the Apostles, a Bishop of the Church of God. Our souls are filled with joy when we bend and kiss the blessed signet-ring which adorns your anointed hand. Our faith teaches us that the apos- tolic power is the same, though held by different persons. " We can not tell whether the consecration of the venerated prelate, whom we of New York call in a special manner ' our father,' be derived from St. Peter, and that of your Excellency from St. Paul, or whether, again, his may be traced back to St. Paul and yours to St. Peter ; but we know that in both cases the authority comes down directly from the same Great High Priest, the Redeemer of the souls of men. " It has been your Excellency's privilege to stand as a sentinel near the tomb of the Apostles in the Catholic Jerusalem, Holy and Eternal Rome. It has been yours to sit in the councils of the great and saintly Pius IX, and, in the hour of turmoil and danger, you held up his arms while he raised them on high pray- ing that the people of God might not be overcome by the wicked. 8 56 HISTORICAL SKETCH. For this, in a special manner, we venerate and love your sacred person, honored with character of Envoy of the Holy See, and dare to give expression to our feelings in your presence. " I retire from before you, most Illustrious and Reverend Lord Archbishop, returning thanks most humbly and sincerely for the honor you have done our Academy on this day, an honor which will ever be remembered and appreciated as one of the brightest and happiest events in the history of this institution." It is to be regretted that the long and beautiful response of this amiable and gifted prelate was not preserved in full. A few detached sentences are all that we have : " My beloved children, I am highly gratified and delighted with the honors conferred on me to-day. I am charmed with the filial love and respect for the Holy Father, the Pope, which it evinced, and I shall write him and give him an account of the honor and proceedings of this day, one of the happiest I have spent since my stay in America. " You are now, dear children, in the aurora of your life. Oh, profit by the examples before you ; follow the good counsels and instruction of your superiors, that you may one day be like the rising sun, shining members of society, good citizens, good Catho- lics, and pious heads of families. " Oh, blessed be God for inspiring holy St. Vincent de Paul with zeal to institute such an exalted order as that of the Sisters of Charity — Sisters who are called to practice the highest and most perfect charity ! " The illustrious guest then went on for some time extolling the community and the good religious training received in the institu- tion, expressing himself much pleased with the appearance of the HISTORICAL SKETCH. 57 young ladies and the every-way respectable assemblage. He repeat- edly and particularly thanked the young lady, Mary Louise Shea (sister of John Gilmary Shea, LL. D.), who had addressed him, he- presumed, in her native tongue (this was not so, however), and he complimented her eloquent delivery. He added with great grace that he had received the high compliments bestowed on him as intended for the Holy Father, then dilated on the astonishing prosperity and flourishing condition in every way of the institu- tion, though it was still so young, and added that he had never seen so many young ladies (the pupils numbered two hundred) in one educational establishment. At the termination of his remarks, he gave his solemn benediction. Mention should not be omitted of a visit paid by the mitred Abbot of La Trappe, the Right Rev. Maria Eutropius. He sang high mass on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, 1854, then gave a most interesting history of his order to the pupils. All were very much impressed by his air of holiness, and by the charity which made him form a union of good works and prayers with the inmates of the institution at the Mount. Dedication of the Chapel, March 19, 1855. On the Feast of St. Joseph the large chapel was dedicated at the old Mount. The Most Rev. Archbishop was still in Rome, and in his absence, therefore, the Right Rev. John Loughlin, D. D., officiated. Very Rev. William Starrs, V. G., Archdeacon McCarren, Rev. Dr. Moriarty, O. S. A., Rev. Jeremiah Cummings, D. D., Rev. William Quinn, Rev. Walter Quarter, Rev. Thomas S. Preston, Rev. Isidore Daubresse, S. J., and six seminarians from St. Joseph's Sem- inary, Fordham, Rev. J. Breen, Rev. J. Kinsella, Rev. William 58 HISTORICAL SKETCH. dowry, and Rev. G. Brophy, assisted at the dedication services, after which pontifical mass was celebrated by the Bishop, with Very Rev. William Starrs as high priest, Rev. Isidore Daubresse, CHAPEL AT THE OLD MOUNT. Donor: Louise Gauton. S. J., master of ceremonies. The Rev. Dr. Moriarty preached a beautiful sermon on the Eighty-third Psalm, beginning, " How lovely are thy tabernacles ! " etc.* By a singular coincidence, this distinguished man had preached also at the dedication of the chapel at St. Joseph's, Emmettsburg. The chapel, thus solemnly dedicated, was a beautiful type of the Romanesque, solidly and massively built, and was, as we have said, a great fount of devotion, in which all the ceremonies of holy Church were scrupulously carried out. * Mrs. Sweeny and Lacey assisted the choir, and Mr. Harrison presided at the organ on this great occasion. FONTHILL CASTLE, 1856. Donor : Mary G. Smith. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 59 The Right Rev. Bishop McGill, D. D., of Richmond, Ya., paid a long visit to the institution, accompanied by Very Rev. William Starrs, V. G., in May, 1855. Purchase of the Fonthill Estate. The removal of the Academy from its old location was owing partly to its site being included in the limits of Central Park, and partly to the increasing demands upon its services as an institu- tion for the instruction of youth. The purchase of Fonthill was finally effected December 20, 1856, and formal possession was taken February 2, 1857, by placing a beautiful statue of the Immaculate Queen of Heaven on the premises. The estate con- sists of about fifty-five acres. The purchase was thus noticed in the "Courier and Inquirer": " The responsibility of contracting a debt of one hundred thou- sand dollars, the price fixed, could not have been assumed by the Sisters of Charity had it not been for the noble generosity of Mr. Forrest. The terms for payment are most decidedly indulgent, even as regards percentage." On the transfer of the title, Mr. Forrest presented his check for five thousand dollars, as a friendly donation. Indeed, he may be said to have presented the grounds to the Academy, as he must have expended in improvements more than the entire amount paid for the title, the cottage and outbuildings themselves being hand- somer than many first-class residences. The first mass was said on the Feast of the Visitation, 1857, by the Very Rev. William Starrs, V. G., in a temporary chapel arranged in an upper room of the castle. The Choir Sisters sang the Litany and Magnificat. 6o HISTORICAL SKETCH. The foundations for the new Academy building were begun May i, 1857, about three hundred yards to the northeast of the castle. Laying of the Corner-Stone or the Academy Mount St. Vincent, September 8, 1857. On the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, September 8, 1857, the corner-stone of the new edifice was laid by the Most Rev. Archbishop Hughes, assisted by Very Rev. William Starrs, V. G., Rev. Francis McNierny, and Rev. Edward Lynch. The occasion was a most interesting one, and attracted numer- ous visitors from far and near. The glory of incipient autumn shone out in the blue vault overhead, and was painted in the scarlet and flying gold of the densely wooded banks of the Hud- son ; while the unsurpassed beauty of river, grove, and leaf-carpeted dell was enhanced by the human groups which, scattered in all directions, gave life and a picturesque movement to the scene. The stone was of blue granite, quarried on the spot, about three feet square, with a cut depression eight inches long, six in width, and the same in depth, in which a copper box was placed during the ceremonies. " We are now assembled," said the Most Rev. Archbishop, " to lay with proper ceremony the corner-stone of a building consecrated to God, which, when completed, will be dedicated anew, so that ground, materials, and building, as well as those by whom it is to be occupied, may be considered as devoted to his service. The chapel whose corner-stone we are this day about to lay is not designed precisely as a parish church, though to some extent it may answer the purpose of one. It is intended as an adjunct to the convent of the Sisters of Charity, of whom it may be said that, HISTORICAL SKETCH. 6 1 like their Divine Master, their charity knows no distinction of country or creed or race. Known they are, not only among Catholics, not only among Christians generally, but among Mo- hammedans and even pagans. Where grief is to be assuaged or distress relieved, there they are to he found, following with unequal steps, but fervent zeal, the footsteps of their Lord and Master. "In this country they have principally devoted themselves to the education of the youth of their sex, seeking them out and giving them those advantages of which they might else be deprived; and, by admitting to their residence those whose stations in life might require it, give them that instruction and example which would fit them to become Christian ladies. Although their removal to this spot was not altogether voluntary, yet I can not but consider the train of circumstances which led to it as in some degree providen- tial. They had been established in New York for some time, and, although the continued growth of the city exposed their pupils to increased temptations, and rendered it more difficult to exercise a proper restraint over them, yet there they would probably have remained had they not been compelled to leave — a circumstance which we now recognize as providential. " While looking around for a new location, they accidentally heard of this place, Fonthill, known to them before scarcely by name ; and I deem it just to the gentleman whose property it then was to state that, upon being waited upon to inquire into the mat- ter, he received the ladies with the utmost courtesy, treated them with the greatest liberality, and, notwithstanding the different expec- tations which he must have entertained of its destination when he purchased this ground and erected that edifice, expressed nothing but pleasure on hearing the object for which it was designed. 62 HISTORICAL SKETCH. " Here, then, in a location which can hardly be excelled within fifty miles of New York for natural advantages, of unsurpassed salubrity, amid a population favorably disposed, near enough to the city to enjoy all its benefits, and yet removed from its tempta- tions, where could an institution for the education of youth be more eligibly located ? Before us spreads some of the finest sce- nery of a river, which, I may say without exaggeration, the world can not surpass, and you may travel, as I have, many thousand miles without seeing its equal. " I do not consider these things by any means unimportant and I repeat that I deem it providential that our steps have been directed to this spot, where, surrounded by all those natural and moral advantages to which we have briefly alluded, we may lay the foundations of an edifice destined, not for a day, not for a year, but, as far as in us lies, for all time, and employ in its con- struction that skill and talent which are the gifts of God, and whose highest development is attained when engaged in his ser- vice. "In that prayer, therefore, which it is my part to offer and yours to join, let us unite with willing hearts ; for, though the corner-stone we are about to lay be of granite, without faith and love and charity, which may God instill into all present, the walls of this edifice will never be acceptably reared, nor, when finished, will it fulfill its destined end." After these remarks, the Archbishop offered a prayer, and then the various parts of the new foundations were blessed by the usual ceremonies, and finally the box, to which allusion has already been made, was placed in the corner-stone. The cellar-walls are three feet thick, the English-basement story HISTORICAL SKETCH. 63 of brick two feet four inches, the tower-walls two feet eight inches, and the rest of the external walls uniformly sixteen inches. The inside walls are all of a peculiarly hard brick, made expressly for this building, and which was twice burned during the process of its manufacture. By this means the walls have an adamantine consistency, almost equal to the natural rock on which they stand, resembling in this particular the foundations of the new cathedral of New York. Last Commencement at the Old Mount, July 15, 1858. At its close, Archbishop Hughes rose, and said: " My dear children, it must be a great comfort to you to know that on days like this, which come but once a year, you are the means of making many hearts as happy as your own. You are always surrounded by friends whose affections are centered in you ; and your parents and kindred, and even those who are not so nearly related to you, must be pleased at this undoubted evidence of your suc- cess. It has been my happiness for a considerable number of years to be a wit- ness of your exhibitions, and it seems to me now that the same faces and the same dresses are always before me. But still I know that those who were young have already entered upon the active duties of life to which, in the providence of God, they have been called ; but nevertheless, wherever they go, they must bear with them the evidence of the usefulness of this house. You are every day advanc- ing in years, and year by year you leave behind the tender scenes of childhood, and advance toward those duties which await you in life. When, therefore, we become witnesses of scenes like this presented to-day, we look upon them as the evidence — the earnest — of your conduct for the future. We are all proud of you. I say it without intending to excite pride or vanity. The ladies and gentlemen now present, and even the Sisters of Charity, whose profession is that of profound humility, I would not say that even they were not a little proud of the exhibi- tion you have made to-day. [Cheers.] I do not call it pride — it is humility — because they may be allowed to feel some degree of satisfaction in seeing such good fruit resulting from their devoted and constant attention. There is another subject which is full of consolation : that there is an institution so guarded around and about by the influence of religion, and supported by those who are devoted 64 HISTORICAL SKETCH. to the work of God, that parents, whose duty it is to cherish the principles of virtue and of purity in the hearts of their daughters, can safely place them in a community like this without fear of contamination. If there ever was a time when the force of religion was telling with an awful rebound, it is at the pres- ent time. Those who are conversant with the scandals of newspapers can cite examples both in Europe and in our own country where statements have been made concerning schools that have caused the breaking of the heart in many a family circle. But there is nothing of the kind in this place. Whatever in the providence of God can be done for you, to govern you by the influence of religion and reason, has been done. And now, as many of you are about to retire from these peaceful shades, you must not suppose that you are emancipated because you are no longer under the supervision and the eyes of your teachers. Your time of rising and of retiring, and all the duties you have learned here, must or ought to continue. The restraint here is gentle, though there must be some restraint. It is most valuable to a young lady to know how to control the sen- timent of the heart when it is not right — to correct a hasty temper and other improprieties. You are not to launch into the world with a heart unformed, for- getful of early training ; for, though you have not been prisoners here, you must know that you have been kept under that control which is beneficial to you. Therefore, be cautious, and do not allow yourselves to rush headlong into the world ; but, by observing the lessons you learn here, wherever you may be you will be a living recommendation of its school, as well as a blessing to your fami- lies and to society. I may add, dear children, that none of your exhibitions ever exceeded this day's ; and I have some hope that, when another year shall evolve, your exercises will be witnessed upon the banks of the noble Hudson, in a region bare and rugged, if you will, but beautiful and romantic, where the echoes of its mountains and its valleys shall be awakened to sweet music, such as never has been heard in them before." [Cheers.] The Archbishop then remarked that there were many local phrases among the inhabitants of the Western country, and among them was one to " scare up." The expression was only used by the Indian and the hunter to mean that they " caught up " a thing, such as bait for fish or game. As yet those magnificent Palisades of New Jersey had only been "scared up" by the wild whoop of the Indian or the barbarous scream of the steam-engine ; but the HISTORICAL SKETCH. 65 day was coming- when through its glades would resound the sweet and sacred music of Mount St. Vincent, whose strains its pupils know so well how to evoke. The first mass at the new Academy was said at a temporary altar in the novitiate, on the Feast of the Transfiguration, 1859. Rev. Edward Lynch, pastor of St. Mary's Church, Yonkers, N. Y., was its celebrant. The Sisters and the pupils, who were spending their vacation here, chanted the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Blessing of the Bell, August 30, 1859. The rotunda of the castle was metamorphosed into a chapel, an altar erected, and at one side the hell was hung in position, covered with garlands of flowers. The Most Rev. Archbishop per- formed the ceremony, assisted by the Very Rev. William Starrs, V. G., Archdeacon McCarron, Rev. Francis McNierny, Rev. Edward Lynch, and Rev. John Breen. All were pleased with its silvery tones. Its weight is twelve hun- dred and twenty-eight pounds, and it bears the following inscription : " Cantate Domino Canticum Novum quia Mirabilia fecit. Psal- mus xcvii. " Ecclesia Conceptions Immaculatae. A. D. MDCCCLIX. " Charitatis Puellarum Societas Sancti Vincentii A Paulo. " Neo-Eboraci." The First Commencement at the New Mount, September 8, 1859. His Grace entered the hall attended by the Right Rev. John Loughlin, D. D., of Brooklyn; the Right Rev. James R. Bayley, 66 HISTORICAL SKETCH. D. D., of Newark ; Very Rev. William Starrs, V. G. ; Rev. George H. Doane; Rev. Francis McNierny ; Archdeacon McCarron, and over a hundred clergymen. Silliman Ives, L L. D., J. M. Huntington, LL. D., and John Gilmary Shea, L L. D., were present. It was a day never to be forgotten, and his Grace dis- pensed the crowns and over four hundred prizes with manifest delight. Toward the close of the exercises an address, abounding in poetic imagery and happy, graceful allusions to the scenery around, was spoken by Miss Mary Jane Mackey, whose charms of elo- cution won marked encomiums. After the last piece on the programme was concluded, his Grace the Archbishop rose amid prolonged applause. The pupils rose at the same time, but his Grace waved his hand as a signal for them to be seated. He addressed them as his dear children, and remarked that in a country like ours the best government we could hope for or expect was that which rested on that deep and broad foundation known as " the will of the people." Some might object to this provision, and contend that even the majority are prone to error. But, then, should one majority go astray, it would be easy to procure another to decide aright. However that might be, the events of the day showed the results of the will of the majority, and we have reason to thank the majority therefor. He did not thank it for the Academy's removal from the city so much as for the good that had resulted therefrom. The majority had decided to have a public park for the people, which, when completed, would rival anything of the kind in the world, and therefore it had done well in appropriating for the purpose that most beautiful part of the city whose eminence the old con- HISTORICAL SKETCH. 67 vent crowned. It was not to injure the institution that its removal had been ordered, hut to benefit the community at large, and he therefore could not but express his thanks to the authorities of New York, and especially to the Central Park Commissioners, whose kindness and courtesy the friends of the institution had re- peatedly experienced. Some solicitude had been felt as to the place to which the institution should be removed ; friends had cast about to find a suitable location, and had finallv fixed upon this spot. The Mother Superior consulted with its proprietor (Edwin For- rest), and in a brief time, without land-agents or others — indeed, the settlement of the matter took less time than was occupied by the emperors in their interview at Solferino [laughter and applause] — she had found a generous man who was anxious to co-operate in her designs, and to promote an undertaking which the Almighty had blessed. The plans of the building were before and around the audience, and, like the monuments of Sir Christopher Wren, spoke for themselves. It was a cause of congratulation that no accident to life or limb had occurred during the erection of the building, a circumstance which augured most happily for the future of the institution. There was one missing to-day who for years and years had devoted his best energies to the care and welfare of the orphans, and had nobly seconded the Sisters of Charity in all their zealous projects. Had he been spared among us to look upon this grand outcome of their pious effort, how delighted he would be!