"How so?" I asked.
"Why, in order to being despised, there must needs be some one to despise you, child, and is not contempt a sin?"
I do like Sister Placida, though she is just as often sharp with me as Sister Catherine, but it is in such a different way.
"Anyhow, I hope they wont shut out the poor folk," said Sister Bridget.
"Who is talking about shutting out the poor folk?" asked Mother Gertrude's voice, coming in sharp and clear as usual, (by the way I ought to call her Mother Assistant now, but I never can remember to do so.) "Children, why are you all loitering here, instead of being about your business in the house? Let every one set about her duty just as usual, and at obedience, you will hear what has been decided."
[Obedience is that hour in a convent when the nuns assemble with the Superior to give an account of their labors, to receive special charges, and not seldom special reproofs as well. In our house this gathering took place just after morning recreation. Amice and I, not being even regular postulants, had no business there, and since the reformation in the house, we have never attended, but we were called in to-day, and took our places at the lower end of the line, and therefore next the Superior, who addressed us in few but weighty words, which I will set down as well as I can remember them.]
There was no doubt, she said, that the pestilence known as the sweating sickness had broken out in the village, and we might with reason expect its appearance among ourselves, at any time. She said she had heard with sorrow that some of her children had desired to have the gates closed against the poor folk who used to come for alms. Such cowardliness as this was unbecoming to any well-born lady, and above all to religious, who were doubly bound to set a good example of courage and resignation: but she was willing to think this only a momentary failing, which a second thought would correct; and she bade us consider that there would be no use in shutting the gates now, since they were opened yesterday, as usual.
Then she told us what she, with the advice of our confessor and the other elders, had decided upon. The doles were to be given out at the outer gate, by the proper officers, only they were to be given every day, instead of Wednesdays and Fridays. The two distributing Sisters were to be helped by two others, taken in turn from the professed, to hand the things as they were wanted. All embroidery, with other unnecessary work of every kind, was to be laid aside, and all were to employ themselves under the direction of the Mother Assistant and herself in making linen and in preparing food, cordials, and drinks for the poor. If any Sister felt herself ill in any way, she was at once to repair to the infirmary, and report herself to Sister Placida. Finally, we were all to have good courage, to give ourselves as much as possible to prayer, and such religious meditation as should keep us in a calm, cheerful, and recollected frame of mind, observing our hours of recreation as usual; and she added that nobody was to presume to take on herself any extra penances or exercises without express permission from her superior or confessor.
"We are all under sentence of death, dear children, as you know!" concluded Mother, "And it matters little how our dismissal comes, so we are ready. Let us all confess ourselves, so that the weight, at least, of mortal sin may not rest on our consciences here, or go with us into the other world. If we are called to suffer, let us accept those sufferings as an atonement for our sins, considering that the more we have to endure here, the less we may believe will be the pains of purgatory hereafter. As for these children," she added, turning to Amice and myself, who stood next her, "what shall I say to them?"
"Say, dear Mother, that we may take our full share of work and risk with the Sisters!" exclaimed Amice, kneeling before her. "I am sure I speak for Rosamond as well as myself, when I say that is what we desire most of all, is it not, Rosamond?"