Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1847-07-08
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ROSA GOVONA.

A LITTLE before the middle of last CEN
fury, there resided at Mondovi, city in It.
aly young girl called Rosa Govona Left
an orphan at an early age, she had no other
apparent means of earning livelihood than
the use of her needle, in which she showed
great skill, combined with the most remark
able industry. Being of a reflective mind,
she took no delight in those pleasures and
frivolous amusements which too often en-
gage the female heart. Confiding in the re-
sources of an active and benevolent nature,
she wished for no companions save those of
misfortune, and for no recompense save the
blessing of Heaven.
Whilst Rosa was thus living and laboring
by herself, she happened to meet with a
young girl who had lost both her parents, and
who had no means of supporting herself in
an honest manner. No sooner did the good
Rosa become acquainted with the sad story
of the distressed girl, than she generously
stretched forth her hand to help her. " Come
and live with me-" said she "you shall
share my bed, and drink out of my cup,
and, above all, you shall live honestly by the
work of your hands" When she had thus
made commencement, others joined her
and she soon congregated around her So
ciety of young girls, all equally poor, and
by the most assiduous application procured
the necessares of life for them all.
But the little house in which the young
girls dwelt soon attracted the attention of
all the dissoute young men of the place,
who were forever seeking after adventures
of some kind or other. They began by
following them whenever they left the house
but the young women silently repulsed all
their impertlnences, and even forced them,
after some time, to blush at their conduct,
The house incurred also the dispeasure of
those old people, who, considering all inno-
vations whether of beneficial character
or not) as dangerous, wish forever to abide
by the old forms and regulations which gov
erned the actions of their ancestors They
could not divest themselves of a mean sus-
picon that all was not right, and many of
the citizens observed Rosa with much curl
osity, and began to whisper all manner of
things to her prejudice. Thus the retreat
of industry and virtue became the object of
the most malignant calumnies, and the good
Rosa saw herself the subject of impertinent
inquiries, of rumors the most veXatious, of
suspicious the most unjust. But the wise
and courageous girl, fully assured in the pu-
rty of her actions and intentions, opposed
perseverance to indiscretion, and sense to
calumny The truth could not long remain
doubtful-Rosa soon gained the applause
of the virtuous, and the commune granted
her larger house, in the plain of Carasene,
as the number of her companions increased
daily. This augmented the jealousy of her
enemies, who had been hitherto unsuccess-
full in their endeavors to INF re her charac-
ter but these new obstacles served only to
redouble the ardor of Rosa, and to raise her
courage. There were now about seventy
Young women in the house, who worked in
common with herself to procure an honest
livelihood. AS the house they inhabited was
scarcely large enough to accommodate the
number of work-women, she solicited the
commune to grant her another still larger
habitation. The municipal body, to show
their sense of her exertions in the cause Of
virtue, voluntarily made her gift of a very
commodious dwelling in the valley of Brao
here she established workshop for the man
ufacture of wooden articles.
The excellent Rosa who was now abou
80 years of age, had at this period, by he
indomitable perseverance, triumphed owe
all obstacles; and by her exertions in ex
tending the association, and her wisdom il
experimenting the affairs of the community
created an asylum for poor and INDECENT fe
males. The more she considered the utlit,
of her institution, the greater became he
desire to extend the benefits which such al
asylum presented. " How many poor an'
destitute beings" thought she, must Their,
be in a large and populous city who are de
prived of all means of procuring an homes
livelihood" Filled with this idea, and re
lying entirely on the sanctity of her mission
she proceeded to Turin in the year l775
Arrived in the city of Sardinia, she aske
the use of building suitable for the carry
ing out of her intentions, and obtained fror
the priests of the Oratory Of st. Philip se'
era capacious rooms. Some chairs, tables
and different articles of furniture, were ais
provided for her use by the good priests