* The Sisters of Charity had ever made friends even among the enemies of religion. He spoke thus, not because he supposed there were any here, but because history has sadly attested their existence * Mr. Michael O'Connor, of Staten Island, a retired master-builder. His services were gratuitously bestowed at Mount St. Vincent, as were also those of Mr. Tighe Davey. 68 HISTORICAL SKETCH. elsewhere. At the time of the French Revolution, people arose and declared there was no God. This was very bad, no doubt ; but yet, whenever these same persons met a Sister of Charity, they would invariably salute her profoundly. Did not Napoleon, even amid the hoarse din of war, issue an order that the soldiers on guard should present arms to the Sisters as they passed by ? If, then, such honors as these came from the enemies of religion, need we be surprised if kindnesses have been showered upon them by friends, by prelates and priests — indeed, by men from every walk in life? The pupils of the Academy have not been expelled from Man- hattan Island. They have merely come here to receive the rec- ompense they have so richly deserved. They have left one Eden in exchange for a larger and fairer one. This was their first Com- mencement at a distance from the old home, but it was a Com- mencement held under most auspicious circumstances. One might travel many a weary mile without finding such educational advan- tages as here abound. A great deal had to be thought of when the instruction of youth was in contemplation, and the first thing to be considered was the selection of a suitable site for the erection of a building. If it were a sandy plain, for instance, without any verdure or anything which might give variety to the appearance thereof, it was evidently not suited for the purpose in view. On the other hand, the Sisters could not raze a chain of rocks, or afford to plant trees thereon. Here the eye, no matter in what direction it looked, perceived all that harmonized with the true spirit and aims of education, which embrace the physical as well as the moral. Here, therefore, as in some foreign countries — in Switzerland and the Tyrol, for instance — the scenery being strikingly beautiful and HISTORICAL SKETCH. 69 impressive, should be deemed a valuable aid and adjunct to a sound system of education. It was a great point in favor of the Acad- emy that it rested on a site where the means for physical culture were conjoined with every scenic beauty that could charm and ele- vate the mind. When Canova, the great artist, was brought to Paris, he could do no work there ; he had lost his models : every- thing, even the sky, was different from what he had been accus- tomed to in his native land. If that were the case in the experi- ence of so distinguished an artist, we must admit that the eye which has long been accustomed to dwell upon surroundings of exquisite beauty, such as those we here gaze upon, has received a veritable art education. The Archbishop then alluded to the kitchen as another branch of the physical department, because good food is indispensable to bodily health. Gymnastic exercises, likewise, equally contributive to grace and strength, might here be indulged in aloof from the peer- ing eye of curiosity. He then spoke of the more substantial food which imparts vigor to the mind. The religious element is the groundwork of everything excellent in human life. He did not speak invidiously when he said the pupils were in the main Catho- lics, for members of other denominations were never interfered with on the score of religion ; in all these exercises the pupils were the apple of their teacher's eye, who kept them away from anything which might taint their innocence. He did not intend to be in- vidious either when he said that the very training of youth was a part of the mission of the Catholic Church. When morals are at a low ebb, they must be renovated by the children, who, like the fountains that give forth living waters, will take their train- ing back to the family circle, and in course of time to their own JO HISTORICAL SKETCH. religious homes. If, too, they would bear away more than the perfections of religion, he would say that the Catholic Church taught everything — music and every accomplishment known to the best educators — and surrounded the minds of youth with that per- fection which must come from God himself. If one were to strike out the saints and the angels and other beauties of the Church, then would the models be destroyed, and nothing could be rightly done. They would understand all this when they came to consider the value of seclusion and the absence of aught which might offend them : they might pass days with their governesses, and their eyes never rest on a symbol or a sentence that could offend the modesty of maidenhood. Let them attend to their class duties — to their drawing particularly ; they had the models all before them. He need not add a word about the scenery. But he would add that, although they possessed all these advantages by the will of the majority, they possessed them no less by the will of God. For the first time since the Hudson River passed there, the opposite side had never the opportunity to listen to anything so sweet and beautiful as the vesper chimes which floated out on the evening air ; and, as the reverberations passed over in their sweetness, they enlivened with their beautiful tones even the Pali- sades of New Jersey. [Great applause.] Dedication of Chapel, December 13, 1859. His Grace chanced to miss the morning train, and in conse- quence could not be present. Very Rev. William Starrs, V. G., officiated. After the dedication, solemn mass was celebrated. Rev. Edward Lynch, of Yonkers, was deacon, and the Rev. Chaplain sub- HISTORICAL SKETCH. 71 deacon ; Rev. Francis McNierny, master of ceremonies. Rev. L. Pernot, S. J., preached an eloquent sermon. Archdeacon McCarron, Rev. William Quinn, Rev. Walter Quar- ters, Rev. Isidore Daubresse, S. J., and a number of clergymen, occupied seats in the sanctuary Mr. Mora and his son assisted in the choir. The Bishops of the province paid a visit to the Mount in the January of i860. Bishop McFarland offered the Holy Sacrifice, and Bishop Timon preached on the Holy Infancy. They made a tour of the premises, and seemed desirous of see- ing everything. Remarks of Archbishop Hughes on the Subject of Educa- tion, July, i860. When the last strain of a brilliant grand march had died away among the echoes of the halls, the Most Rev. Archbishop rose to address the young ladies and the audience generally. After express- ing the pleasure which he himself, in common, he was sure, with all their friends present, had derived from their entertainment, and com- menting on the amount of proficiency displayed by them on the occasion, his Grace went on to say that in former celebrations of a similar kind he had been more than a little affected by the grave and somewhat melancholy tone of the several addresses of the pu- pils, written and spoken under the saddening influence of parting thoughts; that he had sometimes in his replies indulged in a strain of pleasantry, with a view to enliven the hour and the scene ; but for that time he would follow the bent of his own inclinations, and adopt a more serious tone in the remarks he was about to make. His Grace then spoke at some length on the subject of 7 2 HISTORICAL SKETCH. education as connected with the growth of Catholic institutions devoted to that object. Casting a retrospective glance over the progress made in that respect during the last twenty-five years, he showed that, where scarcely a Catholic school was to be had in or around New York city, there were now to be found schools in every parish and in almost every locality for the rich and also for the poor. The devoted Sisters of this and other religious orders were laboring to the same end, and also the Christian Brothers. " Many of your fathers and mothers, my dear young ladies," said the Archbishop, " remember a country and an order of things very different as regards education — a country where, a few generations back, education was impeded by two great obstacles. One was," said his Grace, " that the laws made it a penal offense to be educated abroad. Thank God, however, we have no British Government here to lay an embargo on education ; here every man is at liberty to educate his own child ; but there is some- thing to be said in that connection even here." His Grace then entered a strenuous protest against the system of what is called " State education." He said — and we were pleased to hear so high an authority say so thus publicly — that he never was, and never could be, favorable to an infidel system of education. Conse- quently, wherever Catholic schools can be established and sup- ported, Catholic children should never be sent to public schools. The Right Rev. T. Amat, D. D., Bishop of Monterey, spent some days here in January, 1863. His lordship gave the pupils a great deal of information concerning the Indians. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 73 May i, 1863, rendered memorable by a visit from our Most Rev. Archbishop. His infirm state of health rendered his effort in coming to us truly a favor. He arrived at 12.30 p. m. The children met him on the lawn, and the bells sent out their most joyous peals of welcome. He was attended by the Very Rev. Superior and Rev. Father McNierny. Reclining on a couch, he gave his blessing to the members of the community as each Sister presented herself. At 2.30 P. m. he administered confirmation to about thirty of the children, several of whom had made their first communion that morning. He spoke quite a length of time before giving the sac- rament. He gave the Papal benediction, followed by the benedic- tion of the Blessed Sacrament. In the latter part of the afternoon, his Grace visited the Study Hall, where the Sisters, children, and a number of strangers were assembled. Immediately on seating himself, he granted the children holiday, at which they evinced their great delight. Miss Marie Bruguiere delivered a short address to him, and Miss Mary Dillon made a presentation. The venerable Archbishop was sensibly touched, so much so that he was only able to make a few remarks. " Young ladies and children," said he, " I was hardly prepared to receive so strong and affecting an expression of your feeling. On my arrival, the Supe- rioress welcomed me most warmly, and seemed very grateful for my coming, although in impaired health ; but I was not prepared to meet so much here. You may be sure that the scene now before me is one replete with interest for me. While abroad, I had the opportunity of being present at many great exhibitions of various kinds, particularly while sojourning in that classic land, Italy ; but 74 HISTORICAL SKETCH. nowhere was I so much interested — not that there was not every- thing to elicit the admiration of a person of susceptibility ; but my infirmities, in the first place, debarred my entering into them ; and, secondly, they were all more or less foreign to me. Here I forget my infirmities, and I feel your testimonials of respect and esteem for me. There is some selfishness, of course, in all this. Religion teaches us to do all for God with purity of intention, and we try to do so as far as weak human nature permits ; yet there is a certain scope allowed for natural feeling. If a person takes pleas- ure in viewing a beautiful tree which his own hand had planted, and if its fruit seems sweeter than that of any other tree, surely if I had anything to do with the planting of this tree whose fruits are spread before me, I am the last one not to be insensible of its beauty and perfection." Here his feelings quite overcame him, and he was obliged to stop. Much emotion was shown by those listening to him. He was silent for a few minutes, and then merely added, in a voice choked by emotion, "God bless you." He left for the city at 6.30 p. m., the children attending him down to the station. Just before leaving, some one said, " Shall we expect your Grace for the Commencement ? " " Oh, yes, dead or alive, I shall be here that day." He said this to enliven all, for he saw how strong was the sad impression that this would be his last visit. He had driven all around the grounds, and noted every improve- ment. On a previous visit he had expressed a hope that the " old rocky road" would disappear, and he was pleased to find it re- placed by a macadamized roadway. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 75 ARCHBISHOP HUGHES. Donor: Mrs. Wm. //. Sadlier. Last Visit of Archbishop Hughes — Commencement, July 15, 1863. The last visit the late Most Rev. Archbishop paid to the Academy was on the occasion of the Commencement exercises on July 15, 1863. The draft-riots had broken out the day before, the rails had been displaced on the railroads, and, as no trains were running, it was thought there would be no audience ; moreover, it rained quite heavily. But when the Albany day-boat passed up, about 9 a. m., the cheers from the passengers on deck announced them to be so many guests for the Mount. The Archbishop drove up; a large number — although the fee for carriage-hire was per- fectly exorbitant — followed his example. The Archbishop never appeared in better spirits, but he was obliged to sit during his brief address. j6 HISTORICAL SKETCH. " My dear young ladies," said he, " the delight which I and others have en- joyed at this entertainment is not a surprise. We have been accustomed to wit- ness such scenes in these halls for some years past. Nevertheless, to-day, although the audience is not so large as usual, the excellence of your passing through the occasion has never been surpassed. [Applause.] I have admired the ease, the elegance, the grace, the efficiency which you, without any forced show or desire for sympathy, have given evidence of, and the progress you have made. I con- gratulate you on the progress you have made, under God. I would say more. I would tell you that you are beautiful [laughter and applause], but, then, that would be considered flattery, and your sex, as well as the other, is prone to flat- tery [laughter] ; but, as every father here considers his own child the most beau- tiful in the assemblage, so I, who may be considered the father of the community, think you all very good and very beautiful young ladies. [Applause.] I regret that the attendance here to-day is not so good as usual ; but I pity those who are absent, whether occasioned by the morning's mist or by the rails having been torn up from the track. I pity them, because they have lost the treat we have witnessed. I said in my haste a few weeks ago that ' I would come here to-day, living or dead.' I am here, and that without any passport from the Mayor or Marshal of New York ! [Laughter and applause.] I did not anticipate any difficulty when I said I would be here ; but I could make my way through twenty mobs [applause], and none would dare to stop me when I said I was on my way to Mount St. Vincent, to the good Sisters of Charity ! " The special presentation, a gold medal, is the gift of Archdeacon McCarron. It is a generous and well-directed gift, and shall not perish. I shall leave it on my successor to perpetuate it. I shall make a will ; I have been intending to do so for a long time [laughter] ; and, as the lawyers say, I shall ' will and devise and bequeath' — I believe that is the term used, whether a man has anything to leave or not [loud laughter] — provision for a gold medal every year for the same purpose." The Archbishop then alluded to the health of the young ladies and the healthfulness of the place itself; and added that they must not forget that their prosperity and protection are due to God, the culture of their hearts is due to God, and their innocence and purity are due to God and the prayers of the Blessed Virgin. His Grace then admonished the young ladies who were about to enter HISTORICAL SKETCH. 77 the world (the three graduates) to be on their guard, and cherish the sentiments which have been inculcated here, and never withdraw the eye of their soul from the guiding star — Mary, Mary, the Star of the Sea — not of the ocean, but the sea of the soul. | Applause.] The proceedings terminated with all the grace and beauty which pertain to institutions of this kind — and more particularly to this — the kind preceptresses of which had, as the young ladies in their valedictory said, guided them along in innocence and truth. ARCHBISHOP MCCLOSKEY. Donor : Airs. Wm. H. Sadlier. First Visit of His Grace Archbishop McCloskey, D. D. His Grace, having been installed on the Sunday within the Octave of the Assumption, came up to visit the Mount, August 29, 1864. He was accompanied by the Very Rev. William Starrs, V. G., and his secretary, the Rev. Francis McNierny. The large bell sent forth its joyous peals, and everything in 1 1 jg HISTORICAL SKETCH. and around the institution seemed to breathe a joyous welcome. He was received in the Study Hall, and most affectionately greeted in an address, to which he responded in a truly paternal manner. After dining, he was conducted through the entire institution, and drove over the grounds. He had dwelt much on his admiration of the surroundings in his address to the pupils, but the varied beauties of the spot impressed him still more favorably during his drive. When he left the institution, all its inmates felt that they had in him a kind father, and a devoted friend of education and of good works. April 25, 1865. The remains of the assassinated President Lincoln passed the Mount this day en route to Springfield, Illinois. Flags at half- mast were displayed from the staffs on the castle and railroad-sta- tion. The station itself was heavily draped, and the words " We mourn our country's loss " were conspicuous. The funeral-car slackened its speed as it passed by the long line of pupils ranged near the railroad. August 5, 1865. The Right Rev. Bishop McGill, D. D., of Richmond, Virginia, came, accompanied by Rev. Dr. O'Connor, of Philadelphia, Pennsyl- vania. They visited every portion of the institution. The Bishop spoke at some length. July 12, 1866. The grand Exhibition Hall was opened, the Commencement exercises being held in it. The occasion was also memorable, inasmuch as His Grace Archbishop McCloskey presided for the HISTORICAL SKETCH. 79 first time. A grand march and chorus, composed for the occasion by Mr. Schmitz, was a noteworthy feature. Also " Life's Voyage," an original drama, was greatly eulogized by His Grace. June 29, 1871. The institution celebrated its Silver Jubilee by a drama written in commemoration of the happy event. The Most Rev. Arch- bishop presided on the occasion, accompanied by the Right Rev. Bishop Loughlin, D. D., of Brooklyn, Very Rev. William Starrs, D. D., V. G., and a large number of clergymen. The hall was beautifully decorated, and the exercises were in harmony with the spirit of the occasion. The graduates of former years had been invited, and a great many were present. A feeling tribute to the late Most Rev. Archbishop as father and founder was heightened in effect by a life-size bust of the great prelate placed in a conspicuous position on the platform, and around which two pupils entwined evergreens during the "In Me- moriam." Whenever the name of the great champion occurred in the address, his eminent successor feelingly lifted his biretta. The words of His Grace on this occasion sank deeply into all hearts. He paid a feeling compliment to the Very Rev. William Starrs, D. D., V. G., of whom he said it was true to affirm that, if the illustrious Archbishop, his predecessor, had planted, Father Starrs had, like Apollo, watered. Father Starrs was much moved, and, though asked by His Grace to address the audience, found it im- possible to acquiesce. 8o HISTORICAL SKETCH. Visit of Very Rev. Thomas N. Burke, O. P. March 20, 1872, this eminent Dominican paid an informal visit to the institution. He promised to come in May and speak to the pupils. Fourth Sunday after Easter, 1872. The time-honored friend of the Academy, the newly consecrated Bishop of Rhesina and Coadjutor to the Bishop of Albany, Right Rev. Francis McNierny, D. D., paid a visit. He was received with music, song, and address in the Study Hall, and remained over and said mass next morning. Visit of the Very Rev. Thomas N. Burke, O. P. The Very Rev. Thomas N. Burke, O. P., paid his promised visit to the Mount, June 22, 1872. He was accompanied by Rev. Michael Curran and Major P. M. Haverty, of New York. The great preacher said mass at nine o'clock, and at 2 p. m. visited the Study Hall and spoke for an hour or more in the presence of the pupils, a number of clergymen, and quite a concourse of friends of the institution. His theme was education, but it was enlivened by many a pleasing incident, inimitably told. Father Burke paid a visit to the institution, August 21, 1872. July 4, 1872, rendered memorable in the annals of the institution by a wholly unexpected formal presentation made by Dr. Edmund S. F. Ar- nold* of his entire and most valuable collection of minerals. Dr. * " Edmund Samuel Foster Arnold, Newport, Rhode Island, was born in Bermondsey, London, England, January 30, 1820. He is the second son of the late William Rowland HISTORICAL SKETCH. Arnold had been for years the attending physician at the Mount, and his great skill and devotion to his profession had earned for EDMUND SAMUEL FOSTER ARNOLD, M. D. Arnold, for thirty years accountant-general of the South Sea Company, London, and for forty years secretary and accountant of Guy's Hospital, London ; also, by descent, of the elder branch of the Arnolds of Lowestoffe, Suffolk, England. He was educated first in a private school, then at the Moravian institution at Neuwied, on the Rhine ; entered Guy's Hospital, London, as a house pupil in 1835, remained there continuously till 1844, with the exception of session i837-'38, when he attended the anatomical and physiological lectures of Mayer and Weber at the University of Bonn. In 1S42 he was licensed medical practitioner at Fac-Simile of Presentation. 