New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-07-18

questions concerning the affairs of the place. As
we pass along near the chat ned assassin of the fowl
An, exclaimed the Superior, " there is Beelzebu b,
waggng his tail the bri gand and trying to look
nocent." Alongside of the dog has been placed the
decomposlng carcass of chicken, dead probably
Tor week or more. in order, If possible, to disgust
the animal with poultry This is the explanation of
Sister Jeanne, who afterward shows rs through the
dwelng-house of the five Sisters and the farm girls,
each part of which is kept with scrupulous cleanli
ness. simple and austerc in the way of furniture.
couple of crucIfXes, several engravngs of Christ,
the Virgin and the Saints relieve to some extent
the lnonotony of the gray walls There is no sign
of carpet anywhere, the floors carefully waXed,
and the great bedroom is similar every way to the
one at the works.
WOMEN AT FARM WORK.
We leave the house and Sister. and go into the
garden and the orchard which contain few plaster
of Paris statues thence into a field which is being
ploughed by a comely young woman of sixteen.
She holds the plough with a firm hand and drives
three horses abreast With n stern, full and deep
voice, she pronounces the horse vocabulary which
is usually composed of the following words To start
the animals and urge them on, hue, haitlue and n
singular sound like gr-rr, which indicates that the
ploughvoman is from Lower Normandy to stop,
the simple no to direct to the right, huho, and to
the left, ddrque.
She has not the time TO look at u.s. if she be so
inclined, for her eye is fixed the furrow which
she ploughs to the end following. Arriving at
the end. she swings the plough neatly, and shouts
hu-ho with authority. Then, for the first time, she
salues Monsieur the SUPERIOR" who is well pleased
with her work.
When you get the brush, Marie" observes
he, YOU will take Off of the horses and put him
LII the lead, in order to plough close to the bruSh
Yes Monsieur the Superior. Hue, gr-r-r" and
she starts on a furrow. 1t is clear that she
takes pride in her work. AS she goes off bearing
down on one of the plough handles, the Able OBJ
serves man could not do it better"
Three girls are scattering manure the field
ana another hauling The Able saws % of
the scatterers
Another pair of sabots nearly gone, Leonie.
How long is it since you have had that pair ?"
Eleven days, Monsieur the Superior. But Anas-
taSlc wears out a pair every week"
AnaStaslc, it appears is stabc-hand, The Able
explains that each PAIR costs thirteen sous, and that
IT is the most expensive artlc lie of personal in
the colony. We pass through little forest and Il
meadow where over a hundred cows grazing.
whence in the distance harvestcrs cutting
and stacking the grain that shines with golden
tint under the declining sun. In "A few minutes we
are standing among about thirty-ve of the har-
XesterS IN sabots blue stockings skirt reaching to
the middle of the calf chemiSc. light tunic, and
a broad brimmed straw hat. Their HAIR is tied be-
rs rnddy as their faces. Four of them swinging
the cradle, and the rest following and stacking
he Able marks his entry on the scene by adnon-
1Shhng one OF the young women not to follow too
close to the cradle.
GENERAL THEORY OF THE REFUGE.
Their best uniform is worn on Sundays only, and
is of clear blue color, with small white bonncts and
black collars. Thus habited they repair to the
cnhpel Tor HISS on SUNDAY morning. anu listen to
"a homcly by the Abbc on the way of life
The religious exercises not too frequent lest
they should become weariSomc. The establishment
Is not theoretic scientific school, but practical
one. The reformation is thorough that girls
going out of it readily find employment on account
of the training which they are known to have re-
ceivcd. The Able explains that public opinion in
the beginning against their employment and
that it required of actual trial oblterate it,
The refuge may be regarded a 4 colony under the
govcrnorshp of the Able except in far as 1t re
ceives aid from the State-an insignificant sum of
| u cents "A day for each inmate. The col my
achieves the principal objects for which it was es-
tabIished tt converts dclnquents into useful M
hers OF society - more than selG-,ustaiung and is
being continually extended through its SURPLUS
pTohts. As the Abbe observes there only two
ways OF masking Il eoloay successful. One is by
brute iorc-mitary disci pine-nnd the other i, Nv
religion. In religion are comprised duty, discipline
affection and industry. Philosophical colonies like
those OF Charles Fourier doomed to tailure.
| Eoacn, fraHce July /, 1881. ALBERT RHODES.