The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-01

or the fever stricken Indies. and brief
record OF their death is all the world
learns of the matter.
I'VE used TO hear such lovely stories
about the missionaries at the convent
school," says the little sister.
Exactly, the romance of the work
seized upon her. and after two years of
training i'm Paris she was sent off to
Tahiti knowing absolutely nothing OF
the life task which lay before her. But
whether she like IL or no. IL will be her
lot until the end. for having once pro
tossed" she has neither home nor rela-
tives. She belongs to the church, and
no return is possible. Even her parents
do not know her whereabouts. II have
not written to them since I entered the
convent" she remarks, simply. '"They
would not have liked me to so as a mis-
sionary."
But the kindly old mother superior
has no doubt about the result of her
life's work. She is full of enthusiasm
for the cause. and will talk for the hour
about her dear scholars i'm Tahiti.
our children get a good education.
all taking their certificates and many
OF them being afterward drafted into
government employ. In the early eight
was noticeable that men who had voted
Tor the reform most persistently con-
tinued to send their children TO our
school. After time the Kanakas re-
marked this and rebelled. deeming that
what was not good for the whites was
not good for them, and their children
also returned to us. So that secular ed
ucation has proved a failure, and last
year the government school had TO be
shut up simply because there were no
scholars
In spite OF all this, 7 must not charge
for my pupils. If did. they would go
over to the Protestant schools, which
are also gratuitous. To be sure, I might
insist on doing so. but should then Of
fend the bishop and thereby lose the one
little help we have-house room, for
our home is the missions property. The
last bishop helped us more substantial
ly. providing for board but his sue
cessor cannot meet the expense. How
ever, | hear that during my absence.
my nuns being in great straits, he has
helped them with food"
Times must be pretty bad in Tahiti
for this poor struggling sisterhood, and
the natives must be less generously dis
posed toward their religious teachers
than they are in other parts of the
South seas.
Life is easy there" explained the
mother, "but people are very selfish.
| Yet they have many good points They
are very fond OF their children--so much
so that they will hardly hear of their
girls marrying. Yet nearly all o. fe-
male pupils are married. often TO white
men, as soon as they are cid enough.
! oh. yes. there is a great demand for
our girls because Of the way we train
| them"
Il want some bonbons," quoth the
! dear old mother when asked If all her
needs were supplied. They must not be
very dear, for | want so many" Then.
| detecting a glance of astonishment a
motherly smile beamed from under the
black Golf II so TO my baby class ev-
cry week to inspect progress. and bon
bons are the reward. They are so pref
! ty. my babies" and the smile deepened;
| 'little white or cream colored creatures.
! scarce one that you could call really
| brown. / promised them all toys. l
| have case full of drums and trumpets
| and dolls, but / must have enough bon-
| bons to go round our six schools. and if
! you only knew how many that means!"
| And thus the venerable mother who
| has been one long self abnegation. sails
| away from us, her first and last desire
being the gladdening of young hearts.