The Morning herald., 1876-03-11
WILMINGTON, MARCH II, 1875.
PETITES sEURs.

ing OF Lne I1olue AoA "iS o'
Brooklyn. Such holocausts are painful
to contemplate and calculated to thrill
with horror every feeling heart. There is
something exceedingly frightful in the
thought of helpless age being exposed to
such peril.
The burning of this institution offers
most impressive warning relative to the
great necessity of caution in lighting
and heating buildings designed for
.uch purposes. The calamity it is sin
cerely hoped will be productive of much
GOOD in the way of directing attention to
the meritorious work Of the slsteraood'
About forty years ago, few pious women
in the historic region Of La Vandee, in
France. associated for the purpose Of sup
porting an aged woman, whose helpless
ness had excited their pity, but soon
found that other cases equally deserving
Of sympathy and care abounded around
them. and with rare consideration gave
themselves up wholly to the task of pro-
yiding for them. The report OF the good
work of these "petites spurs' as they
stvle themselves, soon spread abroad, and
the order which was taken under the pro-
lection of the Catholic Church, attracted
LARGE numbers of devout and selt-sacri
fcing women who were willing to give mp
their lives to the unthankful task of caring
for the aged aud helpless. In twenty
years they had so far increased that their
hospitals in the principal European cities
contained no less than twenty thousand
aged and infirm inmates, while the Sisters
themselves, through good report and evil
report-among populations that almost
worshipped them, and populations thai
distrusted their pious zeal, and responded
with insult to their pious appeals for the
aid to the poor-held OF in the even
tenor Of their way, caring for no othel
reward than the benedictions of the vene'
rable sufferers whose dying pillows were
made easy by their labors.
In the year 1868, seven OF the sisters
poor in everything but faith and charity
left France and founded in Brooklyn th'
first American branch of the order. Thel
absolute self.sacrifce, their entire devotion
to the aged poor, these "little sisters" a
thew delighted to pronounce themselves
we're soon established in publc favor, cs
pecialiy when it was found that they ex
tended their administrations to The hel pies
without regard to the limitations of creed
and, although themselves absolutely pen
niless, they had been enabled to build an
maintain the noble hospital which wa
baptized in baptism of fire on the It
inst.
It is fervently to be hoped, that thi
dreadful calamity may be productive &
good in directing public attention to tn
work of this noble sisterhood. The prod
gies of heroism which some of these del
cate women performed during the fire, eA
cited the applause Of all who witnesse
their exertions, it being evid lent they ha
as little regard tor public applause as the
had care for their personal safety an
comfort. In all account of the diref'
calamity, in describing the exertions {
the Sisters during the fearful ordeal, I'll
BROOKLYN "Daily Times says: "Tl
brave little Gaieune, who carried bIin'
HELPLESS old man in her arms out throus
the cleuds of sitting smoke, and placil1
him in safety, rushed back to the flami'
corridors in the vain effort 10 save otht
victims from the horrible fate, is but
type of the devotion and heroism Of IL
sisterhood They nobly established
claim upon our gratitude and unir;
ton and we do not think they will requil
to make personal appeal to our citizel
to secure for the future a glad and gene
GUS cooperation in their work."
The only redeeming feature connecte
with the Brock lyn horrors was the devc
ton and selfsacrifcing labors eff the NJ
bic hearted "Sisters of the Poor" Th
efforts of these noble women, these ange
of mercy, deserve to be substantially II
warded by a charitable public. Put eve
this one bright spot in the dark pictnl
should not divert the public from stri
scrutiny into the cause Of the disaster. "
do not regard the fire as the prima'
source of the evil. 1t is the condition
which rendered it fatal that demand il