41 J<)i*in'a/(U -Ji-lj ItfYlTi 'falitei#t//e/frtT7ia* /o/iSe V%*ls//tV fifT/it -&'/■*/&) /t'f/77/z JP /mP &S fif Oiiat/J C4*iaj;r en //l~jF9}ete/i£a6erftt?ac/. frf/M/m* jtn/f // /&*»**. putt* y jfot sfp/fi, //m/2f» '■ tfecfif/JSa-// Jf tf>ei+ aJ/tav tf/4e emy*f.#J~ &:£&//& */ejt//0£e6f*t*l4n/ as£e &*iom c/fe*n eesS'/b-i re eet/e*i &j dlV ££7siA p/(PSS /totf'/uiex' ' J7~t/£/eri . 5 ~^ K-SH* 111 s it ^ oS g -5 IS lilllfl ID p. U3 < SHJI' <§ <^* HISTORICAL SKETCH. 93 the middle aisle of the chapel, more than twenty little ones, all clad in white, wearing veils and wreaths, filed out of the pews on either side and preceded him. Immediately after the Cardinal came the other students, all in white veils. When near the door the ad- vanced children assumed a kneeling posture, and those behind followed their example. Evidently his Eminence was not prepared for the little ceremony, for he stood a moment seemingly at a loss how to proceed. It was only for a moment — a smile lit up his face, and, with bowed heads, they all received his benediction. Before the procession was resumed, he spoke a few words to them, which, like all his college and convent words, were sweet and simple. At two o'clock all the children were assembled in the chapel of the convent, and in about fifteen minutes the Cardinal, accom- panied by twelve priests, proceeded up the middle aisle, and, after a short prayer, he was divested of some of his princely robes and vested as a bishop. Beckoning to the standing congregation to be seated, the Car- dinal sat down, and spoke in substance as follows : " My dear children, you are now about to receive a sacrament which will confirm the impression made on your soul by baptism. Like baptism, you can receive it but once, and its mark will remain on your soul as long as you live ; and when the soul is separated from the flesh, it will still remain to bear testi- mony for or against you. You remember that, on Pentecost, the apostles being assembled together, heard a great noise as of the blowing of mighty winds. They were afraid, and did not know what was about to happen. Suddenly a light illumined the place, and, looking up, they saw that tongues of fire were descending on the head of each. Shortly after they felt that they had been en- dowed with extraordinary powers. Now, my dear children, you will see no visible sign by which you may know that the Holy Ghost has made an abode in your souls, but your faith teaches you, and you believe that He will indeed come and '3 HIS EMINENCE, CARDINAL JOHN McCLOSKEY. Donors : The Misses O'Rorke. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 95 be with you. If you keep your souls as pure as they are to-day, He will remain and beautify them with all those graces which are and should be coveted by every Roman Catholic." Here he finished, and the little ones filed out of the pews and proceeded up to the altar-rail, where a profound genuflection was made. In couples they ascended the steps of the altar, and were confirmed. After the confirmation there was benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. During the benediction an original " Laudamus," com- posed for the occasion by Mr. Gustavus Schmitz, was sung. It was arranged for altos only, and the Misses Postlewaite, Ward, and Dunn executed their parts creditably. " Tantum Ergo" (Rossi) concluded the musical ceremonies of the afternoon. Reception of the Cardinal. The visitors were ushered into the grand hall about 6 p. m., to await the illustrious guests. Meanwhile all had leisure to admire the rich and tasteful decorations, the general effect of which was most imposing. The windows were all draped with scarlet, covered with lace, and festoons of rich lace, embroidered in gold and purple, hung in the intermediate spaces. The recess running back from the platform was hung in scarlet embroidery edged with gold ; while another fall of royal-purple drapery was gracefully festooned at the back within the recess, which was reached by an elegantly carpeted flight of steps. Above the princely throne, " God bless our Cardinal " flashed out in tiny gas-jets. Opposite, on the gal- lery-front, were the magical words, " Pio Nono," emblazoned in gold, and above these hung the Papal banner, so welcome to Christian eyes and so dear to Christian hearts. Numerous baskets 9 6 HISTORICAL SKETCH. of flowers stood on pedestals against the pillars and in other prom- inent positions, making the air all balm and fragrance, while the summer zephyrs, gently fanning the drapery of the casements, gave a delicious sense and look of coolness to the shaded hall. As the Cardinal and his illustrious attendants entered, the first notes of the grand march broke on the ear, and to the sound of the inspiring strain, and preceded by a group of fairies moving in graceful and ever-varying figures, the distinguished guests advanced to their elevated position at the head of the hall, the Cardinal in the center, on his right Right Rev. Francis McNierny, D. D., of Albany ; Very Rev. William Ouinn, V. G. ; Very Rev. Thomas Preston, V. G. ; Dr. Ubaldi, and Rev. John M. Farley; and, on his left, the Ablegate Monsignor Roncetti, Count Marofoschi, and Rev. John Kearney. About one hundred of the principal clergy- men of New Vork followed. Gracefully executed miniature programmes were distributed, printed in gold lettering : Congratulatory Reception of His Eminence Cardinal McCloskey. Mount St. Vincent, May 20, 1875. Grand March. Duet and Chorus. Addresses. God bless the Pope. Our Cardinal's Greeting. Our Cardinal's Greeting. [Synopsis.] The guardian Genius of the Mount, while soliloquizing in a strain of con- tentment, is suddenly informed by the Anemoi, or Winds, of the arrival of his Eminence. Anxious to do honor to so great a guest, the Genius summons the Dryades, Naiades, and Oreides, to learn if Nature has done her part of prepara- tion. These Nymphs confess that their respective haunts are not as lovely as HISTORICAL SKETCH. gj they would wish. The Genius then calls the Muses, who joyously agree to do their best ; and to their aid they call the Graces. We know of nothing within recent years which quite equaled the graceful elegance of this demonstration. Every one, including the Cardinal and the Papal envoys, was charmed with the spirit and manner of the young ladies, through whom, indeed, as the Cardinal pointed out, their kind teachers' influence was visible, al- though the teachers themselves were invisible. We should have been glad to have had the worst enemy of Catholic and convent education with us on that day. He would never doubt hereafter what a nun can do in forming a bright, intelligent, and graceful young girl ! Reduced to the barest outline of the programme — and we do not undertake to do more than summarize — the reception consisted of suitable musical selections, including the song, " God bless the Pope," and then addresses in French, English, and Latin. We give these in full. The French address was very gracefully delivered by Miss Aimde Reynaud. " MONSEIGNEUR, MONSIGNOR, ET VOUS HoNORABLES MESSIEURS : C'est avec les sentiments de la joie la plus vraie que nous vous souhaitons la bienvenue a Mont St. Vincent ! L'honneur de votre visite, Monsignor, est un de ces rares bonkeurs dont on ne peut esp^rer jouir plus d'une fois dans la vie ; et les ex- pressions nous manquent pour vous dire toute /'/motion qui remplit nos cceurs dans ce moment heureux. " Toujours et en toute ctrconstancc, Messieurs les Legats de notre Saint-Pere seraient recus avec joie parmi nous. En tout temps nous les saluerions avec la plus grande veneration, la plus vive allegresse — mais aujourd'hui, aujourd'hui qu'ils nous apportent l'heureuse nouvelle de l'elevation de notre bien aimd et vendre Pontife a une dignite a laquelle il peut si bien faire honneur, par ses talents et ses merites, aujourd'hui, Messieurs, nous voudrions semer des fleurs 98 HISTORICAL SKETCH. sur votre passage, baiser avec respect et reconnaissance le bord de vos vete- ments. " Et vous redisant combien nous sommes heureuses d'etre honorees de votre presence, nous vous prions, Monsignor, de daigner presenter a notre Pontife Su- preme, a celui qui est Roi a tous les titres, a Pie Neuf, l'assurance de notre entier devouement. " Malgr6 l'immense ocean qui nous separe de la terre privilegiee qui le re- clame d'une maniere particuliere, neanmoins, il n'est, sous le ciel Italien, nuls cceurs plus fideles, plus devouees a Pie Neuf que ne le sont ceux des Sceurs et des Aleves du Mont St. Vincent. " Agreez de nouveau, Monsignor et honorables Messieurs, l'expression de notre joie et de notre reconnaissance pour ces instants de bonheur." Miss McCall's English address will speak for itself; and Miss McGuire's Latin address will bring far and wide ample testimony of the devotion of American women to the august and suffering head of the Church. Address. " Most Venerable and Beloved Cardinal Archbishop: Since last we had the honor of addressing your Eminence, an event has taken place which has awakened a thrill of delight in every Catholic heart throughout this vast repub- lic, which has called forth strains of joy and thanksgiving from all who rejoice to see honored the great and good — an event which will form an era in the his- tory of the Catholic Church in this hemisphere, and which shall be a source of joy, even to succeeding generations. " Need we speak of it ? Your scarlet robe anticipates us. We mean the elevation of one so beloved, so venerated, so worthy, to the rank of a prince of the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church. " With heart-felt joy, then, we congratulate your Eminence ; we congratulate the Church of this country — we rejoice with the Church universal ; we rejoice at our own joy, in living at an epoch in which the current of our young lives is brightened by the sunshine of so auspicious an event as the creation of the first American Cardinal. Ah ! could the shade of a Carroll or a Cheverus arise at this moment, and behold that Church which they knew in its infancy, now like a giant pursuing its course — could the early missionaries, a Jogues or a Mar- quette, a White or a Druillette, now look upon that land in which they labored HISTORICAL SKETCH. 99 and toiled, or which they bedewed with their blood — could they behold it now, exulting in its millions of Catholics, its magnificent hierarchy, and its prelate- prince — second in dignity only to the Holy Father himself — how would they exclaim : ' Great are the works of the Lord, and wonderful in His ways ! ' What do I say ? From heaven they look down upon this scene, and rejoice in our joy ! O all ye holy American prelates and priests on high ! Your toils and struggles are rewarded ! O saintly Jogues, and all ye holy martyrs on the crim- son records of North America ! ye are avenged ! Avenged as God only avenges, by new blessings on the Church of your love — the scene of your toils — the land of Mary Immaculate ! " Yes ! even as we speak, we seem to hear celestial voices echoing our joyful lay : Long live, long live and reign — long live to bless his faithful flock, his Eminence Cardinal McCloskey, Archbishop of New York ! " Latin Address. " Eminentissime Pater, Illustrissime Domine, Reverendissime Pr^esul, Patresque Reverendi : Nobis liceat lingua ecclesiae tarn cara, cogitationes jam expressas iterare, quibus amorem cordium erga summum Pontificem patrem supre- mum tarn dira nunc patientem ferventius exprimamus. Dolores ejus tot sunt gemmae nostris oculis ; ejusque caput glorise corona, quacumque temporali pros- peritate sublimiore, pulcherrime ornant. " Ilium amaremus patientem cum Christo cruqifixo vel laetantem cum Christo resurrecto, etiam si nos non amaret ; sed quando pras oculis in honore bene amato nostro patri collato, sollicitudinis ejus signum habemus ; corda nostra juve- nilia exultant latanturque — " Die igitur te quassumus, reverendissime pnesul, patri nostro summo quan- tum sit amoris in pectoribus nostris quantasque illi gratias agamus. Die illi quanta sit in illius miseriis nostra sympathia, quamque cum illo pati usque ad mortem et sanguinis effusionem omnes paratse simus. Ploramus quando de ca- lamitatibus illi ab impiis inflictis loqui audimus. Ploramus sed non sine spe ; quia inter fletus lacrymasque nostras, spei illuminatio aliquando venit sicut inter pluvia et nubes solis radius ad tenebras effugandas effulget. " In summo pontifice patiente imaginem Salvatoris patientis videmus, dum crucifigitur spes et fides jam resurrectionem et triumphum indicant. Die illi nos filias ejus devotas quotidie pro illo exorare Deum Omnipotentem ut inimicos ejus superbos humiliet, ecclesiamque suam a potestate despotica liberet obsecra- mus. De longinquo et trans mare ad ilium manus supplices tendimus et corda sub- IO o HISTORICAL SKETCH. levamus, benedictionem ejus apostolicam impetrantes, dum semper gaudium nostrum maximum et privilegium carissimum erit Pii Noni filiae devotissimae vocari et esse." At its close the Graces offered his Eminence an exquisitely pure and beautiful symbol of a heart, typifying the united affection of the pupils and Sisters, and containing a pectoral cross set in diamonds. This cross had been left as a dying gift to the com- munity by the late Most Reverend Archbishop Hughes, thus en- abling the Sisters to present to his Eminence, who is their acting Superior-General, this graceful and appropriate proof of their heart- felt affection. We have never witnessed any reception more delightful than this at the Mount. Every one was more than gratified, and the great pleasure which his Eminence unmistakably displayed was created by an exhibition of affection which seemed as heart-felt as it was grateful. The Cardinal arose and complimented all on the brilliant suc- cess of the entertainment. His Eminence went on to remark that, in most of the ovations and receptions that had been given him since his elevation, there had been always present an arduous sense of the duty devolving on him ; but that in this charming festival at Mount St. Vincent there was nothing but what was soothing and refreshing to the mind, while the charm of poetry and, so to say, of romance pervading all, has made it truly delight- ful. Some of their distinguished guests, he said, were there that afternoon for the first, and alas ! most probably for the last time ; but, as for himself, the occasion had been one of such unalloyed enjoyment, he should never cease to revert with pleasure to the happy memories of this reception, and, while life remained to him, they would see him at Mount St. Vincent. HISTORICAL SKETCH. IO i Miss Postlevvait gracefully presented to Monsignor Roncetti a handsomely engrossed Latin address, requesting him to present it to the Holy Father. Monsignor Roncetti replied in French, assuring the young ladies that he knew that the persecuted Holy Father would be consoled in his affliction by their kind sympathies. He added that he had attended many receptions, but that he had never seen a more graceful compliment extended. May 12. Right Rev. William McCloskey, D. D., Bishop of Louisville, Ky., paid a visit to the Academy. Visit of His Grace of Halifax. Archbishop Connolly spent some time here in June, 1876. He visited every portion of the Institution, and made an address to the pupils, who had greeted him with music and song. June 2, 1877. Right Rev. Mgr. Silas Chatard, President of the American College in Rome, said mass, and visited the classes. He addressed the graduates for an hour or more on the evils of the day. He dwelt long on the frothy literature which is so dangerous to morals. His words made a deep impression, and his interested, earnest, pa- ternal manner made each one feel that in him she had a sincere friend and an enlightened counselor. '4 102 HISTORICAL SKETCH. Sept. 30, 1877. The Golden Jubilee of the Superioress was celebrated by a special entertainment in her honor in the Study Hall ; an original drama, "The Feast of the Golden Ingots," was enacted by the pupils. Right Rev. John Loughlin, D. D., Very Rev. William Quinn, V. G., a number of clergymen, Charles O'Conor, Esq., John E. Develin, Esq., ct a/., were present. Professor Thomas Alva Edison gives a Public Entertain- ment — his Visit to Mount St. Vincent and Edwin For- rest's Castle. {Extract front a public journal. ) Few of the passengers awaiting the departure of the 9.10 train from the Grand Central Depot, May 30, 1878, were aware of the presence of Thomas A. Edison, the marvelous inventor. Mr. Edi- son was on his way to the Academy Mount St. Vincent, for the purpose of exhibiting his speaking phonograph, telephone, and elec- tric pen. The inventor rarely appears in public. A sister of one of his old Kentucky friends is a pupil in the Academy, and he consented to appear, as a mark of friendship for her brother. Mr. Edison was accompanied by Charles Batchelor, an intimate friend of many years ; S. L. Griffin, his secretary ; Martin Force and George Carman, assistants ; and Mr. McLaughlin, the displayer of the electric pen. On alighting, Mr. Edison and party were received by the rev- erend chaplain, who conducted them to the Academy. The invent- or wore a high silk hat ; he said it was a new hat, but would not acknowledge to his friends that it had been purchased for the oc- HISTORICAL SKETCH. 103 casion. The good Sister in charge of the institution received him with great cordiality. He was taken to the chapel, where the pews were filled with black-robed Sisters, assisting at mass. Though much impressed with the service, the great inventor seemed sadly out of place. He was evidently unfamiliar with the ecclesiastical surroundings. While the Sister and the kind father knelt, he stepped behind a pew, put his hand to his ear, and endeavored to catch the words of the celebrant. He was lost in thought when the good father touched his arm as a sign to go, and the action was misconstrued by him. He seemed to think it was a reflection on his lack of reverence, for he stooped as though about to fall on his knees, and remained with bowed head. The Sisters showed him the Music Hall, and the thirty-five pianos used by the schol- ars in practicing. They were in separate rooms in the second story. He seemed much surprised to learn that at certain hours they were all in use at the same time. From class-room to class- room he walked, with his hands behind his back. Rosy-cheeked pupils gazed at him in awe. Geological and astronomical charts were shown him. When he entered an apartment where there was a small steam-engine, he brightened up in an instant, and turned the fly-wheel and caressed it as a man would caress his dog. All the scientific apparatus excited his interest. After a thorough inspection of the Academy, the party were conducted to the Norman castle, built by Edwin Forrest over thirty years ago. Mr. Forrest bought the ground in 1842. While the castle was being built, he spent two winters with his charming wife in a stone cottage near by. When the castle was completed, he filled it with choice paintings and exquisite furniture, but the most of it was never unpacked. A great domestic storm broke I0 4 HISTORICAL SKETCH. over the head of the actor. His life was blighted, but his heart ever turned toward his beautiful residence. He visited it many times after the property fell into the hands of the Sisters of Char- ity. On the morning that his death was announced by telegram, a letter from him reached the Mount. Mrs. Forrest visited the castle but once after the decree of divorce. The Sisters showed her over the place without recog- nizing her. The castle is octagonal in shape. The rotunda was Mr. Forrest's picture-gallery, and the parlors, dining-room, Mrs. Forrest's boudoir, the tragedian's library, and other apartments opened upon it. Two picture-frames are imbedded in the walls. The library is now filled with a fine mineral cabinet, presented by Dr. Edmund S. F. Arnold. Mr. Edison and party were shown what is called the Cardinal's room. It is occupied by Cardinal McCloskey, who annually spends a few weeks in this delightful place. A painting of St. Peter's escape from prison, after Michael Angelo, adorns its walls. The apartment is richly furnished. A costly Bible lay upon the table with a volume of Father Lacordaire's sermons. After inspecting the castle, Mr. Edison's party was invited to dinner in a private parlor. Mr. Edison was seated at table just opposite a painting three hundred years old. It is a representation of the Child and Virgin. A hum as from a hive of bees arose from below. Over two hundred pupils were dining and talking in the refectory be- neath. One of the most striking paintings in the institution is an illustration of the life-duties of the Sisters of Charity. It is valued at several thousand dollars, and was presented to the Academy by the Hon. John Kelly. During dinner, Mr. Edison spoke of his recent trip to Wash- HISTORICAL SKETCH. 