The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-10-31
HAHNYILLE, LOUISIANA SATURDAY, OCTOBER 81 1885.

French; but they all speak English,
and their nationality does not in, any
way interfere with their work. They
are women between TWENTY-FIVE and
forty, strong and healthy looking, with
smiling, kindly faces. They are re-
cruited from all classes of society, for
equality stands hig III on the banner
which Heats before their eyes. But
whether of gentle birth or otherwise,
there is an air of loving kindness, min
gled with courage and patience, about
them all, which calls forth the SYM
pathy and the respect of all who come
in contact with them.
Early-at six every morniny-the
Little Sister begins her days work.
Her convent is poor-so poor, indeed,
that her breakfast is not always what
it should be with hard mornings
work before her. The trades-people of
the neighborhood are kind and help
where they can; friends are willing to
give; but there are not many friends
who know of the work, and sometimes
the store-room is salmost empty. But
what is meagre meal to the servant
OF the poorP She knew what she had
to expect whom she entered the Sister,
hood, and she not only endures, but
actually laughs at so trifing a diff
Guilty. Then she sets out on her round,
and while she makes her way through
the network of streets, she talks about
her life, her work, her patients.
30, no, they never inter-
fere with us; they are only too
glad if we can come to them. At
present we are too few to respond to
all the calls that are made to us, for
we are only ten. We might be more
in number, applications being fire.
quently made to us by women wishing
to join us, but as we are at present
situated there is no use in admitting
members for whom we could find
neither clothes nor food. We should
like some ladies with time to spare to
cooperate with us-that is to say, we
should like them to put themselves at
our disposition for certain time and
to help us in our work go where they
are wanted, and do any work that has
to be done for either the patient him
self or his family. In France a large
number of ladies are working with us
in this way but in England there are
as yet one." The first patients door
is reached, and through the narrow
passage we enter little back room.
There lies dying woman, surrounded
by five little children. In order to
give her children bread, she has starved
herself during the eighteen months her
husband was w thout employment.
She is consumptive and sinking very
fast Her thin, wasted hands move
restlessly about as, with may interrupt
tions, she talks of her husband, her
children, her tiny baby, which is mean
while undergoing process of washing
and dressing by the hands of bright
eyed sister. "Ah, yes, the dear sis
tiers {! They have been good to us ~
she signs, while YEARLY she sinks back,
and we proceed further on our way.
"And do you never feel disheartened,
never weary of your task among these
scenes P" is the natural question which
arises after witnessing the pitiful scene.
"Do you not sometimes long for a
brighter life among happy, cheerful
people; for books and flowers and
pleasantroOms and easy chats P'' "No;
never. You may think it strange, but
all these things appear vain and trivial
to us when, day after day, you see this
world of suffering and cruel depriv-
alton. / am often tired at night, and,
consequently, low-spirited, but never
once have wished to go back into the
world. Pail Mall Gazette.