History of the Little sisters of the poor

::J

HISTORY OF THE LITTLE
SISTERS OF THE POOR

IMPRIMATUR

F. DURUSSELLE,

Vicar General.

Rennes,

/u/y i8, 1901.

NIHIL OBSTAT

RiCARDUS A. O'GORMAN, O.S.A.,

Censor Deputatus.

IMPRIMI POTEST

GuLiELMUs Propositus Johnson,

Vicarius Gensralis.

Westmonasterii,

Die 28 Martii, 1906

AUG 19 1955

Made and Printed in Great Britain

APPROBATION

Dear Reverend Father,

The position you hold has enabled you to
acquire a perfect knowledge of the Little Sisters
of the Poor, and I congratulate you upon having
undertaken to write their history, and, above all,
upon having succeeded so well.

In our days, when men teach that we must
no longer believe in God nor in His Providence,
it was fitting to place before their eyes the great
example of humble religious, who for the love of
God devote themselves to the works of charity
that are most repugnant to nature. It was well to
point out to them women, deprived of every resource
and relying only on Providence, who provide for the
daily wants of their 42,000 aged poor.

At the present time, in which religious congre-
gations in Europe are the objects of so many
assaults and persecutions, it was necessary to lift
cautiously a corner of the veil that hides the
admirable and even heroic virtues which they prac-
tise with a courage and constancy only equalled by
their modesty.

The history of the Little Sisters of the Poor which

vi THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

you have just published, by its simple narration of
facts, puts these two truths in the clearest light.

Faith in God and in His Providence alone can
explain the sublime idea Jeanne Jugan had con-
ceived, to nourish, with alms collected from door to
door, the aged poor, whom in her charity she had
gathered in a poor garret of Saint-Servan.

Faith in God and in His Providence accounts for
the rule she imposed on her daughters, never to
accept for their poor either income or rent, but
to beg each day what was necessary for their
sustenance.

Faith in God and in His Providence : these words
are written on the first and last page of the history
of the 280 homes of the Little Sisters of the Poor,
each one of which is established and lives only by
daily collections.

The charming simplicity with which your book
relates their modest and sublime virtues renders
them most attractive.

It is impossible to read, without being deeply
touched, the details you give of the life of the
" Little Sisters " in their old people's sitting-rooms,
in their infirmaries, in their daily collections, where,
in spite of rebukes and sometimes insults, they
remain gentle and assiduous. In presence of a like
spectacle it is impossible not to praise God, who
inspires and maintains such devotedness and virtue.

I hope, dear Reverend Father, that this book,

APPROBATION vii

written with perfect tact, and with that noble sim-
plicity so suitable to the subject, may spread rapidly
and be read by all, rich and poor; it will make the
Little Sisters of the Poor and their admirable work
better known and loved, and thus help to put down
more than one prejudice, and bring back souls to
God.

Accept, dear Reverend Father, with many thanks,
the expression of my sincere devotion in Christ our
Lord.

S. CARD. VANNUTELLI,

Protector of the Congregation of

the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Rome,

April lo, 1902.

CONTENTS

FIRST PART— IN EUROPE
CHAPTER I

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS

PAGES

The foundresses — The curate of Saint-Servan — In the
autumn of 1839 — A new contrivance in the domain
of charity — The original asylum - - 3 — 16

CHAPTER H

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS — Continued

The Servants of the Poor — The Superior of the Brothers
of Saint John of God — In community — The forma-
tion of the rule — The Sisters of the Poor — The
memoir at the Academy and the Montyon prize 17 — 32

CHAPTER III

THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS (1846)

The saintly man of Tours — The three curates — The
foundations at Rennes, Dinan, and Tours — Inside
view by an English visitor and by Louis
Veuillot ------ 33 — 47

CHAPTER IV

PROGRESS AND DIFFICULTIES OF ORGANIZATION

The habit and the vows — The ecclesiastical position of
the " Little Work " at Rennes, at Saint-Brieuc, and
at Tours — Essays in organization at Saint-Servan
and at Tours . - - - . 48 — 53

X THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

CHAPTER V

NEW FOUNDATIONS (1849-1851)

PAGES

The Conferences of Saint Vincent de Paul— The Little
Sisters of the Poor — Foundations in Nantes, Paris,
Besan^on, Angers — The first mourning — The devil's
castle — Foundations in Bordeaux, Rouen, Nancy —
Second house in Paris — Attempts at organization in
the capital . _ _ _ . 54 — 66

CHAPTER VI

THE CONGREGATION

The rule of Saint Augustine and the constitutions — An
article by Charles Dickens — The foundations at
Laval, Lyons, Lille, Marseilles — A circular of Mgr,
de Mazenod — The episcopal authorization — The
house of Saint Joseph at Rennes - - 67 — 89

CHAPTER Vn

TWENTY NEW FOUNDATIONS ( 1 852- 1 854)

The entrance into Belgium — Death of one of the foun-
dresses— The General, the Emperor — The Burgo-
master of Brussels — A dressing-room of the Little
Sisters — The marvellous multiplication of food 90 — 103

CHAPTER VHI

THE APPROBATION OF THE CHURCH

Introduction of the cause — Testimonial letters — Pius IX
and the five hundred Little Sisters — Rome speaks —
Development of the Constitutions - - 104 — 112

CHAPTER IX

THE APPROBATION OF ROME — LA TOUR SAINT-JOSEPH

The London foundation — A sacerdotal helper — Financial
state of the hospitaller family — The congregation ap-
proved— Acquisition of La Tour Saint-Joseph - 113 — nz

CONTENTS XI

CHAPTER X

THE HOSPITALLER CHARITY

PAGES

A charity committee — A gallery of pictures — A lodge of
Freemasons — A procession of our Lady — Midnight
Mass — The mother-house - - - 123 — 138

CHAPTER XI

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR IN BELGIUM

A subscription in Li^ge — The festival of the King — The
University of Louvain — In the Borinage — The foun-
dations in Bruges, Namur, Antwerp, Ostend — The
donkey of the Little Sisters at Brussels - 139—148

CHAPTER XII

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR IN ENGLAND
AND IN SCOTLAND

The decree of 1861 — Foundations in London, Manchester,
Bristol, Birmingham, Plymouth, Leeds, Newcastle,
Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh — Letter of Propa-
ganda - - - - - - 149—163

CHAPTER XIII

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR IN ENGLAND

AND IN SCOTLAND — Continued
In the London market — The begging Sisters in Scotland —
The reappearance of the religious habit — ^Types of
old men — The savings-box — The London Re-
view .----- 164 — 177

CHAPTER XIV

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR IN SPAIN

The foundations in Barcelona, Manresa, Granada,
Lerida, Lorca — Official receptions, processions, and
serenades — Foundations in Malaga, Antequera,
Madrid, and Jaen — New character of the hospitaller
work ------ 178 — 192

xii THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR
CHAPTER XV

IN FRANCE

. PAGES

The social question — Two eloquent voices — A hundred
houses — The trembling castle — A Jewess — An
engineer— The chapel at Nimes — The voice of tradi-
tion— La Tour Saint-Joseph - . . 1^3 — 208

CHAPTER XVI

THE DAUGHTERS OF PROVIDENCE

Benefactors — The meeting-place of misery and charity —
The tradition of poverty in the chapels — Financial
state of the institution — The law, of Providence 209 — 216

CHAPTER XVn

THE HOME FOR THE AGED

Considerations on old age — Impressions of a visitor —
Physical and moral assistance — Virtues of the Little
Sisters of the Poor . . . . 217 — 224

SECOND PART— IN THE TWO HEMISPHERES
CHAPTER XVIII

IN ENGLAND AND IN IRELAND

Voluntary contributions — Poor-rates— A tract — In the
Black Country — A sociologist's witness — First foun-
dation in Ireland _ _ . . 227 — 237

CHAPTER XIX

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR IN AMERICA

(1868- 1 872)

Plan of organization — The emigrants of charity — The
foundation in Brooklyn — Thirteen foundations with-
in four years in the principal centres of the United
States — In the country of liberty - - 238 — 257

CONTENTS xiii

CHAPTER XX

IN AFRICA (1868) AND IN ITALY (1869)

PAGES

Maundy Thursday in Algiers — A union of adventurers —
Collection among the Arabs — In the East — Eight
foundations in France — A few statistics — Entrance
into Italy ..... 258 — 270

CHAPTER XXI

DURING THE WAR AND THE INSURRECTION

The invasion — Small ambulances — ^The Siege of Stras-
bourg— The civil war in Paris and Madrid— A revolu-
tionary junta — The victories of charity - 271 — 280

CHAPTER XXII

IN ENGLAND, IRELAND, AND SCOTLAND

Charity in " joint-stock company " — The purse of the
begging Sisters — The small benefactors — The great
English port — In Wales and Ireland - - 281 — 296

CHAPTER XXIII

IN AMERICA

Sevennewfoundations(i873-i878)— Testimony of a witness
— Clients of the home — Act of the Congress of Wash-
ington— Three public demonstrations — ^The fire at
Brooklyn ----.- 297 — 308

CHAPTER XXIV

THE TRIAL OF FIDELITY IN GERMANY AND IN
SWITZERLAND

An order for separation — Reasons for unity — The atti-
tude of the Little Sisters in Alsace-Lorraine — In-
tolerance at Geneva — On the way to exile - 309 — 315

CHAPTER XXV

Twenty-two new foundations — An imitation— The King
and the Court at the home of Madrid — A royal order
— Incidents — ^The inundation in Murcia - 316-339

xvi THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR
CHAPTER XXXVIII

IN OCEANIA

PACKS

In the Southern Hemisphere — The wooden house — ^The
stone house — The postulants — At the end of the
world — Success of the work in Australia, New Zea-
land, New Caledonia . - . - 464 — 473

CHAPTER XXXIX

IN EUROPE

In Constantinople — The feasts of the old people — At
Madeira — Statistics of the hospitaller work and
general considerations - - - - 474 — 485

CHAPTER XL

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NOVITIATES

Sydney — Madrid — Antwerp — Rome — New York — The
holy habit — The ceremonies of clothing and pro-
fession— A statement - - - - 486 — 494

THE WORK OF THE LITTLE SISTERS
OF THE POOR

General Sketch of the Work - - - - 497

The Hospitaller Family - - - - 501

How does the Family support itself? - - 506

I. Divine Providence . . - - 506

II. The Collection of Alms - - - -511

III. The Holy Protector - - - - 516

The Effects of the Hospitallers' Charity - - 5^9

The Work of the " Good Death " - - - 524

LIST OF HOUSES IN 1925
List of Houses in 1925 ----- 535

HISTORY

OF THE

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR
FIRST PART

IN EUROPE

The Little Sisters of the Poor came into existence
in France in the nineteenth century. God gave the
Order for its birthplace Brittany, a country remark-
able for its attachment to the Catholic faith and its
customs, and chose for its cradle Saint-Servan, of
which the suburbs adjoin those of Saint-Malo, by the
seaside. In Brittany is to be met the type of young
girls — simple, of modest demeanour, pure face, and
religious soul — from whom the first Little Sisters
were to be chosen. There the different social ranks
come closer together. Often the poor traveller,
asking charity at the farm door, receives tem-
porary hospitality, is given a seat at the hearthside,
or the table, and a shelter under the roof for the night,
till the next morning he goes on his way. In families
the mode of life is frugal; there is order, economy,
and thrift; their tastes are simple. But in the
depths of these souls, notwithstanding their simple
manners, there are often treasures of patience, will,

4 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

became the servant and companion of Miss Le Coq,
who lived in the Rue du Centre, and shared her hfe of
piety and good works. On her deathbed, this kind-
hearted woman bequeathed her furniture to Jeanne,
who by strict economy, had managed to save six
hundred francs. Jeanne was noted for her sweetness
and equanimity, and was respected, notwithstanding
her somewhat pecuhar manners. Not having been
able to realize her desire of consecrating herself to the
life of a religious, she became a tertiary of the Sacred
Heart, a kind of half-secular, half-religious Order,
then widely spread in Brittany.*

She now associated herself with a retired aged
domestic servant, named Frangoise Aubert. To-
gether they rented two rooms, with a garret above,
in an unpretentious house near the church, the
ground-floor being occupied by other lodgers. They
reached their lodging by a winding stair, with a
rope for baluster, and at the end of the second room
a steep ladder led to the garret, which was entered by
raising a trap-door. Frangoise had a small income
left her by a priest whom she had served long and
faithfully as housekeeper; and now she worked at
home, spinning wool, while Jeanne went out as a
sick nurse, an occupation much to her taste, as it
gave her ample opportunity of exercising her spirit
of charity. Jointly these two pious women served
God and devoted themselves to all kinds of good
works.

In the same town lived Marie Jamet and Virginie

* The Third Order of the Sacred Heart was established by
St John Eudes in 1648.

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 5

Tredaniel, both of whom were born near Saint-Servan
— Marie in the village of Lambety on January 20,
1820, and Virginie near the city on December 7, 1821 .
Both went to school a short time with the nuns,
attended the catechetical instructions in the parish
church, and made their first Communion devoutly.

Marie Jamet lived quietly with her parents, helping
to rear her two brothers and her sister, to keep house,
and to tend the little grocery and vegetable store
which her mother kept, while her father, who was a
mason, worked at his trade. Marie was pious, in-
telligent, open-hearted and kind. While yet a child,
she frequently went with her aunt on her customary
visits to the Hospital of Saint-Malo, and the little
girl manifested great happiness in roaming through
the wards. As she grew up, she habitually visited
sick neighbours, read to them, watched by their
bedside at night with the permission of her
parents, and obtained assistance for them from rich
people.

Virginie Tredaniel was a sailor's daughter, and
her mother was employed in a rope-yard. The only
surviving child, she was reared by her grandmother
like other girls of her station in life, mostly
on the sea-beach. As a child she was good-
natured, sensitive, and lively. Scarcely had she
attained to maidenhood when her mother died,
and she had to support herself by sewing. Other
sorrows came upon her successively, and, left wholly
to herself and her own resources, her condition
became critical, when Mr. Guazon, her guardian,
who was a member of the town council, succeeded

6 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

in finding her a home. Fran^oise Aubert and
Jeanne Jugan received, with true Christian charity,
the young girl entrusted to their care. These three
now began a community hfe which was destined to
be permanent. Virginie continued, under their care,
to work at her trade as a seamstress, and went
out daily. Divine Providence overruled all these
events.

On January i8, 1838, a new curate arrived at
Saint-Servan. His name was Auguste Marie Le
Pailleur; he was of small stature, and a native of
Saint-Malo, where he was born on July 17, 18 12. His
father had a modest position in the Custom House,
and his mother kept a little business. After having
completed his studies at the college of Saint-Malo, he
entered the seminary at Rennes, and for two years he
had exercised his sacred calling at Geveze, in the
country. From the very beginning of his ministry in
the beautiful parish of Saint-Servan, it was observed
that most of the poor children who came to catechism,
as well as the sick and abandoned, appealed to him
in their misfortune. By this contact with misery, his
soul seemed to expand, and the idea of some work of
charity began to occupy his mind.

Among his penitents were Marie and Virginie. As
they were Children of Mary, they took part in the
meetings of the confraternity. Their director was
not long in perceiving that they were full of
energy aspiring to a religious life and filled with
zeal for charity. Under his patronage they con-
tracted a holy friendship. Virginie received a hearty
welcome in the family of her friend, and Marie fre-

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 7

quently visited Jeanne and Frangoise, in order to
perfect herself in the art of dressmaking. Thus
God, through apparently natural circumstances,
brought together and united the elements of His
work.

The two young girls felt the need of a rule of
life. They drew it up themselves, and the priest
revised it. A regular order was to be followed in
the employment of their time daily. This included
exercises of meditation, recollection, examination of
conscience, assistance at Mass, frequentation of the
Sacraments, and the exercise of Christian virtues.
They had discovered on the beach of Rosais, out-
side the town, a rocky cave in the .cliff. It was a
solitary spot in the beautiful landscape at the
mouth of the Ranee. Every Sunday after church
they went there, and in this oratory, formed by
Nature, they conferred about matters pertaining to
religion and the observance of their rules. This
continued for two years, from 1838 to 1840. In the
confessional, their director encouraged them in their
mode of life.

One article in their rules deserves to be quoted,
as it shows the spirit that animated this little
society : * ' Towards our neighbour we will practise
all the duties of charity in our power. We will
strive, above all, to be kind and gentle to children,
the poor, the sick, and the infirm, and we will
never refuse them our care when they need it."
Thus charity was the ruling prmciple, though not
yet specialized.

We now come to the beginning of the work of the

8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Little Sisters. An historic document, bearing the
date of December 21, 1844, drawn up by the Rev.
A. M. Le Pailleur, adorned by all the signatures of
the Administration, and preserved in the archives of
the French Academy, runs thus: "We, the under-
signed, being eye-witnesses of the heroic charity of a
poor girl, who for many years has devoted herself to
the relief of the unfortunate m the town of Saint-
Servan, believe it our duty to call attention to a
virtue so generous, and to bring it to the notice of
the members of the committee charged with the award
of prizes for virtuous deeds (founded by Mr. de
Montyon). This poor girl, far from thinking that
she had merited any prize, begged, with tears in her
eyes, that no mention should be made of her, but at
last she consented, in the interest of the poor. Jeanne
Jugan was born at Cancale, in the village of Petites-
Croix, October 28, 1792, etc."

Although Saint-Servan had a fairly large popu-
lation, consistmg chiefly of mariners, whose number
was often sadly reduced by the dangers of the sea,
thus leaving their aged parents without means of
support, Saint-Servan had as yet no almshouse,
no place of shelter for the aged poor of either
sex, so that misfortune and want were the general
lot of the aged poor. Their sad condition softens
the heart of Jeanne, and she undertakes their
succour. But how is she to do it? She has no
means. It does not matter. She puts her trust in
God. ... At the beginning of the winter, 1839, she
learns that a poor old woman, blind and infirm, has
just lost her sister, who was her only support, having

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 9

till now taken care of her and procured for her her
daily bread. Touched by her sad fate, Jeanne took
the old woman to her own house and treated her as
a mother. To feed this poor woman, her first pen-
sioner, does not disturb her much : she only works
later each night. Shortly afterwards an old servant,
who had not only served her master and mistress
faithfully and without pay, when misfortunes had
overwhelmed them in their old age, but had also
remained with them until their death, and spent all
her savings to support them. When these were
exhausted she had gone out begging bread for them
and for herself. She now comes, feeble and infirm,
to Jeanne, and tells of her sorrowful plight, and is
at once received joyfully into her home. The maiden
name of the first was Anne Chauvin, now known as
Widow Harraux; the name of the servant, Isabelle
Queru.

In the house of Jeanne Jugan, which had thus
become the first hospice for old people, were grouped
the elements prepared by Providence. The remem-
brance of what took place on October 15, 1840, has
been preserved. On that day the Rev. Abbe Le
Pailleur, Jeanne, Marie, and Virginie met for the
first time in the presence of their beloved poor; from
this day, which was the Feast of Saint Teresa, the
work of hospitality, already practised in Jeanne's
modest dwelling, was characterized by stability and
united effort.

Two months later, in December, a young person
of Saint-Servan called Madeleine Bourges fell
dangerously ill. She occupied a small room, which

lo THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

her former master and mistress had given her in
recognition of faithful service, and she earned her
living by going out washing. Thinking she was at
death's door, she wished to leave her earnmgs and
her few belongings to the poor; but Jeanne and
Fran^oise took her home with them, and under their
careful nursing she recovered. Madeleine became
thus acquainted with the "little work," and, having
regained her health, she desired to consecrate to
charity the life which God had given her back. She
was a most valuable recruit.

Jeanne continued going out to work by day and
looking after the needs of her "good women" in
the morning and evening, while Fran^oise and Vir-
ginie took care of them during the day. Marie, who
lived with her parents, and Madeleine, who lived in
her little room, came as often as possible to labour
for the benefit of all.

The work was yet in a rudimentary state, but at
Michaelmas, 1841, its development began. During
the summer a house had been rented for 100 francs
a year, close to Port Solidor and near the church.
It was a long, low structure, divided in two by a
partition. The earthen floor was damp, and the
light entered one room by a glass door and the
other through a large chimney. Two small windows
close to the ceiling looked out on a narrow lane and
transmitted a little light. There was neither cellar
nor attic, the back room taking the place of both,
while the front room served as a living-room. On
December 27 they entered this modest dwelling;
they dispensed with carts; all their goods were

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS ii

carried in bundles on their arms, or wheeled on a
hand-barrow. There were five wooden bedsteads,
two cupboards, a table, a few chairs, cooking
utensils, linen, and other clothing. Fran^oise
Aubert, Jeanne, and Virginie installed themselves
there that very day, and the household was increased
by four more poor women. A month later there were
twelve, as many as the house could hold. Rev. de
Bonteville, the parish priest of Saint-Servan, came
to bless the house and the poor old women.

** Twelve poor old women," continues the official
document, " find there shelter. But what is Jeanne
going to do to feed them? What little money she
had saved is already spent. But charity sharpens
her wit. * As I have no more bread to give them,*
she says, * I will go out and beg it for them ; it will
be easier for me to beg than for these poor unfortunate
women, broken down by age and infirmities.' She
now proceeds to realize her idea : she asks each of
the poor women the name of such benefactors and
benefactresses as had hitherto assisted her, and she
goes herself to solicit alms for them. All gave readily
and with good reason; for whereas previously these
unfortunate women had had to suffer the fatigue and
the humiliation of begging, and too often made bad
use of what had been given them, Jeanne took upon
herself this task in their place, and the givers are sure
their alms will be well and properly disposed of.
Thus substituting themselves for, or superseding the
poor, as it were, all entered with joy and without
hesitation on this work of self-denial and new phase
of devotedness. It was a decisive act, and one which

12 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

had, for the future of the hospitaller family, the
greatest consequences. Henceforth the guete or col-
lection of alms becomes an essential part of the work,
and besides supplying the means of living, it stamps
it with a new seal of charity.

"Stimulated by her example," the memoir pro-
ceeds, " three persons unite with her and share her
cares and fatigues. They devote themselves to the
most unpleasant duties in the house, with untiring
zeal and even at the expense of their own health,
while the indefatigable Jeanne multiplies her out-
door work in proportion as the number of her poor
increased."

A lady of that town relates how, when she was a
little girl, her godmother said to her one morning :
"My darling, I am going to take you to see the
'Jeanne Jugan.' " They entered the home, where
seats were rare and the beds close together. The
child seated herself on a stool between two beds, the
covers of which were made of patchwork. Her
godmother was received by two cheerful, modest
young girls, with pleasant faces, with whom she
conversed with animation and interest. These were
Marie Jamet and Virginie Tredaniel. The little
girl watched Jeanne Jugan. She had only smiled
pleasantly and made a little bow to her two visitors,
as she was getting ready to go out begging. She
put on her cloak, adjusted her head-dress, and
picked up her basket, which everyone in the
town knew so well. The good women called her
Sister Jeanne. " Sister Jeanne," they said, " be our
good substitute; beg for us. Don't forget our little

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 13

messages, ask for our tobacco and coppers." Jeanne
stooped to receive a few more confidential petitions
which they whispered to her, then with a smile, she
left them. She accomplished everything promptly
without ever seeming to be in a hurry. The child
admired the neatness that reigned in this large and
badly-lighted room, with its poor furniture.

From the commencement of the society, Fran^oise
attended to the housekeeping; Virginia contributed
her earnings and prolonged her hours of labour till far
into the night; Madeleine went out washing during
the day, and worked at her spinning-wheel in the
evening. Marie, still with her parents, yet wishing to
do her part, bought and sold vegetables for the
benefit of the poor. On Sundays, they took the good
women to church, and this procession attracted public
attention and caused comment. Some found this
devotion very beautiful ; others expressed disapproval
of the enterprise. But the good work went on, and
as other poor people sought admission, it was pro-
posed to enlarge the premises.

A lady in easy circumstances and of generous
disposition. Miss Doynel, approved of the under-
taking and offered to be security. Now there was
in a quiet street, not far from the church, an old
convent which was for sale. The parish priest en-
couraged his curate, who became the official head of
the work in the parish, affixed his signature to the
deed as security, and even sold his silver chalice and
gold watch to help to pay for the house. The
property was bought for 20,000 francs, and the deed
was made out on February 2, 1842.

14 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

This success aroused many unfavourable comments.
What did all this mean — this convent, these young
girls, this begging system, these old women? Was
there any prospect that this work would be per-
manent? If one wanted to establish a nunnery,
would it not be better to give the house to experienced
Sisters ? If the experiment did not succeed, it would
be depriving the town of an hospice sorely needed.
With public opinion on their side, the gloomy
prophets attempted to bring the two securities over
to their views, but both had the wisdom and the
foresight not to commit themselves to an opinion,
which might appear prudent and reasonable. Some
ladies had already formed a pious association called
the "Petite CEuvre," having for object to establish
a home for children and a hospice for old women.
Would this new enterprise about to be transferred to
the convent recently purchased damage the " Petite
CEuvre " and reduce it to the level of parochial alms-
houses? The bishop was appealed to as mediator.
He decided that the new society had a right to
purchase the convent in question, and that the
pious ladies' association should continue as originally
planned.

But there still remained some opposition. One
incident will show the state of affairs. Jeanne Jugan
used to go to the Board of Charity. Hitherto
this distinction had been made in her behalf : while
awaiting her turn on distribution days, she was not
obliged to mingle with the beggars, but was allowed
to enter the courtyard. She was now told rudely, by
one of the ladies, that the courtyard was not her

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 15

proper place, and that she should remain outside with
the others. Jeanne submitted without a murmur.
Placed thus on a level with mendicants, she raised
her eyes to God, thought of her poor, and came each
time to await her turn, as if she were begging for
herself. Finally, early in August, 1842, the Board
of Charity withdrew the bread, linen, and other
assistance, which they had given to the poor, before
their entrance into the hospice, and which they had
hitherto continued to allow them. The Board pre-
ferred to relieve other pressing wants. That was to
be expected, but meanwhile there was a scarcity of
linen in the home. To remedy this the Good Mother
in Heaven was invoked during the Feast of the
Octave of the Assumption.

With the assistance of a kind gendarme, Monsieur
Brisard, who took pleasure in repairing the bed-
steads, spinning-wheels, and bobbins for these good
women, they put up an altar. He brought the
window curtains from his room to cover the boards,
and his wife's veil for the statue of the Blessed Virgin.
Others brought flowers and what was needed for the
decoration of the altar in blue and white. Then the
Servants of the Poor placed at the feet of the Blessed
Virgin what linen they possessed, and addressed to
her this supplication : * * Good Mother, behold our
distress, we have not a change of linen for your
children." Then, removing their rings and earrings,
the treasured ornaments of their youth, they offered
them to the Child Jesus, by hanging them on the
statue. This decoration drew many people to the
convent, where religion and piety combined to touch

i6 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

their hearts. A quantity of linen and clothing- was
deposited before the altar, even an entire piece of
cloth, besides many other gifts, so that what had been
regarded as a calamity became a means of making
the work known and of attracting benefactors.

CHAPTER II
THE SMALL BEGINNINGS

The Servants of the Poor— The Superior of the Brothers of
Saint John of God— In community— The formation of
the rule— The Sisters of the Poor— The memoir at the
Academy and the Montyon prize.

The association, meanwhile, had become partly-
organized. The spiritual gatherings begun in the
grotto on the banks of the Ranee, were continued
in the garret of the first house without much diffi-
culty, but in the second it was not so easy. A good
neighbour, Mrs. Mignot, lent them a room in her
house, and so they continued their religious forma-
tion, by assembling there from time to time. The
acquisition of the ancient convent strengthened their
hopes; Virginie even went to school for five or six
months, in order to obtain a little learning.

The time for forming a constitution seemed to have
come. On May 29, Jeanne, Mane, Madeleine, and
Miss Doynel assembled in the house of the good lady,
under the presidency of the curate. A Superior was
to be named, and a rule drawn up. Jeanne was fifty
years of age; she lived with the old women, and
from her begging, was the best known— these were
so many providential circumstances. She was
unanimously elected. The Servants of the Poor— for
that was the title they adopted —declared aloud their
resolution to obey her, without binding themselves

i8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

by a vow under pain of sin, but only because by
obeying they would do a more perfect thing. To
the rule were added several exercises of modesty,
obedience, and poverty; with a little modification
the article of the primitive rule concerning their
work was inserted: "They devoted themselves to
the care of the sick and aged poor, or of others
who should have any infirmity, of all ages and of
both sexes, according as the will of God should be
manifested." These were by no means the rules
of the religious state, nor the constitutions of the
future work; but they contained the germ, and were
a movement in that direction. On July lo, at the
same place, the rule was read to Virginie; she also
promised to observe it and to obey the newly-
elected Superior. On August 15, in the same room,
before vespers, the three young Servants of the
Poor, in the presence of their Director and of their
Superior (who had promised the same as tertiary)
made the simple vow of chastity for six months.
Thus, little by little, was the material building and
the spiritual edifice raised.

Providence had prepared a faithful friend, an en-
lightened and judicious counsellor, in the person of
Father Felix Massat, the Superior of the establish-
ment of the Brothers of Saint John of God at Dinan.
This man of God understood the little work at Saint-
Servan ; he loved it, and compared it to the beginning
of his own Order at Granada. He gave to the service
of the humble association his experience of the hos-
pitaller and religious life ; he especially recommended
them to give themselves to prayer, and to the holy

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 19

abnegation of the Cross, in preparation for the diffi-
culties they would have to pass through; and,
strangely enough, he even sent, on August 29, 1842,
a diploma of union in prayer, thus conceived :

** Brother Benedict Verno, the humble servant and
Prior-General of the hospitaller Order of Saint John
of God, to the well-beloved in Christ the Reverend
Father Le Pailleur, priest, and also to the Reverend
Mother, Jeanne Jugan, the Superior of the young
persons tending the aged infirm of both sexes in the
parish of Saint-Servan, and equally to all and each
of the Superiors and their companions existing now
and in the future : this document is to remain in force
for one hundred years [here follows a statement of
the favours].

" De Magallon, Provincial.

" Fr. Felix Massat, Socius of the Provincial.

*' DiNAN,

"August 29, 1842."*

What a touching spectacle ! The hospitaller Order
of Saint John of God receiving the hospitaller family
at its entrance into life, as if to serve for its spiritual

* F"" Benedictus Verno, minimus servus, Prior generalis
Ordinis hospitalitatis sancti Joannis de Deo. Dil'"" in Christo,
D. admodum reverendo Patri Le Pailleur sacerdoti, simul ac
j)nae revcrendaB Matri et Matronae Joannoe Jugan superiori
puellarum infirmis utriusque sexus senio confectis inservi-
entium in parochia S'* Servatii, pariterque omnibus et singulis
superioribus, et illarum sodalibus nunc et pro tempore
existentibus : ad centennium praesentibus valituris. — De
Magallon, Prov^' Reg., fol. 21. Dinantii, Die 29'' Aug*',
1842. Fr. Felix Massat, Soc. ex Prov.

20 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

support and to answer for the future. This event
belongs to the sphere of providential coincidences.

They received another favour. Mgr. Brossais
Saint Marc, Bishop of Rennes, being in the district,
deigned on September 27, in the afternoon, to visit
the humble asylum, whose existence he had recently
protected.

It was a sweet consolation and a great encourage-
ment to the Servants of the Poor and their old
people, for his lordship was much moved, and he
exhorted them to continue their good and useful
work, which he blessed. This kindly proceeding on
the part of the Bishop, and the sympathetic presence
of the Rev. de Bonteville, the priest in charge of the
parish, removed all doubts from the mmd of the
public, and from that day many people showed
themselves well disposed to the work.

This favourable movement of public opinion was
needed, for they were preparing to change their
abode, and to receive a greater number of destitute
people. At Michaelmas they took possession of the
"House of the Cross," and the same day received
six other "old women." The work increasing,
Madeleine joined Jeanne and Virginie. It was a
happy day for her and her companions, and a great
help for the poor, as she was good hearted, loved
the work, and understood the management of a
house. The Sisters renewed the offer of making
Fran^oise Aubert a member of the association; but
in her humility she refused, saying that she was too
old. All she asked for was a room in the house,
and the favour of taking care of the first blind old

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 21

woman. This worthy soul was the first benefactress
of the "Little Family": her furniture, her linen,
her money, all went to the "work" at its small
beginning.*

Marie Jamet, who was still kept back by her
family, lamented that she was not able to join her
companions; but at last her parents gave their
consent, and she joined them. About the middle
of October, 1842, our four little foundresses thus
found themselves united together, and urged on by
a common impulse towards the object of their enter-
prise.

The new house was quickly adapted to its new
destination as a hospice. The buildings enclosed
around a medium sized court, and there was a fine
garden. The bedrooms were put in order, and
twenty-five poor women were installed. Jeanne, the
Superior, continued to beg for alms ; but Marie, who
was elected her Counsellor on October 20, often
took her place. As for the rule, they added to it
as occasion required. Before fixing a point to be
observed as a regulation, they studied it thoroughly;
the Superior and the Counsellor, and sometimes the
two other Sisters, conferred about it with the Director
of the little association. When it was clearly seen
that for the glory of God some regulation was
necessary, they observed it for a few months as an
experiment, so that nothing should be put in the
rule which could not be practised.

The Servants of the Poor now cut their hair and

* She died January 16, 1850, at the House of Saint-Servan,
piously assisted by the Little Sisters.

22 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

wore a linen band upon their foreheads. They still
kept their peasant's dress, for they had not the means
to defray the expense of a total change; but it was
said in the regulations: "Their clothing shall be
brown or black, or at least these colours shall pre-
dominate; the Sisters shall be neither fastidiously
nor eccentrically attired; their head-dress shall be a
cap or round coif with some additional trimming."

On the 8th of the following December they
adopted a leather belt and a crucifi-x; the latter,
however, was not worn outside. All these practices
and all these objects were so many symbols of the
engagements they had undertaken. In the preceding
May, the young women had made a temporary vow
of chastity; they renewed it; then the four Sisters
of the Poor added to it the vow, also temporary, of
obedience, which is the ordinary bond of religious
communities. Jeanne and Marie made it on Novem-
ber 21, Virginie and Madeleine on December 8,
1842, for a year. It was now decided to renew,
each year, the vows of chastity and obedience on
December 8 — Feast of the Immaculate Conception —
which was chosen as the great festival of the patroness
of the association. All these acts were pregnant
with hopes for the future; nevertheless, they must
not be regarded as vows and engagements of the
religious state, inasmuch as the Church had not
recognized them, but rather as preparations, as great
as circumstances permitted, for that state. Golden
legends must not take the precedence of historical
facts.

The associates began to receive old men. "One

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 23

day, ' ' says the memoir at the Academy, ' ' Jeanne
learns that a man seventy-two years of age, Rodolphe
Laine, an old sailor without a pension, is abandoned
in a damp cellar. She goes there; she perceives a
man with haggard face, covered with half-rotten
rags, lying upon what had formerly been straw, but
was now nothing but a loathsome dunghill. This
poor wretch had only a stone for a pillow; his cellar
was beneath the house of some poor folks who gave
him a few pieces of bread, and for two years he had
been living thus. At this sight Jeanne is struck with
the keenest compassion; she goes out, confides what
she has seen to a beneficent person, and returns
immediately after with a shirt and clean clothing.
When the old man had changed his things, she
transports this new guest to her house."

They were not slow in finding him companions,
and the hospice took a new development, with its
separate wings for men and women. The memoir
mentions that two young girls, the one five and
the other fourteen years of age, and two boys of
nine and ten were received; several others arrived,
so that the establishment began to have something of
the appearance of a hospice. At the end of 1843
there were forty destitute people under their care;
a year later there were sixty. But we must explain
how this happened.

It was necessary to obtain funds in order to feed
the indigent poor, for though the labour and the
devotion of the Servants of the Poor sufficed to tend
them, it was not sufficient to feed and clothe them.

Miss Eliza Dubois, who had already rendered

24 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

them great services, now offered to accompany Sister
Jeanne on her begging expedition. Her example bore
fruit, for seeing this good lady feared neither rebuff
nor fatigue in order that she might make the work
and its begging sisters known, no one dared to refuse
alms. They collected in this way a good store of
corn, black wheat, and potatoes ; they received as well
some thread, tow, and linen, and this begging drew
useful visits to the hospice. At Saint-Servan and at
Saint-Malo the new hospitallers began to beg for
broken victuals, they begged in the markets, and
from the ships; and from February, 1843, they had
the satisfaction of seeing the workmen in the Guibert
dockyards, numbering several hundreds, make a
weekly subscription of a penny each, and the men
continued this assistance for several years.

They continued their precarious mode of life, and
it caused no little surprise in the neighbourhood to
see the poor increasing in number and being main-
tained without the hospice having any fixed income.
To the que^e they joined ingenuity. At Christmas,
1842, the Sisters arranged an apartment as a crib,
with landscape and figures. This pious representa-
tion attracted many people, and the collection
amounted to 600 francs. They now sold things.
After having bought some raw wool, the Sisters
washed it and bleached it, then the old women
carded and spun it, and finally they knitted it into
different articles, from which they obtained some
profit. Madeleine, generally alone, but sometimes
accompanied by a Sister, went into the villages to
sell these little articles, adding to them some little

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 25

things which they bought wholesale at Rennes and
Dinan, and retailed at a profit.

They learned likewise to trust in Providence. A
bill for 600 francs became due when they had but
30 francs in hand ; but a priest of the neighbourhood
came to the hospice, and gave them 400 francs in
gold. Several incidents of this kind occurred from
time to time, which enabled them to pay their debts,
and strengthened the confidence of the charitable
associates.

Nevertheless, they were not rich. In winter the
Sisters had to be careful with their fires and light,
and often watched their sick in darkness, contenting
themselves with lighting the candles, when the sick
had need of their help. One evening after the poor
had had their meal, there was nothing for the Sisters
to eat except one halfpenny loaf. They sat down at
the table, said the Benedicite, and then deliberated
who should have this little loaf. Each wanted to
give it to her neighbour. In the end, it was divided
mto four parts, and each ate her mouthful of bread.
About eight o'clock, the boy from the priest's house
presented himself at the home, bringing the remains
of a meal. Our four Sisters, moved by this provi-
dential succour, shed tears, and they had eaten their
supper.

Meanwhile much good was done. These poor old
women, who formerly wandered about the streets
with none to care for them, now clean, waited on
with tender care, were so many conquests of charity.
They had taken for preference the most miserable,
notably a poor woman who picked up rags and was

26 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

the horror of the town. Her return to a virtuous
life was sincere, and caused great rejoicing in the
country. Thus the inhabitants appreciated this work
and the personal devotion of the courageous maids
more and more.

However, the companions of their childhood, see-
ing them pass in their humble costume, sometimes
bent beneath the burden of the alms received, held
aloof from these devoted mendicants. Some mocked ;
others were moved, and though feeling some attrac-
tion and admiration, in spite of the repugnance of
nature, they nevertheless avoided coming into contact
with them. Later, when grace had won the victory
and they had followed their example, they related
this themselves. Eulalie Jamet, when she met her
sister in the way, would say to her: "Go away!
Do not speak to me ! With your dress and basket
you make me feel ashamed." Another young girl
asked for grace to become a nun, ' ' but not amongst
that sort of Sisters," she added. So the number of
the poor increased; the resources and the labour
likewise; but recruits were not added to the Servants
of the Poor, and this was the trial of the first years.

Jeanne had been re-elected Superior, in spite of
her employment, which took her away from home.
" Whilst her three Sisters are occupied at home with
the most painful tasks," says the official memoir,
"Jeanne, outdoors, indefatigable, increases her
devotedness in proportion as the number of her poor
increases. She is constantly walking out, no matter
what weather it may be, carrying a basket, which

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 27

she always brings back full. In pleading her cause
she is truly eloquent; she has often been seen to
shed tears as she pleaded for their needs. It is,
therefore, difficult to resist her, and nearly always
she succeeds in softening the hardest hearts. Yet
she never importunes anyone. If they refuse her,
she withdraws at once, without showing the least dis-
pleasure, and says : ' Another time perhaps you will
help us.' " Such indeed was her real work — that of
collector of alms, of being the enlightened pioneer
of the home. As she had been enlightened as to the
needs of the poor and abandoned aged, so she had
received the intelligence of the quete^ and the genius
of charity with which she was endowed, caused her
to discover its providential resources.

On the other hand, her long journeys and con-
stant absence from the house, her lack of instruction,
even her age and her habits (which did not easily
lend themselves to a new religious training), seemed
to necessitate a change in the office of Superior.
This took place on December 23, 1843. Marie Jamet,
who had the gift of governing and great skill in the
management of a household, succeeded her. As for
Virginie, she became an excellent infirmary nurse.
Subdumg, little by little, the vivacity of her nature,
she dressed wounds with skill and unfailing com-
passion. She had the light and brave hand of the
experienced nurse, together with the word, the look,
and a pity which penetrated the heart of the most
refractory. Thus were the peculiar aptitudes of each
developed to find their fitting employment.

On February 7, 1844, they pronounced the simple

28 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

vows of poverty and of hospitality, as they had
formerly pronounced the simple vows of chastity and
obedience. The outlines of the work were becoming
more definite; the promise to exercise hospitality
determined their mission. All these vows were tem-
porary and tentative. Thus pledged to the service
of God and the poor, and emboldened by the pre-
sence of the first postulant, who had just entered,
they took amongst themselves names as religious.
Marie Jamet took the name of Marie Augustine de la
Compassion, Jeanne Jugan that of Marie de la
Croix, Virginie Tredaniel chose Marie Therese de
Jesus, and Madeleine Bourges was known as Marie
Joseph. Regarding themselves in their hearts as
religious hospitallers, they changed their title of
** Servants of the Poor " into *' Sisters of the Poor,"
which they had indeed become.

The vow of hospitality in the ceremony used for
profession, as in the use of the black scapular and
the leather belt, were suggested by Father Felix
Massat, the judicious and faithful counsellor of the
hospitaller Order of Saint John of God. History
ought to register the influence which this Order
exercised over the primitive institution of the hos-
pitaller congregation. Such societies are complex.
They are formed neither in a day nor by one person,
but are the result of the efforts and aspirations of
several, and, above all, of the action of God upon
His chosen souls.

In the eyes of the world nothing seemed changed,
since these acts were of a private nature and con-
cerned no one but themselves. Within their own

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 29

house they conducted themselves as nuns. Mean-
while a remarkable change had come over Eulalie
Jamet : while taking the place of one of the Sisters
who was ill, and assisting the poor, the religious and
penitential character of the work had been mani-
fested to her, and had attracted her with irresistible
force. Up till then, in spite of the desire for the
religious life, which she had had from her infancy,
the association had had no attractions for her. The
young girl was then eighteen years of age, and well
gifted. She was the first postulant, and her entrance,
in January, 1844, seemed to be a first benediction
of Heaven upon the association. As she embraced
sacrifice with ardour, and imitated the self-devotion
of the four Sisters in everything, she was admitted
to the clothing on the tenth of the following April.
The first taking of the habit was very simple. The
leather belt, symbol of chastity, and the band, symbol
of obedience, were for the present the only distinctive
part of their dress. The young novice received the
name of Marie de la Conception.

By this time the house had been paid for. A
lottery, which brought 1,500 francs, had completed
the amount. It can well be understood that a
property containing a courtyard and garden which
cost only 20,000 francs could not contain much space
for lodging, and that it was indispensable to enlarge
the hospitaller establishment. After they had col-
lected a heap of building stone and obtained sand
from the garden, they decided to start a subscrip-
tion, which was successful. They obtained the

30 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

cartage of materials for nothing, materials at a low
price, and many small sums, enough to lay the
foundation and pay first expenses. But how were
they to raise the walls and place the woodwork ?

There was among the poor old women of the hos-
pice one who had been a fish-wife, but by degrees
abandoning her trade she had become a beggar,
wandering about the beach, generally drunk. Her
relations, who were in easy circumstances, had
rescued her, but were unable to save her from her
degradation. The Sisters had been more fortunate :
they had converted her. This poor woman, accus-
tomed to hear nothing but howls and insults, was
won over by the sight of the self-devotion of the
Sisters and their gentle ways. One of her nephews,
who lived in the island of Jersey, came and saw this
conversion. In gratitude for it, a little time after,
when on his death-bed, he bequeathed 7,000 francs
to the home. With this sum, the walls were raised,
but when the woodwork was in position, all resources
appeared to be absolutely exhausted — but this was
not the case.

Some months earlier the municipal administration
and Rev. de Bonteville, the parish priest, had
addressed to the Academy the memoir of Jeanne
Jugan, from which large extracts have been taken.
It ended with this double attestation :

" The Mayor of Saint-Servan, while authenti-
cating the fifteen signatures of the members of the
Municipal Council, placed here below, and of the
parish priest, certifies that the facts mentioned in

THE SMALL BEGINNINGS 31

the account are accurate and known to him by
personal experience.

" DOUVILLE.
" Saint-Servan,

'' December 21, 1844."

* * The undersigned, a member of the General
Council, and acting as sub-prefect of the district of
Saint-Malo, has noticed the good works of Miss
Jeanne Jugan. The testimony of the honourable
persons who have collected it has been unanimous
concerning all the facts recorded in the report
hereto attached. He therefore most earnestly re-
commends this virtuous woman to the kindly interest
of the members of the Commission established for
the distribution of the reward for merit founded by
Monsieur de Montyon.

" The Counsellor-General.

''Louis Blaise."

Upon the exposition of these facts and the official
references which we have just read, the Commission
of the Academy sent a favourable decision. The
first Montyon prize, of the value of 3,000 francs,
was decreed to the virtuous Breton. The celebrated
Dupin, to whom the charge was given of pronounc-
ing the oration on the prize of virtue in 1845,
exclaimed : " Gentlemen, the greater number of
hospices have been founded by the parishes or by
the State. Other establishments of the same kind
have been founded by rich men, by testamentary
dispositions, by appeals to benevolence, by the help
of subscriptions, or even by lotteries wisely organ-

32 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

ized. The hospice at Saint-Servan has been founded
by a poor servant who had no riches except her
charity." Monsieur Dupin ended with a peroration
which dwelt in the memory of all: ** There remains
a problem which no doubt presents itself to the mind
of each one of you. How is it possible that Jeanne
could provide the expense of such a house? How
can I explain it ? Providence is great. Jeanne is
indefatigable, Jeanne is eloquent, Jeanne has prayer,
Jeanne has tears, Jeanne has toil, Jeanne has her
basket which she ever brings back full. Saintly
woman ! The Academy places in that basket the
sum of which it can dispose at discretion; it decrees
you an award of 3,000 francs."

The press re-echoed this oration, and made the
name of Jeanne Jugan celebrated throughout all
France. The most advanced papers were in ecstasies
over the virtues of this charitable person, in whom
they saw among the laity a saint and a rival to the
most devoted religious. The matter even went so
far that the Society of the Freemasons awarded
Jeanne Jugan a gold medal, styling her " an
admirable woman." The medal was useful: Jeanne
had it melted, and the pure gold, taking a new
form, became the chalice which served in the holy
mysteries in the little chapel of the asylum. She
employed her 3,000 francs to finish the house of the
poor.

CHAPTER III
THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS (1846)

The saintly man of Tours — The three curates — The founda-
tions at Rennes, Dinan, and Tours — Inside view by an
English visitor and by Louis Veuillot.

The beauty and freshness of the Breton coast attract
to it every year, in the summer season, a large
number of visitors. Monsieur Dupont, " the saintly
man of Tours," came there with his mother and
daughter several years in succession. He thus
became acquainted with *' the little work,"* and
encouraged it by his visits and his alms. His visits
to Saint-Servan were destined to have very great
importance as regards the future of the institution.
We have seen that the clergy of the parish were
favourable to the home from its beginning, and it
should be added that three of the curates — the Revv.
Le Pailleur, Diot, and Rogerie — worked in the same
spirit. After they had devised amongst themselves
a scheme for helping to evangelize certain dioceses
of France, a bond of union was established between
the Sisters of the Poor and these zealous priests.
M. Dupont entered into these views, and placed
Bougligny, in the diocese of Meaux, at the dis-
posal of the missioners. Thus the horizon was
widened.

* This was the name given to the charitable undertaking
in the beginning.

33 3

34 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

As a consequence, it was resolved in the council
of the association to make some efforts to extend
the family of the Sisters. At this moment the home
counted seventy-five poor persons on its list, and
hence it was reasonably concluded that the work
had proved its vitality, and could succeed elsewhere
if the same system was adopted. The accession of a
new postulant with a real vocation strengthened the
hopes entertained. Frangoise Trevily, who, under
the name of Sister Anne Marie, occupies the
sixth place in the roll of Sisters, was desirous to
devote herself to the service of the poor; but her
relatives, who lived at Erquy at some distance along
the coast, kept her at home with them. Marie
Jamet, the Superior, went to see them. She and
Frangoise pleaded the rights of God and of charity
so effectually that the relatives gave their consent.
The new postulant was worthy of her predecessors.
On the other hand, the inhabitants of Saint-Servan,
flattered by the renown of Jeanne Jugan, who had
now become one of the glories of the neighbourhood,
were anxious to utilize this fame for their own
interest. A wide field of work opened before her.
She was to be sent to Rennes, the chief town. The
sails were to be spread, for the wind had risen and
blew from the right quarter. Advantage was taken
of all these circumstances.

Jeanne left for Rennes on January 19, 1846,
provided with a certificate from the Mayor of Saint-
Servan. She set out in reliance on God, without
fear or anxiety, and resolved to do everything in her
power to make her double mission successful. She

THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS 35

found a lodging at the house of Miss Morel, who
had had business relations with the home. Jeanne
Jugan (not yet known as Sister Mary of the
Cross) was well received at Rennes; her name was
an introduction, and she was readily listened to.
Her heart opened when people spoke to her of the
poor. With touching words which forced attention,
she told of the marvel of Saint-Servan. She sug-
gested that a like establishment would be very useful
at Rennes, and the idea met with general accept-
ance. The Bishop himself received her kindly, and
offered her a contribution, remarking playfully that
she was going to injure the poor of the town; to
which Jeanne, in all simplicity and boldness, replied
that she wished for nothing better than to carry
nothing away to Saint-Servan and to take care of
the poor at Rennes. The conversation, however,
went no further. The Prefect received her with
respect, and assured her of the goodwill of his staff.
She felt that she was obtaining support, and sent
the news to Saint-Servan.

The Superior replied : ' * From the account you
give me, it seems that the poor of Rennes are quite
left to themselves, and it grieves my heart, as it does
yours. No doubt it would be a great happiness for
them to have a house like ours. Your desires are
excellent, but not easy to accomplish. If nothing
were needed but devoted workers, we could offer
them; but you must know that a thing of this kind
can only be established with the consent of the
Prefect, and probably of the Mayor, as well as the
co-operation of many other persons ; it is not easy to

36 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

obtain all this." On receiving still more favourable
news, the Superior wrote again : ' ' What ! the good
God is willing to entrust some more poor people to
us? We are not worthy of such a blessed mission.
If you have the happiness of gathering in some poor,
let us know at once. I will come and see you."
Towards the end of February, Marie Jamet arrived
at Rennes.

On February 28, 1846, a beginning was made,
though on a very small scale. In one room and a
tiny chamber adjoining, ten poor women were in-
stalled. They were very happy with Miss Marie and
Miss Jeanne, as they called them. Having succeeded
so far, a house suitable for a home was now sought.
None being found, the two Sisters of the Poor turned
to Heaven and invoked St. Joseph, " who had found
for Jesus and Mary first a stable, and afterwards
a house at Nazareth." Now it happened that on
March 19, the Superior went to the earliest Mass in
the parish church of All Saints (while her companion
took care of the old women). As she was making her
thanksgiving, a person came up to her and said :
' * Have you found a house ? " " Not yet. " " Well,
I know of one that will suit you." They went to
see the house, which was in a suburb called the
Magdalen. It was large enough to lodge from forty
to fifty poor people, there was also an apartment
suitable for the Sisters, and a small pavilion, which
could be made into a chapel. The matter was
reported to Saint-Servan. The three curates pledged
their purses and went as securities, and the deed,
putting the Sisters in possession, was signed on

THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS 37

March 25. On the same day they removed to the
new home. Eulalie Jamet, not yet known as Sister
Marie of the Conception, was named Superior on
May 9, 1846. The civil authorities regarded the
establishment favourably, and gave — the Mayor for
the town of Rennes and the Prefect for the whole
department — written permission to Jeanne Jugan and
Fran^oise Trevily, her companion, to collect money
for it. The clergy of the parish of All Saints,
particularly the Abbe Gandon, assisted them most
devotedly.

Two incidents are still remembered which show
that the community was now in want and now in
abundance. One day when it was absolutely neces-
sary to do the washing, the supply of wood failed.
In this distress the Sisters appealed to the Heavenly
Father, who takes care of the birds of the air and
the humble flowers of the field. A little later they
saw a cartload of wood arrive. The driver said that
his master had come to the yard and ordered some
wood to be taken to the Home of the Magdalen, and
that, after going away, he had come back again and
said : ** These Sisters are so poor that they will not
be able to pay anybody to cut the wood; so take it
ready cut." The Sisters blessed God, and set them-
selves gladly to their washing; and once more their
dear old, infirm clients had nothing to suffer.

One evening, the Sister employed in the kitchen
came to ask whether she should ring the bell for
supper, seeing that she had nothing to serve up for
the Sisters. " Have the poor eaten as much as they
wanted?" inquired the Superior. "Yes, my good

38 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Mother." " That is right. Anyhow, you must ring
the bell in order to obey the rule." The Sisters went
to table as usual, recited grace, and sat down, but
still there was no food. One began to read as usual,
that at least the souls might be nourished. Presently
the bell rang, and a Sister went to open the door.
There stood a maid-servant with a hot supper ready
to place on the table. Her mistress, fearing the
Sisters might be without food, had passed the even-
ing in preparing this supper for them. Greatly
moved at seeing how God's Providence had provided
for their needs, the portress returned and placed the
unexpected feast before the Sisters.

At such times the bread of Providence was sweet;
it nourished the heart and soul as well as the body.
In eating it, the community felt that the Father of
Heaven watched over them; for it was really He
who inspired these good people in the hour of need;
it was He also who tried the fidelity of His servants,
and only let them suffer hunger in order to succour
them with tender solicitude. It was a trial for their
faith, hard at times to suffering nature, but pene-
trated by a supernatural spirit.

Already negotiations had begun for another foun-
dation. There was a person in business at Dinan
who had had business relations with the home.
Her name was Follen. Having visited the house at
Saint-Servan, she had been struck by the good it
was doing there, and with an intelligence of the
things of God which does not depend on intellectual
culture, she determined to have a similar house at
Dinan. She spoke about it to the Mayor and the

THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS 39

Vicars of the town, who took up the matter, and
Abb6 Brajeul, the priest in charge of the parish, was
fortunate enough to obtain the consent of the Bishop
of Saint-Brieuc.

The town had preserved its girdle of fortifica-
tions, with its flanking towers. One of these towers,
situated at the entrance of the city, had long served
as a prison : the heavy doors with huge bolts, all on
the outside of the doors, were still to be seen. The
Mayor kindly placed it at the disposal of the new-
comers; and it was there that, on August 4, 1846, the
Sisters of the Poor installed themselves — prisoners
of charity. Let us enter this prison in spirit, accom-
panied by an English visitor, who has described his
visit and whose account is well worth repeating.

"On August 22, 1846, three weeks after the
arrival of Jeanne Jugan in the old tower near the
gate of Brest, which served her as a lodging, I had
the good fortune to see her there with her companions
and five or six poor old women whom she had already
gathered together. A narrow, winding staircase, in-
convenient to go up, led to the apartment which
they occupied. The ceiling was low, the walls bare
and rough, the windows small and barred, so that
one might have supposed one's self to be in a cave or
prison; but the sad aspect was brightened, to some
extent, by the sparkling fire on the hearth and the
contented faces of the occupants. Some beds were
arranged in a recess of the brick-paved apartment.
One or two old chairs or stools, a little table,
and some utensils, made up the furniture. Jeanne
welcomed us kindly; she willingly showed us her

40 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

own apartment and another rather better room
where the women worked, and replied with a good
grace to all our questions. She wore a plain but
neat black dress, a white cap and neckerchief —
the costume adopted by the community. Her age
appeared to be about fifty. She is of middle height
and dark complexion. She looks worn, but her
countenance is placid and kind : without the least
sign of pretension or self-love.

" I asked her with what funds she started. She
answered that she had a little more than 400 francs
and some furniture. She did not know any single
day where to obtain provisions for the next, but she
persevered, with a hrm conviction that God would
never abandon the poor, and she acted upon this
sure principle that all one does for them is done for
our Lord Jesus Christ. I asked her how she could
distinguish the deserving poor from the undeserving.
She replied that she received those who asked her
assistance and who appeared the most destitute;
that she began with those who were old and infirm,
as being the most in need, and that she made in-
quiries of their neighbours about their characters,
their resources, etc. To prevent those who were
still capable of working from being idle, she made
them fray out old pieces of cloth, and then card and
spin the wool which they had obtained; they thus
earned three farthings a day. If she found some
other work suited to their strength, she procured it
for them, and allowed a third of what they gained
by it for their personal use.

**_As she never allows her poor to go out without

THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS 41

permission, nor to beg for their personal profit, she
thinks that her system tends to prevent laziness and
mendicity. Jeanne and her companions solicit alms
in the neighbourhood to support them, and she says
that she finds plenty of people disposed to give. She
asks the baker for the broken or stale bread; the
milkman gives her skimmed milk; the butcher the
meat which, though still good, will not keep much
longer; and when the fish is plentiful, she receives
some from the fishwives. At the market-place they
keep for her the vegetables and fruit that are partly
spoiled and no longer presentable for sale. In this
way she collects from the tradespeople what each
can most easily do without. From others she obtains
broken victuals, worn-out clothes, money, or old
furniture, etc., so that she is able to support her
poor comfortably.

" There is, in this woman, something so calm and
so saintly that when I saw her I thought I was in
the presence of a superior being, and her words so
touched my heart that my eyes — I do not know why
— were filled with tears."

This testimony is an important contribution to the
history of the Little Sisters.

The old prison became soon too small for their
purpose, but they discovered a dilapidated convent,
which they obtained for 23,000 francs, to be paid
by instalments. During the delay previous to taking
possession, Virginie Tredaniel, who was named
Superior, installed herself with her family of poor
in a house in the suburb. The principal resource
of the humble home was the large establishment

42 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

for lunatics, kept by the Brothers of St. John of
God. The Sisters found there a regular supply of
broken food.

With the three homes at St. Servan, Rennes, and
Dinan the ''little work" had a base of operation.

It counted half a score of subjects ready for any
sacrifice, and saw other vocations budding; it had
zealous friends in the centre of France who desired to
have like homes in their own country. What more
was needed ? With full assurance, Marie Jamet,
the Superior, taking a novice and a postulant with
her, set out for Tours. Thus the charitable associa-
tion made its exodus from Brittany, and Monsieur
Dupont, who had paid for the journey and prepared
the way, received them at his house on December 3 1 ,
1846. The three Breton women succeeded in renting
a house in the parish of La Riche, and they found in
the Abbe Aileron, the parish priest, a director who
helped them to observe the spirit of their rules.

On the evening of the Epiphany the three Sisters
of the Poor sat down to table with the Dupont
family; but they were sad because no poor had yet
come, and a home cannot be started without old
people. Presently a person appeared, and said :
*' We have got one poor woman, and have taken her
to your house in La Riche, where she is waiting
for you." At this news their faces brightened up;
the Sisters rose and hurried to the home; Monsieur
Dupont followed them. They found a poor old
decrepit woman in the corridor. She was enraptured
by the hearty welcome of the Sisters, who at once

THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS 43

occupied themselves in making her at home. This
was not difficult, for the supper had been sent after
them, and there were three beds ready, given by
Monsieur Dupont — one in his own name, one in the
name of his mother, and another in that of his
daughter. The three beds were not long unoccupied,
for other poor people soon came.

One can easily imagine how difficult all these
foundations must have been, and how scarce pro-
visions were on certain days. We must add that
at Tours the Mayor and the Archbishop restricted
themselves to not hindering the new foundation,
consequently the poor Sisters worked at their own
risk and peril, without authorization of any kind to
accredit them to the public. In short, the work
had to bear testimony to itself and show what it
could do.

Meanwhile, the foundation at Tours was marked
by a circumstance incapable of a merely natural
explanation. At first the Sisters had only a soup-
kettle for the soup. This soon became insufficient,
and they were obliged to add two saucepans. One
day, when the Sister in charge of the kitchen had
placed all her saucepans on the fireplace, the Mother
Superior came in, and said: ''Why all these sauce-
pans, Sister? The soup-kettle is enough; don't use
the saucepans any more." ** But, Mother, we want
those to make up the portions." " Be content with
the soup-kettle." The Sister obeyed, and, to her
great astonishment, it yielded enough for every-
body. It even happened that, though they received
six women in addition, the marvellous kettle still

44 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

sufficed for them. " It appears that God has en-
larged it," wrote the Superior. " The portions, too,
are better, and everyone has enough. This has
greatly struck our Sisters, and we often speak of
the little soup-kettle."

Monsieur Dupont wrote to his friends : " Our dear
little Sisters of the Poor, those noble competitors of
Jeanne Jugan, have arrived. They have the sym-
pathies of everybody. They are not satisfied with
the vow of poverty : they have bravely made the vow
of penury, asking for the leavings of the rich. They
give it to the old people who have confided them-
selves to their maternal care, and it is only when
these have been fed that they provide for themselves.
Would it be possible that God should leave them to
hunger ? On all sides, the people here welcome them
with marvellous respect. This work of the Sisters is
destined to be spread everywhere."

What was not less surprising was to see the poor
trust themselves to their care. On the evening of
the Epiphany, the poor woman whom they had
received first had gone to sleep contented, but on
waking in the morning she was less cheerful. Open-
ing her eyes, she saw around her only white walls,
and a room without any furniture. Anxiety seized
her, and she began to cry out: "Where am I?"
This was truly the question of the poor : " How will
they support us?" . . . It was necessary to inspire
the old people themselves with the bold and absolute
confidence of the Sisters who were content to live
from hand to mouth, and to see the family of their
poor constantly increasing. At the end of a few

THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS 45

weeks, the poor woman knew that she was in a good
home, and the old people gradually understood how
they were supported. Then two or three new Sisters
came to increase the number of the staff, and to assist
in the undertaking.

Louis Veuillot, in an admirable passage, has re-
lated his visit to the new foundation : * ' The house
contained, at that time, four old men and twenty-six
poor women, from seventy to eighty years old.
Every sort of misery, both physical and mental, was
brought together there. But they are no longer
there; they have not been able to cross the threshold
where hope and peace wait upon those whom no one
loves, and who have no longer peace or hope. I have
seen clean clothes, cheerful faces, and even splendid
health. Between these young Sisters and the old
people, there is an interchange of affection and
respect which rejoices the heart.

' ' However, the new-comers are not always gentle.
The Sisters have been struck more than once. One
man was rough and uncivil. * He is full of intel-
lectual pride,' a Sister said cheerfully; ' he has read
much, and still rather despises those who believe in
God and who pray. Within a month you will not
recognize him; he will have gone to confession.'

" There was only one sick person in the infirmary :
a good old woman was dying there with peace on her
countenance, and the crucifix in her hands. She
had received the last sacraments that morning. We
asked her how she felt. * Happy,' she replied.
'God will soon give me a place in His Paradise.*
She begged us to pray for her. She was so calm, so

46 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

sweet and venerable, that our heart constrained us
to kneel down and implore the grace for a death like
hers. * Behold the first conquest we have made
here,' said Madame Marie Augustine. 'When we
first came her children had just driven her out, for
although they were workmen gaining their living,
they would not support her. She could not forgive
this cruelty, and all her talk was nothing but curses
and blasphemy. She now dies praying for them and
heartily bestowing on them her blessing, which they
refuse to accept.*

* * In the kitchen I saw a heap of all sorts of broken
food, gathered in the morning from some fifty
houses. The Sisters warm up and make savoury
dishes out of it, so that all are well nourished. They
restrict themselves entirely to the diet of their poor;
no distinction is made, except that the Sisters serve
and the poor are served. This harvest of charity
is reaped twice a day. Everything comes at the
moment of need; at supper nothing is left, at break-
fast nothing is wanting. Charity has given the
house; when a boarder comes, charity sends the bed
and the clothing."

