History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

336 HISTORY OF MIBBLEHEX COUNTY.
an instructress, after a suitable period of prepara-
tion and trial. But the bright visions of convent
life which this highly imaginative young girl had
conjured up were destined to be dissipated in a
few brief mouths. The picture of a dreamy and
perhaps indolent seclusion, and the fascination of a
mysterious worship, gave way to the homely and
sober routine of duties with each hour appropriate
to its own special work or worship. To endure
the hard couch, the plain fare, the exacting pen-
ances, she realized that one must draw from deeper
fountains of religious faith and luve than she pos-
sessed.
She resolved to return to the world, and that she
might not be hindered in her resolution by ])hysical
restraint or by moral suasion, her departure took
the form of an escape, and scaling the fence, she
presented herself faint and bleeding at the house
of Mr. Kidder, keeper of the toll-gate. She stated
that she was tired of convent life, had mistaken
her vocation, and desired to return to her family,
friends, and early religion. The story of her life
during the months of her seclusion was not given
to tiie public, but only rehearsed to a few particular
friends, and the account committed to paper lay in
manuscript till after the burning of the institution,
when in justification to Miss Reed it was thought
advisable that it should be published, with addi-
tions and emendations by the authoress and her
Protestant friends. It appeared under the title,
Six Monl/is hi, a Conveut, and provoked a reply
from the superior, which was followed by another
pamphlet entitled, A Supplement to Six Months
ill a Convent. The escape of Miss Reed had long
ceased to agitate the public, when another event
took place whicli must be regarded as the exciting
cause of the destruction of the convent.
Miss Harrison, or Mary John, had been an inmate
of the institution for several years, and wa
a teacher
of mu-ic. ^Vh^thl•r she imau-incd h.i- If uuahl.'
to fiillil c.nscicntiously the cxartii.ns of
life at a time whi;n body and mind we
by her exertions in pre])aring for C'ororlation
or whether siie chose to leave the instilulion from
other inotiv(^s, will probably never he kiidwn. Hut
(ML the afternoon of July :JS, l.s;;t, sh.uily h.lun
she would have held her reeilation, ^\w l.tt lh(
grounds in an irregular manner, and ^diuxhl ad-
mission at the house of Mr. Ciilter. She then
distinctly stated that she was tired of her secluded
life and desired never lo return to it. She talked
calmly and rationally, and stayed initil evening
A Mr. and Mrs. Runey came in, and at her request
took her to West Cambridge, to the parents of a
former pupil at the school. In all her conversation
and manner she displayed no signs of insanity what-
ever. The bishop and superior were acquainted
with her whereabouts, and riding out to West
Cambridge succeeded in persuading her to retire
to the institution again, with tlie understanding
that she should return to the world at any time.
She asked the Cutters and Ruueys to visit her, and
if she did not appear in ten days, she requested
them to go to the convent and have an inter-
view with her. At her non-appearance at tiie
specified time, this request was fulfilled; but the
callers were told that Miss Harrison was sick and
had no desire to see them, was perfectly satisfied
M'ith her present life, and wished to remain an in-
mate of the institution. The rejwrt that a nun,
declared to be in sound mind, had escaped from
the nunnery, was induced to return temporarily,
but was not afterwards seen by the ])ublic, and had
not left, acted like tinder upon the infiammable
state of mind in the connnunity.
Reports were circulated that a luin was impris-
oned against her will, and that there were under-
ground cells in the convent where the inmates were
immured. Two young ladies walking about the
grounds at this period were reported to have been
set upon by dogs. Stories were current that, from
the mystery of Miss Reed's account, there were
abuses at the convent whicli were too horrible to
be divulged.
Public indignation sjiread ; hand-bills were
posted, and threats uttered which menaced the
existence of the institution. The selectmen sought
to allay the excitement, and visiting the convent,
made a careful examination of the building, that
they might proclaim the groundlessness of the
charges; but they were coldly received, and de-
layed in their investigation, and before a public
aniioniieenieiit was made of the purity of the insti-
tution the rioters had done their work, the black-
ened memorials of which exist to this day.
On the night of .Vugiist 11, IS.'M,' by dusk,
entirely without the foreknow ledge of the respectable
citizens of the eiuiiiniiiiii \ , little knots of men
began to gather about the vicinity of the convent
grounds. At nine o'clock the crowd had greatly
increased ; many were in carriages, and the greater
part were strangers to the residents, who neither
knew whence they came nor what was their ))ur-
])ose. Some of the crowd started a bonfire just to