The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-10
THEY SLEEP IN coFFrNs
The Rigorous Life OF Small Religious
Community in Montreal
From the Toronto EmDsrs

! community IN montreal
From tse Toronto Empire.
MONTREAL. Noy. 2. There are five
'Tcnnen and one man living at 162 Amhers,
street who sleep every night in collins For
some time psst the Empire correspondent
has been told Of certain DR.. JACQUES. a
widower aud graduate Of the Victoria
School OF Medicine, who, without obtaining
! permission from the ecclesiastical autbori-
ties, hao founded community at tbs num-
Der ABOVE mentioned, and in order 70 verify
the reports as to the extraordinary char
/ acCer or the house IL question VISIT was
paid 70 the establishment yesterday after
noon. The Empire was received most
cordially BY the doctor. and, while con-
duc.lng the correspondent through the diff
ferent departments Of his singular little
monastery, he related the history OF the
Work since its foundation. DR.. jacques has
the appearance Of a very sincere man. but
IS evidently touched 90 the religious cues
| ton, and, in fact, be admits that Arch
bishop Fabre is not pleased with the work
he is carrying on. However, he believes
God Is with him. and that the ecclesiastical
appreciation will sooner or later descend
upon his mead
II made a bargain with the bon Dieu.n
began the Jealous doctor, the year the
smallpox ragged in Montreal l visited no
less than 200 cases snd in return God
greatly favored the mission / have in hand
viz, the alteration OF the Holy Face"
Among these patients was a family from
st Jerome named Aubin, and the father
aud mother, with five daughters the eldest
"A years and the youngest l3, now live under
tue doctors roof. the parents live like
ordinary mortals, but the five children lead
a HE almost as severe as the terribly auStere
regime of Carmelite nun The house ia
question is not Of modern construction by
any means, and when the visitor was shown
into the courtyard IN the rear the elder
Aubin was engaged washing the
doctors wagon, aud his good wife
was similarly occupied with the
windows. As this worthy couple
do not belong to the community proper,
and consequently do not sleep in coffins.
they were left at their work, and the next
floor was reached. The Eve little sisters, as
tue doctor calls them, were found robsd in
red material, with a white head dress fall
ing down over their shoulders. These girls
have no education whatever, yet their
medical protector says they are very
learned IN things pertaining to the celestial
sphere. They retire at $50 and arise at 4.
and although they do all the work for the
house. tue greater part of the day is spent
IN alteration and prayer.
BY the side Of nicely decorated altar
stands post about SIX feet in height. and
long, the use of which was explained as
follows by the good doctor: Wnen Mon
treal is given over 20 carnivals to balls and
parties, and when the devil finds it easy to
tempt frG!l man and womankind, it Is at
these seasons that the five sisters devote
themselves most intentiy to penitence and
prayer. This heavy chain is hung around
each sisters neck for an hour at a times
while they kneel in prayer for their sister,
Of the world whom destiny has thrown in
temptations way
The doctor now draws aside curtain and
a large, deep c5tfin, painted black and
covered over with gray cotton, meets the
astonished gaze Of the reporter. The cloth
being removed. the pillow is found 10 be
made OF soft wood, and not single article
of clothing is visible. The five sisters sleep
upstairs, the secoud floor being divided in
to half dozen small, cherries rooms or
cells. The furniture IN eacn of these Sleep
ing apartments consists Of a black coffin q
table aud a tin washhasin, the same absence
OF clothing beng quite as marked as ON the
floor below. In reply TO a question put by
the Empire DR.. Jacques stated that the girls
would rather die any time than leave the
community and be ratified off the most won
dertul miracles that had been operated
following brief soJourn in his community,
q brother from Okla had left his own estab-
llshmeGt broken down with disease, aud
after sojourn OF forEy-e.ght hours at lG2
Amherst street had returned to his monastic
home IN the Otland weighing sixty pounds
more than when he left ana being quite I'M
recognizable by his religious confreres. I'm
fact" concluded the doctor, far more
miracles are performed here than at Ste.
Anne de Beaupre. and everything las beec
done but bringing the dead 10 life again -
The only reco{nition OF this famous COM
munity by the Archbishop of Montreal is in
the fact that the Rev. II. Filiatrault of ST.
James church is spiritual director Of the
five sisters il question, of whom three 90 to
communion every morning and two three
times week.