This view of the interior of a home in 1847 is well
worth recalling. The famous Christian apologist,
Louis Veuillot, refuted the arguments of the free-
thinkers by appealing to the work of the Little Sisters
of the Poor. Although they had never read the
Socialists' or the Economists' doctrines of any school,
they had, nevertheless, discovered a science. " Have
they not solved the problem how to assist the poor
man without disgust to themselves, without humilia-

THE FIRST FOUNDATIONS 47

tion for him, without expense to the State, and with-
out imposing on the pubhc anything, except the
pleasure of giving?" What, then, is this science
which works such wonders ? * * Simply the science
of Jesus crucified."

CHAPTER IV

PROGRESS AND DIFFICULTIES OF ORGANIZATION

The habit and the vows — The ecclesiastical position of the
" Little Work " at Rennes, at Saint-Brieuc, and at Tours
— Essays in organization at Saint-Servan and at Tours.

At this time the Sisters of the Poor had a costume —
viz., a cloak which secured them a certain uniformity
of dress and distinguished them a little from the
people. When they went to Rennes, they took
mantles with them, such as are generally worn by
widows in Saint-Servan, and they wore them out of
doors. The ample garment served a double purpose :
on the one hand, it gave a more dignified appearance
to the wearer, and, on the other, it covered the
gifts of charity which she had to carry. At Rennes,
the hood fell back on the shoulders; at Tours, the
Sisters put it over their heads, like the peasants
of that town; and as that was found convenient,
this custom was finally adopted by the "Little
Family."* Naturally the public gave them the name
of Sisters, and little by little, the name in religion
took the place of surnames.

This habit of addressing them as " Sister " raised
a question which was important from an ecclesiastical
point of view : Were they religious, or were they

* This name supplanted that of the " Little Work," and
replaced it by degrees as the association grew in numbers and
importance. The title of congregation is of later date — 1852.

48

DIFFICULTIES OF ORGANIZATION 49

not ? The fact is, that in establishing themselves at
Rennes they had organized their charities and ar-
ranged matters independently of episcopal authority.
At that time, they had no idea of soliciting the
Church to take the home under her protection.
Hence, their position was very delicate, and this
became more felt as the homes developed. Mgr.
Brossais Saint Marc always recognized the personal
devotedness of the Sisters and the good done to the
poor ; but other considerations were in question : the
religious title, the value of the vows, the approbation
of the rule, the nomination of the authorities. He
made this understood in an interview with the
Mother Superior, which took place in October, 1846,
and in the verbal decision which he gave to the parish
priests and confessors, whom he told to consider them
as **good women," not as religious. Consequently,
the Sisters were somewhat perplexed at the time of
the renewal of their annual vows. They referred the
matter to their associates at Bougligny, who in reply
explained the distinction between the two kinds of
vows : such vows as are made in religious congrega-
tions approved by the Church, and private vows, which
everyone is at liberty to make. They told the Sisters
that their vows had not the first character, and that
they could not yet put forward any pretension to it,
but that they might freely renew their private vows.

The next year the same question was raised in the
neighbouring diocese, in connection with the house
at Dinan. The Bishop of Saint-Brieuc, in a friendly
spirit, appointed in 1847 an Ecclesiastical Commis-
sion to examine the rule of the Sisters of the Poor.

50 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

The Commission, favourable on the whole, issued its
conclusion conformably to canon law — namely, that
the Sisters should ask the approval of the Bishop of
the place where the mother-house was established.
But where should the mother-house be placed, and
when? All this was precisely in question and far
from being decided; it was therefore necessary to let
events take their course, and to wait for Providential
indications.

As to Tours, the situation improved rapidly; the
Archbishop, although very reserved at the beginning,
was attracted to the work, as it developed under his
eyes. He even encouraged the Sisters of the Poor to
purchase a convent in the town which the Sisters of
the Presentation had quitted for another, situated
the other side of the Loire. This purchase was
effected on February 27, 1848, chiefly by means of
a sum of 15,000 francs, given by Monsieur Dupont
out of the dowry of his daughter, who had just
died, and a sum of 20,000 francs, contributed by a
postulant. Mgr. Morlot gave it to be understood
that he would willingly see the mother-house and the
novitiate established there.

Some measures, recently taken, rendered this com-
bination possible and advantageous. At first, the
beginning of a novitiate was formed at Saint-Servan,
under the direction of the Superior, and with the
help of Sister Pauline, who had been well instructed
by the religious of the Adoration. They adopted the
method of training the postulants for a few weeks in
the practice of prayer, in the observance of the rule
and of community life; then they became novices,

DIFFICULTIES OF ORGANIZATION 51

and continued their novitiate whilst employed in
the service of the poor, in one of the houses. As
occasion served, one of the three associate priests
freed himself from other engagements, and, after the
candidates had made the preparatory retreat, he
performed the ceremony of clothing or profession in
the name of the association. At the beginning of
1848, the work counted nine Sisters, nine novices,
and several postulants. Some other subjects had failed
to persevere, or had not been found fit for the work.

An important measure was now decided on, after
some deliberation. The work, in removing from its
original locality, displayed its true nature, like the
plant, which springs up from the soil, develops,
takes its shape, and produces branches according to
its kind. It was essentially a work concerned with
old people, especially including those who were infirm.
At that time the establishment was named " House
of Refuge for the Aged and Infirm." Consequently
the experiment made with some children, in the
" House of the Cross " at Saint-Servan, was formally
abandoned, experience having shown that work for
old people and for children are two kinds of devoted-
ness which require different treatment. The limits
of the hospitaller charity are henceforth defined, and
it is with these limits that the work will henceforth
move and concentrate all its power of action.

On the other hand, the existence of several houses
necessitated a regular distribution of authority and
occupations — that is to say, the beginning of a hier-
archical organization. On December 12, 1847, the
Superiors of the four establishments met at Saint-

52 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Servan, which was used as the mother-house, for
the elections. Sister Augustine was maintained in
charge as Superior-General, and Sister Marie Therese
was named Mother-Assistant. This meeting has, by
some, been considered the first Chapter of the Con-
gregation. In reality, it provided for the charge and
work of the four houses, defined the power of the
local Superiors, and fixed the connection of the
Sisters and houses with the higher Superiors. Thus,
though all their proceedings were in the private
order, the association was acting in a religious
manner like a newly-founded congregation. Hence-
forth, regarding the work from a religious point of
view, which was less apparent at the beginning, and
leaving on one side the charitable works, which had
at first attracted attention, it became customary to
trace the origin of the religious foundation of the
Little Sisters to the regulations and exercises of the
"Little Rock," and this inversion of events has
somewhat misrepresented the true state of affairs,
just as a legend mingles with and confuses history.

Hence the centre of the institution was established
at Tours in 1848, in a convent, with a view of
forming there the commencement of a mother-house
and the novitiate. The house was composed in
1849 of about fifty poor and fifteen subjects in the
novitiate. The Rev. Le Pailleur devoted himself to
this humble ministry, after the giving up of the
work in Bougligny, and continued to assist the
" Little Work " as he had done at Saint-Servan.

So far the " Home for the Aged and Infirm " of
Tours was not very flourishing. The reason was

DIFFICULTIES OF ORGANIZATION 53

that both civil and ecclesiastical official authoriza-
tion for collecting alms had hitherto been refused.
The great step was taken : Jeanne Jugan was sent
for. Monsieur Dupont wrote joyously on February
12, 1849: "For the last two days, we have been
honoured by having with us the mother of all these
Little Sisters. What admirable trust in God ! What
love for His Holy Name ! She is going to do us
good at Tours. The coarse men of the world think
that this * poor beggar of bread,' as she calls herself,
asks alms from them; but if their eyes were to open,
they would understand that they themselves receive
an immense alms in hearing the Providence of God
spoken of with such love and simplicity." All
administrative opposition fell before the chartered
alms-gatherer. The Archbishop, the Prefect, and
the Mayor gave excellent written authorizations, and
the institution was formally recognized.

An author has inquired to what extent the vener-
able Monsieur Dupont, universally known for his
devotion to the Holy Face of our Lord, took part
in the establishment of *' the Little Family." Un-
doubtedly his influence was great, his counsels
highly appreciated; they venerated him as a saint.
His historian speaks thus : " It is enough to say that
this servant of God had indirectly a great share in
the definitive organization and in the fundamental
constitutions of this admirable institution."

CHAPTER V

NEW FOUNDATIONS (1849-1851)

The Conferences of Saint Vincent de Paul— The Little Sisters
of the Poor — Foundations in Nantes, Paris, Besan^on,
Angers — The first mourning — The devil's castle —
Foundations in Bordeaux, Rouen, Nancy— Second house
in Paris — Attempts at organization in the capital.

At Tours, the Sisters found themselves in contact with
the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, and excellent
relations were immediately established with it. Hector
d'Outremont,* one of the members of the Conference
at Tours, wrote to Monsieur Feburier, President of
the Conference of Saint-Germain-des-Pres in Paris :
" I do not know if you have heard of a work which,
is beginning to spread, and which they speak of here
by the name of ' Home of the Poor Women.' Until
now, the old people have found no refuge except in
hospitals, where unfortunately the authorities do not
occupy themselves enough about the care of souls,
and, having only a fixed number of places to give,
often leave their doors closed against the wretched.
Christian charity, properly so called, had not yet
specially occupied itself with the latter part of life,
of which you realize the importance for eternity. To
gather together poor old men and women in one
house, to feed, lodge, and warm them — in a word,
to provide for them every temporal help, and, above
* Died Bishop of Mans.
54

NEW FOUNDATIONS 55

all, every spiritual help of which they have need —
here, in short, is an account of the whole work."
The Society of St. Vincent of Paul, regarding the
" Little Work " as a kindred work of charity, intro-
duced it in Nantes and Paris in 1849.

At Nantes, the members of the Conference had
sheltered some old women, but the attempt was in
danger of failure, for want of organization and nurses.
Thus they were led, in February, 1849, to ask for
information, and afterwards they invited the Sisters
to establish '* a house of refuge for the aged and
infirm in their town " ; and in order to help the foun-
dation, they promised an allowance of forty-five
francs a year for every poor person whom the
members should place there. On Good Friday,
April 6, 1849, Mother Marie Therese and her com-
panions opened the home, having neither mattresses,
blankets, beds, nor chairs, with only three francs in
their purse, and a rent of 800 francs to pay. Almost
immediately they received fourteen poor people, eight
of whom were sent by the Society of St. Vincent.
The first weeks were very trying; the Sisters were
treated as adventuresses, because the neighbours really
understood nothing of such an enterprise; but after-
wards there was a sudden change of feeling, which
began in the market-place, reached the suburbs and
town, and brought about lasting results.

An additional Sister arrived, who ardently desired
to devote herself to the poor. She obtained the
favour of being allowed to go and beg in the market-
place, which no one had yet dared to do. She
goes forward, begs for the poor, and talks with

56 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

the tradeswomen, who become enthusiastic and
say to her: "Yes, Sister, we will give you some-
thing; it is a beautiful work you are doing, and
when we are old, we shall have great need of your
house." The Sister receives three big sacks of
vegetables. She then takes one of the sacks and
puts it on her shoulders to carry it away. The
tradeswomen are moved again at this sight, and stop
her, crying out : * ' No, no ! you shall not carry it ;
that is too much!" And, looking at one another,
they said to themselves : ' ' What will become of
us, who do nothing for God?" They paid a
man to carry the sack, and invited the Sister
of the Poor to come again on Wednesdays and
Saturdays. Very soon there were sixty old men
and inhrm people in the home; and, what is more
remarkable, ten young girls of the neighbourhood,
won by the Sister's self-sacrificing spirit, entered the
novitiate.

It was at Nantes that the popular name of " Little
Sisters of the Poor" became complete in all its
Christian sweetness and humility. Until then they
called themselves " Sisters of the Poor " ; at Nantes
people got to call them the ** Little Sisters." Popular
penetration had found the right word — that which
expressed the essence of the thing. The name
appeared appropriate, and the association adopted it.

While these events were passing at Nantes, the
Superior-General and her companion arrived in Paris,
March 28, 1849, believing that a " House of Refuge
for the Aged" situated in the capital, would be a
considerable recommendation in the eyes of the

NEW FOUNDATIONS 57

public. Their undertaking was discussed at the
general meeting of the Conference of Saint Vincent
de Paul. Ought it to be absorbed in the existing
works of assistance, or should the "Little Work"
retain its autonomy and its own mode of action?
The good Mother-General, speaking with that
practical intelligence which characterized her, ob-
tained a decision that they should begin, in Paris
as elsewhere, in a small way and in a hired house.
The two Sisters, whom these gentlemen had estab-
lished in a place of refuge called Nazareth, began to
seek for a house and to make calls in view of receiv-
ing alms. They managed with great care the little
money they received, and used for their own main-
tenance the tickets for bread and meat that they
received from the public soup-kitchens. After two
months of fruitless search. Sister Marie Louise re-
mained alone in Paris, and continued the search for
another two months, but in vain; no one would let
a house to these indigent Sisters. Then Monsieur
Tulasne, the Doctor of the Nazareth Refuge, went
himself to look for one, and on his own security
hired, in the Rue Saint-Jacques, a house large
enough for a Home. The Little Sisters of the Poor
took possession of it on August i, 1844, with their
old people.

Already a new foundation was in course of pre-
paration at Besangon. In the month of May, 1849,
Mademoiselle Junot, daughter of Napoleon's cele-
brated General, wrote thus : " We have already taken
some steps to place our work for orphan girls in the
hands of religious, in order to establish it on a more

58 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

solid base. Until now, Providence has not seemed
to favour our endeavour, and we have had to await
with patience its movements. The work of Jeanne
Jugan, brought to our knowledge quite simply
through some articles which I have read in the
Univers Catholique, pleased me so much by the sim-
plicity and providential character of its establishment
and growth, etc., that by God's permission the
thought came to me to make a proposition to the
Mother-General." Such was the origin of the House
of Besan^on, for the previous establishment modified
its destination and became ' ' The House of Refuge
for the Aged and Infirm." The charitable lady gave
the greater part of her residence, the chapel, and
enough household requisites to begin with. No
foundation had begun with so much prosperity.
Sister Jeanne Marie, who was endowed with a good
judgement and was one of the pillars of the work,
was named Superior. She had two novices to help
her to conduct the foundation; but they counted
upon vocations from the neighbourhood, nor were
they mistaken. The Mayor approved cordially of
the new work, Mgr. Mathieu blessed it and gave his
offering, while the Prefect, considering that such an
organization was not within his financial sphere,
confined himself to granting his permission.

The institution was now in its tenth year. It
had begun in 1839, with the reception of one
poor woman in the modest home of two old
servants; in 1849 we find a home at St. Solidor
containing twelve aged poor. It was still a humble
work in appearance, but in reality it was the

NEW FOUNDATIONS 59

primitive cell of the whole organism; it was a new
system of hospitality; it was charity making herself
no longer merely a servant, but a mendicant for
the poor. Now the work had been proved, for it
had founded eight homes for the aged. The year
1850 accelerated the movement, and witnessed the
birth of four establishments — at Angers, Bordeaux,
Rouen, and Nancy.

Again we find Sister Mary of the Cross at the
foundation of Angers, where she inaugurated the
begging. As everywhere else, she obtained the author-
ization of the municipality without difficulty, and
made known the work, which the public persisted
in developing with her to such an extent that in
Anjou, as in Brittany, the Little Sisters of the
Poor were called " Les Jeanne Jugans." But her
strength failed her, and she fell back into obscurity
whilst the swarm of young Sisters were taking
their flight in all directions to reproduce without
her, the marvel of Saint-Servan. With a stroke
of the pen, a chronicler wrote these expressive
phrases one day in an article: "The mission,
sometimes so laborious and always so disinterested,
of the Little Sisters of the Poor appears to me
very touching. It is one of the most exquisite
forms of charity and devotedness. It is their own
invention; it could only have been invented by
women. What I find particularly original about the
Little Sisters of the Poor is that, in order to help
the needy and the feeble, they have found nothing
better than to adopt the methods of the poor and to
beg for them."

6o THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

We find in an old letter an account of one of these
wonderful collections of Sister Mary of the Cross :
" In the early days of the institute she came to beg
at Redon, and asked permission to solicit alms
among our pupils.* I went to see her in the parlour,
and she electrified me. Then, impelled by some
inspiration, I said to her : * Sister, follow me ' ; and
without any more ceremony I introduced her into
the study of our older boarders, about a hundred of
them being there. All the astonished scholars rose,
and I said : * The Sister is going to tell you the
object of her presence amongst you.' Then Jeanne
Jugan explained the object of her mission plainly
and simply. Amazed and deeply touched, all these
students absolutely emptied their pockets and desks,
and generously gave everything down to their last
penny, not without considerable benefit to the purse
of the Sister. In proportion it was the same with
the students in the other division. The pupils of
that time have never forgotten this visit of charity,
and all our professors were astonished and
touched."

This foundation at Angers was set up in an ancient
chapel, placed at the disposal of the Little Sisters by
Monsieur Maupoint, at that time vicar-general at
Rennes and a friend of the work. The Mother-
Superior was Sister Felicite, the young girl of Saint-
Servan who had formerly asked for the grace to be a
religious, "but not with these Sisters"; she had
another grace, that of dying when the foundation
was in full operation, on the battlefield of charity,

* College conducted then by the Eudist Fathers.

NEW FOUNDATIONS 6i

being the first victim of devotedness in the hospi-
taller congregation (November 20, 1855).

On May 22, 1850, two Little Sisters of the Poor
at the request of Monsieur Germanville, arrived at
Bordeaux with a capital of ten francs. After having
for three weeks sought in vain for a house, they
wandered to the extremity of the town and sat down
tired by the wayside; a servant approached them to
have a chat, and, having learned how things stood,
pointed out in the neighbourhood a large deserted
house, which was said to be haunted, and was called
'* the devil's castle." Fearing neither the name nor
the story, the two Sisters visited it, and with the
assistance of some friends hired it for 1,100 francs
a year. They went into it with their little belong-
ings, and chose a room in which to pass the first
night. Towards ten o'clock a dreadful uproar was
heard, like a quick continuous knocking, and a
bluish flame appeared in the space between the beds;
at the same time a mournful cry was heard. The
Sisters were very much frightened and could not
sleep. The following night they occupied a room
leading into the corridor, and left the door open;
at the same hour the noise began again, and they
saw a strong light through the opening of the door.
Some other Sisters having arrived a few days later,
nothing was said to them about it; they too heard
the noise, and it lasted, as usual, from ten o'clock
in the evening till two o'clock in the morning. These
nightly noises went on persistently for three months ;
they suddenly ceased on the day when the Blessed
Sacrament was first reserved in the humble chapel.

62 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

After six months, the Sisters had twenty-five poor
people; the work pleased everybody, and the collec-
tions were fruitful. It was at Bordeaux that the
Little Sisters began the practice of using a donkey,
for the collection of gifts in kind and for carrying
the provisions.

While the Little Sisters were establishing the
splendid foundation in Bordeaux, two of the begging
Sisters, driven by necessity, went into Normandy,
and arrived at Rouen in the month of August, 1850.
Several persons of influence at once consulted
together and declared that the Little Sisters of the
Poor should not leave the town, and that they ought
to establish their work there. At this news, the
Mother-General promptly arrived and saw the Arch-
bishop, who laid before her the difficulties of the
enterprise, but without making any opposition to
it, and added : "I wish you may do good; I look
upon you as pious women, and later on, if you merit
it, I will count you among the number of my com-
munities." Strengthened by these words and the
co-operation of their friends, the Little Sisters took
four poor persons into the small house which had
been given them as a lodging; but on September 18
they entered into possession of a more spacious house,
hired by their benefactors for 4,000 francs.

The Sisters, including the good Mother Stephanie,
nineteen years of age, were all postulants. To found
an establishment with postulants was to confound
the world; but God willed that the glory of found-
ing homes for the aged should redound entirely to
Him. and not to such feeble instruments. Let us

NEW FOUNDATIONS 63

listen to the story of the first gathering of ahns in
the market of Rouen : " It is impossible to tell how
we were welcomed by these good tradeswomen, so
kindhearted and generous. The crowd surrounding
us was so large that in order to speak or see it was
necessary to mount on chairs, and people had to
cut a way through the crowd to come and deposit
their offerings. There was a general cry in the
market-place : * They are good Sisters who beg for
the poor old people; let us give to them, because
when we are old and no longer able to walk, they
will do as much for us.' The keepers of the neigh-
bouring shops, afraid of this crowd of people,
wanted to know what was going on, and they also
brought their offerings — linen, clothing, meat, and
money. Our donkey — for they had given us one —
had two heavy loads, and these good people told
us to return every week." The enthusiasm passed
beyond the limits of the market-place. " Everyone
wants to help us to set up the home. The workmen
of a spinning-mill, kept by Monsieur Le Picard, give
one penny a week each for the old people ; the work-
men at the dye shop of Monsieur Bulard do the
same. It is touching to see these kind workmen come
in a body to bring wood, bread, or the price of a
bed for the poor who have none." So wrote the
young Mother-Superior, desirous of making the
mother-house a partaker of her joy.

The little work was no longer altogether unknown ;
from different directions, friends were approaching
begging for foundations in their own neighbourhood.
Monsieur de Lambel asked for the foundation at

64 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Nancy, which was begun on October 5, 1850, by
Mother Marie Therese and two sisters. All three
left a house which they loved, and poor whom they
themselves had drawn out of misery " They went,
happy Little Sisters of the Poor, to run after fresh
sacrifices and humiliations, but also after fresh
victims of misfortune and other souls redeemed at
the price of the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ."
The Bishop came to pay them a visit and to express
his satisfaction at their coming to Nancy.

The second house in Paris had a somewhat un-
common origin. The National Guard, in making
their rounds to watch over the safety of the capital
under the " Second Republic," met the Little Sisters
of the Poor and the old people in the streets. The
sight touched these good citizens, and agreeing
amongst themselves that this way of acting was true
communism, they determined to found a house of
this kind for their old people, every company re-
serving two beds, and contributing yearly a small
allowance. Monsieur Quettant, officer of the National
Guard, made the request in union with Monsieur
Cochin, who at the same time wished to make use
of the home for the benefit of the aged poor in the
district he administered. Mot^-^r Celestine was
named Superior; and a house, hired in the Rue du
Regard for 7,000 francs a year, was opened on
March 19, 1851.

Not only was the number of homes increasing,
but the number of Sisters, Novices, and Postulants
had happily made the same progress, and at the
end of the year 1850 exceeded a hundred. It was

NEW FOUNDATIONS 65

a result full of promise. The period of difficulties,
however, was not at an end, for the hopes originally
founded on the establishment at Tours had been
premature and were not fulfilled. On December 29,

1850, the second chapter had been held there, the
nominations made, and the principal officers of the
house elected. The Archbishop had even honoured
the heads of the association with a visit, and had
promised to take steps as regards the approval of
the rule and of the newly -founded congregation.
Meanwhile, they could not make up their minds to
accept the position of a diocesan congregation; for
it seemed obvious to the established Superiors in the
other dioceses, that the hospitaller institution ought
to have the character of a universal work, so as to
pursue its providential development and its complete
organization. Affairs were still a little confused;
but they directed their thoughts to this object forced
by circumstances.

The consequence was that they turned to Paris —
a more central point for personal relations, resources,
and correspondence — and that at the beginning of

1 85 1. The novices were sent to the house in the
Rue Saint- Jacques, while the postulants still re-
mained at Tours. Somewhat later, when the house
in the Rue du Regard was established, the novitiate
was transported there. This establishment, under
the direction of Mother Marie Therese, assisted by
Sister Eleonore, lasted a little more than a year in
difficult circumstances, which one of the Sisters has
thus related :

**A11 the while that the novitiate remained in the

5

66 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

house, we were obliged to hide the postulants, so
that no one should know they were there. We were
in very small lodgings and in great poverty. The
oratory served us for dormitory and workroom. As
we had not enough iron bedsteads for all the Sisters,
we heaped up the mattresses one on another during
the day, and every evening we placed them on the
ground in the small passages wherever we could find
a corner to put one in. A small room on the ground
floor served as a refectory."

The novitiate was still in its infancy; the postu-
lants had to pass there a few months, and after this
term of probation and discipline they received the
habit. Afterwards they were sent out to work in
the foundations, in order to complete the time of
the novitiate and to be put to the test before they
were professed. One day Father de Ponlevoy,
Superior of the Jesuits in Paris, entered the refec-
tory just as the table was being laid; he noticed
that instead of glasses the Sisters used cups, mustard
and jam-jars of all colours and sizes, and that many
other requisites were missing. He was greatly
touched by this poverty, and some hours later a
crockery-dealer brought several dozens of glasses and
cups as a gift from the Father.

The establishment attempted in Paris was only a
new halting-place. It was not possible to organize
there the constantly increasing novitiate; which it
was found necessary in 185 1 to divide between the
houses in Brittany, Tours, and Paris. The wander-
ing family knew not where to fix its tent. This was
God's hour, and Providence intervened.

CHAPTER VI

THE CONGREGATION

The rule of Saint Augustine and the constitutions — An article
by Charles Dickens — The Foundations at Laval, Lyons,
Lille, Marseilles — A circular of Mgr. de Mazenod — The
episcopal authorization — The house of Saint Joseph at
Rennes.

The house at Rennes had assumed a certain im-
portance. It had passed through a period of trial,
but several priests and missionaries of the Immacu-
late Conception, very devoted friends, had brought
about between the diocesan authority and the associa-
tion a conciliation desirable in every respect. These
acts of devotedness in the early days must not be
passed unnoticed. Mgr. Saint Marc was, in virtue
of his position itself, the protector of this little
family; he gave himself to it unreservedly, and re-
called it into its original home. This was the most
desirable and natural solution. He resolved, at the
same time, to recall the director of the little work and
to entrust it to him officially; he then went further
and authorized the new congregation and its consti-
tutions. As a preliminary step, the Rev. Le Pailleur
and Father Felix Massat spent three weeks in April,
1 85 1, at the establishment of the Brothers of Saint
John of God near Lille, in revising the rule atten-
tively. The Sisters were delighted to hear that this

67

68 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

worthy religious had succeeded in finding the actual
rule of Saint Augustine.

It was, in fact, on the rule of Saint Augustine as
on a tried foundation that the religious family and
its legislation were constituted. The regulations of
the ** Servants," afterwards the ** Sisters of the
Poor," were headed by the inscription : *' Some poor
women, who united to take care of, to clothe, to
console the poor ... at first proposed to follow the
admirable rule of Saint Augustine; subsequently, by
the help of God, they proposed to observe the follow-
ing regulations, with the aid of Mary Immaculate,
whom they have chosen for their Mother; of Saint
Augustine, whom they have chosen for their Father;
of Saint Joseph, whom they have taken for their
special Protector." The new Sisters had found, in
the rule of the holy patriarch, an organization of
community life suitable to their work, a bond of
unity, authorized practices of poverty, modesty, and
religious obedience, and a form of life eminently
appropriate to works of Christian charity. On this
foundation they based their special rules, and after
a period of trial, they succeeded, as far as its main
outlines are concerned, in establishing it as it now
works.

They rose in the morning at half-past four, and
went to bed at nine. They slept in a common
dormitory in alcoves, each bed being enclosed by
curtains. They slept on straw in imitation of the
poverty of our Saviour in Bethlehem. They observed
strict silence during the hours of repose from evening
to morning. As hospitaller Sisters, they already

THE CONGREGATION 69

divided their day into two parts, of which one was
consecrated to religious exercises and the other to
works of charity. The rehgious exercises were per-
formed in the morning and evening, when the old,
sick, and infirm were resting; the work of charity
was in full operation from breakfast-time until after
the supper of the old people.

After breakfast, whilst the begging Sisters were
out collecting, the other Sisters busied themselves in
the rooms, infirmaries, and dormitories, according to
their respective duties. They kept the house clean
and in order, and did all the household work and
provided for the needs of the poor people. Then, as
now, it was necessary to dress the wounds and nurse
the sick, to help the invalids to rise, to dress them,
and to conduct them to the sitting-room. In the
evening they rendered them similar services. At
morning, midday, and evening meals, the Sisters
distributed the food to the old people, they them-
selves fed those whose sight was weak, whose hands
trembled, whose strength failed, or who were in
second childhood. In the actual exercise of charity,
the Little Sister finds that joy which befits her
vocation, and her gentle gaiety spreads amongst the
poor people and dissipates their sadness.

Prayer, the recitation of the office, and other
exercises of the community had their special hours
allotted, but no duty to the poor was allowed to
suffer on account of them; for the souls united to
God are full of faith and the spirit of sacrifice with-
out ceasing to be practical. Devotedness springs
from the heart, and it is true virtue which must be

70 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

cultivated in the human soul in order to bring forth
the works of fraternal charity. Moreover, the spirit
of recollection of the Little Sisters is not repelling;
it is penetrated by charity, like all her conduct, to
serve the poor is to serve God, and this is an
exercise of the virtue of religion.

All these regulations, and several others, were
determined at the time of which we are speaking. It
might even be said that they go back to the founda-
tion, so directly do they spring out of the nature of
things and respond to the necessities of the vocation.
Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that the
material organization, often very incomplete, of small
communities, and the difficulties inseparable from a
period of formation, sometimes modified a little this
regularity. The spirit of these early days is shown
by the following prayer. Raising their hands to
Mary, the first Little Sisters used to say :

"We have chosen thee for our Mother. Never
hadst thou such unworthy and sinful children as we
are nor children so weak and frail. Therefore, be
thou our strength and our support. We have no
resource and often no funds. O compassionate
Mother ! grant that we may always find bread for
thy beloved poor. We are like timid and defence-
less children, exposed to the malice of the world,
and to its plots made to ruin us. Grant that our
little family may not be destroyed, but that it may
live for the glory of God, and that it may spread
according to His Will."

This prayer, which remains as a testimony to the
humility and the penury of the charitable institution.

THE CONGREGATION 71

came to be modified; but its words were not unreal
on the lips of the Sisters of the Poor, for they loved
the humiliation of poverty. In order that their old
people might be better cared for, and to practise holy
poverty in the congregation, they partook of the
same meat, vegetables, and other food, as their poor
people, their dishes being prepared in the same way.
And if the Sister who was employed in the kitchen
had no food to give out, she informed the Mother-
Superior of it in time, " which is always to be done,"
said the rule, "when there is money in the house.
If, through want of money, the meals cannot thus
be served, bread only must be provided, but the
Sisters are to make known, when necessary, their
state of distress." The Superior was called ** Good
Mother" (for the attempt to say "Little Mother"
had been fruitless, and only lasted a short time).
Presiding over a family of poor, she was enjoined
to command with kindness and gentleness; but,
having to keep peace and order in the house, she
was obliged also to rule with judicious firmness.

It is necessary to give this account of the founda-
tion, to show with what sacrifice, forgetting them-
selves for their poor and even taking the form of the
poor, these generous women had founded this work.
Henceforth, with the growth of the hospitaller family,
a new order of things replaced the original one, and
what there had been of excessive privations at the
beginning was tempered more and more to meet the
end of the established rule. Thus the revision of
185 1, whilst maintaining the principle that the Little
Family was founded on poverty, in regard to the

72 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

meals as well as everything else, specified that the
staple of the food should be derived from broken
food, and from gifts collected by begging, for the
old and infirm and for the Little Sisters, and that
this should be supplemented in case of need by the
purchase of common food and vegetables; that the
food should be prepared as is usual in working-class
families that live economically. It was decided, also,
that no establishment should be founded for any
other object than that of assisting the old or infirm
poor of either sex.

This valuable document was submitted to the
approbation of the Bishop of Rennes. The examina-
tion and discussion lasted a year. During this time
the hospitaller association continued its foundations,
and by a bold stroke established itself in London.

Monsieur Paglians, acting in the name of Cardinal
Wiseman, and of the Society of Saint Vincent of
Paul, had arranged for the foundation in London.
On April ii, 1851, he received the Little Sisters of
the Poor at Hammersmith, a suburb since annexed
to the capital, and installed them in a house near
his own, which he had hired and furnished. The
good Mother-Assistant, Marie Therese de Jesus, who
conducted the three novices forming the little colony,
wrote on April 16 : " We have now been in London
eight days. We have received one poor little
Englishwoman, who is very good and fervent. We
have paid a visit to His Eminence the Cardinal-
Archbishop. He has been very kind, and is coming
to visit our house next week. Do pray for us that
God may bless this humble beginning." The name

THE CONGREGATION 73

" Little Sisters of the Poor " began to be known in
English. It will spread in time from the capital,
to the colonies across the ocean.

The great Protestant city, with anti-Catholic pre-
judices at that time so excited, had to be confronted.
Inexperience of customs, ignorance of the language,
the youthfulness of the Sisters, rendered the founda-
tion difficult. In the street they were sometimes
greeted with hard words, — ** daughters of the Pope,"
** ghosts of another age." But the children, in their
simplicity, approached and kissed their hands. Out-
doors the Sisters modified their religious dress and
muffled themselves up in shawls and bonnets. They
succeeded, in spite of difficulties, in receiving twenty-
four poor people and obtained the means to support
them. Afterwards, two Sisters having arrived from
France, the five French novices and the English
postulant who composed the community, rented a
house in London for £soo sterling, and installed
themselves there on October 6, 185 1. The good
Sister Pauline, Mother-Assistant, spent six weeks in
London regulating the home and encouraging the
Little Sisters. The house would hold a hundred
poor people, and this number was gradually
admitted.

Through a fortunate coincidence, the person who
introduced the Little Sisters of the Poor to the
English public was the famous novelist, Charles
Dickens. He had just visited the house in Paris in
the Rue Saint Jacques, and on February 14, 1852,
in his weekly magazine. Household Words, he
published his information and impression. This

74 THE LITTLE SLSTERS OF THE POOR

account, which was reproduced by the press and
travelled as far as America, forms part of the history
of the Little Sisters.

" The Little Sisters.

" Saturday, February 14, 1852.

*' Alms-giving takes the place of our workhouse
system in the economy of a large part of Europe.
The giving of alms to the helpless is, moreover, in
Catholic countries, a religious office. The voluntary
surrender of gifts, each according to his ability, as a
means of grace is more prominently insisted on than
among Protestants, consequently systematic taxation
for the poor is not resorted to. Nor is there so great
a necessity for it as in this country, for few nations
have so many paupers to provide for as we English,
who are accustomed to regard them as a natural
element in our society. And thus it happens that
when, about ten years ago, there was in France no
asylum but the hospital, for aged and ailing
poor, the want of institutions for the infirm but
healthy was not so severe as to attract the public
eye.

" But there was at that time a poor servant- woman,
a native of the village of La Croix in Brittany —
Jeanne Jugan was her name — who was moved by the
gentleness of her heart, and the fervour of her
religion, to pity a certain infirm and destitute
neighbour, to take her to her side as a companion,
and to devote herself to her support. Other infirm
people earned, by their helplessness, a claim upon
her attention. She went about begging when she

THE CONGREGATION 75

could not work, that she might preserve life as long
as Nature would grant it to her infirm charges.

" Her example spread a desire for the performance
of similar good offices. Two pious women, her
neighbours, united with Jeanne in her pious office.
These women cherished as they were able, aged and
infirm paupers, nursed them in a little house, and
begged for them in the vicinity. The three women,
who had so devoted themselves, attracted notice,
and were presently received into the Order of Sisters
of Charity, in which they took for themselves the
name of * Little Sisters of the Poor ' (' Petites Sceurs
des Pauvres ').

** The first house of the Little Sisters of the Poor
was opened at Saint-Servan, in Brittany. A healthy
flower scatters seed around. We saw that forcibly
illustrated in the progress from an origin equally
humble of the Rauhe Haus, near Hamburg; we see
it now again in the efforts of the Little Sisters, which
flourished and fructified with prompt usefulness. On
the tenth anniversary of the establishment at Saint-
Servan, ten similar houses had been founded in ten
different French towns.

" The Petites Soeurs live with their charges in the
most frugal way upon the scraps and waste meat
which they can collect from the surrounding houses.
The voluntary contributions, by which they support
their institution, are truly the crumbs falling from
the rich man's table. The nurse fares no better than
the objects of her care. She lives upon equal terms
with Lazarus, and acts towards him in the spirit of
a younger sister.

76 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

" The establishment at Dinan, over which Jeanne
Jugan herself presided, being under repair and not
quite fit for the reception of visitors, we will go over
the Sisters' house at Paris, which is conducted on
exactly the same plan.

"We are ushered into a small parlour, scantily
furnished, with some Scripture prints on the walls.
A Sister enters to us with a bright look of cheerful-
ness, such as faces wear when hearts beneath them
feel that they are beating to some purpose in the
world. She accedes gladly to our desire, and at
once leads us into another room of larger size, in
which twenty or thirty old women are at this moment
finishing their dinner; it being Friday, rice stands
on the table in the place of meat. The Sister moves
and speaks with the gentleness of a mother among
creatures who are in, or are near to, the state of second
childhood. You see an old dame fumbling eagerly
over her snuff-box lid. The poor creatures are not
denied luxuries, for whatever they can earn by their
spinning is their own money, and they buy with it
any indulgences they please, among which nothing
is so highly prized or eagerly coveted as a pinch of
snuff

' * In the dormitories on the first-floor some lie
bed-ridden. Gentler still, if possible, is now the
Sister's voice. The rooms throughout the house are
airy, with large windows, and those inhabited by
the Sisters are distinguished from the rest by no
mark of indulgence or superiority.

*' We descend now into the old men's department,
and enter a warm room, with a stove in the centre.

THE CONGREGATION 77

One old fellow has his feet upon a little foot-warmer,
and thinly pipes out that he is very comfortable now,
for he is always warm. The chills of age and the
chills of the cold pavement remain together in his
memory; but he is very comfortable now — very
comfortable. Another decrepit man, with white hair
and bowed back — who may have been proud in his
youth of a rich voice for love-song — talks of music
to the Sister, and on being asked to sing, blazes out
with joyous gestures and strikes up a song of
Beranger's in a cracked shaky voice, which some-
times— like a river given to flow underground — is
lost entirely, and then bubbles up again quite thick
with mud.

"We go mto a little oratory, where all pray
together nightly before they retire to rest. Thence
we descend into a garden for the men, and pass
thence by a door into the women's court. The
chapel-bell invites us to witness the assembly of the
Sisters for the repetition of their Psalms and Litanies.
From the chapel we return into the court, and enter
a large room, where the women are all busy with
their spinning-wheels. One old soul immediately
totters to the Sister (not the same Sister with whom
we set out), and insists on welcoming her daughter
with a kiss. We are informed that it is a delusion
of her old age to recognise in this Sister really her
own child, who is certainly far away, and may pos-
sibly be dead. The Sister embraces her affection-
ately, and does nothing to disturb the pleasant
thought.

"And now we go into the kitchen. Preparation

78 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

for coffee is in progress. The dregs of coffee that
have been collected from the houses of the affluent
in the neighbourhood are stewed for a long time
with great care. The Sisters say that they produce
a very tolerable result, and, at any rate, every inmate
is thus enabled to have a cup of coffee every morning,
to which love is able to administer the finest Mocha
flavour. A Sister enters from her rounds out of doors
with two cans full of broken victuals. She is a
healthy and, I think, a handsome woman. Her
daily work is to go out with the cans directly after
she has had her morning coffee and to collect food
for the ninety old people that are in the house. As
fast as she fills her cans she brings them to the
kitchen, and goes out again, continuing in this work
daily till four o'clock.

"You do not like this begging? What are the
advertisements on behalf of our own hospitals?
What are the collections? What are the dinners,
the speeches, the charity sermons? A few weak
women, strong in heart, without advertisement or
dinner or charity sermons, without urgent appeals
to a sympathizing public, who have no occasion to
exercise charity by enticing it to balls and to
theatrical benefits, patiently collect waste food from
house to house, and feed the poor with it humbly
and tenderly.

** The cans are now to be emptied, the contents
being divided into four compartments, according to
their nature — broken meat, vegetables, slices of
puddings, fish, etc. Each is afterwards submitted
to the best cookery that can be contrived. The

THE CONGREGATION 79

choicest things are set aside. ' These,' said a Sister,
with a look of satisfaction, * will be for our poor dear
sick.'

*' The number of Sisters altogether in this house
engaged in attendance on the ninety infirm paupers
is fourteen. They divide the duties of the house
among themselves — two serve in the kitchen, two in
the laundry, one begs, one devotes herself to con-
stant personal attendance on the wants of the old
men, and so on with the others, each having her
special department. The whole sentiment of the
household is that of a very large and very amiable
family. To feel that they console the last days of
the infirm and aged poor is all the Little Sisters get
for their hard work."

Let us return to France to follow the organization
which is being accomplished. The summer, 185 1,
saw the birth of the establishment at Laval, and the
autumn that of the house at Lyons. The foundation
at Laval, which took place on June 24, 185 1, was
exceptional. A legacy consisting of a house, a
garden, a meadow, and a small pond in a suburb,
having been made to the hospice administration, no
better way was found to utilize it than to entrust it
to the new hospitallers. In reality, a hospice cannot
live without income, without foundations of beds,
without a paid staff, and all this could be had gratis
with the Little Sisters of the Poor. They accepted
it, reserving their freedom of administration in ac-
cordance with the object of their work.

On November 2, 1851, two Sisters arrived in

8o THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Lyons. Abbe Coudour, who took an active part in
the foundation, interpreted thus the impression of
the inhabitants of Lyons: "Unknown, strangers,
dressed in a new though very simple costume, they
brought with them for their great work only a good
will, proof against everything, and an unlimited
confidence in Divine Providence. What resources
have been prepared at least for their reception and
to facilitate the accomplishment of their mission ?
None. What endowment awaits them ? None.
Where is the house destined for them? The house
is still unknown. What is their capital ? Poverty.
Where are their incomes ? Nowhere and everywhere.
Nowhere — they have nothing certain, and no obli-
gation is rigorously contracted in regard to them.
They are going to find some hearts which, knowing
their work, will receive them with that veneration
which cannot be idle, and that love which brings
forth devotedness. Everywhere — rich and poor will
contribute to their prosperity. Scarcely established,
they will see innumerable brooks, issuing from all
ranks of society and following the same inclination,
come to throw themselves into the river of their
charity, not to be lost there, but in some sort to
grow and multiply. All, then, lies in the future,
all rests on private charity." On December i, 185 1,
the Little Sisters of the Poor took possession of a
hired house in the Place des Bernardines, with Sister
Theodore, one of the pillars of the Little Work, as
Superior. Six months later the home counted ninety-
four old people.

Cardinal de Bonald provided the humble beast of

THE CONGREGATION 8i

burden. People used to see one of the Little Sisters
in the streets of Lyons leading by the bridle a
donkey with two baskets, which were daily filled with
eatables, vegetables, broken victuals from the hotels,
coffee grounds, etc. This attracted the attention
and at times the mockery of the people and some-
times mobs. There was need of humility, devotedness,
intrepidity; but in these the Sisters were not want-
ing. So they went on, thinking about their family
of poor and Saint Joseph, their protector, leading
the donkey in the flight into Egypt, also meditating
on Jesus making His entrance into Jerusalem riding
on an ass. It sometimes happened that the Sisters
who were begging were rebuffed, and instead of alms
received insults. This happened once at the house
of a tradesman, who was in a bad temper that day,
and abused religious communities. The Sister re-
ceived the shower of abuse without showing any
emotion, contenting herself with modestly keeping
her eyes down. When the man ceased to speak, she
raised her eyes and said, with a gentle voice : *' Now
that you have given me something for myself, please
give me something for my poor." The tradesman
felt a tear rise to his eyes, and soon gave his offering.
The Sister withdrew, blessing God, who thus changes
the heart of men.

Here is an episode which happened in Paris in
185 1. The police arrested Sister Adrienne in the
market-place at Saint-Germain, where the trades-
women were giving to her in abundance. At that
time there was no carriage; it was the Sisters and
the old people who carried the gifts in baskets and

6

82 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

basins. One day, when the begging had been
fruitful and they were preparing to leave, two police-
men stopped the Sister, and in the name of the law
took her to the Inspector of Police. As he was
occupied, they made her sit down on the bench of
the prisoners awaiting trial. The good Sister recited
her office and then her beads as the people came and
went. At last her turn arrived, and the Commissary
questioned her on her misdemeanour of begging.
She explained the work and her employment.
** Return to look after your poor," said the humane
officer, "but beg no more." At this moment, the
women of the market and the old people rushed
into the court. " They cannot prevent your coming
to us and our giving to you," cried the trades-
people; **you will come back. Sister." In fact, she
did return, and was henceforth left in peace.

The fifteen homes sheltered 1,500 old people in
the year 1852 when the house in Lille began. The
Superior-General had said: "We shall make a nice
foundation in Lille because there are so many poor."
This saying had made a great impression. ** She
did not say there are many benefactors in Lille, but
many poor," said the benefactors among themselves.
The Little Sisters saw gathered around them the
most sympathetic, pious, and charitable friends, who
installed them on February 2 in a house which they
had purchased for them in the Rue Saint-Sauveur.
"It is a real Providence," said a public writer of
that time, "that they dwell in the centre of the
most populous and the poorest parish, at the focus

THE CONGREGATION 83

of so many miseries, both moral and physical.
Their appearance, their example, their sympathy,
will be a new and mighty element of regeneration
for this miserable portion of our population." A
procession consisting of schools, religious communi-
ties, ladies and gentlemen, and clergy, followed by
a sympathetic crowd, singing hymns, while the
chiming of bells conducted the five Little Sisters
and twelve old persons from the church to the home.
These formed the nucleus of the establishment. The
press having made an appeal, the Mother-Superior
went round the streets with a cart for three days.
She received a quantity of old furniture and old
clothes, which provided the household requisites and
the wardrobe of the home.

At the same time, February 8, 1852, two Little
Sisters took possession of a house in Marseilles, of
which the first story was occupied by rooms filled
with corn, and the second by ten households. The
property had two doors each bearing a number, but
there were only three apartments empty. At this
good news, four Little Sisters left Paris for Mar-
seilles. After paying for their tickets, they had
only two francs in their pockets and some provisions
for the journey. In those days, people went by
train to Chalon, then on to Lyons by boat along
the river Saone. After the little expense of food
and of the journey down the river were paid, they
had twopence left. Alas ! after being on the water
some time, the boat which carried them split in
two, and the travellers were in danger of perishing.
It was then that a passenger made a remark which

84 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

has come down to our times : * ' No, we shall not
perish; we have the Little Sisters of the Poor on
board ! ' ' Putting their trust in God, they lifted
up their hearts and prayers to Him. The boat was
got to shore, and everyone was able to land; but as
the boat continued to split, the luggage fell in the
water; not, however, the luggage of the Little
Sisters, for their poor trunk had been forgotten at
Paris. Some good religious harboured them while
waiting for the next boat and supplied them with
provisions. The rest of the journey was made with-
out difficulty. At Marseilles, the Little Sisters
obtained authorization to have the five rooms
emptied that were filled with corn. But having no
money, they applied to the city porters, who
arranged the affair and sent them gratuitously sixty
strong men. The corn was dislodged; and then
came the turn of the ten households, for the pro-
prietor, won over to the cause, made some compen-
sation in concert with the Sisters, and they took
possession of the place. It was taken by storm by
sixty old men, who gave a new aspect to the
property. The Good Mother was Sister Julie-Marie,
one of the pillars of the association. The eccle-
siastical authority officially supported the founda-
tion, and hence the circular of Mgr. de Mazenod*
to his clergy, dated February 13, 1852, is an his-
torical document :

* ' You are aware already what good the Little
Sisters of the Poor do wherever they exist. Their

* Bishop of Marseilles and founder of the congregation of
the Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

THE CONGREGATION 85

Institute, founded but yesterday in obscurity and
abjection, has sent forth a light that confounds the
age, showing it once more the power of a charity,
far superior to all its costly conceptions. From
what is passing at Rennes, Bordeaux, Nantes,
Rouen, Besan^on, Lyons, Paris, London, and else-
where, it is permitted to believe that God has willed
to choose that which is feeblest in order to give a
new demonstration of the inexhaustible fertility of
Catholic charity, always ready to multiply and to
vary its resources according to the times, even at the
price of sacrifices the most painful to human nature.
The Little Sisters not only are poor with their poor,
but for them they make themselves beggars. They
serve them with their own hands with touching care,
and feed them admirably from the fruit of their
begging, while they feed themselves with the leav-
ings of those, in whom they honour and serve the
Divine Master. Their devotedness has for its object
the care of aged poor of both sexes. These old
people, often isolated or a burden to their families,
who cannot or will not take care of them, live, or
rather die, in a helplessness as deplorable for their
souls as for their bodies. They will find in the
foundation in question the double help of which they
have need. You will make the faithful understand
how important it is that they should associate with
the good work which will be done, and which, I
hope, will find no less sympathy and co-operation
in our town than in other large towns in France."

During this time the situation of the Little Work
was properly organized at Rennes, and the future

86 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

was full of hope. In May, the event so long ex-
pected took place, and the decree of approbation
was accorded. It ran thus :

" Godejroy Saint Marc, by the Divine mercy and
the grace of the Holy Apostolic See, Bishop
of Rennes,
" Having had the constitutions of the hospitaller
family of the Sisters of the Poor carefully examined,
and desiring to give a formal approbation to this
congregation, which since its establishment has re-
ceived such visible marks of Divine protection, and
which has not ceased to give proofs of its de.votion
and zeal for the care of the aged and infirm poor.
On the report which has been made to us by one of
our Vicars-General, we have approved, and by these
present letters do commend, the statutes of the said
hospitaller family, and we permit our dear daughters,
called the Little Sisters of the Poor, to establish
themselves in our diocese, to live there under our
jurisdiction in conformity with their rules. We name
the Rev. Auguste-Marie Le Pailleur, Superior-
General of the said hospitaller family, and Sister
Marie- Augustine, Mother-General. In the future the
appointment of the Superior will be made in accord-
ance with the rules laid down in the constitutions.
'* Given at Rennes, the 29th day of the month of
May, in the year of grace 1852.

" 1^ GODEFROY, Bishop of Rennes.'"^

* By a bull dated January 3, 1859, the bishopric of Rennes
was raised to an archbishopric, with Mgr. Saint Marc for
first titular.

THE CONGREGATION 87

There was deep joy amongst the friends of the
work. One of the directors of the seminary of
Saint-Sulpice in Paris struck the true note: "The
approbation given by the Bishop of Rennes affords
me great pleasure. I was wishing to see a Bishop
occupy himself with this work and consolidate it by
authority. It is a fulcrum that was necessary, and
God has supplied it at the proper time. Here is a
work which is authorized in the eyes of the Church;
hence it will prosper more uniformly. This is a new
foundation, and God wishes to preserve this
modesty, humility, and this spirit of detachment in
the heart of all the Little Sisters. You are properly
placed in the country of Brittany, which has seen
the birth of this work."

In the preceding month of August they had
acquired a property named "La Piletiere," in a
suburb of Rennes. Some large and old buildings
of irregular construction, extended between the road
and the river Vilaine. The Venerable Abbe Caron
had begun there in 1785 an establishment for the
poor; then, the manufacture of canvas for sails for
the navy had prospered there, before the rise of
steamboats. The establishment, restored to its
primitive destination, was filled with poor, and
became for some years the centre of the congrega-
tion and of the novitiate. On May 31, 1852, Mgr.
Saint Marc presided at its inauguration, in the
presence of numerous friends, the Superior-General,
and the good mothers of the different houses,
assembled for the occasion. We listen with pleasure
to this authoritative voice : "He spoke of the

88 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

treasures of charity and love which God had placed
in His holy Church, to bring to all sorrows and
sufferings, relief and consolation. He showed the
economy of Providence, which, when society ex-
periences new wants, raises up a new religious con-
gregation to fulfil a mission of zeal and devoted-
ness. Recalling the visit which he had made some
ten years before, at Saint-Servan, to a small cellar
where the first Sister began this work of which they
did not expect such a rapid development, he showed
the hand of God sustaining in the midst of diffi-
culties what was little, feeble, and poor, to effect
great marvels. Then, sketching an outline of the
mission which the new congregation had to fulfil,
the prelate showed that the character which had to
distinguish it, the virtue which had to preserve it,
was humility. To enter into the spirit of their
vocation, the Sisters must be really and always
Little Sisters of the Poor. It is only through
humility that they will obtain the graces and bless-
ings which God desires to pour out upon them."

This house was called the House of Saint Joseph.
The reason was as follows : At that time, when they
did not know where to place the novitiate, the Good
Mother Marie Therese of Jesus, who was in charge
of it in Paris, confided this grave affair to a Saint.
Not knowing whom to choose, she had recourse to
an expedient suggested to her by the reading of
Father Patrignani. She wrote on small pieces of
paper the names of several saints, folded up the
papers and drew a lottery. The name of Saint
Joseph came out first. She folded them again.

THE CONGREGATION 89

mixed the papers and drew a second time, and the
name of Saint Joseph appeared again. She repeated
the trial, and to her great astonishment the result
was the same. Understanding from this that God
wished to give Saint Joseph as protector to the
mother-house and the novitiate, she promised, sub-
ject to the ratification of legitimate authorities, that
the house which they sought for with so much
fervour should be put under the patronage of the
holy Patriarch. The promise was too agreeable to
the taste and devotion of all the Sisters not to be
ratified; — it became the promise of the little family.
From that time a tower, surmounted by the statue
of Saint Joseph, was erected above the mother-house
and the novitiate.

CHAPTER VII

TWENTY NEW FOUNDATIONS (1852-1854)

The entrance into Belgium — Death of one of the
foundresses — The General, the Emperor — The Burgo-
master of Brussels — A dressing-room of the Little
Sisters — The marvellous multiplication of food.

As if Providence had waited only for the ecclesi-
astical approbation to enlarge the congregation,
within three years the number of establishments
increased from seventeen to thirty-seven — Bourges,
Pau, Vannes, Colmar, La Rochelle, Dijon, Saint-
Omer, Brest, in 1852; Chartres, Liege, Bolbec, Paris
(third house), in 1852; Toulouse, Saint-Dizier,
Havre, Blois, Brussels, Le Mans, Tarare, Paris
(fourth house) in 1854. As we cannot follow in
detail these twenty foundations, we will attempt an
outline in characteristic anecdotes.

The foundation of Colmar, June 18, 1852, put the
institution in touch with the German language, and
on this account marks a date in its annals. The
foundation of Liege marks another. On July 26,
1852, an Assistant-General and a Sister arrived in
Belgium, at Liege, at the request of Rev. Groteclaez,
parish priest of Saint-Nicholas. This good priest
said to them: ** Welcome, Sisters! Let us go at
once to see the Chartreuse; it is a place that will be
very suitable for the work. Two hours later it is

90

TWENTY NEW FOUNDATIONS 91

to be sold." He led them towards Mount Cornillon,
on which it is situated, and there he showed them
that beautiful property, praising the advantages
which had decided him to choose it, and exerting
himself to make them share his sentiments. But the
good Mother Marie de la Conception was quite pre-
occupied, and seemed to take no interest in it at all.
Being obliged at the end to explain herself, she said :
** Reverend Father, this is all very beautiful, but I
have instructions from my Superiors directing me to
see the civil and ecclesiastical authorities, to obtain
their approval, and to get to know Liege, before
deciding anything; so holy obedience passes before
everything else." The Dean was very much pained
at this answer. He led them back to his house in
silence. Having arrived there he said to them :
** Sisters, I am going to the auction, because it is
necessary that I should be present; but I shall not
push the matter further, as it seems that you do not
wish it." The two Little Sisters waited with
anxiety the issue of this affair, earnestly beseeching
the Lord not to allow their obedience to harm the
foundation. In the evening the Dean entered sadly,
and said : " It is all over about the Chartreuse; Mr.
Laport has bought it. The auctioneer, however,
had reserved to himself three days before giving a
definite answer." The following day, the good
parish priest took the Little Sisters to visit the
authorities and influential persons. Everywhere the
reception was encouraging. They then began to
look for a habitation to suit them; they visited
several houses, but found nothing convenient. At

92 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

last they returned to the Chartreuse, which was not
yet definitely gone. The good Mother Marie de la
Conception, struck by the numerous advantages
combined there, kept on repeating, "It is the
Chartreuse we want !" While they were going along
she perceived a niche at the end of an avenue of
lime-trees; then, in her vivid faith, she cried out:
*' Good Saint Joseph, if you obtain the Chartreuse
for us, I will put you there!" The Dean, too,
determined to use every effort to secure this privi-
leged situation for the poor old people. The pur-
chaser understood the noble aim of the work, and
stopped at the appointed sum of 51,500 francs. Mr.
Rayet, the owner, accepted these conditions, and
the contract was signed July 31. Thus the Little
Sisters of the Poor were established in Belgium.

Two months later, the same Assistant-General
made the foundation at La Rochelle, at the request
of the Bishop. The Mayor appeared to be much
surprised at seeing the Little Sisters, and still more
so when he learned that they provided subsistence
for their homes by collecting alms. " I do not know
why you have come into our town," he said to them.
"We have here a large hospital, and, moreover,
I should not like to let the poor of my town be
taken care of by poor women, who are obliged to
go about begging themselves." The Sisters were
very much pained and embarrassed. They referred
the matter to the mother-house, and received orders
to leave the place if the Municipality persisted in
refusing its consent. Let the reader remember the
date of the foundation — September, 1852. The

TWENTY NEW FOUNDATIONS 93

Little Sisters of the Poor were just establishing their
mother-house and their novitiate at Rennes. They
had then only twenty houses, were not recognised by
the Government, and were little known to the greater
part of the public. That explains how the first
foundations were made with partial approbations,
and why they encountered sometimes a certain
opposition. But when the Little Sisters had suc-
ceeded in obtaining toleration, the work itself was
not slow in obtaining the suffrage of all. That is
what happened at La Rochelle, for at the visit on
the following New Year's Day, the Mayor formally
declared that he was a friend and benefactor of the
establishment. At Dijon (January i, 1853) it was
the Municipality that provided the lodging for the
Little Sisters, and the Mayor who made the first
offermg.

These good tidings arrived at Rennes at the time
when measures were being taken to organize the
novitiate, which counted sixty-four postulants
(February, 1853). Until then it had been customary
to send the postulants to some branch-home imme-
diately after their clothing, and to recall them to
the novitiate simply for a retreat preparatory to the
vows, so that the year of the novitiate was spent in
one of the homes with the poor. In the month of
March, 1853, it was decided that this custom should
cease, and that no novice should be admitted before
she had passed three months at the novitiate. The
Sisters were also occupied in enlarging the property
and accommodation, in view of the wants of the

94 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

future. The Rev. Paul Gontar, attracted by the
devotedness and humility of the Little Sisters, con-
stituted himself the voluntary chaplain of the
novitiate, first at Paris, then at Rennes; and as he
was favoured with means, he contributed an im-
portant sum for the development of the establish-
ment.

Alas! on August 12, 1853, the congregation was
in mourning. The good Mother-Assistant Marie
Therese de Jesus, who had long been suffering, died
at the mother-house at Rennes. How many others
since then, broken down, like her, by the sacrifice of
charity, have died before their time ! A fearless
worker at "the small beginnings," she had at least
the joy to see " the Little Work " taking consistence
and promising a glorious future. She went to her
reward.

But we must continue our narration. Various
personages will be mentioned. The home for the
aged at Saint-Omer had just been opened, with the
generous co-operation of the family of Givenchy.
Now, the army was camping in the vicinity, and
General Canrobert commanded. He patronized, in
the institution of the Little Sisters, the army of the
poor, was the first to make his offering, and gave
them a guide on their begging rounds. The Little
Sisters who made the collection were presented by
the sergeant in the name of the General, and they
went round the camp as though on a special mission,
accosting the officers in brilliant uniforms, and pass-
ing in their black mantles through the midst of

TWENTY NEW FOUNDATIONS 95

groups of soldiers. When the period of the exercises
was over, Canrobert, before leaving for Paris, gave
the home all that his tent contained, including the
splendid remains of the farewell banquet.

The Empress Eugenie was preoccupied with the
lot of the poor old people in the suburbs. At her
request, the Little Sisters began their third establish-
ment in the capital on November 23, 1853. On the
following March 27 the Sovereigns honoured the
home by their visit, and thus gave it a high proof
of interest. They were received by the good Mother-
Assistant Lucie-Marie, the tenth Little Sister of the
Poor, one of the little stars of the original constella-
tion of Saint-Servan, surrounded by the Little
Sisters of Paris. The old people of the three houses
assembled for the occasion, applauded their Majesties
with sentiments of gratitude and recognition of the
honour conferred on them. " The Emperor and
Empress were very kind," wrote the good Mother.
** They put to us many questions about our manner
of supporting our house and feeding our old people;
they appeared greatly touched, and could but
admire the care of Divine Providence."

The Rev. Mallois, Chaplain of the Court, loved
this work, "which is," he said, " a stroke of the
genius of charity in this century, and will be one of
its glories. One knows," he added, ** how difficult it
is to make men live together of different characters
and education, especially when they have arrived
at an advanced age; an old man has his habits, his
ideas, even his caprices, to which he clings as to life,
because he considers them to be a part of himself.

96 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Notwithstanding-, they succeeded in melting down
all these divergencies and establishing the most
perfect harmony between all these old people, who
had never seen each other. This was effected by
indulgence and gentleness; without a harsh word or
severity they make themselves loved, and this is the
secret of their influence over the aged. They are
patient, they wait and finish by establishing amongst
them a spirit of peace and union; politeness and
charity even reign among them; they love each
other, and are eager to oblige and to give pleasure."
He resumed playfully : " Have you seen the drawer
full of crusts, when you visited the houses of the
Little Sisters ? It is a real curiosity ; there is a com-
plete collection of crusts — thin crusts and thick crusts,
crusts of white bread and crusts of brown bread, dry
crusts, etc. Of its kind, it is the finest collection in
the universe."

Let us now cross the frontier and for the second
time enter Belgium, where the hospitaller family was
called into the capital by a committee of ladies, and
where the Burgomaster placed at their disposal some
old barracks, which the Little Sisters at once filled
with aged sick. " The Burgomaster of Brussels,"
said the official document, *' authorizes the Little
Sisters of the Poor to collect the necessary help to
maintain the refuge for the aged which they have
instituted in this town. Given at the Town Hall,
April 5, 1854, de Broukere." The Duchess of
Brabant, the future Queen of Belgium, became a
most devoted benefactress of the home, and em-
broidered vestments for the poor chapel.

TWENTY NEW FOVNDATIONS 97

At what price did the Little Sisters of the Poor
obtain this success? It is necessary here to look at
the other side of things and take views of the in-
terior, in order to understand clearly their life of
abnegation. The home at Brest was opened on
February i, 1853; numbers of old people arrived in
complete destitution. " We had received some body-
linen, and could give them a change at first; but
sheets were wanting. We improvised some by
sewing together pieces of canvas and cotton, and
we spread them as nicely as we could on the straw
mattresses." The dormitory of the Little Sisters
was in a corresponding condition; they had passed
on some of their sheets, blankets, and pillows to the
old people, and had made themselves some coverings
of tarpaulin. On Sunday, they went to the service
in the parish church. **We had worked at the
dresses for the women through a part of the night,
using the morning-gowns which had been given to
us, but still many things were wanting. Each
Sister took one of the poor women and dressed her,
taking from her wardrobe or from that of another
Sister whatever else was needed." They were half
stripped, but charity is the wealth of the poor, and
the mantle of the Little Sisters covered their own
poverty; then they were able to bring the good
women to Mass, and they rejoiced to have offered
to God something at their own expense — that is a
pleasure peculiar to foundations. In these days a
maid-servant came to visit them; moved by this
penury, she retired for a moment, took off one of
her petticoats, gave it quickly to one of the Sisters,

7

98 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

and disappeared. When one thus builds on sacri-
fice, Heaven gives its blessing, and the future is
assured.

