The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-11-27
N THE CI0IsIfRED HALLS
Newspaper Men Showa Through the
House Of the Good Shepherd.
HOW THE MANY INMATES LIVE
Something About Their Daily Routine
aud the Policy OF Government-A
Worthy Institutioa That Il.
in Need of support.

None, It Is safe to say, but those init
mately connected with the House Of
the Good Shepherd have a true concep-
ton of the WORK that this institution Is
carrying on, and 1t Is further safe to
say that il it's work was more generaiiy
known it would not to-day be crippled
as 1t is for lack of means Of support.
Yesterday representatives Of the press
were shown through the House by h
mother superior of the order In this do
cese. 1t IL O privilege seldom accorded
to anyone, particularly males. as h
sisters do not want to expose the In
mates to the curious gaze of the general
public. One of h most striking things
that might be mentioned In this con-
nection is that the inmates did not show
by any action that they were ashamed
to be seen at the House. as might be ex-
pected by those not familiar with the
policy of the Institution.
This is accounted for by the fact that
the girls are impressed with the idea
that they are not in a reformatory. u
a school Of moral, manual and intellec-
tual training. AS long as a girl be-
HAYES herself no one but the mother SUI
perior and the sisters directly In charge
of her need know whether or not she
was a hayward girl.
Classes They Are Received Into.
She may have been received as q
postulant for the Order of Magdalen;
she may have been taken under the
protecting wing Of the order because
she was liable to fall into temptation by
reason Of her parents having died or by
reason Of poverty or other conditions or
surroundings; and she may hav bee
taken In on account of "a parents or
a deserving husband. Thus 1t can be
seen all the girls are not rescued out
casts and no one need knCN those that
are. This, as Is very evident, Is one of
the most cOmmendable features of the
discipline of the order of the Good
Shepherd.
The Inmates are divided into three
classes. One is the preservation class"
In which the very young girls are gath
cred. Then there Is the penitent class,
In which the older girls are grouped.
The third class is composed Of those
who are candidates for the Magdalen
order.
: Those admitted to this class are put
on probation until such time as they
convince the sisters that they are earn
est In their desire to lead a religious
life. When the sisters are satisfied
that a girl is sincere in her wish to
live the life of a ~recluse, she Is allowed
to take a vow for a yea and Is given
a brown habit. After that she does not
dSSoCidtC WIFI duy VI Tic otNcT cldSSeS.
They Arc Kept Separate.
The three classes are always kept
separate. They have secerate dormi-
tories, separate wOrkrOOms, separate
refectories, and different hours for rec
reation. The building has three wings
and Is virtually three buildings diverg-
ing from n point. Each class has a
separate wing. Even in chapel the
different classes do not see esch other.
The altar is 81 arranged that 1t Is
the converging point of the three
chapels, one Of which Is In each wing.
The sisters and the smaller children,
or preservation class, occupy one
wing. the children being provided with
a gallery. The penitents have another
wing, and the Magdalens the third.
Each class has its particular hours
for work In the kitchen. bakery, sewing
looms, school rooms and the like, and
all are given a thorough training in
those things that would tend to make
them good practical housekeepers, SO
that when they leave the institution
they will have a. taste for domesticity
and ability to earn their livelihood.
The dormitories are marvels of neat
ness and h beds are as comfortable as
n could desire. The food Is substan-
tial and wholesome. and from the ex-
ceptionally healthy appearance Of the
inmates n would Judge that they
get plenty to q and eat 1t.
Two Hundred and Thirteen Inmates.
There are at present in the institution
two hundred and thirteen children" as
h sisters insist on calling the inmates.
Among this number are included about
fifteen old women who are not subject
to the charity Of the poor board and
who for one reason or another could not
be taken carr Of by their friends.
Among them are several Of the "old
timers" Of police docket fame who are
living happily together in one apart
ment spending their days in holding
quilting bees" and darning stockings.
In addition to the inmates there are
twenty-three sisters in the community.
This big family has but two sources
Of revenue. One Is the charity of the
public and the other Is the little money
derived from the sale of goods which
they make. AS they get but very little
work to 90 in the line Of sewing, m
broidery and the like the revenue from
this urce Is scarcely worth mention
Ing. Owing to the total lack Of funds
the institution has not been able to pay
any bills of consequence since last Jan
uary. Nothing can be reaiized from the
John tandley bequest. owing to legal
~technicalities, for possibly another six
months or q year and In the interim the
good sisters have to rely upon the char
itv Of the general public for the main