105 ington. He visited the White House with a phonograph at one in the morning, and was cordially greeted by Messrs. Hayes and Schurz. Mrs. Hayes had retired, but, on hearing that the wonder- ful inventor was down-stairs, she arose and quickly joined the party. Every attention was paid to Mr. Edison, but, as he wanted to catch the 2 a. m. train, he was compelled to decline extended civilities. He spoke of Mrs. Hayes in the highest terms ; but smilingly added, " I scanned her husband's forehead very carefully, but the letters were not there." After dinner, a phonograph was placed upon a table on the platform of the lecture-room. The Sisters filled the galleries, and the invited guests and the pupils were seated in the hall. Mr. Edison ascended the platform, and was greeted with a round of applause. He was somewhat embarrassed, but made a half-bow to the audience. He was told that he was expected to make a speech, explaining his remarkable discovery, and giving an idea of the uses to which it could be put. The proposition seemed to take away his breath. He declared that it was impossible. He had never made a speech in all his life, and would not wish to attempt one. After being introduced, Mr. Edison sat down, put his lips to the mouth-piece, and, in a clear, sonorous tone, recited the following : " The dying soldier faltered, and he took that comrade's hand, And he said : ' I never more shall see my own, my native land ; Take a message and a token to some distant friends of mine, For I was born at Bingen, at Bingen on the Rhine.' " The professor then readjusted the instrument, placed a large paper funnel over the mouth-piece, pointed it over the head of his audience, and turned the crank. The words were repeated perfect io6 HISTORICAL SKETCH. in tone and accent, and were distinctly heard in every part of the lecture-room. Mr. Edison then whistled "Yankee Doodle" and counted twenty-five over the same matrix. They were all repro- duced together as follows : BlNGEN. The dying soldier fal- tered, and he took that comrade's hand, and he said : " I never more shall see my own, my native land ; take a message and a token," etc. Yankee Doodle. Whoo-whoo-whoo whoo, who-who-who, wh oo- w hoo- whoo-whoo- whoo, who, who ! Whoo- whoo-whoo-whoo, who- who-who, who, who, who, who, who, who-who ! The Count. One ! Two ! Three ! Four ! Five ! Six ! Sev- en ! Eight ! Nine ! Ten ! Eleven ! Twelve ! Thir- teen ! Fourteen ! Fifteen ! Sixteen ! Seventeen! Eighteen ! Nineteen! Twenty ! Twenty-one, etc. A storm of applause followed. The professor then talked to the machine thus : " There was a little girl, And she had a little curl Right in the middle of her forehead, And when she was good, She was very, very good, And when she was bad, she was horrid." It came out of the machine so perfectly, that the audience was convulsed with laughter. The phonograph then sang in a clear tone — "John Brown had a little Indian," And followed it up by whistling — " Oh, happy, happy, happy be thy dreams." After talking French, laughing, coughing, imitating the cackle of a hen, and winding up, in a broad Yankee accent, with the HISTORICAL SKETCH. 107 words, " Well, I do declare ! " the inventor made a low bow, and retired amid applause. Mr. Batchelor took his place, and kept the spectators in extraordinary good humor. The telephone was then exhibited. Through the use of the paper funnel, persons singing in a room a hundred and fifty feet away were heard by the audi- ence. A music-box played at the other end of the wire was also audible. The instrument was a common telephone, and should not be confounded with the musical machine, which is much more wonderful. Mr. McLaughlin then exhibited Edison's celebrated electric pen, which has since then become so generally known. This closed the entertainment of this great magician of science. The good Sisters warmly thanked him, and he hastened to the cars. The Cardinal at Mount St. Vincent, May, 1878. {The Tablet.) On Tuesday, the 4th inst, His Eminence the Cardinal paid a visit to Mount St. Vincent's Academy, on the Hudson, and re- ceived a gracious and cordial welcome home from the pupils of that widely known institution of learning. Had His Eminence, in repairing to this beautiful spot on the Hudson, been prompted by a desire merely to seek surcease from the toils and troubles of official life, he certainly could not have selected one more to the purpose, nor chosen company fitter to smooth a wrinkle from the brow of care. A peerless day in May can lend charms to a scene however tame, but, when such a day sheds its soft radiance over a lovely land and river view, the effect is indeed delightful. A balmy breeze from the south stirred the summer foliage, and barely ruffled the waters of the Hudson, while shade and sunshine played \ 108 HISTORICAL SKETCH. alternately over both. On the opposite bank rose the stern Pali- sades, which had lost for the nonce their forbidding character, and served both as a background to a dense and luxuriant forest-growth and a screen of relief to the snowy sails which from time to time flecked the bosom of the stream, and framed in the scene with such varying effects of color as the eye could never tire of. A sloping lawn of emerald, separating the castle from the Academy, refreshed the eye by the brilliancy of its verdure, while the air was laden with the fragrance of early summer. His Eminence, accompanied by the Very Rev. Vicar-General Ouinn, Rev. Father Edward O'Reilly, Rev. Father Curran, Rev. Father Musart, chaplain to the house, and Dr. C. M. O'Leary, walked from the castle, that specimen of mediaeval structure which bears testimony to the exquisite taste of the late Edwin Forrest, and, after a detour which led him through graveled walks, fringed with turf and flanked by blooming parterres, reached the spa- cious hall of the Academy. Here the fair pupils of the Mount were assembled, fresh from their class-rooms, ready to greet their beloved chief pastor and Cardinal, unprepared, but with hearts full of warm affection, which they knew would be a far more accept- able earnest of their welcome than the most elaborate preparation. As His Eminence entered, the young ladies gracefully rose, while their eyes bespoke their delight at seeing one so beloved restored to them once more safe from the perils of the deep. The Cardinal advanced to the platform at the end of the hall, took his seat among the reverend clergy, and graciously signaled all to be seated likewise. A number of young ladies, dressed in black, but wearing deep sashes of cardinal-red, here entered the hall, and, with measured HISTORICAL SKETCH. 109 tread, approached the platform, while they sang sweet words of wel- come to His Eminence. The song being ended, Miss H. C. Grosz stepped in front of her companions and recited a little poem, which welled over with sentiments of love and veneration. She acquitted herself most charmingly. Her elocution was admirable, and all her movements were filled with grace. Greeting. Your Eminence : In all humility The daughters of St. Vincent welcome thee. Though awe's strange spelj upon the spirit falls — For thy high dignity the soul appalls, And our deep sense of worthlessness still more — Therefore we would remind, while we implore Indulgence, that e'en Deity will hear The greeting of the simple, the sincere. There was a vine-clad home in olden days That stood where Bethany's palm-shadowed ways Lay on the southern slope of Olivet — A home where Faith and Love and Sorrow met To dwell with Peace. It was the bower fair Of holiest sisterhood ; for Mary there — She of the beauteous hair and balmy urn — Unsought with Martha dwelt ; for worldlings turn From solitudes of prayer ; and therefore oft The garden-lilies bowed before a soft And measured Footstep, and the doves, snow-white, Nested amid the fig-leaves, cooed delight. One came, for Whom the soul need never wait, His priests attend to open wide the gate ; One, for whom Martha, kneeling, opened wide, While Magdalen sank, prostrate, at her side ; — Sank, till her silken tresses swept the sands Beneath the blessing of those outstretched Hands. 15 IIO HISTORICAL SKETCH. He entered, not as one at home's sweet goal ; — Exemplar of the apostolic soul, He claims not home or kindred. To repose Awhile amid the loving, — to disclose The secrets of His love ; - for this He sought The roof where Mary wept and Martha wrought. May not thy welcome here be figure meet Of that sweet record, — oh, how strangely sweet ! Earth's Priest Divine, thy daughters see in thee ; We would a type of His recipients be. His Eminence then rose, and in his usual happy manner re- turned thanks to the young ladies for their impromptu but hearty reception. He said that he could not stir in their bosoms the same pleasurable feelings they had awakened in his ; for, whereas they had welcomed him in the tuneful accents of song and in the flowing measures of poetry, he was compelled to reply in the sober tones of prose, and a prose which was not at all musical. Speak- ing of his recent visit abroad, he remarked that it had befallen him to visit Rome while the Eternal City was still clad in the habili- ments of mourning, refusing to be comforted for the loss she had sustained in the death of Pius IX, and to behold her again rejoic- ing that she had found one so worthy to succeed him. His Emi- nence referred feelingly to the great and numerous virtues which adorn the character of his present Holiness, and ended his remarks by begging all present to pray for Leo XIII, a request which he several times repeated in a subdued voice. Thus ended the Cardinal's first visit to Mount St. Vincent since his return from Europe ; and, if the combined charms of nature and of art, if a welcome which was rendered doubly such by its spontaneous character and by the heartiness with which it HISTORICAL SKETCH. Ill overflowed, have power to impress the memory of an event, this one will not quickly fade from his recollection. The Most Rev. John B. Purcell, D. D., accompanied His Emi- nence to the Mount in May, 1879. The Archbishop remained a week or more. On the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Archbishop assisted at the high mass. Altars had been erected at the Shrine of St. Vincent de Paul, at that of the Sacred Heart, and of Our Lady of the Fountain. The Sodalities of the Children of Mary, the Holy Angels, and the Holy Infancy, were in full regalia. The venerable Archbishop walked unsupported and with uncov- ered head immediately after the priest who bore the blessed sacra- ment. A carriage was in waiting, but he would not use it. He made the entire devotional round, and, in his meek, humble bear- ing, reminded every one of his Divine Master, the Eternal Shep- herd of souls. On his return to the sanctuary, he was quite over- powered, and fell, apparently in a faint. As he was lifted to his chair, an attendant handed a glass of water. With a reverential inclination toward the Sacred Host, exposed in the niche over the high altar, he declined the proffered refreshment. During his stay at the castle he edified all who beheld him. Later on he visited the pupils in their hall, and was received with all possible deference and attention. Each pupil in turn was presented to him, and in his address he evinced the warmest feeling of interest in each and every one of them. On this occasion he gave striking proof of his retentive memory, for, in speaking of St. Peter's, at Rome, he asked a Sister present to begin Byron's apostrophe to the Grand Basilica, and, thus prompted, he recited the whole poem. II2 HISTORICAL SKETCH. April, 1879. The Most Rev. Michael Hannan, D. D., of Halifax, paid a fly- ing visit to the Mount, and spoke to the assembled pupils. May, 1879. The Right Rev. Thomas Hendricken, D. D., of Providence, Rhode Island, paid a formal visit to the Academy. He was re- ceived with music and song, and spoke at some length to the pupils. February i, 1881. The pupils of the Academy had longed to welcome His Grace of Petra in their midst, but he tarried long, so long that they had recourse to His Eminence, and begged him to come accompanied by him. At the last moment, His Eminence was prevented from coming, but he sent by His Grace an affectionate blessing and kind greeting. The following programme was arranged for the occasion : Polonaise (eight hands) Schmidt. La Buena Ventura (eight hands) Fumagalli. Chorus, "Awake your Harps." Solos : Misses Smith and K. Vandeveer Verdi. [The words were written for the occasion.] Address to His Grace : Miss Chatfield, of Elizabeth, New Jersey. The Address was as follows : " Most Reverend and Beloved Archbishop : With sentiments of deepest reverence and heart-felt joy, we extend to you our warmest filial welcome. " Often on Commencement-days and other occasions of the kind have we hoped and longed to behold you in our midst — hoped, but only to be disap- pointed. Our Lord, however, more indulgent, and looking upon us with a kind- lier eye, has given you to us, not for a few short hours or days, but, we trust, HISTORICAL SKETCH. H 3 for all the remaining years of your earthly though already illustrious career. May those years, most reverend father, be many and full ! — many, ay, even to the venerable and venerated decades of Pio Nono, and full, full with the pleni- tude of sanctity — the granary of your soul each day garnering up still richer sheaves, and, in the mysterious archives above, the record of your good deeds glowing each moment with a still brighter radiance. " Your devotion to the cause of Catholic and true education, your zeal for discipline, your disinterestedness and high spirituality, are not unknown to us ; and, while congratulating our venerable and ever-beloved Cardinal on the happy choice made by infallible Rome, we can not but behold in it a presage of untold good, not alone to this immense diocese, already presided over with so much benediction by His Eminence, but a presage also of great blessings to ourselves. Yes, to this one little nucleus of religion and learning called Mount St. Vincent — this one little spot so dear to us all, yet which, compared with the immense whole, is but an inconsiderable point. " As, however, in the sight of an Omniscient and Omnipotent God, even the timid sparrow, the tiny blade of grass, or the almost infinitesimal animalcule has its own appointed place and care, as well and as truly as the magnificent and stupendous systems whirling through space, so, too, Most Reverend father, do we fondly hope to have one little corner in your memory and your heart. We believe that this privilege shall be ours ; and in this confidence we bid you, most reverently and most affectionately, welcome ! " The Archbishop spoke at some length to the pupils, and kindly granted them a conge' for the Feast of the Purification. April, 1881. His Eminence and his secretary, Rev. John M. Farley, spent some days here. On the 27th His Eminence visited the Study Hall, where he was most gladly welcomed. After some music and singing, the following address was made by Miss Evelyn C. Grosz : " Most Eminent and Beloved Father : It is now some years since we had the honor of addressing your Eminence on any other than a most public occasion ; hence it is with singular pleasure, as well as with sentiments of most 1 1 4 HISTORICAL SKETCH. reverent and devoted filial affection, that we now greet you in the sacred privacy of our Study Hall. " Occasionally, it is true, you have stolen away from the noise and turmoil of the busy Babel so near us to breathe for a while the calm atmosphere of our convent-home, and to taste, amid these shades where lonely Contemplation dwells, the serene joys of solitude. At such times we have often watched from afar your venerable form, as with grave and thoughtful mien you slowly paced the graveled walk around the castle or the fountain's base ; but we dared approach no farther. In vain did we sigh for some kind angel or heavenly magnet to draw you to our school-room shades. " The good angels whom we see and hear never seem to fancy that we have any right to the presence or the time of our most eminent and beloved father, or that a father, even if he be a Cardinal, might possibly like to look upon and listen to his children. Now, however, that we have you with us, we take our own sweet revenge and tell our own tale. " But in our eagerness we have diverged from the main purpose of our greet- ing. Permit us, then, most honored father, to congratulate you on your continued good health, a boon scarcely more precious to yourself than to us ; also on the prosperous state of this grand archdiocese, in which churches and schools seem increasing in almost geometrical progression ; lastly, on your having secured in the onerous labors of your grand and 'sacred charge so able a helper as your present honored coadjutor. If fame speaks truly, it is a labor of filial love on the one side and an outpouring of paternal trust and affection on the other, while to the Church a beautiful shadow of the Divine Master and His beloved disciple. " In conclusion, your Eminence, we beg to be allowed the privilege of assist- ing at the implanting of that tender sapling (like ourselves, just budding into life) which your honored hands are about to bless and consign to Mother Earth. May its roots strike deep, and its branches uprear and blossom and flourish — a not unfitting emblem of your own life in our midst ! " When in years to come we turn our pilgrim feet to the shrine of our youth, we shall not fail to pause and visit with respectful affection 'the Cardinal's tree'; and then we shall recall the happiness of to-day, as once again we bid you, most reverently and most affectionately, welcome ! " In response, His Eminence delighted the pupils for fully twenty minutes by one of his happiest addresses, and finished by giving HISTORICAL SKETCH. 115 his blessing. Afterward, in rochet and stole, and attended by Rev. Fathers Farley and McNamee, he proceeded to the grass-plot between the Study Hall and Castle. The pupils, in long, white veils, followed, and formed a pleasing group. His Eminence read the benediction from the ritual, sprinkled the beautiful scarlet- linden sapling with holy water, and then supported it with his hand while the men covered the roots. A box, containing a full account of the event, with a medal of Leo XIII, etc., had been placed by him in the excavation for the tree. The pupils sang the Laudate. November 9, 1881. The Right Rev. Michael J. O'Farrell, D. D., having been con- secrated Bishop of Trenton, November 1, 1 88 1 , came on the 9th to the Mount. This right reverend prelate is especially dear to the pupils, as his visits to their class-rooms during his pastorate at St. Peter's were quite frequent,- and always of much profit to them. He would listen to their recitations on such occasions, and then make a review of entire branches. The Most Rev. Arch- bishop had named him on the committee to examine the pupils' essays, and he always gave to them the most patient attention. Identified with the Mount as he was, and as we trust he will con- tinue to be, his coming after his consecration was an event in the history of the Academy. He replied to the address made to him on behalf of the school with much kind feeling and grace. No one ever spoke with more force and effect on the subject of education than he had done on the occasion of his second visit, in October, 1882. The Right Rev. Bishop of Hong-Kong, China, paid a visit to the Academy on November 19, 1881, and gave the as- 116 HISTORICAL SKETCH. sembled pupils some very graphic ideas of life in the Celestial Empire. The Bishop possesses a distinguished bearing, and seems to be endowed with every possible qualification for missionary work. He chanted the Our Father in the Mongolian tongue, and repeated a volume of interesting reminiscences. The Right Rev. John Tuigg, D. D., visited the Academy on the 28th of March, 1882, on his return from Rome. On what he supposed would prove his death-bed, this prelate remembered the pupils to whom he had shown so much friendli- ness, and from whom he had received such a warm greeting, and founded the Leo XIII gold medal, in perpetuity, for excellence in Church history. The Hughes Gold and Silver Medals for Best Original Essay on Domestic Economy. These medals were founded in i860. To make their object best understood, we need only quote the words of Archbishop Hughes at the distribution of prizes : " Though it is of the utmost importance that you have a good education, that you be endowed with accomplishments of manner, that you have enlightened minds, yet there are other matters with which you should also be acquainted — matters that belong to the practical duties of every-day life. If I live another year, I propose to arrange with the Sisters for the introduction of a new branch of science. It is a new science — do you know what it is ? Well, there is no word in this poor, weak English language of ours which expresses it, but in French it is called la cuisine. It is the science of housekeeping, and the art really begins with the kitchen. Every young lady ought to understand this science, whether she prac- tice it or not. If she be obliged by circumstances to use this knowledge, what an invaluable blessing it will be to her ; but, if she understand not this very necessary