The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1855-06-26
The Holy Sisters.

|. -Ihe parlS correspondence Oh Lohuoh paper
relates the following interesting occurrence:
Much interest has been excited by the depar.
ture from Paris of sacred band of the holy
sisters of Saint Vincent de Paule to join the
troops in the Est. Amongst them were one or
two of those ladies of the late court Of Louis
Philippe, who in ls4s resolved to enter the order
us victims of atonement for the blood shed at the
Barriere de Fontainbleau. One Of these ladies,
Mdlls. de R, is still young and beautiful, and
many among the idle crowd assembled to witness
the departure of the little troop could remember
when she slone amongst the gayestand most bril-
liant of her fathers guests,a very star OF grace
and beauty, admired and courted by the whole
world of fasbion-holding influence over the
circle in which she moved by the power Of her
wit, as she now does by her holy example. 1t
is said that with prophetic eye she had beheld
for some time the approach of the great catastro-
phe which swallowed up court and dynasty in
one hopeless ruin. The exertions Of Mdlle. dc
R, now become Seur'Ste Bathildc having
been mostly direct to the improvement of the
moral state of convicts, and there is scarcely a
case in. which her influence has failed ofsuccess
in reclaiming the most hardened culp prit commit.
ted 10 her spiritual charge. The very dress she
wore the wooden hood and serge petticoat, when
she started on her errand of mercy, was woven
BY Pamard, the great house breaker, condemn,
ed to death in 1850 for the murder of an inn
keeper at Cricl, near Poissy, and whose sen.
tence was commuted to hard labor for life. There
was no priest no almoner, whose exhortations
had any effect upon Pamard. Pamard had read
Didcrot and Voltaire until he had been inspired
alike with contempt for this world and that which
is to come. He had no fear Of death, and heard
his sentence without the slightest emotion. tie
greeted the gentle sister with a.sneering courtesy
worse that open hostility, and to her first appeal
he answered firmly, 1T is in vain to speak to me
in name deny-there is no God!-'Nay, YOU
cannot believe this, exclaimed the sister, rising
with a sudden inspiration, for you, criminal aud
murderer, are here in this wretched cell condemn
ed to die, and here am kneeling beside you
She sank upon her knees, and clasped his hands
as she looked upwards in his face. The light
slone upon her, counteSance, which Panard
has since declared seemed that Of an angel sent
from Heaven. lie hid his face for one moment
and as he felt the soft pressure of her hand upon
his brow, tears such as he had never shed before
trickled down his hard and furrowed checks.
Her gentle voice and strong persuasion destroyed
in one hight the arguments and doubts which
a long life's Study of philosophers had implanted
in his mind, and the morning light shone in
upon a repentant sinner prepared to die, and
hoping for mercy at the hands Of his Creator to-
The reprieve obtained in tile meantime gave the
sister time to pursue and complete her work
Pamard was despatched to Brest, where ne has
since remained, aud where by his history ano
example he is said to have done more good than
the band Of missionary priests sent tbither by
the Semieaire of St. Nicholas. lie had written
the story of the conversion. 1t is one of the
mott noble records of the power Of Christianity.
Those acquainted with the history, felt no sur,
prise at the burst of enthusiasm with which
Saeur Ste. Bathilde was greeted as she stepped
upon the platform Of the railway when starting
for Marsei,les last Monday.