Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-20
A HEROINE OF FRANCE.
Work and Character of a Jewish Sis
ter of Mercy.

From the Jewish Messenger
A few years ago our Paris correspondent
devoted column to the work and charac-
ter of Nine. Coralie Cahen, describing the
Jewish refuge at Neuilly, to which she was
dAVoting much of her zeal. Perhaps 1t
was a revelation to our readers then to
learn of the services of this Jewish sister
of mercy, whose gentle ministry has now
closed at the age of sixty-seven, after
thirty years of broad and ardent philan-
thropy.
The fact that at her funeral in Paris on
March II. military honors We're rendered to
her by a picket of infantry, recalls her
heroism in the Franco-German war. Just
before its outbreak she lost both her hus-
band and only son. On the beginning of
hostilities she went to Metz. nursing more
than 300 wounded soldiers. Continuing her
work when that fortress fell. she settled
in Fendome, where, aided by two nurses
and seven Christian sisters of mercy, she
received thousands of French and German
soldiers.
When the Prussians occupied Vendome
they wished to hold the hospital. and plant
on it the German flag. But. warned of the
enemys intention, Nine. Cahen. early one
January morning, visited the Prussan gen.
eral. who, surrounded by his staff, was
about to seize the building. Sir she eX-
claimed, I'VE have received your wounded
and nursed them as though they Were our
Will remain in a French ambulance: We
will not have IT converted into a German
ambulance, Madame was the reply,
we are masters" I'm the town it may
be: here no." was the answer. I'VE are
protected by the Red Cross and the French
nag; you have no right to touch either the
one or the other" She conquered. and
from that day the utmost admiration was
openly eyinced for her by the Germans
When, after the signature of peace the
German medical staff were about to quit
Nendome, the SurgeOn-in-chef asked leave
to take a public farewell of the French
woman Accompanied by the military doc
tors placed under his orders he said:
Madame, we cannot leave France without
thanking you, not alone in the name of
the German nation, but in the name of
humanity. We can never forget that YOU
compelled US to yield in the face both of
your patriotism and of your benevolence.''
When the war was over Nine Cahen
continued her interest in soldiers who We're
too i'll to be brought back to France from
wherever imprisoned. from the banks of the
Rhine to the Polish frontier and personally
lnterceded with Empress Augusta for the
immediate relief of some of the prisoners
AT the end of 49,. after wishing sixty-six
prisons, she succeeded in having all sent
home She completed her work in Germany
by arranging In alphabetical order list of
o5'o" names OF Frenchmen who had passed
the rough German hospitals and had either
left them or been buried
What of Esterhazy's threat of a new St
bartholomew for the Jews? What of Dru-
monts appeals to the passions Of the mob?
What of the Jesuit schemes and the milli-
tary pi0tters against the prisoner on Devils
Isle? The ministry of this Jewish sister of
mercy, the deeds of this French heroine
shall silence and shame theEl forever For
no one could have loved France more de-
votedly, no one rendered more heroic ser
vice on its behalf.
She won the cross of the Legion Of Honor
from her own country. the Red Cross of
the Geneva convention from the Empress
OF Germany, but she gained a higher deco
ration than theSe-the hearts of poor chill
dren whom she had gathered in the Jewish
refuge at Neuilly. and who surrounded her
hearSe at the last.