The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-08-08
AN ORDER :oF NEGRO NUNS.

The Only One I'm the United States La
Gated at New Orleans-
In the old French quarter of New
Orleans, with it's narrow streets,
lattioed windows and jealously
guarded courts, where the fig and
orange tree grow, is a square of
rather miscellaneous architecture
Its central building. III Orleans
street, is several hundred years old.
It has stately entrance, with great
pillars and old fashioned, ornately
carved doors. 1t was once the old
creole opera house and ballroom Of
the early days. Now it is the home
of the colored nuns.
The powdered and ringleted DAM
sells with hoop distended skirts who
stepped daintily across that thresh-
old to scenes of gayety in bygone
years have given place to dark rObed
figures whose white ruffled caps
only bring into stronger relief the
bronze and ebony of their skins.
The very names of the streets here
are rich in history and romance.
There are Orleans and Bourbon,
Chatres and him OF the iron hand
and gentle heart, Tonty. Shades of
the past are joetling one another,
though In a gentle. shadelike way,
at every street corner, and at moth
ing do they seem to be more aston
ished than at the sight of the col
ored nuua
Yet the order is not such a very
modern one after all, for it was
founded in New Orleans over half a
century ago. Its members are now
well known figures on the streets of
the Crescent City. The special OBJ
| ject of it's institution was the edu-
cation and moral training of young
oolored girls and the care of orphans
and aged infirm people of the race.
1t has had the cordial support OF
such eminent churchmen as Arch
bishops Blanc, Odin, Perche, Leroy
and Janssens, who suooesSively I'LL
ed the archiepiscopal see of New
| O4AOdA6s ~ ID oAoO q AONANAaeS
where young colored girls are train
ed for the work of the order with
the view of extending that work to
every parish in Louisiana, and, if
possible, into every southern state.
One of the most interesting parts
of the convent Is the orphan asy-
lum, where children ranging in age
from the wee tots just beginning to
walk to girls Of 10 and IA years are
. cared for. One of the sisters in
charge of tbs babies was an ex-
slave She is a real nanny
still
But, reverend mother, you seem
to have some white children here, u
said the northern visitor, comment
, ing on the fair white skin of some
of the children.
"Oh, no" said the nun, smiling q
bit wistfully at the ignorance of hel
visitor, "they all have colored blood
in their veinsI Maybe they arr
) only quadroons or octoroons- Some
of them, indeed, have only one tentE
colured blood, but that One-tentl
black counts more than the nine
, tenths white and makes them be
long forever to the oolored people.
One is reminded of some of Ca
ble's stories, the pathos and tragedy
D thereof.
In the orphan asylum 1S6 children
are sheltered who would otherwis'
be thrown upon the state. Thes
: as well as the 90 poor old colore'
!. men and women and many of tn
children In the school are dependen
upon the sisters for their dali.
bread. Formerly the sisters oh
. tanned a fair revenue by goini
I through the streets of New Orleans
y from door to door and into busines
houses and railroad Offices. solicit
ing aims for their charges s
quietly did they labor that few out
y side the city were even aware of th
= existence of the order, the only Co