The Irish standard., 1915-10-23

More than a hundred years ago,
while the nations Of Europe shud-
dered in the throes of the Napoleonic
wars, while he, the great Napoleon,
was endeavoring with the aid of fire
and blood to materialize his dreams
of empire and dynasty, there dwelt
in the city of Cork, within sound of
Shandon's pleasant Ginning, fair
young girl, the daughter of Catholic
mother but of q Protestant father. This
was Mary Aikenhead. later pioneer
and organizer of that congregation of
noble women who. renouncing all
worldly hopes, ambitions, and joys,
devote themselves cheerfully and
strenuously to the perfect perform
ance of spiritual and corporal works
of mercy-the Irish Sisters Of Char
ity, the centenary of whose founda.
ton is now being celebrated.
The story of Mary Aikenhead's
childish adherence to her mothers
faith, of her childish remuneration Of
it when temptation came in the guise
of worldly superiority, and of her ul-
innate conversion through intellectual
conviction, is, or should be, familiar
to every Irish Catholic: to be &C.
quainted with it is to be provided with
shield against snare which fire.
quently besets the social path of Cath
Ollie girls; and which too often results
in mixed marriages, If not in greater
evils.
Did Mary Aikenhead dream, as she
murmured her rosary in the dusky
shadows of "the Bishops Chapel" that
century later when Napoleon's en-
pire had vanished as completely as
"a snowflake in the river" seed yet
to be sown by her would have borne
fruit million-fold-would have sent
out stems and branches even unto the
Antipodes? Such has always been the
history of Gods dealing with His crea-
lures, and the results of the work of
the Sisters of Charity in Cork are to
thoughtful observer an obvious proof
that His blessing rests upon that work.
They have large hospital in which
incurable patients are devoutedly
nursed, an asylum in which blind girls
and women are, in spite of their ter
rible affliction, made content and
cheerful by being taught various kinds
of manual work; day schools with an
ever increasing attendance; evening
classes in which literary and tech
biological work is carried on; night
classes for factory girls, who are also
provided with good supper; Sunday
sOdalities for children and adults;
and last, but not less important, per-
haps, than all the others, they have
a Magdalen Asylum which contains
over hundred women penitents. A
noteworthy feature at the present time
when parliament, century behind,
has legalized the provision of food for
necessitous school children from the
public funds, is that the Sisters pro.
vide the children of the schools
(whose home comforts are of guam
tity and quality that leaves them often
without food) with comfortable meals
Breakfast and lunch are served out,
and then at midday a hot lunch varied
from soup and bread to coffee and por-
ridge, according to the day. The child
is not thus asked to tax it's poor brain
in mastering lessons while hunger
gnaws its little frame. And this has
been going on for century-a GEN.
fury before the great civilization of
England thought that such an item of
food was necessary to the proper edu-
cation of the masses. Clothing is also
provided when necessary, and the
Sisters funds find an outlet in this
way that severely taxes their finances,
the neighborhood being one of the
poorest in the city.