Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1908-03-14
Home in Louisville Is One of
Many Scattered Over
World.
Care For Aged and Infirm and
Reap No Reward on
Earth.
WHAT One MAY SEE THERE

Of the 100000 people that live in
Louisville how few there are who
know the cares, anXieties, industries
and good accomplished by that order
known as the Little Sisters of the
Poor. The sisterhood was founded in
France nearly a century ago. Que
of its first branches i'm the United
States was that established in Louis
vile something more than thirty-five
years ago. One of the first citizens
of Louisville to meet the original
Little Sisters, to aid and advise them,
was Col. Mike Muldoon Now, az
thirty-five years ago. he is their
friend. He is a daily observer of the
good they accomplish.
The Little Sisters of the Poor is
n religious organization founded in
France. In Louisville nearly all it's
members are French, though there
have been Irish women among them
here, notably Sister Daurentine. of
blessed memory, whose name in the
world was Miss Mary Mccormack.
These good women care for the aged
and infirm of all races and creeds.
Negroes are admitted as freely as
whites if there is room for them,
but whites and blacks, men AMI
women, have separate quarters.
There is no greater charity in the
world than that performed by the
Little Sisters of the Poor. Sisters of
Charity, Mercy, Loretto, St. Dominic.
care for the orphans, educate the
children. look after the sick. 1t is
not hard for the human heart TO
go out in love and sympathy to
babies and children. When it comes
to caring for old people it is alto
gether different. 1t is the most
thankless task on earth, and those
who undertake it will receive their
rewards only in the next world.
The cluster of buildings at Tenth
and Magazine streets represent the
work of years of toll for the Isittlel
Sisters of Louisville. There betweeAs
400 and 500 aged and infirm people
are cared for. They have no homes.
Many of them have seen better days,
but now are dependent upon the
bounty of the Little Sisters.
These Sisters are gentle of voice
and of modest mien. They beg con-
tinuously from store to store, from
door to dod& Often they get aims;
occasionally they are insulted. They
give thanks for the aims; they bear
the insults meekly. From restaurants
they get bread and other food for
their poor. In other places they
receive clothes, scraps of cloth.
yarn, tobacco, old newspapers and
other odds and ends of refnse stuff
The Sisters are utilitarians; they
make use of everything. Nothing is
thrown away. The work they have
done in this city has been appre-
ciated many residents of Louisville.
but they are unknown TO a great
many residents of the city.
IL is rare that n person under .he
age of sixty is admitted 10 their
home. Often they are seventy, eighty
and ninety years old. At present
there are some inmates of the home
that have passed the century mark.
They have their dining rooms, re-
factories, dormitories, Longing
rooms, work rooms and chapel.
The chapel is so arranged that the
very old and infirm can hear mass
or assist at any other religious sery-
ice without having to ascend or de-
scend fight of stairs. The devotion
of old people at these services is
angelic. All have become little chill
dren and assist at the various sol
emnities with childlike devotion.
When one enters the hall or recep-
ton room he may be greeted by an
aged woman with a dozen or more
dolls. She is polite; she will call
Mother" but her mind is gone back
to her childhood days when she
played with dolls. or mayhap to her
young wifehood when she was sur
rounded by happy children. You
smile with her. but not at her, and
accompany the Mother Superior to
other quarters. Perhaps you will be
taken into the mems quarters first.
Some in arm chairs, others walking
up and down, many smoking stubby
pipes, others are reading newspapers
and magazines; still others are tell
| ing their beads.
In another room You may encoun-
ter death-bed scene. 1t may be that
the dying one is a c.lored person. AT
the bedside is a nun. GlN ,uped around
the room are aged men >a2d women
reciting prayers for the dying.
When the weather permits th.. old
men engage in gardening and tffm-'
ming the vines in the grape arfbor,
while those of the old women who
are able to work take their knitting
or sewing and sit in the sun, or II
the day is too warm seek shelter In
the shade. None will regret visit
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