whether he is dead or alive.




CHAPTER II.

THE WHITE NUNNERY.

On my arrival at the nunnery, I was placed under the care
of a lady whom they called a Superior. She took me into
a room alone, and told me that the priest would come to
me in the morning to hear confession, and I must confess
to him all my sins. "What are sins?" I asked, and, "How
shall I confess? I don't know what it means." "Don't know
what sins are!" she exclaimed in great astonishment "Why,
child, I am surprised that you should be so ignorant!
Where have you lived all your days?" With all the simplicity
of childhood, I replied, "With my father; and once I
lived with my grandfather; but they didn't tell me how
to confess." "Well," said she, "you must tell the priest
all your wicked thoughts, words, and actions." "What is
wicked?" I innocently asked. "If you have ever told an
untruth;" she replied, "or taken what did not belong to
you, or been in any way naughty, disobedient, or unkind;
if you have been angry, or quarrelled with your playmates,
that was wicked, and you must tell the priest all about
it If you try to conceal, or keep back anything, the
priest will know it and punish you. You cannot deceive
him if you try, for he knows all you do, or say, or even