St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-02-10
COMFORT THE AGED.
The New Home Of the Lit
tie Sisters OF the
Poor.
It4s Opened With an Address
by Archbishop Ire
land.
Vivid Pictures of the Inmates,
and Provisions for Their
Comfort.
More Blessed to Give Than to
Receive Praetie ally Ex-
emplified.

dor, their forms bent with age and the
affections age brings in its train, look
ing for all the world like veterans of
waterloo or the revolution, stood sew
enty aged and helpless men, waiting to
welcome in their feeble way the visitors
TO their new home. The occasion was
the opening yesterday afternoon of the
magnificent structure just completed on
Wilkin street.-The home of the Little
Sisters of the Poor. Standing in groups
about the halls and IN the different
apartments were half a hundred old la
dies, net tone of whom looked day less
than seventy, their faces wreathed in
happy smiles as one or an
other of the lady visitors stopped
to say kindly word and
shake hands with those who stood
near. Such sight is not often seen in
the West, where age is in the minority,
youth and energy the rule. BuStIing
busily about administering a word of
comfort to the sick and helping hand
to the weak or palsied, the good sisters
| went. leaving ever behind them sense
of comfort to their aged charges, with
each suffering man Snd woman feel
ing that their Affections were iightened
from the very presence of these, the
most self-denying and sympathetic of
womankind. Thronging the building,
up stairs and down, the dormitories,
reading rooms, the Kitchens and the
corridors, hundreds Of Wis tors passed to
and fro, admlrlng, commenting, and
conversing. In the chapel all was in
readiness for the arrival of Archb bishop
Ireland, upon whom, with the assist
ance of the Catholic clergy of the city,
devolved the pleasant task of blessing
| the home and saying few words of
good cheer to its occupants. 5=sN ~ ~.
The assertion may be safely made
that nowhere in the West is there an
institution of the character to be. de-
scribed, SO perfect in all its appoint
ments, so eminently fitted for the pur-
| poses of its design. The home is four
story red brick structure, elegant in con-
ception and equally so in execution.
| The interior is finished in all the de-
| partmentS in hard polished oak. In the
! easements are the Kitchens store
| rooms, laundry rooms and the sisters
refectory. The former department is
| fitted with every modern appliance of
the culinary service, and in fact each
department is so perfectly appointed as
| to defy criticism. On thu first floor are
dining-rooms apart for the men and
women, also separate sitting rooms, the
chapel, two reception rooms and store
rooms. On the floor above are reading
rooms for both sexes, the other apart-
mPntS being used as d0rmitories. On
the top floor are the intrmarieS and still
more dormitories, the LATTER with their
snow-white beds and floors OF poliehed
wood, looking the perfection of neat
ness, and showing the care that, has
been expended in their arrangement.
The entire establishment is in charge of
| the mother superior. with ten sisters
/ under her charge, namely, Sisters
Agatha. Clements, Elise, Wfnfred, VAL
entine, Gabriel, Octave, Humbertine
and ErneStine. -.
Each of the sisters has charge of a
department. and the charge is NO sine
cure, as the occupants of the home are
many of them blind, some. paralyzed
wholly or partially. others SO, childish
from extreme age as to be almost totally
helpless. One great feature of the in
Stitutiou is the absolutely perfect
| system Of heating and ventilation,
and in this regard. as in the
planning of the entire structure, the
architect, John G. MaeCarthy, may be
said to have excelled himself. The cost
of the building has been something like
100000, though with the furnishing in
elusive a total of about $4,000 is
| the visitors to make tour of the build
ing. the occupants of the houSeawere
| gathered in one of the large reception
rooms OH the ground moor to listen. to an
! address from the archbishop. 49, 81.
! The scene was an Impressive one.
Seated on long rows of benches were
| the old people, the varying expressions
OF whose faces were 8 study worth the
attention of Rosa Bonheur. Behind
them the sisters stood gowned In SOM
| Der black, to which their expressive,
kindly faces formed vivid con-
| lraSt, As the archbishop en-
tered the room. followed by. his
staff, each man and woman, no matter
/ how badly crippled or how weak, rose
| and greeted him. Having. welcomed
| them to their new home, the archbishop
was about to leave the apartment wnen
/ an aged man in one of the rear benches,
fearful that he had been forgotten, rose
to his feet, and addressing the arch
| bishop, said:
Have you forgotten me? It's long
time ago, nigh onto tweaty year, but l
/ hope / am remembered" -. H.
The reply was instantaneous. =
mo, have not forgotten you: you
| are Peter:" and. sure enough, Peter 1t
| was, an humble pariShouer of years
ago, whom, despite the multifarious du-
| ties of his busy career. the great man
had remembered. The vititors were
then conducted TO the chapel to listen
| to the address Of Archbishop Ireland,
| and witness the ceremony of the be-
/ stowal of the blessing and benediction.
The archbishop then entered the
| chapel, and seating himself before the
/ altar, surrounded by d number of the
/ clergy, spoke as follows: Il am sure
| we all rejoice that this great Institution
| of Christian charity is to-day dedicated
| to the service of Almighty God, and we
1 congratulate the Little Sisters on the
| completion of the building. Only few
| years ago they came among US bring
/ ing with them their generous piety and
earnest zeal, and / am glad to be able to
say the people of st. Paul gave them a
cordial welcome, and during all the
| time they have been among us they have
| received help, aid and words of cheer,
and they have often told me to my great
consolation that in few cities of the
country have the Little. Sisters
| of the Poor received such well
come aud cooperation as they
have in st. Paul. IT'S owing to
this Christian spirit of our people. as
we'll as to the untiring energy of the
sisters, that such progress as NE see to-
| day has been made. For many years
they had small buildings; to-day they
take possession of this magnificent edi-
! fee, an honor alike to themselves and
to the city. They have now under their
care ninety aged people, so this will
| give you an idea of the work being
done. This cheers us and makes US
more Christian, and brings US all nearer
to Almighty God. What is it in society
| that endearS us to our felloW-ereatnfes
| if not this Godgiven charity, IN virtue
| of which we love one another? With
out it the world would be dark and
dreary and life most unpleasant, This
charity is the fruit of Christian religion.
| Before Christ there was no charity, and
| the poor were sent away from the i'm
| perious city of Rome to die Oh desert
| isles.
/ In those days men admired in their
fellow beings what was of service to