science, the cook will have the advantage ; and then, what if a friend call in to take pot-luck during the cook's absence ? Or what if it happen some fine day HISTORICAL SKETCH. II 7 that the cook dismiss her ? Now, if such a thing should occur, the lady might be left without dinner, and then what a terrible fix she would be in ! I shall, then, arrange with the Sisters, so that every young lady, if she choose, shall have the privilege next year of spending some time every month in the kitchen to see how things are done there. In this way, we shall have theory and practice combined. At the end of the year I shall give a gold medal, worth fifty dollars, for the best essay, not exceeding seven pages nor less than five pages of foolscap, on the sci- ence of which I have been speaking." The following year His Grace, on a similar occasion, entered into the philosophy of education. He dwelt earnestly and forcibly on the great truth that education must begin at home— in the family circle — in order to produce its legitimate fruits, observing that no mere scholastic education can wholly form the man or the woman for society, nor can any system of education counteract the effects of home training. Having enlarged in the same forcible manner on the all-powerful influence exercised by the weaker sex, " whether directly or indirectly," in the affairs of men, His Grace passed on by a natural transition to the subject of domestic economy, and its paramount importance to the comfort and well-being of families. He stated that, deeply impressed with this conviction, and with a view to attract attention to the subject at Mount St. Vincent, he had last year offered a gold medal to the pupil of the institution who should present this year the best original essay on that useful science. A committee of gentlemen [one of the first of the com- mittee named by His Grace, John Gilmary Shea, LL. D., is still a member (1883) J had been appointed to examine the compositions, and, of the number submitted, by an unexpected result, " not one, but two, had been pronounced the best." Such being the case, it had been suggested to him to give two medals, which together would be of equal value to the one promised ; but, as there were 16 Il8 HISTORICAL SKETCH. two essays of equal merit, two medals, each one valued at fifty dollars, were given. The medals are about an inch and a half in diameter. On one side is the inscription, " This medal zuas awarded by the committee, and presented by His Grace the Most Rev. Arclibishop of New York." On the reverse are the words, "Premium for the best original essay on domestic economy, submitted by the young ladies of Mount St. Vincent Academy, FonthillT Two years later, as we have seen, at the last Commencement presided over by His Grace Archbishop Hughes, he alluded to the medal in these terms : " The special' presentation, a gold medal, is the gift of Archdeacon McCarron. It is a generous and well-directed gift, and it shall not lapse. I shall leave it incumbent on my successor to perpetuate it ; and shall make a will — I have been intending to do so for a long time — and, as the lawyers say, I shall will and de- vise and bequeath (I believe those are the terms used, whether a man have any- thing to leave or not) provision for a gold medal every year for the same purpose." The medal has ever since been yearly given by some ecclesi- astic of the diocese. It is difficult, indeed, to overrate the benefit effected thereby, as the subject is treated by the essayists in its widest sense. Curran Gold and Silver Medals. The Curran gold and silver medals for excellence in mathe- matics were founded in 1874 by the late Rev. Michael Curran, pastor of St. Andrew's Church, New York, who was a devoted friend of the Academy. In awarding them, the percentage mer- ited during the year, and the result of two written and searching examinations in geometry, algebra, and arithmetic, are all taken into account. These medals have always been objects of great HISTORICAL SKETCH. H 9 emulation, and are of beautiful design, representing the Pythago- rean Theorem in gold, and purple enamel. The Seton Gold and Silver Medals for excellence in English literature were founded, in 1876, at the suggestion and through the generosity of Rev. Bernard O'Reilly, D. D., of New York. One of the objects nearest to the heart of this illustrious scholar seemed to be the furtherance of Catholic education, and he especially desired that our colleges and acade- mies should reach a high standard of excellence. He had already donated a yearly medal to a college in Canada, and he next turned his attention to the Mount. English literature he deemed a study proper to rouse the ambition of young lady students ; and he himself named the conditions, requiring, in addition to a high record for the year, excellence at three examinations, two semi- annual and written, and one oral, toward the close of the scho- lastic year. The object proposed by Dr. O'Reilly in founding these medals has apparently been obtained, in the increased interest evinced in this study throughout the Senior Course. The medals are named in honor of Mother Elizabeth Seton, the revered foun- dress of the Sisters of Charity in the United States. In diameter they are about two inches, and of the following design : A fine medallion relievo of Mother Seton, with these words, " Dcfuncta adliuc fovet Elisabeth? On the reverse, a stork is incubating, and its mate is putting a serpent into its mouth. The stork was con- sidered by the ancients the personification of piety, conjugal and filial love, gratitude, and temperance. In hieroglyphic language it is the symbol of piety and beneficence, and also in Hebrew. The words "Altrix Sapientice Pietas" form the inscription. 120 HISTORICAL SKETCH. The Kelly-Hughes Gold and Silver Medals for practical domestic economy were founded, in 1880, by Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Kelly, of New York. These medals are intended to awaken a strong feeling of competition among all the pupils for such womanly accomplishments as good sewing, household thrift, and some knowledge of the culinary art. They have accomplished their purpose, for good sewing and a proper regard for household duties are dignified in the eyes of the pupils, and the best results have followed. The dies of the medals were made at the United States Mint, and are rich and massive. The obverse represents Mater Admira- bilis as she appears in oil-fresco in the miraculous painting now in la Trinita dei Monti, Rome. We shall give a description : In a niche near the great Church of the Monastery is the Most Holy Virgin in fresco, full size, and at the age of twelve or thirteen years. Around this Fair Flower of the Field and Lily of the Valley the air seems full of the sweet perfumes of a holy silence and recollection. She is occupied in spinning flax ; near her, on the right, is a distaff resting upon a slender shaft, and on the left a lily rising out of a crystal vase, and bending its flexible stalk toward Mary. As the lily seems to move toward her, she raises her eyes to contemplate it more easily, and inhales the heavenly perfumes. Absorbed in meditation, the Holy Child has interrupted her work ; her shuttle has become motionless, and has dropped from her hand, while her left hand still holds a light thread which remains joined to the flax in the distaff. The left foot of the holy spinner rests upon a stool, near which lies an open book, spread out on a work-basket filled with shuttles and skeins. These words, HISTORICAL SKETCH. 121 in Latin, on the exergue: " Consideravit son /fas downs sues, et panan otiosa non comcdit." On the reverse of the medal is a fine relievo bust, in vignette, of the late Most Rev. Archbishop John Hughes, D. D., and the words: "In mcmoriam ceternam erit Justus." " Pracmium Kelly-Hughes? Mr. and Mrs. Kelly were unable to be present at the Com- mencement in 1883. The sewing of the two graduates to whom the medals were awarded was sent to Mrs. Kelly's residence. On returning the same, Mrs. Kelly wrote as follows : "South Orange Avenue, September 17, 1883. " Dear Sister : . . . There was some little delay about my receiving the par- cels of sewing ; but I did get them, and I examined the work with great care and interest. I find them only too well done j about one half those tiny, dainty stitches would have answered just as well. The French say too many stitches 'fatigue' the material, and it is true ; but that must come with experience ; and I marvel at the patience of those sweet girls, for it must have been tried more than once on those wonderful garments. Give them our compliments, and say we think they deserved their medals. Next year I hope to be able to go up before the Com- mencement-day — as it would be so much more satisfactory to see the girls and the work together. I took the parcel back to Miss Stella Byron, who will return it, if she has not already done so. Thanking you sincerely for sending it to me, " I am, dear Sister , very sincerely yours, "M. A. Kelly." Tests for the Kelly-Hughes Medals. 1. The perfect mistress of the art of household management must lay the foundation of that art deeper than on mere practical knowledge of the duties it involves. It must rest on a hearty recognition of the inherent dignity and worthiness of the work. No one who feels it to be a servile task, or one beneath her dignity, to assume the practical management of her own household, deserves to have a house- hold to manage. If it be the aim of her life to sit in idle state, and have others do her constant bidding, she gives proof of having failed to acquire a knowledge 122 HISTORICAL SKETCH. of the first elements of housekeeping. The model woman must be to-day such as Solomon described her three thousand years ago : "She hath looked well to the paths of her house, and hath not eaten her bread idle." " Her fingers have taken hold of the spindle ; she hath made for herself clothing of tapestry." "She hath risen in the night," that her household may be fed in season, and, as a consequence of her many virtues, " the heart of her husband trusteth in her," and he " sitteth among the senators of the land." And long before the time of Solomon, Sarah, a princess, and the wife of Abraham, made with her own hands cakes of meal for her husband's guests. And Abraham himself, prince and patriarch, went to the herd to select a calf, and, when the repast was ready, waited on his visitors. And from the time of Abraham down to the present, princesses and noble ladies have counted it a duty to minister to the wants of the members of their own house- hold, and even, when necessity required, worked with their own hands. 2. The skilled mistress of a household must not only be willing to assume practi- cal control over her miniature kingdom, but she must acquaint herself thoroughly with the principles of household government, so that cleanliness, order, good taste and a due regard for health may everywhere shine forth. 3. In order to provide wholesome food and drink for her household, she must possess a practical knowledge of the leading principles of cookery. 4. Solomon's model woman " made herself clothing of tapestry " ; and in like manner the model manager of a house, in our own day, must see that the members of her household are well clothed, so that " they shall not fear the cold of snow," and so that their appearance may bespeak their condition in life. Points on which Candidates should be tested. 1. The candidate for honors in household management should, therefore, in the first place, be tested as to her willingness to minister to the happiness of others, and she who has proved herself most obliging to her associates, most willing to serve them, and least prone to call on others to wait on her, should be marked first on the application of this test. 2. She should be tested in sweeping and dusting rooms, even to their remotest corners, as well as in cleaning windows and mirrors. 3. She should be tested in her habits of order, as shown in the way she keeps her ordinary belongings, her books, her clothes, and whatever else comes under her personal and individual care. HISTORICAL SKETCH. I2 3 4. She must be examined on the method of preparing certain leading articles of food — for example : a. Bread, biscuit, and certain kinds of cake. b. Potatoes, boiled and fried. c. Steak or chops, broiled. d. Mutton stew. e. Roast beef, or chicken. /. Baked fish. g. Coffee and tea. //. Some pudding or sweet dessert. 5. The candidate who is most successful in the number of efforts should be marked accordingly. Work should be done with punctuality. The candidate whose work is finished nearest the appointed time, is marked accordingly. 6. Work should be done with economy. The candidate who is guilty of least waste in her work, and utilizes best all her materials, should be marked accord- ingly. 7. The abilities of the candidate should be tested — a. In making certain garments, including at least a simple dress and one set of underclothing. />. In mending and darning. c. Washing, taking out stains, etc. 8. The candidate should be examined in text-books on household economy, and in a concise system of general expense accounts. 9. She shall spend at least part of one day every week in receiving tuition in the Model Kitchen.* 10. Although the pupils of the graduating class are the only ones who compete for the prize, yet a general competition shall begin in the lowest class of the course, as an exact record will be kept of each pupil's faithfulness in darning her hose, in mending such garments as she can, in covering her books, and, in general, of her willingness to be taught every womanly qualification. The credits received shall be carried forward on her entrance into the graduating class, and, in case of a tie among competitors, the decision shall rest, in a measure, on the past record of the pupil. Mount St. Vincent on the Hudson, New York City, September, 1880. * Not yet in operation. 124 HISTORICAL SKETCH. The St. Cecilia gold and silver medals for excellence in vocal music, founded in 1881, and the St. Cecilia gold and silver medals for excellence in instrumental music, founded in 1882, are the gift of the Princess di Radzivvill, Paris. These magnificent medals were referred to in speaking of the musical department in the descriptive sketch of the Academy. The Leo XIII Gold and Silver Medals for excellence in church history were founded in 1883, by the Right Rev. John Tuigg, D. D., Bishop of Pittsburg, Pa. The medals bear the arms of Leo XIII and the Latin inscrip- tion: "Lumen in Ca'/o." Competition for these medals is confined to the undergraduates and the pupils of the first special course. The Sodality of the Children of Mary. By a special brief obtained from Rome by his Eminence the Archbishop of New York, March 10, 1867, he was authorized to establish the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the institution of the Sisters of Charity. We give a facsimile and a translation of the brief: [Translation.] Audience of His Holiness, March 10, 1867. " His Holiness Pius IX, at the instance of the undersigned, Secretary of the Sacred Congregation de Propaganda Fide, has been pleased to authorize the Most Rev. John McCloskey, Archbishop of New York, to establish in the female schools under the charge of the Sisters of Charity in his diocese, for the benefit of the chil- dren attending such schools, the Sodality of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and to annex thereunto all and every one of the indulgences granted by the Sovereign Pontiffs to the Sodality of the Blessed Virgin Mary TO THE OF THE & Blessed Virgin J*A a RY. 4 t£A^D *£j? thj^stf. ^^//^ Jt^ye^ 3u^z£9tS jJLvrf? &•>"■***■ ^uJ^MZS^ZZ^<, «■ o^"i »~v ^&*»^Z^~IuZZZ,' *&f'*****t**^ Sn** 0jLtA*,i*^s \/&tUj»3y}jLz^ -2^ Co-Sftp*,, pb~,«*ij e*-A*Zkt~ £~Ai '*> M ^-^"J *■* <* ? «-* ^-^ "7< "V t- ./J, -^ * »£ A— /-y^^Kc/ ^C^ci^^^^^^, C-^7& c£m^- C-£**s7Z^i v 128 HISTORICAL SKETCH. Solemn blessing of the Grotto and Statue of Our Lady of Lourdes, December 8, 1874. Solemn blessing of the Fountain and Statue of Mater Divinas Gratiae, Septem- ber 8, 1873. Rev. Father Musart, after blessing this statue, advised the Sisters and pupils, when passing it on the way to the train, to say an Ave Maria, in order to obtain Our Lady's special protection. Solemn blessing of the Sacred Heart Shrine, August 3, 1876. Solemn blessing of the Shrine of St. Vincent de Paul, May 27, 1878. In an audience of June 20, 1847, granted by our Holy Father Pope Pius IX, special and great privileges were accorded to the chapel at Mount St. Vincent, at the instance of the Most Rev. Archbishop Hughes. No. XV of these indulgences, at this time confirmed in favor of "The Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul," reads thus: " Finally, the communication of all graces, privileges, faculties, and indulgences whatsoever, granted by Sovereign Pontiffs to other communities, whether of clois- tered or uncloistered females, whether devoted to the education, rearing up of youth, or to the relief and service of poor orphans and sick, equally and as if they had been granted specially and by name to the Sisters of Charity them- selves, and to their community, churches, oratories, chapels, and houses." Necrology. Among its most honored and revered friends, the Academy must class the late Very Rev. Michael McCarron, Archdeacon of the diocese. A man of extraordinary learning himself, he burned with a desire to have others drink deep of the fount of lore. He knew that he was always welcome at the Mount ; even his faint- est footstep could not pass unobserved as he sometimes sought to steal in during studies, or class. Hours seemed to pass like min- utes in the class-room to both teachers and pupils when this great lover of learning took the class for a drill. For many years he HISTORICAL SKETCH. 129 spent weeks and weeks at the Mount, employed in teaching almost all the time. The last visit he made to the Academy, just a short time before his lamented death, was in response to a writ- ten question on some difficulty in translating a peculiar Latin phrase. October 2, 1863, on the Feast of the Guardian Angels, the Archdeacon said mass at the Mount, and at 10 a. m. went in solemn procession to the colossal statue of the Guardian Angel and Child, that overlooks and gives name to the avenue. The venerable father had composed the Latin inscription on the statue, and now, surrounded by the sodalities in full regalia, with their banners, he blessed the statue, and, after returning to the chapel, gave a beautiful sermon on devotion to the Guardian Angels. Even in recreation, his words were full of instruction ; but when the hour for religious instricction came, what stores he would unlock ! The pupils of those privileged days will never forget Father McCarron, and his name deserves to be identified with the institution as long as it shall subsist. This good Arch- deacon died February 23, 1867. R. I. P. Rev. John Breen was for many years chaplain at the Academy. He was always regarded and esteemed by all who knew him. Reserved, earnest, kind, and fatherly, whenever he passed he ap- peared truly the man of God. He continued his duties as con- fessor to the pupils long after he became a city pastor. Father Breen died in Manhattan ville, in 1874. R. I. P. Rev. Louis Pacific Musart, for many years professor in the Grand Seminary in Montreal, came to reside in Fonthill Castle in 1864. From that time until his death, in 1881, tall, dignified, and clerical in appearance, he was identified with the best interests of the institu- J 3° HISTORICAL SKETCH. tion. His appearance in the sanctuary impressed every one, Catho- lics and non-Catholics, and he was much revered and much beloved by all the pupils. Father Musart was born in Rheims. To his dying day he REV. LOUIS P. MUSART. Donor: Annie O ' Rourke. loved France and her true glory. National events made a great impression on him ; his enthusiasm would kindle on recalling the coronation of Charles X in the Cathedral of Rheims, which was the last that was conducted with all the splendor of mediaeval ceremonies. After his ordination to the priesthood, Father Musart came to Montreal, where he labored many years. Fourteen years after he had left Canada, his name was still cherished by bishops, priests, and people, as the writer of this can testify. The Most Rev. Ig- natius Bourget styled him " a most holy, apostolic man." Bishop HISTORICAL SKETCH. I3I Pinsinneault, after resigning his see, wished to come and end his days with his old friend at the castle, and really did spend a long time with him there on a number of occasions. Father Musart died December 27, 1881, full of years and merits. He is buried, as he desired, in the Sisters' Cemetery, and a large marble cross marks his last resting-place. R. I. P. PUPILS WHO HAVE DIED IN THE INSTITUTION. I 847-I 884. Miss Catherine Dugan. How many hearts among the pupils of the old Mount will be touched on seeing this name ! Katie was a dear, sweet, bright child, full of faith and cheerfulness. She had inherited consumption, and, after having won a place in the hearts and memories of all who knew her, she began to fade like a flower before our eyes. Two days before her death, she sent for a packet of pictures. Upon each one she put the name of some cherished companion, and wrote with her own hand, " Pray for Kitty when she is gone." It was a Sunday; she felt that death was very near, and she asked to have the choir come around her bed to sing, " Take me, my Jesus, to Heaven." One young Sister in the choir had been