Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1848-03-02
The SisterhOod Of the Green Veil

Il To us there is a world of meaning III green
veil Ii is not worn by the Haunting courte-
zan in her paint and feathers, nor does it turn
aside the wind and sun, from the face of the
popular actress, or idoliZed opera singer
Your fashionable lady would as soon be seen,
riding in an omnibus, with greasy siXpencc
between her fingers, as to be seen anywhere,
under the shelter of green veil. And who
then is il that wears the green veil
That patient and gentle slsicrhood, whose
order of worship has but one word for a litany,
Toll, Toll, Toll whose Convent is Factory;
whose ways of life are darker and drcarier than
that of any Nun in the most severe of Catholic
Converts The Sistcrhood of the Green Veil
are n numerous and patient race. The world
tagged darling of some rich merchant, or dem
ocratic arstocrat, may one bright morning ai-
ter the ball is over, assume the sudden rcsolu.
ton To turn devotce aud take the White Veil
amid all the pomp ofthc mass, the chaunt of
Ichorsters and glitter of jcwcllcd cross and
gold banner. But the Green Veil II is as
sumcd by thousands who so sadly along the
deserted streets IN the dlmncss of the winter
.daybreak who eat their hard crust in silence,
who sit patiently down to the loom or work
bench, and when twelve long, weary hours of
toll arc over, creep home,--to that home which
has never been to thcm--A HOME. The Green
Veil plain unpretendng and p!eban in appear
ance suits well with the tarnlshcd dress and fa-
dcd bonnet of the poor girl who belongs to the
Sistcrhood. 1t speaks of no style, tells moth
ing of gaudy ball rooms or nights spent in vlr-
tuous dissipation but waiting aside to the i'm
pulse of the wind, it discoscs the wan and ia
ded face, which under less harsh treatment than
the food and shelter afforded By toll, might
have been red with health and wrcathed with
bcamlng smiles. And then the full dark eye,
faded with want and pCnury. or the mild blue
eye subdued to an expression OF quiet and un-
complaining endurance, or the brown eye, rob
bed of lis glanccs, as the face Is Of It's youth
Ah-has a sigh for the fate Of this gentle Sis
,crheod, coupled with laugh of the mock be-
ncvolence which sends Bibles and money Ia
the ends of the earth while Nirtuous woman
kind wears of her fngcr-nalls with hopeless
toll at homc--ah--ha -
This is not fanny, says some mustachlocd
reader, whose life has but the three incidents,
the dinner, the opera and the night of disslpa-
ton. We expected fln, says the fashionable
lady in her silks and smiles, We expected fun,
and you give us a funeral cIcgy
You are right. We confess ourselves
wrong But step this way. Come to this
broad window Oi the Astor House, and let us
look down upon the deserted OF almost desert
ed street. The day is breaking over the Park,
the fountain, like Time, showers forever its
drops like the ticking ola watch. Come fine
lady, come fine gentleman, we will give you
fun.
/, You sec that girl cross Broadway That
girl in the dlngy plaid shawl, the furnished cal
leo dress, the PLAIN straw bonnet Her face
is shroudad by the Green Veil. Through
slosh, and mud, and snow she picks her way
at this early hour Of the morning. Look at
her we'll Mark the hurried walk, the down
cast head, the fingers clutching the shawl as
the wind comes bowling over the Park
Well, what of this girl Why fine lady (and
fine gentleman looking from the windows of
the Astor House, wish to tell you a secret
Ii is funny, quite funny. God made that wo-
man with the same thoughts, the same hopes,
the same impulses, that were given to you,
fine lady. Your life is the party, the dinner,
the ball. the reycl, and the bed Of down.
Hers is the crust Of bread the pallet of straw,
and the tol IN the morning, the toll at noon,
the toll ~ the afternoon, and too often the toll
IN the night You were once young aud beau
tfnl. 30 was this girl. Dissipation and rouge
has faded your checks toll, hard crust and
blight of poverty has faded hers.