The Irish standard., 1895-01-26

q j. ! 70. lal@5
motherless, and barely is years OF age,
to look upon her friend Marie who, al
though only Is herself, was serious and
staid beyond her years-ln the light OF
j mother.
! Marie janet and Virginie Tredaniel!-
the names of the two obscure little seam.
stresses, names now held in honor
throughout the whole Catholic world,
foundation stones of one of the grandest
edifces ever raised to the glory of God;
Marie Janet, now Superior General
("Mother General" according to the ten
derby familiar phraseology of the "Llttle
Family of the entire congregation, un-
der tbs name of Mother Marie Augustine
de la Compassion, and Virginie Tredan-
iel, her first daughter, WHO las Sister
Marie Therese) died in the flower of her
age in the year 1853.
Both these young girls were natives of
| St. Servan. Marie resided with her par
ents at Lambety, hamlet in the cu:-
skirts, willis Virginie, who had neither
father nor mother alive, we'd in an attic
in the tow itself, lonely position, which
made the young girl cling with all the
greater love aud Difference to the friend
| whom God Tad sent her in place OF the
! mother she had lost. Sundays were
spent together by the two friends, who,
after vespers, would stroll out into the
country in search of a quiet corner where
they might spend the afternoon lndis-
turbed. Their favorite spot was little
| sheltered bay on the shores Of the river,
| where, in cleft of the rocks, with love-
ly view OF recovered headlands, sea
| and sky before their eyes, they talked
over the events of the past week, ex-
amined each other as to how each had
kept the short rule of life given them by
M. L. Pailleur, frankly acknowledged
their faults and shortcomings, and thus
began unwittingly to practice that exer-
else of the religious life called the Spir-
itual Conference. One passage in this
rule OF life puzzled them not little:
I'VE will. take special delight" it ran,
Gin succoring the aged poor, the sick, and
the infrm; we ELL never refuse them our
care and tenderness, if SO be that the op.
portunity presents itself. for we must
| take care not to mix ourselves up in that
which does not concern u.s." Weigh the
words as they might, they failed to pen
citrate their meaning, for the Able had
not as yet specified their vocation, and
spoke to them sometimes Of one Com
munity, sometimes Of another, trying
their patience and exercising their docil
ity in every imaginable way: And thus
for the space Of two years.
To this day, at the mother house,
there may be seen couple OF little
statuettes, representing two very young
girls, with bandage across their eyes
and their hands tied behind their backs,
the explanation given of which is that
these little figures represent the first
Little Sisters of the Poor, Marie Janet
and Vireinie Tredaniel, in the act Of
promising obedience to the Able La
Pailleur; the bandage signifylng their
blind and voluntary abandonment of
themselves into the hands of Providence,
and the bound hands, the complete re-
nunciation of their Wills into the hands
of their Superior. During these many
months the Able had watched the
workings of tho Holy Spirit in these two
young souls, had seen how the grace Of
God had fostered and ripened The rein the
beautiful virtues OF charity, fortitnde and
humility, which are to shine forth so
brilliantly in their future lives; and he
considered that they were ready to be
led step further on the road towards
their real vocation. He, therefore, con-
tided poor blind woman to their care
| whom he discovered IN wretched garrett
in condition OF the utmost misery and
abandonment. Marie and Virginie, it
need hardly be said, accepted their
charge with joy, md took it in turns to
wash and dress the poor old soul, to clean
out her room, lead her to mass on Sun
day, and give her all the little comforts
compatible with their slender means.
Having thus tested the practical capa
bilities of the two young friends, the
good Able felt that the hour had arrived
when the vision which had been mani
Tested to him under the trees of the shady
avenue as he entered ST. Servan two
years before. must make tangible shape
and that building OF which he had been