On June 7, 1853, the Little Sisters of the Poor
arrived at Chartres, and took possession of a hired
house in the Place Saint-Pierre. They found a large
round table in the parlour, four iron bedsteads in
one room, two in another; then, in a closet, six
straw mattresses, six mattresses, six bolsters, six
quilts. Their surprise was great. **We were all
enraptured at such goodness on the part of our
Lord." By this cry of admiration, one may judge
at what point of destitution the first houses had
been founded. The same evening, a priest came to
ask them to admit a paralyzed woman, sixty-eight
years of age, quite a giantess, who had been con-
verted lately after having done harm by selling and
lending bad books. To obtain for the sinner the
grace of a Christian death, they transported her to
the house of the Little Sisters. The next day the
priest was able to bring Communion to the penitent
woman, but in what penury was our Lord received !
A white handkerchief was spread on the mantelpiece,
and the priest brought a wax-candle in his pocket to
place near the Blessed Sacrament, as they had neither
ciltar nor candlestick. The first communion was
made in the house at Chartres.

At Blois a novice, Sister Marie Auguste, estab-
lished the foundation and became Superior. At that
time, after the clothing, many novices were foun-
dresses; they gained their vows as in olden times
knights gained their spurs, on the battle-field. These

TWENTY NEW FOUNDATIONS 99

things are only possible at the beginning of under-
takings, when grace gives the impetus and the army
is improvised; afterwards all falls into place, and is
organized according to rule. At Blois, then, the
instalment took place on March 25, 1854. A week
later a person, who kept a domestic agency, came to
offer to wash the linen and other garments, until the
Sisters had the means of doing it themselves. The
good Mother thanked her for her generous offer, but
said that there was no linen to wash. The woman
appeared quite surprised, and took this answer as
a refusal; till the good Mother explained to her that
the Little Sisters had not even a change of linen and
clothes. The woman went home at once and pro-
cured all that was necessary of this kind for the
community. In the end, she would not take back
what she had lent, assuring them that she was not
yet so poor as they were at the home.

The history of the Little Sisters is full of these
flowers of charity, which have an evangelical per-
fume ; they are the fioretti of the little family in their
grace and simplicity.

At the time of the foundation at Saint-Dizier, in
1854, a meeting was held in the parish for the work
of the Holy Childhood. The children, who were
informed of the event, had obtained gifts from their
families ; these they brought with them to the church
to be blessed, and from thence they went to the
home of the Sisters to deposit them. There were
quantities of little packets of salt, sugar, rice, bread,
wine, coffee — a little of everything. Ought we not
to accustom our children to such works of charity ?

loo THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Thus the work of the Little Sisters everywhere
struggled against the material difficulties of a foun-
dation; but the idea of doing good cheers all, and
already a ray of glory seems to pass over the humble
beginning.

We find in the Bolbec journal the thought of the
enlightened public at this epoch: "As favoured as
the great towns, Bolbec possessed a home of the
Little Sisters of the Poor. That is to say, the most
wretched of our fellow-citizens can now grow old
among us, without any fear of being, in their last
days, without a roof to shelter them, or a hearth at
which to warm themselves, without ever lacking a
heart to love them or a friendly hand to close their
eyes."

We find from the pen of a talented writer a
description of the collection in Paris: " I was walk-
ing along the market-place of Sevres one morning
at the most busy time, when I saw coming up slowly,
about twenty steps from me, a low narrow cart,
drawn by a meek little donkey; a Sister walked at
the side of the donkey, and an old man in a gray
great-coat, occupying the seat, was driving, whip in
hand. As the little cart advanced, a kind of cheer-
ful murmur passed from stall to stall. One trades-
woman left her counter to deposit a whiting in it;
her neighbour followed close, bringing a couple of
eggs. Soon, when the cart was in the centre of the
market-place, there was a sort of avalanche, from all
sides, cabbages, turnips, leeks, potatoes, came pour-
ing in. Out of one window fell a packet of old
clothes, and from another a pair of sheets (a little

TWENTY NEW FOUNDATIONS loi

worn and threadbare, but still capable of being made
into excellent pocket-handkerchiefs, and even very
presentable napkins). At every one of these presents
the donkey, which seemed to be quite accustomed
to it, shook his long ears gravely; the Sister bowed
and gave a smile of gratitude to the donor."

At the same period Donozo Cortes, the Spanish
Ambassador in Paris, one of the glories of Catholi-
cism, took pleasure in going to visit the home in the
Rue Saint-Jacques, carrying his old clothes under his
arm, and making his offerings in person.

Thus the hospitaller institution was taking, more
and more, a place in society. The life of the Little
Sisters was a mixture of joys and sacrifices. Their
joys were great in seeing the work for the old people
firmly rooting itself, the phalanx of vocations ever
increasing, the central government settled, and the
benefactors growing more attached to the work.
But their sacrifices, also great, grew with the number
of houses, the increase of the poor, the material
responsibilities, and the arduous life from day to
day. Providence did not abandon them in the
moments of distress, and several houses relate mar-
vellous incidents. They had seen, at one time or
another, the food multiplying at the precise moment
when food was failing for the meals of their cherished
poor. We have related the story of the marvellous
soup-kettle at Tours, now let us quote some like
incidents of Bourges and Poitiers.

In 1853, with the holidays, came scarcity from
dearth of the usual leavings; one day the collection

I02 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

failed, so that they received nothing, and were
supperless. The poor Sister who was the cook, not
knowing what to do, looked in every corner and
discovered only some dry prunes. She went to the
Superior, and told her how things stood. Good
Mother Raphael, calling to mind that the work is
founded on Providence, replied : " Go and cook your
prunes, and do not doubt ; our Lord will not let you
want." The little kitchen Sister returned, full of
confidence, put the prunes into the saucepan, but,
alas ! the bottom of it was scarcely covered. She
prayed the Lord to multiply them, if it was His
will for everyone to have some. The idea came to
her to soak some flour in water. "Ah, well," she
said, " I shall have enough for some thirty poor."
At last she dished the prunes up; as she took them
out of the saucepan it was filled again; it was as
when our Lord multiplied the five loaves. There
was food enough to satisfy 113 persons, and one
dish was still left.

Some years later, in the depth of winter, they
were at Poitiers, with only one barrel of wine in the
cellar, and triple that quantity would have been
necessary to carry them on to the next season. They
could not make up their minds to withhold this
little comfort from their sick and old people who
were working, so they continued to give them their
habitual portion. The barrel lasted eleven months,*
though it was only the proper measure for four
months, and when the new season came round they
filled forty bottles, two large pitchers, and every
* December, 1859, to November, i860.

TWENTY NEW FOUNDATIONS 103

bottle they found in the house with the remains.
When the last bottle was filled, the wine ceased.

These facts are related, since they strengthened
the invincible hope. Has not the work a super-
natural side? And the supernatural, is it less pos-
sible in details than in the whole ? The Little Sisters
did not believe so. They are, in this case, the wit-
nesses whom we must believe. Their work is there
as the imposing monument of their faith, confidence,
and absolute devotedness.

CHAPTER VIII

THE APPROBATION OF THE CHURCH

Introduction of the cause — Testimonial letters — Pius IX and
the five hundred Little Sisters — Rome speaks — Develop-
ment of the Constitutions.

By the mere fact of its growth the canonical question
of the hospitaller family presented itself again. As
we have said, such a work required an approbation
of a General Order. The Ordinary of the place,
having no jurisdiction over the other dioceses, could
not communicate to the rule and the work, which he
protected, the power of maintaining unity and regu-
larity always and everywhere; but he prepared the
way and became, by means of his position itself,
the authorized intermediary in the negotiations with
the Holy See. Already, in 1850, on account of the
difficulties in the situation at Tours and at Paris,
some devoted and clear-sighted friends had favoured
a first overture in the direction of Rome. The appeal
had awakened no echo because the demand had no
official base. The episcopal approbation of Rennes
gave this.

Even before issuing the decree of episcopal appro-
bation, and in order to mark his intention plainly,
Mgr. Saint Marc had sent his letter of approbation
to Rome in February, 1852. He wrote thus:*

* " Quatuor filiae ex humili loco et litterarum humanarum
prorsus inscias, inter quas nuncupata est Joanna Jugan,

104

THE APPROBATION OF THE CHURCH 105

* ' Four women of humble condition and ignorant
of learning, amongst whom must be counted Jeanne
Jugan, having collected a certain number of poor
persons, old and infirm of both sexes, have nourished
them, taken care of them, and prepared them for a
Christian death. They adopted, with a view to
acquiring higher perfection, a truly arduous life, and
set themselves to beg from door to door in the name
of the poor whom they served, and to collect from
all sides the remains of food, torn clothes, and fire-
wood. Events have shown that God is pleased with
these works of charity; for it has been given us to
see that after overcoming many difficulties, in the
space of a few years, the number of Sisters has
increased, the Spirit of God has been shed more and
more into their hearts, and the poor have been
received in multitudes, in the hospices of which
these pious virgins laid the foundation at Saint-
Servan."

cum nonullos utriusque sexus senes et infirmos egestate
laborantes, alendos curandosque ac tandem morti Christianae
disponendos suscepissent, mox altioris perfectionis ac-
quirendae gratia, vitae genus vere arduum arripientes,
nomine pauperum quibus famulabantur emendicare ostiatim
et colligere undequaque turn reliquias ciborum, tum laceres
vestes, tum frusta lignorum cceperunt. Quantum ista oflficia
charitatis gratum Deus haberet comprobavit eventus ; nam
multas post difficultates superatas paucis annis vix elapsis,
numerum sororum supra modum auctum, et, illo crescente,
spiritum Dei magis ac magis in cordibus ipsarum diffusum,
pauperes quam plurimos receptos in hospitio cujus illae pise
virgines fundamentum fecerant apud Sanctum Servatium,
nobis videre datum est."

io6 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Fortified by the episcopal approbation, the
Superiors-General brought the affair in due form
before the Roman court. They applied for the
laudatory brief, which is the first degree in the
process of general approbation. A note addressed
by them to Cardinal Fornari, shows us the tenor of
the request: *' It is not the approbation of the con-
stitutions that we solicit; that would be premature
in every way, for experience has still many things
to teach us. What we ask for is only the first brief
which praises the work, and is an indication of the
way in which we should continue for the glory of
God, for the development, good administration,
unity, and spirit of the work. This is an indication
consequently, of the kinds of addition, suppression,
or modification to be made in the draft of the Con-
stitutions." This note is of great retrospective value;
it is the sounding line which shows the depth of the
ideas which then prevailed in the councils of the
association.

In answer to these requests, the Congregation of
Bishops and Regulars, on August 13, 1852, applied
to the Bishop of Rennes, to obtain from him official
information regarding the institution and letters of
approbation from the Bishops having jurisdiction
over the different establishments of the Little Sisters
of the Poor.

Important testimonial letters were thus collected
by the Bishop of Rennes, and transmitted by him
to the Holy Apostolic See. There was an unan-
imity of praise for the work and its charitable
purpose.

THE APPROBATION OF THE CHURCH 107

Cardinal Mathieu, Archbishop of Besan^on, wrote
on September 17, 1852: "Although scarcely born,
the pious congregation of the Little Sisters of the
Poor bears great fruit of religion and of charity, and,
has everywhere the approbation of good people.
The Sisters spread the good odour of Christ, and
gain the hearts of all by modesty, piety, religion,
and charity."

Cardinal Donnet, Archbishop of Bordeaux, said :
** Desiring to contribute to the success of this request,
and wishing to give these pious and worthy Sisters
a true testimony of our affection and confidence, we
attest and declare that the Little Sisters of the Poor
formed a home in the town of Bordeaux three years
ago; that they support, by means of alms which they
collect, more than sixty old men and women; that
they exercise constantly in regard to them, both as
regards soul and body, a charity beyond all praise;
and that the piety of these virtuous women, their
modesty, their noble devotedness to the holy work
they carry on, obtain for them the ever-increasing
respect and admiration of the inhabitants of the
town."

Cardinal Wiseman, Archbishop of Westminster,
on October 26, 1852, wrote: "No religious devoted
to the relief of the poor give themselves up to that
work with greater zeal for charity, and, above
all, with greater patience, and it will not be easy
to surpass them in the exercise of these virtues.
Since they have opened one of their homes in
London, where more than seventy women advanced
in age are nourished and cared for with exquisite

io8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

charity, they have gained the hearts of everyone,
not only Cathohcs, but also Protestants."*

Side by side with these remarkable testimonials
must be inscribed the co-operation of friends of the
work, who prepared a favourable opinion at Rome
itself : Father Jandel, Superior-General of the
Dominicans, several Jesuit fathers and French
priests, the Princess Borghesi, Louis Veuillot.

Rome moved with customary prudent slowness,
but appreciated this new form of charity. A favour-
able vote had already been issued, and the affair
was about to end simply in the laudatory decree
which was sought for, when the Archbishop of Paris
intervened. Mgr. Sibour, without opposing himself
to the other Bishops in regard to the object of the
institution, which he praised, found the organization
defective in some points, and pointed out certain
difficulties of application. His objection, dated
August 7, 1853, enlarged the discussion and
advanced the cause. The hospitaller congregation,
well advised, extended its request no longer to the
laudatory decree alone, but beyond that to the
approval of the institution itself, postponing the ap-
probation of the constitutions to a more convenient
time.

* Nullas credo religiosae familias pauperum solatio
addictae, majori cum caritate zelo, et prassertim patientia
huic operae incumbent, neque facile erit ipsas in harum
virtutum exercitio superare. Ex quo Londini hospitium
suum aperuerunt, in quo septuaginta et amplius provectas
aetatis mulieres nutriuntur, et exquisita caritate curantur
omnium non solum catholicorum sed et protestantium
animos sibi devincerunt.

THE APPROBATION OF THE CHURCH 109

Some months later, in February, 1854, the
Superiors-General went to Rome to give the
necessary information. Pope Pius IX received
them with kindness, and listened with interest to
the account of the progress of the work. Learning
that the Little Sisters of the Poor were five hundred
in number, he said : * ' You are no longer a little
flock. You are like the disciples of our Saviour,
who were also Ave hundred!" July 9, 1854, was
a solemn day for the congregation; the Church
spoke, and promulgated the decree of which the
translation is as follows :

"Decree.*

" Having seen the testimonial letters of the local
Bishops, and heard the desires of the Cardinals

* " Decretum. — Attentis igitur litteris testimoniallbus
Antistitum locorum, et, audito voto S.R.E. Cardinalium
Consultationibus et Negotiis Episcoporum et Regularium
praepositionum, Sanctitas Sua memoratum Institutem par-
vularum Sororum pauperum pnesentis Decreti tenore, rite
Congregationem votorum simplicium, salva jurisdictione
Ordinariorum ad formam Sacrorum Canonum approbat
atque confirmat, dilata ad aliud tempus Constitutionum
approbatione una cum examine articuli respicientis officium
Moderatoris generalis ; nempe an idem officium suppri-
mendum sit ; ita tamen ut interim Presbyter Le Pailleur
permaneat in exercitio sui officii uti promotor Instituti
ad beneplacitum Sanctae Sedis.

" Parvulas igitur Sorores pauperum hoc publico Apostolicas
Sedis testimonio commendatae ferventius incumbant in opera
misericordiae erga pauperes, ut a divino Sponso in adventu
suo audire mereantur : Quod minimis istis fecistis mihi
fecistis.

no THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

charged with the consultations and affairs of Bishops
and Regulars, His Holiness by the terms of the
present decree approves and confirms the institute
mentioned, of the Little Sisters of the Poor, as a
congregation with simple vows, subject to the juris-
diction of the Ordinaries according to the Holy
Canons, remitting to another time the approval of
the constitutions, as well as the examination of the
article concerning the office of Moderator-General —
and the decision as to whether it ought to be sup-
pressed or not. However, meanwhile the priest, Le
Pailleur, will remain in the exercise of his charge as
promoter of the institute, during the good pleasure
of the Holy See.

" Let the Little Sisters of the Poor then, recom-
mended by the public testimony of the Apostolic
See, give themselves with new ardour to their works
of mercy towards the poor, in order that they may
merit to hear the Divine Spouse say on the day of
His coming : ' What you have done to the least of
My little ones, you have done to Me.'

"Given in Rome in the Holy Congregation of
Bishops and Regulars the ninth day of July, 1854.
" J. Cardinal della Genoa, Prefect,
*' A. BiZARRi, Secretary/'

"The Little Family," then in its fifteenth year,
saw its existence recognized and consecrated by the

*' Datum Romae ex Sacra Congregatione Episcoporum
ac Regularium die Julii 9, 1854.

"J. Card, de Genoa, Prcef.
*• A. Bizarri, Seer."

THE APPROBATION OF THE CHURCH in

supreme government of the Church. It was raised
to the dignity of the religious congregations
approved by the Holy Apostolic See. This was,
for the first Little Sisters of the Poor, the most
desired reward for their hard labours and unswerv-
ing faith. In the thirty-six houses hearts were over-
whelmed with joy, and the old people understood
that the Church, in adopting the hospitaller work,
became their Mother in a special manner.

" Now that it is placed on the rock of Peter," a
Roman canonist wrote to them, "the edifice will
succeed in forming itself with the detached stones
which you will receive from Rome." In this sense
the approbation of the institute had, as its imme-
diate consequence, the addition to the rule of the
ordinary prescriptions of canonical right, conform-
ably to the counsels of the Congregation of Bishops
and Regulars. The constitutions in effect specified
that the congregation was governed by a Mother-
General, with the assistance of a General Council,
and that the Mother-Assistants formed but one moral
person with her; that the Superiors were elected for
a period of six years in the general chapter of the
congregation, held under the presidency of an
apostolic delegate; that the institute itself was con-
nected directly with the Holy Apostolic See, but
was placed under the jurisdiction of the Bishops in
what concerns worship and the Sacraments, the
canonical examination preliminary to the clothing
and profession of subjects, and other prescriptions
of the holy canons.

Such was the legislative and administrative form

112 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

of the congregation and its control in the spiritual
ecclesiastical order. By way of application, the
administration of the mother-house and novitiate
was separated from the administration of the house
for the poor; then the mother-house was organized
apart with its staff and exercises, the novitiate was
to last one year, which the novices were to spend
entirely at the house of the novitiate. It was regu-
lated that the novices should be dressed like the
Sisters, with the exception of the scapular, and that
the headband should not entirely cover the hair. As
to the ceremony of profession, which includes the
taking of the first vows, it was always to be made
in the novitiate according to the adopted rite.

These quotations, completing what we have said
about the primitive regulation and the gradual
developments of the rule, show how the inner life
of the congregation was constituted, fortified, and
perfected in order to work out an intense life of
charity in the world. The approbation gave it that
common basis of religious life which the religious
orders derive from the Church, while each retains
its own proper character, as the engrafted branch
develops the natural energy of the plant and enables
it to produce excellent fruits.

CHAPTER IX

THE APPROBATION OF ROME— LA TOUR
SAINT-JOSEPH

The London foundation— A sacerdotal helper— Financial
state of the hospitaller family — The congregation
approved — Acquisition of La Tour Saint-Joseph.

The approbation of the institute, so desirable in
itself, was the occasion of a heavy trial. It will be
remembered on what special terms the first houses
had been founded, and what a mixture of natural
fragility and moral strength the work of the Sisters
manifested. The foundation in London had been
formed in the ordinary way, had been made by
novices who had simply passed six months in the
congregation, and had then become Superiors. At
the end of the year following their clothing, they
had been permitted to make their vows in London;
in the same way, the English postulants had been
allowed to take the habit there, so that in reality
the distant house had acquired a sort of autonomy
or independence. The approbation of the congrega-
tion had several consequences, one of which was
that the London house fell under the common
administration. The Superiors-General met with a
double opposition. On the one hand, the Sisters
and novices of this house put forward, on August
9, 1854, the claim to form a self-governing branch
of the Little Sisters of the Poor for the use of the

113 8

114 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

countries where the English language is spoken; on
the other hand, the diocesan authority pronounced
in favour of the continuation of the existing state of
things, for fear of seeing the establishment, the
object of so many sacrifices, fall to the disedification
of Protestants. The affair passed through different
phases, having for object the safe-guarding of
acquired rights and reciprocal interests, and the
matter was at last deferred to Rome on the ground
that the said house formed part of the thirty-six
establishments included in the sentence of approba-
tion, having received a letter of approbation from
the Ordinary of the diocese. It came to an end in
1 86 1, and we will return to it at that date.

At the beginning of June, 1855, the congregation
gained a distinguished fellow-labourer in the person
of the Abbe Ernest Lelievre, whose name is indis-
solubly connected with the hospitaller institution.
Born at Valenciennes on April 13, 1826, related to
rich industrial families in the North, a friend of
Louis Veuillot, who had made known to him the
work of the Little Sisters of the Poor, this young
priest, immediately after his ordination, placed at
the service of the hospitaller family both his know-
ledge as doctor of law and of theology, his large
fortune and his administrative power. This good
priest, with the permission and full approbation of
the Bishop of Rennes, rendered the association
valuable services, which were the more necessary as
the development of the work was so rapid. The
Rev. Lelievre gave his assistance first in an im-*

THE APPROBATION OF ROME 115

portant affair — the legal recognition of the congre-
gation in France.

This question was then being studied, and the
time had come to decide under what system the
congregation should exercise the right of ownership
over the estates indispensable for its charities. That
step was not taken without some hesitation. At
Laval particularly, the foundation had been made
in a building belonging to the hospitals; at Mans
(April 10, 1854) the foundation was also the result
of an arrangement with the municipality, which re-
served to itself certain territorial rights based on
the original legacy; at Rennes the establishment of
the Little Sisters at La Piletiere was under an agree-
ment which reserved a certain number of places for
the poor sent there by the town, on condition of a
certain payment. The various conditions were
foreign to the spirit of the society, and they show
clearly the anxieties which the Sisters had concern-
ing their course of action and the experiments to
which in all prudence they had resorted; but on the
whole, the hospitaller association tended more and
more towards independent administration and
private property. That also renders it more touch-
ing and more human in its evolution as it pressed
on towards its ideal. We shall soon see how this
difficulty was solved.

On February 14, 1855, the Superior-General
addressed a petition to the Minister of the Interior,
in which she solicited " an Imperial Order authoriz-
ing legally the institution of the Little Sisters of
the Poor, and giving it a right to civil life." An

ii6 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

influential well-wisher served to introduce the cause,
as is stated in this communication from the Secretary
of Commands of the Empress Eugenie, dated May i ,
1855. *' Her Majesty has been pleased to recom-
mend your request to the Minister of the Interior
personally, and I have the honour to inform you
that I have just transmitted it to his Excellency, by
order of the Empress."

The affair had entered into the circle of adminis-
tration. In the month of February, the Prefet of
lUe-et-Vilaine had asked the Mother-Superior for
**the statutes of your congregation approved by
Mgr. the Bishop of Rennes, and the account of the
assets and debits of your mother-house." In the
following May, he wrote to the Bishop of Rennes :
*' I will assist you with all my power, my lord, to
secure the success of such an interesting affair; but
to prevent all difficulties, I am obliged to return to
you the account of assets and debits of the com-
munity of the Little Sisters, begging you to remark
that the assets do not present any income for the
food and maintenance of the Sisters and the expense
of keeping up the building, etc. The debit figures
only state the sums due for the acquisition of estates,
and no mention is made of ordinary and extra-
ordinary expenses. The Council of State will no
doubt wish to estimate whether the community pos-
sesses sufficient income, to face all the obligatory
expenses."

In the objection thus raised, the civil Administra-
tion touched the vital question and the peculiar
character of the work, and from this point of view

THE APPROBATION OF ROME 117

the quotation which precedes is a document of
primary value. The following note, drawn up by
the Secretary-General, Sister Xavier Joseph, gives
the answer which applies to cases of the kind : ** The
assets of the Little Sisters present no income to serve
for the food and maintenance of the Sisters. None
can be presented, because there is none. The Sisters
in every establishment, where they are more or less
in number according to the number of old people,
are nourished, like these old people, from the collec-
tions and leavings. As to their clothing, it equally
comes from donations; often a benefactor gives a
piece of stuff, and sometimes even her own garments.
The novitiate offers some exceptions to what is said
above. The subjects being there for their training,
and in greater number than in the other houses, it
would not be just that they should profit from the
help of charity, which would be too great a burden
on the town where the novitiate was placed. So
every subject admitted contributes to her own ex-
penses by bringing a dowry, greater or smaller,
according to the position of her family. It is equally
impossible for the assets of the Little Sisters to
present any income from the maintenance of the
houses. For that maintenance every easy piece of
work is done by the healthy old men, who employ
themselves according to their respective crafts; the
more considerable works beyond the strength of the
old men are done by workmen, either paid with
money coming from public charity or hired by the
benefactors themselves, who sometimes undertake
such or such repairs, and even supply the materials

ii8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

for them. In the debits of the Little Sisters there
is no mention of daily expenses, because they are
covered day by day by means of alms and collections.
These expenses are often very small, because in
certain localities the gifts of Nature are very plenti-
ful. In this nothing can be fixed."

The account of assets and debits of the thirty-six
houses included : i . The mother-house at Rennes,
estates and buildings, 230,000 francs; furniture,
30,000 francs, of which they still owed 80,000 francs.
2. The house at Saint-Servan, 40,000 francs; furni-
ture, 10,000 francs. 3. The house at Dinan, 40,000
francs; furniture, 4,000 francs; remaining debt,
1,900 francs; and so forth. The congregation held
seventeen establishments on hire, of which the
furniture was valued at 142,000 francs. The total
assets came to 1,417,000 francs, and the total debit
to 443,400 francs. This account bore the inscription,
" Drcwn up in the council meeting at Rennes,
February 14, 1855," and it bore the signature,
"Sister Marie-Augustine, Superior-General."

Such was the patrimony of the work for the aged,
who were at that time 4,000 in number. Formed by
the personal properties of the members of the con-
gregation and donations of different benefactors, it
was encumbered with expense of maintenance and
taxes, and yet possessed no settled income.

Whilst the French Government was examining this
situation, the congregation was preoccupied with the
consequences of the approbation. On the one hand,
there was an advantage in having civil personality,
which gave a right to possess legally and enabled

THE APPROBATION OF ROME 119

them to receive legacies. On the other hand, they
held to the preservation of their liberty of adminis-
tration, free from dependence on civil commissions,
because otherwise the work would perish or fall into
the category of congregations placed at the service
of public administrations. They wished, before
definitely engaging themselves, to be certain that
the work would keep its indispensable mode of
existence — which was its very essence. The Rev.
Lelievre employed himself in Paris in elucidating
these questions to the complete satisfaction of the
Little Sisters of the Poor, as is shown in his report
of October 21, 1855.

A letter written afterwards by M. A. de
Taillandier, formerly Sub-Director at the office of
the Minister of Worship, contributes a piece of in-
formation worth recording : " I had had the pleasure
of co-operating with your very reverend Mother at
the foundation of your congregation so admirable
for abnegation and devotedness, in showing to her
the approved statutes likely to be the most useful
for her work, and in preparing at the office of the
Minister of Worship the report and the decree of
legal recognition."

Here are the terms of the official document :

"Decree.

" Napoleon, by the grace of God and the national
will. Emperor of the French,

* * To all present and future : Greetings !

" On the report of our Minister of Public Instruc-
tion and Worship;

I20 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

" Given the opinions of the Bishop of Rennes and
of the Prefect of Ille-et-Vilaine, dated May 15,
June 13, and October 26, 1855;

" Given the opinion of our Minister of the Interior,
dated May 14, 1855; the law of May 24, 1825; and
the decree of January 31, 1852;

" Our Council of State having been consulted.

" We have decreed and decree that which follows :

"First article. — The religious association of the
Little Sisters of the Poor, established at Rennes, is
authorized as a congregation directed by a Mother-
Superior-General, on condition that the members of
this establishment conform themselves exactly to the
statutes approved by royal ordinance of June 8, 1828,
for the congregation of the Sisters of Charity in
Strasburg, and which this association has declared
that it adopts.

"Article 2.— Our Minister of Public Instruction
and Worship and our Minister of the Interior are
charged, each in his department, with the execution
of the present decree, which shall be inserted in the
Bulletin of Laws.

" Given at the Palace of the Tuilleries, January 9,
1856.

"Signed: NAPOLEON.

" By the Emperor, the Minister of Public Instruc-
tion and worship : H. FORTOUL.

" A true copy : The Councillor of State, Director-
General of the Administration of Worship : De Con-

TENSIN."

THE APPROBATION OF ROME 121

Thus the hospitaller congregation of the Little
Sisters of the Poor, well rooted in the soil of France
and approved by the Church, took its definite place
in society. It succeeded in organizing the service of
infirm and indigent old age, and in virtue of this it
was recognized by public authority, when it had not
yet forty establishments and was only in the seven-
teenth year of its existence.

The organization of the mother-house and of the
novitiate gave rise at the same time to a very im-
portant question — where to place them. The house
at Rennes, with its 300 poor, its ground confined
between the high road and the river, scarcely allowed
the Sisters to raise there a second important estab-
lishment and to secure solitude and quietness for the
novitiate. They sought in vain for a piece of
ground; they tried to build on the ground opposite,
but only met with opposition; and meanwhile the
number of postulants was increasing. In these per-
plexities, they resolved to submit the case to the
diocesan authority, and to abide by his decision.
Monsieur Combes, Vicar-General, replied : ** Do not
build at Rennes : your piece of ground is too small,
and, above all, your novices are too much occupied
with the poor in that large home, and are not
sufficiently secluded. Choose, if possible, a large
piece of ground in a small parish. There you will
be surrounded by the good people of the country;
you will enjoy tranquillity and solitude." They
saw in this counsel the expression of the Divine
Will.

Then Abbe Genee, Superior of the missionaries of

122 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

the diocese,* pointed out an estate called ** La Tour,"
situated in the parish of Saint-Pern. The Superiors-
General of the congregation visited it, and the
property pleased everybody; they joyfully looked
forward to acquiring it, and this contentment seemed
to them an indication of the Divine Will.

There was plenty of water and wood, a fine quarry
of stones for building, as well as sand, a large piece
of ground, and pleasant scenery. The distance from
Rennes seemed an obstacle, but the proximity of the
little town of Becherel lessened the difficulty. The
parish of Saint-Pern was very religious, and the Cure,
Monsieur Margue, who employed himself actively in
the purchase, said : *' If a single person in my parish
did not perform his Easter duties, people would
point their hnger at him." The proprietors. Mon-
sieur and Mademoiselle Guimberteau, had decided
to sell the property. On January 30, 1856, the con-
tract was made in correct and due form. The price
was 212,000 francs, and on April i, 1856, three Little
Sisters of the Poor took possession. By a happy
coincidence, the Feast of Saint Joseph, falling that
year in Holy Week, had been transferred to April i.
It was under the auspices of their patron Saint that
the Little Sisters took possession of the estate of
La Tour, now become ** La Tour Saint-Joseph " (the
Tower of Saint Joseph).

* Mentioned on p. 73.

CHAPTER X

THE HOSPITALLER CHARITY

A charity committee — A gallery of pictures — A lodge of
Freemasons — A procession of our Lady — Midnight Mass
— The mother-house.

We have entered on the period of great development
of the hospitaller institution. In six years we count
twenty-six new establishments — Orleans, in 1855;
Caen, Saint-Etienne, Perpignan, Louvain, Mont-
pellier, in 1856; Jemappes, Agen, Poitiers, in 1857;
Saint-Quentin, Lisieux, Annonay, in 1858; Amiens,
Roanne, in 1859; Valenciennes, Grenoble, Draguig-
nan, Chateauroux, Roubaix, Boulogne, in i860;
Dieppe, Beziers, Clermont-Ferrand, Geneva, second
house of Lyons, Metz, in 1861. Every one of these
houses would deserve a special notice, but the
similarity of the work in the different places would
involve continual repetition. We must be content
with episodes which, standing out on the great
lines of the history of the society, illustrate and
complete it.

The house at Nancy had had the good fortune
to obtain a committee of gentlemen, including the
Bishop, the President of the Israelite Consistory,
the director of the journal UEsperance, etc. In
their appeal to the public, these gentlemen said :
"Everyone knows this work, which realizes one of
the highest and most useful conceptions of the charity
123

124 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

of the nineteenth century. Faithful to its origin,
our little foundation had the most humble begin-
nings; it remained for some time, so to say, ignored
in a house in the suburb Saint-Pierre, receiving poor
old forlorn women, who suffered from all the priva-
tions of misery. God soon blessed the efforts of the
Little Sisters and allowed their succour to extend
itself; and on April i they entered the house in the
Rue Mably which they now occupy. There the work
was manifestly increased; men were received, and
our town could appreciate the immense benefit of
our institution. Little by little people saw our
squares and streets relieved of those unfortunate
beings, who are a prey to the sufferings of old age
and misery; and it was not without emotion that,
in visiting the home, one observed the happy trans-
formation which has been effected in them." The
appeal was listened to. The subscription made in
these circumstances permitted the purchase of a
piece of ground and the commencement of the con-
struction of the actual establishment.

At Nantes the home developed in the same manner,
not by the action of a committee, but through the
admirable act of a single man. Monsieur Urvoy, of
Saint-Bedan, had made a magnificent gallery of
pictures, and gave it to the town on condition that
the town would construct for the Little Sisters of
the Poor an establishment capable of accommodating
i6o old people. The paintings became the glory of
the museum at Nantes, and this good work has
succoured hundreds of poor people.

The Little Sisters had been two years at Bolbec

THE HOSPITALLER CHARITY 125

when a very singular opportunity to enlarge their
home presented itself. The society of Freemasons
in that place being broken up, the lodge became
useless and was put up for sale. It appeared that
several of the members appreciated the work done
for the old people. When they knew that the nego-
tiations were for the home, they favoured the sale
at a moderate price. A better philanthropy suc-
ceeded to the old one, and seventy old people were
soon passing happy days there.

The foundation at Orleans (April 11, 1855) was
remarkable for the fact that the Little Sisters who
composed it were all professed, a thing which had
not happened before. Mgr. Dupanloup was the
protector. Scarcely had he entered Orleans when
he went to the home of the Little Sisters of the
Poor, who had arrived a fortnight earlier, carefully
examined the apartments and old people, noted all
that was lacking, and the following day at high
Mass he made it the subject of his sermon, and
interested all his hearers in the new work. A
month later he assigned to the Little Sisters a share
in the profits of the festivities of Jeanne d'Arc, as
though to associate the French heroine with her
young sisters in charity.

At Perpignan, Mgr. Gerbet, who had received a
beautiful statue of our Lady, at the time of the
proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Con-
ception, decided to give it to the hospice, and to
organize, for the occasion, a solemn procession
which would mark the opening of the home for the
aged. On Sunday, December 7, 1856, the pro-

126 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

cession issued from the cathedral, including the
authorities and more than 800 persons bearing
candles, whilst the Little Sisters escorted the statue
of the Immaculate Virgin. Arrived at the house,
the assembly formed into a group on the surround-
ing ground to hear the discourse of the learned
prelate, and to associate themselves heartily with
the benediction of the new charitable establish-
ment.

Abbe Hamon has related the origin of the fourth
house in Paris: "From the first years of my
ministry in the parish of Saint-Sulpice I wished for
a house of the Little Sisters. I used to see these
angels of charity accost poor old people forsaken in
the street, or trembling in a cold attic, from which,
moreover, the unmerciful landlord wished to drive
them away, and say to them with maternal tender-
ness : ' Come to us. We will receive you. We will
put at your service our arms and our feet, our health
and our life. We will beg for you from house to
house for the leavings of the rich which your age no
longer permits you to go and beg for yourselves.'
And on this kind invitation I used to see them
accept — these men who were on the point of cursing
life at the moment of quitting it, and these honest
workmen, low of station but noble-hearted, who had
spent all for their families, without putting aside
anything for their old age. There, at least, freed
from care, they tasted in peace the greatest happi-
ness they could hope for here below, and prepared
for themselves, by a Christian life, still greater
happiness through eternity.

' ' One evening, coming out of church, a venerable

THE HOSPITALLER CHARITY 127

lady came up to me and confided to me that she
kept at my disposal, to found a house for the Little
Sisters of the Poor, a sum of 20,000 francs, the fruit
of her savings during the twenty years of her widow-
hood. The following Sunday I announced this fact
to my parishioners, and the next day another lady
came and gave me 10,000 francs for the same work.
Raising my eyes to heaven, I said : * O God, Father
of the poor, I recognise and adore Thy design.' I
immediately bought a large house and garden, and
soon installed there twelve poor people under the
maternal direction of the Little Sisters. The Sisters,
when once on the spot, turned the rooms and closets,
including the attics, into dormitories and wards. In
proportion as the space was increased, the poor
Hocked in, and room was founded for 1 14. The
Apostolic Nuncio blessed the home, and Father de
Ravignan, the celebrated preacher at Notre Dame,
preached."

Mr. de Falloux has related, in the Life of Augustin
Cochin, the transfer of the second house in Paris,
which had to be pulled down in view of certain
public works for beautifying the capital: "The
Little Sisters had no lease at all. They received a
year's notice to transport elsewhere 108 old persons
whom they had taken charge of. Mr. Cochin, having
been informed, as Mayor — and, above all, as a
friend — communicated promptly with the Council of
Hospitals to obtain either a lease or a longer delay.
They replied that the general interest must prevail
over a particular interest, and that public charity
could not neglect to draw benefit from its property.
Mr. Cochin was foiled with his own weapons. He

128 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

felt it, and began at once to search for other
quarters, but no one was willing to share his house
with such burdensome lodgers, and the rent of
buildings large enough to lodge so many people
amounted to at least 30,000 francs a year. Dis-
couragement was beginning to show itself when the
Sister-Superior came to see Mr. Cochin to relate
the following story :

" ' A gentleman whose name I do not know, but
whom I see often assisting at Mass in the chapel,
has just said to me: "My good Mother, you are
looking for a house to shelter your old people ? I
have myself been occupied in that search, but we
shall not succeed in it. You must buy a piece of
ground and build a home there yourself." "The
advice is excellent, but to buy and to build one must
have money, and we have none." ** God will supply
that," replied the stranger. " Let us first occupy
ourselves about the site. I have found a very large
piece of ground, well situated in the Avenue de
Breteuil, at the price of 15 francs the square metre.
It is an opportunity which will not recur. In a year's
time, perhaps in a month, this ground will be worth
40 or 50 francs. Negotiate, therefore, immediately
and for the payment of immediate expenses I place
30,000 francs at your disposal." ' "

The generous benefactor was Mr. Chartier. Mr.
Cochin, on his part, put himself at the head of a
subscription, which produced 150,000 francs. The
building was raised, and on February 2, 1858, the
new establishment was inaugurated. The officers of
the National Guard adorned the avenue and the

THE HOSPITALLER CHARITY 129

entrance with flags. The Mayor ''gave a discourse
which deeply moved a numerous and brilHant
audience," and Cardinal Morlot pronounced the
benediction. In the end the National Guard dis-
appeared, with the political circumstances which
had called it into existence, and the establishment
became an ordinary home for the aged.

It was a Russian general who endowed the town
of Grenoble with an establishment of the Little
Sisters of the Poor. Mr. de Yermoloff procured
the property of La Tronche; chose Saint Michael,
his patron Saint, as titular Saint of the home; gave
the Sisters their first cow, and a horse and cart for
the begging Sisters. More than once, he came to
serve the poor old people and receive Communion
with them in the humble chapel. This chapel had
been arranged at the expense of the Fathers of the
Grande Chartreuse : it was their first gift of charity
to the home for the aged, but not their last. As to
the cow, after having considered where they could
get forage, they thought of the grass which was
growing in the fortifications, and made a request to
the officer commanding the place. He consented,
and in his reply quoted a biblical incident: "I
hasten to give orders that the Little Sisters of the
Poor may glean for the interesting nurse of their old
people. We are all disposed to be as benevolent
towards them as Booz was towards the daughter of
Naomi."

Let us pass now to the foundations in Strasbourg
and Metz. Each had its episode. The foundation

9

130 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

at Strasbourg, made in January, 1856, was much like
the first foundations : it started in a small way, and
the public kitchen for the poor supplied the first
meals. However, a little wood, bread, linen, and
oil arrived every day, sufficient for their needs.
Thus, whenever they received a new inmate at the
home, the Little Sisters received a loaf, and once
when they received two poor people on one day they
received two loaves on that day. "Was that not
to assure Thy earthly children, O Heavenly Father,
that Thy providence allied itself with their charity?"
When they had admitted a certain number of women
they wished to receive some men, but the hospice
was so poor at the moment that they wished at the
same time to have some supernatural motive for con-
fidence. The Little Sisters confided the affair to
Saint Joseph, asking him that the first old man
might be called Joseph. This was, in the idea of
the simple and confident Little Sisters, at once a
sentiment of piety with regard to the Holy Pro-
tector and an appeal to His intervention under a
more perceptible form.

Now, the Prefet's wife was greatly interested in
an old blind man, whose children, very poor them-
selves, took him in turns to their table and hearth.
This time it was the turn of the poorest, a house-
hold burdened with a family. The lady had pity
on them, and came to propose her poor blind man,
who thus became the first man admitted. He was
a German, and it happened that the Sisters who
spoke German were occupied out of doors, so the
others awaited their return and the coming of the

THE HOSPITALLER CHARITY 131

evening recreation to put the question they had so
much at heart. He replied : *' My name is Joseph."
This was a great joy, and the Little Sisters saw
in the happy coincidence the assurance that the
co-operation of the Holy Protector would not fail
them.

The old men increased rapidly in number, but
they had a great anxiety : How would they be
buried ? Will it be as in a hospital, without coffin ?
They discussed the matter secretly amongst them-
selves, and half wished to see one of them die. A
good old woman, who had been well prepared for a
Christian death, was the first to die. The parish
priest of Samt-John performed the burial ceremony
himself. The old men, accompanied by two Little
Sisters, formed the funeral procession. There was a
coffin and a pall. When they returned from the
cemetery the old men said to one another: ** Now
we can die in peace. They will bury us well, and
they will pray for us."

It was on December 24, in the evening, at Metz.
Two good women came to the house of Mrs. de
Briey, where the Little Sisters of the foundation
were; and they all took a meal together before going
to the home which they were about to open. The
Countess placed the two first poor people at the
table one at each side, and served them as she would
have served our Lord. Then she led one of the
women by the arm all along the way; and as it was
very cold, she carried her kindness so far as to cover
her with her own mantle. The first part of the night
was spent in preparing the chapel, whilst the two

132 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

poor women waited for midnight Mass in the corner
of the fireplace, with a happiness born of physical
and moral well-being. At the appointed hour,
Father de Franciosi arrived, accompanied by a
young Father, to serve his Mass. Midnight struck,
and the priest mounted the altar. After the Gospel
he congratulated the Little Sisters of the Poor on
beginning their work of charity on such a night,
saying that nobody at Metz had so much right as
they had to celebrate the birth of the Saviour,
because that home was truly Bethlehem in its desti-
tution. Then he encouraged the Sisters to follow
Jesus Christ in the exercise of the holy vocation.
Then he offered up the Holy Sacrifice for the newly-
founded home, and they united themselves to our
Lord in Holy Communion. That was a most
beautiful night, full of spiritual consolations and
memories of the first Christmas.

On Christmas night, at Amiens, in 1855, Mr.
Louis Marcot read some articles concerning the Little
Sisters. A vivid impression was made on his mind
and heart, and, the idea of Christmas being com-
bined with it, the Little Sisters of the Poor appeared
to him an ideal of Catholic charity. He made his
sister, Mrs. Ledieu, a partaker of his sentiments and
his enthusiasm. The seed was sown in the earth;
in the shade, its mysterious roots grew. At last, in
1858, he left for Switzerland, on the advice of the
doctors, and at Lyons, on the way, he went to pray
at Notre Dame de Fourvieres. ** On Wednesday,
July 21," he tells us, "I assisted at Mass in the
celebrated sanctuary of Lyons, and there made my

THE HOSPITALLER CHARITY 133

Communion, askmg of God through the intercession
of our Lady the improvement of my health, and
promising to employ myself — my person, my power,
and my property — in the foundation and service of
a house for the Little Sisters of the Poor at Amiens."
On the followmg 31st of March the said foundation
was made; but the promise went even further, and
gave to the hospitaller family one of its most devoted
and charitable friends.

These narratives prove that the friends of the
unfortunate appreciated this new form of benevolence.
One thought was in every spirit and all hearts : to
multiply the homes for the aged, still so few in
number, and to endow the country with a work of
charity of which the physical and moral benefit was
indisputable. Some were drawn to it by religious
principles, for the cause of the poor is dear to all
who have the spirit of the Gospel, and Charity is the
daughter of Faith; others were drawn to it by
humanitarian ideas, because the simple sight of this
union of decrepit old people excited their pity and
commiseration. Either way, while the plaintive old
people came knocking at the door of the Little
Sisters, telling their stories and revealing their
lamentable miseries, the Little Sisters went to knock
at the door of the rich, and with the superfluities
of the one nourished the poverty of the other.

The word of the Master to His disciples in the
Gospel resounded in their compassionate hearts :
" Gather up the fragments that are left, for fear that
they should perish"; and they went, obedient and

134 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

gentle, to gather the remains from tables and
festivals there where the crowd passed by, there
where the multitude sated themselves. Like our
Saviour, they lived surrounded by the blind, deaf,
dumb, lame, paralytic, every kind of debility and
infirmity, and they had pity on the poor. That
involved sacrifice. The Bishop of Soissons, having
visited the house of the Little Sisters at Saint-
Quentin, recalled the kind of garret which served
as a dormitory for the Sisters. Cardinald Bonald,
having seen the place where the Little Sisters at
Saint-Etienne slept, refused to bless the oratory
where they hoped to keep the Blessed Sacrament,
and obliged the Sisters to sleep there. Afterwards,
as they slept on the floor on straw mattresses, he
had a bed bought for each religious at his own
expense. Thus in the foundations, the Sisters forgot
themselves in order to provide for the poor : the old
people had the best places, and their servants took
refuge under the roof. It was admirable, but such
installation was prejudicial to the health of the
Sisters.

In Brittany the undertaking to establish the
mother-house was successful. The old manor
residence of La Tour had not sufficed to lodge the
general governing staff of the congregation and
twenty-seven novices, so the old stables were pulled
down and replaced by a very simple building, which
was erected in two months, and permitted the
addition of some novices who arrived in April and
some postulants who entered in June, 1856. Still

THE HOSPITALLER CHARITY 135

more was done. As the time had come to hold the
General Chapter of the institution, the forty-one
"good Mothers" of the existing houses assembled
there, in obedience to the constitutions and to
assist, in the name of their Sisters, at the ceremony
of inaugurating La Tour Saint- Joseph, which re-
placed the house at Rennes, now quite insufficient
for its purpose. On July 25, 1856, the inhabitants
of the neighbourhood visited the property with the
Bishop of Rennes, as all wished to witness the first
profession and the solemn blessing of the home. The
ceremony took place in the afternoon, in the spacious
avenue dividing a pine-wood which faced the old
castle, and twenty-three novices made their pro-
fession. Mgr. Saint Marc, in pontifical vestments,
went up to the entrance of the community-house,
and blessed this dwelling, destined to be the centre
of the institution, of which everything presaged the
increasing importance.

Time passed. They had no intention of building
the present novitiate, but the increasing number of
postulants and the obligation they were under to
use the house at Rennes for some of the novices
made them think of it. Providence supplied them
with some funds, and in these circumstances the
Rev. Lelievre was of great assistance in bringing
the responsibility before the public and procuring
the necessary advances. Then the Superiors-General
sent for Mr. Mellet, an architect, who prepared
the plans as they desired in anticipation of future
developments. They decided to place the novitiate
on the spot where the pine- wood grew. The Little

136 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Sisters helped the workmen, and soon the trees were
cut down, the roots extracted, the branches and
trunks carried away. At certain hours there was a
swarm of workwomen, and from wood-cutters they
became diggers. It was thought useful to exercise
the subjects in manual labour durmg the period of
the novitiate, in order to fit their bodies for future
fatigues of tending the poor and for other acts of
devotedness. In this, according to the rule, modera-
tion and just limits are observed. The superior place
is given, as it should be, to spiritual training and
instruction.

On March 20, 1857, Mgr. Manpoint, Bishop of
Reunion (Africa)* came to preside at the ceremony
of laying the foundation-stone of the novitiate, in
the midst of happy and pious rejoicings. Then were
opened quarries of granite, stone, and sand. The
noise of mining and the blows of iron instruments
were heard. Men were busy transporting the trees
cut down on the property or brought from elsewhere ;
and the country workmen, who passed in squads
morning and evening along all the roads of the
neighbourhood, pressed forward with the work and
raised the building.

At the same time the cultivation of the spacious
property was begun. Two small ponds were
drained, and gave place to a verdant valley. About
the time when the Sisters had left Rennes, Julian
and John Lieron, brothers of two of the Little Sisters,
had come from their village with their goods and their
team to devote themselves to the service of the hos-

* Former Vicar-General of Rennes (p. 67).

THE HOSPITALLER CHARITY 137

pitaller family. These excellent labourers gave their
services for the improvement of the grounds, and to
their industry the good cultivation of the fields and
meadows was due.

Towards the month of June, 1858, the Sisters
began to inhabit the first part of the new edifice,
and on July 4 a provisional chapel was set up there.
Two good priests, Abbe Ambrose Valin and the
Abbe Pieter Roche, consecrated their ministry to
the spiritual welfare of the hospitaller family. On
the other hand, the movement of vocations and
the increasing number of foundations, necessitated
a continuous development of the establishment of
La Tour Saint- Joseph. The main body of the
novitiate was raised and finished ; the large irregular
field which spread out in front was dug up, and
gave promise of a fine garden; the porter's lodge
and the stables were duly erected; the walls en-
closed the grounds, and formed an enclosure calcu-
lated to make La Tour a peaceful refuge. Two public
roads which crossed the property were closed and
two others others were built outside the walls, thanks
to the kindness of the civil administration. It is
admitted that a certain practical genius for organiza-
tion presided over these undertakings, and that
everything harmonized in one general plan.

The Little Sisters, novices and postulants, took
part in this work in proportion to their strength,
sometimes pushing the wheelbarrow and the little
cart. From time to time they interrupted these
rural occupations to devote themselves to prayer.
In walking there it was not an uncommon thing to

138 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

meet one or other Sister at the foot of a tree reciting
her office or rosary, making her examination of con-
science, praymg, as if she were alone in the world,
in no way occupying herself with anything around
her. Everyone admired this candour and simplicity.
In taking possession of La Tour, the Sisters did
not dismiss the poor of the neighbourhood who were
accustomed to present themselves there; they gave
them money, bread or soup. At the time of the
first Communion they dressed some poor children of
the parish. These customs have not ceased. The
Little Sisters of the Poor thus bestow some benefits
on the neighbourhood.

CHAPTER XI

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR IN

BELGIUM

%

I A subscription in Li^ge — The festival of the King— The
fe University of Louvain — In the Borinage — The founda-

tions in Bruges, Namur, Antwerp, Ostend — The donkey
of the Little Sisters at Brussels.

The hospitaller work had powerful protectors in
Belgium. The foundation at Liege had taken place
on June 13, 1853, as the result of circumstances
which we have related;* a subscription containing
the names of the principal families of the locality
had at once paid for the property, and at a single
stroke placed the home for the aged on the road to
prosperity. In May, 1857, the Assistant-General
returned to make the visitation. ** She blessed God
on seeing all that had been accomplished since
the foundation. She found the building finished,
the debts paid, the poor happy, and the Little
Sisters fervent."

At Brussels they had opened the home on April i,
1854, ir^ ^^ old barrack put at the disposal of the
Little Sisters by the Burgomaster.! It was the
ladies of the town who made its removal possible by
raising a subscription which reached to 30,000 francs,
and by finding a piece of ground in the Rue Haute;
but as the price mounted to 108,000 francs they

* Chap. VII. t Ihid.

139

140 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

started a lottery, with municipal authorization, and
covered the expenses. The taking of possession was
a most brilliant function. The nation had just cele-
brated the King's twenty-fifth anniversary, and
there had been a banquet in the hall of the repre-
sentatives; but the royal festival was finished in the
home under the presidency of their Highnesses the
Duchess of Brabant and the Princess Charlotte,
accompanied by the high society which the recent
ceremony had assembled around the Sovereign.
Accordingly, on July 24, 1856, after a Mass of in-
auguration celebrated in the modest chapel of the
new establishment, these persons of high rank went
to the halls and infirmaries, and distributed the
remains of the royal feast to the poor old people
themselves. What a touching sight, the high ones
of the world mixing with the lowly ones, of whom
several had been the outcasts of society ! Social
authority and religion covered all with their august
protection, and the humble Little Sisters, agents of
Providence, accomplished their mission of charity in
the midst of this assembly.

On December 13, 1856, the foundation at Louvain
took place at the request of Rev. Craessearts, Dean
of Saint Nicolas, and Monsieur Moeller, Professor at
the University. The house was lent gratuitously for
six years, and the civil authorities favoured the
little establishment. The celebrated University was
a resource — thus, the students paid for a donkey to
go for provisions — but, in return, the Little Sisters
taught their lesson of charity, at the same time as
lessons in earthly science were given.

THE LITTLE SISTERS IN BELGIUM 141

The foundation at Jemappes was extremely
laborious and on this account deserves special men-
tion. The Count of Metis thought of establishmg
a home for the Little Sisters of the Poor in the
Borinage, in the midst of the coal country. They
responded to his appeal by establishing themselves
at Jemappes, not far from Mons, on April 23, 1857.
The political-religious troubles of the time were very
adverse to it at the beginning, and it took several
years to win over public opinion. Later on all the
working-class families, so numerous in the Borinage,
had one of their members at the home for old people,
and thus they came in contact with the charity of
the Little Sisters; thus a cordial understanding was
gradually established.

The first occasion of their presenting themselves in
the borough of X . . . was on a market day. The
Little Sisters, carrying a basket on their arms, were
begging for their aged poor; the people were giving
— one a cabbage, another some potatoes, and every-
thing was gratefully received. But the spirit of
evil was watching. They heard railleries and hoot-
ing, which they took calmly. At last the rural guard
arrested the Little Sisters and brought them as
offenders before the Commissary and Burgomaster,
who prohibited gathering alms in the locality. The
begging Sisters accepted this sentence with humility
and submission, and went to seek their modest
equipage; then, in order to practise abnegation and
self-contempt, as their duty sometimes demanded,
instead of getting into the carriage and going
through byways, they walked on foot along the

142 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

main road and so lost none of the humiliations re-
served for them. When they were out of the locality,
they took their prayer-books and began to say their
office; then they entered 'their house calm and re-
signed. The good Mother, Saint Jerome, and her
companions shared the sentiments of the alms-
gatherers, and all offered themselves to God, to
sacrifice themselves rather than abandon the cause
of the poor old people. There was here a force
of virtue which necessarily worked good for the
home.

An attempt was made in the borough of X . . .
The Little Sisters took counsel with the clergy, who
did not give them much hope of obtaining municipal
authorization. In fact, it was not long before the
Commissary of Police and a Sheriff appeared, and
notified to them in a very peremptory tone the
order to withdraw. Moreover, these gentlemen, to
assure themselves, no doubt, of the submission of
the two Sisters, did them the honour of accompany-
ing them, escorted by a curious crowd, to the limit
of the territory. All these attempts miscarried one
after the other, and, to complete the misfortune, the
municipality of Jemappes, obedient to sectarian in-
fluences, withdrew the authorization previously
accorded. The congregation began to fear the
foundation would fall through.

It is true that the work was not known in the
locality, and that the feeble commencement of the
home, with its few poor women, did not suffice to
give an adequate idea of it. In January, 1858, there
was a little more room, and they began to receive

THE LITTLE SISTERS IN BELGIUM 143

the old men. Two former coal-men — one eighty-
six years old, and abandoned by his children; the
other seventy years old, infirm, and a drunkard —
were the first men received ; but in time others came,
and the home began to be of some importance in
the eyes of the people. To obtain sufficient resources
the Sisters had recourse to an expedient which was
successful : they printed and distributed cards bear-
ing this inscription : '* The Little Sisters of the Poor
at Jemappes will do me the pleasure to call at my
house." [Here followed the address, date, and
signature.] In this way they penetrated into the
town of Mons and several places. Things began to
change. Then our Little Sisters began to make
plans and to dream (as it is natural to the Little
Sisters) of much distress relieved; for they were
touched by the great misery, both physical and
moral, of the old workmen of the coal-mines, and
amongst those who were at the home, they obtained
real conversions. The supreme trial came to them
from the families whom they were assisting; indeed,
more than once the unnatural children of the old men
began to throw stones at the Little Sisters, punish-
ing them, as it were, for having more heart than
they had themselves. The Sisters did what the good
Saint Francis had done of old : they set themselves
to pick up the stones thrown at them to make the
foundation, as they said. This was the end; soon
the moral victory was complete, and the home
prosperous. A few more years and it became
popular.

We count four new foundations — Bruges, in 1862;

144 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Namur and Antwerp, in 1863; Ostend, in 1896.
This brings up the number of establishments to
eight. *' On February 8, 1862," says a note of the
Little Sisters, "we arrived in Bruges. We went to
our home, which is not resplendent with luxury. As
the snow was falling in large flakes, our first care
was, with the help of a mason, to set up an old
stove. The dinner hour approached. Everyone set
her v/its to work to prepare the meal : some dug up
bricks in the yard and erected a scaffolding with
them in the chimney ; others fetching wood and coal.
The fire was lighted, bread, butter, and potatoes
are arranged on the table — that is to say, the
floor. . . . The bell rang : six chairs were brought
to us ; a second stroke was heard : this time it was
a complete dinner, with spoons, forks, and knives,
which Providence sent us. Some time after, we
received plates, dishes, candles, a basket of turnips,
of which two were transformed into candlesticks."
Those who gave these gifts were workwomen accus-
tomed to hard times and rough seasons, and they
bought at their own cost articles of the first
necessity; for the poor instinctively understand the
poor, and know what will give them relief. Dean
Van Collie made himself responsible for the rent.

In Namur, the foundation was made under the
form of a committee of patronage. It is known
that many works of benevolence exist under this
system, but such is not the genius of administration
of the Little Sisters of the Poor. The result was a
misunderstanding, which fettered the first establish-
ment until the day, when a friendly decision was

THE LITTLE SISTERS IN BELGIUM 145

come to on both sides — that the committee should
occupy itself with the purchase of a piece of ground
and a good commencement of building, whilst the
Little Sisters should act according to their customs
and traditions. The united effort rapidly put the
home on a good footing, and the generosity of the
inhabitants of Namur was true to itself. The
brewers, butchers, merchants of all branches, let
themselves be taxed for the aged poor of the
locality.

Mrs. Teechman, wife of the Governor of Antwerp,
took the initiative in the foundation, which was
made in that town on September 15, 1863. It was
a venerable religious. Father Hessels, Superior of
the Jesuits, who erected the large and beautiful
establishment in the Rue de Hollande, by means of
a triple subscription which he started amongst the
population. But, if it is just to attribute the leading
part to him, it is not less exact that resources arrived
in other ways through the Little Sisters. The home
in Antwerp thus became, in time, one of the prin-
cipal establishments of the hospitaller institutions.

The foundation at Ostend, demanded by the
parish priest of Saint-Mary, took place on April 12,
1866. On that day itself were received four poor
women, whose respective ages were seventy-two,
seventy-four, eighty-three, and eighty-four — good
old women and very unfortunate. Sympathy was at
once aroused among the working-class. One day
the Sisters went to the house of a shoemaker, the
father of five children, who promised to give some
loaves. This good man appeared to rejoice in seeing

146 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

his wife bring the first loaf to the Little Sisters, then
his four sons came, each with a box of blacking, and
the fifth, who was in the arms of the mother, carried
a packet of salt. Mr. Van Iseghem, the Burgo-
master, had himself made a list of the principal
houses where the alms-gatherers could present them-
selves with advantage, and the King of the Belgians
sent a gift of 600 francs.

This collection of anecdotes owes a paragraph to
the donkey of the house at Brussels. It happened in
July, 1 86 1, that the donkey could not go well any
longer, on account of its old age, and that the
vehicle, drawn too slowly, could not get home by
dinner-hour. At that time there was a begging
Sister who was very simple, very obedient, full of
the spirit of faith. The good Mother said to her:
" Good Little Sister, go and beg, and do not come
back without a little donkey or at least the promise
of one." This injunction touched the Little Sister.
She set off, having no particular person in view, but
her usual confidence in her mission of charity left her
no anxiety. On her way, she began to pray to Our
Lady, and while she was praying the thought came
to her to address herself to the King, who was at that
time at the Palace of Laechen. Finding no means
of addressing herself personally to His Majesty, she
had recourse to a lady of the palace, who gave the
message and obtained the desired favour. The King
himself wrote to the proper officer, and the Little
Sister went home joyful and content. A charming
donkey arrived, as large as a pony, and they had

THE LITTLE SISTERS IN BELGIUM 147

the satisfaction of seeing the collecting-cart come in
every day in time for dinner.

Alas! in 1864, after some years of good service,
the donkey given by the Kmg died of scarlet fever.
They addressed a request to the Duke of Arenberg.
Some days after a gentleman whom no one knew
presented himself. The Sister portress had seen this
gentleman, who had brought several times gifts of
money, but had not chosen to make himself known
otherwise than by the phrase, " Pray for me. I am
a savage." The good Mother arrives. The visitor
says he is a dealer in animals, and, having heard
that the Little Sisters of the Poor were in need of a
donkey, he wished to sell them one. Looking at the
personage and finding that he had not at all the
air of such a calling, the good Mother ventures to
say to him: "But have I not the honour to speak
to the Prince of Arenberg?" He replies: "I tell
you that I am a dealer in animals. Well, not
exactly— but I sell donkeys." "Oh, my lord, you
have probably got donkeys, but you do not sell
them ; you give them, and I hope that you will give
us one." The discussion finished pleasantly with
the gift of a fine donkey, for some days after, the
good Prince, continuing his role, came himself,
bringing one almost equal in value to a horse, such
was its size. He put the harness and the shafts to
the new animal, and arranged everything. The
donkey did his part well, and shortened the time of
the journeys by half.

Thus the branch in Belgium was ramifying and
developing marvellously to shelter a great number

148 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

of old people. Like France, to whom she is half
a sister as regards language, Belgium produced
numerous and generous vocations. With her, too,
charity is a power, and gives efficacious help in solv-
ing the social question, to the great benefit of poor
old people, forsaken and infirm.

CHAPTER XII

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR IN
ENGLAND AND IN SCOTLAND

The decree of 1861 — Foundations in London, Manchester,
Bristol, Birmingham, Plymouth, Leeds, Newcastle,
Glasgow, Dundee, Edinburgh — Letter of Propaganda.

