The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1898-05-14
AN ORDER:OF NEGRO NUNS

AN oRDER:OF NEGRO NUNS.
The Only One In the United States Lo-
Gated at New Orleans.
9 In the old French quarter of New
Orleans, with it's narrow streets,
latticed windows and jealousy
guarded courts, where the fig and
orange tree grow, is square of
rather miscellaneous architecture.
Its central building, III Orleans
street, is several hundred years old.
1t has stately entrance, with great
pillars and old fashioned, ornately
carved doors. It was once the old
creole opera house and ballroom of
the early days. Now it is the home
of the colored nuns.
e The powdered and ringleted dam
GELS 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 ruf1ed 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 jostling one another,
though in 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 nuns.
Yet the order is not such worry
modern one after all, for it was
founded in New Orleans over half a
century ago. Its members are now
we'll known figures on the streets Of
the Crescent City. The special OBJ
iect Of it's institution was the edu-
cation and moral training of young
oolored girls and the care0f orphans
and aged infrm people of the race.
It has had the cordial support Of
such eminent churchmen as Arch
bishops Blanc, Odin, Perche, Leroy
and Janssens, who successfully fill
ed the archiepiscopal see of New
Orleans. It is also a 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 10 and II years are
cared for. One of the sisters in
charge of the babies was an ex-
slave. She is a real NANNY"
still. u.s. 1853
''But, reverend mother, you seem
to have some white children here, "
said the northern visitor, comment
ing oh the fair white skin of some
Of the children.
''Oh, no." said the nun, smiling
bit wistfully at the ignorance of her
visitor, they all have colored blood
in their veins! Maybe they are
only quadroons or octoroons. Some
Of them, indeed, have only one-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 OBJ
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. So
quietly did they labor that few out:
side the city we're even aware of tt
existence of the order, the only COL
ored sisterhood in the United States.
st. Louis Republic.
II can't afford to have people
think I don't know about this par
ticular question:" said the politi-
clan, land I haven't the time need
to read up on it,
"Well, replied his wife, lin that
case I'll tell you what I'd do. I'D
look wise and get some paper to an
nounce that you decline to be inter-
viewed. "-Washington Star.