The Washington herald., 1914-10-26
House.
wives
Daily
Economy
Calendar

Dear to the hearts OF the soldiers oi
the French Revolution was the name
of Sister Martha, one Of the bravest and
/ most devoted nurses who ever lived. II
/, was on October &c, I74S. that Anne Biget
was born at Besancon. the birthplace
! ffty-four years later of the great nov
elist, Victor Hugo. Anne was the daugh-
| ter of poor, simple parents and in her
widest dreams she could not have known
that her name would ever be heard out
side the small circle of her own imme-
| diate friends
From her earliest childhood Anne
showed signs OF great tendefheartedness
and it is said that as a child she used
to share her simple rough fare with
wayfarers and beggars rather than gee
them go without. But Anne did this
with no thought Of being q saint. She
did not think Of herself as having any
special vocation for the life Of re-
ligious, but she had a deep sympathy
and devotion fo- those less fortunate
than herself.
When she grew up her thoughts turn
ed to the convent because she thought
that there she might do more good for
suffering humanity than any place else.
So taking the name of Sister Martha"
she entered a convent as a working sis
ter. In this particular convent most of
the nuns were members of noble families
and were i'll fitted for doing the rougher
sort OF housework. So Sister Martha
was welcomed in her novitiate as one
well suited to do the heavy work.
As soon as Sister Martha became a
full-fedged sister she received permis-
sion, as a reward for her long hours Of
indoor work, to visit the prisons and in
this way she came to know how to COM
fort and relieve the most wretched class
Of society.
About this time-when Sister Martha
Revolution broke out. The convent was
destroyed and the inmates, all but
Sister Martha, because they were
members Of the nobility, fed to
the protection Of their families or
into exile out Of France. But Sister
Martha had nothing to fear. Somehow
she managed to get a pension equivalent
to about S26 a year and a small house.
With this facility, she became self-ap-
pointed sister to all the wounded SOL
diers who were brought to her and who
wounds, comforted them and gave them
shelter and in many cases gave to the
dying the only religious solace they re-
ceived. On the battlefields in many parts
of France the name Of Sister Martha
was known.
Where is Sister Martha?" the soldiers
would cry when they lay wounded or
dying. IF Sister Martha were only here
We should not have to suffer So"
When the war was over Sister Martha
went on with her simple religious life.
still finding wretched people enough
among the poor and prisoners who need
ed her care in times Of peace. At last
when Sister Martha was sixty-seven
years old a great fete was given In her
honor in one Of the military prisons In
France. On this occasion the devoted
woman received medals of honor from
half the crowned heads Of Europe in
token Of the comfort and care she had
given their dying soldiers in times Of
war. But Sister Martha's work was
not done. The next winter she went to
the court Of Louis XVIII to plead in her
old age for money to carry on some of
her many good works and it Is said that
when she was at court for this purpose
the most, frivolous women of the court
and the most worldly statesman and
courtiers We'd with each other to speak
with the sanity woman.
tCop5riEht. lslIl