Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-09-17
AN ORDER:OF NEGRO NUNS.
The Only One In the United States Lo-
Gated at New Orleans.

1n0 NbnIy ouo IA VIC ShAtVu Ss~sSo ASo-
Gated at New Orleans.
In the old French quarter of New
Orleans. with its marrow streets,
latticed 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.
1t has a stately entrance, with great
pillars and old fashioned, olnately
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 i'll bySone
years have given place to dark robed
figures whose white ruitled 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 ami him of the iron hand
and gentle heart, Tonty. Shades of
the past are jostlina one another,
though'in gentle, shadeike way,
at every street. corner, and at moth
ing do they seem to 10 more aston
ished than at the sight of the col
Ored nuns.
Yet the order is not such Il very
modern one after all, for it was
founded in New Orleans over half Il
century ago. It's members are now
we'll known figures on the streets of
the Crescent City. The special OBJ
ject of its institution was the edu-
cation and moral training of young
oolored girls and the care of orphans
and aged intirm people of the race.
1t has had the cordial support Of
such eminent churchmen as Arch
bishops Blanc, Odin, Perche, Leroy
and Jansscns, who successfully fill
ed the archiepiscopal see of New
Orleans. 1t is also novitiate
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 IL and IA years are
cared for. One of the sisters in
charge Iof the babies was an eX-
slave. She is Il real nanny"
still.
But, reverend mother, you seem
to have some white children hero, "
said the northern visitor, comment
ing on the fair white skin of some
of the children.
"Oh, no." said the nun, smiling Il
bit wistfully at the ignorance of her
visitor, ''they all have colored blood
in their veins! Maybe they are
only quadroons or octorou0s. Some
of them, indeed, have only ono tenth
colored blood, but that one.tenth
black counts more than the nine
tenths white and makes them be-
long forever to the colored people,. "
One is reminded Of some Of Ca
ble's stories, the pathos and tragedy
thereof.
In the orphan asylum 1876 children
are sheltered who would otherwise
be thrown upon the state. These
as we'll as the 60 poor old colored
men and women and many of the
children in the school are dependent
upon the sisters for their daily
bread. Formerly the sisters Oh.
tanned fair revenue by going
through the streets OF New Orleans,
from door to door and into business
houses and railroad offices, solicit
ing aims for their charges. Sc
quietly did they labor that few out
side the city were even aware of the
existence of the order, the only col
ored sisterhood in the United States
st. Louis Republic.