Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-07
A CLOISTER RECRUIT.
Little Sisters Secure Another
PittSburg Girl.
ON HER NEXT BIRTHDAY
Nellie Sullivan Will RenOunce the
World for Holy Life.
GOING AWAY TO SUNNY FRANCE.
How NOvices Are Subjected to Severe Trials
of Patience.
ON HER NEXT BIRTHDAY
lOING AWAY TO SUNNY FRANCE.
WHEELING BARROWS IN THE STREET

Another Pittsburg girl has decided to
enter the convent of the Little Sisters OF the
Poor in France. This makes the third
young lady from this city to join this order
since it has been established.
The young lady in question is Miss Nellie
F. Sullivan, of No. S12 Ross street. She is
a daughter of the late J. E. Sullivan, a
former well-known iron dealer, who died
three years ago. She is engaged at present
as stenographer and typewriter in the othce
of W. D. Wood s. Co., on Water street.
She will be 10 years old on Thursday, and
has chosen her birthday to begin a religious
life. She will enter the house OF the Little
Sisters on Penn avenue, East End, and
there receive her preliminary instructions
Miss Sullivan is tall, slender and quite
good looking. She is thoroughly educated
and proficient in music. She has sister
who is also quite musician, and there are
few homes in the city made as pleasant as
the one she is leaving She was educated
in the best Catholic schools, but is of an in
dependent nature, and for the past year or
more has been earning her own living.
A
She is an expert stenographer and type
writer. and received a good salary. On
this account many people wonder at her
leaving pleasant home for the hard life
led nv the Little Sisters. Some of her
friends tried to talk her out of her purpose,
but she was determined TO lead a holy life.
For a number of years she has expressed
a desire to be a nun. She was member of
the Young Ladies Sodality at st. Pauls
Cathedral, and is well known about the
church. She had no preference at first, and
carefully studied each order. She spent
considerable time personally investigating
the different enclosed orders in this city and
ALLEGHENY, and finally chose the Little
Sisters. This is the hardest one of the lot.
Miss Sullivan will probably remain at
the East Liberty house about four or hve
months. While there her habits and man
ners will be carefully watched by the nuns.
This is the hardest part of novice's life.
Thew are tried and humiliated in every pos
sible wav. They are assigned to do numer-
GUS things which would try he patience of
a saint. If they demur or SHOW in any man
ner that thev are displeased with anything
thev are asked to do, they will not be re-
ceiyed at the mother house. Their patience
is tried bv being ordered to scrub a floor
until it is as white as marble.
TOUGH ON THE NERVES.
Then an older nun comes along and acci-
deutallv spills bucket of soap or grease on
the floor The novice then has to perform
her labor all over again. Another way was
10 order them to carry a bucket of coal up
five or six flights of stairs and then tell them
it was not wanted and to carry it down
again.
If Miss Sullivan successf 'lly passes the
forms she will be sent to Latour, France,
where the mother house of the order is To-
Gated. There she will be received" This
ceremony is about the same as in the Mercy
order in this city. The young novice will
be given the white veil and will be assigned
to work in the house. The latter is in a
small town near Paris and close by the sea.
The house is surrounded by acres of
farming land, kept by the Sisters. The
house accommodates nearly 1000 people
and is filled with novices from all parts of
the world. After remaining in the home
for about two and half years and If she is
still determined to enter the order, she lie
professed. The profession consists OF taking
the final vows of faith and obedience. The
ceremonies are about the same as those in
other enclosed orders. After being pro-
fessed the young nun is assigned to duty
somewhere thousands of miles from home.
home so as to prohibit any outside interfer-
ence or influences over them in their hum
bic position.
TO CARE FOR OLD PEOPLE.
The object of the order is to care for and
support helpless old and infrm persons.
This is done by soliciting aims by the sis
ters. In Paris and Brussels the Sisters go
from hotel to restaurant, wheeling barrows
fnr fha 1arf fhaiy
charge In the latter city they drive large
Newfoundland dogs hitched to a small cart,
which the dogs have been trained to haul
about They have small tin boxes strapped
around their necks for the reception OF
money given them.
In this city the Sisters go from door to
door soliciting money or food. They have
a wagon, to which is hitched an old horse
who has been in the service for years. All
of the money is spent to maintain the old
folks in the institution. They are taken in
regardless of creed or sect, and kept until
they die when they are given a decent
burial. The Sisters do all the work about
the institution, in addition to feeding, dress
ing and:caring for their charges. The order
has houses established in every large city in
the world. They have also erected homes
in India and Asia.
The last young lady to join the Little
Sisters from this city was Miss Jennie Hop
per, of Center avenue, sister of Hopper
Bros, the furniture dealers She was pro-
fessed on June %, and is now known as Sis
ter Angelina. She was sent to Macy, in the
northern part of France, where she is now
located. Miss Mamie Rowe, of the South
side. preceded Miss Hopper. The latter was
a well-known young society belle, and sur.
prised her friends by sudden determine,
tion to ioin the Little Sisters,
One of the rules of the order is that every
personal possession of a novice must be
turned over to the community when she en-.
ters. Even the smallest trife of wearing
apparel or jewelry must be taken along anC
turned over to the mother OF the house.
RESULT OF DRINKING.