Chapters from Childhood; Reminiscences of an Artist's Granddaughter

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1922 edition. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER III I THE CONVENT SOON after my grandfather was dead I went to school in a convent. I had some relations who were Roman Catholics, and they were very pious. They were so religious that they believed that every child who wasn't baptised in the proper way would go to hell and burn for all eternity when it was dead. They didn't wish me to be burnt like that, although they really didn't know me very well. They thought I might have a chance of being properly baptised and going to heaven if I went to school in a convent. And so I did. It was a big red building with a number of windows and a green square in front of it. It had an arched door like a church door with a nicely polished brass plate in the middle with the name of the convent on it in black letters. The bell hung down at the side on a chain, and just above the brass plate there was a little square grating with a tiny window behind it. When anybody rang the bell a nun opened the window and looked through the grating to see if it was a respectable person ringing. If it was, she opened the door; but if it was a person who didn't look respectable, like a thief or somebody with a bad character, she went to ask permission before she let them in. Inside the door was a wide corridor with a tiled floor and windows on both sides, and on the right a big door that opened into the chapel. The corridor led into other corridors, and large class-rooms opened out of them on either side filled with desks and maps and pictures. Upstairs there were more corridors with tiny bedrooms for the boarders opening out of them. In each room there was a crucifix over the bed and a shell full of holy water. When the nun came to wake you in the morning she stood by the bed and held out the shell of holy...