The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-03-19

beasts. and his tender. loving heart
was touched, SO he resolved &c
remedy their state, enabling them tc
rise from their lowly plane, following
| the light OF faith and christianity &c
their civilization.
The Organization.
I'm the year 1877, before he mac
founded the Sisters of Charity. ST
Vincent formed sort of contrater'
nifty peculiarly characteristic OF the
age in its origin and results. one
day he went to preach at the church
in ChatillNn, and while there, he met
certain Nine. de Chassaigne who
asked him to appeal to his congrega-
ton in behalf of poor family VINO
lived short distance from town.
The response to his eloquent GAIA LOT
charity was SO generous. 1t occurred
to his jealous heart that a great work
might be done with this goodwill, SO
he assembled number OF ladies TO-
gether and suggested the formation
Of a society to visit and help the sick
poor. They acted upon his proposal
with alacrity, and he drew up rev
rules to guide them. They were to
bo called Ladies Of Charity. they
were to look upon the sick and poor
as children conflded to them by our
Lord, and they were to visit and at
tend to them personally every day,
administering food to the patients II
necessary and saying prayer every
night for their comfort.
"The devout ladies who thus
formed the nucleus Of the Ladies OF
Charity, worked with zeal that
must have boon most gratifying 10
their spiritual father. The little seed
thus planted sprang up and bore
fruit so rapidly that within a few
months, there was confraternity IN
almost every parish in Paris and
neighboring towns, and the work was
so extensive it became necessary to
institute a more definite system OF
supervision. st. Vincent had already
decided that Mile. lie Gras would be
a most efficient superintendent OF
the work, and he proposed it to her.
She assented with joy, and thence
forth generously and devotedly lived
for the poor.
Founded New Ones.
'Louise's first work was to visit
the societies already formed and
found new ones where they did not
exist. Listen to the pathetic bene-
diction st. Vincent gave her before
her departure: 60, in the name OF
the Lord! May His divine goodness
accompany you; may it be your con-
ISOLATION on the road; your shade IN
the heat OF the sun. your shelter in
the cold and rain, your soft couch
in WEAKNESS, your strength in toll,
and may it finally bring you back to
us in perfect health and full of good
works.
"Louise's visitation was so success
full that soon there was Charity In
almost every town in France. The
ladies did not confine their work to
providing for the bodily wants OF
their less fortunate brethren, but
they took a motherly interest in
their spiritual welfare. their work
being SO broad and SO prolific OF
good that soon they sprang up in
many countries.
"Of course, the ladies could not de-
vote all their time to the poor and
St. Vincent, realizing the magnitude
Of the work ha had undertaken, then
became the head Of small band OF
young girls DESTROYS of sacrificing
themselves entirely for the sick and
poor. This was the foundation Of
that glorious order of Daughters OF
Charity who can now be seen in all
parts of the world, living lives OF
com plete self-sacritice apd devoted
service to Christ in the person OF
His poor.
But these heroines of the seven
teenth century do not surpass the
present day Ladies of Charity. who,
not satisfied with their ordinary
work, have valiantly undertaken to
assist the Sisters in caring for the
wounded on the fields of blood-strewn
Europe They are active as well in
the cities, nursing the sick and pro-
viding for their families with the
greatest devotion. It was said OF
one good woman who died a short
time ago in France, that her most
painful suffering was from the fact
that a protracted illness prevented
her work as a Lady Of Charity among
the sick and poor.
The keekuk Branch.
THE Keokuk branch of the Ladies
of Charity was formed Jan. 10, 1913,
under the direction Of our much
loved St. Margaret. The charter
was sixty nine. and the
officers were elected at the
first meeting: President, Mrs. Alois
Weber; first vice president, Mrs. G.
A. Mcnamara; second vice president,
Mrs. F. J. Ewers; recording secre-
tary, Mrs I. A. Sawyer; treasurer,
Mrs. Joseph O'Brien; committee on
bylaws. Mrs, George Ewers, Mrs. T.
w. Agnew, Mrs. Chas. Fegers. The
same officers acted in 1914, with the
addition of corresponding secretary.
Miss Mary Seihert. In 1915, the fol-
lowing served: President. Mrs. H. l..
first vice president. Mrs.
g. l.. Kruse: second vice president.
Mrs. Jos. Greaves: recording secre-
tary, Miss Mary J. Harrington; finan-
.ial secretary, Mrs. A. J. Mullarky;
secretary, Miss Alice