The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1909-06-05
MISS MARY"
A True Story of How Eight Little Orphan Girls
Kept the Faith.

A True Story of How Eight Little Orphan Girls
Kept the Faith.
Marie Louise Points in New Orleans Morning
Starr
Hidden from the world in the seclusion of the
coster are many beautiful life histories whose ten
der grace like the fragrance of the violet, filing the
corners Of some wooded dell steals insensibly upon
the heart. speaking silent language in pleading
undertone. whose subtle meaning other flower
has known. Such a life history was that Of Mary
Allen, who for upwards Of forty years made her
home with the Sisters Marianites, of Holy Cross,
in that beautiful old Convent, way down in the
lower part of the city, from whose gracious IN
fuence have gone forth many of the noblest women
of Louisiana.
Mary Allen, or "Miss Mary" as she was known
to the whole Third District had been left with her
little sister an orphan in one of those terrible yell
low fever visitations which used to devastate New
Orleans before science discovered how to control
the disease so efficiently. 1t was the epidemic OF
1895 and among the many little orphaned ones was
Mary Allen scarcely two years old, who was Ppaceo
in the Poydras Asylum, then the only orphan asy-
lum for girls in New Orleans. Though established
under Protestant auspices. the household manage
ment of the asylum was at first placed under lhe
direction of the Sisters Of Charity from bihmltCs
burg. Protestants in New Orleans not having had
as vet experience in the work of organized chart
ties The venerable Sister Regis, whose name Is
nseparablv connected with the Charity Hospital OF
his civ was the first superioress.
Along with Mary Allen seven little girls were
,Iaced in the institution. Indeed there were many
more h,,t with these seven the life OF Mary Allen
ras insenarablv connected. These were all de-
.cendan+s of sturdy Irish Catholic parentage. AT
Ter the death of Mr. Poydras, who SO munlncently
endowed the institution. the asylum passed under
he control of board of directors all OF whom were
Protestants. It was not long before the mah,is
ner+ of the household affairs was placed IN other
,onJs than those of the Sisters of Charity. Mary
Allen. who was now about ten years old' ana 'n ne
thor seven Girls above mentioned we're anxious 10
allow the Sisters. especially as the chapel had peen
,osed and they had alternative tAcept 10 El;e
N their faith and be raised as Protestants; ms
Narv Allen told her companions they "ould il rher
a. But thew had no church to go TO, ana "nen
er found that the Sisters Of Charity haa no n
lr ~ Wer Orleans, they we're disconsolafe. one
- 4ba 1;++e Girls Mary Mitchell, was t9taly nillL
md for her Mary Allen formed peeu har laced
100 A Protestant woman who nao Deen .p lJ,u
= oborae If the kitchen in the Foyorss -
5senIv touched at the fidelity OF tne eb 4oiJ
,sir fsitb and resolved to aid them. 0ng
leu that though there no asylum cIllu ru beJ
- 4b Sisters Of Charity in New Orleans iei d;rec
.so,+r been opened asylum unaeT HI, Cross
80 81 the Sisters Maranites OF 1ne me- ~ ,;ruteIy
s lon o. ;L.d the location of the asylum a a.
on5 foIioT;nr the course of the river a.