Counternarratives (16 page)

still so cold woke early almost dr but decide to read insted
mlle E punishd bc she did not finish her french assignment had to sit the
penance rm w
SRS
& pray ros which she nevr do save
in chapel & mass even then she only mouth the wds I can say it in my lang
french english latin & greek she did not speak when she return to rm but
pulld my hair when my back was turnd etiam hieme cor gelatur today we washd down
2
^nd
flr and 1
^st
flr all the classrooms & workrooms
& the ballroom where the Srs and the girls eat later after evening prayers
fr
MALESVAUX
went down the hall & a little while
later mlle E gone too latin & english sentences & 1 ros bef slp

V cold today Sunday mass I stood in the back w the other S I sd
the whole mass to myself they fell aslp or touch their dresses or gossip aftwrds
we had our theology class w the nuns of course Sr did not call on me but all my
writ answers was correct later she sd to hrself but I heard her what a loss if
only she were wht she might be worthy of taking vows later in the room mlle E
order me to clean up I dustd everything swepd the floor refold all her clothes
she did not speak later after lights out she gone english sentences & 1 ros
bef slp

Finalement cold breakg at morng prayers Sr askd us to pray for
townsp who died fr the cold she sd ten but i hear one S sd many more & they
blame the convent if the Srs dont stop their wickedness there will be under
siege again there is something or someone terrib evill up there sd the revd
mayor then the S all look at me rolld my eyes washd cloths all day then hung to
dry in cellar later mlle E & her friends
JOSEPHINE &
MARY MARGARET
sitting on her bd J sd do you think your S ever get
lonely &
MM
sd of course they seem human too but
mlle E sd no bc they have us she refusd to nod off finally then english &
latin sentences & 1 ros bef slp

Still cold mlle E lookd strange this morn sd i know it was you
i combd her hair straitened her bureau made her bed she just repeatd i know it
was in the garden det today a new S
FEDRA
^PHEDRA
the nuns call her
PHÈBE-MARIE
aft the Bib belong to mlle
JOSEPHINE
O'G
fr savannah her old S was
NISI
who the
nuns called
NICOLE-MARIE
sent back to georgia she
never speak i am hope
PHEDRA/PHÈBE
more friendly her
eyes a secret waiting to be solved mlle E not speaking tired went to be early so
& 1 ros

Monday so cold mlle E not speakg to me for 4 days often w
father malesvaux he still do not appear to reconize me am teaching
PHEDRA
^PH
my signs
swept washd down room floor washd out mlle E clothes w other ones so v dirty
alws hung to dry in cellar only saw PHedra|PHèbe brief tday she used 1 sign
while knitting stocks heard 1 S say to another S in Eng
CARMEL-MARIE
is putting poison in the food im not i signed they ran
away caelestia mihi vires read mlle E Bib & wrote latin & englis
sentences & ros

cold cold wheres spring mlle E still not speaking disaprd last
night like past came in early morning cloaths v wet cold struck me several times
said if y scream or bang the walls
I SHALL KILL YOU
on
garden det ground hard as stone then patched tablecl serviettes curtains today
all day fingers tired swept
PH
at first no speak then
we sat for few minutes she knows twenty signs now we talkd for as long as we cld
mlle E held my face down in the washbas you had better watch out she sd then i
cd breathe english sentences we declare these truths to be self evident & 1
ros

Monday still v cold tho
PRINTEMPS
–
SPRING
mlle E sick again had to lie down did not
want to go to infirm did not want to see pere malesvaux he is still here she sd
stop staring at me you witch her face full and red after attend mlle J PH met me
in the hall we sat for a few minutes and spoke she knows almost 35 or 40 signs
now I give her a drawg do not let anyone see it she kissd me on my cheek english
sentences
& drawg
& ros

Early wake mlle E sick again I will take you to the infirmary
no she said I cleaned up her mess all of a sudden very hot today like home wkd
in garden on det after through w mlle E who will spend summer here say mme/mrs
FRANCIS
aunt of E she dont want her back there
fewer girls now PH beside me we digging put in seeds 2 S told PH dont you know
she disappears at night we seen her above the conv from the attic windows on her
broom I signed they ran to the other end of the garden PH got very quiet I give
her a drwg later mlle E could not keep her food down sd if you are poisoning me
girl you will be sorry as if rido latin sents & 2 ros

No entries for ? wks mlle E refused ink dei gratia she relented
v hot they say there is a drouth in the town one of the male
S HUBERT
was in town spk with the 1 or 2 S there sd they tell them
mayor towns people say: is those nuns wherever the
POPISH
cult take root there also grows evil had an entire baskt of
woolens to darn PH had another detail until aft supper we
seen
^saw
each other outside the dining
hall missd you she sd in signs she tells me abt georgia mlle J family how she
born on island down the coast her fathr sold off to louisiana I give her small 2
drwgs careful fold 1 of her later cleand the room swept washd down w soap back
to the knittg finished six prs so far mlle E's ankles swollen I caressd them
till she fell aslp was v tired & 1 ros