ST. JOSEPH'S INSTITUTION, EMMETTSBURG, MD.
- 5 Orphan asylum.
- 5 Infirmary buildings.
- 2 Cloister buildings.
- 1 Academy buildings.
- 6 Chapel of St. Joseph, in community grounds.
- 7 Chapel in the boarders grounds.
- 4 Chapel, fronting the road.
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FIRST STORY, OR GROUND-PLAN OF ST. JOSEPH'S.
Of those rooms not marked I can not speak with certainty.—Author.
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SECOND STORY.
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THIRD STORY.
THE ENGRAVINGS.
THE view of St. Joseph's, at or near Emmettsburg, is taken from an engraving given in one of the circulars of that institution, designed to show the academy buildings; of course, those buildings are made the most conspicuous and prominent in the picture, but, by close observation, the cloister-buildings are seen forming a large hollow square beyond the chapel and the large building occupied by the boarders.
The interior plans of the Institution were made by Miss Bunkley, entirely from recollection, some months before the engraving was obtained, and, of course, may be in many respects imperfect, particularly as to the relative proportions of the rooms. The ground-plan was found remarkably correct in the outline as compared with the engraving, and in reducing it to the proper size for the book, in accordance with the engraving, its relative proportions have been but little altered.
The cells are doubtless too few in number. They are drawn too large for the scale, in order to make them more distinct. In the main, it is believed that the interior will prove a correct delineation, and will show an admirable arrangement for non-intercourse between the community and the boarding-scholars.
The infirmary building stands distant from the cloister building by the width of the balcony or porch in its rear, but we have joined them, in order to bring the cuts within the page.
At the conclusion of this volume will be found a Note, giving a full description of St. Joseph's Institution, extracted from the "Life of Mrs. Seton," its founder; published by Dunigan and Brother in 1853. This description came to the knowledge of the editor only as the present work was going to press. The reader may, for himself, compare it with Miss Bunkley's delineations; they will be found to correspond with remarkable precision, though prepared by her in June last, and without the aid of any official statements.
MISS BUNKLEY'S BOOK.
THE TESTIMONY OF AN ESCAPED NOVICE FROM THE SISTERHOOD OF ST. JOSEPH, EMMETTSBURG, MARYLAND, THE MOTHER-HOUSE OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY IN THE UNITED STATES.
BYJOSEPHINE M. BUNKLEY.
NEW YORK:
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS,
FRANKLIN SQUARE.
1855.Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year one thousand eight hundred and fifty-five, by HARPER & BROTHERS, In the Clerk's Office for the Southern District of New York.
ADVERTISEMENT.
THE history of this book is almost as remarkable as that of its subject. Shortly after Miss Bunkley had escaped from St. Joseph's in the manner she has stated in her narrative, the Superior of that convent published a defamatory letter against her. This decided Miss Bunkley not only to defend herself, but also to give an exhibition of convent life, as it had come under her observation, for the information and warning of her American countrymen; and, in coming to this determination, she did not act on her own judgment only, but availed herself of the advice of judicious friends, who believed that it was a sacred duty to the American community and the best interests of society to do so.
In accordance with this resolution, she wrote a narrative of what she had seen and heard while in the institution of St. Joseph, and committed the same for revision, with other papers bearing on the subject, to a gentleman in Norfolk, Virginia, the city of her father's residence.
This gentleman, without consulting her, made an arrangement with a publishing house in the city of page: x-xi[View Page x-xi] New York for the publication of the work, and sent away a large portion of the manuscript, without permitting her to read it after he had revised it. This fact came to the knowledge of a friend in New Jersey, a gentleman of position and great courage and perseverance, who has taken a deep interest in this whole affair, and has enabled her to conduct the matter to a successful issue. Without delay, she demanded, through legal counsel, her narrative and other papers; but this demand was refused. She was compelled, in these circumstances, to give an order to her counsel to file a bill for injunction to prevent the publication. After several weeks fruitlessly spent by them in endeavoring to obtain possession of her manuscript for examination, a bill of injunction was at length filed in the United States Court to suppress the publication of the work, which had in the mean time been printed, but not yet issued.
A great deal was said in the newspapers, political and religious, Protestant and Roman Catholic, about this affair, which induced Miss Bunkley to set forth, in a card to the public, that neither the publishers referred to nor any one else had been authorized by her to publish her book, and stating that, in view of these circumstances—not being able to recover her manuscript—she should be under the necessity of rewriting her narrative, which would, of course, occasion some delay in its publication. That she and her friends had good reason to pursue the course which she did, a very slight perusal of the work—a copy of which the publishers brought into court—abundantly proved. Another injunction was also obtained on her likeness and autograph, which it was discovered had been prepared for circulation with the book.
Foiled in their attempt to bring before the public the work just mentioned, the parties in question shortly after issued an anonymous and fictitious work, under the title of THE ESCAPED NUN, against which Miss Bunkley felt it to be her duty to warn the public, inasmuch as it was spoken of in the papers in some quarters as her own.
Neither discouraged by these vexatious disappointments, nor intimidated by the threats of the hierarchy of Rome and their abettors, Miss Bunkley, with the advice of reliable friends, went forward, and, having re-written her narrative, engaged the services of a gentleman, every way competent to the task, to revise it and superintend the printing of her book. This task he has executed with ability and fidelity, and to her entire satisfaction.
Not a fact has been distorted; not a sentiment has been modified; he has contented himself with performing the office of an editor, so far as Miss Bunkley's narrative is concerned. He has, however, subjoined many notes, that contain facts and statements, derived from authentic sources, which confirm the truth and enhance the value of the narrative. He also added some chapters on the whole question of conventual establishments, which will command, as they deserve, profound consideration; and extracts from a long and most important letter from the Rev. Dr. De Sanctis, who, from his former official position in the Romish Church, and at Rome itself, is well qualified to speak on this subject. The whole book will be read, we are page: xii-13[View Page xii-13] confident, with great interest by our American citizens. It sets before the world, in a clear and authentic manner, the true nature of convent life, even in the most popular and the most worthy (if we may be allowed the application of the epithet to any such establishment) of all the female "communities" of the Roman Catholic organization. The appearance of the work, though much delayed by the circumstances of which we have spoken, will still be opportune, and (with God's blessing) do much good.