The position of the Little Sisters in London had
undergone an eclipse, but in 1858 the affair had
been entrusted to the Rev. Lehevre, who was the
providential man for the occasion, and consequently
the apostle of the work in England. His repre-
sentations at the Court of Rome resulted, in 1861,
in the following decree :

" Decree.*
" The Sacred Congregation of Bishops and
Regulars having examined the question which has
arisen between, on the one side, the Superior-General

* " Decretum, — Perpensis ab hac Sacra Congregatione
Episcoporum et Regularium quae respiciunt quasstionem
exortam ex una parte inter Moderatricem Generalem
domumque principem piae Congregationis Parvularum
Sororum Pauperum in Dioecesi Rhedonen. erectce, et decreto
hujus Sacrae Congregationis diei 9 Julii 1854 approbatee,
et ex altera parte inter Sorores domus Londinensis, factoque
relatione SS-"" D"° N'° Fio Papae Nono in Audientia habita
ab infra D"° Secretario ejusdem S. Congregationis die i*
Martii i86i, Sanctitas Sua Apostolica Auctoritate sequens
Decretum edi mandavit : I. Reclamationes factse a Sorori-
149

I50 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

and the mother-house of the pious Congregation of
the Little Sisters of the Poor established in the
Diocese of Rennes, and approved by a decree of
this Sacred Congregation, dated July 9, 1854, and
on the other side the Sisters of the house in London,
and a report thereon having been made to His Holi-
ness our Holy Father the Pope Pius IX, in the
audience given to Monsignor hereinafter named,
Secretary of this Sacred Congregation, on March i,
1 86 1, His Holiness of his apostolic authority has
ordered the following decree to be issued : L The
claims made by the London Sisters against the
Superior-General and the mother-house are rejected.
IL The house in London is not allowed to separate
from the institution in France either to form a par-
ticular house or a distinct congregation. IH. There-
bus Londinensibus contra Moderatricem generalem domum-
que princlpem rejiciuntur. II. Minime permittendum est
ut ab institute Gallise domus Londinensis separatur, neque
uti domus particularis, neque ad efformandam distinctam
Congregationem. III. Ideo sorores domus Londinensis
infra duos menses sese subjicere debent Moderatrici
Generali, seque iterum conjungere Congregationi Galliae;
secus eo ipso privatae remaneant nomine et titulo Par-
vularum Sororum ac etiam Sororum Pauperum, habitu
et mantello quo utuntur Sorores ejusdem Instituti, nee
non quovis privilegio eidem Congregationi ab Apostolica
Sede concesso, cum prohibitione etiam alias domos memorati
instituti erigendi. — Datum ex Secretaria memoratae Sacrae
Congregationis Episcoporum et Regularium supra die et
anno.

" N. Card. Paracciani Clarelli, Prcef.

" A. Archiepi SCOPUS Philippen., Seer.

" ROM^."

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 151

fore the Sisters of the house in London must within
two months submit themselves to the Superior-
General and unite themselves again to the French
congregation; otherwise by the very fact of their not
so doing, they will be deprived of the name and
title of Little Sisters and Sisters of the Poor, of the
habit and mantle which the Sisters of this institution
use, and of every privilege whatever granted by the
Apostolic See to the congregation itself, and will
not be allowed to erect other houses of the said
institution. — Given at the Secretary's office of the
said Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars
the day and year aforesaid.

" N. Card. Paracciani Clarelli, Prefect.

"A. Archbishop of Philippi, Secretary.

•' Rome."

The decree of the Holy See applied to two estab-
lishments, because in the course of the year i860 the
said Sisters had commenced a second home in
London in the diocese of Southwark. Mgr. Grant,
Bishop of that Diocese, notified the decision to the
establishment under his jurisdiction, and afterwards
reported to the mother-house on July 8, 1861, in
these terms: "Since they have read the decree of
the Holy Father, they have expressed the most filial
desire to be united to the Mother-General and to the
Institution." Sister Honoria, who was the Superior,
was maintained in charge, and the congregation re-
gained possession of a house in London. The Arch-
bishop of Westminster found a different situation
and different dispositions in the old establishment

152 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

situated in his diocese, as is shown by a letter of
Mgr. Howard to the Rev. Lelievre* : "I have seen
His Eminence Cardinal Wiseman; he has shown me
the reply made by the Sisters of Hammersmith.
They are very much pained not to be able to comply
with the invitation of the Holy See and of His
Eminence to join the mother-house, and consequently
they submit themselves in all things to the alterna-
tive presented by the Holy See — that is to say, no
longer to be able to bear the name nor the habit of
the Little Sisters, and finally, not to be allowed to
found another congregation of the same institution.
They say that the decree does not affect their future
position, that there remains to them full liberty to
found another religious congregation." Such was
the actual outcome of this affair; on either side the
situation was providentially regulated on this new
basis. As compensation. Cardinal Wiseman author-
ized the Little Sisters of the Poor to found a new
house in the Diocese of Westminster, so that from
1 86 1 the congregation had in London itself two
establishments. The decree of the Holy See was
the starting-point of foundations in England and
Scotland — namely, Manchester, Glasgow, and
Bristol in 1862, Dundee and Edinburgh in 1863,
Birmingham in 1864, Plymouth and Leeds in 1865,
Newcastle in 1866.

* Mgr. Howard, Mgr. Manning, Mgr. Monaco, after-
wards Cardinals, had had the Rev. Lelievre as a fellow-
student at the Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome, and sent
him their support in all this negotiation, as in several other
circumstances.

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 153

To follow with due interest this development of
the work, it is necessary to note: (i) That at the
time of which we are speaking Protestantism was
still in all its strength and mistress of the principal
resources of the nation ; (2) that the Catholic popula-
tion of these great towns was for the most part in
a state bordering on indigence; (3) that everywhere
the aged Catholic poor were forced to seek refuge in
those places which the Protestant parishes supported
under the name of workhouses, where they were ex-
posed to the danger of losing their faith or leaving
off all its practices. Anyone placing himself in the
midst of those historical times will understand why
the Bishops, the Catholics, and persons of liberal
mind, were so favourable to these foundations, and
why the Propaganda in Rome so stxongly supported
and encouraged its negotiator. The history of the
Little Sisters of the Poor offers no pages more beau-
tiful : this period of their work even forms part of
the history of the Church in England and in Scot-
land. The association of the Propagation of the
Faith was not mistaken in regard to it, and for
several years in succession sent certain contributions,
well knowing that every religious work faithful to its
higher object has an apostolic side, and serves in its
manner to establish on earth the kingdom of God.
Under this head we have to register two official
documents : the one is the account sent to Rome in
February, 1866, by the Rev. Lelievre, the other is
the reply to it by the Cardinal Prefect of Propaganda,
dated May i, 1866.

154 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

I. Report addressed to His Eminence the
Cardinal Barnabo.

"It is necessary to refer to the foundation, which
existed already in 1861, in the Diocese of Southwark.
The unexpected development of this house invites us
to do so. All that we then possessed, was a little
hired house where eight Sisters sufficed with diffi-
culty, or rather did not suffice, to nourish twenty-
five old people. Things have much changed; for
some French benefactors have come to our help,
almost without our asking for it and through the
mere thought of the good which would be done by
the Little Sisters in the midst of Protestants. Mgr.
Grant, whose zeal and constant work is well known,
having the Sisters under his eyes and almost at his
door, has powerfully contributed to sustain them.
First, they hired the house adjoining the one they
already inhabited, and the number of poor was
brought up to sixty. The Sisters began to receive
alms from Protestants. They then bought a suffi-
ciently large piece of ground and built a house, which
they have paid for entirely and which holds 130 poor
comfortably. What is most surprising in this move-
ment is the increasing sympathy of the Protestants.
The Sisters, who when they started feared to show
themselves in their habit in the streets, where the
population is the least hostile, are now able to present
themselves without difficulty even in the market-
place, and publicly beg there for vegetables, meat,
and fish. It is seldom that any offensive word even
from a distance reaches the ears of the begging

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 155

Sisters. It is rare that those to whom they address
themselves refuse them an alms. They take the
precaution of carrying with them a printed form
which makes their work known : this simple docu-
ment suffices to touch the heart, and serves them as
a passport. Not one of the many Protestants who
have visited the establishment has left it without
showing his satisfaction ; and as to the poor who are
admitted, one may say that it is enough for them
to cross the threshold to become Catholic, if they
are not so before. Sweet consolation for the Little
Sisters, and one that repays them amply for all their
sacrifices.

"As to the house which is established in the
Diocese of Westminster, one may say that its foun-
dation is due entirely to the decree given at Rome
in March, 1861. His Eminence Cardinal Wiseman
desired to show in a striking way, worthy of his
great soul, the regret he felt at what had passed,
presided in person at everything which concerned
our foundation, deigned to visit the place which was
to serve as a provisional dwelling, recommended the
Sisters to all the faithful of the Diocese of West-
minster, and, in spite of the grave malady with
which he was already attacked, he came to give his
blessing to the Sisters and the poor as soon as he
knew that the first old people had found place under
their roof. On our side, we have shown His
Eminence a desire to which he had agreed — namely,
to establish ourselves in the mission then directed by
Mgr. Manning (who has become the successor of the
Cardinal in the See of Westminster), who personally

156 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

had prepared our return, who knew and loved our
houses in France, and whose very special benevolence
seemed to be for our Sisters in a foreign land, and
in face of difficulties easy to anticipate, the firmest
support and the surest and most complete safeguard.
All this confidence has in nowise deceived us. The
house has grown, like the other one, in the same
proportion, with a concurrence still more remarkable
on the part of Catholics and Protestants. Amongst
its inhabitants it counts to-day several old men who
were octogenarians when the Little Sisters converted
them, and who are for the old Catholics themselves
a subject of edification. The buildings have been
finished recently, and His Grace the Archbishop of
Westminster blessed them himself when he returned
from Rome. Addressing himself on that occasion
to a numerous public, he said that one of his dearest
hopes, and one of those which seemed to him the
most surely founded, was to see a house of the Little
Sisters in every town in England, Scotland, and
Ireland.

** His Lordship the Bishop of Manchester had
been the first to forestall this wish of the illustrious
Archbishop. In the month of January, 1862, he
called the Little Sisters to his episcopal town, where
the cotton crisis had caused dreadful misery among
the poor. He personally deigned to find a house
for the Little Sisters which permitted them to begin
the work, while waiting to find the permanent habi-
tation. From him they received the first alms in
money and the first broken food. He gave them
the altar, tabernacle, the chapel seats, and showed

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 157

from the beginning the greatest sohcitude that
nothing should be wanting to the establishment.
The first postulant who was received was one of his
penitents. At the present moment, thanks to the
care of this excellent Bishop and his worthy secretary,
the Sisters are supplied with an excellent establish-
ment, and they propose next year to double the
buildings destined for the aged, which have quickly
become insufficient. The number of poor is already
considerable; but the Catholic population of this
great city is immense, and almost all in a state
bordering on indigence.

**The town of Bristol offered, on a smaller scale,
the same needs, and one may say almost as much
of all the great towns of England. The Bishop of
Clifton, who is, as people know, the illustrious son
of Lord Clifford, had visited, in company of Mgr.
Grant, the house in London, which was still in its
early days; and it would be impossible to hear with-
out admiration a recital of the steps taken by this
prelate to give help, to prepare the way for the
foundation, or to facilitate its progress. The Sisters
have had to move three times on account of the
progress of their work, which was extremely rapid.

'* Long details would be misplaced on the subject
of the houses in Birmingham, Plymouth, and Leeds,
which are still passing through the first phase of
their organization. The striking fact about the
Sisters in Birmingham is that they and their poor
live principally on the alms of Protestants, which
the Sisters go and beg for from door to door without
any distinction, absolutely as they would do in a

iS8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Catholic town; and if the alms given to them is
usually small enough, it is very rarely accompanied
by an uncivil word. These Sisters are looking on
all sides for a site where they may be able to fix
themselves definitely, and put their work on a good
footing. Mgr. Ullathorne is persevering in the
search on their behalf, but the great prosperity of
the town has brought property to an exaggerated
price, and up to the present time, the Little Sisters
are too poor to acquire a house of their own. At
Plymouth, Mgr. Vaughan charged himself with the
installation. He placed, gratuitously, at the dis-
posal of the Little Sisters for several years, the
school, with its appendages, which was previously
occupied by the Sisters of Notre Dame. He himself
directs at present the repairs necessary to receive
more poor inmates. All that he gave up to the
Little Sisters some months ago is practically filled.
Leeds has only a temporary house : the foundation
being recent.

** After what has just been said about England, it
may perhaps be asked why the Little Sisters almost
at the same time went into Scotland. Their having
done so is the result of a series of involuntary cir-
cumstances, and it seems that if there are in the
world foundations for which we have to thank
Divine Providence they are these, since they are
found placed in the most active centre of Protestant-
ism and of Presbyterian hatred, and, after a terrible
outburst of all the bad passions, they have seen the
storm subside, and now exist in tranquillity. The
Little Sisters began in Dundee, where they were

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 159

called and established themselves in consequence of
a circumstance which deserves to be noted. There
was to be a sale of a large property, which was
situated near the town in a place called Lochee,
which had been bought by the Catholics with the
intention of establishing an orphanage there. The
precarious state of the mission and the considerable
debts involved rendered this sale indispensable; and
what made it the more regrettable was that the church
of the parish was included m the property. Then a
rich Catholic, or, to speak more exactly, the only rich
one in Dundee, addressed himself to Mgr. Strain,
now Prefect Apostolic of the Eastern District, and
at that time charged with the administration during
an absence of Mgr. Gillis. This Catholic, whose
whole property is spent in good works, proposed to
establish the Little Sisters of the Poor in the place
intended for sale, and to give his guarantee for the
purchase which was to be made in their name. Mgr.
Strain accepted, and the entire population, as well
as the clergy, showed an inexpressible joy at this
solution. One may say that the Little Sisters have
been an instrument of salvation in the case of this
mission.

*'This same benefactor (Mr. Thiebault), who had
known the Little Sisters in France, presented them
also to Mgr. Murloch, then Prefect of the Western
District. The needs of Glasgow were much greater
than those of Dundee. Mgr. Murloch and Mgr.
Gray (who was not then coadjutor) deliberated for
some time, and then put themselves in direct com-
munication with the congregation, so that the arrival

i6o THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

of the Little Sisters was their united work. Those
two devoted prelates scarcely believed their eyes
when they saw that the Little Sisters could show
themselves everywhere in their habits in the streets
of Glasgow, and that the Protestant population, far
from insulting them, seemed rather to show them
respect. The trial — for there must always be one —
came from another side. The house in which the
Sisters were to establish themselves on their arrival
had none of the most indispensable conveniences,
and every effort made to find a better habitation
remained long without result. It was reserved to
Mgr. Murloch to render this important service to the
rising community. He himself negotiated with the
Sisters of Mercy about the cession, which these
Sisters made to us, of a large establishment which
they had bought, and which was found too far from
their schools. We paid to the Sisters of Mercy what
they had given for it. Mgr. Murloch made the
necessary advances, and by this means put us imme-
diately in a condition to triple the number of our
poor, accommodating at the same time, at a single
stroke, the two congregations.

" The foundation in Edinburgh was made almost
in the same way. Mgr. Gillis, being in Rome, had
entertained the project of it with His Eminence
Cardinal Barnabo, Prefect of Propaganda. The
installation of the Sisters in the small houses which
they occupied at some distance from his, was one of
the last acts of his episcopate. By a secret and
adorable movement of Divine Providence, a lady of
Brussels felt inspired to provide the first capital for

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND i6i

this foundation, the trials of which could be fore-
seen. This same lady (Miss Maes) continues to
send them every year a considerable subsidy, with-
out which it would be difficult for them to live. The
Presbyterian ministers were furious at the beginning.
They cried down the Sisters in the pulpit, they put
up abusive placards concerning the Little Sisters of
the Poor. But by permission from on high, the
newspapers which are generally the most opposed to
Catholics on this occasion ranged themselves on the
side of the Sisters, and, without any solicitation,
wrote in their favour, with as much earnestness as
the best children of the Church could have done.
Mgr. Strain now continued what his predecessor had
begun. He saw the Sisters take possession of a new
house, which answered perfectly to the needs of the
poor, and which had been purchased from the Protes-
tants, as it were by a miracle. It is thus that three
Catholic hospices have sprung up at the same time
on the soil of Scotland, which had not possessed
one since the time of John Knox."

This account, made by the principal witness, who
overlooked his own part in exalting that of the
Bishops, was brought at the beginning of 1866
under the eyes of the Pope and the Roman congre-
gations, at a time when those concerned in it could
render witness on their side. It belongs to the
history of the Little Sisters. The Holy See, the
equitable appreciator of merit, applauded what had
been done.

iz

i62 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

2. Letter from Cardinal Barnab5, Prefect
OF Propaganda.*

"To R. F. Lelievre. — I have received from you
personally the full relation which you have brought
to my notice concerning the state and progress of
the pious society of women which is called the Little
Sisters of the Poor, and I have perused it with great
pleasure. I knew of a truth that you had deserved
exceedingly well of the said society; I knew the
cares and labour which you have borne for its in-
crease; but now I greatly congratulate you in the

* " R. D. — Accepi a D. Tua plenam relationem, quam
mihi exhibendam curasti de statu ac progressu pias
Societatis Mulierum, quas Parvse Sorores pauperum nun-
cupantur, eamque libenter admodum perlegi. Noveram
quidem Te de praedicta Societate optime fuisse meritum,
noveram curas ac labores quos pro ejusdem incremento
sustinueras ; nunc vero Tibi vehementer gratulor in D"°
quod studio atque operae constanter a Te in rem collate
optimum exitum, piissimus Deus sit elargitus. Quos quidem
sensus animi mei eo libentius Tibi aperio, quod non
mediocres in locis missionum fructus ex charitate Sororum,
de quibus supra, percipiantur. Quas cum ita sint hortor
D. Tuam ut ad Christi pauperum levamen in opere tam
bene incoepto perseveres, quo videlicet non Pastorum modo
Ecclesiae commendationem, sed Principis Pastorum, qui
pauper pro nobis esse voluit benedictionem ac prsemia
pergas promereri.

" Precor Deum ut D. Tua prospera quaeque largiatur.
Roma ex ^d. S. C. de P. F., die i Maii, 1866.
" D. Tuae addictus,

" Al. Card. Barnab6, Pr.

" H. Cascatti, Seer.

" R. Dno LELlfeVRE."

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 163

Lord on God having most graciously accorded a
very happy end to the sohcitude and activity which
you have constantly brought to this affair. I reveal
to you these sentiments of my soul the more will-
ingly because the missionary countries receive great
benefit from the charity of the Sisters just mentioned.
Things being thus, I exhort you personally to per-
severe for the relief of the poor of Christ in the work
so well commenced — that is to say, in such a manner
as to continue to merit not only the encouragement
of the pastors of the Church, but also the benediction
and the rewards of the Prince of pastors, who became
poor for us.

" I pray God to grant you all prosperity.
* * Your devoted

" Al. Cardinal Barnabo, Prefect.

" H. Cascatti, Secretary.

*' Rome, Palace of the

S.C. OF THE Propaganda,
"May I, 1866."

CHAPTER XIII

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR IN ENGLAND
AND IN SCOTLAND (Continued)

In the London market — The begging Sisters in Scotland —
The reappearance of the religious habit — Types of old
men — The savings-box — The London Review.

A FIGURE stands out in relief in these foundations —
that of Sister Emmanuel. Being English, of a good
London family, and already Superior of a house in
Paris, she had for her mission to help in the settling
of the foundations and of the quete. No Sister was
destined to be a more admirable instrument of
Providence in the foundations in England and Scot-
land. Here we shall return to the episodes. On
June 24, 1862, she presented herself, with Sister
Claudia, in the market-place of Covent Garden, in
London, to make an attempt at begging, whilst an
old man was kept in the neighbourhood, furnished
with two sacks and a basket. They fearlessly made
the round of the market-place, asking out of charity
for some vegetables for their old people. God per-
mitted that the first tradeswoman to whom they
addressed themselves should be a Catholic. She
listened to the statement of the Little Sisters, and
gave them salad, cabbage, and carrots. This was
a good example for the neighbouring tradespeople;
several gave, and the sack was filled. People became

164

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 165

interested in the begging Sisters; they put questions
to them about the home, the number of old people,
the care they gave them. In general, the trades-
people were kind; nevertheless, God permitted a
share of merits should fall to the Sisters, in order
that, while receiving much for their poor, they should
not return home without having gathered something
for themselves. Some tradesmen said that there
were beggars enough already, that they ought to be
ashamed of themselves, etc. They had prudently
kept the old man at a distance to prevent his hearing
these insults, and also for fear tliat the blood of the
good Irishman should become hot, and he should
take his own way of defending the Sisters. As the
Sisters filled their sack, they went to empty it into
the sacks and the basket of the old man; and when
all was filled, they left the market-place, cheerfully
blessing Providence, who had opened in the Metro-
polis itself this new and abundant resource for the
hospitaller work. The Little Sisters reappeared;
the tradespeople became used to seeing them, and
prepared contributions when they expected the
Sisters,

Extracts from letters* allow us to follow their
work in Scotland. " The Little Sisters of the Poor
arrived in Glasgow on September 26, 1862, at half-
past nine in the evening. At the station, no one
was waiting for them; they found themselves alone
on the spot with their luggage. Finding no carriage,
they made arrangements with a porter, who brought

* Correspondence of Sister Emmanuel.

i66 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

away their things on his hand-cart, happy to make
their entrance thus humbly into the town which was
to be the scene of their labours and a spot blessed
by God." ** Through the mud we followed our
guide and our luggage, thus attracting the curiosity
of the passers-by. It was night, but the streets were
filled with people, and no doubt they were astonished
at so novel a sight, for until then they had never
seen a religious go out in his habit. After having
several times asked the way, we found ourselves sur-
rounded by a crowd of young girls, for the greater
part poor and barefooted, who had perceived us in
the street, and who came to announce our arrival to
the religious, for they were the children of their
classes." The next day, the new hospitaller Sisters
received the Bishop's blessing, and visited their
dwelling. *'The entrance was not agreeable — first
a narrow, dark passage, and then a black staircase
leading up to the first story. Our dwelling began
at the second story, and contained thirteen rooms,
but several of them were very small. These two
stories were formerly used as a coffee-room and hotel.
There was the place where they used to serve gin
and whisky, and where one could only see by gas
light." It was not long before they received a poor
old woman, who smoked her pipe every day. The
arrival of the first old man was the signal to begin
begging. Sister Emmanuel, accompanied by one or
other Sisters, started off trusting in God. Someone
on the road gave her sixpence, with which she bought
a map of the town to learn her way. The begging
Sisters presented themselves in the market-place.

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 167

*'We were received better than we had ever dared
to expect; there were Catholics in the market-place,
and they all hastened to give. There were vegetables
in abundance, eggs, butter, cheese, a great quantity
of apples and onions, and twenty-five shillings." At
this first gathering a policeman cleared away from
time to time the children, who followed in a troop,
curious to know what the Sisters were like. Several
Protestants gave; Catholics sent the Sisters on from
one to another; people kissed their mantles and asked
their blessing. God made it clear that they would
not be in want for their poor. The alms-gatherers
obtained coffee-grounds, tea-leaves, waste bread, in
the two largest Protestant hotels. The poor old
people who were received brought nothing but rags.
When their miserable clothes were still good enough
to be used, they were boiled to get rid of the vermin,
and there was a competition between the Little
Sisters who should do the washing. Clothes were
wanted. The Sisters presented themselves at a shop
where old clothes were sold; they received a little
money and some clothes, and were allowed to go
there once a month. They went to Protestants to
ask for bits of printed calico to make into bed-covers,
and received a good deal ; thus the beds of the home
were provided; they were not long without having
their patchwork counterpanes, according to the rules
of holy poverty. "We are the only nuns who are
able to go out here in the religious habit; people
look at us, and that is all. We see, posted up in
the booksellers' shops, all sorts of publications to
make the Papists, as they call us, despised and

i68 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

hated, and yet God permits that we make our little
collections. Already our little home is fur-
nished. . . . They call me the Reverend Mother;
it would be well to add ' beggar,' and I dare say
they do. They have never been able to comprehend
the vocation of a Little Sister, and they wonder
at it every day; for to have houses without funds,
depending upon Divine Providence, surpasses their
spirit of faith." The collection was made quite
simply, without any secrecy. They entered the shops
or market, and announced themselves as * ' collectors
for the poor ' ' ; then they gave their explanation of
the work, and they were sure that listeners out of
three-fourths of the people would hear them. If it
was in the street or the market-place, there was at
once a group of people listening to the explanation
of the Sisters, and when they began to give coppers
the purse was soon stocked. In this way, they suc-
ceeded in gathering money for paying the rent, filling
the house with poor people, starting a fund for the
purchase of a house, and making an inroad on
Protestant prejudices in favour of Catholic charity.

In Dundee a newspaper* had inserted an article
in favour of the hospitaller institution. "We were
already known in the town through Mr. Thiebault
and the newspaper. We were objects of curiosity
to everybody, but no one said anything disagreeable
to us; people looked at us, that was all, then they
followed us. On returning from the town we received
several small coins and halfpence. The barber of

* The Advertiser.

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 169

the village, meeting us on the road, stopped us to
bid us to come to his house every Monday for a
loaf, and so did the schoolmaster; they were both
Protestants. . . . We have begun to beg in one
quarter, with a guide to show us the lodgings of
the Catholic poor. There were often several tenants
in one single room, and in others there were large
families. Everybody hastened to give. Generally
they were pleased to see us, sometimes even touched
to tears, praying us to return. These poor people
look upon the presence of a religious as a benediction
upon their house, and do not omit to show their sick
ones. It was in this way that we made our first little
gathering from door to door, receiving from one to
twenty-four coppers at a time."

The spiritual privations were great in these foun-
dations in Scotland. One may judge by this reply
of the Bishop of Edinburgh : " I grant you willingly
every permission you desire, and I willingly sign
your paper; but you must look for a priest to give
you the benedictions: I have none." The little
colony had arrived in Edinburgh on September 8,
1863. The welcome of the clergy and of the few
existing communities was cordial; labourers were
needed for the vineyard, and they felt that every
Catholic work was a form of apostleship, at the same
time an appreciable help for the poor. '* Our habit
roused curiosity to a certain extent, and often people
came near or in front of us to have a good look at
us, and when once satisfied, they passed on. In the
poor quarters, which were for the greater part

I70 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Catholic, they very often gave us halfpence in the
streets, and sometimes even small pieces of silver,
and they made signs to us, to go up to such a house
to receive something. We did not know where the
Catholics lived, but they made them known to us.
Generally they received us eagerly, but from time to
time God allowed it to be otherwise." As they
received more and more broken food, the begging
Sisters were no longer strong enough to carry the
large pans. Fortunately they received into the home
an old man, a former porter, and also a vehicle to
be drawn by hand; they utilized both. " This little
vehicle was perhaps the most curious thing that was
ever seen in the Little Family; it was neither a
carriage, nor cart, nor wheelbarrow, and still it was
a little of each, but it was more like a trunk placed
on wheels and painted green. Certainly the priest
who had made us this present had well understood
that we were called to practise the virtue of humility
even to humiliation." However, the rolling trunk
was useful; with careful packing it would hold three
pans and a large sack of bread ; what remained over
that had to be carried. People soon knew the green
trunk of the Little Sisters, and when it stopped, the
children ran to it, curious to see what was inside
and how it was managed. They could easily see
into it, although they were so small.

The Bishop and the French Consul put their
names at the head of the subscription-list. The
Little Sisters succeeded in obtaining a recommenda-
tion not less important. ** To aim high from the
beginning, we presented ourselves at the Lord

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 171

Provost's house, where Lord Brougham was at that
moment. It was not an occasion to be lost, so we
asked him, and we had the honour to see him. He
received us very well, and put his name on our list,
giving us ;^i. The Lord Provost did as much, and
Lord Brougham, in a speech which he made the
same day, mentioned our visit, so that the next day
it was in all the newspapers." We then began to
beg from door to door. The first day we picked up
£1 IS. "We received as much for ourselves as for
others. We encountered dry, harsh, severe faces;
we entered large, beautiful drawing-rooms, where
luxury abounded, but all was cold and icy. It
seldom happened that we excited any sympathy, but
we were content for God's sake. On returning we
were glad to find some Catholic houses, which served
as much to refresh the heart as to fill the purse."

Thirty old men, rescued from pauperism, filled the
house, and the establishment was becoming of some
importance, when Protestant bigotry exploded. It
must not be forgotten that the presence of the Little
Sisters in the streets and in the houses meant the
reappearance of the religious habit and of Catholic
charity, and that was in itself matter for sectarian
polemics. One of the ministers put in the papers a
letter against the Little Sisters; this was a signal of
controversy for and against them. '* All through
Easter-time (1864) there was to be seen in the fre-
quented streets of the town a procession of men
bearing on their backs the following poster, written
in big letters : * No Begging Nuns, ' one single letter
on the back of every bearer; this is a common way

172 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

of attracting the special attention of the pubhc."
The Sisters were several times pelted with stones;
some of their window-panes were broken, and other
acts of violence sometimes led them to fear positive
outrage. Many intelligent Protestants who admired
them, did not dare to open their doors to them.
The Catholics themselves at one time believed that
they would retire before the storm. Things went
on in this way till the day when, through Divine
permission, the Scotsman, the most widely-circulated
journal in Scotland, took up in several articles, full
of energy and good sense, the defence of the Little
Sisters and their poor old people.

A new era begins. The year 1865 found the
hospitaller work in possession of three properties
in Glasgow, Dundee, and Edinburgh. Sympathies
strong and lasting awoke on all sides in favour of
the poor old people. It was the same in England —
Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Plymouth, Leeds,
Newcastle, passed successfully through the difficult
period of foundation. The good Mother Saint
Joseph, who had been Superior previously in
Brussels, understood well how to act in England,
and took an important part in several of these
foundations.

The old people cannot be forgotten throughout
this history. Let us relate some facts. The second
house in London was started. That very evening
two old men were received from the workhouse ; they
brought all their goods in a pocket-handkerchief;
but Christ entered the home in the person of the

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 173

poor, and that caused great joy to the Little Sisters.
They hghted the hre for them, prepared their meal,
installed them in the dormitory; but while the Little
Sisters were making their beds these two good old
men knelt down, and, lifting up their hands to
heaven, blessed God. They were happy, and so
were the Sisters.

Palmer was a gardener in a large house; old age
brought him to the home, where he devoted himself
to piety. His old master and mistress sent him their
doctor to attend him in his last illness. " Sir," he
said to the doctor at his third visit, ** I am seventy-
two years old; I have been a Catholic not yet a
year, but since I became one I have done more for
my soul than in all the course of my previous exist-
ence." The old man continued : " What good is it
to give medicine to a dead man ? My body is dead,
my soul lives. Know, sir, that it lives, and that it
will live. As to my body, it belongs to you and to
the good Mother, and I do not trouble myself about
what you may do with it."

Morley came to the home to die. He was a veteran
of the foundation, the most pious man, and the
greatest grumbler in the world, for he knew how
to combine these two things in a superior degree.
He was very submissive to God and to the Little
Sister, but he loved to say that things were going
wrong, and when he had made all his complaints he
was in good humour for some time. Never could
he be got to admit that his eighty-two years were
the reason why he was not so well as he had been.
Death did not cause him the slightest grief; he was

174 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

penetrated with confidence in God, and with joy at
leaving the world, where in his last days he could
no longer pray with ease.

In Birmingham they received an old man with
white hair, feeble and almost blind. He was an
inventor. He had invented a method of writing,
which is still used a little; he had also invented or
perfected an instrument of music, which he had
brought with him, and on which he occasionally
played airs, perhaps composed by himself. He
spent his days sitting either in the hall or on the
bench in the garden, leaning on his stick, buried in
his dreams and his thoughts. He took hardly any
part in what went on around him; but speak to him
about his invention, he would be at once animated
and quite a different man.

In Manchester, in the room of the women, a clock
was wanted. It must be said that the house was
not furnished with a large clock, not even a bell, so
that the blind, the half-deaf, the half -paralyzed
women, heard nothing and saw nothing, did not
know the hour, nor how time was going. A clock
which struck the hour was, in their idea, a com-
panion, a distraction, a recreation. When one is
rich, such an expense is nothing; when one is in
want of a hundred things of this kind, and has
debts, every expense is important. It was decided
that the good women should make a novena, and
that the Little Sister would go and beg for a clock.
She experienced several refusals. At last a watch-
maker gave a timepiece. But the women were only
half satisfied; they wished to have a clock that

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 175

would strike. The old women again began their
novena, and the Little Sister her round. By a provi-
dential accident she came to a large warehouse of
clockv/ork. "Sir," said the Sister, "our poor old
women would be so happy to hear the hour strike;
could you give us a clock that strikes ?" The recital
touched the dealer, who was a Catholic. "Yes,
Sister, and I will go and put it up for you." He
did so. When the women saw him put up the
precious clock they gave him a real ovation. The
joy of the poor was his reward, and he began to
love this work, of the existence of which he had till
then been quite ignorant.

It is time that the cabbage trafhc and the savings-
box should make their appearance in our narrative.
It will have been observed that the mother-house con-
tributed to the success of the work by accepting
foundations and furnishing the hospitaller staff, but
it helped little in money, for its own expenses were
heavy at the time, both for raising and supporting
the novitiate, and for meeting the general expenses
of administration and journeys. However, the large
gardens of the Tour Saint-Joseph had just been
made available, and fertile vegetables grew in
abundance in this new ground. The good Mother-
General had an idea, which was agreed to, to draw
profit from it for the foundations in England; and
the scheme was successful, thanks to the devotedness
of Alexander Gandon, the gardener, an excellent
man, who set himself to sell the vegetables in the
neighbouring district. The product of the sales,
including the pay of the generous gardener, was put

176 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

into a purse and reserved for England, but this was
far from sufficient.

A certain number of friends in France and in
Belgium, regarding these foundations as a part of
missionary work, sent some offerings to help towards
the first expenses of the establishments.* Of these
friends Monsieur Louis Marest of Amiens, and
Monsieur Paul Le Picard of Rouen, were in the
first rank.

*' The needs are great, but the fruits of this
Catholic invasion are immense. As for me, I shall
pray much for this intention, and every month I
shall try to send my little subscription." So wrote
the two friends. This form of charity or apostle-
ship pleased several friends of the hospitaller work,
who promised a monthly contribution. The Rev.
Lelievre (or Father Ernest, as they called him) was
the godfather of the institution to which he gave
the name of '' savings-box," and Mr. Louis Marest
was its very devoted manager. The " savings-box
was not long contented with the humble salary which
the regular assessments of its subscribers provided;
it soon joined to this a kind of perquisite, consisting
either of extraordinary gifts made to the committee
by strangers, or of supplementary alms remitted by
the associates themselves on the occasion of an
approaching feast, of an unforeseen need announced

* We may mention the Rev. Bruno de Laage, the families
Bernard and Kolb Bernard, Cosserat, Ledieu, De Givenchy,
d'Aripe, General de Yermoloff, etc. The Empress Eugenie,
the Duke d'Aumale, and the Duke de Chartres were among
the benefactors of the London houses.

IN ENGLAND AND SCOTLAND 177

from England, of a new foundation to be dowered,
or even of some work of zeal amongst themselves."
The source opened at Amiens was destined to flow
a long time.

The generous and persevering effort of so many
persons succeeded. A writer of reputation — Mr.
Blanchard Jerrold — boldly took the part of the Little
Sisters of the Poor in the Morning Post and in
several papers. In October, 1865, the London
Review, in an article which was reproduced in
several local papers, did not hesitate to say: '*We
have to speak of an Institution, which for originality,
grandeur of design, and devotedness of Christian
sacrifice, may compare with any of the most re-
nowned charities of rich Protestant England."

CHAPTER XIV

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR IN SPAIN

The foundations in Barcelona, Manresa, Granada, Lerida,
Lorca — Official receptions, processions, and serenades —
Foundations in Malaga, Antequera, Madrid, and Jaen—
New character of the hospitaller work.

In 1863 the conferences of Saint Vincent de Paul
in Barcelona wished to organize some public soup-
kitchens. A zealous merchant, Seiior Mariano Lluch,
proposed to call in the Little Sisters of the Poor,
whom he had visited in Paris, and whose popular
name rallied all suffrages. The mother-house, being
sounded on the subject, pointed out that there was
a misapprehension as to the object of the congrega-
tion, as the Little Sisters devoted themselves exclu-
sively to the work for old people. The ordinary-
condition being accepted and the idea of a public
relief centre being set aside, the good Mother, Marie
de la Conception, Assistant-General, crossed the
Pyrenees, and arrived in Barcelona on the Feast of
Saint Joseph, March 19, 1863. The Baron of Mon-
clar, president of the conferences, and Sefior Lluch
obtained the official authorization of the Archbishop,
the Governor, the Mayor, and the feeling in society
was favourable. A house was hired for 3,000 pesetas ;
the same day a stranger sent this amount. This
naturally made a great impression on the benefactors
178

THE LITTLE SISTERS IN SPAIN 170

of the work. *' As for us," wrote the good Mother,
" we were not surprised, as cur Little Family is led
by Divine Providence."

Already the little colony destined for the first
foundation in Spain had left France; but the Little
Sisters arrived at the same time as the letter
announcing them, and it was nine o'clock in the
evening. What were they to do at that hour? They
had no beds, the neighbours lent them blankets and
pillows, and they had a room full of straw. They
lay down there with more joy than they would have
done, had they found beds all ready, and said,
laughingly: "What, a happiness that they did not
know beforehand of our arrival; at least we have a
taste of the privations of a foundation !" Our Little
Sisters did not know much Spanish, but several had
learned the *' Catalane " at Perpignan, as this dialect
is spoken there as in Catalonia. They made their
appearance in the market-place, and saw themselves
surrounded by persons of all conditions. "Every-
body was glad to see them and to say a good word
to them, invoking the blessings of God on them, and
begging them to accept an offering." When the
collecting Sisters came back to the house and told,
to the great joy of the other Sisters, what had hap-
pened, they all laid down the product of the collec-
tion at the feet of Saint Joseph, and prayed for the
good and generous donors. The Sisters could only
receive women, as the house only contained accom-
modation for twenty-two. Soon an old man of
eighty years presented himself, saying: "I have
come to stay here." They refused to accept him.

i8o THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

" My name is Joseph," said the old man. Hearing
this they consented to receive him in honour of their
holy Patron. But he was covered with rags, and
there were no clothes in the home for men. Two
Little Sisters got ready to go out to beg for them.
Just then there came a ring at the door, and a parcel
was handed in. What a surprise ! It was a com-
plete suit of clothing for a man. We dressed Joseph
in them, and he was very happy to be so well clad.
He said to us in his simplicity that he had never
had such a suit, that people would take him for a
sefior. There was no lack of resources, and the
good Mother Assistant, who was accustomed to see
like generosity elsewhere, wrote : "I have never yet
made a foundation like this one. Everybody is m
admiration, and people bring us things from all
sides." The work, indeed, had a modern character,
which strongly aroused the attention and sympathy
of the Spanish people, for as the good Mother said :
" In Spain nuns were not in the habit of taking
charge of men, and it was a new thing to see them
begging."

Encouraged by the success, Seilor Mariano Lluch
had prepared a second foundation at Manresa, his
native town. The Mayor, Sefior Torrens, seconded
him, and the municipality on July lo, 1863, form-
ally placed at the disposal of the new hospitaller
Sisters a convent, which, though very dilapidated,
was still capable of being made into a good estab-
lishment. On August 21, the civil and religious
authorities were at the station to receive the colony.
A long train of people led our humble Little Sisters

THE LITTLE SISTERS IN SPAIN i8i

to the grotto of Saint Ignatius, as if to confide them
to the zeal of the celebrated Company of Jesus, and
from there to the old convent, situated precisely
above the precious grotto. Here it is fitting to pay
our tribute to the Jesuit Fathers, who showed them-
selves everywhere favourable to the foundations of
the Little Sisters of the Poor, and nowhere more so
than at Manresa, where they supplied regularly the
broken victuals from their establishments and gave
their spiritual service to the poor little home for old
people.

More than once in the course of those founda-
tions, the character of the Catholic and chivalrous
Spaniards triumphed over the humility of the Little
Sisters. Solemn receptions by the authorities,
popular processions, serenades, etc., often welcomed
their arrival. But the work remained in its humility,
and experienced the inseparable trials of a founda-
tion. At Manresa, on the Sunday after the arrival,
the procession was again formed, and conducted the
Little Sisters and their first four poor old women to
the church, which was brilliantly illuminated, to
assist at a solemn High Mass and a sermon in their
praise. Then, when the population had brought
them back to the home so dear to them, the Mayor
made a very sympathetic speech in the name of the
municipality. Some days later, the Little Sisters
of the Poor had a great joy, for, on August 28, they
received two postulants, the firstfruits of their
Spanish subjects.

It is in the nature of charity to be industrious and
to adapt itself to local conditions, in order to do its

i82 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

beneficent work. In the region of Manresa they
cultivate the garbdnzos, a kind of peas much appre-
ciated in Spain and beaten at harvest-time in the
public threshing-floors. The Little Sisters pre-
sented themselves at a favourable moment, and
obtained provision for the home without expense.
At the time of vintage they made the round of the
wine-presses, with the donkey carrying two large
leather bottles, and their barrels at home were thus
filled with wine. They did the same to obtain pro-
visions of olive oil and grain. All these little
voluntary contributions of the farmers and pro-
prietors represent an equivalent quantity of
generosity and made the home flourish. A little
later it happened that a benefactor promised two
litres of oil, adding that if the harvest produced
more than the ordinary quantity, he would give the
surplus. Now, it yielded thirty litres more, to his
brother's great surprise, for he had the same quantity
of olives, and was not able to extract more than the
ordinary measure of oil. In his joy, the donor
spread about that Saint Joseph had multiplied the
oil at his mill, and his servants confirmed his
words.

Sefior Escolano, governor of the bank at Barce-
lona, was already occupied in establishing the hos-
pitaller institution in Granada, his native country;
and on his invitation, Sefior de Toledo, Mayor of
the town, officially requested the Little Sisters to
found a house in Barcelona; thirty-five influential
persons of the place signed the document. His

THE LITTLE SISTERS IN SPAIN 183

brother-in-law, Sefior Manuel Orti, professor at the
University of Madrid, welcomed the Little Sisters
of the Poor on their way through the capital, and
himself accompanied them in an ordinary public
conveyance to their destination. Of what did the
travellers think during that beautiful journey?
" During that journey we experienced much happi-
ness in following the same road that St. Teresa
had taken when she went to Seville. We prayed
earnestly that she might obtain for us the spirit
which animated her, and that we, like her, might
be filled with the love of God, and very zealous for
the salvation of souls." A deputation of notable
persons, with the Mayor at its head, was waiting
to receive them as they got out of the carriage, and
assured them of the goodwill of the administration.
This *took place at the end of December, 1863.
The Little Sisters installed themselves in a hired
house, which they filled with poor old people, who
formed their adopted family. " Our kind of life
and our reliance on Providence were for our bene-
factors a subject of admiration; but they feared that
the work would not be well understood by the in-
habitants of Granada, who were not used to see
nuns in the streets." Well, the two begging Sisters
went out. " They began in the market-place. It
was a thing so new and touching for this people,
full of faith, to see two nuns asking alms for the
love of God ! In one instant they found themselves
surrounded by so many people that they could not
walk." One thing struck these good inhabitants
of Granada: "Seeing our Sisters beg, they seemed

i84 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

to see Saint John of God still in their streets, for
his memory is always living."*

A document, bearing forty-four signatures of in-
habitants of Lerida, decreed the establishment of a
home for the aged in that town in 1864. Senor De
Gomar went himself to Barcelona to seek the Little
Sisters of the Poor, who on their arrival at Lerida
saw themselves surrounded by a sympathetic popula-
tion, and found a house quite prepared to receive
them. After this splendid beginning, it was essential
for the Little Sisters to conduct themselves with
energy and devotedness to the work for which they
had come, entering on that course of sacrifice, priva-
tion, forgetfulness of self, absolute confidence in
God, by which alone such works are founded. " In
a multitude of things where Nature might have com-
plained I have never heard them murmur; on the
contrary, they would say: 'We are contented.' —
* It is all the same.' — ' It is for God's sake.' I have
seen them take off their own clothes and give them
to our poor old women to prevent their being cold."
Such is the witness borne to them by the Assistant-
General who established all these foundations.

There was soon in this house a company of really
destitute poor, among whom was an old woman, who
had been found under a staircase, where she was
lying on straw, quite paralyzed and in rags, and who
had been carried to the home. Such an assembly
of poor naturally disposed the public opinion favour-

* All these statements are extracts from the corre-
spondence of the good Mother Marie de la Conception.

THE LITTLE SISTERS IN SPAIN 185

ably. In spite of that, many things were lacking to
complete the foundation, and consequently the month
of Saint Joseph, 1865, was observed with great
fervour, stimulated by need. There were gathered
there a few poor women, worn out by age and
infirmities. The Little Sisters had no money, no
provision for the future. Together they prayed in a
humble oratory around a modest altar raised to their
Patron Saint. All their miseries pleaded for them.
It was feebleness itself in the eyes of the world, but
these misfortunes were rich in the love of God, and
confidence in God, and these very needs opened the
treasury of Providence. Once more the foolishness
of the Cross was about to triumph over human
wisdom, and to establish on these foundations,
apparently in ruins, a flourishing home blessed by
God and men.

In Lorca, a lady had bequeathed 25,000 pesetas
for the poor; but how could a hospice be founded
with this sum ? Sefior Saavedra offered them to the
Little Sisters, provided they would establish a home
in the town, and the municipality, desirous of
realizing their scheme, offered an old convent,
situated in a picturesque position, half a mile from
Lorca. It should be borne in mind that at that
time the political changes in Spain had brought
about the suppression of a certain number of religious
houses, and consequently the destitution of the poor
in many places. The hospitaller institution thus
responded to a public need, and offered the ad-
vantage of founding hospices without disadvantage
to the Budget. This explains the eagerness of the

i86 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

municipalities to welcome it. So, on November 21,
1864, the Assistant-General and the appointed
Superior were on their way to Lorca. President
Senor Saavedra, who accompanied them, invited the
two good Mothers to get out of the carriage. It
was in the middle of the country. " We were very
surprised to see the clergy and all the authorities
of the town waiting for us. They made us get out
of the stage-coach and take our seats in the carriage
prepared to carry us to the town, for we had still an
hour's journey before us. These gentlemen accom-
panied us to the house of the Sisters of Saint Vincent
de Paul, and in leaving us, the Mayor announced
that in the evening the town band would come to
play under our windows." It was, in fact, a
serenade.

During that time the community in Barcelona,
which had existed a year and a half, left the small
house in which they had started, and installed them-
selves at Ensanche on December i, 1864, with a
number of inmates, which suddenly increased from
twenty-five to seventy-five old people. It was
necessary to arrange the dormitories and the bed-
ding, to procure the linen and clothing, to get
ready the fuel and wood, to see to each new-comer,
to open the door to all visitors or donors. The
Little Sisters found it difficult to meet this pious
invasion, and at the same time to keep something
of the interior life amidst so much bustle; however,
they went on with their work, happy to devote
themselves and to take part in this energetic move-
ment of beneficence. That gave occasion to the

THE LITTLE SISTERS IN SPAIN 187

outsiders to remark with what obedience, calmness,
and serenity the Little Sisters, thus overwhelmed,
attended to their duties, so that all were edified by
their virtue. Someone having given a cart and a
donkey to do the marketing, the old men came
down joyfully to try them, considering the gift as
their common property, they got into the " tartania "
and had a drive. The following day it was the turn
of the begging Sisters to make use of it. As they
returned when the community was at recreation, the
good Mother and the other Little Sisters naturally
went to meet the equipage. *' Saint Joseph is in-
side!" cried the begging Sisters. They open the
door, draw out the parcels, and show their com-
panions seventy-eight new linen sheets ready for
use.

One circumstance gave a fresh impetus to the
foundations in Spain; this was the visit of the
Superior-Generals, who visited the established houses,
encouraged the Little Sisters, discussed other founda-
tions, and promised all the assistance possible from
the mother-house. People were much interested in
the ' ' little curate ' * and the * ' little work-women ' ' of
Saint-Servan, as they called the Superior-General
herself. The contrast between the feebleness of the
small beginnings and the rapid developments of the
new work, struck men's minds and excited more than
once a religious enthusiasm, which, according to
custom, expressed itself in serenades, speeches,
ovations.

It is important not to mistake the character of

i88 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

the work. These manifestations, in whatever country
they may occur, are accidental things, and pass
with the circumstances that produce them. The
character of the work is humihty, simphcity, the
gift of self, the good of the poor, the glory of God ;
but these things themselves attract the esteem or
praise of men, and tend to show themselves on
great occasions.

The foundation in Malaga, which it was decided
to undertake under the circumstances just related,
took place in April, 1865, in a hired house. A
touching ceremony, worthy of the most beautiful
ages of faith, sets it out in relief. The parish priest
of Saint John wished, on the Feast of Pentecost, to
give Holy Communion to the sick, with the tradi-
tional ceremony of the country. The benefactors
came to decorate the entrance-hall, the yard, the
chapel, for this veritable ** Fete-Dieu," whilst the
clergy had prepared the souls. At seven o'clock in
the morning the procession left the church; the
Blessed Sacrament was escorted by a hundred gentle-
men bearing candles; a regimental band sent forth
its trumpet-sounds. A pious crowd followed the
procession; six policemen guarded the entrance of
the home and maintained order. The procession
entered the house of the poor, decorated that day
with hangings, flowers, and small flags; and the
old men and women, blessing God, who came to
them with such splendour and kindness, believed
themselves to be in Paradise. The bystanders were
moved at the sight of these poor people, weighed
down with old age and infirmities, but happy and

THE LITTLE SISTERS IN SPAIN 189

consoled ; at that moment they were truly * * the poor
of the good God," and that "communion for the
sick" manifested our immortal religion, shedding
forth on living ruins, her rays of hope and con-
solation.

A year and a half later, the house of Malaga
counted seventy old people, but a great many often
really wretched still were knocking at the door.
Cases had to be refused, so that the Sisters' hearts
were heavy, and this trial lasted several days. At
last, at the recreation of the Sisters, the debate
between prudence and charity began. Every Little
Sister examined if there was not some corner that
could be utilized in her department, or in the places
available for the common rooms of the house. Their
great desire to take care of as many poor as possible,
made them place the beds close together and invent
places; by so doing they managed to receive ten
more old people. Hygiene was not considered in
their council.

In Andalusia, likewise, they made the foundation
of Antequera, on June 23, 1865, on the initiative of
Canon Jose Gutierreo. As the house was dedicated
to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and the feast fell on the
following day, they immediately received the first
poor inmate. A Mass said in the chapel marked the
opening of the home, and during it the poor man
had the place of honour as the representative of
those who were to come. We must note that two
important factories set up a charity-box, in which
the workmen came on pay-days to put in their offer-
ings for the support of an establishment for the

igo THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

benefit of their parents, and old companions, and
also for themselves in their old age. The alms of
those who labour have a double value.

But how were the old men at the house of Ante-
quera getting on ? One of them, with a characteristic
Southern emphasis, replied: "Too well. I am
dressed like a King, lodged like a lord; I have
delicious food, and a bed like a married man.
People pay me more attention than I deserve. I
have only one care, and that is to look for the
freshest place to take my siesta ! " To speak the
truth, the house was poor, and beset with difficulties
during its period of organization; but the old men
were well disposed, and spoke well of their home.
A circumstance, trifling in appearance, proved this.
Towards 1867 provisions of all kinds were lacking.
The donkey having finished the oats, the old man
who took care of him could not make up his mind
to give him only straw. So the following Sunday,
when the good Mother came to say grace, the men
rose and declared they would no longer drink wine,
and that with the money thus economized they
would buy the oats for the donkey, because, they
said, the poor beast was so sad. The old man
who took charge of it had gained the other men to
his cause, and made this simple plot. Heaven no
doubt willed that the poor should not suffer priva-
tion, for a kind sefior sent a sack of oats for the
donkey, a sack of maize for the pigs, and a big
packet of tobacco for the old men. Everybody was
contented — especially the donkey.

It is now the turn for the capital to have a
foundation. Dofia Carmel de la Concha and the

THE LITTLE SISTERS IN SPAIN 191

Marchioness of Santiago obtained the authorization
from the Governor of Madrid and the Archbishop
of Toledo; Sefior Orti became surety for the lease
of the house. The Mayor approved, and gave
instructions to his agents, through the Commissary-
General, to protect the begging Sisters, the press
announced in approving terms the charitable enter-
prise, and at the beginning of January, 1867, the
foundation was effected under satisfactory conditions.
The Mother-Superior wrote of it to the mother-
house : " I do not know how to tell you of all the
marvels which God accomplishes under my eyes.
We can only bless His kindness and hold ourselves
very humble before Him, since He graciously wills
to work such v/onders through His poor children.
We have already twelve men, of whom one is blind,
eighty-three years of age, and very interesting; we
have twenty women, amongst whom is one a hundred
years old; she is lively and alert, and shows the
Little Sister how to do Spanish cookery. Yesterday,
February 17, we had Holy Mass in our chapel for
the first time. Some days ago the greatest ladies
of Madrid supplied it with all that was necessary —
chalice, ciborium, vestments, curtains, etc. ; nothing
is wanting. At half-past eight brilliant equipages
arrive, accompanying the Nuncio, who is to officiate.
At the Post-Communion he addresses a pathetic
l| allocution to the congregation, who are deeply
j moved. In the evening there was a sermon by the
greatest preacher in Madrid, and the head parish
priest of the town gave Benediction, while twelve
young ladies sang the service."

Let us mention the ninth foundation, which com-

192 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

menced at Jaen in April, 1867. Spain had compre-
hended the genius of the work and assimilated it;
she adopts with enthusiasm these new hospitaller
Sisters, who help poor old people of both sexes, and
who organize large homes with the resources of the
private charity, which they collect themselves.

CHAPTER XV

IN FRANCE

The social question — Two eloquent voices — A hundred houses
— The trembling castle — A Jewess — An engineer — The
chapel at Ntmes — The voice of tradition — La Tour
Saint Joseph.

The social question was the great problem which
agitated the spirit of the masses in the second half
of the nineteenth century, and assistance for infirm
age was a notable part of it. The institution of the
Little Sisters of the Poor, appearing in the world at
the opportune moment, had the merit of responding
to the aspirations of the crowd at the time when
the democracy came into power, and of showing
deeds, while the press and the orators were merely
talking. This time again Christian charity had the
intuition of the new need, and the work of the Little
Sisters of the Poor counted from 1867 a hundred
establishments for the infirm and poor old people.

An eloquent voice which was raised in 1861 at
Poitiers, spread abroad with that fame, which accom-
panies talent, the praise of the humble congregation.
" Scarcely had it made its appearance," said Mgr.
Pie, ** than it was already the object of universal
sympathy. What is more touching, indeed, than to
see these young women employ the best years of their
lives in solacing and embellishing existence which
193 13

194 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

without them would end too often in sadness and
misfortune? One is moved to tears in the presence
of these delicate attentions, of these practices of
charity inspired by faith. One would say that these
terrestrial angels have only renounced the sweetness
of their natural family to transport all their filial
piety to these strangers, toward whom they take at
once the position of daughters, sisters, and mothers.
This abnegation of themselves, this tenderness of
heart toward old people, yesterday unknown to
them; this mixture of gaiety and reserve, of gentle-
ness and authority, which causes peace to reign
between so many wills difficult to satisfy; this love
of God which expresses and interprets itself at every
hour by the affectionate support of our neighbour —
there is something there to move the most insensible
of hearts."

Let us give other examples of eloquence and
poetry. The celebrated Father Felix* speaks :
" Little Sisters of the Poor ! Who among you does
not love that charming name — that name so well
chosen ? It is well conceived because it springs from
the very thing it expresses, as a flower springs from
its stem. There is in it a charm thoroughly Christian
and thoroughly apostolic, because it expresses what is
purest in Christianity and most efficacious in apostle-
ship — the union of charity and humility. Sisters of
the Poor by their charity, they are their Little Sisters
by humility. As the water follows the slope to pour

* Celebrated for his conferences on progress by Christianity
at Notre Dame in Paris. He preached this sermon on charity
in several great towns of France and Belgium.

IN FRANCE 195

itself on the humblest valleys, their charity, derived
from God through the heart of Jesus Christ, follows
the lowest depths of human suffering in order to
pour out these its benefits. Poverty, sickness, age,
and solitude — alas ! each of these miseries, taken
separately, is for the man who is affected by it, a
great misfortune. But when these four miseries are
united so as to form but one; what when they all
press at the same time and on the same being, to
crush him? Yes, they exist, the veterans of mis-
fortune who see the chains of these sufferings lengthen
with the chain of their days; who are condemned to
live on still, when around them and in them they
see nothing but the ruins of their fortune, the ruins
of their body, the ruins of their days, and the more
desolate ruins of their own devastated hearts.
When these poor have reached the hour of their
direst need, the Little Sisters approach, saying :
These are ours. It is to them that we will give
ourselves. Oh ! by my faith and by yours, if there
be a charity, we see it here. If the poor have
sisters, behold them.

"Have you seen old age in the family? Have
you counted all the humiliations it exacts ? If you
have witnessed those voluntary services where love
is measured by the greatness of the abasement, you
may understand what a whole multitude of old
people exact of the servants of the poor. Ah !
behold this spectacle of the purest devotedness,
placed in humility at the service of the greatest
miseries, meditate on it sometimes. There I have
seen, face to face, human nature and Christianity

196 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

with its mysteries of sacrifice. In a narrow space,
where infirmities are in contact with infirmities, and
sorrows with sorrows, amongst eight or ten old
persons, all naturally more repulsive the one than
the other, I have seen the Little Sister of the Poor
drawing her young breath in that atmosphere which
their breath has infected, and going from one to the
other, like the angel of affliction and of consolation.
I have seen there, in the midst of these decaying
creatures, the young girl of twenty years like a flower
of life among human ruins, pouring out there in
charity the best sap of her life. And she was
there not for one hour — not for one day; she was
there for all her life. She was there expecting
nothing — nothing but the happiness to suffer for the
members of the suffering Jesus Christ !

"The Master has said: 'The poor ye have
always with you.' Yes, beings poor in every
sense will always exist. As a certain number of
decaying creatures are every year cut down by
death, so a certain number every year are struck by
misfortune — by misery which comes forth from the
very entrails of living society, which attaches itself
to the earth as to its native place, which ends in
one being only to begin in another, and revives
mcessantly from the very force of circumstances and
the weakness of men.

* ' This is what explams the truly social influence
which the institute of the Little Sisters of the Poor
is destined to exercise. It has on its side not only
divine inspiration; it has human attraction. It is
in the most rigorous sense of the word, sympathetic-

IN FRANCE 197

to humanity. The needs which it has the vocation
to relieve, will be always living necessities of human
nature."

Whilst these eloquent voices were sounding, the
hospitaller family founded new homes in France : in
Nice, Lorient, Nevers, and Flers in 1862; Ville-
franche-sur-Saone, Cambrai and Niort in 1863; Paris
(fifth house) in 1864; les Sables d'Olonne and
Troyes in 1865; Maubeuge in 1866; Nimes and
Toulon in 1867. Toulon had the honour to be the
hundredth house of the congregation.

As history is not a simple index, but a living
study, we must now return to the narrations; for
these incidents not only have the simple or varied
charm of narration, but they convey direct impres-
sions, and are an echo of the epoch, which must
be heard before it dies away.

On March 24, 1862, the Little Sisters of the Poor
went to the suburb of Kerentreck at Lorient, where
was situated the "trembling castle," which became
the home for the old people. The situation is
beautiful, agreeable, and healthy, but the premises
were in a state of absolute dilapidation. Whether
the flooring was wood or earth, whether the walls
were white or black, one could not have told at
first sight, so greatly had the smoke, mildew, and
dust accumulated in the course of years. However,
the Little Sisters took possession of the place with
joy. They found there six beds, a pail, and some
brooms; they washed, rubbed, and cleaned. A little,
tottering old woman also arrived with a goat, her

198 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

only possession, asking to be received. She was
the first old person in the house, the goat the
first animal in the yard. The first evening the
Sisters had to sit on the floor, as they were with-
out table or chairs, and they had to live thus for
three or four days; the twigs from the garden
supplied the first wood to heat the soup, the travel-
ling-basket the first meal. However, the Little
Sisters put up a bell to ring for the exercises of
the community, and called in workmen to white-
wash the walls, renew the rotten planks, pull down
the partitions, and repair the locks which were out
of order. In 1863 there were fifty old people. Once
more it was shown that poverty is the soil in which
charity grows. The devotedness, widely organized
by the Little Sisters of the Poor, is the agent which
makes it productive, because the home is an in-
cessant call to charity; it arouses it, attracts it, and
forces it constantly to perform its works of benevol-
ence and humanity.

At Nevers, the country house of the great seminary,
situated near the town, became the establishment of
suffering old age at the price of 22,000 francs. The
Little Sisters arrived there, like the birds in spring,
on March 31, 1862. Mgr. Forcade, who was await-
ing them at the Bishop's house, joyfully introduced
them into a large room, where he had assembled
their adoptive family — ten old men and women, the
most wretched in the town. This sight touched the
compassionate hearts of the Little Sisters, and kindly
greetings were exchanged in presence of the Bishop.
There was a great deal to do to supply bedding for

IN FRANCE 199

the old people. With every newcomer the problem
was renewed — where to put him to sleep, how to
supply a bed for him. A provision of beds was
found, which Providence had provided. It was
in the hands of the municipality and dated from
1848. This bedding had been prepared by the in-
habitants for the soldiers. At the request of some good
people the municipality divided it into three parts,
of which one was assigned to the home for old
people. They thus received forty straw mattresses,
forty mattresses, eighty blankets, and 120 pairs of
sheets. What an inheritance ! They regarded the
approach of winter without fear for the poor. In
1863, after the ecclesiastical retreat, the good Bishop
went to the home with the greater part of the clergy
of the diocese, and he himself explained the hos-
pitaller work to his priests, its utility and its needs,
appealing to their goodwill that a hospice might
be erected there for 100 old men at least.

It was a heavy undertaking to establish and main-
tain 100 hospices without any other support than
public charity and the devotedness of the Sisters.
Consequently every house had its own benefactors.
At Besan^on the local benefactors had made some
repairs and enlarged the house. Mr. Michel, chief
editor of the Union Franc-Comtoise, rendered great
services. He was even able to touch the heart of
Mr. Weil Picard, a Jewish banker, who contributed
40,000 francs at least to the construction. It is true
that the Little Sisters assist the old people of all
religions. At Nancy, two Sisters were returning
from their collection. It was late; the weather was

200 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

dark and cold. They heard groans, and, approach-
ing the spot, saw a poor old sickly woman leaning
against a boundary-stone. They ask with kindly
interest as to the cause of her complaints. **Why
did you not go to the house of the Little Sisters of
the Poor?" "No, never; they would not receive
me!" "And why not?" " Because I am a Jewess."
"Come, come with us," they said; and, gently
forcing her, the Sisters took her with them. They
related the adventure to the good Mother, who
entered heartily into their charitable idea, and the
daughter of Israel found shelter and assistance under
the roof of the servants of Jesus Christ.

In spite of all, the faith of the Little Sisters was
sometimes put to proof. An occurrence which hap-
pened in Lyons is still remembered. A writer in the
Saltii Public visited the house of La Villette, which
contained more than 250 old people, and in the
course of his visit he happened to ask the Superior
how she could constantly meet so many wants. The
good Mother confessed that there were moments
of embarrassment, and that she was precisely in
one of these difficulties. " This very morning," she
said, "my flour merchant has sent me his bills;
they come to a sum of 4,700 francs. The worst is
that all this flour is used, and I have no money to
pay for it. I have not 100 francs in the house."
"What are you going to do?" said the writer.
" I have told the Little Sisters to pray, and as a
last resource the idea came to me to send a Sister
to sell my bills. I have done it. The Sister is
gone; she is in Lyons." The visitor laughed at

IN FRANCE 20I

this proposal; so did the Mother, but she had done
exactly what she said. A Little Sister, who collected
broken food, had seen this good Mother examining
papers with a troubled look. " What is the matter,
my good Mother?" said she. The good Mother
replied: "These bills are owing; I do not know
how to pay for that flour. But I have an idea. You
are going to Lyons; take my bills with you and
sell them." "For how much must they be sold,
my good Mother?" replied the Sister. "That is
very simple," replied the Mother; " each one for the
price marked on it." The Sister went and sold
them. They could pay for the flour. The readers
of the Salu^ Public also contributed to pay off the
debts of the good Mother.

