The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-06-25
SISTER CELESTE.
BY C. c. GOODWIN.

BY C. C. GOODWIN.
In one of the mountain towns of
Northern California, a good many
years ago, while yet good women,
compared to the number of the men,
were SO disproportionately few, sud
| denly one day upon the street, clad in
the unattractive garb of a Sister of
Charity, appeared a woman whose
marvellous loveliness the coarse
garments and uncouth hood pc
culiar to the order could not con-
ceal. There was a Sisters Hospital
in the place, and this nun was one of
the devoted women who had come to
minister to the sick in that hospital.
She was of medium size and height,
and despite her shapeless garments, it
was easy to see that her form was
beautiful The hand that carried the
basket was delicate one; under her
unsightly hood glimpses of a brow as
white as a planets light could be
caught; the coarse shoes upon her feet
were three sizes too large. When she
raised her eyes, from the inner depths
light like that of kindly stars shone
out. There was
STATELY. KINDLY DIGNITY
in her mien. but in all her ways there
was a dainty grace, which, upon the
hungry eyes of the miners of that
mountain town, shone like enchant-
ment. She could not have been more
than twenty years of age.
1t was told that she was known as
''Sister Celeste;" that she had recently
come to tie Western coast, it was be-
lieved from France, and that was all
that was known of her. When the
Mother Superior at the hospital was
questioned about the new sister, she
simply answered: SISTER Celeste is a
sister now, she will be glorifed saint
by and by" The first public appear
ance of Sister Celeste in the town was
one Sunday afternoon, when she
emerged from the hospital and started
to carry some delicacy to a poor, sick
woman-a Mrs. DeLacy, who lived at
the opposite end of the town from the
hospital; so to visit her the nun was
obliged to walk almost. the whole
length of the one long. crooked street
which, in the narrow canyon, included
all the business portion of the town.
When the nun started out from the
hospital the town was full of miners,
as was the habit in those days on Sum
day afternoons, and rs the sister pass
ed along the street,
HUNDREDS OF EYES
were bent upon her. She seemed un-
| conscious of the attention she was at
tracing; had she been walking in her
| sleep she could not have been more
| composed.
| Many were the comments made as
she passed out of the hearing of differ
| cu roups OF men. One big. rough
II i, who had just accepted an invi-
tation to drink, caught sight of the
vision, watched the sister as she pass
| ed, and then said to the companion
| who had asked him: "EXcuse me,
| Bob; l have feeling as though my
| soul had Just partaken of the sacra-
ment; no more Gin for me to-day"
| Said another 1T is a fearful pity.
That woman was born to be loved, and
| to love somebody better than nine hun
| dred and ninety out Of every thousand
| could. Her occupation is, in her case,
| sin against nature. Every hour her
! heart must protest against the starva-
! ton which it feels; every day she must
| feel upon her robes the clasp of little
| hands which are not to be- One
| boisterous miner a little in his cups,
watched until the sister disappeared
around the bend in the crooked street,
and then cried out: Did you see her,
| BOYS? That is the style of q woman
| that a man could die for. and smile
! while diving. Oh, OH" Then draw
! ing from his belt buckskin purse, he
beid it aloft and shouted: Here are
eighty ounces of the cleanest dust ever
mined in Bear Gulch; it's all | have in
the world, but | will
GIVE THE LAST GRAIN
to any bruiser in this camp who will
| look crooked ut that sister when she
comes back this way, and let me see
him do it, In Just a minute and half
there would not be enough left of him
for the corone" TO gather in sack and
/ sit on After that, daily for all the
| following week, Sister Celeste was
seen going to and returning from the
! sick woman's house. 1t soon grew TO
be habit with everybody to uncover
| their heads as Sister Celeste came by.
| Sunday came around again, and 1t
vas noticed that on that morning the
nn, went early to visit her charge. and
Tema, 'qed longer than usual On her
return. when just about opposite the
main saloo>p OF the place, kindly,
elderly cent?, >maG, who was universal
" known and respected, ventured to
cross the path of the sister, and adj
dressed her Is follows:
Il beg pardon, good sister, bat you
are attending upon a sick pers1u. we
understand that it is a woman; may L
not ask if we cannot in some way assist
you and your patient?" A faint flush
swept over the glorious face of Sister
Celeste as she raised her eyes, but
simply and frankly. and with a slight
French accent, she answered:
The lady, kind sir, is Very i'll. I'm
less in some way, We can manage to
remove her to the hospital, where she
can have an evenly warmed room and
close nursing, | fear she will not live;
bat she is penniless, and we are very
poor, and, moreover, L do not see how
she can be moved. for there are no car
riages.
She spoke with perfect distinctness,
Notwithstanding the slight foreign ac-