, 1873-10-19

papor was read before tho Evangelical Al1i-
anco on tho subject Of "Tho Care Of tho sick,"
prepared Tor the Conference by tho Count Az
onor do Gasparin. of Gonova, Rinco doceasod.
It took tho ground that thoro should DO loss Of
organization and moro Of FREQ individual action
In our charties, and iluntrated this principle by
n comparison Of the Roman Catholic Sisters of
Charity and tho Protestant DcaconeaseB
Of Germany and Switzerland. Corpora
tio,s aud hospitals, llo says, wero the
charities Of tho Middle Ages; and we
have kept up these traditions Of tho Roman
Church because they provide the most ready
and comfortable disposition Of tho mouoy no
aro ready to devote to tho caro- of the sick, the
poor, md the aged. Tho system is essentially
sollish. The Organization Of Protestant Deacon
c6ses Ia the opposite Of tls systom. It ia not in
tho nature Of secret nssociation Of exclusive
membership and religious vowa. It does not
break up all social intercourse, but leaves those
who chooso to devote themselves to the work of
charity tho liberty Of choosing their work accord
ing to thoir own judgment and adnptibility. At
Lausanne, in Switzerland, there is training
school for nurses, in which women Of oil ages
and conditions servo an apprenticeship OF eight
mouths, aftoc preliminary examination estal}-
liBhing their ftnoss for tho vocation. and then
60 out into tho world woll prepared for tho limo
OF duty they hnvo chosen. Mnidens, wives, aud
widows aro equally permitted to enter the insts1~
ton. Young ladies' of good fami1y mud simple
peasant-girlB como togathor without alopting
any common dress Or sacrificing any personal
preferences. They are described as q harmonious
community, in which concert Of action ia pro-
motcd by tho common aud voluntary purpose OF
doing good directly, and not by proxy. When
thcy graduate aB export nuraoB, lhoy go where
they arc most needed. Those who llayo amplo
means OF their own give thoir services gratui-
touHly. Thoao who are poor accept their board
and small rocomp5nse from such Us aro ablo to
pny, or from an association Which pays for
service rendered to those who arc too
poor to giyo oyon tho small recon-
pense required. Under this system, tho
ucriptural charity Of clothing the naked and
Visiting the sick iB done literally, aud not by the
Bel1Hh maconstruotion Of furnishing the money
to maintain corporations for the purpose. It is
substitution or individual or family caro- for
cold, professional charity and tho ayatem IL
working 30 woll thnt it is being extondol to all
olasaos Of the needy and holplosa. In Belgium,
tic same practice is adopted for tho chargo Of
the ineauo. Instead Of howling lunatic-asyluma
and cruel discipline. tho insane aro committed to
certain yilngoa aud distributed among the yari-
OILS families, who receive q reeompouHo for tho
charge put upon them.
There il IN institution Of DeaconeBscs at n
paper, called Knisoraworth, not far from Dussol-
dorf, in Germany, II las beautiful location on
! tho Rhino, mud ia known as tho Mother Houae.
| 1t ia u sort Of retrcat for tho DeacouaBaos who
| have become exhausted by their work or laid low
| with disease. III their day Of active service, tho
| Doaconessos go from city 10 city, wleroycr tlloy
may DO called, confronting yico and miaery. and
| watching by tho sick and tho dying. They are
| under more of tho restraints OF conyoutual
discipline while thue employed. Their work III
| one Of love ratAor than constrained duty. But
| they can always look forward to the ASSURANCE
su"s' "Aea tao'4 eAo4B'ts Aso eAhauatous they
! will hayo tn turn comfortable homo mud good
euro In sickness or old ago. sooIotloa Of Dea-
| oonossos havo been started In England during
the last thirty yaars, hut they hayo nlado
the misthao Of initiating tho lsomnn sHtar-
hoods ratllor than tho German Protestant
Associations. Tloy Laye attached themselves to
| tho Anglican Church. taken monastio VOWS, ehut
| themselves out from tho world, and imitated
generally tho corporation prluoiplo. We Aayo
| already pointed out how tho German Dcacou-