The house at Annonay had been established eight
years; a piece of ground had been bought, one part
of the establishment was built, and the old people
fllled it. The home, however, was poor and quite
dependent upon Providence for its daily support;
but they were accustomed to count upon the benefits
of Heaven. Now they had no chapel ; they asked for
a plain one, and they knew how to be contented with
little. The Little Sisters and the old people, being
resolved to have the chapel, began by placing a stone
and a plank before the statue of Saint Joseph, to
make known their need; then, while appealing to
their Holy Patron, the old men set themselves to
dig and to prepare the site. When all was ready,
except the money, they waited the agent of Provi-
dence. Mr. Marc Seguin, the celebrated engineer,

202 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

who had hardly ever come to the home, visited it
on behalf of his pious and charitable wife, of the
family of de Montgolfier. The open space attracted
attention, he asked what it was for. Mr. Seguin
went away, but some days after he came back, and
said : "I undertake to have your chapel built, and
I will direct the work." In June, 1866, the masons
began the work under the direction of the great
engineer, whose great age of eighty years did not
hinder his coming regularly to the workshop. The
chapel was finished and used for the worship of God,
when one fine morning in the month of May, 1867,
on coming out from Mass, the Little Sisters and old
people saw on the ground a number of workmen
digging foundations. It was Mr. Seguin who had
given them this happy surprise and he undertook to
finish the home at his own cost. There were con-
flicts of opinion between the engineer and the Little
Sisters of the Poor — upholding the rights of art,
the Sisters preferring arrangements in keeping with
their customs. Mr. Marc Seguin said "no," at
first, but afterwards yielded, and the refusal of
modifications in his first reply ended regularly in a
good-natured *'We will do as you wish." When
the Little Sisters tried to thank him, he almost
became angry, and replied : ' ' What I am doing is
not much; I only give my goods and my time; but
you, you give yourselves." Having thus become a
fellow-worker with the Little Sisters of the Poor, the
octogenarian had begun to take an interest in this
work. One very cold wintry day, when the begging
sisters went to his luxurious dwelling, he inspected

IN FRANCE 203

the mantles, robes, and aprons of the Little Sisters,
and then exclaimed : " But I cannot any longer see
you clothed so poorly in such weather as this, with
clothes so worn that one can see through them."
They knew what would be the outcome of these
kind wishes : — the next day a large piece of black
stuff reached the community.

Let us now speak of Nimes, where, in 1867, a
foundation was made. One could fancy oneself in
the Middle Ages, the story is so full of simple piety.
Our little chapel is on the second story, under the
roof, above one dormitory, at the side of another,
and opposite to the infirmary for men. Jesus is in
the midst of the poor and suffering ! It was they
whom He loved when He lived amongst men. The
dwelling He occupies is very narrow; it is as poor
as the stable. The vestments and the vases are
borrowed; even the chairs do not belong to us. O
holy poverty, thou art the treasure brought from
heaven to earth by the King Jesus. We share this
treasure together — Jesus in His humble tabernacle,
we in the privations of all kinds connected with
the foundation. The Rev. Father d'Alzon,* Vicar-
General, is coming to bless the little sanctuary and
celebrate the holy mysteries there. At the voice of
His minister, Jesus comes down, the little bell an-
nounces His arrival, every head bows. Behold Him
there present, the desire of our hearts. Some priests
and several benefactors are there. All our old people

* Founder of the Augustinians of the Assumption.

204 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

have prepared a throne for Him in the centre of
their hearts; all range themselves at the Holy Table
with a piety and a recollection which touches us.
Our hearts are lifted up towards our Saviour in
a transport of love. Our little chapel is gradually
furnished. Some old vestments and altar cloths
have been given to us. A good lady learns from
the Semaine Religieuse that the Little Sisters of the
Poor had been inaugurating a chapel; at once she
thinks that the sacred vessels must be needed, and she
has sent a chalice. Now that we have that precious
vessel we are happy. But we are not satisfied. Our
Lord is not able to come out of His prison of love
to bless us; we want a monstrance. We address
ourselves to our Lady; she so loves to see her Son
honoured. The priest who hears the novena being
made says: "What do you wish our Lady to give
you for her festival?" ''Reverend Father, we have
asked her for a silver monstrance," "And do you
believe our Lady will do this for you as soon as
you ask it?" The good Mother, Auguste Paul,
replied: "We believe our Lady will give it to us
because we are in need of it, and also in order
that our Lord may be more glorified." "As you
have so much faith, I must help you to work the
miracle; I am going to say a word about it in the
Semaine Religieuse. ^^ The seventh day of the novena
three ladies arrived at the house, saying: "Sisters,
we have just seen in the Semaine Religieuse that you
desire to have a monstrance for the Feast of the
Assumption. We are afraid other people may fore-
stall us. You shall have it." The following day

IN FRANCE 205

the three ladies arrived joyfully bringing the mon-
strance.

We now return to the beginning of the work, the
source, to quote an official document which preserves
the record of old traditions : * ' Meeting of the
Municipal Council of Saint-Servan, May 28, 1866.
Mr. Pointel, assistant to the Mayor, calls the attention
of the Council to two much-frequented streets of the
town. It appears to him preferable to give to the
streets and squares names, which recall the important
events of the country and the persons who have
rendered the city illustrious by their virtues, their
talents, or their glory. In the Rue Vigne au Chat
is a charitable establishment founded by a saintly
girl whose virtues, after having merited the prize
Montyon, have excited the admiration of all France,
in which those pious homes abound where the aged
poor are received. Mr. Pointel believes that he
anticipates the desires of all in asking the Council
to substitute the name of * Jeanne Jugan ' for that
of ' Vigne au Chat ' for the street where the establish-
ment of the Little Sisters of the Poor is situated."
The record bears the signature of Mr. Guazon,
Mayor, and seventeen municipal councillors. As a
result of the discussion, a plate was put up in the
street in question bearing the inscription, ** Rue
Jeanne Jugan." We owe to Mgr. Collet* a valuable
piece of information on this subject: "One day
this saintly girl came to me at the Tour to tell me

* Curate (1849-1861), afterwards parish priest (1865-1901),
at Saint-Servan.

2o6 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

how deeply the Municipal Council had grieved her
by giving her name to the street of the Little Sisters.
This excellent religious besought me to exert my
mfluence with the Council to have this street called
* Rue de la Providence,' or some other name. She
was very much saddened when I told her that I could
do nothing. She alone was ignorant of the part
which she had taken in this great work, by which
Christian charity has advanced another step."

The mother-house and the novitiate continued their
establishment with success, and saw young Sisters of
several nations — French, Belgians, Spanish, English,
Irish, Scottish, etc. — pressing into their ranks, which
gave to the Tour Saint- Joseph a very marked cos-
mopolitan character. They continued to improve the
property. In the month of November, 1865, they
had drained the large pond, from which, when the
waters were low, there was danger of fevers; and
whilst the men were doing the rough work, the Little
Sisters, transformed into fisherwomen, used to catch
the fishes by means of nets or by the hand. Now it
is a green meadow, and the herd grazing in peace
supply the staff of the establishment with milk and
butter.

They were building the community house. Mr.
and Mrs. Feburier* had visited the Tour Saint-
Joseph several times. They loved its sweet peace
and meditative calmness; they loved this novitiate,
where young girls of so many nations came to form
themselves for the religious life and to pass through

* See Chapter V.

IN FRANCE 207

the apprenticeship of the hospitaller life. In 1861
this lady wrote: "Being at the Tour, we assisted
at the second Mass every day in the room which
served as a chapel at that time; it grieved us to see
how the Little Sisters were crowded together. There
was not enough air. Every day, in order to go to
Mass, we had to pass a little grass-covered hillock,
on which they had placed a small plaster statue of
Saint Joseph, saying that they had no means to
build a chapel. Mr. Feburier and I were pained
to see Saint Joseph there, on the ground, and God
gave us the desire to help the Little Sisters to place
him better and to begin a chapel, where they could
hear Holy Mass in greater numbers, and perform the
ceremonies of the Church more becomingly. Mr.
Feburier said to me : * We might give a sum at
once, and also for a few years go on giving some-
thing.' "

The Superior-General accepted the project, but
at the same time enlarged it, for they immediately
thought of realizing the plan of the novitiate, and
raising a church, rather than a chapel, on the spot
which had become the centre of the Order. Provi-
dence had put in store on the property itself sand,
stone, granite, which they thought of utilizing. At
their request Mr. Mellet, the distinguished archi-
tect of Rennes, came again, and made the plan of
the beautiful edifice in the Roman style, with interior
galleries and arches. The Abbe Derval executed
the plan and works with complete success. Mgr.
Saint Marc, who had blessed the first stone on
October 20, 1861, consecrated the chapel on Sep-

2o8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

tember 5, 1869, having himself given the high altar
as a lasting witness of his affection and esteem.
People admired the building, the religious style and
architectural elegance of which make the most favour-
able impression. The statue of Samt Joseph, 4
metres high, was now placed on a tower of white
stone, 50 metres high, from which it towers over the
community and the country, as though to protect
and bless. Mr. and Mrs. Feburier returned once
more and said : * ' We were very happy in the
beautiful chapel, seeing these long files of Little
Sisters walking in the greatest recollection, and in
hearing their voices sing the praises of God."*

* After the death of her husband, which happened in
Paris, October 26, 1873, and the removal of his body to the
crypt of the chapel of La Tour, the pious widow became a
Little Sister of the Poor under the name of Sister Saint
Joseph of the Sacred Heart. She died at the mother-house
on April 18, 1877, and reposes in the cemetery of the com-
munity after twenty-three years of life as a religious.

It is to Mr. and Mrs. Feburier that the chapel is indebted
for the relics of Saint Pacificus. Being in Rome, with the
help of Rev. Father Alfieri, Superior-General of the Brothers
of Saint John of God, they obtained the body of the martyr,
which, with the phial of his blood, was taken from the
catacombs of Saint Priscilla in 18 19.

The translation was solemnly made on August 18, 1864,
into a lateral chapel, where the holy martyr is venerated,
while his example points to the way of sacrifice, and
illustrates its reward. Since then the chapel has been
enriched with reliquaries, precious to piety, which recall the
examples and virtues of saints, and encourage the Little
Sisters in their holy career.

CHAPTER XVI

THE DAUGHTERS OF PROVIDENCE

Benefactors — The meeting-place of misery and charity — The
tradition of poverty in the chapels — Financial state of
the institution — The law of Providence.

This history might also be entitled ''Annals of
Charity," for it is a narration of pure benevolence,
in which the action of benefactors ceaselessly blend
with those of the Sisters without the possibility of
separating them, or even sometimes of distinguishing
them. What was said of the Little Sisters in the
early days is still to be said, namely, that the
"little family" is composed of three elements — the
Sisters, the old people, and the benefactors. Such
are the characters of the drama constantly inter-
mingled in the stories, more or less conspicuous
according to circumstances, and all alike living in
the land of charity.

As if the better to mark this characteristic of the
hospitaller work, it was a tradition to commence
foundations in indigence. The Little Sisters on the
day of their arrival began by gathering straw to
make mattresses; this was the starting-point. Then
they set themselves to clean the place, and soon
received the first aged poor; afterwards they ob-
tained all from charity — utensils, provisions, furni-
ture, clothing, money. This peculiar manner of
209 14

2IO THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

proceeding impressed the public, the old people,
and the Sisters themselves, and left the field free for
the action of Providence.

There is in this way of beginning a house a fresh-
ness and charm which is deeply affecting. The
inhabitants of a town see a work arise where formerly
nothing existed ; in the founding and activity of the
work they notice the charitable workers; they see
the poor wretches who, coming from divers places,
form a family of a kind different to all others; they
feel that sorrows are consoled, and that the miser-
able are raised from their abjection. Benefactors
are at once won over to the work ; from the cooking-
stove for the kitchen, bedding for the dormitory,
linen for the infirmary, to the utensils for the wash-
house — there is not a thing which is not the gift
of charity. Already the hospitaller regimen is at
work in the hospice with some old people used to
the home, with newcomers who gradually fill the
halls, the rooms, the garrets, the outbuildings, so
long as there is yet room for one. Soon a spacious
edifice must be built, but how many stones enter
into its walls, and how many alms enter with them !
If these stones, brought together in the harmony of a
general sympathy, could but find a voice, they would
proclaim the good works of the rich, and of the
workers, of the great and of the humble of the earth.
The asylum is indeed the place where misery and
benevolence meet. Like two mountain-streams flow-
mg from opposite directions they descend and mingle
together in the peaceful valley below.

But will this patrimony of the poor, this capital

THE DAUGHTERS OF PROVIDENCE 211

of the charity of which the congregation has taken
possession, become personal property or real estate,
and be turned into revenue? How do the Little
Sisters administer it? Three documents will show
us.

In 1854, following the approbation of the con-
gregation by Rome, a general Chapter, comprising
the Superiors of all the houses then existing, was
held at Rennes. The tradition of poverty in the
chapels was affirmed. They were to be kept with
great cleanness and decency, but without luxury or
objects of great value. Consequently, in the modest
chapels of the Little Sisters of the Poor, neither
gold nor silver nor precious metals nor valuable
ornaments are seen. It is the poverty of the Francis-
cans adapted to the condition of the Little Sisters,
harmonizing with the simplicity of the whole estab-
lishment, and bearing even in the sanctuary the
distinctive mark of the hospitaller institution. This
seal of religious poverty and simplicity prevents
neither beauty of style nor decorum in the ceremonies,
but it tones them down.

In 1862 the congregation of Bishops and Regulars
(m a note dated from Rome, September 6, and
signed by Cardinal Paracciani Clarelli as Prefect),
having expressed some fears (after an examination
of the accounts which had been submitted to it)
concerning the debts of the hospitaller work, the
following reply was sent from Rennes on October
28, 1862 :

"These Sisters have bought and built when the
entire Order possessed nothing, and they have taken

212 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

upon themselves the charge of the poor by hundreds
before having the least guarantee for their own sub-
sistence for the morrow. Since then their situation
has improved from day to day. None of the debts
which figure in the account have been contracted in
order to provide for the expenses of a house while
it was only projected. All represent balances, the
terms of which have not yet expired, to be paid
either for houses purchased or for new buildings.
The debts in each house are compensated for by
a value in real estate superior to their amount. The
Sisters are loved everywhere, and their benefactors
do not grow tired of helping them. None of the
constructions or purchases which have been made in
any of the houses of the congregation have been
made without the express authorization of the
Bishop, and consequently nothing has been done
against the intentions of the rule and the counsels
of prudence."

Let us watch the growth of the hospitaller organiza-
tion. This view will not be without interest for the
observer who loves to study the manifestations of
life in its works, under whatever form they are
produced. The final decision, of which the germ
was contained in the first hospice, was taken in 1865
under circumstances which must now be related.

Up to that date settled incomes, either temporary
or perpetual, in aid of the establishment and main-
tenance of the houses, for the endowment of beds,
or for Masses, were not altogether refused. The
little work of Saint-Servan, as we have often said.

THE DAUGHTERS OF PROVIDENCE 213

waited for the teaching of experience, and evolved
its essential principles successively before formulating
them as laws in its constitutions. To illustrate the
point with which we are occupied, let us take the
most striking example. The parish priest of Saint-
Sulpice had founded the house of Notre Dame des
Champs at Paris. Here is the continuation of his
statement* : * ' Where could the money be found to
erect the buildings on this land? A noble lady
came to me and proposed to contribute towards the
expense by giving 4,000 francs for the endowment
of a bed in the future home. This proposition was
like a ray of light to me. Having accepted it, I
told my parishioners of it, and a few days after
thirty of them had each remitted to me 4,000 francs."
There were then, here and there, some settled
revenues or endowments, although they were but
few in number and exceptional.

The Comte de Berton, who applied himself like a
devoted friend to the collection of legacies made to
the establishments of Little Sisters of the Poor, gave
the warning on May 22, 1865. He called attention
to the consequences which the acceptance of assured
incomes would infallibly bring about, both with
respect to the freedom of the administration of the
homes and to the spirit of the institution itself. As
the legacy of the Gallanti family was under dis-
cussion he concluded : "If you permit me humbly to
give my advice, you ought not to accept it, except
it be with authority to alienate the income to serve

* See Chapter X.

214 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

for a capital sum wherewith to pay for your house.
You ought to possess only the house and land you
inhabit, and for the rest to live upon daily charity.
If the Little Sisters were reputed to have settled
incomes, they would lose their right to that charity
which kept the Israelites alive in the desert, and if
they once hoarded the manna, that manna would
corrupt in their hands, as it formerly happened to
the people of God."

The ideas and sentiments expressed in the official
note of M. de Berton corresponded exactly with
the ideas and sentiments which prevailed in the con-
gregation. After having profoundly reflected, and
weighed the reasons for and against in prevision
of the future, they took counsel of several Bishops
— notably of the Archbishops of Rennes and of
Paris, who gave the same advice — and then the
council-general of the congregation,* assembled by
the Superiors-General, expressed its opinion.

The decision was given on June 19, 1865, and it
was notified to the houses of the institution * * that
the congregation cannot possess any yearly income
or fixed revenue in perpetual title, and consequently
we must refuse all legacies or gifts consisting of
yearly incomes, or to which the endowment of beds
or of Masses is attached, or any other obligation
which would demand perpetuity." The decision
gave as reasons : '* (i) The detriment to holy poverty,

* The Council was composed of Sisters Pauline, Marie
de la Conception, Marie-Gertrude, Marie de la Croix, Lucie-
Marie, Raphael, No6mi, V^ronique-Th^r^se, and Marie de
Saint-Joseph.

THE DAUGHTERS OF PROVIDENCE 215

which is our strength, for from the moment that our
houses possess incomes, they will subsist upon their
revenues without the help of beggmg ; (2) the endow-
ment of beds or of Masses would be a burden
upon our houses, and further, would constitute an
income." The same day Sister Marie- Augustine
de la Compassion, the Superior-General, laid before
His Excellency the Minister of Justice and Worship
the following considerations: " If, on the one hand,
the Little Sisters cannot provide for the lodging and
maintenance of the old people conhded to their care
without the concurrence of the generous gifts and
legacies which come to them from charitable people,
on the other hand, it is contrary to the spirit of the
congregation, as well as to the precepts of its
spiritual rule, to accept any fixed and permanent
revenues, such as Government annuities. With this
in view, the Superior-General, with the advice of
her council, has decided that, while reserving the
power to accept, with the authorization of the
Government, the capital sums given or bequeathed
to the congregation, sums which might be employed
either for the foundation of new asylums, or for
the purchase or construction of hospices already
founded, or for their enlargement when circumstances
require it, or their improvement, or furnishing, etc.,
she, nevertheless, cannot accept gifts and legacies
consisting of permanent incomes, either from the
State or private individuals. Therefore," etc.

On January 31, 1886, the French Government
declared favourably: "We have decreed, and do
decree as follows : Article I. The decision, dated

2i6 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

June 19, 1865, is approved by which the Council
of Administration of the hospitaller Congregation
of the Little Sisters of the Poor, recognized at
Rennes by our decree of January 9, 1856, has
declared that it renounces the legacy of a sum of
4,000 francs made by Miss Borgnis Gallanti, in
order to endow a bed at the establishment of the
Sisters of this Order existing in Paris, Rue Notre
Dame des Champs, in virtue of our decree of May
3, i860. Consequently, our decree of September 17,
1864, which authorized the Superior-General of the
Little Sisters of the Poor to accept this legacy,
conjointly with the Director of the Administration
of the Assistance Publique of Paris, is repealed.
On behalf of the Emperor, the Keeper of the Seals,
J. Baroche."

This decision, which deprived the hospitaller in-
stitution of the power of becoming fund-holders, was
taken when it was in the twenty-sixth year of its
existence, and was received with entire consent by
all the Little Sisters of the time. It forms one of
the golden pages in their history.

CHAPTER XVII

THE HOME FOR THE AGED

Considerations on old age — Impressions of a visitor — Physical
and moral assistance — Virtues of the Little Sisters of the
Poor.

Men, at great expense, gather together in glorious
museums specimens of all the products of the
universe; the learned never tire of making profound
or recreative studies of them, which they publish in
academic or popular reviews to which the art of
illustration lends its aid. Under less brilliant con-
ditions, the hospitaller work of the Little Sisters of
the Poor can sustain the comparison as a branch of
anthropology; it contains, indeed, an incomparable
collection, living and speaking, of old age with its
varied types, its progressive phases, and its decadent
forms from green old age to utter decrepitude. It
is true that man has a horror of his own destruction,
and of what reminds him too much of the course of
Nature; and consequently this study is less attrac-
tive and pleasant than that of the greater part of
the workings of Nature. Nevertheless, we must not
forget that old age has inspired the Dominican with
one of his masterpieces, in the celebrated painting
of the " Last Communion " of St. Jerome, in which
the eye rests long upon that worn and weakened
body, that head still intellectual and noble in decay,
those arms which weakness holds down and renders

217

2i8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

the will powerless to raise them towards heaven,
in spite of the glow within the soul and the ardour
in the eyes.

From this point of view the work of the Little
Sisters of the Poor offers a vast held of study : here
the strong old man, in the dignity of age, with his
faculties well preserved, his limbs free, his hair white,
and his eye firm and bright; there the old man bent
double, without sight, without voice, almost power-
less and without memory, dragging himself pain-
fully along and stopping every moment to breathe
or cough; and between the two every intermediate
stage.

Look at this group : here is a woman seated at
a table on which is placed a parcel of woollen things
which she is mending. One would think she was in
perfect health, so animated are her features, so active
her hands, so sensible her conversation ; but no !
she has lost the use of her lower limbs, and has
to be wheeled about in a chair. One of her com-
panions arises, walks, her limbs tremble . . . she
stops to speak, her head shakes, her voice shakes . . .
she sits down to take a little nourishment, and her
hand shakes. Another woman with a placid face
sits, unoccupied, upon a chair, absorbed in a day-
dream. Speak to her of her past life, a fleeting
light seems to illumine her face; then again the
look becomes vacant, the word dies upon her lips.
The bodily organs are intact, but the brain is empty,
and thought has fled. By the side of them is a
person whose look of benevolence is remarkable; she
watches over her companions, and renders them little

THE HOME FOR THE AGED

219

services. Everything about this woman is worthy
of reverence, and it can be seen that misfortune
alone has brought her low; she assists the sister,
and helps her in her household work.

The visitor who enters for the first time one of
the large homes for the poor, whether at Paris,
London, Madrid, or Brussels, and who has in mind
the idea of old age and of assistance by means of
public alms-seeking, cannot avoid an impression of
surprise. Can the large building, with its court-
yards, the hundreds of people who inhabit it, the
air of cleanliness and convenience which reigns in
it, be the possible result of daily alms, of small
gifts, of leavings and of things which other people
can no longer use? And this spacious hall, with
the windows which admit both light and air, its
lofty white walls, is it not rather an assembly-
room ? And these hundreds of men, who on Sundays
and festivals come and go clothed like gentlemen,
chat gaily together like people who feel perfectly
at home, and play or read, are they not rather
the members of a club ? Indeed, in these large towns
many of the old men are fallen gentlemen; others
are workmen, once clever at their trade; others
hotel-waiters, etc. ; and their clothes are the left-
off garments of the rich families of the town, done
up by the Little Sisters and made to fit the old
men. The mind has some difficulty in associating
the result obtained with the thought of the somewhat
hazardous subsistence on alms; then, if the visitor
speaks to the Little Sister of his misgiving, she

220 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

shakes her head, and repHes with a smile, "It is
Providence."

But where are the invahd, infirm, and sick old
people? They occupy another part of the establish-
ment called the infirmaries, where they are placed in
order to receive special care, and to study each
special case. They have a room suitably heated and
ventilated according to the season, with access to
the gallery where they can walk and breathe the
fresh air; they keep each other company, play and
chat together, or do some little work for the sake
of employing themselves; they go to bed earlier,
they get up later; they are fed with lighter food,
and clothed more warmly. Some of them are able
to come downstairs and take a turn in the garden.

In the sleeping-room, covered with white counter-
panes, the very infirm repose. They sit up for
several hours daily for comfort and cleanliness, for
change of air, or for company. They sit in arm-
chairs, to which they are sometimes tied, for fear
they should slip and fall, for already life has left
their numbed and paralyzed limbs, and their chilled
and feeble blood no longer warms their extremities.
When the weather is propitious they are wheeled
into the infirmary hall and under the gallery.
During this time the sleeping-room is ventilated,
cleaned, and put in order. Some have but a con-
fused memory, and seem unconscious of what is
passing around them. They have entered upon
second childhood; they weep without reason, they
laugh without cause; their tears, whether of laughter
or of grief, must be wiped away; their wants must

THE HOME FOR THE AGED 321

be anticipated; they must be consoled by a kind
word or attention, sometimes with some material
gift; their religion must be reduced to the devotions
of little children. Here the self-devotion of the
Sisters of the in&rmary becomes almost motherly,
and in truth, for the feeble old man sinking into
the grave, religion has created mothers; but by
the side of the Sister, the old inhrmarian, instructed
by her, and moved also by a spirit of self -sacrifice,
aids her, and renders certain services.

If now the mind turns to moral considerations,
the hospitaller work opens a new field of study.
** How many of these poor folks arrive at the asylum
broken down by the sufferings of life, by trials of
heart and mind ? How many are there because
debtors without honour have ruined them, or be-
cause children without love have abandoned them
in the hour of need? How many have known
domestic griefs, the injustice of Fate, and the
estrangement of friends? And who does not know
that mental pains are the keenest and deepest?
These irritations must be assuaged, these griefs be
soothed; forgetfulness of injuries must be induced,
even reconciliations brought about. Again, how many
bear the heavy burden of a useless life, a life of
failure, perhaps a life of guilt, or despair? Fresh
courage must be given, and moral sense awakened,
the conscience set in motion, to bring about a
personal transformation and place them on the way
to heaven. The problem of conversion has mani-
fold data and phases : it is above all others the

222 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

moral and religious problem. Gradually the painful
memories are appeased, the black melancholy dis-
appears, calm re-enters the soul, and serenity re-
appears upon the countenance. One is often struck,
on visiting the asylum, with this peaceful gaiety,
this freedom from care, and this enjoyment, which
reminds one of another age, and which seems to
become quite natural to the inmates of the house.
In these establishments, where one would think that
sadness and disenchantment would reign, is found
a gentle and Christian joy, the blossom of a good
conscience and of health of soul."*

This assistance for old age is founded on the
knowledge of the human heart, and shows what
great influence moral joys as well as pains have upon
the happiness or misery of life; but to attain its
objects, it requires a staff of Sisters truly devoted
to their vocation and of a deep virtue. The religious
virtues are indeed the strength and the guarantee
of the hospitaller virtues. It is not enough to raise
the material edifice : a soul must be placed within
that body, the soul of the Little Sister of the Poor,
with its specific qualities of faith and generosity,
of devotion and self-abandonment, of simplicity and
humility, of modesty and divine love.

In their turn, the hospitaller virtues inspire the
religious virtues, direct their application, and form
"wise women." The wise woman of our sacred

* These quotations are taken from the book of the author,
" Au Pays de la Charit6 " (" In the Land of Charity ").
French and English editions at Mr. Paillart's, Abbeville,
France.

THE HOME FOR THE AGED 223

books watches over her house to keep it in order,
to provide for it, and to distribute the work; she
puts on her working-dress, and puts her hand to
the work; she rises early in the morning; she
secures garments and clothing for all; she is calm
in action, self-possessed in difficulties; she has prac-
tical knowledge of beneficence; her works are her
praise; and her beauty is in the dignity of her life.
It is thus that self-devotion becomes professional
and has been raised by religion to the state of a
social institution.

Whilst passing through the great hospice, with its
departments for men and women, the visitor may
ask how it is that the Little Sisters are able to
govern these many people, and to maintain good
order. In presence of the result obtained it is easy
for him to appreciate the force of moral influence
and of the rule exercised in the home. Here is the
opinion of one of these visitors: "The idea of a
family is that which sums up the impressions of a
searching visit to the home of the Little Sisters of
the Poor, and it is the one that I have always heard
of it. A strange family if you like, for here it is the
old who are directed, and it is the youngest, those
modest virgins, who have founded and who provide
the food for the domestic hearth ; yet a family in the
cordiality which reigns between all its members, in
the absolute self-devotion of the nuns, and in the
attachment of the old people to the young mothers
of their last days. The sight of this interior not
only inspires a sentiment of respect, it also suggests

224 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

salutary thoughts of humility. When one considers
what these Sisters do, how from the age of twenty
years they consecrate their whole lives to the service
of poor and unknown old men and women, bestow-
mg on them the most assiduous cares — cares some-
times most repugnant to human nature — he feels very
small before God and before his own conscience."

SECOND PART

IN THE TWO HEMISPHERES

15

CHAPTER XVIII

IN ENGLAND AND IN IRELAND

Voluntary contributions— Poor-rates— A tract— In the Black
Country — A sociologist's witness — First foundation in
Ireland.

Thanks to the generous efforts of the friends of the
hospitaller work, the two houses in London were
successfully and definitely established. One of the
establishments was transferred to the district of South
Lambeth on October 13, 1863, the other to Porto-
bello Road on June 7, 1865, in grounds advan-
tageously acquired outside of the zone actually in-
vaded by the buildings of the immense Metropolis.
They equally succeeded m Manchester by purchasing,
under the feudal form of a lease of 999 years, the
possession of a property situated in Plymouth Grove,
and in organizing, in order to meet the first expenses,
a charity sale, which produced ^^1,600. The insti-
tution of the Little Sisters of the Poor had thus
in the eyes of the public certain responsibilities from
the very fact that these establishments were rooted
in the country.

On the other hand, the genius of English charity
offered important elements of assimilation. In the
first place, the English naturally love to found and
support hospices and hospitals by means of private
initiative and voluntary contributions, under the
227

228 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

form of donations and collections. The Sisters,
therefore, tried begging in London, but on May 6,
1863, the police thought proper to arrest the Little
Sisters for so doing, and to bring them before the
magistrate, who prohibited their begging, and
threatened them with prison in case of a repetition
of the offence. This particular case brought to
light the fact that twenty other institutions in the
capital were supported in the same way, and in
reality it was a question of common liberty. The
newspapers of all shades took up the discussion;
meetings gave their opinions; several members of
Parliament prepared a question to the Government.
The contest ended in an acknowledgement of the
common right, and m apologies on the part of
the police; so that it was recognized that no legal
opposition could be made to the free exercise of
the work of benevolence of the Little Sisters of the
Poor in the British Empire.

In the second place, the poor-rate constitutes in
the British Empire a regular tax, and is levied in
proportion to the number of poor. The result is
that the tax-payers have a direct and immediate
interest that the number of poor admitted to the
workhouse should be diminished as much as possible ;
consequently the enterprise of the Little Sisters of
the Poor does not so much constitute an expense for
the locality, as an alleviation of the public charges.
Many merchants and manufacturers, moved by this
consideration, apart from all religious motives,
willingly give their contributions to the home for
the aged, and sometimes reply to the begging

IN ENGLAND AND IN IRELAND 229

Sisters in the language of finance: "You have so
many poor; we will give you so much."

At the time of which we are speaking, the Little
Sisters of the Poor had to make their way as nuns,
in the dress of their Order. One can judge of this
difficulty from the events which took place in the
history of the town of Plymouth. After the Re-
formation, for 300 years, Catholicism was abolished
in the district. A priest called John Guilbert, an
emigre during the French Revolution, obtained per-
mission to live unmolested in the town. He erected
there a chapel, in which he celebrated the first Mass
on December 20, 1807, in the midst of a group of the
faithful and of some converts. The chapel continued
to be used for worship until the erection of a church
in 1858. It was then used for Catholic schools,
which were afterward removed elsewhere; finally in
1865 a home for old people was established in it. In
this way the Little Sisters of the Poor took an active
part in the re-establishment of Catholic works in the
country, and as their manner of living constrained
them to appear abroad, the surprise of the inhabi-
tants on seeing the nuns in the streets had every
opportunity of manifesting itself, but without hinder-
ing the work of the charitable enterprise. As the
habit of the Little Sisters is very simple — and
covered by their large cloaks — they passed more un-
observed than many religious whose dress was more
conspicuous.

To make their work known, and to interest the
charitable people of the country, they followed a
custom adopted in the kingdom, and distributed

230 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

a tract entitled, " The Little Sisters of the Poor,

Street." The same pamphlet was distributed

in all their houses in England and Scotland. It
ran thus: "The Institution of the Little Sisters of
the Poor was founded in 1840 at Saint-Servan in
Brittany. The object of this charitable institution
is to provide homes for the aged poor of both sexes,
to feed and clothe them, and to minister to all their
wants. They have no funds or income whatever.
They support the old people under their care by
whatever public charity affords them, collecting alms
daily from house to house in money, scraps of food,
old clothing, or anything that may be offered to
them. This work has gradually spread over France,
Belgium, Spain, England, and Scotland; and the
Little Sisters have now numerous houses, contain-
ing several thousands of old and infirm poor. The
houses of the Little Sisters are open at all times
to visitors, and, notwithstanding that the institu-
tion is Catholic, no distinction is made as regards
admission. Provided the applicants are destitute,
respectable, old people, incapable of gaining their
own livelihood, and have no one to gain it for them,
they are fit subjects for the houses of the Little
Sisters of the Poor."

A few quotations will show the state of affairs.
The Mother Superior wrote from Bristol in 1866:
* * Amongst the Protestants there are but a small
number who receive us unkindly, for if they do
not approve of our religion, they cannot condemn
our charity towards the unfortunate; therefore, when
they come to visit our home, we are sure that they

IN ENGLAND AND IN IRELAND 231

will respect us, and generally they become our
friends and benefactors. For instance, five or six
young girls lately came with scornful faces to make
fun of us. But, after having visited the house,
looked at our old people, and put several questions
as to our manner of life, they returned quite changed,
and sent us some wine for our sick. A Protestant
gentleman also came and asked to be allowed to
visit every part of the house. After he had been
shown what was customary, he asked to visit the
apartments of the Sisters, which was accorded as
a favour. Noticing that we slept in garrets and
in beds poorly furnished, and that we worked
gratuitously, he was so touched that he was most
eager to write an article in the paper about it.
The consequence was that several butchers and
fishmongers, who before shut their doors against
us, afterwards received us and became our bene-
factors."

In Birmingham, in order to extend the work, the
obligation of paying in advance for a very heavily
taxed property, situated in the midst of the town,
caused the Sisters to undertake an expedition into
the country. The Little Sisters travelled over that
great industrial country whose innumerable factories
and chimneys have caused it to be named '' the
Black Country," on account of the smoke which is
for ever being given off, and which blackens every-
thing— the sky, earth, houses, trees, and plants.
They went on to Wolverhampton, Leamington,
Warwick, and as far as the Potteries, in their
religious habit, being assured that their work of

232 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

assisting the aged would awaken some sympathy.
"We noticed," they wrote, "that in places where
there was no convent, we were very much more
tormented by the children, and even by the grown-
up people. Sometimes two or three passers-by
stopped to see us come out of a shop, and in a
few instants attracted such a great number of others
that we were compelled to take the first small side
street in order to get out of their sight, and thus
disperse the crowd. Then we returned to recom-
mence begging where we had left off. We begged
from door to door as in Birmingham, which attracts
the attention of the curious more, but is also more
to our profit, because many persons would refuse
if they did not see the names of their neighbours
written on our subscription-book. Generally we
found everybody kind to us, and if the offerings
were not large (the most notable being £$), this was
compensated by the number of those who gave.
Need seemed to make us intrepid and indefatigable.
When on our begging expeditions people refused
us money, we asked for furniture, thread, wool,
pieces of stuff, soap. If people excused themselves,
saying that we could not carry all that, we hastened
to show the sacks or baskets with which we were
supplied. It is true we were often very heavily
burdened, but what a joy it was to bring our little
provisions to the house and to unpack them during
recreation, when we arrived in time ! We did not
forget to thank God for deigning thus to bless
our little sacrifices, and we used to exclaim : * Oh,
how good God is to us ! ' and this encouraged both

IN ENGLAND AND IN IRELAND 233

those who had to go out the next day, and those
who remained at home." In conclusion, weekly sub-
scriptions of the workmen of Birmingham amounted
to ;^700, the savings-box* supplied the handsome
gift of ;^300, and the rest was borrowed.

The two new foundations, Leeds, December 27,
1865, and Newcastle-on-Tyne, August 20, 1866,
established in great industrial centres, showed what
progress the hospitaller institution had already made
in the public opinion, and what a sympathetic wel-
come people began to give them. The Lord Mayor
of Leeds contributed ;^20 to the home for the old
people at the time of the acquisition of the ground,
which was equivalent to a recommendation, con-
sidering that he was a Protestant and that his act
was recorded in the papers. In Newcastle the clergy
stuck the printed tract on the doors of the churches
and read it from the pulpits, which brought many
visits and some small gifts to the newly-founded
home. In every place and among all classes charity
brings people nearer together, because it is the
fraternity of Christ, benevolent to all

The undertaking, nevertheless, brought heavy re-
sponsibilities, as it was necessary to build free
hospices, each capable of contaming two or three
hundred old people who had been in misery. It
had the sympathies and co-operation of the great
English Catholic families, but they were over-
charged with work — building of churches, estab-
lishment of schools, support of orphanages, etc.

* See p. 175.

234 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

At this period every institution, using its proper
means and pursuing its particular object, contri-
buted to the general movement for the re-establish-
ment of Catholicism. For their part, the Little
Sisters of the Poor had their place in this great
army, with the mission to maintain the position
of Catholic charity in face of the Dissenters, and
to prove by their social works what faith can do in
the service of charity.

In January, 1867, Cardinal Manning came to
plead the cause of the Little Sisters in Birmingham
before a Catholic and Protestant audience. The
appreciation of a prelate well versed in social ques-
tions is a moral and historical witness of great value.
"It is my duty to ask you for your alms for the
support and extension of the hospice founded by
the Little Sisters of the Poor. How is the work
of the Little Sisters of the Poor maintained? By
charity — solely and absolutely by alms. Like the
birds of the air, they live only from the gifts which
every day fall from the hand of our heavenly Father.
No, I do not believe there is a work which shows
greater faith in the goodness of God, and which,
in the face of our century and our country — both
so confident in their resources, in their wisdom,
and in human prudence — testifies in a more striking
manner to the great law of Christian life, the law
of giving one's self up to the providence of our
Father who is in heaven. There is no possible ex-
planation to these miracles of charity except through
the action of the Holy Spirit, who can alone inspire
to such work. Show me anywhere mercenary charity

IN ENGLAND AND IN IRELAND 235

accomplishing similar things; show me a product
of the science and of the genius of human legis-
lation, thus springing from the heart of feebleness
and poverty, to spread itself afar with this irre-
sistible expansion of Christian charity!" Let us
add to these words, in order to show his opinion
of the Sisters, that the illustrious Archbishop of
Westminster used to call them in those troubled
times ''my little keys," because, penetrating into
regions and families where priests could not yet
enter, they opened the door to Catholic influence.
These things, true at one time, cease to be so when
the surroundings are notably modified.

The time had come to cross St. George's Channel.
The same persons who had introduced the hos-
pitaller work into Scotland in 1862 were appointed
to introduce it into Ireland in 1868. Mr. Thie-
bault and his cousin, the Abbe Lelievre, won over
Bishop O'Brien, of Waterford, to the work of the
Little Sisters of the Poor, and a foundation was
decided upon in that town. The congregation for
its future development and recruitment desired to
have establishments in Ireland, seeing that the
Irish element was widely spread in all countries
where English is spoken, and that this nation has
deserved well of the Church for its constancy in the
faith.

The good Mother Saint-Joseph had the honour
of making this first foundation in a house hired
in Adelphi Terrace, at the annual rent of £s^> ^rid
she there installed Sister Honoria, who was named

236 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Superior, together with a few Sisters. The house
was very convenient for its purpose although empty,
but the Bishop came and blessed the new establish-
ment, provided the altar and the necessary orna-
ments for the worship of God. A lady who lived
near provided meals and necessities for the first
days; visits and gifts came in great numbers, and
the household increased. It is worthy of note,
first, that a woman of a hundred years old was
the first person received by the Little Sisters of
the Poor in Ireland; secondly, that, when the two
little begging Sisters appeared in the market of
Waterford, the policeman on duty, who happened
to be without money, went and borrowed from one
of the tradeswomen, and gave his offering to the
Sisters; thirdly, that the Sisters brought from the
market a good store of vegetables and a sum of
ten shillings in coppers, whilst a butcher, who had
taken the basket of the Sisters and gone himself
round the stalls, had the heavy basket brought home
to the Sisters' abode by his shopman; fourthly,
that the most magnificent gift was a horse sent by
the pupils at the College of Rockwell, but such a
fine one that the Little Sisters, not daring to make
use of such a fine animal, exchanged it for a pony,
a cart, and a kitchen stove, and still had a balance

At Waterford the first stage of the foundation
was secured. The question was how to provide the
second — that is to say, how to obtain a suitable piece
of ground, and to raise upon it, little by little, the
hospitaller establishment. Such is, indeed, at all

IN ENGLAND AND IN IRELAND 237

times and in all countries, the problem of foundation.
From the general point of view, the first stage of
the hospitaller congregations had been happily sur-
mounted, and the benevolent institution, borne upon
the sympathetic current of humanity, was about to
extend itself beyond Europe, and make the tour
of the globe. Let us follow it in its new career.

CHAPTER XIX

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR IN
AMERICA (1868-1872)

Plan of organization — The emigrants of charity — The founda-
tion in Brooklyn — Thirteen foundations within four
years in the principal centres of the United States—
In the country of liberty.

The Gospel, in graceful and expressive imagery,
compares the growth of the kingdom of God to a
grain of mustard seed. At the beginning it is but a
very small seed, but it has such a virtue of develop-
ment that it grows like a tree, extends its branches
abroad, and offers a shelter to the birds of heaven.
This symbol is always true, and the comparison is
equally applicable to the work of the Little Sisters
of the Poor. The mustard seed sown at Saint-Servan
in 1839 developed marvellously; it had grown as a
tree, and its branches spread on divers sides. The
Superiors-General who had seen it start and grow
desired to see new developments. The work then
counted 107 houses, 1,750 Sisters, and it sheltered
13,000 old people; also the general Chapter of the
congregation which was held at La Tour Saint-
Joseph in 1868 entered into their views, and decided
upon the foundations of establishments in America.
Previously, in the month of May, the Abbe Ernest
Lelievre had been commissioned to prepare the way,
and had embarked in Ireland. At the moment of
238

1

IN AMERICA 239

leaving Europe he had received these encouraging
lines from Cardinal Monaco: " I have not neglected
to inform the Holy Father of your journey, and of
the scheme of founding houses of the Little Sisters
of the Poor in the United States. His Holiness
approves heartily the development of that deserving
congregation, and blesses it. Rome, May 7, 1868."
On the boat which conveyed him he arranged his
plan as follows : "I intended to go to New Orleans
at once; but the further I advance, the more I see
that it is necessary to make a foundation in the
North at the same time as in the South." Heartily
welcomed by Bishop Odin, it was agreed that the
Little Sisters of the Poor should open the home for
the aged in New Orleans when the great heat was
over. The scheme was completed. " I explained
to his lordship that the Sisters would come to New
York about September, that I was going to pre-
pare a foundation either in New York or in one
of the large neighbouring cities, and, if possible,
another halfway between." Such was the basis of
operation.

It was necessary to obtain the required authoriza-
tions in order to erect the first establishment of the
Little Sisters of the Poor in the great port which
connects the United States with Europe through the
line of steamboats and the mail service. For that
purpose interviews with the Bishops took place on
July 13, and the attorney sent this message: "The
Archbishop of New York has requested time for
reflection; the Bishop of Brooklyn has given his
consent to the immediate erection of one of our

240 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

houses." The decision of Bishop Loughhn permitted
the realization of the scheme under the best con-
ditions, and he placed himself at the head of the
benefactors of the work in the United States.

One serious difficulty seemed to prejudice the
establishment of the congregation in several im-
portant towns. Some Franciscan Sisters, who came
from Germany some years before, had established
themselves there and had prospered; they had
adopted the popular name of Little Sisters of the
Poor, as yet unused in the country, and also begged
for the poor. It was necessary to prevent any mis-
understanding. An incident describes the situation.
The delegate had been cordially received at Balti-
more by the Sulpicians who keep the great seminary,
and Mr. Dubreuil, the venerated Superior, presented
him to the Vicar-General of the diocese. " The
Superior announced that I was the procurator of the
Little Sisters of the Poor. The Vicar-General said :

* He arrived just at the right time; the Archbishop
has taken proceedings to obtain a foundation.' * Of
what Sisters?' I asked. 'Are there others?' replied
the Vicar-General. Explanations followed, and by
the help of the letter from Cardinal Monaco Bishop
Spalding, Archbishop of Baltimore, decided what
line of conduct to adopt. The next day the Vicar-
General gave the decision in these businesslike terms :

* We prefer the true article to the imitation.' Bishop
Spalding added : * When can you send us five
Sisters ?' and he made known that resources were
prepared for making a good foundation in the most
Catholic city in the United States. Then the con-

IN AMERICA 241

versation became more animated. The Archbishop
asked : * Do you intend to found several houses in
America?' The delegate replied: * Yes, my lord.'
The Bishop replied : * There are many great towns
in America where your work would do good, but
you cannot go into all of them.' Those present
assented. The delegate continued : * Allow me, my
lord, to tell you one fact. When I left Rome six
years ago, I asked Cardinal Barnabo for his appro-
bation for the two foundations which we hoped to
make in England. " I permit you," replied the
Cardinal, ** and not only to found two, but thirteen."
So greatly did the permission of the Cardinal exceed
our ambition that I laughed; nevertheless, when I
left England they were occupied on the thirteenth
foundation in the United Kingdom. The Cardinal
had said the number thirteen because it is the
number of the dioceses in England.' * Wonderful !'
replied the Archbishop. * In that case we want
forty-two foundations in the United States, for that
is the actual number of our dioceses. I challenge
you to effect them.' "

The idea had been to place the house halfway
between the North and the South, at Cincinnati —
a town important on account of its population and
its commerce — and some measures formerly taken by
a lady of influence in the country had caused this
hope to be entertained. It was found that the
position had been occupied by the Sisters of whom
we were speaking, and confusion between two works
having apparently the same title seemed inevitable.
Rev. Father Hecker, founder of the Paulists, who

z6

242 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

lent his help to the establishment of the Little
Sisters of the Poor in the United States, under the
circumstances, used his influence with Mrs. Sarah
Peter, daughter of a Governor of Ohio, who herself
negotiated the foundation with the Archbishop of
Cincinnati, Bishop Purcell, and things took a very
satisfactory turn.

The time for realizing the plans had arrived. The
mother-house had approved and ratified the scheme
and the engagements of its attorney. A first colony,
consisting of seven Little Sisters, left La Tour Saint-
Joseph on August 28, 1868, the Feast of St Augus-
tine, in the midst of emotion and blessings from the
older Sisters and friends of the work. It was an
event of the first importance to the congregation.
The Superior-General accompanied her generous
daughters as far as Brest. She saw them embark
on the steamer Napoleon III, August 31, 1868; then
left them to the protection of God. The Little
Sisters of the Poor set foot on American soil at
New York on Sunday, September 13, at six o'clock
in the evening.

The following Wednesday they opened their first
home, which comprised three houses, rented in Dekalt
Avenue, in Brooklyn. The family Boyer-Parmentier,
half German, half Belgian, rendered them service in
material matters, and the Fathers de la Misericorde
— especially the Rev. Father Lafont — in spiritual
things. Rev. Father Hecker remitted them twenty
dollars, the first alms in money which they received
in the United States. On September 20 they wel-

IN AMERICA 243

corned their first old pensioner, a woman eighty-
two years of age. The foundation was made, and
the delegate wrote to the mother-house : " The public
appear delighted to see that the Little Sisters of
the Poor are willing to work for the poor; that they
ask no endowment; that they desire to trust in
Providence and in the generosity of the public.
Neither the population of New York nor of Brooklyn
seem to be roused on seeing the habit of the Little
Sisters ; I have not even seen the shadow of a hostile
demonstration."

The second colony disembarked at New York on
October 8. It had for head the Assistant-General,
Marie de la Conception, whom they generally called
in the Order ** Good Mother Foundation," on account
of her wonderful aptitude for this work, and the
number of foundations which she had established.
No one, at this period, was more able to impress
upon the new houses of America the primitive spirit
of the hospitaller work, and this was a providential
choice. The colony was destined for Cincinnati,
where the new hospitaller Sisters arrived on
Wednesday, October 14; they opened their home
in a building formerly used for a school, near the
cathedral. The pupils of the Sisters of Notre Dame,
informed by their teachers of the devotedness and
poverty of the Little Sisters of the Poor, told their
parents about it, and then went to the home, every-
one carrying her little parcel. The Little Sisters
offered the medical care of the aged to a Catholic
doctor. This worthy man, after the first consulta-
tion, took off his coat, and handed it to one of

244 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

the Sisters to clothe a poor old man. The Arch-
bishop came in his turn, and was moved on seeing
the humble refectory of the Sisters. A picture of
our Lord and cards on either side were fastened up
with pins, one table and two old rickety benches
— that was all the furniture. "As for ourselves,"
the Assistant-General said, "we found it very nice,
and, above all, very convenient, because we could
at least observe the rule; that was all we desired."
The third colony disembarked at New Orleans,
December 19, 1868. What drew the attention of
the Little Sisters was not so much the greatness
and beauty of the town, the immense river, the
climate which knows no winter, and the tropical
flowers, as the house on which they read, " Home
of Saint-Joseph." The charitable ladies of the city
had undertaken a work there for widows and old
people, of which the result had not been very satis-
factory; therefore the Little Sisters had been invited
to take it over. The establishment was given over
to them on the condition of transforming it into
a house for the aged poor, and of maintaining it
according to their own system. A week sufficed
to effect the transformation, and from January, 1869,
the Home of Saint-Joseph became a true home of
the Little Sisters of the Poor, under the direction of
the good Mother Marie Claire, to the keen satis-
faction of Bishop Odin and the population. The
municipality, on the proposition of Mr. d'Hemi-
court, gave an unequivocal proof of this by paving,
at its own expense, the street which gave access to
the establishment, and by voting an allowance of

IN AMERICA 245

1,000 dollars to pay for the repairs and improvement
of the estate.

The mission of charity of which we have just
spoken did not escape the vigilant eye of the Holy
See. A document, emanating from the Propaganda,
came to encourage the goodwill of the Catholics :

**To THE Abbe Lelievre,

" Reverend Father, your letter of December 6
last has been remitted to me, and I was very pleased
to learn the zeal you show in extending also in the
United States of America the institution of the Little
Sisters for the relief of the poor, and the fruit your
works have borne hitherto. It pleased me still more
to learn from the same letter how, not only the
Bishops, but also all the Catholics have received
the said Sisters with all benevolence. Whilst, there-
fore, I rejoice and congratulate you with all my
heart, I do not forget to exhort you still to pursue
with greater zeal and joy the work commenced,
and to continue to merit more and more of Holy
Church. His Holiness, to whom your desires have
been transmitted, at the audience of the 3rd instant,
has deigned to accord his most hearty apostolic
blessing — the presage of all good — to you first, and
then to all the Little Sisters, for whom you plead
equally.

* ' Your very devoted

"Al. Cardinal Barnabo.

" Rome, Palace of the S. Congregation
OF THE Propaganda,

"January 7, 1869."

246 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

A legacy, made by a lady in favour of the widows
of Baltimore, was the first contribution to the funds
for the home for the old people, where the Little
Sisters never cease to receive widows and widowers,
considering that their old age has known every kind
of family sorrow — deserted hearths, losses by death,
isolation, or desertion. Whilst the committee dis-
posed of the funds by purchasing a piece of ground
in an elevated situation near to the Church of Saint
John, the Sisters arrived on April 6, 1869, and
commenced their work in a hired house in Calvert
Street. The great seminary gave its broken meats
and its moral support. Bishop Spalding said :
" The Little Sisters of the Poor are called to do a
great deal of good in America, not only among the
poor, but also among the rich; for words no longer
suffice — works are necessary."

The great city of Saint Louis, situated at the
confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri, between
the East and the West of the United States, pre-
sented a desirable situation with reference to the
establishments already made, and those about to
be made, and Archbishop Henrick had favourably
received the proposal. The fifth colony was then
directed towards Saint Louis, where it was received
in gracious hospitality by the Ladies of the Sacred
Heart, who wished to offer the objects necessary to
furnish the humble chapel of the Little Sisters.
The latter took possession, Monday, May 3, of four
adjoining houses which they had rented. This was
a foundation of the same kind as in Europe. ** What
are you going to do in a house where there is

IN AMERICA 247

nothing?" people said. "Wait a few days; we
will have the most necessary things brought in."
We replied that we always commenced in holy
poverty, and that Providence provided for all our
needs. The Little Sisters left the Convent of the
Sacred Heart, each carrying a parcel. They knelt
down in the house which had become theirs; then
they began to clean it, and to arrange the objects
as the good people brought them in. Let us
enumerate them. A joiner set up a temporary altar,
and made them a present of it; a German merchant
brought a stove, boilers, and utensils for the kitchen ;
a shopkeeper, of whom they asked a small washing-
tub, sent them a dozen, with as many pails ; another
gave two dozen brooms; another a dozen chairs,
etc. Charity was stirred, and provided the house-
hold of the Little Sisters and of the aged. Subse-
quently Bishop Ryan often used to say, "Do you
know that the Little Sisters are very original in their
manner of proceeding? I knew them when they
arrived, and had not even straw to lie on. I, in
all simplicity, and having great pity on them, re-
commended a poor old woman with a thousand
dollars who desired to enter, and she would have
given her money to the new foundation. But my
old woman returned crying, telling me that the
Sisters did not want to receive her. I was not
very satisfied, because the person I recommended
was of the advanced age of eighty years. The
poor old woman added : * They do not want to
have me because I have a thousand dollars.' " The
Bishop then said gravely, " Since that day I have

248 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

been certain that the work would be established
and would prosper here, because if one builds on
holy poverty, Providence cements the building."
A short time after, at the request of the Archbishop,
the great Irish Dominican orator, Thomas Burke,
delivered his first lecture in Saint Louis, for the
benefit of the work of the Little Sisters of the
Poor in that town. He thus procured them 1,381
dollars, and also honoured the home with a visit,
where he was applauded by the old people, of
whom several were his fellow-countrymen.

Another circumstance connected with the founda-
tion deserves to be noticed. The steamboat which
at that time conveyed travellers between Saint Louis
and New Orleans, transporting business men and
tourists on the Mississippi, had a charity-box placed
on board by the officers for the benefit of the Little
Sisters of the Poor; further, the remains of food
from the tables and other remnants were carefully
put aside for the home of the aged poor. That
admirable way of advertising and collecting is char-
acteristic of the locality.

The work at this time had secured its base of
operation. The American, with his practical views,
marvellously grasped the social side of the matter,
and did not spare his assistance. The mother-
house was informed of this providential movement,
and mobilized its staff to assure realization. On
August 24, 1869, the important town of Philadelphia
opened its doors to the new hospitaller Sisters. In
such an agglomeration the needs were immense, and
the resources in prospect considerable; there was a

IN AMERICA 249

vast field of charity to work. Pulpit and papers
competed in announcing the establishment of the
institution for old people. Nevertheless, it began
very humbly, under the direction of the good Mother
Theodore-Marie, in three houses which they had
rented and made into one; but three months later
there were sixty-two old people in the home, and
the Sisters were occupied in buying ground and
forming plans for a considerable establishment. A
touching incident happened. Mary Twibill was
dying at the age of eighteen. Her father left her
the choice of having a fine monument on her grave
or of leaving the sum to the poor. "What use
will it be to me to have a beautiful monument after
my death?" replied the charitable young girl. "I
prefer to give the money to the Little Sisters of the
Poor." She died on June 13, 1870, and the Little
Sisters received a thousand dollars.

One month after Philadelphia, the town of Louis-
ville received the Little Sisters of the Poor, who
installed themselves with the old people in an estate
lent by the Bishop and originally intended for a
seminary. Bishop MacCloskey himself arranged the
modest chapel of the home, celebrated there the
first Mass, and allowed the Blessed Sacrament to
remain there. A community always appreciates
highly favours of this kind, because the religious
life advances side by side with the hospitaller life
in the congregation vowed to charity, and because
the love of man cannot reach its perfection, but
with an intense love for God. A fragment of a
letter gives us details of these early days: "We

250 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

made some visits and were received with kindness.
We desired to have some poor. On Saturday we
received a poor old bhnd man; the following day
we received several old women; then we could say
that the foundation was made. The Divine Provi-
dence provided according to our needs; within a
few days, our house was found furnished with beds,
tables, chairs, kitchen utensils, and provisions of
all kinds. We were quite overcome with gratitude
towards the good God, who disposed so well people's
hearts in our favour."

Alas ! that foundation demanded a great sacrifice.
One Sister fell a victim to the fatigue and priva-
tions inherent in the foundation, and died on
November 5. She no doubt interceded in heaven
for the enterprise so dear to them, which the Little
Sisters on earth still carried on in the United States.
For minds which consider events from the spiritual
and supernatural point of view, these incidents have
a real influence. Therefore it will not be without
interest to report a fact which happened at the time
of their arrival in America. On September 20, 1868,
the Little Sisters had admitted their first old man;
on the 2 1st they received another inmate — a paralytic
taken from the Protestant hospital, which greatly
astonished the Sisters. This poor woman had
only seen the priest once or twice a year. For
eight years she had not heard Mass. Every day
she prayed that it would please God to place her
in some house kept by nuns, and without having
the least human chance of being heard, she cherished
that hope. At the same time she was faithful, in

IN AMERICA 251

the midst of Protestants, in reciting her little office
of Our Lady, which she had not missed during all
that time, and which she accompanied by several
long devotions, fastings, penances, and sacrifices,
of which one can scarcely understand that a person
suffering with gout would dream of.

One year had passed since the Little Sisters of
the Poor had arrived in the United States, and
already seven establishments attested the vitality
of their work, together with its adaptability to
American ways. The work attracted the sympathies
of all classes and races; at the same time the homes
were filling with old people of all nations, with-
out distinction of origin. The year 1870 continued
the movement with foundations at Boston, Cleve-
land, and New York. The enterprise at Boston
is worthy of note. From the religious point of
view, founded by the Puritans; from the political
point of view, having given the signal of independ-
ence, the capital of Massachusetts opened without
difficulty its doors and streets to the Little Sisters
of the Poor, and people saw a Catholic work be-
coming popular in a centre reputed to be the most
refractory, so great is the effect of the social side
of institutions upon this industrious people, and so
greatly does the idea of liberty in the United States
favour courageous attempts and liberal enterprises.
The Little Sisters, having the good Mother Cecilia
for Superior, succeeded in establishing themselves
in Boston on April 19, 1870, in two hired houses,
with the keys of the establishments as their only

252 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

wealth; but some good ladies brought some dollars
to cover the first expenses of installation, and public
charity, excited by the clergy and by the press,
furnished the establishment. "What I admire,"
said the Superior of the Jesuits, ** is that these
Sisters are such as people describe them. One sees
that they have confidence not only in Providence,
but that they have not a doubt of its protection.
One sees that they do not calculate, they do not
reckon, they do not ask what people will give them
for the needs of their poor. This is what is quite
peculiar to them." Previously to the foundation
at Brooklyn, the delegate of the Little Sisters of the
Poor, having been presented to the scholastics of
the Company of Jesus, answered their questions
with great pleasure : *' Is it true that they are going
to beg in the market?" "Is it certain that they
eat people's leavings?" " Have people not exagger-
ated in saymg that they have no income, and receive
no payment for the old people?" "Then how do
they live?" We have thus some echoes of the
beginnings of the work in America.

Almost at the same time as at Boston, the Little
Sisters opened a home for old people at Cleveland,
on the border of Lake Erie. "A good German
family having learned that we had arrived," wrote
the Superior, "came to ask what we needed. They
sent us forty flannel blankets, fifteen foot-covers,
three new mattresses for the first poor inmates,
linen to make sheets and pillow-cases, with vessels
of every kind, and provisions of all sorts." People
saw that the Little Sisters shared the condition of

IN AMERICA 253

their poor, and accepted for themselves the shame
of begging and the inconvenience of poverty. At
Cleveland, the Bishop had given for their use a
house which would only accommodate twelve poor
old women besides the Sisters. This provisional
arrangement could not last, and it was necessary
to purchase a property, for which purpose a rich
Protestant contributed 1,000 dollars and Bishop
Rapp 4,000. They were colonizing, and as the
colonist, arriving on new soil, is contented with a
wooden house and awaits fortune while working, so
the emigrants of charity knew how to be contented
with little, and set themselves to work the field of
benevolence open before them. Thus is success won.
This is what happened at Brooklyn. On May 8,
1870, the blessing of the new house took place,
and the preacher exclaimed before a sympathetic
crowd: "It is scarcely twenty months since the
Little Sisters of the Poor arrived in Brooklyn, with
no resource except confidence in Providence, and
already a vast building has been raised large enough
for a hundred old people." Th^ audience was
indeed struck by what had been realized within
so short a time : thirty-six men and seventy women
were sheltered there. The visitors made their re-
marks : * ' How can you thus take care of the aged
and infirm poor?" "And why have you such a
happy face?" "And how could you leave your
fatherland and your relations to spend all your
life with the poor?" etc. And they accompanied
their reflections with an offering, which came as
much from their hearts as from their purse, and

254 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

which paid for bread for the poor. About this
time the influential people in New York prevailed
upon the diocesan authority, and procured a founda-
tion in that great city. This was effected September
29, 1870. Some months later the new home counted
a hundred old people, and rivalled the one at
Brooklyn.

It remained to form an establishment in the federal
capital of the United States. The Rev. Walter,
parish priest of Saint Patrick's, Washington, aided
by the members of the Conference of Saint Vincent
of Paul, made preparations for the establishment
which began February 2, 1871, under comfortable
conditions far from customary, if one judges from
the impressions of the Mother-Assistant : * ' We could
scarcely believe it; the two best rooms were furnished
with carpets (those carpets were taken up, and the
good parish priest, far from being angry, was
edified); in the other was a good fireplace, with
the fire already burning. We went up to the first
floor. Ten beds were prepared and quite furnished ;
nothing was lacking. We were quite surprised, and
our astonishment was the joy of the good parish
priest. He led us to the kitchen; nothing was
wanting there — stoves, kitchen utensils, vessels of
all kinds; then in the back kitchen we found two
barrels of flour, another of salt flsh, a supply of
sugar, coffee, tea, wood and coal, etc. In a hall
was a large table with ten drawers, destined for
the Sisters. The table was laid; nothing was want-
ing. Ladies prepared the dinner, taking it as an
honour to serve us with the first meal." There

IN AMERICA 255

were also four old and very destitute women whom
the Sisters had hurriedly brought to the home.

From time to time a providential blessing visited
one or other of the houses. Thus in New Orleans
a waggon stopped at the door of the establishment,
and the conductor, after having rung, gave the sheet
of paper enumerating the merchandise which he
brought. The goods forwarded seemed so con-
siderable to the good Mother that she thought it
her duty to tell the man that he had mistaken the
house. The man began to laugh and to unload
the packages, exclaiming with a joyful voice: "If
this is not for you. Sister, it is for your house."
The astonishment redoubled when a stock of thirty-
four flannel blankets, fifteen cotton pieces, seven
pieces of printed calico, five pieces of serge, nine
pieces of flannel, fifty pairs of stockings, parcels
with reels of thread and boxes with buttons, were
seen. But whence came all these goods? They
learned that they came from the Howard Society.
A second envoy followed the first, and enriched the
home with thirty hats, sixty-seven pairs of shoes,
a store of meat, and a quantity of coal.

To complete the list of foundations, let us mention
Albany and Pittsburg. Albany, capital of the State
of New York, having an important trade on the
Hudson, wished the poor old people of the locality
to profit by the benevolent institution which accli-
matized itself so well in the United States, and
which responded to a general want. For a year
the Sisters contented themselves with holding the
position with fifteen old women in a small dwelling-

256 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

place; but this term having passed, they obtained
possession of a convenient establishment in Central
Avenue.

