At length the moment for administering the "sacrament" arrived, and a bell was rung. Those who had come to be confirmed had brought tickets from their confessors, which were thrown into a hat, and carried around by a priest, who in turn handed each to a bishop, by which he learned our names and applied a little of the oil to the foreheads. This was immediately rubbed off by a priest with a bit of cloth quite roughly.
I went home with some qualms of conscience, and often thought with dread of the following tale which I have heard told, to illustrate the sinfulness of conduct like mine.
A priest was once travelling, when he was passing by a house, his horse fell on its knees, and would not rise. His rider dismounted and went in to learn the cause of so extraordinary an occurrence. He found there a woman near death, to whom a priest was trying to administer the sacrament, but without success; for every time she attempted to swallow it it was thrown back out of her mouth into the chalice. He perceived it was owing to unconfessed sin, and took away the holy water from her; on which his horse rose from its knees, and he pursued his journey.
I also had been told, that we shall have as many devils biting us, if we go to hell, as we have unconfessed sins on our consciences.
I was required to devote myself for a year, to the study of the prayers and practice the ceremonies necessary on the reception of a nun. This I found a very tedious duty; but as I was released from the daily labours usually demanded of novices I felt little disposition to complain.
