, 1879-07-06

money.
The accommodations afforded BY the present
| building are meagre and insufficient to meet
the demand upon the sympathies and capacities
OF the Sisters and, in order that they may en-
large their field OF effort, they have purchased
ground at the corner OF Harrison and Throop
streets, on which the erection OF building has
been commenced, which, when comp 1eted,
will supply comfortable home for
about 1a0 inmates. Only those who
are wholly incapacftated for labor
and who arc without meaus Of taking care of
themselves are admitted, and these are received
entirely without CHARGE OF course there are
| more applications for admission than can be re-
ceivcd. This is tile misfortune of the appli-
cants, for when once within the hospitable and
! protecting walls Of the Home they are kept for
life, their wants are cared for, they are nnrscd
through sickness, and ut last when the final
| struggle is over their becrfpplcd and weather.
! beaten bodies are laid comfortably away under
as much tranquility as the wealthiest millionaire
| in the land.
The nursing Of these nged people from day
| to day and week to week. und collecting food
and money with which to defray the expenses
| OF the Home,-for which $74 per month rent has
| to be paid, constitutes the sole duties Of
THESE DEVOTED WOMEN,
| who, though possessed OF refined and cultivated
minds, discipline themselves to perform these
unpleasant duties, and to live lives stripped OF
al the tenderness, softncss, and beauty OF easy
comfort. Nothing can excel the hardness and
priVation of such life, or the self-reprcssiou
which it requires. These burdens these woman
take up checrfullv, without murmur or scarce
y word to let the public know that they exist.
10 witness them in the performance Of their
voluntary duties Is q touching spectacle.
The Little Sisters Of the Poor is an organiza-
tion which began in France III 1885, in the Prov
ince OF Brittany, at the little Town OF st.
Servau, on the coast Of the Atlantic, through
the elort OF poor priest. The Wretched ia-
habitants OF the coast spend their energies upon
men are, many or them, lost on the
deep or travel away to foreign lands,
leaving aged relatives to take care Of
themselves. The country being barren and un-
we're reduced to sad straits, and we're compelled
to scek 4 preearous existence by begging.
Under these distressing circumstances these
people fell into habits Of vice and immortality,
priest was first attracted to their condition.
The Abbe La Palleur, the cure Of the parish,
being often appealed to on behalf Of these poor
:: sufferers, conceived the idea of establishing
system OF orgautzed relief. He had not
the means at his command, but Kept
!. acted upon at the first opportunity.
Providence soon presented the desired moment
: One day young woman III humble c1rcum-
stances, who Was not in the habit of attending
bis confessional, came to him for spiritual abso-
luton. To this devout young mind he unfold
ed hts plan and begged her to assist him. The
young woman consented, and the priest filed
her mind with bis instructions. HIS soon after
selected another young woman from the same
class, and to these two he coufded his work.
These young women both became nuns, and
began to devote themselves to the care Of the
aged Door OF their village They proceeded to
hire an attic, and this the? made the as5-
lum OF their infirm and helpless rroteges.
In the process Of time these girls became ac-
quainted with an old servant whose name is
now household WORD throughout France
Jeanne Ju1gan. This old woman, then 4S years OF
age, contributed the savings OF lifetime to the
work, which amounted to the sum Of about 600
francs.
Fanchon Aubert, an old woman at least 60
years OF age. who possessed little property
and some furniture, was also enlisted In the
cause.
TnEm FIRST CHARGE WAS An OLD, BLIND
WOMAN
so years OF age, whom thcF conveyed to the |
domicilc furnished by Fanchon. This soon be-
came too small for their purposes, and through |
the influence und efforts Of the little community |
the basement OF w1ne-shoo was procured and
fitted up, and was soon filed With aged people. |
TO these the Little Sisters devoted themselves |
with untirtng zeal and supernatural love truly |
wonderful.
1t was not long before the success and COZ |
stancy Of the Sisters attracted the admiration and
ed Jeanne Jurgan the prize OF Virtne, which
honor had been seldom bestowed By this dis
tinguishcd body OF academiclans.
From this time forward the Little Sisters be-
came known and respected. They widcned their
field OF effort, and Increased their facilities.
Struck by their conservation ind self-dcniai, and
the deep religious fervor which actuated them |
10 their work, fresh accessions joined them.
In 1872 the Little Sisters purchased house, |
for which they paid q, 600 francs, In which the
Society was formally organized, and received the
vell>oarned title Of ''Little Sisters Of the Poor"
BY which they arc now known over the Civilized
world.
1t the present time the Order has r1ore than
Spain, Algeria, England, Scotland. ireland. and
lhe United States. Aud theT are becoming
every year more numerous than before By
iecrcc dated July 8, 1854, the Sovereign PontfH
approved the congregation Of Little Sisters Of
he Poor, founded b7 Father LIE Paillear: DOW
superior General of the Order. The Little Sis
ers live under the rule OF St. Augustine, with
adapted to their mode of life
The house in Chicago 1as opened on July "A.
f FL Halzted is ed and Polk streets, Which was once
he dwelling g-place Of Mr.. j.. G. Hull. This
building is quite large, but its full
st capacity is called into reqaisitton to I
Tue forty or+;aa inmates nf :. a. who
ng has been utilized and made available for the
PURPOSES for which it is required. The new |
ui1ding which is being projected will greatly | :
nlarge this field Of work, aid bring 1t more
before our people. So tcnderly are .
tlese helpless creatures cared for when they en-
er the doors OF the Home that they never care /
0 leave OF their own accord, and there they re- {
lain until removed |
By THE HAND OF DEATH. {
Within two weeks after it was opened the place J
as filled to its utmost capacity, and since that !
me there has been no room to spare The
umbcr of female inmates rather exceeds that
I the males
The Sisters are furnished with food regularly,
ut not in sufficient quantity to supply their en-
ire demands, By the Grand Pacific Hotel, the
larence House, and Burke's European Hotel. !
besc contributions are from the fragments !
ola the tables left each day. The Sisters also ]
sit private dwellings, asking aims. and collect =
II clothes for their helpless family. There IS !
. Board of Directors, With high salaries and 1
apartments, 70 distribute the aims :
elected by these poor Sisters, reserying nine I
,uths for themselves and giving one-tenth to
le Door, but these women are as humble as 9
~ Of their kind, and lire upon the charity ! ,
iiich tleT collect for the rest.
It is rule Of the honse, which is strictly ad- q
ered to, that the inmates shall be served with
leir food first. From What is left, after they
q through, the Sisters make their repast. IN