New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-20
AN ORDER or NEGRO NUNS.
THE ONLY ONE IN THE UNITED STATES LocAr-
Ed AT NEW ORLEANS.

Ed AT NEW ORLEANS.
From The ST. Louis Republic.
In the old French quarter ~ New-orieans
with Ire marrow streets latticed windows ana
iealously guarded courts, where the ne ana OF,
ange tree grow, is square OF ratns, MS.
lancous architecture. Its central Duiiulis' "a
III Orleans-st is several hundred years uIu
1t has a stately entrance, with great pillars ana
old-fashioned. ornately carved doors IL was
once the old Creole opera house ana oaitoo"l "
tho carly days Now II Is the home OF the col
ored nuns. go. -
The powdered and rngcted damsels with hoop
distendcd skirts who stepped dsntily across thdt
threshold to scenes OF eayety In bygohe seafs
have given place to dark robed figures whose
white rufilcd caps only bring into stronger re-
lief the bronze and ebony OF their SKINS. me
very names OF the streets mere are rlch III MS
tory and romance. There are Orleans ana bour-
hon Chatres and-him of the iron hand ar gen
tie heart-Tonty Shades OF the past are )ostlins
enc another, though in gentle, shadelke way
at every street corner. and at nothing do they
seem to be more astonishei than at the sight 81
the colOred nuns
Yet the order is not such very modern one
after all. for it was founded In New-Oreahs
over half century ago. It's members are no"
we'll known figures the streets OF the Cres-
cent City. The special object of its institution
was the education and moral ming OF young
cOlored girls and the care OF orphans ana aEcd
infirm people Of the race. II has had the cordial
support Of such eminent churchmen as Arch
bishops Blame Odin. Perche Leroy and JAMS
see OF New-Orleans. 1t is also novitate
where young colored girls are trained for the
work Of the order with he view OF extending
that work TO every parish in Louisiana and, II
possible. into every Southern State
One Of the most interesting parts OF the con-
is the orphan asylum. where children rang
ing in age from the wee tots just beginning to
walk to girls OF twelve and fourteen years are
cared for One OF the sisters in charge Of the
babies was an ex-slave. She IS a real nanny"
still.
But. reverend mother you seem to have some
white children here" said the Northern visitor
commenting on the fair white skin Of some Of
the children.
"Oh no." said the nun, smiling hi; wistfully
nj the ignorance Of her visitor: they all have
colored blood in their veins. Maybe they are
only quadroons octoroons; some Of them indeed
have only one-tenth colored blood but that one
tenth black counts more than the nine hs
white. and makes them belong forever To the
colOred people"
one is reminded of some Of Cables stories. the
pathos and tragedy thereof.
In the orphan asylum 80 children are shell
tered who would otherwise be thrown upon the
State These well as the sixty poor Old
colored men and women. and many of the chill
dren in the school are dependent upon the sis
ters for their daily bread Formerly the sisters
obtained a fair revenue by going through the
streets OF New Orleans. from door 10 door and
into business houses and railroad offices solicit
ing aims for their charges. So quietly did they
labor that few outside the city were even aware
OF the existence of the order the only cOlOred
SiSterhood in the United states. But the yellow
fever which broke out in the South in August
caused that section to be hemmcd in by Guaran-
tine, and the wheels OF commerce were STOPPED
AS pathetic letter just received from one Of
the sisters says: "Our friends have always been
among the poor laboring classes, who seem To
feel most for us, and since this class has suf-
fcred particularly through lack OF employment
for three months and their distress at present
Is almost as great ours cannot in con-
science apply 10 them for aid. Even II we did il
would not be forthcoming as they have not the
means"