Katie's schoolmate, and, as she sang, the tears coursed down her cheeks. Katie tried to cheer the Sister by saying that she longed to die ; and in a few hours her soul had winged its flight to heaven. R. I. P. Miss Alice Brown died suddenly of heart-disease, in the spring of 1853. She had been slightly indisposed, and, in consequence, she was advised to remain in the infirmary overnight. Before morning prayers, she had asked for a glass of water, and immedi- ately fell into her agony, and died as soon as she had received the I3 2 HISTORICAL SKETCH. last rites of the Church. The pupils had just assembled for mass, when her death was announced ; sorrow filled all hearts, for she was a much-cherished companion. R. I. P. Miss Jane Reilly died in her baptismal innocence, in 1855. The beautiful burial-service for children was chanted over her little body, and all felt that the little angelic child was singing also. She was the last flower plucked by Heaven from the garden at the old Mount. Miss Eliza Mason died May 9, 1865. She was one of two sisters. She had been received into the Sodality of the Children of Mary on her death-bed, and died most gladly in her Mother's beautiful month of May. Miss Annie Meehan came to us in a deep decline. Her parents were already dead, and she had given her love to the Sis- ters, and with them she wished to die. She had just made her first communion on her sick-bed, and was praying and longing for confirmation, when, on May 18, 1866, the Most Rev. Archbishop the present Cardinal came, with the Right Rev. Patrick Lynch, of Charleston, Very Rev. William Starrs, and Rev. Francis McNierny, to go through the institution. When the prelates reached the infirmary, they hastened to converse with " little Annie." Imme- diately Annie brightened up, and said to our own Archbishop, " I wish to ask you something." The Right Rev. and Reverend gen- tlemen passed on. The Archbishop bowed his head to catch her words : " Father, will you confirm me before I die ? I wish to have the beautiful mark on my soul." " Yes, my child," said the amiable Archbishop, with that sweetness all his own, " I will con- firm you." And Annie was confirmed, and went to heaven a few weeks later (June 6, 1866). A'. /. P. HISTORICAL SKETCH. ^3 Mary Emma Dibble died February 18, 1867, aged sixteen years. She was baptized by her own request, and with her parents' per- mission, the day before she died ; and such an impression did her dying sentiments make on her father, that he felt perfectly resigned under the heavy blow. Miss Elizabeth E. Duffy died October 23, 1872, as the pupils were making their retreat. She had left school, but, as all the mem- bers of her family were dead, she came back in ill-health, and wished to remain. Her monument is our beautiful Free School, where every day prayers are offered for the repose of her soul. R. I. P. Josephine Bianchi Delmonico, niece of Rev. J. Fransioli, of Brooklyn, L. I., died of general decline, April 3, 1870. She was one of five sisters at school here. She made her first communion before she was too ill to do so, in her beautiful white robe and wreath of white flowers, and she was arrayed in death just as she had been on that happy occasion. Our Lord in the sacrament of His great love had so attracted the heart of the child that she went to Him with delight. Her death seemed more like a tri- umph than a mournful event. So sweet a smile played on her countenance in death, that one of our Sister-artists could not rest until she had portrayed her as she lay in its cold embrace. Manuela Pesant was the youngest of three little Spanish pupils intrusted to our care in 1876. Not quite three years old, Manuela had inherited from her departed mother a tendency to decline. A wonderfully precocious child, she had established her kingdom in all hearts, and nothing was left undone to save her from an early grave. But God willed to take this dear child to Himself, and on March 20, 1877, Manuela went to heaven, to love God more than St. John the Evangelist did on earth. Manuela, pray for those 134 HISTORICAL SKETCH. who loved you so — your papa and your new friends at the Mount! She is buried in the Sisters' Cemetery. Miss Rose Conway, a newly received pupil, died February i, 1882, after a few days' illness, of spinal meningitis. She was a bright, affectionate child, and a niece of two of the Sisters in the community. R. I. P. Miss Emilita del Solar, from Cuba, entered the Academy in October, 1882. She was placed here in hopes that she would grow robust, and she seemed to be doing nicely up to February. Like a flower, she began to fade — pneumonia prostrated her — and soon daily cablegrams were dispatched to her devoted parents. Her mother had a little son in her home in Matanzas stricken down with the same disease, and had overtaxed herself in caring for him. Emilita's illness was kept from her by her husband until she was able to make the journey to New York. In the mean time, Emilita had received her first communion by way of holy viaticum, and her little soul seemed lifted to heaven. The Feast of St. Joseph came, and with it the news that the Cuban vessel could not get in until the 20th. All felt that the child was sinking. Suddenly — ten minutes past 10 p. m. — the death-rattle came, and at the same instant a loud ring of the door- bell proclaimed the mother's unexpected arrival. In response to that ring the angelic child, who had even said that mamma should not leave papa and the little ones to come to her, breathed forth her last sigh ! Emilita was with God, pleading for her sorrowing ones on earth ! She is buried in the Sisters' Cemetery, and her beloved parents have placed over her precious remains a beautiful monu- ment. R. I. P. Emilita was a remarkably self-sacrificing, devoted child. Her HISTORICAL SKETCH. I35 good sense and intelligence had endeared her to her companions, and she was mourned affectionately and long. On the arrival of her picture, some time after her death, her classmates wished to have it in their room as a precious remembrance. Our Reverend Chaplains and Chapels. When the community purchased the first Mother House in 1846 (we quote from the written archives), it consisted of but four small rooms and an attic story. In one of the small rooms the holy sacrifice was for some time offered, until, by the addition of a wing on either side of the building, a more commodious apart- ment was secured. In this really neat chapel, mass was offered, and the different ceremonies of the Church gone through with an unction and grace which endeared that sanctuary and humble wooden altar to many hearts. Later on, as we have shown, our large Chapel of the Immaculate Conception was completed, and was the first in the archdiocese dedicated to our Immaculate Mother. Rev. Dennis Wheeler was the first chaplain and confessor to the pupils; he remained from June, 1847, to July, 1848. Rev. Ber- nard Farrell from June, 1848, to September, 1849. ^ ev - Patrick Waters from August, 1849, till his death, April 28, 1850. He was succeeded for a short time by the Rev. Patrick McCarthy. Rev. John M. Murphy officiated for a few weeks. A French abbe 1 re- mained from October, 1850, to June, 185 1. Rev. Hugh Sweeny from June, 1851, to January 28, 1855. Rev. John Breen from February to March, 1855. Rev. Edward McGean from November 1, 1855, to February, 1856. Rev. John Breen again, from February 8, 1856, to November 11, 1859. R ev - Louis P. Musart from May, 136 HISTORICAL SKETCH. 1864, to his death, December 27, 1881. Rev. John J. McNamee since Passion Week, 1879. There were other chaplains to the institution, but they were not confessors to its pupils. Pupils' Retreats. The annual retreat of three days was conducted by a Redemp- torist father — Rev. Fr. Robert, C. S. S. R. — up to 1854, inclusive. Since then, one of the fathers of the Society of Jesus has given the yearly retreat. Rev. Hector Glackmeyer, S. J., conducted it for several years, and was much revered and beloved by the pupils of the Mount. His early death was sincerely regretted. Fathers Isidore d'Aubresse, Driscol, P. Gleason, Tissot, Hanrahan, Murphy, H. Denny, Mer- rick, Achard, Langcake, et a/., deserve a memento in the prayers of the pupils, as so many spiritual benefactors. Lectures delivered in the Academv. At an early period (1850) the services of Professor J. YV. Hyatt, of Columbia College, were secured for weekly lectures in botany, chemistry, or philosophy. He continued to lecture as late as 1876. From 1854 to 1863 the late learned and venerable Levi Silli- man Ives, LL D., lectured weekly on English literature. His great work, the " Protectory," prevented a continuance of his very excel- lent lectures. Mr. William H. Goodyear has given incomparable lectures, dur- ing three winters, on ancient and modern art. His stereopticon illustrations are exceptionally fine. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 137 1876. — The Cesnola collection, fully illustrated. The lecturer's tour beyond the Jordan, fully illustrated. 1881. — History of Egypt told by her monuments. 1882. — Ruins of ancient Greece. Ruins of ancient Rome (Pom- peian illustrations). Architecture of the old Basilicas. Cathedrals of the Romanesque style. Cathedrals of the Gothic style. St. Peter's, Rome, and the Renaissance. Modern Architecture. 1883. — Seven lectures on the religious art in Italy from the fourth to the seventeenth century, inclusive. From 1877 to the present year Rev. James J. Dougherty, pas- tor of St. Monica's Church, New York, has delivered a number of valuable lectures. His subjects have been the great Jesuit mis- sionaries, Breboeuf, Jogues, and Marquette; the historic Popes; the grand epochs of history ; illustrious female characters ; Luther and his times, etc. Several of these lectures have been published in "The Catholic World." The whole, if printed, would prove a valuable acquisition to literature. In 1878 Dr. Edmund S. F. Arnold delivered seven admirable lectures, on geology and mineralogy, to the higher classes. He presented the manuscript of these lectures to the institution, and the Messrs. D. Appleton & Co. have them in press at present. Dr. O'Leary highly recommends them. Since the fall of 1877 Cornelius M. O'Leary, M. D., LL. D., has been continuing a series of lectures on English literature. These lectures are occasionally varied by the treatment at different periods of subjects of special interest. January 8, 1879. — On the reassembling of the classes after vaca- tion, he delivered the following lecture. It does not excel the larger number, but it interested all so much that the Doctor was I3 8 HISTORICAL SKETCH. asked to commit it to writing. Believing it well worthy of a place in this volume, his permission has heen obtained for its insertion : TRUE AND FALSE CULTURE. The word culture is derived from a Latin root, and is used to denote that condition of mind which results from a long and careful training. It passes cur- rent among a limited class for that intellectual refinement which is not exactly learning, but a certain mental aroma, more or less delicate, to which the knowl- edge that is derived from books, society, and travel, is the soil that supplies the sap. Or it may be described as a flower, whereof the stem is knowledge, the perfume goodness, and the color beauty. Persons of culture abhor pedantry, and it is only when urgent and suitable occasion offers that the width, depth, and variety of their attainments can be understood. For this reason the illiterate are much more apt to be impressed by the noisiness of the half-educated than by the quiet and unpretending manners of those who have been thoroughly trained. The influence which persons of culture exercise is powerful, subtile, and far-reach- ing, but calculated to affect only those who, by similarity of education, are in a condition of sympathetic receptivity. Culture is a perfume that can not be appre- ciated by those accustomed to more pungent and powerful odors. It is like a seasoned cask imparting to the wine of knowledge that delicacy of flavor which the educated palate alone can detect, a wine that needs no bush to proclaim its excellence. It does not do duty on occasion, nor can it be put on and off at pleasure, like holiday clothes, since it is inseparable from its fortunate possessor — has entered into the fibre of his being, and become part and parcel of himself. It is announced in gesture as in word, and seems to follow each movement of the body. Mere intellectual attainments may accompany a groveling nature, but true culture creates for itself an atmosphere where no low or ignoble sentiment or de- sire can dwell. It can view with rapture the work of a Raphael or a Domenichino, and yet can forego the keenest pleasure for the sake of doing good. It melts with pity in contemplating the sufferings of the poor and infirm, and disdains not to do work that is repulsive to the senses in order to afford relief to wretched- ness. It is eminently unselfish, and dwells on heights towering far above paltry ends and purposes. It is many-sided, for it corresponds to every phase and feat- ure of our character, and in the light it diffuses over the soul each part shines more brightly through the lustre of the other. Thus, intellectual superiority is adorned by gentleness, truthfulness, and candor, while these latter qualities nowhere HISTORICAL SKETCH. 139 shine more brightly than in the statesman, the philosopher, or the poet. True culture is more than good breeding, for, though it supposes the latter, it includes reaches of action and aspiration far outlying the easy life of a merely well-bred person. It is opposed to dilettanteism, which is selfish, and complains of what- ever interferes with its selfish admiration of art. The emotional side of our nature is far more varied and complex than we generally suppose, and they are greatly mistaken who think that the full width and depth of our emotional capacity have been reached by those who cultivate a taste for the beautiful in the domains of sculpture, poetry, and painting. The moral aspect of man's nature is not taken into account in such a view of culture, and often those, whose .-esthetic sense, in the current meaning of the term, has received exquisite polish, are deficient in that nobler culture which penetrates the goodness of a hidden act of generosity, and finds a relish in its contemplation. A joyous appreciation of a delicate deed of goodness argues a more thorough culture than possess those who linger with delight over the pages of Ruskin, or who can rise to the realms of light, sweet- ness, and grace, with Matthew Arnold. A broad and deep-cast charity lies at the bottom of true culture. It loves to see not only the beautiful but the good, and would fain fancy the good to exist where its existence is sometimes more than doubtful. For this reason it spurns the narrowness of those who complain of others because their views and sympathies are not congenial. It seeks rather to attract than to repel, and loves the possessor of one shining quality in preference to hating him for a host of bad ones. To vulgarity it is eminently opposed, and despises from its soul the ways and wiles of vulgar people. Its special aversion is not that gross vulgarity which accompanies illiteracy, but the narrow-souled dis- position of those who constantly seek out in the armor of their neighbor's name some flaw where the envenomed barb of their tongue may enter, who delight in the husks of scandal, who misconstrue the fairest acts of virtue, impeach good intentions, and visit the most honest motives with the penalty of suspicion. It loves to bask in the open and moteless light of a full-orbed sun, undimmed by the shadow of suspicion. Real culture, therefore, aims at a uniform and harmonious development both of the stronger qualities of the soul and those more delicate ones that, with most of us, are allowed to lie fallow. And yet these less striking traits of human character are oftentimes most important factors in our moral and spiritual make-up. They are tendrils, numerous in proportion as they are slender, needing a deft hand to train them and guide them, that they themselves may not wither nor choke the growth of sturdier branches. After all, it is not the trunk that leafs nor the bough that bourgeons, but flower and fruit alike spring from the tiny spray. The I4 HISTORICAL SKETCH. fibres of the heart are delicate in structure, and respond only to delicate touches ; whatever is coarse and violent rends them. Hence, the influences that mold character — make it soft, rounded, and attractive — are subtile, gentle, and keen. Quietude and retirement are the food that cultured natures feed on, and, though they can not altogether shun the fierce light of fashionable life, they never yield to its excitements. There are many persons, no doubt, of exquisite taste and training, who revel in the butterfly joys of society-life, and love to sip the honey of its sunshine. But, in so far as they take unbounded delight in feathers, fuss, and flowers, and the garish rays of the ball-room, they do violence to the better part of their nature, and are at variance with the higher aspirations of their souls. Dress and diamonds may indeed serve even to reveal the true culture of the wearer, if the object of their use be to give material expression to an aesthetic sentiment, and not to conquer social distinction nor to feed a small-souled vanity. Taste in dress is but the reflection of an artistic mind, and, when made subservient to this sentiment, is laudable. But too often the taste lies with the modiste, and mere love of display animates the wearer. Richness of texture is sought after more than appropriateness of design ; simplicity, the sure earnest of a cultured taste, is sacrificed to elaboration of detail, and the guinea-stamp is preferred to the gold. What is known in architecture as expression should shine forth in dress, and each individual's attire should emphasize the story of character, as told by nose, mouth, and eye. If the leading milliners and modistes of Paris were to speak the truth, we would be told that it is the great world of nobodies who patronize them, and not those who have graced womanhood by their deeds and illumined it by their thoughts. The princess and peasant of to-day are most like in this, that they both reflect nature in their costume — the one through an exquisite taste, the outcome of true culture, the other through the unspoiled simplicity of rustic life. Those who give offense in the matter are the noisy, half-way tenants, who strive to imitate in tinsel and veneer the simple grandeur of the rez-dc-chausst'e, and despise the enforced simplicity of the attic. True culture, therefore, delights in seclusiveness as well as in exclusiveness, and prefers the half-light that is sug- gestive of mystery. It flees, indeed, from the solitude of the mountains, from the heather, the gorse, and the moor, to city homes of art, where the painter's brush and the sculptor's chisel vie with the great mother in the perfection of her works. But in the city it is as unobtrusive as in the country, and shuns the turmoil of city life. Ostentation of what kind soever it instinctively shrinks from, and, as it seeks to do good by stealth, so does it feed its art appetite and satisfy its intel- lectual longings far from the din of the madding crowd. The modest violet, fit HISTORICAL SKETCH. T 4 I emblem of true culture, blooms in the shady dell, while the more garish produc- tions of nature draw their sap from and flaunt their colors on the sunlit hill-tops and the breezy uplands. How much more readily do we not associate the thoughts of gentleness, refinement, and sensibility with the names of Charles and Mary Lamb as, in sweet and affectionate converse, they strolled along the hawthorn-scented lanes and green fields of suburban London, than we do with the reckless roysterers who gathered round the royal George of that time ! How beautiful and touch- ing is the story of that gentle nature which watched with unceasing solicitude over a sister who walked day by day in the shadow of a terrible calamity ! How pathetic that occasional visit to the asylum when the mysterious cloud of inher- ited insanity settled upon Mary's mind, robing it in temporary darkness, and leaving the anxious brother a prey to apprehension and disquiet ! Does not the picture stand forth in pleasing contrast with the selfish sensuality of the prince and the beau,* who both claimed to be the foremost and consequently most cul- tured gentlemen of Europe ? This reference to Lamb is by no means intended as a vindication of his claims to the highest culture, since he was a man afflicted with many of the weaknesses of his time, but rather as a partial illustration of the qualities that constitute true culture, distinguishing it from the spurious kind, with the noise of which his royal contemporary filled the air. In order to view the complete embodiment of these rare gifts, and that com- bination of mental and moral graces which give us the assurance of true cult- ure, we must select our models from among men whose memory those sovereign qualities have embalmed. And where are we more apt to find such ideal per- sonages than among the saints of the Church, in whom vast erudition is so oft united with the rarest humility, in whom a towering intellect dominated a woman's heart, in whom gentleness and strength went hand in hand, and in whom a keen sense of the beautiful was closely interwoven with a fervent love of the good ? Among them we shall find men and women in whom true culture has sought and found