Pittsburg in Pennsylvania is the active centre of
coal-mines and manufactures, and consequently there
is no scarcity either of old workmen and families
in necessity. The work there had its marked place
and an assured future, for the workmen and the
moneyed men appreciate the services which it renders.
The home opened on April 25, 1872. The com-
munity had the misfortune to start in an unhealthy
habitation, where typhoid fever broke out and carried
off two Little Sisters; the establishment was then
transferred to a more convenient house, and did
not cease to prosper. Charity has also its victims;
they are not to be pitied, because they go joyfully
to their reward, and in heaven they are neither less
powerful nor less useful. Is not the focus of charity
in heaven? and is it not from above that it shines
on to earth?

Vocations had come along with the foundations.
The three first postulants had embarked September
4, 1869, to make their novitiate at La Tour Saint-
Joseph ; others had followed or were preparing to
follow. The all-knowing and all-wise Being, who
presides over the government of the world after
having created it, incites to good works, and in-
cites vocations, to make of them active instruments
of His benevolence, and accredited agents of His
Providence. The Little Sisters know that they are
associated with a Divine work, placed on the earth
for the relief of the poor, and that they have a

IN AMERICA 257

mission from on high for this ministry of mercy;
hence their imperturbable confidence, the serenity
of their countenance, their joy m sacrifice, and their
mutual efforts in virtue and charity.

Within this period of four years ('1868- 1 872) the
hospitaller association had founded thirteen homes
for old people, and several more were in prepara-
tion in the United States. It had just seen its
position strengthened in the State of New York by
an Act of the Representatives, who in their legis-
lative assembly at Albany voted a contribution of
10,000 dollars applicable to the establishment at
Brooklyn. The Abbe Lelievre and the Assistant-
General, Marie de la Conception, might consider
their mission terminated; in the summer of 1872 they
returned to Europe, having been the pioneers of
the work in America and having added a notable
page to its annals.

17

CHAPTER XX

IN AFRICA (1868) AND IN ITALY (1869)

Maundy Thursday in Algiers — A union of adventurers —
Collection among the Arabs — In the East — Eight founda-
tions in France — A few statistics — Entrance into Italy.

At the same time that the society took its flight
towards America, the hospitaller charity of the Little
Sisters of the Poor directed it also towards Africa.
Mgr. Lavigerie, when he became Archbishop of
Algiers, wished to show Catholic charity in action
to the Mahommedans, and to provide for the needs
of the poor of his diocese; with that object he
established the Little Sisters in an Arabian house,
at Bouzzareah, on the heights which overlook the
road and the town of Algiers. It was in October,
1868. The wife of Marshal MacMahon was the first
visitor of the Little Sisters; she gave them a list
of addresses where they could present themselves,
and assured them of the special protection of her
husband, the Governor of Algeria.

An episode which is one of the iioretti of the
Little Family marks its first step on African soil.
At Algiers, at the opening of the work, they met
with no success in begging for fish. The fish-sellers
spoke Arabian, Spanish, Italian, and the Sisters who
collected did not succeed in explaining their manner
of buying fish. They prayed to Saint Joseph to
come to their aid, and, behold ! from that day there
258

IN AFRICA AND IN ITALY 259

was a young man with an angelic face who went
before the Sisters making known what they came
for. He begged, and little lots were set aside for
the Sisters. He watched what the dealers gave,
and if he noticed that some let the Sisters pass
without an offering, he would himself go and take
some small fishes and place them in the basin, say-
ing : ** It is for the poor old people; you will be very
glad for the good Sisters to receive you later on;
you must give them something now." He spoke
all the different languages, and was understood by
all. On whatever day, or at whatever hour the
Little Sisters came to beg, the young man, of whom
neither the name nor profession was known, was
there. This lasted for nearly two months: "It
is the messenger of Saint Joseph," said the Little
Sisters.

The Trappists have built an agricultural estab-
lishment at Staoueli, which is a model of its kind,
and a blessing to the country. The Little Sisters
went to visit it, and their cart was filled imme-
diately. There were wine, vegetables, turnips, cab-
bages, beans, potatoes, etc. They often after that
took the road to Staoueli, and the cart never re-
turned empty. Is not the wealth of the monasteries
the patrimony of the poor? No offering was more
touching than the one which arrived with the follow-
ing words: "My good Little Sisters of the Poor,
I enclose a note for 530 francs for your work. When
you receive this I shall be before God. You will
pray for me; a poor sinner." Thus wrote a soldier
who died in hospital.

26o THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Mgr. Lavigerie took advantage of Maundy
Thursday to put the new work in evidence, and
to interest his people in it. He wished the old
men who represented the twelve apostles to be taken
from the home; so he invited all the old people
not only to assist at the ceremony of the washing
of the feet at the cathedral, but also to dine at
the Archbishop's house. What a joy for the good
old people ! Was it not a dream ? They were to
dine at the Archbishop's, to be served by the
Archbishop, by the wife of Marshal MacMahon,
and all the greatest ladies of Algiers ! They had
never seen anything like it in their lives. From
early morning they were anxious about their toilet,
so as to be properly washed, combed, and brushed.
You would have thought they were children sur-
rounding the Sisters, and asking if anything was
missing which they ought to have, in order to
appear before such company; and the Little Sisters,
accommodating themselves to circumstances, tried
to satisfy them as far as possible. Four large
omnibuses with three or four horses stood before
the entrance-door at the appointed hour, to bring
all the guests to the cathedral — forty-four men and
women with the good Mother and one Sister. What
a sight in the square of Algiers to see all that
infirm family alight in full dress from the carriage !
The square was almost full of people watching all
these poor old infirm people passing by, and help-
ing each other to mount the steps of the church.
But after the ceremony the place was not large
enough, and every balcony and window was fur-

IN AFRICA AND IN ITALY 261

nished with people who wished to enjoy the strange
spectacle — the Archbishop and all those old people
forming a procession going to the episcopal palace.
And there the green garlands hung up in the Moorish
galleries, baskets of flowers on the loaded tables,
announced to all that a great festival was being
held in the palace. The joyful guests were seated.
The Vicar-General, the ladies of high rank, hastened
around the invited people, who were somewhat
dazzled with so many honours. It was obvious
that the spirit of faith animated all these people,
and that in their poor guests they recognized our
Lord. After the meal the Vicar-General said :
"Collect all that remains, and take it away."
The remains were the part of the festival destined
for the sick who remained at the home. The
omnibuses came back, and the old people returned
to the establishment quite touched, saying that it
was the greatest day of their lives. That day
passed by, but the work was known, and many
doors opened to the begging Sisters.

After a short time the home became prosperous.
The old people became interested in their abode,
and set to work, as much to distract their minds
as to make themselves useful. However, there was
more than one adventurer. About 1870 an old man
entered who had formerly, at the age of sixteen,
crossed the Mediterranean in a fishing-boat. He
had been in Africa for sixty years, and had seen
the conquest of Algeria; he was cook at the con-
sulate, and was present at the scene where the
Bey had boxed the ears of the French Consul, and

262 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

so caused the war which brought about the con-
quest. There was also a Baron, eager for novelties,
whom his family did not acknowledge on account
of his previous life; there was the cousin of an ex-
Governor of the colony, whose whole fortune con-
sisted in brushes and paintings; there was the
director of the Algerian bank, who had lost his
character; . . . there, too, was Charles, the coach-
man of the Little Sisters, imbued with philosophical
theories and poetry, who made and recited verses
and beautiful phrases upon divinity and supersti-
tion while driving the cart and looking after the
donkey. The majority of the old people had a
history less eventful; but the first group of inmates
had strange histories to relate. A woman of seventy-
seven years old spent two years without putting her
foot inside the chapel; at last she took the step,
and in religion found again the joys of her child-
hood. To complete the picture, Mgr. Suchet, the
ex-chaplain of the military expeditions, ex-captive
of Abd-el-Kader, begged, as a favour, to be ad-
mitted to the home, and to be buried in the humble
cemetery of the establishment.

The quete affords some episodes which have an
Oriental colour. During the summer, 1870, the
begging Sisters made an excursion into the province
of Oran, provided with recommendations and re-
ceiving hospitality from the Trinitarian Sisters. In
one locality a policeman believed it to be his duty
to accompany the Little Sisters, and under his
protection they entered fearlessly into all the houses
and received some hundred francs. At some dis-

IN AFRICA AND IN ITALY 263

tance an Arabian market was kept; the commissary
wished them to go there, and gave them as guardian
a native poHceman, whilst the Mayor gave them,
as assistant, his representative. There they begged
under the fierce sun in a vast plain, moving about
among three or four thousand Arabs, and making
an official collection. The expedition having suc-
ceeded, another of the same kind was organized
in a village where the neighbouring tribes were
collected. The nephew of the commissary, some
ca'ids and policemen formed their escort. The
appearance of the Sisters in such pomp appeared
to make a sensation. Everyone stood on tiptoe,
leaned on the shoulders of the first row of people,
and mounted on horseback to see the marahuts.
People offered them honey, ** couscous," and mutton.
It was an amphitheatre of human heads, with long
beards and ardent eyes looking out of burnouses.
People spoke of the Sisters and of the old people
in their tents and in their huts.

These are souvenirs of the first foundation,
which have passed away now that circumstances
have changed, and which give in the distance,
when ordinary life has taken its course, the effect
of a marvellous yet true Eastern story.

Let us return to the mother-country, where eight
new establishments demand our attention, and offer
as many shelters to a decrepit old age. Tourcoing,
Cherbourg, and Valence were founded in 1867,
Perigueux and Dunkirk in 1868, Reims, Vic-en-
Bigorre and Cannes in 1869. Then we have a

264 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

lapse of four years. The movement of foundation
changes its position, and gives to the institution
of charity a cosmopolitan character. Such works
belong to humanity.

Tourcoing had had two kinds of benefactors —
the manufacturers who invited the Little Sisters
and who subscribed a capital allowing them to
obtain a property, and Eugenie — a good servant
who kept nothing for herself and gave all to charity.
She knew of the arrival of the Little Sisters, and
having remarked that there was neither furniture,
nor utensils, nor anything else in the house, she
had made it her business to procure them. Thus
the Sisters found objects of piety, the parlour fur-
nished, some eatables, and the kitchen provided.

At Dunkirk several persons separately entertained
the idea of having one of these establishments, and
saved for that purpose and gave their offerings to
the Dean of Saint John the Baptist, who was
rather surprised to receive these sums, and to have
about forty thousand francs at his disposal. He
sent for the Little Sisters of the Poor, recited a
prayer, and gave them the keys of a house, say-
ing, "It is yours !"

The most diverse influences combined for the
benefit of these institutions, which really are a
work of public assistance and worthy of public
patronage. The problem which is renewed every
day, and which must be solved, is how to supply
the needs, ceaselessly renewed, of the hospitaller
family; every day hunger, thirst, linen, clothing,
remedies, nourishment — things of every kind are

IN AFRICA AND IN ITALY 265

needed. What father or mother of a family would
not think themselves heavily burdened if they had
to supply the needs of seven or eight children who
one day will be their support ? Yet here were
humble girls who have no income, and who had
to maintain a home large as a hospital for many
years, and this attracted people's admiration.

Thus it happened in 1867 that the editor of the
Nice newspaper handed a begging Sister fifteen
francs which had been confided to him, amiably
adding that he would like to give more. ** Sir,"
she said to him, " sometimes we have to go a great
way to find that sum. I can assure you that at
the end of last month we had not enough to pay
the baker." This declaration touched the journalist,
who, remembering that a rich Jew had sent to the
Mayor a cheque for 500 francs for the committee
of benevolence, took advantage of the occasion to
repeat the words of the Little Sister in his paper,
adding: **At times one regrets he is not a Roth-
schild." The rich Baron read the article. He wrote
to the editor: "In reply to a short article which
I read in the Nice paper, I enclose a gift of 500
francs, which I beg you kindly to remit for ma
to the home for old people, so deservedly patronized
by your charitable paper."

In Orleans a curate of the cathedral, who was
teaching the catechism to children of the upper
classes, wished to inspire them with charity and
love for the poor. It was New Year's Day, 1868.
He said to the children: "My children, you have
all had New Year's gifts. If you would bring them

266 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

to me you would do me a great pleasure." The
little girls brought their beloved toys. "We will
make a lottery of them," said the Abbe Baunard,*
* * for the benefit of the old people of the Little
Sisters of the Poor. You shall offer them a meal, and
we will serve it." The idea was acceptable to
all these little people, and was executed. On the
day fixed the house was filled with merry voices
and cheerful laughter. The little girls, happy *' to
be Little Sisters," went into the rooms and in-
firmaries, and overwhelmed the old people, who
thoroughly enjoyed the treat, with care and kind-
ness. The grouping together of the two ages formed
a graceful picture — youth, lively and active; old
age, slow and hoary-headed ; the gaiety, the candour
of childhood, and the gravity, the infirmities of
age. When the feast was over three little children
advanced and offered to one of the Little Sisters
150 francs in three cheques of 50 francs.

At this period the Revolution invaded the pon-
tifical State. Monsieur de Tournon, who had fought
at Castelfidardo for the rights of the Holy See,
did not hesitate before the new aggression. He
rejoined the pontifical army. His wife, worthy of
him, promised to the Master of life and of death
that, if her chivalrous husband returned, she would
have a chapel built for the Little Sisters of the Poor
at Villefranche-sur-Saone, their native place. Mon-
sieur de Tournon fought at Mentana. He returned

* Since Mgr. Baunard, Rector of the Catholic Faculty of
Lille.

IN AFRICA AND IN ITALY 267

from the conflict safe and sound. The promise was
rehgiously kept, and the blessing of the first stone
took place on June 23, 1869. These worthy bene-
factors raised the elegant edifice and furnished it.
They conformed as regards design and ornament
to the custom of the congregation, and thus gave
the Sisters great pleasure.

The true benefactress of the house at P^rigueux
was Mme. de Gosselin; but, whilst waiting for the
construction of the buildings, the Little Sisters
began in the usual poverty. Some particulars
deserve to be mentioned. The Superior of the
hospice gave a donkey for the home, which she
took care of until the Little Sisters were able to
keep it. The Mother-Superior of the Visitation
authorized her nuns to dispose in favour of the
new hospitaller Sisters of whatever they could spare,
each in her department, and there were two loads
for their little cart. The Ursulines gave what they
could twice a week. The Sisters of Saint Martha
lent the sacred vessels and gave some chairs. The
Sisters of Mercy sent the linen for the altar and a
cope. The missionaries granted the altar. The
professors at the clerical school came to say Mass
three times a week. The great seminary gave
some leavings. All this was very edifying !

One fact shows, m a striking manner, to what
extent the Little Sisters of the Poor are the
daughters of Providence. A landowner in Dijon
bequeathed nearly two millions to the Little Sisters
in 1868, on condition that they established one of

268 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

their homes in his castle, and supported it by means
of the income which he assured them. What was
the result? ** People congratulated us, and we
sighed. You will no longer have to beg, people
told us, and, indeed, we were obliged to give up
begging for money. Our benefactors were divided
in their opinions. 'Accept it,' said some; 'it is
for the poor.' ' If you accept it,' said those who
knew the work better, * you are lost. You will no
longer be the Little Sisters of the Poor.' The
mother-house being called upon to speak, totally
renounced this large legacy, and wrote : ' Let us
remain poor, trusting in God's good providence,
without taking thought for the morrow.' The Little
Sisters of Dijon were assembled for the evening
recreation when this answer, so worthy and so
generous, of the general council of the congregation
arrived. Their joy was excessive on hearing this
letter read. With one impulse they threw them-
selves on their knees to thank God. They remained,
then, the Little Sisters of the Poor! At that
moment they seemed to enter upon their heritage.
They went the next day to the Bishop's house.
* What an evangelical spirit ! ' cried the Vicar-
General. 'Keep that document in your records;
it is a title of religious nobility.' "

Temporal motives combined with spiritual to prove
the wisdom of this measure, for in time of revolu-
tions and of social, political, or religious crises, when
intolerant and sectarian parties come into office,
they are not tempted to claim the unendowed and
unproductive establishments of the Little Sisters of

7A' AFRICA AND IN ITALY 269

the Poor. To confiscate them would throw upon
themselves the burden of hundreds and thousands
of old people bereft of everything, or to throw them
upon the streets to beggary and misery. To dis-
miss the Little Sisters and to secularize the hos-
pitaller service of the home involves exhausting
the resources and thrusting out a devoted and un-
paid staff — in a word, to close the establishment.
But this extreme measure does not in the least settle
the question. The life of an old man constitutes
365 days of assistance required per year; the life of
a hundred old men constitutes 36,500 days of such
assistance; the presence of three hundred old men
in a home exceeds a total of 100,000 days of assist-
ance for one single year. Such a result costs the
public administration nothing; it is only asked for
tolerance to allow the work to act through its proper
channels. Who would destroy these hearths of
charity ? Why, the history itself of the Little Sisters
of the Poor is the evident proof of the co-opera-
tion and of the benevolence which they meet with
in every nation and in every climate.

The year after its establishment in America and
Africa, the hospitaller work crossed the Alps and
established itself at Aosta, in Italy, on November
13, 1869. The Rev. Father Laurent, Provincial of
the Capuchins, was the promotor of the movement
and the principal benefactor of the home. He was
able to procure ground and a house for the Little
Sisters of the Poor. The establishment was a bene-
fit to the district, but, confined in a valley of the

270 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Alps, it could not contribute efficaciously to make
known the new form of charity in Italy, and re-
mained a mere stepping-stone. However, King
Victor Emmanuel, in a visit which he made to the
town of Aosta in 1873, appreciated the services
rendered to the poor of the locality, and gave,
through the Syndic, 600 lire to the home of the
Little Sisters of the Poor.

CHAPTER XXI

DURING THE WAR AND THE INSURRECTION

The invasion — Small ambulances — The Siege of Strasbourg —
The civil war in Paris and Madrid — A revolutionary
junta {i.e., Spanish Council) — The victories of charity.

The work of the Little Sisters of the Poor was
about to be tested that it might show its strength
of resistance in the difficult times of invasion and
civil war. In 1870 war broke out between France
and Germany. Religion and humanity raised their
voices on behalf of the wounded and sick of either
army. It was decided in the councils of the con-
gregation that an ambulance of a few beds should
be established in all their houses in the invaded
territories. Thus, instead of asking with anxiety
how they could support their old people among
such ruins, the Little Sisters of the Poor only
thought about their hospitaller engagements and of
taking up new burdens. One cannot help admiring
such modest heroism.

Several thousands of unfortunate soldiers were
thus succoured. In one single house 230 were cared
for; in another about 163 fever-stricken and wounded
men were received, of whom 140 recovered and 23
died. They sent several convoys to their houses
in the south, in order to remove the wounded
prisoners from the spectacle of war, and to bene-
fit the sick with a milder climate. This extra-

271

272 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

ordinary mission of the Little Sisters lasted about
six months. The public was interested in these
small ambulances, and the committees gave assist-
ance. It was a time of sacrifice, but nowhere did
they lack what was absolutely necessary, and they
had no complaint to make of either army. Two
incidents, one from each side, will give an idea
of the kind treatment of the Sisters. At Orleans
the house counted i6o old persons and 52 wounded,
but for two months the municipal authority sup-
plied the leavings of the slaughter-house, so that
the home was never short of meat. At Reims the
commander of the Prussian army gave them a safe
conduct allowing the Sisters to go about the town
with their collecting-van. On one occasion the
officers in charge of the provisions put in a whole
sheep. It is not against old people, nor the sick,
nor the Sisters who take care of them, that people
make war. That would be contrary to the rights
of mankind, recognized by all civilized nations.
One day, when the begging Sisters of Reims re-
turned from the collection with their small burden,
a numerous body of German cavalry on the march
intercepted the way. They had to wait until these
sombre figures with their loaded guns had passed
by. A soldier remarked the embarrassment of the
Little Sisters. With a gesture of command he
called to the nearest troopers to stop. They imme-
diately did so, and, in turn, stopped those who
followed them. Then the compassionate soldier
standing at the head of the horses kindly assured
the Sisters that they could pass without fear. War-

DURING THE WAR AND THE INSURRECTION 273

like passion ceased in the presence of charity, and
enmity gave place to pity.

The Siege of Strasbourg forms a sorrowful episode
of this period. In the month of August, 1870, the
bombardment of the place began. What could the
Sisters do, with 150 old people, 80 sick soldiers,
and almost without provisions, amid the horrors of
a siege and the peril of fire, but abandon them-
selves to the care of their heavenly Father ? On
August 22 they were occupied with their old people,
putting their linen into large pits dug in the earth
in order to protect it from fire, when a shell fell
and burst; the splinters passed in the midst of the
Little Sisters and old people without hurting any-
one, and pierced the wall. Everyone said : ** Those
who are guarded by God are well guarded !" They
took the precautions suggested by prudence, and
the healthy persons were installed in caves, the
others in the safest parts of the building. The
ambulance increased; almost every day some
wounded were brought in. From the 22nd to the
24th it was terrible; they seemed to be in the pangs
of death. Four shells fell in the establishment,
killed one of the soldiers, and broke a window and
a beam. In this imminent danger all the old people
approached the Sacraments to assure themselves of
being in a state of grace. Everyone in the house
prayed with a pure soul. During the night of
August 28 a canister-shell burst in the evacuated
quarter of the Little Sisters, pierced the wall, and
scattered sixty-six balls, which they afterwards
gathered up from every corner of the apartment.

18

274 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

On September 8 a projectile pierced half the wall,
and broke several windows of a hall where hfty
old people were assembled, but no one was injured.
They felt at the same time the greatness of the
danger and the efficacy of heavenly protection.
Sisters, old people, soldiers (with one exception),
all came out alive from this terrible siege; but
human endurance has limits : six Sisters were ill,
and forty-six inmates succumbed during the six
months which followed. ,

The work of the Little Sisters of the Poor being 1
work for the aged, there is no need to expatiate
longer on this period, but rather to draw from it a
lesson for the future capable of encouraging us in
the practice of abandonment to Providence. How
could an institution without income, without fixed
resources, have passed through such a time, kept
up the homes, without either becoming bankrupt
or overwhelmed with debts? Yet this is what
actually happened, to the astonishment of the public.
It may even be said that misfortunes added to its
prosperity. Different people, after this sorrowful
test, wished to do good works, and contributed
either to diminish the debts with which the founda-
tions were burdened, or to obtain the enlargement
of houses so useful to the unfortunate. Quantities
of furniture and provisions, linen and medicaments,
for which there was no further use after the closing
of the ambulances, went to the Little Sisters and
made good their exhausted resources.

The homes at Paris underwent a still more pain-
ful trial. The cosmopolitan and revolutionary ele-

DURING THE WAR AND THE INSURRECTION 275

ments assembled in the great city audaciously con-
certed together in 1871, when the war was finished,
and succeeded in rendering themselves masters of
the capital. It was a fratricidal struggle between
the regular army encamped at Versailles and the
insurgents. On one side, the Generals of the
National Guard in Paris had been killed, the town
hall taken, the cannon was roaring; on the other
side, religious persecution was raging with savage
hatred, and to be a priest or religious was to be
imprisoned or shot down. What was to become
of the five houses of the Little Sisters of the Poor ?
The Little Sisters, countmg on their well-known
poverty and on the indigence of their old people,
remained quiet and confident. On the evening of
Maundy Thursday at the house in the Rue Picpus
they were taking their Lenten supper, when two
musket-shots and a whistle were heard. It was the
first signal. The door was struck with the butt-end
of a gun, and a shout was heard : "In the name
of the law, open the door, or we break it in."
The Little Sister portress opened, and received this
salute: " Good-day, citizen !" The two commanders
entered, followed by 100 armed men, and asked
for the Superior. The Sisters assembled, some
round the invaders, others round the old people.
"The cash-box," asked the commander — "where
is the cash-box ? Let two men stand at every door
and shoot those women if they come out." They
were led then to the room of the good Mother,
where the desk consisted of a simple table with a
drawer. "Where is the cash-box?" The Sisters
showed them the table, and as the commander

276 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

expressed his astonishment, they added: "We
have no other; if you do not believe us, we will
open all the doors for you, and you can look for
yourself." The search was made, but nowhere did
they find any strong-boxes. They returned to the
room and opened the famous drawer. The com-
mander read some letters which he found there;
then took a roll, which he examined and threw
back, saying: ''These are only silver coins!" The
search continued, and the men went into the women's
quarter, one of whom, shaking the hand of the
commander, said to him: "Oh, sir, I pray you,
do us no harm." Another cried : " If you do harm
to our Little Sisters, what will become of us?"
The same scene was enacted in the infirmary. The
sight of so much misery and so many old people,
the poverty of the place, acted upon these men
and softened them. At last the commander said :
"Come, old mothers, fear nothing; we shall do
no harm either to you or to your Sisters." During
this time, the men who were on duty at the door
said to the Little Sisters and to the old people:
"Do not be afraid; they will do you no harm."
And one added: "Ah, yes! Is it likely any-
thing would be found in the house of the Sisters
of the Poor? Is it the same in the men's quarters?"
"Yes." "Then we will not go." The Sisters
offered them refreshments; they drank and went
away, with a few encouraging words as to the
future. Once more evangelical poverty and the
assistance of the old people had been the safe-
guard of the Little Sisters. It was the same in
the five houses.

DURING THE WAR AND THE INSURRECTION 277

Matters did not stop here; the moral victory had
to be complete. The old people were not long in
discovering that some of their relations were en-
gaged in the party of insurrection, either by force
or voluntarily; and on Sunday, the usual day for
the visits of relations, a number of insurgents were
seen to enter the houses of the Sisters in order to
visit their old friends. The situation of the Little
Sisters was embarrassing, for, though suspected as
nuns, they were spared as hospitaller nurses.
Necessity compelled them to go out in their ordinary
costume, to make themselves known, and to obtain
the customary alms at a time when the churches
were closed, when every religious habit, except
theirs, had disappeared from the public thorough-
fares, when the streets were filled with ' * con-
federates" with sinister faces, with armed women
wearing the red belt. As for the Sisters, they
passed and moved about freely; sometimes they
were even saluted. Even more : the Government
of the Commune having installed its field hospitals
in the Palais de ITndustrie, every day the Little
Sisters, from their house in the Avenue Breteuil,
went with their dishes, which the citizens filled
with pieces and even with fresh meat, saying :
"It is for the poor." As if that was not enough,
the houses of the Little Sisters had their religious
service secured to them. Two priests attached to
the work, with the title of auxiliaries, remained
in Paris during the siege and the Commune.
The Abbe Valin exercised his holy ministry in
the house of the Avenue Breteuil, and a little in
the neighbouring houses. Abbe Martin, who was

278 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

less known, disguised as a coachman or a gardener,
proceeded from the house in the Rue Philippe-de-
Gerard to the house in Rue Picpus, thanks to this
disguise and his big beard. *' And in the times of
the Catacombs," wrote one of the Little Sisters, ** in
the morning we assisted at the holy sacrifice in
secret, received the Holy Eucharist, and then, thus
fortified, we returned to our work." In this way
they procured for the dying inmates the rites of
religion. At the end of the month of May, 187 1,
order was re-established.

The work had passed through an analogous period
in Spain. It is good to watch it develop in the
midst of the storm. In Madrid the house was
flourishing when in 1868 the revolution broke out,
and for a time triumphed. By way of drawing
the protection of heaven upon the home, the Little
Sisters formed the idea of receiving a very old
and very destitute man. Their choice fell on one
called Santiago, who was eighty-nine years old,
and who lodged in one of the worst quarters of
the town. As his great age and his feeble state
rendered him incapable of going to the establish-
ment, two Little Sisters went in a little cart to
fetch him. The sight of nuns in that quarter caused
a sensation. The people assembled, but when they
saw the two hospitaller Sisters go down to the
house, supporting old Santiago in a maternal manner
— whom they had clad in clean clothes, and who
appeared radiant with happiness — the people gave
them an ovation, and wished them long life to do

DURING THE WAR AND THE INSURRECTION 279

much good for the poor. The nonagenarian was
happy in the home, and declared that he had come
out of hell to enter heaven, as he used to say in
his figurative language. Unfortunately, his com-
plete decrepitude did not allow him to survive long.
Then the Little Sisters who had brought him from
his poor dwelling conducted him to the cemetery,
accompanied by a cortege of old men. That, too,
attracted attention, and ended in procuring the
sympathy of the crowd for the Little Sisters of
the Poor, and this was their best safeguard in that
unquiet time. Nor were they ever insulted in the
capital, though they were the only religious to be
seen in the streets. They even met insurgents,
some of whom gave them their alms for their old
people.

In the provinces the most characteristic episode
was that at Reus. On April 20, 1868, the Little
Sisters began an establishment in that town in a
good-sized house, with a large garden and yard,
which was placed at their disposal by the conserva-
tive municipality. Some months later the municipal
authority was overthrown, and, a revolutionary
council succeeding it, attacked at the same time
both its political antagonists and the monastic in-
stitutions. What was to become of the recently-
established home for the aged poor? People did
not fail to warn the Little Sisters of the popular
effervescence, letting them know that they were not
against their work, but that, on the contrary, they
held it in great esteem. They learned, indeed,
that the revolutionists, after having driven out the

28o THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

cloistered religious from their convents, had sur-
rounded the establishment of the Little Sisters of
the Poor, forbidding anyone to touch it. "These
belong to us," said the men of the people. "We
love them, and we acknowledge the good they do
to the poor." The work of the Little Sisters for
the poor was the means of securing to them and
their pensioners comparative safety, and also the
Sisters rose higher than ever in the estimation of
the public. They continued, then, to go out and
make appeals to public charity. The tradeswomen
and the women of the market, demonstrative and
noisy, manifested their joy on seeing the begging
Sisters appear, and cried with emotion: "Do not
fear; you belong to us, and no one shall do you
any harm." A regiment, through which they had
to pass with a load of wood, which they were
carrying themselves, opened their ranks, and the
soldiers said to one another: "Let us allow them
to pass and give them place, poor little things!"

The almost silent apostolate of the Little Sisters
has its radiancy like those stars which shine silently
on a calm night. It attaches itself to the great
principle of human brotherhood, and speaks to the
most generous instincts of the human heart in every
part of the world. It belongs to the category of
those unpretending forces, so weak and yet so
strong, which touch the inner feelings of the race
and alleviate human misery.

CHAPTER XXII

IN ENGLAND, IRELAND, AND SCOTLAND

Charity in " joint-stock company " — The purse of the beg-
ging Sisters — The small benefactors — The great English
port — In Wales and Ireland.

In the British Empire, the period from 1868 to 1874
was employed in the development of the existing
houses, without any fresh branches being made, but
the Little Sisters daily gained ground in the public
esteem. The zeal of friends on the Continent was
quickened, because they said: ''Every step of the
English people towards the Catholic religion is an
advance for all other peoples of the same race.'*

The correspondence maintained with the directors
of the "savings-box," which centralized the offer-
ings of friends on the Continent, has incidentally
given us a lively picture of the collection in London
about 1869. " My speciality for the time," wrote
Sister Emmanuel, "is to beg of Protestants from
door to door, in all the streets, shops, factories,
offices, etc. We rarely go upstairs. It is a small
collection which has several advantages : it is ex-
peditious; we do not hold long conversations; we
announce the object of our visit, and receive a
prompt reply; and with a 'Thank you,' we hurry
away to the neighbouring shops. If we receive a
small gift, we thank the good God; if it is a large
one, so much the better; if it is nothing at all, it
281

282 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

is also good; and if they speak contemptuously
to us, then it is all the better for us, so it always
bears fruit in one way or another. Sometimes for
three or four hours continuously we do this, and
really the little purse becomes very heavy in the
pocket. We have counted sometimes three and
four pounds in silver coins — sixpences, shillings,
and half-crowns — at the end of what we called a
good day, from ten o'clock in the morning until
six in the evening. We see coins of every sort
and every colour, but gold is certainly rare, and
bank-notes yet more so. No, the good God wills us
to be true beggars in a very small way; that we
should have nothing grand, but that we should
pick up the crumbs, the small coins, one by one,
making our collection every day. I think that the
good God is pleased to see us gather all these
crumbs, and that is why He gives us our little
collection so often in this manner."

Thereupon the treasurer of "the savings-box"
wrote to his principal associate: ''Long live our
Little Sisters in England! They are the model
of their kind. From the moment they become rich
they will no longer be Little Sisters; begging is
their fortune; they thus practise humility them-
selves, and induce the rich to exercise charity."

A begging Sister thus related one of her expedi-
tions: "It is the dull season in London in the
month of November, and we must always be on
the road for about ten days, visiting all the
places out of London which belong to our diocese;
so, taking our travelling-bag with us, a crust in

IN ENGLAND, IRELAND, AND SCOTLAND 283

our pocket, a purse containing money just enough
to take us to the nearest town, and a medal of
our Lady, we put our trust in the good God,
count that He will fill our empty purse, and pre-
serve us from all danger in our begging. We have
walked many miles in delightful country places, at
least thirty leagues; we have visited castles of great
beauty; we have been served with the most beauti-
ful silver and porcelain; we have seen grand apart-
ments all covered with carpets, pictures, mirrors,
resplendent with gilding and luxury; and we have
left marks of dust from our poor shoes on the
carpets of these magnificent salons. We have been
received sometimes with kindness and sometimes
with coldness, but always as beggars, and the piece
of gold has been often given to us at the door.
Thence we have gone into small towns entirely
Protestant, asking charity from house to house, from
shop to shop, where people have given us a six-
pence or a sovereign from time to time, and thus
we have done our day's work. God has blessed
our proceedings, and when our purse was counted
yesterday, it was found to contain £^$ 5s., and
our journey by rail was also paid, which amounted
to about iJ"i los. It is so pleasant to return home,
above all when one has been wandering here and
there among all kinds of people. I think that the
half of our collection was from Protestants, and
three-fourths were in small silver coins picked up
one by one from different people."

The qtie^e varies in form and adapts itself to
circumstances. " To-day, Christmas Eve, we are

284 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

making preparation for the great festival of to-
morrow. On one hand the crib, our altar and
sanctuary, have to be decorated, and, above all,
our hearts must be prepared as living cribs; so
much for the soul. As to the body, there is also
much to prepare, because we must have a real
Christmas dinner for the whole house, roast beef
and plum-pudding. But to tell you the truth, we
have begun to beg for our Christmas for the past ten
days, bringing in something every day for that
great occasion either actually or by promise, and
now we have come to the eve, with almost all
that is necessary to celebrate the feast. People have
rung several times this morning at our door to
hand different things to our Sister portress. * For
Christmas,' they said. It is clear that Jesus wills
that nothing shall be wanting to our good old
people to-morrow, and they will have an excellent
dinner." Such is the way the Little Sisters manage
under such circumstances.

One of the principal difficulties of the time in
England and Scotland was to secure religious
service for the establishment. The Little Sisters
had the holy sacrifice of the Mass once every week
or fortnight in their little chapel — enough to in-
sure the reservation of the Blessed Sacrament, but
not enough to have the offices of the Church so
as to be exempted from attending the parish church.
They wrote from Scotland on the feast of Corpus
Christi : "It is true we have neither processions
nor the Blessed Sacrament exposed, not even for

7iV ENGLAND, IRELAND, AND SCOTLAND 285

Benediction, but we always possess our Lord in
our tabernacle. He is hidden from our eyes, but
not from our hearts; we know He is there, and
that He is there for us, to listen to us and hear us
according to His good pleasure." The clergy, few
in number, overladen with work and reponsi-
bilities as always happens in missionary countries,
esteemed themselves happy in seeing the poor old
people in the hands of the Little Sisters, and, re-
assured as to their fate, gave themselves to the
lost sheep of their flock. These necessities can be
easily understood; but the Sisters suffered from
them, and efforts were made to ameliorate their
spiritual condition. One priest, the Rev. Jacquin,
devoted himself in London to this humble ministry,
with the title of " auxihary," for about ten years,
travelling from one house to another in order to
celebrate the holy mysteries, to preach the word
of God, and to administer the Sacraments. Some
fellow-priests helping him, they gave retreats to the
Sisters in the different establishments of the country,
in order to sustain them in their holy vocation.
The mission of these auxiliary priests had for ob-
ject to help the Sisters through periods of organiza-
tion and transition.

But there were other helpers. About 1871, the
house situated in Portobello Road, in London, had
need of a doctor for the 200 inmates. Now, it
happened that at Christmas, and on another feast,
a butcher's boy presented himself for several years
following, leaving fifty pounds of meat and going
away without saying a word. The repetition of

286 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

this charitable act roused the curiosity of the Mother-
Superior, who wished to know the donor. The
boy, when questioned, with some hesitation, gave
the name of Dr. Harper. That was the name of
one of the best London doctors, a convert to the
Catholic faith, and a man whose charity and modesty
were well known. The Little Sisters went to thank
him, and the conversation turning quite naturally
on the medical needs of the home, the doctor charit-
ably took it under his care, and continued to do
so for fourteen years.

That same year Sir Humphrey de Trafford, Mayor
of Manchester, patronized the Bazaar or Charity
Sale organized by the ladies and gentlemen of the
city, in order to pay the debts of the home for
old people. The treasurer of the savings-box ob-
served with his usual perspicacity: "It seems that
the work of the Little Sisters resembles a joint-
stock company; they alone are the responsible
managers, but all the public is earnestly asked to
take shares in it; everyone receives dividends in
proportion to his shares. The Little Sisters owe
all their advantages to mendicity — that is the
sublime originality of their vocation; it is its trade-
mark, and one not easy to counterfeit."

Charity is never more touching than when it
manifests itself among the humble ones of the
world; even the lower classes are ennobled by it.
In Plymouth a shoemaker, while soling and patch-
ing boots, observed the newly-arrived Sisters, talk-
ing of their work and of the old destitute people

IN ENGLAND, IRELAND, AND SCOTLAND 287

in the neighbourhood, and his heart felt a com-
passion which gave him no rest. As all great
thoughts come from the heart, it occurred to him
to help the begging Sisters, whom he saw pass his
window with heavy burdens ill-concealed under their
large black cloaks; and to realize his scheme he
put under contribution his hands, his purse, his
clients, and his acquaintances, until he had gathered
a sufficient sum to buy a pony and cart. The day
he presented them to the home was a happy day
for him.

He had a rival at Bolton. This man saw the
Little Sisters from Manchester, who were making
their rounds, begging from door to door, enter
his shop. As becomes a workman of his profession,
having but little money in his pocket, he looked
at the shoes of the Sisters, which appeared to him
in a piteous state. He made a remark to this
effect, and a conversation ensuing on this subject,
the Little Sisters made known that there was but
one single old man in the home who knew how
to make shoes, though there were many feet to be
shod. The shoemaker offered the Little Sisters to
make their shoes for nothing; he then announced
his intention of visiting the home, in order to see
for himself in what he could be useful. The man
of humble rank himself understood without difficulty
the good work which the Sisters had undertaken
to found for his unfortunate fellow-men, and the
sight of so many old people moved him profoundly.
He had no rest until he had made a pair of new
shoes for every Sister, brought several old pairs

288 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

for the house, and had provided the shoemaker's
shop for the establishment with different articles;
as for himself, during that time he pawned his
clothes at the pawnshop to buy leather, but on
their side the Sisters and the old people prayed
for him. When he had finished his charitable enter-
prise, "Ah," he said to the good Mother, ** God
blesses me now. He supplies my needs. I no
longer lack customers. I can assure you that, in
all my life, I have never done so well in my
business."

There is not a single house of the Little Sisters
which has not at its beginning some history of this
kind, under one form or other. In Newcastle two
Little Sisters appeared for the first time in the
market-place, and were making the round of the
stalls, when one of the tradesmen invited them to
his shop situated at the corner of the road. They
entered as they returned, and the little tradesman,
pointing to his goods, told them to make their
choice and carry away with them whatever they
found to their liking, on condition that they prayed
for him. The shop was full of household articles.
They took brushes, brooms, mats, pails, small tubs,
and returned well contented, not without inviting
the good shopkeeper to come and visit the home
and the old people. He went. Whilst looking at
the poor people, who appeared happy to have ob-
tained such a home and such care, he noted in
his pocket-book what was wanting in the house-
hold. The good man passed his week in manu-
facturing and collecting the objects which were

IN ENGLAND, IRELAND, AND SCOTLAND 289

required, so that at the next visit of the Little
Sisters he astonished them by supplying them with
all the household needed. Afterwards the two
begging Sisters called at the shop every week, and
received some object or gift in money. This lasted
several years, at the end of which the retail trades-
man had become a wholesale merchant, and had a
large shop with several branches in the town. His
opinion was that alms-giving had brought him
fortune, and it is a certain fact that fortune began
to smile upon him from the day when he stopped
the Little Sisters in the market-place; hence he
joyfully supplied the Sisters with articles of wood,
osier, rush, or tin for the use of the aged poor.

^ The work, as we have said, remained stationary
in the United Kingdom for five years, like those
vigorous plants which, after planting, have need of
time and rest to strike their roots, to develop the
stem, and spread abroad their branches; but on
December 2, 1874, the Little Sisters of the Poor
were established in Liverpool, and on April 9, 1875,
in Birkenhead. Many favourable circumstances
concurred in making this a suitable place for a
foundation, among others the large population of
half a million, the varied industries, and the large
proportion of Catholics. Birkenhead is separated
from Liverpool by the River Mersey, on which the
steamboat passes and repasses, while trains pass
under in a tunnel; hence the Sisters were now
extending their hospices to Wales. As to the
foundation in Liverpool, it had as its first old

19

290 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

pensioner and its glory an old woman of 105
years.

In Scotland, the house in Glasgow did honour
to its founders, although it could boast of lodging
250 poor. A visitor asked the Mother-Superior in
1873, "How much have you undertaken to pay?"
*';^5,200, besides the architect and some extras."
" How much had you at starting ?" " About i^400."
'* No doubt the workmen give you time to pay?"
"We pay as the work progresses." "But still,
you have paid something?" "i;i,7oo, of which
£1,400 went to the mason, i;"200 to the carpenter,
and ;^ioo to the architect." "And after that, is
there still anything left in the purse?" "Almost
as much as when we started."

Leeds, although in a smaller way, worked on
the same lines. Newcastle had its home. The
good Mother Raymond, wearied by the poor who
asked to enter, had formed the plan of having
a house built, in order to reply without delay to
such pressing demands; and it happened that the
property of Meadow Bank, twice put up for sale,
had not found a purchaser, so that the owners
had offered this beautiful domain to the charitable
institution for ;^4,ooo instead of i^7,ooo.

The house in Bristol, after ten years' existence,
resembled a foundation on account of four succes-
sive removals. The establishment previously ac-
quired in Park Row had been taken by the town
to widen the street; but with the sum given by
way of compensation, they secured the nucleus of
a property at Clifton in a pleasant, healthy situa-
tion between the country and the town. There,

IN ENGLAND, IRELAND. AND SCOTLAND 291

as well as they could, they installed sixty-five old
people in a cottage and a former stable; then they
waited for Providence. One circumstance, in appear-
ance insignificant, modified the situation, which was
rather precarious. A gentleman of the locality had
lost a cat — a pedigree cat — and he had made known
that a reward of ;^io would be given to the person
who should return it. In the meantime the old
people perceived a beautiful tom-cat in their en-
closure, and after a fortunate hunt they got hold
of it. The person who offered the i^io reward
received the news, and a gentleman with a pleasant
smile paid them a visit. The Sisters knew him
by sight, and had often wondered who he was.
*' That is not my cat," said the visitor. Now,
this gentleman was a contractor, and he had built
almost all the villas in Clifton and Gotham Hill.
With a keen glance, he judged that the Sisters
would have to build, and half through love for
his art, half through benevolence for the work, he
made encouraging offers. Alas ! the purse was
empty; but fortunately he was rich, and he pro-
mised to the good Mother Anatolia to give credit
and do good work. Necessity finished the negotia-
tion. Large basements, required on account of the
nature of the soil, provided room for all the offices,
kitchen, refectory, washing-place, and cellar, whilst
the chapel was above. Towards 1875 the home
took the aspect of a healthy, respectable establish-
ment, and people who only appreciate institutions
which succeed began to be effectively interested
in it.

The house in Birmingham did not give hopes of

292 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

any definite arrangement; therefore they resolved
to sell it, to leave the town, and to go into the
country, where they could have a yard and garden,
a stable, and poultry back-yard. After many diffi-
culties they bought a field at Harborne, and, antici-
pating on the funds from the sale of the establish-
ment in town, they began to build according to a
plan adapted to their requirements, for the com-
fortable installation of the apartments for the men,
women, and Sisters, deferring till later the erection
of the outbuildings. One page of the good Mother's
letters admits us to the financial state of the com-
munity : "During the time of our building it was
a continual providence. Not that there were so
many striking incidents as often occur in our little
family in similar circumstances; but, day by day,
something unexpected came to us through some
means or other, and often when I went out on
business connected with the new house, I was almost
overwhelmed at the goodness of God, shown through
those who up till then had given nothing, for He
often made these journeys successful by inspiring
hearts with unexpected generosity. I think the good
God was pleased to make those little streams of
charity flow, without ever fully satisfying our desires,
yet, nevertheless, providing sufficient to relieve our
small daily embarrassments. All this time it is
remarkable that the collection in kind nearly sufficed
for the nourishment of all the house; we hardly
ever bought meat, vegetables, fish, eggs, or rice.
The bill for bread was rarely over fifteen or twenty
shillings. The collection supplied us even with coals.

IN ENGLAND, IRELAND, AND SCOTLAND 293

We obtained permission to make a collection every
Sunday at the church doors of the diocese to help
us to build our chapel. Only patience and a great
confidence in God were needed, and He sent us, little
by little, all that was necessary." On Sunday,
July 12, 1874, Bishop Ullathorne blessed the estab-
lishment, and provided for the religious service with
the help of the Passionist Fathers, who live in the
neighbourhood. One circumstance related in the
papers under the title "Interesting Incident" in-
fluenced public opinion. The Prince of Wales, in
one of his visits to a nobleman in the country,
deigned to give an audience to the begging Sisters,
asked them some questions about their home for
old people, and gave them £^ with his own hands.
This act of the Heir-apparent (later Edward VII.,
King of England) was a pleasant surprise to the
public, and determined their sympathies in favour
of the work. To pay the bills, which were behind
time, they organized a bazaar, of which Mr. Hard-
man was the president, and which produced ^^720.
They were able thus to lodge and to support 130
poor old people.

It is time to cross St. George's Channel and
to enter Ireland. When the home at Waterford
numbered seventy-five old people, it was necessary
to think about giving them more air and space,
and to quit an expensive hired home. In 1872
they bought some ground conveniently situated,
and the Work of the Propagation of the Faith
judged it useful to the Catholic cause to apply an

294 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

allowance of ;^200 towards purchasing it. In 1873
they commenced the edifice, with which an incident
is connected.

At Waterford at the time of the building the
cash-box was found empty. The Little Sisters and
the old people began to pray, calling upon Provi-
dence for help. One night, a poor woman of the
home thought about the good Mother's want of
money, and how it could be remedied. ** My God,"
she said in the simplicity of her faith — "my God,
I have long prayed to Thee, and I do not know
if Thou wilt hear me. But give me some proof
that Thou wilt answer me, by placing in my way
some charitable person who will give me money
for the good Mother; then I shall die in peace,
because I am very old." And she recited her rosary
fervently. The next day, which was the day when
the old people went out, she left very early. Soon
she met a good old farmer of eighty-seven years
of age, whom she had known when she was young.
They talked together. The old farmer confides to
his old friend that he has come to the town to
do an act of charity before he dies. This was
exactly the opportunity she desired. So the good
soul began to praise her Little Sisters, saying that
one could not find a better-kept house, and that
the poor could not be more carefully tended. Con-
vinced by this hearty eloquence, the farmer said :
" Where are these Little Sisters of yours ?" " Come
along." Arrived at the house, the good little woman
was quite beside herself. She opened the doors,
rang the bell, and refused to speak to anyone. She

IN ENGLAND, IRELAND, AND SCOTLAND 295

must see the good Mother that minute. The good
Mother comes. "Quick, go to the parlour! It is
a benefactor ! ' * The good man salutes respectfully,
explains that he has a little help to offer, and draws
out a roll of ;6^20 in notes. Seeing this amount,
the good woman thought that the whole house would
be paid for. By this incident we recognize the
spirit of the hospitaller family.

The house in Waterford was not the only one in
Ireland. A second foundation was made in Cork,
as Bishop Delany had just given his consent, which
Mr. John Murphy, a talented writer, had helped to
obtain. The city of Cork, with its 100,000 inhabi-
tants, and its port, which is the nearest to North
America, and is frequented by the Irish of the
whole world, was a situation much desired by the
congregation. The Cork Examiner — a paper with
a wide circulation in the South — announced the
event, and opened the way for the alms-gatherers.
The Little Sisters of the Poor opened their home
provisionally on December 3, 1875, but the follow-
ing February they took possession, having taken
one of those long leases of 999 years, which are
equivalent to freehold, of an extensive property
situated at Montenotte, on one of the hills which
encloses the picturesque valley of the Lee. The
buildings, constructed for ordinary uses, were very
insufficient for their new purpose, and necessitated
successive enlargements in order that they might
shelter at least 200 old people. But a work is
like an organism, which seeks its conditions of life
until it has found them, and then develops accord-

296 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

ing to its nature. The same phenomenon was re-
produced in Ireland as in England and in the
United States.

Let us again cross over to England. A swarm
issued from the two houses in London, and settled
on August 14, 1876, in the remote quarter of Stoke
Newington, there to build a new hive and to distil
the honey of charity. Numbers of workmen and
small families inhabited this district. There they
found poor old people whom the other houses were
unable to assist. They found also resources of the
immense Metropolis which had hitherto been neg-
lected. In addition, they had Sisters ready for the
work. Consequently, it was determined to open
a third house in London under the patronage of
St. Anne.

CHAPTER XXIII

IN AMERICA

Seven new foundations (1873-1878) — Testimony of a wit-
ness— Clients of the home — Act of the Congress of
Washington — Three public demonstrations — The fire at
Brooklyn.

Let us cross the Atlantic Ocean and land in the
United States. The work of the Sisters of the
Poor had made great progress there, and seven
new establishments had enlarged their sphere of
action : Indianapolis, Troyes, Detroit, founded in
1873; Richmond in 1874; Milwaukee and Chicago
in 1876; Newark in 1878.

The Rev. Hatton, who has been for thirty years
the devoted friend of the Little Sisters of the Poor
in the United States, has sketched the scene of their
work. We add a few incidents to his description :

*' The emigrant who comes to the United States
mostly brings with him only his strength and energy,
and the desire to rear his family with the wages
gained by his daily work. How few there are who
succeed in amassing a fortune ! As long as God
gives them health they may be able to provide for
the want of the day, and keep themselves and
their children. When the children are grown up
they generally leave the paternal roof to seek their
fortune somewhere else. What hope remains to an
artisan whom old age or infirmity has rendered
297

298 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

incapable of work ? The workhouse, if he is allowed
admittance. It is true, there they find shelter and
bread to eat; but this official charity is cold and
heartless. Prejudices are great against these in-
stitutions, especially amongst the Catholic poor.
In the midst of the distracting cares of everyday
life they may have forgotten the holy and con-
soling practices which Religion imposes upon her
children; but when the evening of life sets in they
love to seek again the creed which was formerly
the joy of their childhood, and although the re-
membrance of it may have been effaced for some
time, yet it always remains engraved indelibly on
their hearts and character. Besides the emigrants
who come from Europe, a great number also of
Americans, reduced to poverty, come and knock at
the door of the Sisters of the Poor. In a new
country, where fortunes are so rapidly gained and
as rapidly lost, it is not rare to meet people in the
greatest destitution who formerly had every com-
fort and convenience of life. Nothing equals the
energy of the American in remaking his fortune,
but when he comes to an age when his strength
is worn out, or the way to success is barred by
younger and more clever forces, what is to be done ?
What else but to seek a home under the wing
of Christian charity? In looking over the list of
names of the old men received at the homes of the
Little Sisters at Washington, New Orleans, etc.,
one can see clearly that several are borne by persons
who have known better days, but reverses of fortune
have constrained them, after many struggles, to

IN AMERICA 299

ask a shelter which the world, their friends, or
even their children, would not or could not give
them."

The Archbishop of Baltimore, having come one
day to the house at Washington for a function, the
door was opened by an old man with a long white
beard, with a military bearing, who asked for his
blessing. The old man's face and the sound of
his voice awakened in the prelate a distant recol-
lection and startled him, but he put it away as
improbable. After the function. Archbishop Bailey
inquired who had opened the door to him. The
Mother-Superior answered that he was Commodore

X . "I should like to see him," replied the

Archbishop. The Admiral of the Southern fleet,
during the War of Secession, after having shared
the fate and the ruin of the conquered, sought in his
old age a shelter with the Sisters of the Poor. He
presented himself. Both gentlemen remembered,
not without emotion, the days of their youth, when
they were children in the same suburb of New York,
both then belonging to the same Episcopalian church,
going to the same school, and playing the same
games. Destiny had reserved for them a different
lot, but they met each other as Catholics, and the
old man addressed himself with pride to his Bishop,
saying: "My lord, I prefer this place, humble as
it may be, to the one I occupied when, still in error,
I commanded the vessels of the State ! ' '

The abolition of slavery, which was the conse-
quence of the War of Secession, had ruined the
planters by changing the conditions of labour, and

300 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

had set free a multitude of negroes. One evening,
after a day out at Richmond, a man, who had
known every luxury of life, came back to the home
sadly. He was no longer the rich planter, the
indolent Creole, whose slightest wish was obeyed
by a crowd of slaves. . . . He had met on the
road his old coachman and another servant, wan
and ragged, incapable of gaining their living. They
had knelt before him, saying: "Master, when
shall we return to the plantation? ..." He was
overwhelmed with grief at their common misfortune.

"One of the distinctive characteristics of the
home of the Little Sisters in the United States is
the remarkable mixture of creeds, occupations, and
nationalities of the various people who inhabit it.
The reflection, as it were, of the population of the
country is seen there — a population composed of a
great number of emigrants from all countries of
the world who came to seek fortune on this new
soil. The German and the Frenchman, the Irish-
man and the Englishman, mingle with the Spaniard
and the Italian, with the inhabitant of Canada or
with natives of the United States. All live in peace
under the kindly, peaceful influence of the Little
Sisters. There all languages are spoken, which
become blended in the universal tongue which is
understood in every country, the language of
charity.

"As to religious creeds, everyone follows his
own with the greatest liberty. Naturally, the
Catholic religion predominates, but the adherents
of different sects receive the same welcome, and

IN AMERICA 301

are treated in the same manner. The Methodist
or the Lutheran is able, if he likes, to read the
Bible in peace next to an old Irishman who tells
his beads with fervour, without anyone disturbing
their various devotions. However, it is fair to
add that the devotedness of the Little Sisters, the
thousand cares which their inexhaustible charity
lavishes on the poor, infirm, afflicted of all sorts,
who flock to their home, exercise a great influence
on the hearts of our separated brethren, and dispose
them to embrace a religion which alone is able to
engender so much virtue."

An example will show how this spirit of tolerance
was exercised. It happened at Baltimore. They
had received an old woman, who had been cast
upon the road by her daughter, who had a horror
of the workhouse, and who feared the home of
the Little Sisters because she was a stern Methodist.
Some benefactors induced her to enter, assuring her
that at the home no one's opinions were influenced.
She was, indeed, so prejudiced that at the home
she always kept as far as possible from the Sisters,
never went to the chapel, and walked in the yard
when they said prayers or had spiritual reading.
However, she became reassured when she saw that
no one spoke to her about religion, and that she
really had her liberty of conscience. Then she began
to reflect, to observe, and gradually to assist at
the prayers and at the spiritual reading. Four
months after her entrance she fell ill, and, believing
her end had come, she asked for the good Mother,
who was convinced that she would require to see

302 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

the Methodist minister. But, to her great sur-
prise, this woman declared her wish to die in the
faith of the Little Sisters. On account of her
previous dispositions they delayed, but on her
reiterated solicitations a priest came, and after pre-
paring her for five months, he received her into the
Catholic Church. At the same time there was a
Lutheran at the home. She used to tell the Sisters
that she was going to die in the religion of her
ancestors, and that she was on the watch not to
let herself be deluded. Nevertheless, grace changed
her disposition. When she saw her old Methodist
companion so happy since her conversion, and
so patient in spite of her great pains, she wished
in her turn to find peace and taste spiritual happi-
ness. She came in contact with a German priest,
who prepared her for the Sacraments. . . . We
touch here on a superior order of things which
merits our special respect — namely, on the obligation
of following what conscience points out as the right
path.

"The work of the Little Sisters of the Poor has
found a generous sympathy in the midst of the
population where it is established. The American
is liberal in his views, generous and charitable by
natural disposition. He helps and encourages
those who devote themselves to the good of their
fellow-creatures, and if he has not always the
courage to imitate them, he knows, at least, how
to render them a just tribute of appreciation,
which manifests itself by substantial and practical
assistance. ' '

IN AMERICA 303

In Richmond, for instance, they had opened the
home for old people in a house given and furnished
by the family of Caldwell. Then, by availing them-
selves of this gift and the resources of the place,
they secured an estate, and had a convenient estab-
lishment built there. As this plot of ground was
situated in a new part of the town, there was no
drain to take off the water, which is essential for
so important an institution. The friends of the
work used their good offices with the public
authorities. The municipality discussed the petition,
and stipulated that the connecting drains should
be continued as far as the new section. The munici-
pality, won over by a Baptist minister who extolled
the spirit of tolerance and true charity of the Little
Sisters of the Poor, finally, notwithstanding the
divergence of religious belief of its members, voted
the motion in favour of the hospitaller Sisters.
Consequently, the public saw, for three months,
squads of workmen and convicts occupied in
executing works about a mile in length, of which
the only utility at this time was to improve the
hygienic system and salubrity of a Catholic estab-
lishment of charity.

An event of great importance for the future of the
work of the Little Sisters in the United States
occurred in 1874 at Washington. The home for
old people began to develop itself, and two circum-
stances brought the young institution prominently
before the public : on the one hand, the Sisters
obtained permission to solicit alms in the offices
of the Federal Government, a circumstance never

304 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

granted before; on the other hand, hundreds of
workmen of the city, with forty horses, voluntarily
carted away and levelled the earth for the con-
struction. The Little Sisters, finding themselves
accepted by the authorities, and urged on by the
popular movement, profited by these favourable dis-
positions to advance the interests of their old people.
The good Mother Gonzales, their Superioress,
addressed a petition to the Congress of the States,
to interest the members in the home. When the
motion was introduced, after a favourable opinion,
to the Chamber of Representatives of the nation,
it was received with applause. The vote is drawn
up as a judicial document in the public Acts in
these terms: " 1874. — Law. — To the Little Sisters
of the Poor in the town of Washington, 25,CX)0
dollars to discharge the debt on the building and
to complete the said building." The Act of Con-
gress re-echoed in the country, and amounted to a
Bill of naturalization.

The congregation had now twenty establishments
in the United States — that is to say, besides the
personal staff, which cannot be improvised, and must
be previously subjected to a religious and pro-
fessional formation, it had to provide for the daily
maintenance of thousands of infirm and poor, to
secure them healthy and sufficient dormitories,
common rooms, and infirmaries, to abandon incon-
venient and expensive rented houses, and finally
to have its own establishments well adapted to its
charitable purpose, without giving up the simple

IN AMERICA 305

and sensible methods of the hospitaller family. A
co-operative society of some importance, with its
resources, credit, and engineers, would have had
enough to do in undertaking a similar enterprise,
and here we find an association of humble women,
guided by the higher ideal of Christian charity and
united by the bonds of religion, who undertake
the charge with tranquil assurance, and bring this
great work to a successful issue. On the other
hand, the interest which this work of assisting old
age awakens in the Old and New World shows
in a graphic manner what charity is diffused in
the hearts of men, and how it spreads in waves of
kindness, independently of political groups, countries,
and diversity of race.

In the home, the Sisters spend their days in the

absorbing duties of tending the aged, and in this

sweet task of maintaining their poor. Few events

! detach themselves from the ordinary course of exist-

I ence, and when they do, if they extol the work,

they modify but little the situation of the Sisters,

always humble and laborious. History sets its

events in relief, and forms brilliant pictures of them,

i but in the meanwhile the charitable army works

■ in the plain and in the valley, with its look ever

turned towards human misery, which ceaselessly

j solicits it; to welcome old people, to assist and lead

them to heaven — this is the one task.

The ceremonies connected with the laying and
blessing of the first stone in New Orleans, Balti-
more and Troy are worth mentioning on account
of the public interest which was manifested. In

20

3o6 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

New Orleans, a long procession with the old people
and the Little Sisters at the head, followed by
guilds of men with banners and music, and clergy
closing the procession, passed through the streets of
the city. In the midst of a crowd in varied
costumes, of white people, blacks, and mixed races,
the preachers spoke in English, French, and German
at different stations on the way. In Baltimore the
thirty-eight Catholic societies of the town, including
more than 2,000 members in costume, hoisting the
pontifical banner and the starry flag of the Union,
paraded in the streets, forming a brilliant retinue
for the priests, who went to bless the house for
the old people and for the Little Sisters. In Troy
thirty-two societies, wearing their habits and carry-
ing banners, escorted the clergy in their surplices,
preceded by the cross, candles, and incense, whilst
bands of music were heard at intervals, and a
respectful crowd watched the imposing procession.
The Bishops gave the benediction with solemnity, and
the preacher was able to say with emphasis : "Be
consoled, poor old people; soon you will have here
a home. God has sent you sisters, or rather mothers,
who will take care of you until your last hour."

Trial accompanies success, and trouble mingles
with joy. About four o'clock in the morning of
March 7, 1876, the shouts of the passers-by warned
the Little Sisters of danger: one of the wings of
the house in Brooklyn was on fire— the wing in-
habited by the old men. The police were summoned,
and the rescue was organized. The strongest among
them escaped and got upon the roof, and thence

IN AMERICA 307

to the opposite wing; others escaped through the
home, as the staircase was in flames. The infirm
were all carried out by the Sisters and those who
came to help. The fire-engines arrived and the
pumps poured out torrents of water. At six o'clock
the fire was extinguished. But then came the great
scene of sorrow : sixteen poor old men had perished
in the flames; another who tried to reach the ladder
fell bruised to the ground. A considerable part of
the building was burned or injured by the flames
and by water. The poor old people — men and
women — all trembling, were united in little groups
in the yards, because the whole of the locality was
cleared for the fire-engines. The grief of the Little
Sisters was profound; it was the first time that
the Little Family had been struck with such a
misfortune. In the midst of this scene of desola-
tion, however, something calm and noble struck the
spectators : it was the sight of Christian and religious
grief. The Little Sisters wept over the aged dead,
while they tried to console and encourage the living,
and to procure them shelter.

The old people were all safely housed once more.
The evening came and the crowd dispersed, but
the work of the day was not yet over for the
Little Sisters. All the furniture had been thrown
pell-mell into the yards, and the water would spoil
what the fire had not destroyed. All that could
be saved had to be placed under shelter and put
in order. On March 27, a hurricane overthrew the
part of the wall which remained on the side of the
fire, and the falling-in shook the side-walls of the

3o8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

chapel. The assurance companies, seeing that the
amount of damage exceeded the value insured,
generously decided, not only to pay the amount
of the assurance, but also the excess. The estab-
lishment rose again from its ruins, and some months
later recovered its old aspect and its destination.
A number of old people who had been obliged to
leave returned to the home, and this was a happy
day for the Little Sisters. Other old people joined
them; very soon there were 205, and once more
the house prospered.

CHAPTER XXIV

THE TRIAL OF FIDELITY IN GERMANY AND
IN SWITZERLAND

An order for separation — Reasons for unity — The attitude of
the Little Sisters in Alsace-Lorraine — Intolerance at
Geneva — On the way to exile.

The three houses in Strasbourg-, Metz, and Colmar
had changed their nationality, and now formed
part of the Empire of Germany. They peacefully
continued their work of benevolence, when they
were compelled to separate from the mother-house
situated in a foreign land, and to constitute them-
selves a distinct and independent congregation.
The theory of national independence had come into
collision with a congregation of a universal and
cosmopolitan character.

