Page:The Homes of the New World- Vol. II.djvu/359

Rh forth rich in mercy. Convents are established in the New World in a renovated spirit. They are freed from their unmeaning existence, and are effectual in labours of love.

These convents here have large, light halls, instead of gloomy cells; they have nothing gloomy or mysterious about them; everything is calculated to give life and light free course. And how lovely they were, these conventual sisters in their noble, worthy, costume, with their quiet, fresh demeanour and activity. They seemed to me lovelier, fresher, happier, than the greater number of women living in the world whom I have seen. I must also remark, that their nuns' costume, in particular the head-dress, was, with all its simplicity, remarkbly becoming and in good taste; and that gave me much pleasure. I do not know why beauty and piety should not thrive well together. Those horrible bonnets, or poke-caps, which are worn by the Sisters of Mercy in Savannah, would, if I were ill, frighten me from their hospital. On the contrary, the sight of the sisters here would assuredly make a sick person well.

During one of those prophetic visions, with which our Geijer closed his earthly career, he remarked, on a visit to me—“Convents must be re-established anew; not in the old form, but as free societies of women and men for the carrying out works of love!” I see them coming into operation in this country. And they must have yet a freer and milder form within the evangelical church. The deaconess institutions of Europe are their commencement.

The excess in the number of women in all countries on the face of the earth, shows that God has an intention in this which man would do well to attend to more and more. The human race needs spiritual mothers and sisters. Women acquire in these holy sisterhoods a power for the accomplishment of such duty which in their isolated state they could only obtain in exceptional