its highest expression and most congenial home : for have they not loved the light and abhorred the darkness ? Are not their garments perfumed with the scent of the violets ? Have they not moved through life in an atmos- phere of delightful fragrance ? Has not the purity of the lily shone in their hearts ? Were not their minds the abodes of truth, and did not their souls respond to every beautiful and lofty sentiment that ever inspired the poet's pen or the painter's * Beau Brummel. '9 I4 2 HISTORICAL SKETCH. brush, or thrilled to the core the heart of a great composer ? And, if we would make a study of one in whom the best qualities of heart and mind shine forth most brightly, let us select, by all means, a saint enjoying a peculiar spirit of his own, a spirit that jealously guards his individuality, bathing it in a light that differs from all other lights, and scenting it with a perfume all sweet with a sweetness of its own. The spirit it is that quickens, and without it inanimate forms flit before us, possessed only of the semblance of life. The canvass reflects the spirit of the artist, if true artist he be, and beneath serried groups of figures and close blent colors, a subtile power is discerned that draws us into closer communion with the painter, and shows us as well the throbbings of his brain as the deft movements of his hand. And so it is with the great saints of the Church. Each one had a spirit of his own, that continues to throw his inward life into relief, and still lives in the memory of his deeds. Their lives are not the mere arid recital of virtues practiced and austerities endured, but spirited epics rife with action and instinct with movement, pictures whose colors burn into the soul. For this reason it is easier to trace the secret course of their hidden lives, to discern the subtile springs of their daily actions, and the motive of their conduct, and to know them as they lived, moved, and had their being upon earth. Their knowledge, their personal sanctity, their intimate relations with the good, the beautiful, and the true, in a word, their noble and perfect culture, thus spring vividly into view. What model of a perfectly cultured gentleman surpasses that set before our eyes by St. Francis of Sales ! His whole life was the epitome of a broad and generous culture, if by culture we understand "the pursuit of perfection in all things." * Thoroughly unselfish, and of a naturally noble disposition, he directed all the efforts of his will to making others happy, no matter at what cost to him- self. This was the secret of his power, and the source of his spirit. Versed in all the accomplishments of his day, and acquainted with the lore which made contemporary scholars famous, his sole ambition was to render his accomplish- ments and his knowledge both contributive to the higher and more enduring happiness of his fellow-men. To this end he labored in season and out of season, nor let an opportunity go by which might be made productive of good to others. With winsome ways of speech and manner, he gained the good-will of the illiterate peasant, lost in wonder that gifts so rare and graces so charm- ing could reside in one who took an interest in the lowly and obscure. To speak of humility as an essential element of true culture may appear strange at a * Matthew Arnold. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 1 43 moment when every gift of high or low degree is seeking to advertise itself, and is clamoring for recognition. Yet the intelligent judge will readily concede that the down-bending of great souls to the level of the poor and petty is a grander proof of cultured goodness than the production of peerless song or speech. The will and ability to leave the higher plane of one's own tastes and sympa- thies, and in downright earnest to identify one's self with the hopes and aspirations of those beneath, to enter with zest into their short-sighted schemes of happiness, to cheer and encourage them, to shed the color of one's soul upon them, to warm them with its rays, and all that for the sake of lifting them out of the slough in which they were plunged, argue a higher, holier, and nobler culture than porch or grove e'er dreamed of. And this was precisely what St. Francis of Sales did. P'astidious of taste by nature and education, and trained to the supercilious ways of a pleasure-loving aristocracy, he cast aside the spirit of his surroundings, and created an atmosphere for himself — an atmosphere of love, humility, and sweetness, which knew no good but the doing of good, kindly, graciously, and winningly. The tocsin of worldly renown was an alarum-bell in his ears, whose din brought him discomfort and dread. To deal out the delight of pleasant deeds and hopeful words, to diffuse the warmth and gladness of his own heart everywhere and among all, to lift men's thoughts to higher ends and aims, and to make them purer, holier, and more enlightened, afforded him a keener pleasure than any philosophy save his own and his Master's dreamed of. While he could entertain scholars with subtile discussions concerning the great problems of religion and philosophy, and could dis- course with learning and eloquence on the social and political questions of the hour, he could also, with equal ease and with greater delight, talk with the poor and illiter- ate about their wants and hopes and ailments. The spirit which enabled him to do this is the spirit of true culture, the spirit which carries mortals from the valley of small desires, petty aims, and purblind hopes, up to the higher and healthier regions of true light, sweetness, and grace. It is a broad spirit, uncircumscribed by the passions that darken the souls of men, and stretching away to the shores of the infinite. Steeped in this spirit, man's nature takes on characters which beautify and transfigure it, and which enable it to reach upward to heights, ordinarily inaccessible, whence may be viewed all the glory and grandeur with which God has permitted human life to be invested. Such a culture may be said to possess negative as well as positive aspects. It not only finds joy in diffusing light and showering gifts, but, with most touchy scrupulousness, refrains from casting on one human heart the slightest shadow of unnecessary pain. It leaves the smooth and beaten path that others may tread it, and willingly takes to the thorn-sown track itself. This negative side of culture was a fixed and constant quantity in 144 HISTORICAL SKETCH. the constitution of St. Francis of Sales. The thought of hurting the feelings of any one of high or low degree was to him fraught with the keenest pain. And yet he hesitated not to endure that pain in its most poignant shape when the causing of it to others became a duty. And herein true culture differs most materially from that counterfeit presentment which so often passes current for the original. The culture which so many admire and accept is too sybaritic to admit pain as a necessary element of life. It strives to ignore it as much as pos- sible ; it refuses to recognize in it a disciplinary and purifying power ; and hence, while it seeks itself to shun it, it considers it not within the scope of any known duty to inflict it upon others. To " be cruel in order to be kind " is not a tenet of modern culture. Pleasure, which it confounds with happiness, is too openly, almost confessedly, the sole aim of its aspirations, and why allow pain, the very antipode of pleasure, any room in its estimate of conditions ? The matter was altogether different with the saints, to whom pain was dearer than pleasure, since the One who has held up to our gaze the highest conceivable standard of culture courted the keenest pain that the human frame could endure. Hence, true cult- ure hesitates not, no matter at what cost to itself, no matter with what endurance of anguish, to inflict pain on others that good may accrue to them, and is willing to receive as its reward that thrice-bolted purity of character which flows from the crucible of affliction. By this it is not meant that culture is ascetic and austere. The keenest earthly pleasure which man can experience is that which is derived from the con- templation and thorough appreciation of works of art, and men of culture surren- der themselves with delight to the full-flowing current of this pleasure, and glory in it. To them a perfect work of art is the reflection of divine truth ; it is the type of that uncreated beauty in which we all hope to find joy when the petty concerns of life have passed away. No pleasure arising simply from an impres- sion made upon the senses can compare with the thrill which the cultivated mind experiences in studying the masterpieces of the great artists of Italy, France, and Flanders. Such pleasure differs from those excitements of the senses to which we generally attach the notion, in that it elevates the mind and frees it more and more from the grossness of the earth, to which we are riveted by the activity of the senses. To this pleasure, the appropriate reward of that painstaking which leads to culture, Nature cordially invites all, for it stirs the nobler instincts within us, and gives spur to our higher impulses. Sensibility is the root of our legitimate pleasures, as it is the more fruitful well-spring of our sorrows ; and, whatever nur- tures it, prepares us for the enjoyment of keen and purified pleasures, which, how- ever, are but as a tithe of the suffering for which it also eminently fits us. A HISTORICAL SKETCH. 145 capacity to suffer, therefore, is the necessary adjunct and outcome of culture, and those whose conception of the matters is hedged around with all manner of hyp- notics, keeping careful watch and ward against the least semblance of pain, expect roses to grow without thorns and snow-flakes to fall that don't chill. Indeed, an exceeding susceptibility to pain is the penalty that all cultured natures pay for the privilege they enjoy, and of such rough-grained sort is the experience which this world supplies in abundance that we would thus willingly plead for a friend when the last scene of all was about to end his strange, eventful history : " Oh, let him pass ! he hates him That would upon the rack of this rough world Stretch him out longer." But sensibility is not akin to sentimentality, for the one is a faculty which can receive exquisite training, and places us in close relation with the most delicate and subtile influences that determine character, whereas the other is a morbid growth, the common product of a false and hot-house literature. Sensibility and sense often go hand in hand, while we generally associate the notion of silliness with sentimentality. A striking instance of the intimate union which may exist between a sensibility as keen as polished steel is to the breath and an inexhaust- ible fund of vigorous, commanding common-sense is supplied to us in the history of that wonderful woman, St. Catherine of Sienna. So quick was she to perceive the nature of those influences that worked for her sanctification that she could separate the common occurrences of the day, between which the ordinary observer could discern no marked difference, into those that were calculated to promote her spiritual good and those that might retard it. No stronger proof of an acute sen- sibility could be furnished; and yet this was a woman who could give helpful advice to princes and to prelates — one who disentangled the wearily woven web of falsehoods and intrigues that had kept the Popes out of Rome for so long a period of time. With clear and incisive judgment she pointed out the errors that had been committed by the counselors of the Papacy, and awed the enemies of the Church by her vigorous denunciations and her well-grounded prediction of the evils that would overtake them did they not desist from their unchristian policy. In this saintly woman were combined all the qualities that an accurate and exact- ing judge might consider constitutive of genuine culture, and that, too, at a period in the history of Europe when public manners were marked by coarseness, and learning was held at a discount. She was patient under difficulties ; serene amid turmoil ; always unselfish to an heroic degree ; full of a tender regard for the feel- ings of others ; generous in her judgments ; never suspicious without good reason, 146 HISTORICAL SKETCH. and then with a reluctance she never failed to express ; vigorous in her opposition to wrong-doing ; quick to discern motives, good or bad ; and, above all, deeply in love with light and goodness, as she hated darkness and sin. Nor let it be sup- posed for a moment that she lacked sound learning because others of her time whose names have come down to us were deficient in that knowledge we so highly prize to-day. Her writings have caught and crystallized the spirit of her times, and admirably reflect her own character. The style of her letters never fails to charm, since it is as clear and pure as the God-lit chambers of her heart. Maffei, in his history of Italian literature, says, " St. Catherine was, in the opinion of an illustrious writer, no less polished in her writings than she was spotless in her life." "To rise from the study of her life and works," says a modern writer, "is like being drawn away from a vision of strange and unearthly beauty. You think you have seen an angel rather than a woman — a heavenly messenger flying hither and thither with her message. She is at Florence, Pisa, Avignon, Lucca, Rome, back- ward and forward, always bearing a commission in reference to the work of God — always engaged in the management of the most arduous affairs, and which none but practiced politicians and diplomatists could have approached." She dearly loved the beautiful, as she loved the good, and never ceased thanking God, who had with so lavish a hand distributed fair and beautiful things throughout the universe. A perfect landscape, a bit of blue water seen through the foliage in which her cottage home was buried, the peerless blue of her Italian sky — all, in a word, that was beautiful in her surroundings, filled her soul with ecstasy, and ap- pealed with tenfold effect to her thoughtful and sensitive nature In singling out St. Catherine of Sienna from the list of the saints, and holding her up to your contemplation as the model of a truly cultured woman, I but lighted on her at hap-hazard. Such instances of culture abound among them, and my object has been to call your attention away from the too often iterated claims of certain mod- ern apostles of culture, who imagine they possess a monopoly of the article, to those children of the Church to whom culture came without flourish of trumpets, and who fulfilled in their lives all its conditions unconsciously and yet more strin- gently than Otsego Lake or Concord doctrinaires could exact. The standard of true culture is not Procrustean, but adapts itself to the requirements of individual natures, and, though the fundamental principles may be discussed as applicable to all cases alike, details are the growth of each one's bent and disposition. This fact is especially perceptible among the saints, who are as a garden of beautiful flowers of varied and brilliant colors, each one exhaling a perfume of its own. If it is not the sweetness of a De Sales or the tact and sensibility of a Catherine we are forced to admire, it is the consuming love of a Vincent de Paul or the HISTORICAL SKETCH. H7 dazzling purity of a Gonzaga. The question here arises, What influence so power- ful and penetrating was it that could lift the souls of the saints so far above the plane of ordinary humanity, and endow them with those qualities which constitute the best and truest culture ? The answer is, Religion — that religion whose chief attributes were summed up in the Sermon on the Mount. Meekness and magna- nimity, love and courage, patience and heroism, were there inculcated, and, given these, what could stand in the way of developing true culture in the soul ? Given these as the seeds, how quickly will not the soul, refreshed and invigorated by the study of art, letters, and philosophy, bloom into an abode of every gentle and noble emotion, and the mind be converted into a gallery of light, hung round with the rarest pictures ! Religion changes natural asperity of manner into angelic sweetness, moroseness into amiability, suspicion into confidence, dejection into the very rainbow of hope, envy into solicitude, and black-browed h;*te into the radi- ance of a heaven-born love. And yet some have not hesitated to attack that sub- limest utterance that ever reached human ears, because a reward has been prom- ised the fulfillment of each precept. Such an incentive to duty they hold to be low and mercenary, and that virtue should be practiced for its own sake. Miser- able revival of that Stoicism which Zeno built up into a scheme of impracticable morality, and justified Cato in putting an end to his own days. " Blessed are the clean of heart, because they shall see God," says the Divine Saviour. " Blessed are the clean of heart, because it is good to be so, and no reward wanted," says the apostle of " Ethical Culture." The reward Christ promises is the realization of man's hopes, his elevation to the highest pinnacle humanity can reach — the vision of the Godhead face to face. The modern Stoic tells us to be good, and to be satisfied with being so. Arid and cramping doctrine, that stifles the cry of the soul, and strangles our hopes of the future ! Foe to true culture and the en- lightenment of men's souls ! If ever it had been vouchsafed to man, seated in the darkness of paganism, to pierce with seer's eye the clouds that enveloped him, surely that man was Plato — Plato, who caught up the notion of a single God from the unceasing refrain of the ocean's monotone, and saw darkly into that mystery of mysteries, a triune Being. And yet how immeasurably below the conception of true culture Plato's philoso- phy fell ! He aimed a blow at the possibility of civilization when he proposed to sunder the ties that make the family a unit, and to surrender the care of chil- dren to the state. Worse than this, his notion of a republic abounds in plans and suggestions that are at direct variance with the universally recognized principles of morality. His notion of culture was truncated and imperfect, exhibiting a mere shell that is pleasant to the eye, but filled with rottenness within. He had in- 148 HISTORICAL SKETCH. tuitions of the beautiful as ravishing as any that ever fell within the unaided human ken ; but, alas ! his notions of the good were false, fleeting, and distorted. And why ? Because Divine revelation alone can bring the true good within the reach of our vision, and Divine grace alone enables man to reduce his conception of it to practice. It is through both these agencies that man's nature can take on the full-orbed characters of smoothness, sweetness, and light, which we behold shining forth in the lives of Christian saints. And if Plato failed to erect a stand- ard of true culture, how can we expect the other philosophers of Greece and Rome, whose natures were cast in coarser molds, to improve on his lofty ideals ? The Athenian philosophers united refinement of speculation with grossness of liv- ing, while those of Rome combined unbending sternness of character with cruelty and all those qualities of the soul that are most unlovely and unlovable. Seneca was the friend and tutor of Nero, and we may infer the character of his personal influence from the life and actions of his pupil. And yet Seneca has penned some of the loftiest sentiments that breathe through the pages of pagan philosophy, the noblest to be found outside of the Christian schools. The poets of Rome, indeed, have come nearer than her philosophers toward expounding the most correct views upon culture ; and yet they are but the apostles of melancholy, despair, and sen- suality. There is no sentiment that appeals so strongly to the cultured heart as friendship, and certainly no poet has sung its praises or celebrated its beauties with more rapturous and more exquisite eloquence than Horace. To him, friend- ship was the embodiment of every good in life, and he loved his friends with a tenfold greater love than he ever hated an enemy ; and yet the very page of his that sparkles most brightly with eloquent tributes to this lovely sentiment is soiled with the grossest sensuality. The friends he had, "and their adoption tried, he grappled to his soul with hooks of steel." His friendship for Virgil, whom he fondly calls the half of his soul, is most touching and admirable. He longs to hide him in the folds of his heart, and to wear him in his heart's core. Still, Horace was the poet of the most pleasure-loving circle of his day, and hence was a deadly foe to true culture. Virgil, the soft-voiced bard of Mantua, sweet and majestic as is his line, wrote for the past rather than for the future. Endowed with every quality of heart and soul that might have made him a saint, yet, because he sat in the shadow of a hideous polytheism, he fell a prey to melancholy, and wrote the very psean of despair. Hope as well as charity failed both the philosophy and the poetry of paganism. And the same may be said of modern theories of culture which ignore the vital truths of Christianity. They both labor under similar deadly defects : they dimly and distantly groped for the truth, and set up false standards of the'beautiful and the good. The materialism, doubt, and indifference of to-day HISTORICAL SKETCH. 