The official announcement of the Government and
the reply given by the Little Sisters were identical
in the three houses. This is what it contained :
*' The superior Administration has just transmitted
to me a decision of the Governor which concerns
your establishment. Through considerations of
public policy, the Government refuses any longer
to acknowledge the jurisdiction which the mother-
house, represented by a Superior-General established
abroad, exercises over the affiliated houses in Alsace-
Lorraine, and it is required that the house in Stras-
bourg [or Metz, or Colmar] be set free from the
309

3IO THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

dependence which it is under at present. There-
fore, Madame, in conformity with the orders which
I have received, I require your congregation to
separate from that in France, and to proceed to
a division of the goods which it possesses in joint
possession with the mother-house. The Govern-
ment leaves the three houses in Alsace-Lorraine
free to unite themselves under the authority of a
common Superior, or to remain independent of one
another. Moreover, whatever the decision of the
congregation may be, as it will necessitate the intro-
duction of a modification in your statutes, it will
be necessary to solicit the approbation of the Govern-
ment, conformably to the decree of the 31st January,

1853."

Under the appearance of an administrative measure
for a district, there was really a vital question for
the hospitaller institution. A work has its essential
constitution and its moral personality; arbitrarily to
modify an organism so complete and so delicate,
would it not be to destroy or annihilate it? On
the other hand, charity and benevolence rise above
frontiers, in the serene and universal region of ideas
and virtues, and harmoniously adapt themselves to
the institutions peculiar to the various peoples and
the most remote nations.

The stated delay of three weeks having elapsed,
the Sisters remitted their decision, conceived in the
following terms :

** Sir, — In reply to the note which you addressed
to us, dated December 30, 1875, and after having

THE TRIAL OF FIDELITY IN GERMANY 311

taken the time which you have allowed us to reflect,
we have the honour to inform you of the impossi-
bility of our accepting the offer which has been
made to us, and of our irrevocable determination
not to separate from our mother-house and from our
other houses in Europe and America. We can only
pray to God that He may enlighten the superior
Administration, and that it may be permitted to
us to keep our present position for the interest of
our poor."

At the same time the Superior-General wrote to
the Little Sisters of the Poor, who thus placed the
unity of their Order in the first rank of their con-
siderations : " If God permits them to drive us away
from our houses in Metz, Strasbourg, and Colmar,
let us submit, and let us be strong to bear this
trial. Return to us to rest yourselves, in order
soon to return to the poor, for you will not be with-
out them." This was the proof of fidelity; it was
also a proof of the strength of that cohesion which
the institute had acquired; there was not the least
wish for separation. The Sisters of the three houses
thus set an excellent example to the members of
the congregation, and this should be held up as
a pattern to the other houses of the Institute.

It was the same throughout the district : the
friends of the hospitaller work came to an arrange-
ment, and urged the Government to repeal a measure
motived by circumstances and not by public utility.
Especially in Strasbourg, there was a unanimous
concord in pleading the cause : Catholics, Protes-

312 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

tants, and Jews signed petitions which papers of
all shades of opinion supported. The Government,
better informed, began to show itself more favour-
able to a purely charitable institution, placed under
the safeguard of religion and public opinion.
Differences were not long in being reconciled, as
had been the case everywhere else — m Belgium,
England, and the United States— and the Little
Sisters continued their mission of charity by re-
maining united as they had been. Toleration even
gave place to benevolence on the part of the
authorities, and Her Majesty the Empress of
Germany desired to honour the house in Strasbourg
by her visit, good words, and alms.

We must now turn back and give the history of
the house in Geneva in Switzerland before arriving at
the sorrowful closing of the home. The Marquise
de Chaumont took the initiative in the scheme, and
the foundation was laid as early as September 29,
1 86 1, in the suburb of Carouge. However, the
public charity could not be established in full
liberty on account of the sectarian ideas of several
people. The home, notwithstanding, developed,
and was soon filled with contented and happy
poor. People then took offence at the religious
habit which the Sisters wore, and at their ranking
as a religious corporation. Fortunately, they suc-
ceeded in turning aside the difficulty, and in obtain-
ing the direct property of the establishment. Mgr.
Mermillod favoured the institution, which grew some-
times in peace and sometimes in trouble, living

THE TRIAL OF FIDELITY IN GERMANY 313

upon alms received in the country and from small
legacies which charitable people left to them. In this
way they maintained, thanks to benevolence, the
Catholic reputation for charity not unsuccessfully
nor without merit in the town of Calvin. The home
had attained its eleventh year of existence when
the persecution broke out.

A law was voted which prohibited religious Orders
to live in the canton of Geneva. However, the
Little Sisters obtained authority to continue their
work there for ten years longer, although with
galling restrictions. This was in July, 1872. In
1874 the Catholic clergy were driven out of the
parish of Carouge, and replaced by schismatics, so
that the chapel of the Little Sisters became the
refuge of those Catholics who held out for liberty
of conscience, and the chapel had the honour of
replacing the parochial church. During that period
the home for the old people was not troubled, and
did not suffer from a material point of view, for
gifts and legacies supplied the deficiencies of the
public alms and provided for the establishment.
In 1875 there was a recrudescence. A law with-
drew the authorization accorded in 1872 to the
religious corporations, and the Great Council voted
a decree of expulsion at the end of August. The
Little Sisters of the Poor had but one month's delay
before the execution of this decree.

Then an Assistant-General, delegated by the
mother-house, went to the common-rooms and
infirmaries to warn the poor old people of the
measure which struck them, in the person of their

314 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Little Sisters, who were guilty of being nuns. She
made known to all, in the name of the congrega-
tion, that the Little Sisters would not abandon
their dear poor, and that they would convey those
who wished it to the neighbouring houses. Out of
eighty-five old inmates, fifteen found a shelter with
their relations, eight who were past being moved
were admitted to the hospital of the canton, sixty-
two accepted exile with those who had adopted
them. Beyond the frontier places for them had
been prepared.

At last the decree of expulsion was posted up.
The police surrounded the house, in order that
nothing should be carried away, and on August 31
the administrator of the goods of the dissolved com-
munities, assisted by two lawyers, proceeded to make
the inventory. These acts wrung the hearts of the
Sisters and the old people with grief. The adminis-
trator authorized the removal of the personal linen
of the Sisters, of their books, statues, and pictures,
as well as of one parcel by each old person, and
twelve beds with the bedding; the remainder was
confiscated. The Blessed Sacrament was taken from
the chapel; the sacred vessels and ornaments were
confided to the Catholic parish priest, who was
himself restricted in the liberty of his ministry.
The exodus began on September 3 with a convoy
of seventeen old people; and on September 8, 1875,
after having placed their cause in the care of the
good Mother in heaven and the Archangel Saint
Michael, patron of the home, the Little Sisters of
the Poor said farewell to the home which had been

THE TRIAL OF FIDELITY IN GERMANY 315

theirs for fourteen years. A centre of charity was
extinguished.

The grief of the CathoHcs and liberal-minded in
the country was profound, whilst the sectarians
applauded. The Little Sisters went away with
their poor old people, leaving to the future the
care of re-establishing their work in Switzerland,
where they had found ardent sympathies and
generous vocations, and being well aware that the
nation could not be held responsible for the excesses
of the Calvinists, in one of the cantons of the
republic. Along the road the employees on the
railways and the travellers looked with astonish-
ment at these exiles of seventy and eighty years
of age making their way under the faithful guidance
of the Little Sisters, and they were eager to
assist and help them. The old people in the houses
at Lyons, Grenoble, Saint-Etienne, etc., crowded
together in order to make room for them, and as
one or two of the Little Sisters of Geneva resided
with every group, they were reminded of the original
house, and thus their exile was softened.

CHAPTER XXV

IN SPAIN

Twenty-two new foundations— An imitation— The King and
the Court at the home of Madrid — A royal order — In-
cidents— The inundation in Murcia.

After a suspension of four years the movement of
the foundations in Spain began again at Huesca and
Salamanca in 1872, at Mataro in 1874, and at Xeres
in 1875; then a great movement began from 1877
at Palma (Balearic Islands), Zamora, Tarragona,
Cadiz, San Lucar de Barrameda; in 1878 in Pampe-
luna, Murcia, Seville, Medina-Sidonia, Vitoria,
Ecija, Saint Sebastian, Gerona, Baeza; and in 1879
in Plasencia, Bilbao, Tortosa, and Caceres.

It is of the nature of things which succeed that
they should be imitated, and also that the imitators
should appropriate the true work to themselves.
We find ourselves for the third time in the presence
of this difficulty. An account published at Huesca
in 1873, after having said with truth that " the
Spanish nation need not envy any other so far as
benevolent establishments were concerned," made
known, however, to the public that " it claimed
the foundation of an institute for old people."
The account added, inverting the order of things :
" That which exists in France under the title of
* Little Sisters of the Poor * is very like that which
is to be established in Spain"; and to increase
316

IN SPAIN 317

this resemblance, it attributes to the new institution
a past, a history, a name, a book — and what
not? They took up precisely those of the Little
Sisters of the Poor. Naturally, it was confusing
to the public mind to see the parallel development
of two institutions claiming the same title, although
under different costumes. This state of things lasted
for about ten years, and ended in an understanding.
But what was the attitude of the public authorities
with regard to the charitable association? On
October 16, 1871, the Little Sisters of the Poor
had been convoked by the "Alcalde" or Mayor
of Madrid, and introduced into a hall where about
twenty gentlemen were seated. The Mayor made
the agreeable declaration that their home inherited,
with the authorization of the Government, 15,000
pesetas, out of the fortune of a Marquis, deceased
even before their arrival in Madrid. This circum-
stance excited curiosity, and the Little Sisters seek-
ing information, the person who had been the instru-
ment of Providence said to them : "I did not know
you at all, but when I am taking my constitutional
in the morning, I have followed your Sisters several
times in the streets, and I have seen them ask the
charity of a little meat or vegetables. I was
touched by this. Finding myself the executor of
the will of the said Marquis, I said to myself, * Who
wants money more than these poor things?' So I
proposed to the minister to grant you 10 per cent,
of the Marquis's fortune." In the month of January
Queen Vitoria* visited the home unexpectedly.

* Wife of King Am6d6e I.

3i8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

She caught the Little Sisters in the full activity
of their devoted service : the Sister of the laundry
in her wooden shoes was washing the clothes; the
Sister in the kitchen was bustling about among
her cans and sacks of bread, the product of the
begging rounds; the Sister in the infirmary, taking
care of the sick and infirm. They all united in
leading Her Majesty to admire the goodness of
Providence, which, without committees or incomes,
provides for the necessities of the poor. The Little
Sister shows what she is when seen at her work
in the midst of the old people. The Queen's visit
gave her this pleasure.

These two incidents connected with the house in
Madrid were but the preludes to the official patron-
age of the Spanish Government. This protection
came from the highest in the realm, and is unique
in the annals of the congregation. On Sunday,
April 1 8, 1875, the Feast of the Patronage of Saint
Joseph, the foundation-stone of the establishment
situated at Calle Almagro was laid. King Alfonso
XII, the Princess of Asturias, the ladies of the
Court, the Prime Minister, Canovas del Castillo,
Cardinal Moreno, the military authorities, the
Governor of the province, the first ''Alcalde" of
the capital, etc., enhanced the ceremony by their
presence. Numerous spectators of every degree of
the social ladder, including market-women, were
crowded together on the road ; the papal and national
flags floated from the flag-staffs, and triumphal
arches marked out the road for the procession.
The Court, having made its entrance in state at

IN SPAIN 319

ten o'clock, the clergy advanced, and the Cardinal
proceeded to the liturgical benediction. An official
Act was then drawn up, signed by the dignitaries
of the Church and the State, and then the stone
was sealed; the King touched the machinery, and
thus solemnly laid the stone in presence of a brilliant
assembly. After Cardinal Moreno had explained
the spiritual meaning of the ceremony, in an eloquent
discourse, Alfonso XII pronounced this royal
speech: '* The stone which I lay to-day is destined
to be used as the foundation of an edifice consecrated
as an hospice of benevolence. I hereby declare that
those who serve the poor, serve me."

This event had an important effect in the govern-
mental sphere of the nation. A document inserted
in the Official Bulletin (province of Guipuzcoa), dated
November 8, 1878, completed it. The foundation
in Saint Sebastian had just taken place, and the
Mother-Superior had made application to obtain
the authorization to beg for alms. Her solicitation
was referred to the Government, which replied :
** His Majesty, considering that it is only by such
means that an object so benevolent and so worthy
of praise can be realized, has judged well to grant
the authorization solicited, ordering at the same
time that the present Royal Order be published in
the Official Bulletin of this province, so that the
said Superior and her Sisters meet with no obstacle
in the exercise of their mission." This official docu-
ment was followed by another even more compre-
hensive, which was published in the Gazette on
December 9, 1880, and which concerned Madrid,

320 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

the capital: "Royal Order of the ist of the said
month and year. Referring to the request intro-
duced, the section commences by observing that
the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor
is a benevolent institution which has for its object
to receive in its homes destitute old people, and
that it is approved of and authorized, thanks to
the protection of the Government, which allows it
to be established in every part of the kingdom.
The Government, in virtue of its power, has
authorized it at Saint Sebastian, and desires it to
benefit by the special disposition which is in
question (i.e., the permission to beg). In grant-
ing this authorization they could not do less than
accord the permission to the Congregation of the
Little Sisters of the Poor to solicit public charity
in favour of their old people, as their homes only
exist upon the succour which they receive for their
subsistence from their benefactors." This double
decree does great honour to the charitable institu-
tion, whose position was legally regulated, and
treated as a public service.

Side by side with a general study of the society
a little digression finds its place, and gives a local
colour. Thus, the foundation in Cadiz was marked
by the celebration of a solemn Mass at the church
of the Carmelites, with the co-operation of the
musical society of Saint Cecilia and of a famous
preacher, in presence of the civil and ecclesiastical
Governors, the Mayor, and the whole of the munici-
pality. The twelve old people of the home attracted

IN SPAIN 321

attention, because it was the work for the old people
and the Little Sisters, the instruments of that work,
that attracted this assembly and its praises.

The house in Salamanca, after many years of
poverty, had its day of glory. With the help of
friends, they succeeded in buying the "palace with
the four towers," an ancient historical monument
in ruins. The removal of the home was made with
great solemnity. The old people and Little Sisters
with the cross walked at the head, the chaplain
in his cope, and the guests bearing candles followed.
The procession proceeded through the streets; flags
were hung on the balconies along the way, and
the churches saluted the procession with joyful
peals of bells. The parish priest of the new parish
and the Bishop of the diocese joined in the pro-
cession to bless the establishment. The whole
population rose to salute and honour its poor with
one of those outbursts of faith which chivalrous
and Catholic Spain still manifests from time to
time.

A doctor of Mataro, having bequeathed his goods
to the poor of the town, his executors thought they
could not fulfil his intentions better than by giving
them to the hospitaller congregation. The legacy
was employed in purchasing a piece of ground and
in building the home; but though a house provides
shelter, it does not give food. So the Mayor had
the wisdom, at the time of the official ceremony,
to make known to the people under his administra-
tion that the establishment was not endowed, and
that they would have to associate in the charitable

322 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

enterprise by contributing to the collections of the
Little Sisters. But collecting alms from house to
house is difficult to carry out successfully when a
home has had such a brilliant opening. The beg-
ging Sisters knew this by experience, and the
brilliant gift which builds their house sometimes only
renders their duties more difficult and painful.

Twenty days after the foundation at Zamora, on
Saturday, April 30, 1877, ^.t four o'clock in the
evening, a brilliant ceremony took place in the
parish church. It began with the rosary and the
chanting of litanies; a procession followed, consist-
ing of sixty cavalry officers, the civil authorities,
and the Bishop and his clergy. People threw flowers
from the windows on the way, and the popular
enthusiasm was great. The ceremony finished up
by the blessing of the chapel of the home and a visit
to the twenty-six old people. One of them, who
had reached the advanced age of ninety-two years,
jat at a small table and received the offerings.
Animated and joyful by all he saw, the nonagenarian
exclaimed: "This is paradise! We are happier
than kings!" And when the Bishop passed by,
the old man added : * ' We are happier than his
lordship, because we have no cares. We have but
three things to do: pray, eat, and sleep."

In Manresa, at a time of political trouble, when
the home found it was becoming very hard to live,
they had received a poor old man who was dying
of hunger and misery. This singular old man
would not allow anyone to touch his chest, and
slept with an old waistcoat on. The mystery lasted

IN SPAIN 323

until the day when a severe illness obliged them to
remove the clothing for reasons of health and clean-
liness. They then discovered that the waistcoat
was lined with gold, and contained a sum of 1,500
pesetas. They asked this rich pauper if he knew
what he possessed, and what he intended doing
with it. The ragged proprietor replied that for
a long time past, whenever he gained a piece of
gold, he had sewn it in his clothing; that in
reality he was ignorant of the value of his treasure;
but what he knew was, that he had gathered his
money in this way in order to leave it, as a reward,
to the good people who should assist him in his last
days. This sum thus came to the Little Sisters,
and the treasure-trove was used in a moment of
penury to pay for bread and other unpaid bills.

The Little Sisters in Spain were still passing
through the period of organization, and, as it
happens in similar cases, they experienced indi-
gence more than once, whilst waiting for final
success. Thus the house in Jaen had to be con-
tented with goats for a supply of milk for six
years. They were without a tank for water, and
sometimes without water even for the washing. At
the end of this time a cow and her calf were given
to the home. At this good news the old people
went into the yard and warmly greeted the animals ;
even the blind had the consolation of touching
j them, and of thinking how the milk would be an
! improvement to their fare. As to the washing,
the market-gardeners of the neighbourhood lent their

324 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

donkeys, and with the help of the old people capable
of exertion, they transported stones and sand. By
working themselves they gradually improved the
situation, and obtained a tank for the storage of
water.

Whilst the hospitaller work was already prosper-
ing in the great centres, and several establishments
found benefactors — especially at Malaga, in the
Larios family, at Xeres in the De Domecq family
— it was necessary, in the less populous centres,
to be contented with living and assisting a limited
number of old people, whilst waiting the help of
Providence to do more. The Little Sisters tasted
poverty, but consolations of another kind supported
and gladdened them, because where sacrifice is, there
is the unction of grace. In the small houses, more
than elsewhere, the family method of living is
maintained, and that is not without its pleasure,
because holy poverty keeps souls close to God,
and gives the joys of virtue. It has often happened
that the Little Sisters, when transferred from a
poor house to an establishment with more comfort,
have regretted leaving the small house where they
had more self-sacrifice and consequently more pure
happiness. Evangelical works must not be looked
at simply from the human point of view, if we wish
to understand them aright.

Thus the Little Sisters in Jaen were consoled
by the edifying death of a good old man of ninety-
one years of age, who had been at the home since ,
its foundation; he was full of gratitude, and had
made it his happiness to lead the blind and render

IN SPAIN 325

many small services of this kind as long as he
had been able to walk. After having borne his
infirmity with patience which never failed, he made
a supreme effort to assist at the sacrifice of the
Mass on Palm Sunday, saying: ''This is perhaps
for the last time." And so it was, for on Maundy
Thursday he grew weaker, and received the last
Sacraments. On Good Friday, at three o'clock in
the afternoon, he said these words: ** My God,
into Thy hands I commend my soul," and he
expired without agony, leaving a pious and sweet
memory to all those who witnessed his death.

Another successful foundation was that in Palma
de Majorca in the Balearic Islands. A legacy of
1,500 pesetas, entrusted to an Oratorian Father,
and the encouraging reception of the inhabitants —
such were the beginnings. But the following year
they made an important acquisition, and to pay for
it they organized a subscription. Now there was
a Majorcan whom lucky business transactions had
made a millionaire, and who loved his country.
The philanthropist, Mr. Coll, hearing of the enter-
prise of the Little Sisters of the Poor through his
business manager, sent him 15,000 douros to pay
the purchase debt, and, not liking to do things
by halves, they were to let him know if anything
else was wanted. The manager, overcome with
joy, ran to his friend the chaplain, a very devoted
friend of the work, the Rev. Cayetano Puerto, who
officiated at the cathedral, and communicated the
news to him the following morning after Mass. The
interview was touching. The Little Sisters, learn-

326 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

ing what Providence was doing for the success of
their home, cried out: **What will happen if after
this we are not virtuous ? but indeed we will try-
to be so." Their cry of gratitude was interpreted
by a promise of virtuous devotedness, which above
all helps the house to progress. The unfortunate
benefited by it, and the benefactors congratulated
one another, saying: ''Fifteen months ago the
foundation was laid, and already there are 115 old
people ! ' '

Let us now relate the different stages in one of
these foundations in Granada. "I have seen all
the accounts," wrote a person well informed, " and
this is what our friends have told me. Until the
day of acquisition, commencing from that of the
foundation, they experienced dire poverty, without
intermission or consolation : sometimes they had
twenty reales in the cash-box, perhaps once or
twice a capital of 1,000 pesetas, which was used
at once to purchase linen, and there was always
extreme difficulty in gathering at the end of each
month the 500 reales for the rent. Nevertheless,
the acquisition of a garden was decided upon; it
cost, with the accessories, 26,000 pesetas, but after,
as before, the cash-box was empty. At the end
of a year, after they had acquired the ground —
that is, on Ascension Day, 1875 — they laid the
first stone. The Archbishop performed the cere-
mony. He blessed the trenches which were to receive
the foundations of the new chapel. All the bene-
factors present confessed that they went away ask-
ing themselves if, within ten years' time, the house

IN SPAIN 327

of which the first stone had then been laid would
be finished. All the money the good Mother had,
had been spent in building a wall that was indis-
pensable at the side of the road, and in digging
the trenches which had just been blessed. Little
by little all was paid, as no one would give credit.
The total expense, including all that was done for
God, for His own house, for that of the poor, and
then for the poultry-yard and the outhouses,
amounted to 120,000 pesetas. The Archbishop
contributed 10,000 pesetas from his own purse, the
mother-house a little more; the rest came in by
small gifts. Continually, during the work, people
thought that they would have to stop." A merchant
directed and watched the works with great care;
one family paid the total expense of the bread
eaten at the home; the Dean of the medical faculty
gratuitously gave his services as doctor to the
establishment, and a learned professor of the same
University, with his brother-in-law, contributed the
greater part of the chapel. Thus the union of
friends established centres of charity, which after-
wards support themselves, and shed their rays
throughout a whole region.

October 15, 1879, was a day of mourning and
anguish in the town and country of Murcia. A
flood covered all the country. At this time the
home, a new foundation, was situated just outside
the suburbs. About two o'clock in the morning,
the Little Sisters and old people were awakened
by the alarming sound of the church bells and the

328 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

cries of neighbours who were knocking at the door,
asking shelter. They said their houses were inun-
dated, but that this house, being stone, from its
more elevated situation, had served for shelter in
similar circumstances. There was a crowd of men,
women, and children, half clothed. The women
had imitated the Wise Virgins : each arrived with
a little lamp burning. The Sisters opened the
doors. Old people and refugees were put into the
first story. It was time, for the water came into
the yard in torrents and overran the floor to the
height of the beds, but it did not reach the bed-
ding. The sky became dark; nothing was seen
but water, nothing was heard but the rushing of the
water and the sound of the alarm-bells. The scene
resembled a shipwreck. In this disaster they prayed,
they recited the rosary. The poor refugees were
overcome and trembling because they did not know
what would be the end of the scourge. They cried
to Heaven for mercy, as they saw their poor houses,
beaten down by the torrents, falling in ruins, and
all that they possessed buried under the rubbish
or becoming the sport of the violence of the flood.
"God gave it to us, and He has taken: His will
be done!" — such was the cry of resignation of all
these people. After many long hours the water
began to subside, but for fifteen days the poor
people were obliged to remain at the home, at
least for a shelter at night. The Little Sisters,
remembering their title of Hospitaller Sisters, gave
lodging, food, and clothing to these newcomers.

t

CHAPTER XXVI

HISTORY OF THE OLD PEOPLE

The work of grace — Struggle between conscience and human
respect — The weight of misfortune — The passing helpers
of the Little Sisters — On the borders of death.

One element would be wanting to this history if the
old people did not occupy a good place in it. Just
as diamonds are extracted from the midst of common
minerals, and are cut to make them brilliant, and
are then placed in jewel-boxes, so from the common
mass of facts edifying accounts are extracted, and
marvellous histories, every one of which has its
rays, sad or pleasant, brilliant or veiled, and the
collection contains the peculiar character of the
hospitaller work.

In Pau, 1875, Jean Clausel was taken with a
second attack of paralysis, and received the last
Sacraments. Under this existence, so humble and
so ignorant, was hidden a marvel of grace. Life
gently returned, and presently he had enough
strength to give an account of his state, as the
tears welled from his eyes. The Sister infirmarian
asked him the cause of his grief, and tried to
relieve it. **Oh," said the old man, sighing, "I
am grieved to see that I cannot accomplish my
vow — the vow that I have made to God to die on
an armful of straw." Then his face lit up, and
he related his story: "Twenty-five years before
329

330 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

my entrance into this house I was a schoolmaster.
I gained my living in peace, in spite of the sacri-
fices which I imposed upon myself for the education
of my two brothers, one of whom died at the time
he was finishing his studies. One day I read the
life of a Princess who, several years before her
death, left all to beg her bread, and died on straw.
I felt at once that this was a call from God, and I
experienced an impulse which I could not resist
to leave my village and go to beg my bread. I
have done that for twenty-five years, and during
all that time I had but the sky for shelter — a barn
or a stable to pass the night. When the law pro-
hibiting mendicity was carried out, I was obliged
to cease begging my bread, about seven years ago.
Then I resigned myself to enter this home, where
I understood that I should continue to eat the
bread of alms, and that I could devote myself to
the sick. Now," he added, " I hope to die a good
death. May the good God grant it to me ! I
long to go to see Him, although I am a great sinner.
I am very weary of the earth." He reached his
eightieth year, and towards the last he walked with
the help of two sticks. This good old man, in
spite of his infirmities, made the way of the Cross
every day on his knees, recited the seven penitential
psalms, and passed whole hours in adoration before
the Blessed Sacrament; besides, he was the server
at Mass, and edified the household by his manner
and piety. However, they did not remark anything
extraordinary or singular in this old man, except
his unlimited devotedness to the sick, principally

HISTORY OF THE OLD PEOPLE 331

at night, and the regularity and tranquillity of his
life. God prolonged his exile for two months, and
he died, purified through sufferings and sanctified
through religion.

In the South, during the exercise of a retreat, a
poor woman, who was imbecile rather than mad,
all of a sudden declared her wish to go to con-
fession. There was great astonishment. The Sister
in the infirmary warned the missionary about the
mental state of this poor woman. But, behold !
intelligence reappeared like a lamp which is re-
lighted, and the confused ideas became distinct.
She wept for the faults, conscious or unconscious,
of a life passed without God; she confessed them to
the minister of Jesus Christ. Then she went to the
infirmary, knelt down before her companion, and
begged pardon for the troubles she had caused them.
Deeply affected, the invalids touchingly replied.
The poor creature, quite happy, received Holy
Communion — the first in her life — tasted for some
days the happiness of knowing and loving God,
then fell back again into imbecility like a lamp
which burns, flickers, and goes out. But a soul
purified by penance, enriched with the gifts of
God, touched with divine love, dwelt in this poor
human body upon which insanity preyed.

In the South, one of the poor women, stricken
with a painful illness, grew very tired of her life,
and thought of destroying herself. One day, driven
by despair, she took advantage of a moment when
the Sisters were very busy to realize her terrible
scheme. Fortunately she was perceived by the

332 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

good Mother, who was exceedingly surprised on
seeing this poor woman, who until then could
hardly walk, run away. She hastened to stop her
and ask her what she intended doing. The person,
seeing herself discovered — or, rather, the evil spirit
which possessed her perceiving itself discovered —
caused her to fly into a furious temper, so that
four Sisters could scarcely hold her. Not knowing
what to do to appease her, for words and en-
couragements were without effect, they thought
of fetching holy water, which they threw on her
until she was quite wet. The poor woman began
to smile at once, and said : " It is finished. I don't
know what you have thrown on me, but when that
water fell on me, I felt myself so pacified that I do
not know what passed in me." She began to cry,
and asked pardon; she confessed her purpose of
committing suicide, repented of it, and blessed
Heaven for having saved her.

In some cases the moral idea is more in evidence
than the religious idea; whilst in others it is the
spiritualized soul which raises itself toward heaven;
in others, again, it is a crisis of conscience which is
produced, and it is merely the dignity of human
nature which is in question. These examples offer
all the variety of a little world in action.

One man, in his youth, had made an attempt
as a minister in some religious denomination, and
had since abandoned all idea of proselytism to make
money and to enjoy life. He was now eighty-six
years old, and had been for seven years in the
home. Of the various phases of his existence he

HISTORY OF THE OLD PEOPLE 333

had kept but a love of comfort and a taste for
novels, as if reading enabled him to escape from
the sad realities of his position. However, his
infirmities increased with age, and his impotent
limbs refused more and more to render him service,
whilst in his soul nature and grace made internal
war. A prey to increasing irritation, this miserable
man tried greatly the patience of the Sister in-
firmarian. At last one day, when she had reached
the limit of her endurance, she went to the Superior,
begging her to say something to the sick man,
as authority would add weight to it. The good
Mother went to the infirmary, saluted the old man,
who was sitting on an armchair in a corner, and
asked him how he was getting on, but he refused
to answer. She asked him a second time, a third
time, with the same result. She sat down and
said, "For the love of God, tell me what makes
you so sad, and what can I do for you to make
you happy? I have never refused you anything?"
He replied: "No." "Very well; tell me what I
can do for you." "Nothing; it is too late. I
have searched for happiness everywhere, and I have
not found it; now I am old, infirm, impotent, un-
bearable to everyone. My future is still more sad;
I see hell open to receive me." That soul dis-
closed itself at last, and presented a spectacle of
desolation; but in presence of this misery the
religious spoke plainly. She spoke of the divine
mercy; she said it was not too late, that Jesus
Christ wished for his salvation. Gradually con-
fidence animated the soul of the unfortunate old
man, who, making an effort, begged that the

334 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Catholic Bishop might be asked to come to him.
This happened in a mission country. The Bishop
came. "Ah, my Lord!" said the old man of
eighty-six years, " I have resisted so long."

In another country, they welcomed an old woman
without knowing whence she came, but who was,
as it were, stranded at the seaport after a ship-
wreck. The wanderer, like many others who fall
into poverty and want, had taken to drink. To
get her to enter the home meant to rescue her from
her vice and from the occasion of indulging it.
Kindness gained her over. The poor woman felt
her moral feelings reviving, and, recovering con-
sciousness, she turned instinctively towards God,
for religion is an incomparable moral force, and has
remedies for all miseries. After some time she
said to the Sisters: ** I love your religion very
much; nowhere have I found such great charity."
This conviction becoming more and more deeply
rooted in her mind and heart she desired to be
received into the Church, and after having under-
gone the preparatory time of instruction, fidelity,
and good conduct, at the age of seventy years
she received baptism from the hands of the Bishop.
When she bowed her head, as the holy water flowed
over her forehead, the Little Sisters looked on this
new child of God, and the sight enraptured their
hearts and strengthened their faith.

Circumstances vary with the condition of persons,
but the causes of misery remain unchanged. An
old man, full of sad thoughts, was walking along

HISTORY OF THE OLD PEOPLE 335

the banks of the Rhone. His business had failed,
his wife and children were dead, and the only one
who remained appeared to be ill like the others.
His paternal heart was suffering, and to help his
child he was willing to work and earn for them
both; but he could find work nowhere, as he was
so old and weak, and discouragement had seized
him. He was going to a solitary place in order
to put an end to his life, and was walking along
the bank of the river when he saw, before him,
the establishment of the Little Sisters of the Poor.
The thought came to him at once : " If I ask to
enter there!" For some time he walked up and
down, now attracted by the water, now to the
home, the idea of destruction and the instinct of
preservation waging within him a violent combat,
but the inner voice spoke imperiously : * ' Enter
here!" He entered, made known his misery with
bitter tears. They gave him hope, and he suc-
ceeded so well in moving the pity of the Little
Sisters that five days after he was admitted. This
completely changed the man. He became gentle,
resigned, amiable, reconciled to God and to
humanity, and thought no more of committing
suicide.

Mrs. X had succeeded in life. Her husband,

who was a Government official, had become Sub-
Prefect in an important town. Through her educa-
tion, her natural talents, and her virtue, she had
acquired a certain influence in her own sphere and
was esteemed in the town. The storm was pre-
paring which was about to overthrow this state

336 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

of things. Her husband gave himself up to
gambling, suffered great losses, and soon after died.
Her son, who remained her sole hope, lost his
reason, and was put into an asylum. In a few
weeks she had lost her fortune, her position, and
means of living. Bent under misfortune, she arrived
at the threshold of old age ; but ennobled by Christian
courage as by her misfortunes, she knocked at the
door of the Little Sisters of the Poor, in the very
town which had witnessed her glory. She entered
and submitted to the common rule. The bene^
factress had become one of the poor old people of
the home.

Let us return for a time to the lower ranks of
life to see how the devotedness of the poor mani-
fests itself, and how they themselves become the
devoted auxiliaries of the Little Sisters as long as
their strength permits them to work. Constance
was an old woman who had entered the house at
Ghent when it was founded, and had watched the
development of the home for fifteen years. She
loved to render service, never missed a day's iron-
ing, doing with scrupulous attention all that was
asked of her; also the Sisters, who had been there
from the foundation, bore witness that Constance
was invariably amiable, as on the day of her arrival
— pleasant to everyone, respectful, never meddling
with other people's business except to give useful
or seasonable advice. One day, while engaged at
her favourite occupation of ironing, she fell with
the iron in her hand. The Sisters carried her away

HISTORY OF THE OLD PEOPLE 337

to the infirmary, and as she was eighty-nine years
old, the good Mother told her to remain there and
end her days in peace. Constance replied: "My
good Mother, as you give me nothing more to do,
I am going to pray all the while for the needs of
the house, because since I came here you are always
receiving more people."

In the North of England one old man worked
with incredible eagerness to clear some ground des-
tined for a garden, and in the evening by moon-
light he was again there at work. One might have
thought it was the old man's family property. The
good man fell so seriously ill at the age of eighty-
five years that they administered the Sacraments
to him. But he could not resign himself to die
before he had finished his task; so, taking Saint
Joseph for his advocate, he prayed to him with
urgency to obtain him a delay of two years of
life — the time necessary to get the garden into good
condition. Dear little "Father Pin," as they nick-
named him, got better, contrary to all expectation;
he continued for two years to clear the ground.
At the end of this time, illness again seized him.
This time his task was accomplished; he no longer
asked for a delay, but died peacefully, contented
to have rendered service to the Little Sisters.

Another inmate, Claude, had motives for enter-
ing the home. Formerly a farmer, he had eaten
and drunk all he possessed, and finally took a place
as domestic with some of his nephews; but his
passion for drink had driven him thence. Rejected
by everybody, he asked to be placed with the

22

338 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Little Sisters of the Poor, promising never to drink
any more if he were received. Claude was exemplary
at once. Seeing him so well disposed and still
strong, they thought of sending him on errands
to the town and harbour, but not without some
anxiety on account of his old passion. But Claude
was radically cured, and not once had they even to
reproach him.

Another of their old men, named Andrew, was
dying. He said to the good Mother: "I have a
favour to ask you : I should like very much to see
all the men in the common-room to ask their
pardon, for we old folk have disputes from time
to time between ourselves, and one can easily give
pain to another." They assembled, and poor old
Andrew gathered all his strength, and, sitting on
his bed, said : ' ' You are all here, are you not ?
Then I ask your pardon, and, for my part, I for-
give you with my whole heart." He held out his
hand to everyone, and each said a kind word to
him. The scene impressed all the old people, and
they went away, saying: "That is a beautiful
example to follow." The Sisters proposed it also
for the imitation of their old pensioners, for when
a number of people live together, there must be
difficulties at times.

Among the old people in Spain there was one
whose head touched his knees, and whose body was
a perfect image of decrepitude, whilst the soul kept
its vigour. He had for companion a blind man,
and, the one leading the other, they arrived early
in the morning in the chapel, and remained there

HISTORY OF THE OLD PEOPLE

339

in prayer until breakfast. The nonagenarian received
Holy Communion every time the Little Sisters
received it. It was difficult for the priest to give
him Holy Communion, since the man could not
raise his head. What use was this poor old man
in the world ? He had his work to do here below ;
he prayed, he set a good example, he suffered like a
Christian, he had faith in a better world. Was he
not one of those who attract the blessing of Heaven
on the establishment ?

In the world of old people, on the confines of
existence, human destiny manifests itself no less
than in middle age and in youth, under the most
varied forms, and history, the sensitive mirror, fixes
m the landscape the images which present them-
selves— images often common, sometimes curious,
sometimes rare.

CHAPTER XXVII

THE WAYS AND CUSTOMS

The foundations at Ghent and Charleroi in Belgium— The
casino at Rochefort — The fair of Saint Lazarus at Autun
—A home in Paris in 1874— Drawing up of the Directory.

Belgium was enriched with two new establishments
— at Ghent, 1873, and at Charleroi in 1874; and
France with eight establishments — at Grasse, Roche-
fort, Nantes (second house), Lons le Saulnier in 1873,
Calais, Autun in 1874, Limoges and St Denis in

1875.

Arriving at Ghent, the Litde Sisters were received
by their benefactors in a house all decorated, and
they had the joy to perceive in the midst of them a
group of three old men and three old women, who
formed the bouquet of the feast and the core of the
home. One good family gave 50,000 francs to put
an end to the provisional state of the foundation.
Then Mr. Werspeyen made known the charitable
institution to the readers of the Bien Public. The
home at Charleroi, on its side, excited sympathy in
the manufacturing region of Hainaut, and found an
important support in the Dumont family. Belgium
loved these homes for the aged.

The foundation at Rochefort was begun in by no
means an ordinary way. Mgr. Thomas, who was
a fervent friend of the institution, thought of pur-
chasing the casino, which was offered at a low
340

THE WAYS AND CUSTOMS 341

price, and of installing there the Little Sisters of
the Poor. They arrived on July 28. They entered
the establishment which for thirty years had been
the meeting-place of all worldly pleasures. They
saw the large dancing-hall which occupied the whole
length of the building, the theatre, violins, tam-
bourines, and on the walls paintings portraying
dancers and allegories, laughter and joy. They
went up to the galleries, which ran round the build-
ing, and where the spectators used to sit. Every-
where desolation, disorder, and dilapidation reigned.

The Sisters thought of their mission, and, im-
pressed with the great contrast between the past,
of which the scattered remains lingered before their
eyes, and the future reserved to that building, they
placed a stool in the midst of the hall, put their
crucifix upon it, and knelt down and prayed. The
young girls of a convent school came unexpectedly,
bringing some offerings, and were quite delighted
to be the first benefactors. They formed into
groups in the centre of the concert-hall, tried its
acoustic properties, and caused it to resound with
a pretty hymn in honour of the Blessed Virgin.
The old people entered, and the change of scene was
complete.

At Autun, the charitable ladies had kept the
house destined to serve as a home open every day
for an hour. Hence the Little Sisters, on arriving,
found the apartments full of objects — old beds, old
stoves, old carpets, old clothing and utensils, chairs
and lamps, vegetables and provisions — a pleasant
sight for the Sisters.

342 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

On the following Sunday Mgr. Perrault was the
interpreter of public feeling, and he spoke from
the pulpit of his cathedral: "The first help must
be continued if we wish the work to prosper. We
are going to open a subscription, and I, your
Bishop, put myself at the head of it." During the
following days it was curious to see the Archbishop's
horses, carriage and coachman in the streets, cart-
ing wood, straw, provision, old furniture, just as
public charity gave. It was no less curious to see
at the great fair of Saint-Lazarus, the Little Sisters
going, before all the people, at the invitation of the
hawkers, to receive from each one some small article,
such as knives, scissors, thread, needles, ribbon,
soap-balls, and to see the comedians and the clowns,
carried away by this example, come out of their
encampment, bringing pennies and other small coins.
Such manifestations are only seen at the starting of
a foundation, when it is in all its freshness and
simplicity.

Let us return to the general history. An article
which appeared in 1874 in Z^ Temps, which repre-
sented Liberal ideas in Paris, attracted much atten-
tion. '' I wished to judge the progress of the insti-
tution myself," wrote the editor, " and I went to
visit the house in the Rue Notre Dame des Champs.
The doors are wide open to visitors. This amiable
and inexhaustible charity has nothing to conceal,
and the most earnest praise is received with touch-
ing simplicity. The Little Sisters of the Poor have
remained faithful to the generous tradition of
Jeanne Jugan. They only think of their poor.

THE WAYS AND CUSTOMS 343

They wear themselves out for them, and count
themselves as nothing. It is difficult to imagine a
hospice better kept and more wisely administered.
On entering, the visitor is struck by the intelligent
management of the different departments. Clean-
liness is the luxury of this model establishment.

" The linen-room is itself a marvel. Large chests
of drawers reaching to the ceiling held the linen of
the poor. Every old person has his own division,
where his napkins, sheets, his underclothing are
folded up with a care which the most accomplished
housekeeper would not be ashamed of. In this
room the Sisters keep both the linen of the house
and that which the old people bring with them at
their entrance into the hospice. These poor people
like to keep their own things. They stick to their
tatters; therefore all clothing is marked with the
name of the owner. And there is no risk that
these objects will be mislaid or lost in the wash-
ing. Watched with maternal care, the garments of
the poor reach an age almost marvellous.

" The very large kitchen has a most joyful aspect.
You should see the large boilers where every day
the coffee is boiled or the soup made. You ought
particularly to see the large piece of furniture with
drawers which contain crusts or pieces of bread
picked up everywhere. Every crumb of bread is
the object of an attentive examination. These pro-
visions of bread are enormous and (with all due
deference to the dainty) very appetizing. Judge of
the quantity which is necessary for the needs of each
meal.

" I was greatly struck with the expression of

344 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

calmness, contentedness, and serenity written upon
those faces, which bear for the greater part the
impression of long and cruel sufferings. These poor
people have found there their paradise. They are
of all classes; they have been picked up every-
where. Under the empire of this gentle law, they
have all, little by little, become gentle and peaceable.
** Now remember that the Little Sisters of the
Poor live on daily charity, and that it is prohibited
to hoard up; that at the end of the month they
know not what they will have the following month.
And when you see them accomplishing their inde-
fatigable work of devotion, do not turn aside, but
go to them. Be well assured that there is no
charity better placed ; be well assured also that
there can be no philosophical opinions of any kind
— I do not say hostile, but even indifferent to this
admirable association. Charity thus understood,
thus practised, must be respected and encouraged
universally, because it is so profoundly human."

These appreciations of the press lead the mind
to the inner study of the congregation, to its
psychology. At this epoch certain forms of charity,
accepted or tolerated in the beginning, were falling
into disuse or were refused. Thus, at Nice, as in
several other towns, there was a charity ball with
the double object of offering amusement to society
and of benefiting the poor from the pleasure of the
rich. A part of the receipts had been remitted to
the home for the aged. But since then, the con-
gregation absolutely avoided seeking support from

THE WAYS AND CUSTOMS 345

public amusements; this worldly charity is not that
of the Little Sisters, and they experienced many times
that Providence amply made up for it.

In the same way, in several departments the
municipality or board of beneficence, wishing to
acknowledge services rendered to the cause of public
aid, voted an annual subsidy for the Little Sisters.
This public assistance was natural in the beginning,
but later on it became apparent that this method
of assistance was not sufficiently conformable to
the essence of the work. The latter, instructed
by experience, became more and more conscientious,
and freed itself from accessories in order to con-
centrate its force of action. In Marseilles, for
example, in 1875 the Municipal Council, well-
intentioned, voted an annuity of 5,000 francs. A
note makes it known that "the Congregation has
resolved not to have any fixed incomes, and as
these kinds of gifts may be regarded as an income
upon which we could count, whereas we are required
to abandon ourselves entirely to Divine Providence,
to count upon nothing, to look gratuitously after
the poor, and every day to take the trouble to go
and seek our bread. Consequently our Superiors
have decided that we must thank the Mayor, and
beg him not to place us on the Budget." The
Mayor was greatly touched with this decision, and
said to the Superior : ** Sister, I can tell you that it
is the first time in my life that I have seen money
refused. Everybody comes here to ask me for some,
and you, who have so many poor to feed, you come
to thank me and beg me to give you none. I salute

346 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

you with profound respect. God cannot do other-
wise than bless you."

In Brussels, from the foundation of the home,
there existed a society of ladies who received a certain
number of subscriptions in the name of the Little
Sisters of the Poor, and had a cash-box for that
purpose. Under some form or other, in several
houses during the early times, especially at Dijon,
a committee of ladies had worked for the bene-
fit of the home for the aged. It is but just to
acknowledge highly the services rendered by the
devotedness of these persons, especially in what
concerns the linen department, clothing and mending
room; but this charity had made double work in
most cases, and had somewhat changed the true
idea of the work. At the time with which we are
occupied this use was no longer suited to the ways
and customs of the congregation. Also, in Brussels
in May, 1875, Madame d'Aripe, the president, re-
mitted all the accounts to the Little Sisters. Thus,
the force of circumstance itself and the action of
time were sufficient to bring about the desired trans-
formation.

The que^e was also made with greater regularity.
In the beginning, and for twenty years at least,
it was not rare for one Sister to go out alone or
accompanied by one of the inmates to execute com-
missions and to receive the usual offerings; now
they went out two by two. On the other hand,
necessity had compelled long journeys for collecting
in the country and absence for several days from
the community. Progressively they had drawn up

THE WAYS AND CUSTOMS 347

rules to meet these cases of absence in such a way
as to procure the constant benefit of the common
life to the Little Sisters who went begging, whilst
assuring to the homes the resources of the locality.
Moreover, the laying down of railways and fresh
means of intercommunication facilitated the making
of this regulation.

History being the memory of the past and the
lesson of the future, it is important to weave into
the thread of the story all the practices which fix
tradition and form customs. At Bruges, as before
in several other houses, the custom existed of making
the strong and healthy old people work at some
occupation other than that connected with the home
itself. In this place the men wound thread into
skeins, and the women made lace : this was a
practice of the early times of the hospitaller family,
and in this case part of the benefit returned to the
house and a part to the old people. Even after the
approbation of the congregation in 1854, the rule
specified that one Sister should take charge of the
work of the poor in every house. She had to be
"just in her treatment of them, giving everyone
exactly a part of the price of his work," and that
part was regulated by the Mother Superior-General
according to the localities. The regulation stated
that the said Sister **will have a register in which
she will note the different works, the day when they
were given out, the name of the persons who procured
them, the quality, the price which it be proper to
give." In Bruges in 1868 and the following years
the practice was still flourishing. They promised

348 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

the women a part of the price of their work in lace-
making; then this regulation was modified, and they
gave to everyone liberty to work on her own account
before breakfast and after supper; but somehow or
other the total profit from the work-women scarcely
ever exceeded 200 francs for a whole year. This
inconvenience also resulted from it — that the oldest
could not work at the hours left free, that the
infirm suffered by contrast, that the winter season
impeded the whole staff, and that in effect a class
of privileged and a class of disinherited old people
were created. The congregation, which had to a
high degree the practical genius of organization, took
care not to introduce this primitive practice into
the foundations of more recent dates, and traces
of it would be vainly sought for either in England
or the United States. Without doing harm to
anyone, the congregation allowed it to fall into
disuse where it existed, and it disappeared of it-
self from the houses of the Little Sisters, like those
branches which dry upon the tree and soon no
longer form part of it.

Thus, as the little family was developing into
a great congregation and the Directory was being
drawn up, an important evolution in practices and
customs was effected.

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE MOTHER-HOUSE. APPROBATION OF
THE RULE

Chief residence of the Order — Pope Leo XHI — Testimonial
letters — The vow of hospitality — Examination and appro-
bation of constitutions — Death of the first Little Sister
of the Poor and foundress.

The Superiors of the houses of the congregation,
meeting at La Tour Saint-Joseph to the number of
371 on July I, 1878, to take part in a general
chapter, found the establishment there completed,
and a staff of 450 postulants, novices, and professed.
A gift of 100,000 francs, made by one of the Sisters
in 1876, had permitted the completion of the works,
and the Rev. Derlet, an architect of merit, accom-
plished the last part with success. At last, after
twenty years of exertion, the monument stood erect
in the beauty of its architectural lines, with its
buildings in stone and in granite (extracted from
the property itself), at the same time simple and
imposing. At last the calmness of the country life
and the quiet regularity of religious exercises suc-
ceeded to the noise of tools and to the coming
and going of labourers and mechanics.

Brittany was still the centre of the hospitaller
family, the country of its birth. Situated at the
extremity of Europe, as if to lend itself to the
connection between the Old and the New World;

349

350 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

peopled by the Celtic race, like the countries of
Wales, Scotland, and Ireland; in continual com-
munication with Paris and London, and from thence
with the entire world; devoted, like France, to
mission-work, and to the propagation of the faith,
this province offered the conveniences desirable for
the chief residence of the hospitaller congregation.

The mother-house of the Little Sisters of the Poor
is situated between Rennes and Dinan, in the open
country. Some heights rise above it between Becherel
and Saint-Pern. A line of buildings, from which
extend four wings attaining a length of 235 metres,
appear in a valley in a pleasant country formed
of meadows and trees, in the midst of which stands
the tower of Saint Joseph (La Tour Saint- Joseph)
under a sky in which generally a few clouds are
floating.

The central and only novitiate of the congrega-
tion was joined to the mother-house, and was not
wanting in picturesqueness from the variety of
nationalities which were represented there. The
Latin nations, France, Spain, Italy, sent their
subjects; the English-speaking nations, Ireland,
Scotland, England, United States, furnished a con-
siderable number of recruits; Belgium, Germany,
Switzerland, etc., manifested bountiful vocations.
The time of the novitiate, with its two years of
probation, permitted the blending together of these
elements in the mould of the hospitaller charity,
and the use of them afterwards for the general
good of the aged poor throughout the world.

People had indeed seen the Little Sisters of the

THE MOTHER-HOUSE 351

Poor leaving this place like young swarms of bees
— for the different foundations in France and in
Belgium from 1856, for England in 1861, for Spain
in 1863, for Africa and America in 1868, for Italy
in 1869. The movement of dispersion continued
and spread; the number of establishments was
already 170. It was a centre of great activity
and considerable enthusiasm. The persons who
had presided at the first attempt and at the
marvellous developments of the hospitaller work
still superintended its general operation; even their
presence and the natural veneration, of which they
were the object, contributed to give cohesion to this
great body, and to establish the force of centraliza-
tion.

In Rome Pope Leo XIII had just succeeded
Pius IX. On April 16, 1878, the Abbe Lelievre
obtained an audience from the Sovereign Pontiff in
the name of the congregation, and sent this account
of it : After a great many questions and replies * ' on
the nature of the work, its origin, its means of
existence, the countries where it is established, the
number of vocations, Leo XIII came to this impor-
tant question : ' How do you stand as to the appro-
bation of the congregation and of its rule?' I told
him what had taken place in 1854. His Holiness
continued : ' Do your Superiors wish now to ask
for the approbation of the rule? Do they desire
it?' I replied: 'Their desire, above all, is to con-
form themselves on this point to the views of your
Holiness.' I repeated: 'There is one point in

352 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

the constitutions of the Little Sisters of the Poor
which the Superiors have very much at heart, and
which I believe, like them, to be of great im-
portance. It is that regarding the conservation of
poverty as it is now practised. According to the
constitutions, the houses are not allowed to have
either endowments or fixed incomes or regular
allocations from the civil administration; they have
to depend entirely on the charities of the faithful
and on the alms collected by the Sisters. There
are three reasons why the Superiors considered it
to be of the highest importance that this should
continue to be so. The first is the maintenance of
the spirit of faith and of poverty amongst the
Sisters themselves; secondly, the edification of the
public, because the sight of the Sisters who go
begging for their poor is precisely what touches
even hardened hearts, and causes God to be glorified.
It is this destitution which saves the houses, for
civil administration could easily determine to seize
them if they had properties and incomes to con-
fiscate, but are restrained at the sight of the poor
with whom they would then be charged without
having any means to maintain them.' I ended
by saying how greatly Providence had shown itself
in favour of this manner of action. The Pope did
not interrupt me at all : he simply gave signs of
assent."

Events have their fitting and providential
moments which make undertakings prosper. The
congregation had reached its crisis, and the appro-
bation of its rules was placed before Rome and La

THE MOTHER-HOUSE 353

Tour Saint- Joseph. Mgr. Place, who just succeeded
Cardinal Saint-Marc as Archbishop of Rennes,
entered into these views and solicited, as Ordinary
of the place, testimonial letters from ail the Bishops
who had, in their respective dioceses, one or several
houses of the Little Sisters of the Poor. Such is
the usual canonical proceeding. As the institution
embraced about 170 houses, it was equivalent in
extent to a " plebiscitum " in the highest accepta-
tion of the word, of which the Holy See had the
disposal and supreme sentence. Whilst the testi-
mony of the different Bishops of the dioceses was
being received, the hospitaller congregation gave
itself to prayer, and in all the houses they besought
Heaven for the precious favour.

The testimonial letter of the Archbishop of Rennes
ran thus: ** These constitutions, as they have been
presented to the examination of the Sacred Con-
gregation, have already been put to the proof. The
underlined corrections in the letters addressed to
my predecessor the most eminent Cardinal Saint-
Marc have all been faithfully adopted and intro-
duced into the new wording of the constitutions.
On the other hand, the actual state of this institute,
still so recent, and yet already spread into so many
different countries, the relief which it spreads among
the faithful, appear to be sufficient proofs of the
efficacy of the constitutions by which it is governed.
One may well say, indeed, that if the finger of
God is visible anywhere, it is in the establishment
and propagation of the work of the Little Sisters
of the Poor."

23

354 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

On November 28, 1878, the delegate of the
mother-house officially introduced the request for
approbation to the Court of Rome, and had for
this purpose an audience of the holy Father. He
presented the three first testimonial letters, sent
from Paris, Amiens, and London, to Leo XIIL
Cardinal Guibert, Archbishop of Paris, wrote :
"This society was approved as a community with
simple vows by a decree of July 7, 1854. The
Little Sisters of the Poor now wish to have their
constitutions sanctioned by the apostolic approba-
tion ; after having been submitted to the revision and
corrections of the Sacred Congregation of Bishops
and Regulars. They therefore submit themselves
with entire obedience to the supreme judgement
of your Holiness. It is with all my heart that I
join my supplication to theirs. The extraordinary
extension of this pious institute shows plainly
enough how pleasing it is to the God of all mercies.
A still more admirable thing is that they practise
absolute poverty, they receive no incomes, and every
day they beg for the necessities of their guests and
for their own. Who can doubt that this marvellous
example of evangelical poverty is a salutary remedy
prepared for the men of our time? Experience has
proved, moreover, that poverty thus practised as
the foundation of the whole institute is perfectly
reconciled with the existence and progress of the
houses. Never has the providence of our heavenly
Father, who feeds the birds of the air and gives
clothing to the flowers of the field, failed the
houses established in this way."

THE MOTHER-HOUSE 355

Mgr. Bataille, Bishop of Amiens, said : *' Thanks
to their devotedness, more than two hundred old
people have been received into a home where they
receive, together with the corporal care which their
age demands, yet more precious succour — I mean
the Divine teachings of the faith, the edification of
good example, and the grace of the Sacraments.
Far as they may have been from all religious
practice, they return to God, live like Christians,
and die at last with sentiments of the most perfect
resignation and with the most touching piety. One
may judge from its fruit the tree which the Lord
has planted in the garden of the Church in our
days. Deign to bless it again, holy Father, and,
enriching it with the favour which we implore from
you, make it increase yet more for the good of the
poor, and for the honour of the holy Church and
the glory of God."

Cardinal Manning rendered this witness to the
Little Sisters of the Poor: "Their rare practice,
manifestly approved by God, of the works of corporal
as well as spiritual mercy, not only in this kingdom,
but also in almost every country in Europe, and even
in North America, surpasses all praise. I think it is
sufficient to say that the charity of the Little Sisters
participates in the apostolic mission, and that it
conciliates in such a manner the good opinion of
the heterodox in the countries deprived of the
Catholic faith, that one can justly call it, God aid-
ing, the precursor of the truth."

After having learned their contents, Leo XIII
folded the three letters and remitted them to the

356 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

delegate, saying to him: "To-morrow you will
carry these from me to Cardinal Ferrieri. You will
tell him that I have read them, and that I remit
the matter for his consideration." Emboldened
with this mark of high benevolence, Abbe Lelievre
said: "There is one point to which I desire to
call the attention of your Holiness, if it is allowed."
"Certainly. What is it?" "There is one point
in the constitutions of the Little Sisters to which
the Superiors attach the greatest importance. It
is the authorization for the Sisters to continue to
make, as in the past, not only the ordinary vows,
but that of hospitality, because it is from that vow
principally that they draw strength to accomplish
so many sacrifices and acts of devotedness for the
poor, and it is that vow which has procured them
from the Bishops the witness which your Holiness
has just read. It is true that the Sacred Con-
gregation has not yet given its sanction to this
fourth vow, but neither has it prohibited it." " Are
you very anxious that it should be preserved?"
" There is nothing the Superiors desire more. They
say it is the very essence of their work which
brings them so many graces." "That is well,"
said the Pope.

The matter, referred to the Sacred Congregation
of the Bishops and Regulars, followed the canonical
proceeding. They recognized, first, that the entire
position of the Little Sisters of the Poor had been
discussed in 1 8 59-1861, as well by the Congrega-
tion of the Propaganda as by that of Bishops
and Regulars. They referred to the question of
the plurality of novitiates, raised in 1866, which

THE MOTHER-HOUSE 357

still remained undecided. They examined some
questions concerning the age and method of election
of the Superiors, the visits to the houses, the age
of postulants, etc., so as to put the constitutions
more and more in harmony with the canonical pre-
scriptions. The greatest interest of the discussion
turned upon poverty and hospitality. This was
the vital question for the work of the Little Sisters
of the Poor.

As it happens in all deep discussion, some diver-
gence of views was shown. Some alleged the
necessity of a fund of common reservation for the
extreme necessities; others spoke of the right of
receiving and investing dowries; others, again,
willingly admitted that the Little Sisters could live
without endowments or incomes, and without being
obliged to bring a dowry, but added, at the same
time, that this extreme poverty, which excluded a
reserve fund of any kind, constituted in the opinion
of the Sacred Congregation quite an exceptional
position. Finally, the decision of the consultor was
favourable. " His conclusion is that they may
approve of the Little Sisters living without endow-
ment and without income." And the advice of the
Prelate who prepared the case was identical : " There
are to be no funds, no incomes, no regular endow-
ment ; the article concerning fixed revenues is crossed
out." The fire of discussion bore equally upon
the vow of hospitality. A fourth vow did not
appear absolutely necessary, since the three ordinary
vows sufficed to constitute a religious congregation,
and that every congregation has obviously works
of zeal or mercy, of which the vow of obedience

358 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

suffices to direct the applications. Finally, it was
recognized that hospitality pertains to the essence
of the work itself of the Little Sisters of the Poor,
and the principle of the vow was admitted. When
the preparatory discussions had followed their
course, the congress, united under the presidency
of the Cardinal Prefect, pronounced for it, and it was
referred to the Sovereign Pontiff in a favourable
sense.

During this time the testimonial letters of the
Ordinaries of the dioceses arrived, and brought a
unanimous witness in favour of a first approbation
of the constitutions. France and Belgium, Spain
and Italy, England, Scotland and Ireland, Germany,
the United States, raised their voices in the Court of
Rome to express the utility of the hospitaller work.
The cause for the aged poor was heard even in the
heart of the Catholic world.

The Sovereign Pontiff, in his place as the Vicar
of Jesus Christ, spoke, and pronounced the supreme
sentence of approbation. The decree bears the date
of March i, 1879, as if to mark the patronage of
St. Joseph on the hospitaller congregation.

We quote the decree :

Decree.*

**Our holy Father the Pope Leo XIII, at the
audience granted to the undersigned Secretary of
this Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars,

* Decretum. — SSmus Dominus Noster Leo Papa XIII,
in audientia habita ab infrascripto Dno Secretario hujus
S. Congregationis Episcoporum et Regularium Negotiis et

THE MOTHER-HOUSE 359

the 14th day of the month of February in the year
1879, having seen from many favourable letters from
the Bishops in Europe, Africa, and America, whose
dioceses possess the Little Sisters of the Poor, the
very plentiful fruit which they bear in all parts, with
all zeal and eagerness in the field of the Lord, has
approved and confirmed the constitutions written
here above in the French language, as they are
contained in that copy, of which the autograph is
preserved in the records of the most worthy Sacred
Congregation for seven years, by way of experiment,
so he approves and confirms, by the terms of the
present decree, the jurisdiction of the Ordinary
being always excepted, and according to the form
of the holy canons and apostolic constitutions.

Consultationibus praepositse, sub die decima quarta mensis
Februarii anni millesimi octingentesimi septuagesimi noni,
attends turn litteris commendatitiis Europae, Africae et
Americae Antistitum, in quorum Dioecesibus Parvae Sorores
pauperum reperiuntur, turn uberrimo fructu quern in Agro
Domini omni studio et contentione undequaque afferunt,
suprascriptas constitutiones gallico idiomate exaratas, prout
in hoc exemplari continentur, cujus autographum in
Archivio praelaudata S. Cong"'^ asservatur, approbavit et
confirmavit ad septennium, per modum experimenti uti
prassentis Decreti tenore approbat atque confirmat, salva
Ordinariorum jurisdictione, ad formam Sacrorum Canonum
et Apostolicarum Constitutionum. Datum Romas ex Seer'*
S Cong™s Episcoporum et Regularium sub die i Martii,
1879.

J. Card^ Ferrieri, PrcBJ^.
Locus Sigilli :

A. ARcmEPus Myr^, Secret.

36o THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Given at Rome at the secretary's office of the
Sacred Congregation of Bishops and Regulars on
the first day of March, 1879.

J. Cardinal Ferrieri, Frefect.

Place of
the Seal.

►I^A. Archbishop of Myra, Secretary.

On learning the happy issue of the important
negotiation, the mother-house wrote to its agent :
*'The essence of the Little Family is not altered;
on the contrary, it is confirmed. We are happy;
we bless God !" The acclamation, like a prolonged
echo, resounded through all the houses of the Little
Sisters of the Poor.

The hospitaller congregation henceforth had true
guarantees for the future, as it had been twice over
solemnly adopted by the Church, and as its double
law of hospitality and of Providence was recognized
by the supreme and divinely assisted authorities.

Then, as if to recall the remembrance of the small
beginnings in the hour of triumph, and to make the
contrast between the humility of the beginning and
the glory of the accomplished work. Providence
withdrew the work-woman of the first hour from
this world.* She reposes in the cemetery of La

* The mortuary sketch which the congregation has conse-
crated to her as a commemorative monument is thus ex-
pressed.

'• Poor as to the gifts of Nature, rich as to the gifts of
grace, Jeanne Jugan rose above her condition through the

THE MOTHER-HOUSE 361

Tour Saint- Joseph, and on her tomb this inscription
is to be read :

J. M. J.

HERE LIES

OUR LITTLE SISTER

MARIE DE LA CROIX, BORN JEANNE JUGAN,

DIED ON THE 29TH OF AUGUST, 1879,

IN HER 86tH year OF AGE,

37TH YEAR OF HER PROFESSION,

THE FIRST LITTLE SISTER OF THE POOR,

AND FIRST SUPERIOR

OF THE CONGREGATION, 1839-1843.

