The Irish standard., 1909-02-06
7he Little Sisters of the Poor
Their Work.
From "A Voice From tn. ws,t," byl r. ma.,lo

sssSssSsSsSssSssSSSsssssssssss
door and from among the merchants
and hotels.
Il You see we have cur dinner, and
plenty Of it," said She Sister. Nov
! come and see the pantry" The room
/ was large and roomy enough, but TO-
like that other pantry Of childhood $
(, tales it was bare-destitute of sin
gle article of food A bread box near
by was piled high with fresh loaves
of bread
See" smiled the Sister, I'VE have
this bread left, and when our Sisters
return this evening they will bring
with them full and plenty and to
spare for the supper this evening. for
the meals tomorrow and for the break
fast and dinner Monday"
J Thus the Little Sisters live. Two
| of the band start out each morning.
| regardless of the weather, and beg
from door to door, the money given to
them paid out to the last cent on the
debts of the community as fast as 1T
is received. Nothing bearded, nothing
saved for the morrow the plea
to the Heavenly Father:
Give us this day our daily bread"
| 1.-THE same God rules tomorrow as
today" said the Sister. "Why then
4 4,
I, bring suffering?"
( While two Of the Sisters beg from
door to door, two others take the littla
| black covered wagon, so familiar ev-
| erywhere, and beg among the various
! tradesmen for the sustenance Of the
| following day. They cheerfully accept
! whatever is given to Them and when
they have finished their days labors.
they sit down tn the frugal meal, cor
| sisting Of whatever The charitably in
c1,ned people of the day have contrib
uted.
Should there he del{cacy or two
among the contributions. think you
| the Sisters get It? Far from 1t. There
are helpless invaltds lying on snowy
beds out at the home, whose feeble
dainty crumbs that fall from the rich
| mans table. The extra dainty will lie
prepared for the sick poor, and the
Little Sisters will praise God for His
heneflcence.
The Homes of the Aged, presided
| over by these good Sisters. are plan
ned ever with a thought for the old,
helpless, the infirnn. The rooms are
| invariably laid out with an idea not
to artistic lines or vair show, but to
the comfort Of the old folks and this
rule is followed in the building of the
various homes scattec.i thuusheu ut
the country.
There are dining rooms, for in
stance. on the same floor with the dor
mitory for the crippled, that the in
firm may gather for the daily meals
without any more exertlon than is alb
solutely necessary. There are rooms
for the workmen, the men not SO in
firm but that they may. help the Sis
ters with little chores about the pla,e,
and there are dormitories for the sick,
the crippled, the lame and the halt.
There are rest rooms for the men
and for the women, res ding rooms and
a Smoke house." n detached building,
is for the especial comfort of the men
who care to smoke, the Sisters MT
permitting smoking in the building
proper, not only on account Of the
danger Of fire such a practice would
endanger, but because some Of the Did
ladies object to the aroma Of the
weed!
While on the subject, it is but just
to relate that the Sisters declare that
the old men are not half the care of
the women. The latter are more ner-
vous, more sensitive and by far the
more exacting. Yet peace and har-
nony reigns in this happy home For
the Sisters know just how to take the
old folks. and 1t is sad commentary
on the ties Of human affection to note
that the Sisters get along admirably
with their inf1rm charges, where their
own flesh and blood--of times the
hale and hearty sons and daughters
turn the old folks out to be cared for
by the hands Of strangers, through the
Providence Of God.
The Little Sisters CT the Poor rise
at half-past four every morning Of the
year. and for them good portion ut
the day is spent when the old folks
are ready to get up. the Sisters Dress
ing those who need assistance, carry
ing breakfast to the inf1rm. and get
ting we'll on with the work Of the day
when ordinary rflortals are beginning
to think that another day is about to
dawn. The Sisters do every bit of the