Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-11-19
a JAPANESE MISSION.
A Sketch of the Sisters of Saint Paul
de Chartres and Their Work.

If YOU should ever 60 to the city of Sen
dai in lanan an" wander N ana oul
to tine ON" called Ilakyo n-doli there YOU
will find he usual little Jananesc shops
with ther oOtir" fronts open to Inc ub-
lie gaze some selling small cakes of Vari
Gus shares HHd colors, others showing
1aintv colored WHITING PAPER brushes.
ink stones, etc there Your eyes would
-, attrHrked by the usual number of
small c',idreu PLAYING IN the streets.
whose chief excitement is to escape from
lying iinriIishas: but finally your atten..
ton would be arrt stcd by hi:h hoard
80 rnusuil. for all fences are painted
black in Japan. but sheltered behind its
Silence you would observe a large foreign
house aud being far from Tckio and al
locations to Your mind would come the
only word which could explain it-"Mis-
Sion.'
If curiosity led YOU to step inside the
open gate You could hardly escape again
without having received \ spiritual bless
ing from even such a short contact with
The lives If these dcVout. sClf-sacrficins
Sisters OF St. Paul de Chartres
A sweet faced sister would open the door
foI Iou and lead YOU across IL Slassen
closed vcranda. through a narrow hall t"
the reception room. facing the garden i'll
the rear. This room is rather bare but
very clean and peaceful. The sister super
irr would enter and then if YOU are limit
I'd to English, there would be much smil-
ing and much CcSticulation but very lit
tie conversation, for the sisters speak on
ly French and Japanese.
Shr' in this lonely house. with no hope
of ever seeing again the dear faces of
relatives or friends or thn loved scenes o.
LA Belle France. the hearts of theS,
sisters are eager fnr romnanionship anC
ENCOURAGEMENT and the poorest French
spoken ii ii carries love and appreciation
is always welcome.
This mission school was established il
iS9- md since then it is pi opaplc that vol
umea could he filled with tile stories Of tn
sacrifices n these VI
Wni,.en.
w" read - great deal about the simpl
life in America, but here they practice it
The dinng-room table covered with OF
cloth never holds any l'Xpries. Soup
| bread and vegetables make UP the diet
Since tn" trouble in France tho sister
have had to rctrcnch tPcir expenses and
| row deny themselves butter and coffee
Sugar ard salt are used very spaIi nsly.
| The climate of Japan il the spring an'
| the fall is DELIGHTFULLY."- fresh and in
| NiGoratIng. hut the summer months ar
| almost unh"arabr with their warn rain
and suffo""ting atmosphere. The moistur
| netm"atcS holding and clothes press
| become mouldy over night. Most Of tn
| missionaries in Japan travel to the noun
| 1ainS for relief during this trying season
| but these sisters go about their work a
| usual although thew suffer intensely iron
| tho depressing tropical humidity. In tn.
| cold of winter with the ground buried i;
! snow. fh"v seldom have Il fire, except :
small stove ut III" hospital A few char
1
| srrro T" warm their fingers
! BIT their greatest suffering comes from
Inconsistencies. The French are devoted
| ~ ."'t'N. and ind it hard to recon
| Gle them selves to unfamiliar scenes Un
- Saaut OF the convent the sister
| vii show Won little garden of flower.
raised from seeds sent out from France
| nov brart their eyes become whey the,
| show the little plants and how 1enderl,
/ they care for each one. They are so IA
from home. 50 alone in the midst or Ties
~0~ +''ot - least little ren,ern
brance from the1S own country bring
With. their funds cut off from Franc,
they need nlorey to carry on their work
to NV for teachers in TIE school and es
ro"ia''v - hnv medicines for the hOspita
where the poor of Sendai come by hun
"a a. It. 20 .'N" treatment from the capa
bic doctor.-Field Afar.
8ToE
Bar, tba >>lha Kind You Havs AIwar Doq2t
Signature # &xHZzze71s.