The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-06-12
A SACRED HOUSE OF MERCY
Story of Former Philadelphia Belle
Who Became Sister of Charity.
Wonderful Powers Attributed to Padre An
chieta. TIE Adam Of the New WOrli-Bite of
Kattlesnake as Remedy for disease.


Charity died the other day, In the great
Misericordia Hospital of this city, whose
true name, if given here, would be recog-
nized by many of my readers. and whose
brief life she was barely thirty was re-
mark able blending of romance and trag-
edy. But since she kept her secret so well
desiring nothing kinder of fate than that
her former identity should be lost under,
the cap and gown of q Sister of Charity
which she had worn through sevon busy
years. am not at liberty to tell you much
of her story. Only this: Ten years
ago abe was the petted darling OF one of
the most arstoerstic families in Philadel-
phia-the daughter of wealthy parents
who yet reside in that city-beautiful. ac-
complished, gay and charming. Like many
snother's, her bright young life was
wrecked by heavens choicest blessing.
perverted TO curse. She loved, mot
wisely, but TOO well" and chung to the OBJ
ject of her choice despite the protests of
her friends. The dream was short. She
awOke to find herself the victim of pre-
tended marriage. her supposed hus-
band bigamist and forger, who
Is now serving q sentence In
prison. Overwhelmed with shame aud
sorrow, she renounced the world and
sought refuge In the shelterln2 arms OF the
church. AS a Sister of Charity she was
sent to Brazil during the fever epidemic
of seven years ago, and remained until the
day of her death a humble nurse In the
hospital of Rio. Every one who has
visited the santa Casa da Misericordis"
in recent years must have noticed this
quiet but zealous young sister, whose
lovely face and figure even the ugly habit
of the order could not disguise, because
she was so different from the rest of the srs-
terhOod, being the only one among them
of purely AnglO-Saxon blood. Struck by
her appearance the first time / came to the
place as a sight-seer, / addressed her in
English; and in course OF time friendship
resulted, as close as the restrictions of the
stern order would allow between nun
and a wanderer from the far-away world
which she had long since renounced-
closer, perhaps, because the kindly mother
superior was aware that death had marked
the sister for his own. During the hours
spent at the bedside of the dying girl
learned to appreciate to the fullest extent
the holy lives of self abnegatIon led by the
gentle sisterhoOd in all parts OF the world
where suffering and SORROW exist. and also
to understand something of the benehcent
work OF Rios great hospital.
FOR THE SICK AND SUFFERING.
We would not like to be classed with that
crying aloud In the kitchen and was finally
induced to explain the cause of her grief
that tho thought occurred to her when che
looked into the oven, what if she should
get married some day and ehould have a
dear little baby and it should crawl into
the oven and bs baked to deeth"-but do
want to impress upon you that, should you
ever come to Rio de Jansrja and happen To
fall i'll here, es most foreigners do, your
very wisest course would be TO get yourself
conveyed with all speed possible to the
esss Casa In the Mora ars better
provided with houses of refuge
for sick people than Rio, and none
need them more. Wealthy Brazilians do
their alms-giviDg almost exclusively
through the various Irmandades brother
hoods, in whose charge are all the hOspi-
tails and asylums The Irmadades arc not
unlike tire benevolent societies of the United
States, except that these are on much
larger scale, as the climate is more unhealthy
than that q the north. They are usually
composed of laymen, and are known as
Third Order"-as, for example, the Or.
dem Terceira da Misericordla, Ordem Ter
ceira 10 Bonn Jesus, Ordem Terceira da Boa
Monte, etc. The brothers wear . peculiar
style of dress, approaching the clerical,
those of each association having
some distinguishing mark. 10 become
q member OF one of these orders a liberal
annual subscription, the members being
entitled TO support in sickness or health,
from the general fund and funeral of GER
emony when dead. And the lrmandades,
IN return for numerous legacies received,
contribute to the erection and support of
churches, provide for the sick, bury the
dead and support masses for the repose of
souls. Many of these orders have become
enormously rich In the lapse OF years
through donations and legacies, and mem-
Ia n
A WEALTHY ORGANIZATION.
Chief among the brotherho Gods is that OF
Santa MisericOrda, in whose hands have
been placed the principal charitable offices
of the city. and which has received so
valuable boquests as to be able TO dispense
large sums in aims and to maintain some
of the best hospitals and asylums in the
world. Ii was founded as early as 1891.
and has always been granted exceptional
favors from the church-snch as exemption
from parochial administration. from house
taxes, ETC.; and afterwards by papal bull
the privilege of receiving the reyersIon of
all unfnlfilled legacies. The state also
gives II the products of three or four an
nual lotteries, besides port and other taxes
Thus the Sacred House of Mercy" has
come TO own houses and lands IN every
part of the city. and TO enjoy an annual
income of at least o million milreis. Be-
sides maintaining, in the best possible
manner, the enormous Hospital da Miseri-
cordia, at an annual cost of about 5000. 900.
1t also supports three branch hospitals, the
Pedro Ill Insane Asy lum two orphan asy-
lums. foundlings' home, two large
cemeteries and an exclusive mo-
nopoly of all the interments made
in the Brazilian capital, except those of
British subjects, who own a cemetery at
Gamb0a IN which the bodies of Protest
ants of whatever nationality, are geneT-
ally buried. The Santa Casa ia Misericor
dia is beautifully situated near the sea-
shore, under the brow of Castle hill. on the
spot where that celebrated Jesuit, Padre
jose de Anchieta, built the first hospital
in Brazil away back in 1850. About that
time Spanish armada OF sixteen war
vessels arrived i'm the port, having on
board three thousand Spaniards bonnd for
the straits of Magellan. They had suffered
severe storms md nearly the whole num-
Der were sick on board. Anchieta, who
was at that time visiting the old college of
| his order. whose towers still surmount Cas-
tie hill-was moved by coihpassion for the
| dying seamen TO make arrangements for
! their Relief: and in so dong laid the foun-
| dation of an institution which has allie
waited an incalculable amount OF human
| suffering During the three hundred and
ten wears since TINT day how many hnD-
! dreds of thousands have found an asy ium
| within the Holy Honse"-hOw many tens
| of thousands a grave
THE ADAM OF TIE NEW WORLD.
Speaking of Padre Anchieta, / lately
| came across q volume, printed IN Lisbon
about the time OF the good Fathers death
which attributes TO him some remarkable
things. IL was written by Simon Vascon-