The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-05-31
FROM OTHER PENS
A SISTERS LOVE

The world is filled with good emo
lions and good deds and good inn
pulses, but seldom does an act dis
play itself more LUMINOSITY or more
beautifully than in the exhibition of a
sisters love. The other day a woman
! Journeyed from New York to Wash
| lngton to call on President Wilson. She
was CARRIED in the robes of a Domini-
| can nun, and in spite of her 81 years
she was still young and beautiful, with
a face that flashed with remarkab BILE
intelligence. She had no letters or pc
titions or passports, and nothing to
| depend upon but her own personal
| plea. She came to intercede for her
| brother, who is confined in the fed
eral prison in Atlanta, having been
convicted of using the United States
| in is story which at least all literary
people will take a profound interest
| in. This woman is known today as
Mother Mary Alphonsa. In secular life
| she was known Miss Rose Haw-
thorne. She is the second daughter
| of Nathaniel Hawthorne, who is con-
ceded to be Americas greatest novel
list She was born in the year 1851,
George Parsons Lathrop, who, as a
| writer, is second only to the author
of the Scarlet Letter." She colIabor-
ated with her husband in all of his
I16erary efforts and when he died in
1898 she concluded to devote her life
| to suffering humanity. She establish
ed home for the care of those who
are suffering from cancer, one of the
loathsomest of diseases. After a time
she discovered that it would be better
for her to cut herself entirely away
from the secular world, in order to
devote her entire time to the service
OF the unfortunate, and in the carry
ing out of this purpose she Joined the
Dominican siSterhood. What fortune
was her own and what her husband
lett her was given unreservedly to the
work, and since then she has received
assistance from other sources and she
not only has a hospital in New York
but also a country home for the care
of these suffering people outside OF
New YORK. In spite of the fact that
she has abandoned the world, and all
its allurements, which, for her, must
have been great, because she had al
ready achieved fame in literature, her
sisterly love overflowed the banks and
POUNDS OF her environment and when
her brother, Julian Hawthorne, was
sentenced to a federal prison, she
came forth from her retreat in an eff
fort to relieve him of at least a por-
ton oe his physical suffering. No
mother ever believed that her son
could be anything more than her
boy" who is incapable of wrongdo-
ing; but this exhibition of sisterly
devotion and love is a lesson to the
world which should and no doubt will
have it's effect It was a pathetic and
a very unusual spectacle to see a mod
est and Self-Sacr1fic1ng nun in Wash
ington making additional sacrifices in
the interest of her erring brother. II
shows that there is more good in the
world than we are accustomed to see
exploited in public. Deep down in the
hearts of many sisters is that same
fond and noble affection which en-
riches the world. because it is one of
it's greatest assets. What President
Wilson will do is rot known, but ey-
eryone who knows him feels that he
will do whatever he thinks is right:
and no matter what he does, he must
admire and respect the fealty and de-
votion of this sister, who comes hack
into the world in order to render her
brother whatever little assistance lies
in her power.-Memphis HIews-Scini-
tar.