Page:Elizabeth Jordan--Tales of the cloister.djvu/70

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Tales of the Cloister

Commencement rehearsals every day, and Sister Cecilia was always poking her head into the class-room and announcing that she "wanted Miss Iverson for a few minutes." I played the piano in one number of the programme, and the harp in another, and the zither in something else; and besides all that I sang in two or three of the choruses. I had been with Sister Cecilia so many years that I knew her ways and ideas, and when she was very much rushed I helped her to drill some of the girls.

I don't mention all these things to show you that I was a musical prodigy, but that you may understand that the usual discipline was a little relaxed. I was coming and going from one part of the convent to another pretty much as I pleased.

Well, during those weeks I saw a great deal of Sister Chrysostom. She was a musician, and a good one—oh, if you could have heard her sing! Everybody said she was sure to be Sister Cecilia's successor, and I think Sister Cecilia thought so too, for she was very nice to her and taught her all she knew.

Sister Chrysostom was Sister Cecilia's first assistant, chief counsellor, and general support during those few months, and we girls were glad of it. Sister Cecilia used to get excited and have nervous crises which were very

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