The Opelousas courier., 1888-04-28
Heroic Nun.

LII IuC VI uA
French troops. guarding the Cap
ital of Tonquin, the Governor
General recently bestowed the
Cross of the Legion of Honor on
a nun, Mother Mary Teresa, SUI
perioress of the Sisters of Char
ity in that Empire. The troops
were drawn up In the principal
plaza of the city in a sF2are sur
rounding q platform on which
was the Governor General and
his staff. When an ai~d-de-camp
was sent to bring the nun he
found her in the hospital consol-
ing q soldier who was having
his leg amputated. She refused
to leave the bedside until the OPP
GRAFTON was completed, and then
followed the officer to the square,
where she was received by the
General in person and led to the
platform, amid the joyful excla-
nations of the soldiers. The Gen
eral then commanded silence,
and i'm solemn and impressive
tone addressed her as follows:
Mother Mary Teresa, when
you were twenty years of age
you received a wound from a
cannon ball while assisting one
of the wounded on" the field of
Balaklava. In 1850 the SHELL
from q mitrailleuse laid youpros-
trate in the front rank on the
battle field of Magenta. Since
then YOU have been in oSyria, in
China and in Mexico, and if you
were not wounded it was not be-
cause You have not exposed
yourself to the shot of gun and
cannon and the sabreS and Ian
ces of the enemy. In 1870 you
were taken up in Relschotfen
covered with many sabre wounds
among a heap of dead culrassers.
Such deeds of heroism you have
crowned a few weeks ago with
one of the most heroic actions
which history records. A gren-
ade fell upon the ambulance
which was under your charge :
it did not burst, but it might
have done SO at any moment and
caused new wounds in the bod
les of those who were already
wounded, but there you were
You took up the grenade in your
arms, you smiled upon the
wounded, who looked at you
with feelings of dismay, not fol-
themselves, butfor you, aud you
carried it away1to a distance OF
eighty metres.,5
Con laying III down you no.
ticed that it was going to burst:
you threw, yourself on the
ground it burst you were
seen covered with blood, but
when persons came to your as
s~istance you rose up smiling, as
is your wont and said, "That is
nothing!' You are scarcely re,
covered from your wound and
:. you return to the hospital,
whence I have just now sum
moned you"
During these words of praise
. the good nun held her head mod.
estly cast down, with her eye!
fixed Oh the crucifix that hung
, by her side. Then the Genera
made her kneeldown, and, draw
ing his sword, touched her light
~ with it three times on The
shoulder and pinned the Gross
of the Legion of Honor on he:
: shoulder, saying, with II culver
, ing voice:
Il put upon you the cross 0
the brave in the, name of thu
French people aud army ; NJ
one has gained it by more deed
of heroism, nor by a life SO com
pletely spent in self abnegatiol
: for the benefit of your brother
and the service of your country
Soldiers, present arms e.
: The troops saluted, the drum
and bugles rang out, the air wa
filled with loud acclamations
and all was jubilation and ex
. citement as Mother Mary Teres;
rose up and said: General, hav'
you finished with me e.
Q EYES," said he.
"Well, then, | am going bacl
to my wounded soldier in til
!. hospital"
Self-control lies at. the founda
ton of character. He that doe
g not control himself must be con
S trolled by others.
: To make an ink for han
stamps that will not injure tn
rubber Mix oand dissolv
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