1 49 are as much the enemy of true culture as were the gross systems of philosophy in the past. Whether it be Athens or Paris, Rome or London, Alexandria or Boston, Nineveh or New York, that has departed from the true rule and measure of reason, the result can not but be the same. As one can not gather grapes from the wild- bush nor roses from the thistle, so can he not find true culture beyond the pale of truth, the parent-stem of the beautiful and the good. December 20, 1883. — A Delightful Day at Mount St. Vincent. Thursday, December 20th, was a red-letter day in the annals of Mount St. Vincent, as it was the occasion of a most pleasant reception tendered to Mgr. Capel by the pupils of the Academy. The country round about was mantled in unspotted white ; naught indeed but the same seasonable color met the eye in every direc- tion, save where leafless limbs stretched their gaunt shapes against a leaden sky, or where the grim Palisades frowned on the dark and wintry flow of the Hudson. Mgr. Capel arrived just at noon, accompanied by Mgr. Preston, Rev. James J. Dougherty, Rev. Will- iam Dunphy, and Dr. C. M. O'Leary, of Manhattan College. These gentlemen were afterward joined by the Rev. Fathers Daubresse, S.J., Campbell, S.J., and the resident chaplain, Rev. J. J. McNamee. The beautiful convent-chapel was first visited by the distinguished prelate, who, after a few moments of prayer, glanced with admira- tion at altar and chancel and lofty, fretted vault, and, as his taste in matters of ecclesiastical structure and decoration is known to be severely artistic, his expression of profound satisfaction with all he beheld can not but be regarded as a substantial tribute to the good taste and correct judgment of those who designed and deco- rated this beautiful sanctuary. Dinner was afterward served, and was enjoyed by those who had the good fortune to be present, as I5 HISTORICAL SKETCH. much bv reason of the sparkling conversation and bon-mots of Mgr. Capel as on account of the savory dishes which the hospital- ity of the good Sisters had provided. An excellent painting of the Holy Family, directly in front of which Mgr. Capel was seated, at once caught his eye, and, after commenting on its art merits, he remarked that in the course of his travels through the country he had observed, scattered here and there, an astonishing number of really meritorious works of art, the educating effect of which was lost by reason of their dispersion. After many pleasant interchanges of views on the topics of the hour between Mgrs. Capel and Preston and the venerable Father Daubresse, the visit- ors repaired to the large Study Hall, where the young ladies were assembled to welcome the distinguished representative of Catholic- ity in England. A beautiful -chorus of trained voices, under Mr. E. Agramonte, sang the welcome. An appropriate and exceedingly well-composed address was read by Miss Maiy E. Sherril, whose liquid tones, exquisitely modulated, rippled through the air like wavelets of silver. Mgr. Capel was visibly affected by the cordial- ity of the language in which he was welcomed. After the address, an elaborate march from the opera of " TAfricaine " was spiritedly rendered on the piano by four young ladies, under the direction of Mr. Pecher, to which Monsignor listened with rapt attention. Mgr. Preston then introduced his illustrious brother-prelate in a few well-chosen words. Mgr. Capel, after bowing his thanks to Mgr. Preston, first remarked that he took exception to the epithet "controversialist" which had been applied to him in the address of welcome. He said he had never sought to enter into a discussion in the whole course of his life, and never knew of any good accruing from controversy. His work had always been confined HISTORICAL SKETCH. ! 5I to the exposition of the truth to those who were in quest of it, and he considered that life was not quite long enough for so use- ful an occupation that a portion of it should be squandered upon those whose sole aim was to attack and belittle the truth. He said, moreover, that a mistake had been made in assigning to him the credit of having converted souls to Christ. He insisted that it was the prayers, the virtues, and exemplary conduct of the poor Irish servant-girls which had done the real work of conversion, and that his agency in the matter was confined to pouring the water of regeneration on the heads of those who had already found the truth through the more efficacious instrumentality of his humble coadjutors. He reminded the two or three hundred young ladies, whose presence so charmed him, that each one of them could save not only her own soul, but other souls, and that this was to be accomplished by the edifying tenor of their lives. He believed that to live the religion one professed tended more effectively to its propagation than preaching it. " Young ladies," said he, " you are, by virtue of the education you shall have re- ceived within these walls, destined to move in the social circles of the world wherein you never need proclaim yourselves Catholics by word of mouth, for, if you are true to the teachings of your convent-school, your conduct will proclaim that fact far more elo- quently, and will compel people to inquire into that religion which can furnish forth such perfect patterns of living." After many more words of serious and salutary advice, interspersed with occa- sional badinage, Mgr. Capel bestowed on all present the twelfth of the twenty Papal Benedictions which he had been empowered to extend. He begged the young ladies to cultivate and cherish a special affection and veneration for the person of the Holy Father, I5 2 HISTORICAL SKETCH. and to glory in being called Papists. On descending from the platform, he graciously beckoned the young ladies to approach him, and he was soon the center of a noisily chattering bevy of bright- eyed and ruddy-faced American girls, with whom he interchanged sallies of fun, and whose characteristic national independence seemed much to interest him. Mgr. Capel will bear away with him from our shores the memory of his visit to Mount St. Vincent as among not the least agreeable of his experiences in America. — C. M. O. L. January 12, 1884. — Golden Jubilee of His Eminence, Cardi- nal John McCloskey. At the outset with our work, in July, 1883, its manuscript was taken to his Eminence, that his blessing might rest upon it. Most cheerfully did he accord that blessing, thus forming a new tie with the Academy. Another tender, lasting link of interest has been formed by his great condescension in allowing Robert Gush- ing, Esq., to have as many sittings as he required to perfect the beautiful white- marble bust that now graces the grand entrance- hall at Mount St. Vincent. This bust is pronounced by all to be a chef tfceuvre. We give an illustration which gives some idea of this wonderful work of art. We close the record of events in our volume by the insertion of some lines written expressly for the Jubilee of his Eminence: A Jubilee! and why? Because thou'rt great? Or hast her gifts whose chariot but a wheel ? His secrets, whose untarrying wings reveal Man's microcosmic nature ? Nay ! for State, Fortune, and Time know tears. A golden date, Because thy fifty years have, one by one, Passed to creation's High Priest, Christ the Son, HISTORICAL SKETCH. 1 53 And at His throne with golden records wait To plead for thee. There Michael holds aloft A laurel ; and celestial gates ajar, Illume thine eyes turned trustingly above, While in thy soul angelic whispers soft Call, "Come to us, the barriers we unbar!" Thou listening in patience, peace, and love. Conclusion. This work was commenced at the suggestion of an old friend of the institution. The labor has truly been one of love, and it is hoped that it will result in binding still closer the hearts of its alumnae to their Alma Mater. Particularly gratifying is it to note that not more than twenty-four of the graduates are deceased ; LIBRARY. Donor : Sarah E. Dougherty. over two hundred still live, the glory and crown of the institution. We have taken great pleasure in adding, after our historical sketch, the names of those thus closely identified with the institution. NEW YORK. — BUST OF HIS EMINENCE, CARDINAL JOHN M CLOSKEY, DESIGNED FOR MOUNT ST. VINCENT ACADEMY, BY ROBERT CUSHING, ESQ. Donor o/ Cut : Airs, frank Leslie. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 155 The illustrations in this volume are the gifts of former and present pupils, or of special friends ; they have, of course, proved a very expensive part of the work. The project was merely made known, and was so favorably met, that no effort beyond the men- tion of our purpose was necessary to secure all the cuts. Any profit that may accrue from the sale of this expensive work will be devoted principally to the fitting up of a new library. We need not add that such a room would prove an inestimable SCIENXF. ROOM. Donor : Sarah E. Dougherty. blessing to the pupils. Quoting Mgr. Capel's words to the pupils on the occasion of his late visit* (December 20, 1883), we feel we need no higher authority. " My dear children," said he, " read, read. I believe there lies no greater safeguard, after your convent educa- * Monsignori Preston (a) and Capel came up and spent a few hours. After a selection of instrumental music and chorus, and an address to both prelates, the distinguished for- eigner was introduced by Mgr. Preston. Mgr. Capel spoke for some time, and gave a speci- I5 6 HISTORICAL SKETCH. tion, between you and the world outside, than the love of read- ing." Another desideratum, next to the library in importance, is a fine laboratory, first, for storing our exceptionally fine apparatus for the illustration of physics, astronomy, and chemistry ; and, secondly, for a lecture-room, which could be used without any special prepa- ration. In conclusion, we would thank all those who have aided us in this work. We have drawn largely on the columns of " The Met- ropolitan Record," " The New York Tablet," and " The Catholic Review," for reports of Commencements, etc. Rev. Henry A. Brann, D. D., and C. M. O'Leary, LL. D., have kindly read the proofs. To both these distinguished scholars we are deeply indebted for this and many other courtesies. Graduates of the Academy Mount St. Vincent, 1847-1883, inclusive. Anderson, Helen M Port Ewen, N. Y. Baxter, Julia Jacksonville, Fla. Burtsell, Mary (deceased) New York. Boyd, Catherine K New Orleans, La. Boylan, Catherine P. (deceased) New York. Boyle, Anna L Boyle, Mary A Brady, Margaret T Brooklyn. Bryan, Anna men of almost every style — the humorous, facetious, exhortative, and pathetic. His audience was held captive, and every word was noted. (a) The Right Rev. William Quinn, V. G., and Right Rev. Thomas Preston. V. G., were made domestic prelates to the Holy Father in 1881. Congratulations were publicly offered them by the indulgence of His Eminence on the Commencement-day of that year. HISTORICAL SKETCH. t cy Bryan, Mary (deceased) Brooklyn. Bryan, Isabelle " Brennan, Emma " Brennan, Annie New York. Brown, Rosina " " Bruguiere, Louise A " " Beecham, Catherine C. (deceased) Rome N. Y. Beecham, Ellen A. (deceased) " " Beecham, Gretta (deceased) " " Burke, Matilda New York. Burke, Mary Westchester, N. Y. Bussing, Amanda " Butler, Mary P. (Sister of Charity) New York. Byrne, Mary Anastasia " " Carey, Mary R Harlem, N. Y. Carpenter, Norma Norristown, Pa. Carter, Lillian T New York. Cawley, Margaret Trenton, N. J. Casey, Cecilia S. (deceased) New York. Casey, Cath. F. V. (Sister of Charity) " " Cassidy, Sarah " " Cassidy, Julia " " Cassidy, Louise T " " Conway, Susan (Sister of Charity) " " Chatfield, Olive Elizabeth, N. J. Clifford, Margery E New York. Christal, Mary Ann " " Christal, Catherine " " Christal, Jane " " Clark, Rose " " Coffay, Mary F Suffern, N. Y. Connolly, Caroline C New York. Corkey, Mary S Westchester, N. Y. Conigan, Theresa Jersey City, N. J. Costello, Mary Manlius, N. Y. Cotter, Nora New York. Cowen, Cecilia A " " 158 HISTORICAL SKETCH. Coyne, Theresa M Flushing, L. I. Crimmins, Anna L New York. Culver, Henrietta D San Francisco, Cal. Darragh, Mary E India. Davis, Helen M Philadelphia, Pa. De Rivera, Anita (deceased) New York. Devlin, Mary " Dodge, Mary E Perrysburg, O. Dollard, Eliza Long Island. Donnelly, Frances New York. Dolan, Mary A " Donohue, Lucy A " " Donahue, Anastasia F " Donovan, Mary Ann Kingston, N. Y. Dougherty, Sarah Agnes Brooklyn. Doughty, Mary R New York. Driscoll, Isabella " Dunphy, Julia M. (Sister of Charity) Newburg. Dunphy, Anna H Ehlers, Johanna C Hoboken, N. J. Farrell, Mary Ann Fayetteville, N. Y. Fay, Margaret New York. Ferman, Catherine " Feury, Maria L " Fitzgerald, Mary E " Fitzpatrick, Mary J Jersey City. Fitzpatrick, Mary E. (deceased) Washington, D. C. Fitzpatrick, Cecilia (Sister of Charity) Fuller, Clara R New Jersey. Garrett, Laura (Religious of the Sacred Heart) New York. Gauton, Louise " Gaynor, Mary R Fayetteville. Gerety, Elizabeth Harlem, N. Y. Gernon, Mary A New Orleans. HISTORICAL SKETCH. Ten Gilligan, Mary F Long Island. Gleason, Margaret C New York. Gomm, G. Ida Savannah. Goodwin, Alicia New York. Gormley, Anna M Westchester. Grant, Anna T New York. Grant, Catherine E. (Sister of Charity) " " Grosz, Eveline A " " Grosz, Henriette C " " Hayes, Myra A. C " " Hagan, Frederica B New Orleans. Hawxhurst, Leonie East Chester, N. Y. Hart, Eliza L Poughkeepsie. Hannon, Emma G New York. Heenan, Lillian A Louisville, Ky. Hennessy, Josephine New York. Hennessy, Sarah E Providence. Herrick, Luella J Staatsburg. Herrick, Mary E Higgins, Catherine M Pennsylvania. Holt, Alice Brooklyn. Hope, Mary E Jersey City, N. J. Hubbard, Helen Brooklyn. Hughes, Mary S St. Louis, Mo. Isherwood, Constance New York. Jordan, Margaret Mobile, Ala. Judge, Lillian J New York. Judge, Mary Hoboken. Julienne, Clara T. (Sister of Mercy ; deceased) Jackson, Miss. Kavanagh, Catherine Rochester, N. Y. Kearney, Margaret New York. Keenan, Margaret Glens Falls. Keenan, Mary V " " Kent, Ellen C. (deceased) New York. !6o HISTORICAL SKETCH. Kent, Julia New York. Konvalinka, Maria L Brooklyn. Leonard, Catherine S New York. Loughran, Mary E Westchester. Lynch, Ellen M. (deceased) Brooklyn. Lynch, Anna Fordham. Lynch, M. Regina (Sister of Charity) Mackey, Margaret (Sister of Charity) Brooklyn. McDevitt, Annie New York. Marshall, Catherine (deceased) McDevitt, Margaret Masterson, Emma M Harlem, N. Y. McCoy, Mary New York. McAvoy, Ellen Brooklyn, N. Y. McCarthy, Ellen New York. McCall, Mary Rutland, Vt. McElvany, Ellen New York. McChrystal, Eliza J McDermott, Mary A Brooklyn. McDonald, Anna E New York. McDonald, Sarah T. (deceased) McNespie, Annie McElhinny, Mary A McCarthy, Agnes Syracuse, N. Y. McGuire, Mary New York. McKenna, Mary E McKeon, Mary Rossville, S. I. McLaughlin, Elizabeth (deceased) Boston, Mass. Moffet, Mary New Haven, Conn. Moore, Alice L New York. tt tt Moore, Annie Moore, Mary Mulchinock, Alice S Mullane, Mary F Mullins, Annie a u Mulry, Ellen HISTORICAL SKETCH. 161 Murphy, Albertina New York. Murphy, Margaret A " " Murphy, Mary A " " Murphy, Catherine " " Murray, Helen Jane Kingsbridge, N. Y. Nolan, Mary Jane (deceased) New York. Noyes, Catherine V. St. John New Haven. Noyes, Mary E. (Sister of Charity) Piermont, N. Y. O'Neill, Margaret Paterson, N. J. O'Brien, Rebecca New York. O'Connor, Frances M " O'Leary, Margaret New Brighton, S. I. O'Donoghue, Margaret (Sister of Charity) New York. O'Donoghue, Julia (Sister of Charity; deceased) " " Olwell, Annie C " Olwell, Josephine L. (Religious of the Sacred Heart) ... " Olwell, Margaret C. (deceased) " " Olwell, Victoria " O'Rourke, Anna New York. O'Rorke, Catherine " O'Rorke, Margaret " Pearl, Agnes Poughkeepsie. Poole, Agnes Savannah. Postlewait, Clara Burlington, Iowa. Postlewait, Josephine " " Power, Mary Agnes New York. Quinn, Anna M Harlem. Quinn, Mary A. (deceased) " Quinn, Catherine " Redmond, Anna New York. Redmond, Catherine " " Redmond, Mary T " " Redmond, Matilda " " 162 HISTORICAL SKETCH. Reilly, Anna T New York. Reilly, Amelia K. (deceased) " Reilly, Matilda (deceased) " Reilly, Anna A. (deceased) Jersey City. Reilly, Frances Reilly, Mary E " Reilly, Mary E New York. Reynaud, Aimee J Mount Vernon. Reynaud, Laura (Sister of Charity) Reynaud, Marie Riley, Mary New York. Richmond, Josephine Newark. Riley, Annie New York. Robbins, Mary New Orleans. Robbins, Catherine " Rossiter, Josephine (Religious of the Sacred Heart). . . .Paterson, N. J. Riley, Teresa New York. Romero, Juanita Matanzas, Cuba. Roux, Clara (deceased) New York. Ryan, Elizabeth Brooklyn. Ryan, Ella A Long Island. Ryan, Ida New York. Sadlier, Agnes L New York. Sadlier, Catherine Sadlier, Mary " Scallon, Ella Carmansville. Schroeder, Lena New York. Scott, Mary E " Shea, Maria L Sheridan, Maria Rochester, N. Y. Smith, Mary G New York. Spaulding, Harriet (Sister of Charity) Stacom, Maria J Staff, Rose M. " Thompson, Jane Brooklyn. Toal, Mary New York. Toal, Catherine V HISTORICAL SKETCH. 163 Vanderveer, Aletta Coney Island. Walsh, Mary A. (deceased) Brooklyn. Walsh, Veronica (Religious of the Sacred Heart) New York. Wier, Mary Haverstraw, N. Y. Waldron, Anna M Brooklyn. Ward, Maria New Haven. Ward, Margaret T " Willis, Maria New York. Wilson, Margaret (deceased) Baltimore. Wright, Mary Ann California. Donors of the Hughes Gold Medal for the Best Original Essay on Domestic Economy. Most Rev. John Hughes, D. D. Two medals of full value 1861. Very Rev. William Starrs, V. G 1862. " " Archdeacon Michael McCarron 1863. Mgr. William Quinn, V. G 1864. Rev. Felix Farrelly 1866. " Michael Riordan 1867. " Thomas Treanor 1868. His Eminence Cardinal John McCloskey 1869. Rev. James L. Conron 1870. " Michael Curran 187 1. " Charles Slevin 1872. " Thomas Mooney 1873. " William H. Clowry 1874. Mgr. Thomas S. Preston, V. G 1875. Rev. Felix Farrelly 1876. " Michael Curran 1876. " John F. Kearney 1877. Rev. Edward J. O'Reilly 1878. " Charles R. Corley 1S79. " John Edwards 1880. " Henry A. Brann, D. D 1881. " Michael C. O'Farrell 1882. " James H. McGean 1883. 22 !64 HISTORICAL SKETCH. Recipients of Medal. Miss Catherine Beecham Rome, N. Y. " Cecilia S. Casey New York. " Olive Chatfield Elizabeth, N. J. " Mary Regina Doughty New York. " Julia M. Dunphy Newburg, N. Y. " Anastasia F. Donahue New York. " Margaret Gleason " Margaret Hennessy Providence, R. I. " Alice Holt Brooklyn, L. I. " Myra Hayes New York. " Helen Murray King's Bridge, N. Y. " Mary McGuire New York. " Catherine V. St. John Noyes New Haven, Conn. " Annie O'Rourke New York. " Josephine Postlewait, ex aequo .Washington, D. C. " Matilda Reilly New York. " Elizabeth G. Redington Maine. " Anita de Rivera Porto Rico. " Mary E. Reilly New York. " Maria Sheridan Rochester, N. Y. " Harriet A. Spaulding New York. " Agnes L. Sadlier " Jane P. Thompson Brooklyn, L. I. " Mary A. Walsh Hughes Silver Medal. Miss Mary P. Butler Savannah, Ga. " Teresa Coyne Flushing, L. I. " Mary Corkey Westchester, N. Y. " Mary Anne Donavan Kingston, N. Y. " Mary E. Fitzgerald New York. " Emma G. Hannon " Lillian Judge " Mary Keenan Glen's Falls, N. Y. HISTORICAL SKETCH. I6 5 Miss Alice T. Mulchinock New York. " Mary E. Noyes Piermont, N. Y. " Margaret O'Rorke New York. " Annie O'Rourke " " Josephine Postlewait Washington, D. C. " Annie Quinn New York. " Aimee J. Reynaud Mount Vernon, N. Y. Agnes L. Sadlier New York. " Harriet A. Spaulding " " Aletta Vandeveer Brooklyn, L. I. " Jane Wall Paterson, N. J. The Kelly-Hughes Gold Medal for Practical Domestic Economy. Miss Mary 1 )arragh Hindostan. " Aletta Vandeveer Brooklyn, L. I. " Mary Wier Haverstraw, N. Y. The Kelly-Hughes Silver Medal for Practical Domestic- Economy. Miss Norma Carpenter Norristown, Pa. Leonie Hawxhurst Mount Vernon, N. Y. " Ida Gomm Savannah, Ga. Curran Gold Medal for Mathematics. Miss Honora Cotter New York. Mary E. Dodge Perrysburg, Ohio. " Mary Gaynor Fayetteville, N. Y. " Helen Hubbard Brooklyn, N. Y. Mary E. Herrick Staatsburg, N. Y. " Annie O'Rourke New York. " Matilda Redmond " " Mary Quinn " " " Catherine Quinn " " " Aletta Vandeveer Brooklyn, N. Y. r 66 HISTORICAL SKETCH. Curran Silver Medal for Mathematics. Miss Annie Bryan Brooklyn, N. Y. " Margaret Brady " Anastasia Donahue New York. " Mary Gaynor Fayetteville, N. Y. " Helen Hubbard Brooklyn, N. Y. " Luella Herrick Staatsburg, N. Y. " Lillian Judge New York. " Helen Murray Kingsbridge, N. Y. " Lillian C. Moulter Manlius, N. Y. " Aimee J. Reynaud Mount Vernon, N. Y. Seton Gold Medal for English Literature. Miss Margaret Cawley Trenton, N. J. " Mary E. Dodge Perrysburg, Ohio. " Anastasia Donahue, ex aquo New York. " Catherine Ferman " Henrietta Grosz, ex aqico " Lillian Judge " Laura Reynaud Mount Vernon, N. Y. " Aimee J. Reynaud, ex aquo " Aletta Vandeveer, ex aquo Brooklyn, N. Y. Seton Silver Medal for English Literature. Miss Margaret Brady Brooklyn, N. V. " Julia M. Dunphy Newburgh, N. Y. " Maria L. Feury New York. " Margaret Gleason " Marie Reynaud Mount Vernon, N. Y. The St. Cecilia Gold Medal for Vocal Music. Miss Norma Carpenter Norristown, Pa. " Anastasia Donahue New York. HISTORICAL SKETCH. 167 Miss Teresa McDermott New York. " Catherine Vandeveer Brooklyn, N. Y. The St. Cecilia Silver Medal for Vocal Music. Miss Catherine F. V. Casey New York. " Evelyn C Grosz " " Teresa McDermott " Special Medal for Vocal Music. Miss Mary G. Smith New York. The St. Cecilia Gold Medal for Instrumental Music. Miss Caroline F. Doane New York. " Catherine Ferman " Tin: St. Cecilia Silver Medal for Instrumental Music. Miss Catherine F. V. Casey New York. " Teresa Quinn " Special Medal for Best Original Poem. Miss Mary E. Noyes Piermont, N. Y. " Mary Ellen Murray Kingsbridge, N. Y. THE END.