The Portland daily press., 1896-12-01
A AQUADROON SISTERHOOD.
Work Carried on by COlOred Women
in New Orleans.

The Sisters of the Holy Family Founded
by Four Women of Color on the Site OF
the Scene of the Quadroon Balls-Ro.
nance of Nun with a Negro Strain.
In New Orleans, adjacent to the Cathe-
dral Of ST. LoCis. at the corner of Or
leans and Royal streeta, stand an exten.
s-ve brick building, the mother house OF
the Congregation Of the Sisters Of the
Holy Family, one of Ghs two sisterhoodf
OF colored women in the United States.
The building is on the site of the old Or.
leans Theatre, famous befor the war as
the scene Of quRdroon balls. The old
ballroom is now used as dormitory,
after having served at one time as q
chapel. The entrance has remained un-
changed, except for a new wooden par.
tition placed in the rear of the two mass
i've pillars which mark the opening to a
marble paved hall beyond. where a
broad fight of solid walnut stnirs leads
to the floor above. On the floor is new
ly built chapel, memorial to Tony
Lafron, the negro philanthropist, who,
besides many benefactions bestowed on
the sisterhrod during his life, made a
large bequest to it in his will.
The order was founded in New Orleans
On Nov. 81. 1e42, by Miss Harriet Delisle,
Miss Julistte Gaudin, Miss Josephine
Charles, and Miss Alicot, under the su-
pervision of Father Rousselon, then
Vioar-G eneral, and with the appreciation
of Arch bishop Blanc. The wealth of the
the earnings of their labor. They be-
ionged to the class then known as free
women Of color. Two were native born,
Miss Delisie and Miss Charles; Miss
Alicot had crossed the ocean coming from
France, and the fourth, Miss Gaudin,
was from Cubn. The first purpose OF the
order was simply to teach the cateohism
to young and old colored women and to
prepare them for their first co;nmunion.
The work has broadened greatly since
then. In 184S nome for aged and in
firm women was established, and in 1853
an addition WAS made for men. This
asylum for the aged has recently been
removed to a comfortable new building
at tho corner of Tonti and Hospital
dotSotss lub VI ICnOAu AuADOE VI kuk2atcS
is fifty. Next the asylum of St. John
Serchman, tho patron of the order, was
opened for girls. 1t adjoins the mother
house, and here are fessered min ETY. eight
children, from little babies only n few
days old to girls of seventeen. Attached
to it is an academy for girls which now
has Oh it's roll 1853 hoarders. Besides
the academy the sisterhood conducts
f1ourishing day schools for boys and girls
in four localities in the French districts.
1t hss also an asylum for boys estab-
lished in 1893, which now oontsina forty
three inmates There are houses estab.
lished in Opelousgs, Donaldsonville, and
Baton Rouge, in each of which are large
sohpols.
1'he present Mother Superior of She
order is Mother Austin. in the world
Mother UrHula, who is also mistress of
novices. The entire community at pres
ent consists of sixty five Sisters.
The gIadroon balls were peculiar
product of Louisiana. The cloisters open
upon court paved with marble and
decorated with tropical plants-palms,
oleandsrs, ferns, and banana trees
where. it is said, many duel was
fought in former days by the French
qnsnce of quarreIs at the quadroon balls.
The floor Of the chapelIis considered one
Of the best dancing floors in the world,
1t is made of three thickness of Cypress
but now the only feet gliding on it's sur
face are those Of the nuns as they pass
devoutly from station to station of the
cross.
On recent occasion, when the taking
OF tbs veil drew together large number
of the friends of the sisterh ood, 1t WAS
noticed that .among the five hundred
women there were very few purely black
Nine yeung girls took VOWS for lifo and
five only we're without the white tinc-
rure. Tbs minority were from Louisi-
ana; the others from different States and
distant countries. One came from Spain,
another from British Honduras, two
from Mexico, and four from Baltimore.
The taking of the veil by the colored
Sisters is far less elaborate ceremony
than thai customary elsewhere, The
newly elect wore the traditional bridal
toilettes, trailing gowns of soft white
wool, with tulle wells and orange bios
SONS. This simple office of reception was
preceded by high mass and followed by
the Eenediction of the holy sacrament.
Two bishops, eight priests, and ten
aoolytes otficiated. The choir was oo,n-
posed entirely of Afro-A mericans. and
the music was more than acceptable.
During the reception of these girls
nto the is terhOod Sister was pointed
out whose history, if general report is
to be believed, Is of unusual interest, 1t
seems that she was sent to convent
school In the North when child BY her
father. Her education having been conn
pleted, she made her debut in Washing
ton and for one season was belle there.
She became engaged to tRe sop ot q very