Connecticut western news., 1889-08-14
PLEDGED TO POVERTY.
THE ORDER OF THE BROTHERS OF NAZARETH AND THEIR
 WORK.
Men Who Devote All Their Time and
 Money to the Poor.


 dred and Twentieth street, New York City, standing we'll back in yard where grass and weeds strive for mas terv, is an fashioned frame house which suggests to the passer-by the thought that it was once the home of some well-to-do New Yorker. It is two stories and half in height and has veranda running across the front.
 The house is All Saints Convales- cent Home for Men and Boys, in charge of the Order of Brothers of Nazareth.
 Little is known of the Brothers of Nazareth. This is not strange, as the order is only about two years old. No one passing All Saints Convalescent Home, which was founded by the Brothers of Nazereth, would think, seeing its inmates in the grounds or on the veranda, that it was the mother house of a religious order whose mem- bers were as elf-sacrifcing as those of the religious orders of old, when Christianity was in its youth and the zeal of its followers was at fever heat; and least of all would he think that this order was an offshoot of the Prot estant Episcopal Church of the United S%o%o of V14 ol 4ko case.
 The Brothers of Nazareth are pledged to life of poverty, which they spend in work in behalf of the poor and un- fortunate, and ask for themselves only the bare necessaries of life.
 The order was founded about two years ago, and on the occasion of the profession of the first member, Brother Gilbert, who is the present superior of the order, Rev. Morgan Dix preached sermon ill the Mission Chapel of the Holy Cross. in which he laid great stress on the need of such an order, an order for laymen. That nothing may distract them from the service of hu- manity, to which they devote them selves, they surrender all thoughts of self-interest and take the VOW of celi- bacy for term or terms of years, and eventually, if they choose, for life. The requirements for admission are | z N,,4I cf the order.
 Any layman desiring admission to this or der shall be expected to make visit of six weeks or more at the Mother House of the order. He may then be admitted as postu- lant, in which state he must remain for a year at least. He may then be received as a novice, and, if he approves himself to the community, he may after five years of mo- vitiate be professed as full member, takin g the vows of poverty, chastity, celibacy, and obedience for three years at a time.
 When these vows have been taken five times ill immediate succession he may take simple vows for life, that is, vows from which he can only be released by the Bishop for good and sufficient reason.
 Brothers on entering the novitiate are to declare what property they possess, and all though they may, if they desire, retain the control of such property as they wish, they are forbidden from that time to spend any of such property on themselves.
 Wondering how this unique brother hood was prospering, I visited the Home the other day. I had never met Brother Gilbert, and as I sat in the reception-room awaiting his appear ance, I wondered what manner of man was this who, member of Protes- tant sect, ill the latter part of the nine teenth century, had given up the world in the fullest sense of the word, to fol- low Jesus of Nazareth and like Him, to minister to the poor and the outcast.
 When he entered the room it seemed to me for a. moment as though young monk had stepped out of the fifteenth century. I saw before me g slight man of dark complexion, with earnest, quick, piercing dark eyes, his face clean-shaven and his hair closely cropped. He had the earnestness an6 vigor of youth, apparently having hal1
 his life before him. He was dressed in loose serge gown, which came to
 his feet. In color it was soft, ricl brown. It had flowing sleeves an6 l, was buttoned on the right shoulder ; and side. The gown was confined a the waist with girdle of soft brow1 , leather pleated into the shape of a rope which went twice around his body , falling at his left side, where it wal twice knotted, the two ends beine l tipped with little balls of the same ma , terial.
 had not exchanged ten words witl Brother Gilbert, however, before was convinced that there was nothing
 of the fifteenth century about him ex
 cept his gown, but that, on tn contrary, he was a practical man O. . his time. One cannot converse witt
 Brother Gilbert ten minutes withou being impressed with the earnestnes :, with which he has entered upon hi 7. work. He seems to combine the sim
 plicity of child with the wisdom of :. man of the world, and withal to pos , sess marked executive ability. ?, Brother Gilbert took me over tn + Home from cellar to garret. Tn house contains twenty-two rooms 4 There are two large and four smal wards. They are named after si.
 saints-St. Andrew, St. Joseph, St