Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-01-30
CITY AND DISTRICT.
THE LITTLE SISTERS.
How They Get Food and Clothing for
Two Hundred Old People.


THE HOME FOR THE AGED AND THE WAY IT
Is sUPPoRTED-MORE RECEIVED FROM THE
POOH THAN FROM THE RICH-A TOUR
THROUGH THE INSTITUTION.
I'VE go from door to door," said the sister
superior at the Home tor the Aged, conducted
by the Little Sisters of the Poor, in answer to
IN inquiry by a STAR reporter as to how the
Institution was supported. She spoke with
just enough French accent to betray her foreign
birth. "Yes, we are generally treated kindly
she went on. 1.-The people of this country, as a
rule, receive one well. Do we get much from
the rich? No. if we depended upon the rich
think our old people would starve. 1t L. from
the working people, the poorer people, we get
most They always have ten cents for or q
loaf bread. We never provide for more than
one d.. We have no funds at all, but depend
upon what good people will give us"
And then she conducted the reporter through
firm and heIpiess peonie whom the GOOD o s ,n
tiers care for and beg for, are sheltered. Every
corridor, dormitory and sitting-room was as
neat as If every day scrubbing day. The
rooms were airy and well lighted. Rows of
cots that stood in the dormitories were made
up as tidily and neatly as though no one had
with All Inviting feather bed. Some OF the cots
were covered with snow-whitc counterpanes;
BY old Women in the m.h homei fhere was no
superfluous furniture anywhere, only what
the old people. Everything was plain but neat.
In the sifung-rooms or living rooms
THE OLD PEOPLE
were gathered One wing is given up to the
white women. The second floor is a sort of
infrmary, where the very feeble, or crippled
ones make their homes. Some of the old
women were knitting; groups were talking,
and some very old ones just rocked themselves
!. an .Gf S Sad
tented, peaceful looS.:N az bad come to
spend the remaining al life. ave
do not admit any VINO a years old,
destitute and infrrn, and\ q moral char
acteS," said the sister; land when they come,
they come to remain with till they die We
would not care to have any come that expected
10 leave, or 10 go out. and then come back"
"You see, said the sister: as she unlocked the
locked, because IL We did not some of the old
people when feeling unwell would go i'm and go
10 bed without our knowing 1T As IL is, they
have 10 ask one OF the sisters, and then we
know III they sick" Here and there about
the house one would meet black-habited SIS
With calm and kindly face In another wing
were the old white men.
HOW THE OLD MEN LOOKED.
In the sitting rooms were long tables, and, as
the weather outside was bad, most of the old
men were assembled in these rooms-reading,
talking or playing games. There was a variety
Of apparel worn. In the matter of hats especi-
ally there was a marked diversity in style and
quality running up the scale, from old and bat
tered siouches TO stovepipe hats still quite sleek
and shapely The sisters in begging supplies
Of clothing do not insist upon any particular
STYLE Some of the old gentlemen still preserved
yestiges OF an air of dignity and consequence.
There was one old man in particular, with
ruffieC beaver hat collar rather rakishy
ranged and eyeglasses, when he twirled on his
thumb, who made one think that Mr.. Micaw-
Der had finally despaired of anything turning
up, and had therefore consented to consign his
precious person 10 the care OF the Little Sisters.
Every one was cheerful, notwithstanding the
inequality in the style and quality of headgear.
In another wing are the colored inmates. The
sisters make no distinction on account OF creed,
color, or nationality in receiving old men and
women into their house. In one sitting room
were score or more OF old colored women.
Some were shrunken and bent nearly double
with age, and sat rocking and grooming.
THE SMOKING ROOM.
There Is . room set aside as d smoking ROOM
where the old men and women addicted to the
use of tobacco can smoke and chew, too if they
like. The sisters beg tobacco for them Just as
they do food and clothing. "Some of them
very odd, very old" said the sister. I'VE have
one who says she is one hundred and ten years
old, but do not believe she knows her age"
In one OF the dorInitories an old colored man lay
upon bed Father Schleuter. of st. Josephs
church, came while the reporter there To
prepare the Old man for death The sisters
quietly withdrew. The old man dying
from extreme old age. On the main floor was a
dispensary There was a sister in charge Of
that I'VE beg these things too" said the sis
Ter supe. i% referring 70 Jars and bottles of
selves We have TO learn how to do that"
A little further on was the chapel. A COM
pAny of old people were there engaged in wor-
ship. A Little gallery above, on a level with
the floor, where the infrmaries are located, was
used, the sister sand, by the sick. Every morn
ing, service Is conducted in the chapel by
Father Schleuter. Near by is a sewing Ioonl
whore two old ladies We're stitching On
table were pieces of a garment which one
of the sisters had cut out ready to be stitched
On shelves were supplies of cloths and gar
ments which had come from the wash and
yEk1r dad n1h irid Cor.
the old people when they enter the home, bring
with them clothing enough to last them for
some time. Having made the circuit OF the
house, the sister brought the reporter back to
the plainly furnished reception room.
SIXTEEN SISTERS.
There are sixteen sisters here she said
'anc they have to do all the work We have
no employees. Four of the sisters go out every
day. Two go to beg money for the poor We
have to have some money Tor there are ex-
penses 70 be paid. Two go out twice every day
with the wagon TO ask for food and clothing.
They go To the stores and to houses and to some
Of the hotels The sisters have to do all the
work Of tie house. Some OF the old people have
70 be washed and dressed aud put to bed just
like babies. Oh, We have plenty OF work to do
some OF the old people Will sweep little and
help US in that way Congress gave US $4,000
but that dfd not halt pay for it.
"Yes we meet with some rebuffs when We ask
French shrug and q smile, she went on. abut
what Of that: We must not care. We have two
purses. We take the reDuffs, the humiliation
for ourselves the rest is for the poor"
THE sIsTERHooD.
Upon the wall of the reception room hung two
photographs: one OF a venerable priest the
other OF An elderly woman habited as a sister
That IS the founder Of our order Father LIE
P2tlleur," said the sister, calling attention to
the photographs. land that is the first sister of
the order, Sister Marie Augustine de la Com
passion Both OF them are living to-day in
France. We celebrated Father LIE Paiileur's
golden jubilee here last month. He founded
the order in Paris in 1910. Sister Mary Angus
tine, the nrst sister, is now living in the mother
house. In Paris. There are now 24O houses in
the world and nearly 1000 sisters who take
care OF IS 900 poor people. All the houses are
supported as ours is-by charities solicited by
the sisters. The sisters came to this country in
1865, and now have thirty five houses here
We came to this city in 1871, and first opened
, house on g street."
The Curious Facts About the Old SEN.
ate Seal.
THEY ARE FERKETED OUT BY LADY
II IL learned that the facts with regard to the
old seal OF the Senate which THE STAR copied
on Saturday. the 23d, from Senator Ingalls, re-
port, when Offering the new seal for adoption.
were altogether derived from articles on the
omciai seals used by the government depart