Requiescat in Pace.

love of God and the love of the poor. Her faith and her
good heart gave her a true understanding of the aged poor.
She was the first Little Sister of the Poor, and her modest
dwelling was the first home of the incipient Little Family.
As she had received from above the ability to understand
the poor and forlorn, so she received from the same the
intelligence for the alms-collection ; and the spirit of charity
with which she was endowed made her discover its provi-
dential resources. She attributed all the glory to God, and
never ceased to regard herself as a humble servant — the
servant of the poor after having been the servant of men.
Born at Cancale, October 28, 1792, she received the first
old person at Saint-Servan, an old woman, at the beginning
of the winter of 1839. On May 29, 1842, aged fifty years,
she was elected by her companions first Superior of this
new religious family. On December 23, 1843, she was
divested of her charge on account of the inconsistency
between the exercise of her charge and the necessary absence

362 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

for begging, or, rather, God who destined her to be the
pioneer of the hospitaller family restored to her her liberty.
She extended her quest for alms, obtained the Montyon
prize, which conciliated public opinion, and succeeded in
establishing the second home for old people in February,
1846, in the town of Rennes. Under the shelter of her age
and of her reputation, the nascent congregation was enabled
to develop and organize itself for the good of the Sisters of
the Poor and of society. From 1852, having retired to the
mother-house, she led a humble and retired life, effacing
herself before her former companions. She was Sister of the
General Council from the month of December, 1853, to the
month of June, 1878. The town of Saint-Servan honoured
her memory by naming (1866) Rue Jeanne Jugan, the street
where the home for the old people is situated in the town.
She died at La Tour Saint-Joseph, forgotten by men, and in
the weakness of her great age on August 29, 1879, at the
age of eighty-six years. Her memory is a benediction and
her works praise her."

THIRD PART

IN THE TWO HEMISPHERES

CHAPTER XXIX

IN MALTA AND IN ITALY

In the island of Malta and in Sicily, Naples and Rome— The
double horizon of hospice work, in time and in eternity.

In 1878 the hospitaller work introduced by Mr.
Galea and Mr. Asphar, merchants, came to the
island of Malta. The Gk)vernor received with respect
an institution which the English flag covered in
the three united kingdoms; even the Duchess of
Edinburgh honoured the newly-started home with a
visit and her alms. If the rich of the world can
do much by their credit, the humble also contribute
largely to these undertakings. The boatmen of the
harbour gave a penny a week out of their pay, and
thus raised a weekly collection of seven or eight
shillings, towards the erection of a home for old
people in their island. On the other hand, history
shows reverses and corrections. It happened that
the Little Sisters had the idea of installing them-
selves in an ancient palace of the celebrated Knights
of Malta, uninhabited for twenty-five years, and
a fief of the Crown. They obtained it on lease in
1880, and later on purchased the property for ;^i,533
sterling. The building reverted to the service of
religion and charity under a form appropriate to
modern times.

In 1878 also the hospitaller work came to Sicily,
and was established at Catania at the appeal of

365

366 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Mgr. Dusmet. The appearance of the Little Sisters
in the market-place occasioned a beautiful scene of
charity. The commandant of the civil guards and
a group of notables introduced the begging Sisters;
there was an avalanche of vegetables, pennies, and
praises, everyone expressing his pleasure by gesture
and by voice at having at last a home for the
aged. Enthusiasm lasts but a short time, but it
manifests the keen sentiment of the soul and helps
to urge on the works which call it forth.

The following year the benefactors gave a feast
to the inhabitants of the home; they saw for them-
selves the contentment of the poor, the happy results
of the work, and the utility of their co-operation.
The evening after the feast the old people passed
remarks among themselves. One of them, who was
the oracle of his companions because he was near
his hundredth year, said: " It really seems that we
are in a new world. Formerly we had to serve the
rich people; we were not considered. Now all is
changed; we are honoured and served by the great
of the town, and all this happiness comes to us
from the God who loves us as His children."

The public took interest in this work. In 1880
Mr. Platania gave a piece of ground; in 1881 the
King of Italy granted 1,000 lire on the occasion
of his journey to Catania; in 1882 a lottery was
worked very satisfactorily, and the first stone of the
establishment was laid. Before a numerous assembly
Mgr. Dusmet described what was being done at
Saint Agatha, and exclaimed: "What is the
mysterious art put in movement to work these

IN MALTA AND IN ITALY 367

marvels ? The Little Sisters do not show themselves
with sad looks, dreamy or absorbed; they do not
look at all like missionaries, do not dispute, do not
importune, do not exclaim, do not wrangle at all.
The secret of the Little Sisters is love. Hence
they show the promptings of a mother's heart, the
piety of a daughter; they accomplish the lowest
offices with the patience of a good housewife. They
show delicacy and reserve, even to scrupulosity :
hence their profound respect, their reverence for
their old charges. Come, Catanians, hasten the
development of the building which is to serve
generations and generations of unfortunate old
people. Diminish the phalanx of beggars in the
country."

A year later the inauguration of the new estab-
lishment took place. One witness has given a joyful
account of this festival: "It was a quarter to
twelve — a very hot time of the day. The whole
gallery, the rooms for the old people, and the
corridors were decorated with garlands. Three
Sisters in the kitchen were not enough for the
task, for all the stoves were glowing. In front
of the house above the gallery was a beautiful picture
of Saint Agatha surrounded with festoons of flowers ;
in the court a succession of carriages, from which
a quantity of people in smart dresses descended.
Here is the host coming; he is a Benedictine — the
Archbishop himself. He is a head taller than the
six other Benedictines who form his retinue. He
blesses all those beautifully dressed guests as he
passes by — Princesses, Marquises, Countesses, citi-

368 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

zens, as well as a great number of gentlemen, of
whom the Mayor of Catania was one, and with-
out further ceremony goes to the men's hall, says
grace, girds on a napkin, and serves the soup,
which is macaroni; after the fried macaroni, there
is roasted meat, then fish, ices, biscuits, strawberries
with sugar, all abundant and of the best quality.
Neither was the wine of Sicily, white and red,
spared. A dozen of the hrst benefactors of the
house helped the Prelate in his task, whilst the others
served the infirm, and the ladies in costumes of all
colours waited on the women. I believe there were
as many grand ladies to serve as there were old
ones to be served." At that moment there were
1 08 old people in the home.

When the festival for the poor was over, all
hastened to hear the toast of the Mayor. *' Address-
ing the Archbishop, he said in a few lively sentences,
that he thanked them in his own name, in the name
of the whole town of Catania, for the work which
he had established; that he himself and all the
municipal administration would be too happy to
co-operate for the good of the house, at any time
they should have the chance." Thereupon there was
a short flourish from the municipal band, after which
the Mayor spoke again and said: "There still
remains another debt of gratitude to pay. I cannot
pass over in silence the devotedness, zeal, courage,
and intrepidity of these young women who have
left their country, their family, all that was dear
to them, to come and devote themselves to the
service of strangers. I am eager to say that we

IN MALTA AND IN ITALY 369

admire them, we venerate them, we love them.
These are the sentiments of all the inhabitants of
Catania without exception; it is thus a public testi-
mony which I render here, in the name of all my
fellow-citizens, to their work and to the manner
in which they accomplish it among us."

On January 18, 1879, the hospitaller work began
in Naples. We find this account from the pen of
an editor of reputation, R. De Zerbi : ** One day a
poor creature came to my office to ask charity. She
did not ask for money, but that I would publish in
my paper that an old woman was lying ill without
clothing, without help, in such a place, and that
those who had hearts were invited to help her. I
did it. Some weeks after I learned that a pious
lady, having read the article, had taken it to the
Little Sisters, and that these, having been to see
the poor old woman, had taken her in their arms,
and had brought her to their house situated in the
Corso Victor Emmanuel. It is thus I learned of
the existence of the Little Sisters. They came from
France to Naples about three or four years ago —
twelve, like the Apostles. They rented a house
in the Corso, and installed themselves there, not
alone, by any means, but with forty poor old people
whom they had soon found out, and who were
worthy of all pity, and had been left destitute.
They took this place without any other guarantee
than charity, and not being able to believe that
it would fail them, as they felt it so vividly pal-
pitating in their own hearts. They soon perceived

34

370 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

that charity also blossoms in this town, for they
met it at every step. Then they erected the build-
ing which they now occupy; they have not been
able yet to pay for it entirely, but they are sure
that, little by little, with small gifts of charity,
they will succeed in paying even the last cent.
It is there they live with eighty old people, ex-
pecting to be able to enlarge the building to receive
120 more." Let us complete this account by mention-
ing the name of the Marchioness Di Rende, who
had the merit of attracting the Little Sisters of
the Poor to Naples, of hiring the house for the
foundation, and then of giving the ground on
which the home is placed. The situation is charm-
ing; from the steps and terraces one has a complete
view of the celebrated bay, the sea-shores, and even
as far as Vesuvius.

Grateful and touched, the editor made this
practical appeal in his paper: ''Give to the Little
Sisters of the Poor. They accept all — a loaf,
potatoes, a bottle of wine, a bottle of oil, a pinch
of salt, old clothing, a pair of shoes . . . anything,
because everything becomes useful in their hands.
They take from them the useful parts, gather them
together, and make of it, here dishes of food to
feed their old people, there clothing to cover them.
They themselves serve them. Do you understand
the meaning of that word * serve ' ? That means
to say, they assist, they guide, they wash, they
comb, they dress and undress these poor old
people; they dust, wash, clean the house; they
cook, mend, do the housework. You should see

IN MALTA AND IN ITALY 371

with what simplicity, how naturally, they do all
this : they neither consider the lowliness of the
task to which they are devoted nor the sublime
height of the sentiment which moves them. Go
and see the Little Sisters of the Poor."

The article made a sensation among the public,
so much so that a crowd of people visited the house,
causing charity to pour in drop by drop. The
ladies profited by this favourable impression to
organize a festival of beneficence which brought in
6,000 lire; and the Mayor of Naples having visited
the house himself sent 1,000 lire as a mark of his
approval. It will take years of charity and devoted-
ness to bring the enterprise to perfection, and make
a complete house of help for old people, but they
will succeed in doing it.

The year 1880 marks a date in the annals of the
congregation, the date of its establishment in Rome,
the centre of the Catholic world, with the bene-
diction and encouragement of the Sovereign Pontiff.
On Saturday, October 29, the Little Sisters, having
rented the old Bandinelli College, which could
accommodate fifty old people, opened the hundred
and eighty-sixth house of the hospitaller work.
Visitors came in great number, and gave occasion,
not only for having the poor brought in, but for
letting people see the want of furniture, utensils,
and provisions, and so to obtain them. A home
of the Little Sisters is the result of the charity of
all. At the same time, as the household increased,
the Little Sisters presented themselves in the market-

372 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

place, making the work for the old people known,
and returning with vegetables and other provisions.
Such, all over, is the mechanism of a foundation :
the home is opened, in come the old people, beg-
ging provides, work goes on. A little later the
Mayor of Rome sent forty bolsters, twenty
mattresses, fourteen lambskins, and a provision
of plates and dishes; this certainly was a mark
of sympathy and protection. People saw, indeed,
in Rome, as everywhere else, the poor old people
of the place grouping themselves around the Little
Sisters, and forming with them a hospitaller family,
just as one can see in nature the homogeneous
elements crystallizing around a kernel, the force of
attraction acting in the moral just as it does in
the physical world.

The home could not remain in the provisional
state, and it must develop according to its nature.
On the one hand, space and salubrity were wanted
— essential conditions to the development and hygiene
of an agglomeration of suffering old people; on the
other hand, the presence of the poor of both sexes
and the character of the edifice — somewhat archi-
tectural in a town where all is monumental — neces-
sitated expenses and extraordinary resources were
wanted. Happily, they succeeded in realizing their
plan by obtaining from the Maronite Fathers, through
the Act of May 8, 1882, a piece of ground situated
on the Esquiline Mount, adjoining the square of
Saint Peter's Chains; then, by addressing an appeal
to the friends of the work in different countries
which was speedily answered, they were enabled

IN MALTA AND IN ITALY 373

both to pay for the ground and to erect the beautiful
estabhshment which shelters 250 poor and infirm
old people. The ceremony of taking possession
was performed on August 31, 1884. The Cardinal-
Vicar, Mgr. Parrocchi, came to bless the house.
Pope Leo XIII, who had deigned to take interest
in the enterprise, sent as a personal gift a beautiful
black horse, which they harnessed to the alms-
cart, and which thus discharged in the streets of
Rome and in the country helped the Sisters in their
works of charity.

From the galleries and windows in the home of
the Little Sisters of the Poor the eye rests on the
Coliseum and the dome of Saint Peter's — ancient
and new Rome. When the gaze and the mind of
the spectator have been absorbed long enough in
contemplating the Coliseum and the Roman anti-
quities, as it falls on the home itself, the eye per-
ceives other ruins in human form, and the spectator,
thinking of these hundreds of homes for old people
scattered all over the world, and of these extreme
forms of our existence, draws a touching com-
parison. Here is the seat of old age with its
different aspects, its progressive manifestations, its
various types; here one touches the limits of human
life and the longevity of the species. Antiquities of
history and antiquities of race, ruins of things and
ruins of bodies — consuming time preys upon the
one and the other, putting upon them the aureole
of respect and the marks of decay. Then the
dome of Saint Peter's, appearing on the same
horizon, brings thoughts of life and of the resurrec-

374 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

tion, and makes the soul understand with singular
penetration the words of the Christian hope, like
a distant echo from Apostolic times : I believe in
the resurrection of the body; I believe in eternal
life ! Charity moves on this double horizon, assist-
ing the sinking body and helping to raise the soul,
it co-operates in the work of death and the work
of life.

CHAPTER XXX

IN SICILY

The four houses — The neighbourhood of Etna— The poor
Lazarus — The most beautiful sanctuary of charity.

The* cluster in Sicily with its four houses in
Catania, Acireale, Messina, and Modica demands
attention.

The Bishop and the municipality of Acireale,
admirers of the home in Catania, of which we have
related the success, wished to benefit their district
with an establishment which would not burden the
Budget in any way. In 1881 they began in an old
convent until a building was commenced on a site
of which three-fourths was a gift. Two souvenirs
have remained of the old convent. As there was
no wash-house and often no water, the Little Sisters
had to wash the linen of the home at some distance.
It was, it appears, quite a curiosity to see the
Sisters wash, and people came to look on. As
one may suppose, after some weeks of this exercise
of humility and simplicity, the Little Sisters managed
as well as they could, and did their work at home.
The other souvenir is of a different nature. Acireale
extends itself in the plain at the foot of Etna, and
enjoys a magnificent view of the mountain and
volcano; but in the month of March, 1883, the
igneous matter was in commotion, and Etna made
its fury felt by casting ashes far and wide, and by
375

376 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

shaking the earth. The old people were frightened,
and one of the beams of the house was split through-
out its length. When the shocks were strong it
seemed to them that about twenty railways were
passing under the earth, and that their beds were
lifted a yard high; when the earthquake was slight,
they felt themselves gently rocked. Tranquillity
was re-established, and by way of compensation the
lava supplied some of the materials for the building.
As Baron Pennisi had been the principal agent
in the foundation at Acireale, so the Abbe Ciccolo
introduced the Little Sisters of the Poor to the
Archbishop, Prefect, and Mayor of Messina. They
arrived in that large and beautiful town on February
27, 1882. The first old person they received was a
blind man. They made him porter. When anyone
came, the good man called for the Sisters, and
in the meantime, spoke well of the house to make
the caller patient. But not being sure when he
entered how he would be treated by the Little
Sisters, the old man took care to hide some pence
and farthings in case of need; but when he had
experienced their treatment, he brought his poor
treasure to the good Mother, saying: ''Take it;
it is quite useless to me, and, besides, I only want
to love God and sing." In reality, he sang all
day to show that he was not sad, and because the
priest had said to him that the good God loves
cheerful hearts. A woman eighty years old, equally
blind, was admitted at the beginning of the founda-
tion. She experienced the kindness of the Sisters,
and said: *'My God, grant that I may see just

IN SICILY 377

for one little moment, so that I may look upon these
good Sisters who take such care of me." As her
petition was not answered, she added: "My God,
do as much good to the souls in purgatory as they
do to me!" One knows that in countries where
the sun is fierce and the sky always blue, blindness
is the commonest infirmity; but the clients of the
home include the blind, deaf, dumb, lame, paralyzed,
every debilty and infirmity, occasioned by circum-
stances and climates. The first collection in the
market-place was successful, for they received a large
sack of vegetables, a basket with macaroni, meat,
fish, oranges, twelve plates, six bowls, three sauce-
pans, some tongs, soap, a bottle of ink, paper and
pens. On the other hand, some good persons
brought wine and oil to the home, old furniture,
and all kinds of things. At last, Mgr. Guarino
had the satisfaction of blessing the house and all
these poor creatures.

But scarcely had they begun to prosper than they
began to suffer. There were still poor who begged
for pity, and there was no more room. Here was
indeed a case of compassion. They discovered a
miserable person in the district lying under a stair-
case, covered with wounds, one hand rotting and
one foot burned. It was Lazarus in person, but
Lazarus blind, eaten by vermin, starving and dying
of weakness. They raised him up, washed him,
dressed his wounds, put him in a clean bed, restored
him with a little broth and wine, and the good
man, suddenly casting off his despair, cried out :
"I am in Paradise!" This is the kind of thing

378 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

that moves and incites benefactors. There is no
foundation which has not in its assets some history
of this kind, because the home when opened becomes
the inheritance of all these human wrecks, of these
lamentable infirmities, which withdraw from human
sight; and then, when the home is at work, it
prevents, through the very fact of its existence, the
renewal of this extreme misery. Ah, how often,
since the distant times of Saint-Servan, have the
Little Sisters met with old age — destitute, desolate,
and helpless, hidden away in any hole, keeping
out of human sight, as though ashamed of itself
— and how have they hastened to create hospices
for it in every country. How well benefactors have
seconded them, and how society has understood the
work !

Let us return to the house at Messina. For some
unknown reason the first steps were difficult to
overcome, and for five years the hospitaller Sisters
sought in vain for a spot to place their establishment.
At last, on June 13, 1888, a lady presented herself,
offering a property for sale. The Little Sisters went
to see it. They were surprised to see a vast en-
closure and a large house, and the horizon for
the future opened out before them. Indeed, that
property was providentially disposed for enriching
the city with an hospice worthy of its importance.

The municipality of Modica, being informed of
what had been done in the three towns, judged
that an hospice for old people on the system of
the Little Sisters of the Poor was what they wanted.
The Bishop supported the request, and an old

IN SICILY 379

convent, placed at the disposition of the hospitaller
Sisters by the town, served them as a house of
foundation on January 3, 1885. Some natural
grottoes, of which several are remarkable, drew
travellers to the country, and served in case of
need as a place of refuge to the poor. It is from
here that the first old people were taken, and they
considered themselves quite happy in having a house
and a bed. It may easily be conceived that the
inmates examine closely those who take care of them.
Now, on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the
Little Sisters held, as is the custom in the Order,
the ceremony of the renewal of vows, and the old
people of Modica were very much moved on seeing
it. A blind man translated their thoughts by ask-
ing during the day : " Where are those seven virgins
whom God has given us to take care of us?" They
understood at that moment the sublimity of Christian
hospitality, which chooses persons consecrated to
God to make the servants of the poor. Charity,
to possess all its fire and all its tenderness,
demands a virginal heart. It has no more beautiful
sanctuary.

CHAPTER XXXI

IN ITALY

Nine new foundations — In Campania — The foundation at
Milan — Laying the first stone in Turin — The little
Madonnas of Florence — The Pope's house.

The number of houses for old people increased
in Italy; together with Aosta, Naples, Rome, and
the four establishments in Sicily already mentioned,
we find Turin in 1883, Milan, Arienzo, Nola, and
Florence in 1883, Cuneo in 1883, Andria and
Perugia in 1886, and Lucca in 1887. At this date
the number of establishments reached the total of
sixteen.

The origin of these homes for old people presents
a curious variety. Whilst at Cuneo two devoted
friends of the working class bought, at the price
of 13,500 lire, a small property, and installed the
Little Sisters in it, well knowing that the social
assistance embraces all ages, and that every age
has its own manner of assistance, at Lucca the
Count Sardi brought negotiations to a successful
issue, and saw the charitable hospice opened.
Whilst the Little Sisters at Aosta travelled over the
roads between Monte Rosa and Mont Blanc to
support their hundred poor, and received 4,000
lire from the King of Italy, an unequivocal mark
of approbation, the municipality of Andria offered
the expenses of the journey of the Sisters and the
380

IN ITALY 381

possession of a house for several years, on condi-
tion that they formed a foundation in the town.
Some small details will not be out of place here.
At Andria the carabineers one day prayed the
begging Sisters to enter the barracks, because they
and their comrades clubbed together. When they
had entered, the officer in command, after a very
cordial eulogy on the assistance given by the Sisters
to decrepit age, gave two parcels of men's clothing,
and added 60 kilos of excellent dough to make a
feast. On their part, the town guards brought
136 eggs, and as they were pleased with their visit
they made several other small gifts. Some masons
working in the neighbourhood also joined together
and offered 100 kilos of excellent vegetables. The
agricultural school sent a barrel of 50 litres of wine
from time to time. If the value of the gift be
measured by the sentiments which inspire it, and
sometimes by the sacrifice which it imposes, these
gifts must be considered worthy of praise. The
reader thus sees in what surroundings the Little
Sister moves, and how she comes in contact with
persons of all conditions at the precise moment when
the spirit of men is exalted by beneficence and pity
for the unhappy.

Nola and Arienzo are two homes situated in
Campania, among the fertile fields of maize, corn,
and hemp, where the vines hang from the young
elms, where the olive-trees and orange-trees are
laden with fruit — in short, the paradise of poverty
for the Little Sisters who go begging, who some-

382 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

times, like the bees, plunder from flower to flower
the provisions for every day, and sometimes, like
the ants, gather bit by bit the provision for the
winter.

Here are the circumstances under which the house
at Arienzo raised its poultry-yard. In 1883 they
received an old man who could only be fed with
milk. As the region is hot, forage was scarce in
the home, as well as animals. They told him to
pray to Saint Joseph to send a milk cow, and they
prayed with him, after having put the facsimile of
what they wanted at the feet of the saint's statue.
This was in October, and behold, on Sunday,
November 4, a stranger entered with a cow. The
good Mother asks: "For whom is this cow?"
"For you. Sister." "Who sends it?" "Saint
Joseph." And he produces a note with these
words: "Saint Joseph sends this cow to the Little
Sisters of the Poor." They only knew that the
individual and the cow had been five hours on the
way. Then the cow was received in triumph by
the Little Sisters and by the old people, who wept
with emotion. They had milk, and even a little
butter and cheese. Everybody in the neighbour-
hood felt pleasure in giving grass for Saint Joseph's
cow, as they called it.

The municipality of Nola found in the annual
institution of a charity car an ingenious means of
recreating the population and assisting the home.
These gentlemen made a collection at the houses of
some of the notables of the neighbourhood, and with
the produce suspended provisions of bacon, fat, cod,
cheese, etc., to a car drawn by a horse and a bull.

IN ITALY 383

On the day fixed, the interesting equipage gravely
advanced towards the principal place of the city,
where, in the presence of the authorities and the
population, who dressed in festal clothes, the Bishop
or his delegate solemnly blessed the convoy of
charity. Then, to the cheerful sound of music,
the acclamation of the people, and the appeals of
the organizers, the retinue travelled through the
streets and the suburbs of the town, receiving on
the way the alimentary gifts offered by the in-
habitants. At last it arrived in triumph with its
cargo forming a pyramid at the home of the aged,
bringing with it joy, abundance, and the consola-
tion of public sympathy.

This episode shows that the secret of the idyll is
not lost in the country of Virgil, only the idyll is
still more touching in the service of charity. The
two houses of Campania have been useful to the
country, as the prefecture of Caserta decorated both
with a reward of merit, consisting of a diploma
full of praise, a silver medal, and a sum of 100 lire.

Turin, Milan, Florence lead us to the great
centres and big establishments. It is to be noted
that these foundations attracted but little attention,
and were but of little importance in the eyes of
the public so long as they remained confined to
hired houses. Their principal benefactors during
this first period were the small tradesmen and the
little shops. It seems that Count Lurani at Milan
may have had the intuition of this state of things,
for the Little Sisters were surprised when entering
on February 15, 1882, into the foundation-house to

384 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

perceive a beautiful statue of Saint Joseph placed
on the mantelpiece, and to hear their benefactor
say that he had wished their Holy Protector to
be the first in the house and before them, in order
to obtain everything that was wanted. And it
really was so, for two years later the rich dowry
of a Little Sister and the liberalities of the Lurani
family allowed them to purchase a large garden
situated in the Via Degli Orti, and to commence
a building which public sympathy, henceforth
awakened, took upon itself to accomplish under
excellent conditions. In reality the work of the Little
Sisters of the Poor is loved, appreciated, and pros-
perous in this beautful and important town.

Two years after the foundation of Milan, the
Little Sisters of Turin succeeded in obtaining a
piece of ground situated at Tesoriera, near the
town and in good air, with the Alpine range and
its snowy summits in the distance. The laying
of the first stone gave occasion for an imposing
ceremony under the patronage of His Highness the
Duke of Aosta. On April 28, 1885, on a beautiful
spring afternoon, the crowd of guests came from
the great city and flocked together around a plat-
form surmounted by an elegant tent decorated with
shrubs, flowers, and various foliage. The Duke
had said: ** Instead of taking bread from the poor
we ought to give it to them, therefore I will not
allow this festival to cause the least expense to the
Little Sisters of the Poor. My steward will take
charge of all."

Opposite the platform, and where a good view

IN ITALY 385

could be had, were some benches which the true
proprietors of the establishments — that is to say,
about sixty old people — advancing limpingly from
the omnibuses, came to occupy and adorn with
their venerable presence, under the benevolent
regards of the assembly. Cardinal Alimonda and
the clergy soon appeared on the scene. At four
o'clock the Prince made his entrance, accompanied
by his attendants. He went and talked with the
Little Sisters, took great interest in learning the
number of old people whom they could receive, how
they treated them, and how they could relieve them,
how the subscription was progressing, and what
resources they hoped to have in order to bring the
enterprise to a successful issue. The immediate
preparations being terminated, and the different
authorities having taken their place on the plat-
form, a lawyer devoted to the cause, Mr. Massa,
made a speech which voiced the sentiments of the
assembly. In a heartfelt manner and with great
eloquence, he praised the noble benevolence of the
Sisters, and spoke of the results so sure and so
consoling of the hospitaller work. His Highness
the Duke of Aosta then proceeded to lay the first
stone and cemented it, while a cheerful murmur
arose from the crowd of friends who could not restrain
their pleasure. The Cardinal Archbishop pronounced
the liturgical prayers and gave the blessing. Then
he exhorted the sympathetic assembly to help the
charitable enterprise liberally, assuring them that
offerings so well employed would draw blessings
from heaven on their families.

25

386 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Florence followed the example of Turin and
Milan, and had similar inaugurations : a hired
house, a few poor, assistance from the small trades-
men, and the silent alms of a few good people.
But the Florentine people, seeing the new Sisters
appear, of whom they knew neither the name nor
the work, began to call them by a name full of
artistic meaning, ** Le Madonnine " (the Little
Madonnas). The same thought had already been
expressed in the discourse of Cardinal Alimonda
at Turin: "Look at the Little Sisters, veiled like
the Madonna in their black cloaks!" Here is an
impression to be noted, together with its poetry
and its symbolism. Soon the name of the Little
Sisters of the Poor was known, and it was soon
well known, because it expresses both their religious
title and their social motive. Also the period of
trial soon ceased, because the hospitaller work
touched the heart of the Princess Strozzi, who became
the protector of the new home, and contributed
an important sum for its material development. The
resident strangers, drawn to Florence by the beauty
of the climate and the monuments, joined with the
population in maintaining the benevolent establish-
ment of the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Let us conclude with the foundation at Perugia,
which was owing entirely to the initiative of Pope
Leo XIIL Before his elevation to the Sovereign
Pontificate Mgr. Pecci had been Archbishop of this
diocese, and in memory of this event he wished to
endow the town with a lasting monument of his

IN ITALY 387

solicitude and affection. The Pope fixed his choice
on the work of the Little Sisters of the Poor. He
deigned to purchase a house with a garden in the
town of Perugia, and made a gift of it to the
Little Sisters, inviting them to found there one
of their homes for old people. Receiving them in
audience at the palace of the Vatican on June 16,
the Sovereign Pontiff said to them: "When people
know you, when people see your life of sacrifice,
they will love you at Perugia." On June 18, 1886,
the Little Sisters opened the home. By a remark-
able coincidence the first old man received was
called Peter and the second Paul, as if Providence
had intended to recall the Apostolic souvenir. This
incident interested the Holy Father. A marble slab
placed on the primitive edifice commemorates the
gift and the name of the august donor.

CHAPTER XXXII

IN SPAIN

Sixteen new foundations — Agreement between two similar
works — Procession at Seville — The fleet at Ferrol — The
house of the four saints — Retrospective study.

The number of foundations is steadily increasing
in Spain: Toledo in 1880; Valladolid, Osuna, a
second house in Barcelona in 1881; Ferrol, Carta-
gena, Alicante, Segovia in 1882; Puerto, Santa-
Maria, Ronda in 1883; a second house in Madrid,
Ubeda, Ciudad Real in 1884; Talavera de la Reyna
in 1885; Vals in 1886; Vich in 1888.

We have referred to a similar work organized
in Spain about 1873. Without detracting in the
least from the success, the merit, and the devoted-
ness of these Sisters, without by any means pre-
tending to a monopoly of a branch of charity, it was
nevertheless impossible to prolong this parallelism,
and some settlement must be arrived at. As the
congregations look to the Holy See for their religious
constitutions and their canonical position, it was
therefore at Rome that the question of right must
be treated, and it is there that the matter was sub-
mitted in the name of the Little Sisters of the Poor
by the Rev. Abb6 Lelievre, who presented a formal
document with a paragraph by the Cardinal of
Toledo, the Archbishops of Seville and Barcelona,
thus couched : * ' The name of a community recognized
388

IN SPAIN 389

by the Holy See is for that community a property
to which its honour is attached before the public
both as regards donations and vocations. It is in-
evitable that the existence of two communities bear-
ing the same name, living in the same country,
and consecrating themselves to the same works of
mercy, and living by collecting alms from the
public should cause continual misapprehensions and
conflicts which must ultimately give scandal. At
the cost of great sacrifices, through the visible effect
of Divine protection, and also thanks, we must say,
to the sympathy and efficacious co-operation of our
Lords the Bishops, the Little Sisters of the Poor
count to-day thirty-six establishments in Spain, and
several others at the present time are projected.
Their work prospers in the greatest towns of the
peninsula, especially in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville,
Malaga, Granada. A like case occurred about
twenty years ago in England; the Sacred Con-
gregation obliged the Sisters who had appropriated
the name of "Little Sisters of the Poor" to give
up that name, which they did. And further, the
same congregation in agreement with the metro-
politan authority, ruled subsequently that the Sisters
in question should never form any establishments
in the towns where there was a house of the Little
Sisters of the Poor, and to this they conformed."
Cardinal Moreno then added these few lines :

"According to my knowledge the said religious
are the primitive Little Sisters of the Poor, estab-
lished in this diocese and in other dioceses of Spain,

390 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

and who observe their statutes faithfully, and render
great services to religion and to the State. There-
fore I consider them worthy of the goodwill of the
Holy See, and that it is just and proper that their
rights should be maintained.

" Madrid,

'' December 6, 1881."

The affair, after different stages in Spain and in
Rome, was brought to its official conclusion on
July 13, 1882, at the Apostolic Nunciature of
Madrid as proved by a document entitled : ** Agree-
ment signed by the legal representatives of the in-
stitutes of the Little Sisters of the Poor at Rennes,
and of the Little Sisters of the destitute old people
of Valence," where it is said : " As it is an unchange-
able axiom of the Holy See, in conformity with
the rule of the holy canons and Apostolic constitu-
tions, not to allow two different institutions to bear
the same name or one almost identical, they agree
and determine that the old title of * Hermanitas de
los Pobres,' remaining attached to the Sisters of
the French institute in Spain, the Spanish insti-
tute shall assume the title of * Hermanitas de los
Ancianos desemparados.' " A clause was joined
to this decision in which it was specified that :
" The object of the two institutions being the
same, it is sanctioned for the common advantage
that the custom actually established, which is, that
in the villages, territories, suburbs, and towns, where
houses of the one institute are found, houses of the
other shall not be opened." The said agreement

IN SPAIN 391

was submitted to the approbation of the Sovereign
Pontiff and rendered obligatory in these terms :

"In the audience granted on July 21, 1882, His
Holiness, having fully considered all that is con-
nected with the aforesaid agreement, has approved
and confirmed it, and has ordered the institutions
concerned to observe it exactly for the future, no
pretext forming any justification to the contrary.

"J. Cardinal Ferrieri, Prefect.''

Let us now resume our anecdotes. The house in
Seville had begun very modestly with five women
and two men on March 12, 1878; so that the Feast
of Saint Joseph, which is traditional with the Little
Sisters, found them in all the destitution of a recent
foundation. However, by great exertions, they suc-
ceeded in spreading the table for a feast; they
placed a small table and a trunk together, the two
most important pieces of furniture of the home,
and covered them with white napkins; then some
great ladies made it their pleasure to serve the
meal and to show the old people that they had
protectors.

The capital of Andalusia would not be contented
with an hospice confined between the four walls of
a hired house; so, after twenty-two months of this
provisional state of things and of great activity,
some friends of France and Spain sustained the
little foundresses with their credit, and the Sisters
purchased the large garden of San Benito with its

392 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

thousand feet of orange-trees, its fragrant violets,
and its dwelling-house. They took possession on
June 15, 1880, and, seeing that the General com-
manding the place sent twenty-four soldiers, seven
carts, and the horses of the regiment to help the
Little Sisters to remove their old furniture and their
old men and women, the inauguration had quite a
military character. It was also done religiously, for
on June 27, at six o'clock in the evening, when the
sun set on the horizon and extinguished its burning
fires, the neighbouring church was filled with people,
a brilliant preacher mounted the pulpit and pro-
nounced the eulogy of charity; then the Mayor of
the great town carried the banner of Saint Joseph,
the music sounded its cheerful notes, and the pro-
cession formed and accompanied the Blessed Sacra-
ment to its new dwelling. The imposing procession
entered the garden of San Benito; our Lord, carried
under the canopy, advanced through the orange-
trees and went all round the property to bless it
and make it the chosen dwelling for His poor,
whilst the Archbishop, Mgr. Lluch, happy at this
manifestation of faith and in seeing the happiness
of the old people, stood in the centre of the garden.
The invalids, delighted with what they saw, watched
from the windows of the building and lifted their
hands to Heaven. Benevolence has also its days of
glory and heartfelt joys.

Six years of effort and of temporary measures were
again necessary before the laying of the first stone
of the edifice; six years of accumulation in the
rooms, passages, and store-rooms of service; six

IN SPAIN 393

years of refusal of admission to two-thirds of the
old invalids who asked for places; six years of
prayers to Heaven and of appeals for help. At last,
on June 6, 1886, a new Archbishop accomplished
the liturgical rites before the open trenches, accumu-
lated materials, and squads of workmen were
occupied in laying the first stone. The Captain-
General, the Mayor, and a crowd of the inhabitants
of Seville assisted at the ceremony. This same
year, the learned Cardinal Gonzales rendered this
valuable testimony to the hospitaller work: "We
attest and make known that the pious congregation
of the Little Sisters of the Poor, established in
our archdiocese, has shown itself truly recommend-
able through Christian virtue which the Sisters
practise; but still more through an indefatigable
charity towards the poor, which beautiful example
rightly attracts the admiration and praise of all
men." This eulogy was addressed to the Holy See.
Foundations sometimes have a distant origin, and
the idea, like a river which first runs under the
earth, ends by bursting forth. Now, at the epoch
when the Little Sisters appeared in Spain in 1863,
Sefior Manuel Torrente inhabited Barcelona, and
he had been witness of the first popularity and the
first success of the hospitaller work. Having returned
to Ferrol, his native country, he took pleasure in
explaining how the hospices for old people were
organized and worked on the system of the Little
Sisters of the Poor. He conversed particularly with
Don Victoriano Suancez, Captain-General of the
Navy, and with Don Pedro Diaz de Herrera, com-

394 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

mander of the frigate Almansa, and so effectually
that the three persons came to an agreement, and
resolved to establish the charitable work at Ferrol.
Their demand having been agreed to by the mother-
house, a concert was organized which brought 1,250
pesetas, and covered the expenses of installation.
A house was rented, which was washed like the
deck of a ship by the sailors of the fleet, and
divided into compartments by the carpenters of the
navy. On February 2, 1882, the Little Sisters of
the Poor, the object of all these cares, arrived and
opened the home for old people, not without being
honoured with a first-class serenade, executed by
the bands of the crews of the ships.

The first house at Barcelona had become a vast
hospice, where 325 persons, infirm and poor, found
shelter. However, it was no longer sufficient, and
the refusal which it was continually necessary to
give to the entreaties of so many other old people
ended by touching the hearts of the Little Sisters
so powerfully that it was decided in the counsel
of the congregation to erect a second establishment.
For three weeks the future Superior went about the
streets without finding a convenient place, when,
passing through a street but little frequented, she
saw an open door, and through the door a large
enclosure in which were buildings of an old empty
factory. A child came up, and said: "Do you
want to see my father?" "No, we do not want
to see anyone." "Do you want to visit the
property?" "No, we do not want to visit any-

IN SPAIN 395

thing." One glance was sufficient to perceive the
advantages of the situation. Several friends of the
work interested themselves in the matter, and con-
cluded the purchase, the bank of Barcelona lent half
of the sum, and the owner waited for the other
half. The affair promised well.

The following story reveals the typical Spaniard.
It appeared that the protectors of the first house
were not without anxiety, and that they had given
way to irritation. So that when the good Mother,
after the little unpleasantness, appeared at the house
of the principal benefactor : ** Sister," said the agent
to her, "you are ambitious. You have a house
sufficiently large, beautiful, and complete, enough
mouths to feed, and plenty of trouble to feed them;
that ought to content you." Many others echoed
this sentiment. The good Mother replied that it
was a question of the good of the poor, and that
three times the number it could contain presented
themselves at the large house, that it was impossible
to leave so many poor unhappy people on the street.
Now, some time after, it happened that a rich man
wished to erect a monument in memory of his wife,
and for the purpose, he built at his own expense
the chapel of the second house. Then a neighbour-
ing proprietor made the unconditional gift of 1,500
metres of ground to complete the acquisition and to
render it quite suitable. The old dye works, properly
restored, already sheltered 100 old people.

The home in Madrid counted 316 poor, quite a
population of old people. At the same time the
Sisters were in great want of linen, and it was im-

396 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

possible to meet the requests for admission. What
was to be done? They decided to make a novena,
both for clothing and a second house. Now one
afternoon in January a stranger presented himself,
and said in a decided tone: " How can a cart get
into your place?" They took him to the carriage
entrance, and at his request opened it, and a cart
full of goods entered. It was unloaded, and sixty-
seven pieces of unbleached cotton, forming a total
of 3*7^7 metres, were counted. "Do not shut
the gate yet," said the stranger. Soon a second
cartload appeared, bringing 250 woollen blankets.
There was now no lack of linen and bedding. It
was a person who, at the moment of death, had
thought of the poor and had given orders to carry
this gift to the home for old people.

Having provided for immediate necessities, it was
necessary to provide for a settled home. The Little
Sisters began to examine the suburbs of the capital.
But they said: "Quite unintentionally, we always
found ourselves returning to the quarter of Pro-
speridad." They believed they saw in this a pro-
vidential indication, and as this place is situated
at a sufficient distance from the first house, they
rented a dwelling and installed a new home there,
which was transferred on April 19, 1888, to build-
ings erected on neighbouring grounds. The most
remarkable gifts were 6,000 douros from a Marquis
and a still greater sum from a Canon of Guatemala.

Henceforth there were two homes in Madrid and
in Barcelona. In similar cases the begging Sisters
make a division. They decide on certain boundaries

IN SPAIN 397

of the districts of the town and the environs, then
each group works in the division allotted to it,
without trespassing on that of the others. Charity-
is characterized by method ; it is a friend of order,
of amiability, and of the common good. Bene-
factors, far from being annoyed, are willingly in-
terested in the establishment which receives the poor
of the neighbourhood.

It is impossible to pass by the foundation of
Cartagena in silence, where a dwelling rich in pious
souvenirs was given by the Bishop to the Little
Sisters of the Poor. On November 15, 1882, they
took possession of an antique dwelling, crumbling
with age, where a family of saints, Leander, Ful-
gentius, Isidore, and Florentina had lived in remote
times. God, who saw that this venerable dwelling
was falling into ruins, and was going, perhaps, to
pass to profane uses, destined it for the poor, and
thus, when time finished its work of destruction.
Providence took means to edify in this same place a
complete establishment of benevolence.

The hospitaller institution of the Little Sisters of
the Poor was suitable to the Spanish genius, and
adapted itself to it marvellously, for within a period
of twenty-five years it had founded forty-eight homes
for old people. In this new country it did not
modify in the least its methods of assistance, which
are the old evangelical methods of sacrifice and
devotion, of charity and of providence; but the
result was that in several of these foundations there
was a reproduction of the first days of the little

398 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

family. Let us hasten to draw from actual life, and
to gather these remembrances, before the new
material conditions have succeeded the first and
effaced their traces. The correspondence of a wit-
ness* belonging to both periods has a general retro-
spective interest :

** I have seen a foundation which is as like as
two drops of water to the hrst establishment of the
family. It seemed to me that I saw again Chartres
or Le Mans. My audience consisted of seven Little
Sisters. Our oratory presented this peculiarity that
it had neither doors nor windows, it only borrowed a
little daylight and air from a neighbouring room. I
began by saying to my audience : ' I fancy myself to
be again in one of the houses of the family, such as
they all were twenty-eight years ago.' This com-
parison touched them. * I saw, indeed, at that time
some hne establishments, beginning from that at
Lille in the old brewery.' "

"Here I am at Bethlehem; no other house of
our Sisters represents poverty so well. It shows
everywhere in those large walls without roofs, which
formerly were the dwelling-place of the children of
Saint Francis, in the part of the convent which our
Sisters inhabit with their thirty-two old people, after
having restored it, in the kitchen, in the pantry, in
the linen-room, where three-fourths of the shelves
are empty, in the humble furniture. It belongs
to a past century, like the majority of the in-
habitants; several of these count their age by the

* The Abbe Leli^vre.

IN SPAIN 399

number of years (very few indeed) which they
require to make them centenarians."

" Many people say, * The Little Sisters will not be
able to live here.' Your own question would be,
* Why have they established themselves in these
towns which are neither very large, very rich, nor
much given to charity ?' It is at the feet of the
cradle that I will reply; I shall say what I have
seen. Our Sisters are nowhere so contented or so
perfect in their vocation as in these places; these
little foundations are, perhaps, those where the poor,
though treated very poorly, are the most satisfied.
If there are greater sufferings on the part of the
body, they are compensated with what is given on
the side of the spirit. I was charmed here with the
simplicity with which the good Mother and the
Little Sisters spoke to me about the poverty of their
commencements; they estimate what has been given
to them as treasures, and although in reality all
that they have is scarcely more than nothing, they
speak as if nothing was wanting to them to-day."

"What is there that is not lacking in this house
except virtue? Indeed, what is consoling is that
it is equal to their poverty, that it triumphs over
it, and renders the Sisters cheerful in proportion
to the privations they endure and by the very effect
of these privations. Wealthy people can enrich
their friends, give them gold, silver, and lands;
but God alone can embellish a soul by endowing
it with true virtues, and by makmg it taste con-
tentment in the midst of most painful self-sacrihces.
He, to whom He gives the love of poverty, is at

400 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

once richer than he who has found a gold-mine
in his field; and he, who can see in the events
of this world the hand of God which leads them,
is more clear-sighted than any member of the in-
stitution."

*' It is a true Bethlehem of the family where I
have just spent the last days of this year. I find
there the image of true happiness; cheerfulness
reigns among those old people to an extent which is
found neither in Seville nor amidst the opulence of
Madrid. I do not know what makes them so happy,
and the Little Sisters are as happy as their old
people. The inmates play the guitar and the pande-
retta, or they go to the chapel; they have no more
need to be anxious about the next day than the
little birds to which God gives food, and with that,
they have a contentment which is said to exceed
wealth, and not a truer proverb exists."

'* What is most beautiful in Andalusia is the
virtue, the devotedness and the spirit of self-sacrifice
which animates the Little Sisters, and next, the
gratitude of the poor. They are simple, docile,
contented with little; almost all have profited by
their enforced hardships to practise virtue, and often
they have lacked food. Not one of them, in all the
houses which I have just visited, has made the least
complaint either of the Sisters or of the manage-
ment of the house."

"Barcelona: Last night I was walking in the
moonlight, under the beautiful gallery in the deep
silence of one of the houses, revolving in my mind
its beginning and that of so many others, remember-

IN SPAIN 401

ing all that 1 had just seen in the houses of Spain.
' What a marvel ! ' however, I said to myself ; * and
how blind one must be not to see in it the hand
of God ! ' Tears of devotion rose to my eyes. So
many things which were then projected, so many
others which were not then even projected were
realized in so short a time, little by little, and some
of them at the present time are so perfect."

The historic and retrospective interest which is
attached to this testimony leads one to ask if the
Little Sisters of the Poor have not had several suc-
cessive or progressive methods of doing their work.
The correspondence replies: '*Yes, the very first
had for fundamental law ' necessity ' ; it imitated
God by creating, as it were, something from nothing,
and this lasted until 1852. The second develop-
ment already showed a certain plan : the Sisters
had to contrive to arrange to calculate with re-
sources; they were forced to make much from little.
This latter method still characterizes a great number
of Spanish foundations. The Little Sisters of Italy
and Sicily also possess some masterpieces of the
kind. It prevailed elsewhere in Europe until the
completion of the large Parisian buildings." Then
the work changes to the large homes, with their
hundreds of old people, extensive buildings and
complete hospitaller organization, such as existed
in a great number of houses at the end of the
nineteenth century.

But is it not the same in Nature? Vigorous
shoots pass through a considerable period of growth,

26

402 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

and for a long time the branches as yet are but
feeble and small. However, the plant tends to
realize its complete development without interrup-
tion, and to attain the normal vigour which belongs
to its kind; then it stops, concentrates its forces,
maintains its life, and fulfils the functions which
have been bestowed upon it in the work of creation.
The similitude is reproduced in moral order where
every institution has a certain degree of power and
development to reach, and continues its growth,
until it has suitably realized itself to the needs
of human society.

CHAPTER XXXIII

IN PORTUGAL, GIBRALTAR, AFRICA

Foundation in Lisbon— Situation at Gibraltar— The hills of
Saint Augustine— Cardinal Lavigerie — The Bey of Tunis.

The impulse towards foundations, which we have
just followed in Spain, extended in the west to
Portugal; in the south, to the English possession
of Gibraltar. It corresponded, as we have seen, to a
similar movement in Italy. They both joined along
the coast of the Mediterranean — to the north, by
the houses of France; to the south, by the African
foundations of Oran, Bona, and Tunis. Thus the
hospitaller congregation extended its sphere of action
amongst the people of the Latin race, and marked
its pacific conquests by so many hospices.

The foundation at Lisbon derives considerable
interest from historic circumstances. We know that
in the eighteenth century restrictive laws, inspired
by a feigned philosophical spirit, had brought about
the dispersion of religious orders from the kingdom,
which, in consequence, affected the works and
missions which had so much contributed to the
prestige of the Portuguese name in the world.
Attention having been called to this, there was a
movement in favour of re-establishing these works.
The hospitaller institution of the Little Sisters of the
jPoor appeared to several people particularly fit
:or this design, on account of its modern methods
403

404 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

and its social character; therefore, when Miss de
Miranda raised the question and agreed to defray
the first expenses of the establishment in Lisbon,
the home which was opened on October 20, 1884,
immediately attracted to itself important sym-
pathies.

People began to see the Little Sisters in their
black cloaks in the squares and streets without
exciting any other popular sentiment than admira-
tion for their charity for the aged, which always
appeals to the people. The Governor of the capital
had not been able to authorize the alms-collecting
with official sanction on account of the said laws,
but he had permitted it conditionally; and when
the begging Sisters presented themselves in the
market-place, the solicitor of the feudal lord himself
accompanied them and publicly gave them un-
equivocal marks of protection. The event seemed
to realize the hopes of the project.

The home had been founded six months when
a chamberlain presented himself in the name of the
Sovereigns, bringing several pieces of cloth to clothe
the poor, and inviting the Little Sisters to go to the
palace. The King and Queen gave them a most
kind welcome, and were pleased to hear the account
of the foundation and of the management of the
hospitaller work. Encouraged and supported by
their benefactors, the Little Sisters were in a posi-
tion, scarcely three years after their introduction
into Portugal, to sign a deed of acquisition at Lisbon
which secured the future and the development of
the home for the aged poor.

IN PORTUGAL. GIBRALTAR, AFRICA 405

" The humble Little Sisters of the Poor," wrote
the Patriarch of Lisbon in 1886, " bear in our midst
the fruits of salvation by supporting and spiritually
assisting so many destitute old people. They re-
commend themselves so well by their modesty, their
charity, and their exemplary religion, that they have
been well received by all classes of society; they
have even conciliated the favour and goodwill of
the governing powers."

The house in Gibraltar was opened on December i ,
1883, with a group of Sisters, whom the Superiors
had appointed without troubling much about their
nationality. They were Little Sisters of the Poor;
they had received a sufficient welcome from the
English Governor and the Catholic Bishop; they
had a comfortable lodging; they had poor old
people : what more did they want ? Now, when
Christmas came, they went to the Bishop to tell
him the good news of the foundation and to offer
him their New Year's greetings; but the prelate
appeared to be very preoccupied, and finally he
confessed to them that the Governor of the place
considered that there were too many Sisters of
foreign nationalities. It is right to remember the
position of Gibraltar with respect to Spain and
Europe — facing Africa, armed with fortifications and
cannon, commanding the passage of the seas between
the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean. The
strategical importance of the colony demands that
foreigners, in order to reside there, must be supplied
with an authorization strictly in accordance with the

4o6 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

regulations. Therefore our Little Sisters found them-
selves in presence of a hindrance which was not the
outcome of any personal feeling against them, but
which they had to overcome under penalty of fail-
ing in their enterprise. The affair was referred to
London.

The temporary permission to reside there had just
expired. The authorities of the place, applying the
common right, notified that two Sisters had to leave
the possession without delay. Sadly they went to
bid their farewell to the Bishop. The prelate
listened to their complaints, but immediately with
a joyful air he cried out: "Well, none of you will
leave. I have just received from the Government
in London the authorization for the residence of
six Sisters who are not English, and still more — the
authorization for the collection of charities in the
colony." The obstacle had only served to advance
the cause.

Let us cross the Strait of Gibraltar and watch the
birth of the three houses at Oran, Bona, and Tunis
under the French flag, among the mixed popula-
tions of Arabs, Maltese, Italians, Spaniards, and
French, who in time will blend together and will
add to ethnographical science.

Algiers had become a prosperous asylum. The old
Moorish house was transformed into a European
establishment where old people succeed one another
without leaving vacant places. Wave follows wave,
the candidate who desires to enter replaces him who
disappears, conducing at the same time to the joy

IN PORTUGAL, GIBRALTAR, AFRICA 407

of success and forgetfulness of the loss which has
caused it. It happened at the beginning of the
year 1885 that the Little Begging Sisters passed
into the neighbouring province, and for this purpose
solicited the authorization of the Bishop of Oran.
** But why do you not establish yourself at Oran?"
asked the prelate. "Why do you not come to
Oran?" many persons asked. The response was
not awaited along ; the following April the home
was opened.

The hill of Hippone had remained deserted for
centuries, and was covered with ruins. Mgr. Lavi-
gerie wished to restore there the worship of Saint
Augustine by raising a basilica and grouping works
around it. One of these works ought to represent
charity, and the pioximity of the town of Bona
permitting it, this work was confided to the Little
Sisters of the Poor, who have the rule of the Holy
Patriarch as the foundation of their constitutions.
After making a beginning at Bona in a hired house,
they established themselves at Hippone even before
the erection of the sarctuary, on the portion of
the hill which they had acquired, and contributed
more greatly to the re-establishment of the homage
paid the great doctor, in he place where his glory
had shone over the West.

The home for the old pecple at Tunis was begun
on January 10, 1882, in two Arabian houses consist-
ing of twenty-three apartment,, without upper stories,
and opening on the yard, ^n the immense agglo-
meration of inhabitants, the luropeans were in the
minority; thus the Little Sisers had to come in

4o8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

contact with Christians, Jews, and Mohammedans,
principally in the markets and various shops. The
foundation was laborious.

Cardinal Lavigerie rendered this testimony to
the Little Sisters of the Poor in 1886: "Every-
where this society causes the name of our Lord and
Catholic charity to be blessed. Everywhere it sets
the example of the purest virtue, and does honour to
the Christian name. I see it in the inndel districts
where, having had myself the consolation of procur-
ing the foundation of three of its establishments — at
Algiers, Tunis, Hippone, near the tomb of Saint
Augustine — I am the witness of the profound im-
pression produced on all, even on the Mohammedans,
at the sight of such touching charity and humility."

In 1883 the house at Tunis was established at the
extremity of the great Arabiar town, but there was
no water-supply for the home. The director of the
waterworks was a native General living at Hemma-
el-if. The Little Sisters paid him a visit. They
perceived that they had forgotten to procure a letter
of recommendation, and apologized for the over-
sight. "Ladies," said the Arab, looking at them,
"why a letter of recomfiendation ? Your habit,
does not that suffice?" He said that he would
take measures for them :o have water gratuitously,
and some time after tha Minister of France trans-
mitted them the solicited Act of concession.

But in making a vijit to the General, the Little
Sisters learned that tte former Minister of the Bey
lived in the place and that he was charitable. They
at once thought of tsking him for a subscription.

IN PORTUGAL, GIBRALTAR. AFRICA 409

and presented themselves at his palace. The ser-
vants, knowing neither French nor Italian, were
puzzled to know what these Sisters wanted, went
to fetch an Arab who spoke French. They explain
what the work is, and make their request ; he repeats
it to the others. These put their hand to their
heart and then raised it towards heaven, which is a
mark of profound respect amongst them. They then
sat down near the Little Sisters to consider the
European "marabouts"* from head to foot whilst
the interpreter was transmitting the account to the
Minister. A negro arrives with two cups of coffee
on a silver tray, saying, "Bono, bono." As the
Sisters did not accept it, the interpreter said that
the " marabouts " were keeping Lent. The Minister
sent 100 piastres.

Five years after their arrival m Tunis the Little
Sisters of the Poor obtained an audience of the Bey,
who previously had sent an offering to the home for
old people. On the said day, the first interpreter of
the palace came to receive the two Little Sisters, and
introduced them into the saloon where His Excel-
lence the Bey of Tunis was. The Prince rose and
saluted them with great respect; then he expressed
with a gesture his satisfaction at receiving the
Sisters, and he said, through the intervention of his
interpreter, that he appreciated their work, princi-
pally because it made no distinction, but was in-
terested in all unfortunate old people. He promised
that he would give 500 piastres towards the develop-

* The name given to the Mohammedan saints, especially
to those who claimed to work miracles.

4IO THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

ment of their hospice in his capital. Such acts have
a moral bearing which exceeds the value of the
actual benefit, because they affect the opinion of
the people and bear witness to the tolerance or
approbation of the Government.

CHAPTER XXXIV

IN EUROPE

Twenty-eight new foundations — The Empress of Germany
at the home at Strasbourg — The Duke of Norfolk,
benefactor of Sheffield — The Canon of Dublin — Some
types of priests.

Returning to Europe and going towards the north
we find : In France seventeen new foundations — Auch
in 1876; Rive-de-Gier, Saintes, Armentieres, Vienne,
in 1877; the third house in Lyon, Carcassonne,
in 1879; the second house in Lille in 1880; Biarritz
in 1883; Evreux, Granville, Elbeuf, in 1885; the
second house in Marseilles, Fourmies, in 1885;
Alen^on in 1886; Aix, Paris (Levallois-Perret), in
1888. In Belgium two new foundations: the second
house in Brussels (Anderlecht) in 1881 ; Verriers in
1883. In the United Kingdom nine new foundations :
Brighton, a second house at Liverpool, Carlisle in
1880, Preston in 1881, Sheffield and Sunderland
in 1882 (England); Dublin in 1881 (Ireland);
Greenock in 1884 (Scotland); St. Helier in 1886
(Jersey). It is no longer possible for some time past
to follow the hospitaller institution in the rapidity
of its development. We are obliged merely to
enumerate the foundations. But number has also
its interest and its eloquence — above all, when it
represents so many new centres of charity.

Two Sovereigns at this period gave marks of
411

412 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

interest in the work for the aged poor. On
September 20, 1879, the Empress of Germany,
accompanied by the Prefect and Mayor of Stras-
bourg, visited the estabhshment in that town. The
Little Sisters and their old people in their Sunday
apparel grouped in the yard, gave them a hearty
welcome. The oldest woman presented a bouquet
to the Sovereign, and in her great simplicity
addressed some words of gratitude for this visit
paid to the poor. The Empress for a long time
regarded the hoary heads with their calm and con-
tented faces of these poor people, sheltered hence-
forth from the storms of fortune and passion, these
invalids maternally nursed in their incurable in-
firmities; then, remembering their past sufferings,
she said, quoting the Bible, "Here is my place of
refuge." After having visited the different hos-
pitaller services, she commented on the cleanliness
and simplicity of the apartments, compared this
kind of assistance with that of civil administration,
and contemplated another genius of charity in
action, Her Majesty deigned to shake hands with
every Little Sister, and said to them: "May God
abundantly bless you — you and your work!" She
left an offering for the needs of the home.

The sunny seashores of the South see the visitors
from all parts return every winter, desirous to escape
snow and hoar-frost, and to find again the tem-
perature and vegetation of spring. Her Majesty
Victoria, Queen of Great Britain and Empress of
India, having come to spend a season at Biarritz
with her retinue and a numerous household, deigned

IN EUROPE 413

to allow the begging Sisters of that town to receive
the remains of food from the royal kitchen to feed
their old people; and she inquired by the Princess
Royal, who visited the home, if every day the Little
Sisters of the Poor obtained these alms from the
villa.

In England, the Duke of Norfolk placed him-
self in the first rank of the benefactors of the house
at Sheffield by giving a well-situated plot of ground
of convenient size to the Little Sisters of the Poor
in full property, for them to place and develop there
the home for poor old people, with the free co-
operation of the inhabitants of that industrious and
great city.

The material and religious situation of the Little
Sisters was considerably improved in the great
centres of England and Scotland ; thus the establish-
ment at Plymouth emerged from its long provisional
state, and was developed with success on the heights
which dominate the town and the port, whilst several
foundations of recent date recalled the early efforts
— for example, at Carlisle, where the Little Sisters
of the Poor were the first religious to establish
themselves in the place since the Reformation.

In Liverpool Bishop O'Reilly, in blessing the first
stone of the establishment of Belmont Grove, made
this declaration before the public : ' ' The Little
Sisters of the Poor have presented themselves here,
as elsewhere, without introduction, without money,
without other resources than Divine Providence;
but they were full of faith and confidence, and

414 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

God blessed their efforts." On August i6, 1880,
when they took possession with their old people
along with a group of newcomers, the Bishop
declared to them that one single establishment of
that kind could not suffice for an agglomeration so
extended and commercial as Liverpool; consequently
it was necessary to begin a second home in the
premises which they were about to leave. Seven
old women consented to remain there to form the
core; other Little Sisters arrived as reinforcements,
and now old people filled the recently emptied
house.

About the same epoch in 1881, the work was
begun in Dublin, the capital of Ireland. They began
in a hired house; two years later they bought in
a suburb a field planted with cabbage, without
fence or hedge, on the roadside. It was a question
of building, but money was wanted. On December
6, 1883, an ecclesiastic presented himself; his violet
band showed him to be a Canon, his old-fashioned
gaiters and his large well-worn cloak showed his
great age and small fortune. "I bring you," he
said to the Little Sisters, *' two parcels of old
clothes. I do not know if they will be useful to
you. Different things are inside — coats, linen,
gloves, ties, etc." " Everything will certainly be
of use to us," said the Little Sister, although the
sight of the little parcel did not give them any
desire to open it. The priest asked to see the
Superior. "Tell her a priest wants to speak to
her, but do not press her; I can wait very well
until your prayers are finished" (for it was during

IN EUROPE 415

the office of Vespers). A short time after the good
Mother and the Sister-Assistant arrived. He asked
if she was really the Superior, then her name, and
the name of the Sister-Assistant, and he repeated
those names; he enumerated the objects which he
brought, and he wished them to open the parcel
which he unfolded piece by piece, saying: "I fear
this will be of no use; if anything does not seem
useful, tell me, and I shall take it away with me.
Look at this waistcoat ; how it is worn ! you can
do nothing with it." They always replied: "We
will mend them; all will be useful." His manner
seemed very strange. At last they stopped the
questions by saying with cheerfulness : ' ' No, you
wiil carry away nothing;" and they closed the
parcel. The unknown priest appeared satisfied.

He then put some questions as to the building-
place price, and what they had in hand. They ex-
plained that the part to build would cost i^5,ooo,
and how they had in prospect some hundreds of
pounds and Providence. He passes from one subject
to another, questioned on the number of old people,
conditions of admission, means of existence; he
repeated the same questions two or there times.
They could not imagine whence he came. At last
they proposed he should visit the home. In the
men's room he was recognized by one old man,

who said: "That is the Reverend Canon P ."

Amongst the women several called him by his name,
gathered round him, and reminded him of their
young days when he was already a priest at the
cathedral. In the kitchen he appeared greatly

4i6 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

interested in the regime of the old people; he found
them happy. After two hours had passed by, he
went towards the door, after having renewed his
questions concerning the building and the funds.

The following day, when they were serving the
dinner for the old people, the Canon reappeared.
He was better dressed. He asked by name for
the good Mother and the Little Sister-Assistant.
They both entered. He seemed quite happy, and
asked them to repeat their names, and the informa-
tion of the previous day. At last he said to them
with a thoughtful look: "I will give you some
money. Will you be satisfied if I give you ;^ioo?"
" Oh, Father, it is Saint Joseph who sends you."
"Well," said the venerable old man with emotion,
"I will give you, wherewith to build your house,
;^5,ooo." Their eyes were full of tears. The two
Little Sisters fell on their knees. *' Thanks be to
God !" The priest prostrated himself also, and with
a loud voice cried out : " Te Deum laudamus.'' . . .
The three voices joined in reciting the hymn, which
expressed so deeply the keen sentiments of the
gratitude of the soul. Arrived at the words, ''In
te domifie speraviy^ the good old priest raised his
eyes with an ineffable expression. He repeated three
times that verse, and then said in English: "In
Thee, O Lord, do I put my trust, and I shall never
be confounded."

He stood up and said, " You are happy to receive
it, I to give it. This money is in the bank : will
you come there?" The two Little Sisters took their
mantles and with the good old Canon entered the

IN EUROPE 417

carriage which was waiting for him at the door.
Not a word was spoken on the way, but what
sentiments filled the soul ! The carriage stopped.
** My lawyer lives here." The Sisters were shown
into the office. " Sir, these are the ladies to whom
I want to transmit i^5,ooo." Then he filled in the
cheque in the name of the Superior and gave it to
her. They went then to the bank, which was quite
near ; the lawyer prepared a receipt ; in a few minutes
all was arranged. " Not a word in the papers,"
said the good Canon. They returned to the house
under the deep impression of this interposition of
Providence, and all the Little Sisters of the Poor
were moved to the depth of their souls.

At this period we find a number of facts which
can be put together like pieces of mosaic so as to
form a picture, which will illustrate the work of
the Little Sisters of the Poor. Twenty years before
the foundation of Rive-de-Gier was accomplished,
an excellent family had desired to have a home for
the old coal-heavers and workmen of the foundries
and glass-works; but the difficulties of execution
increasing, that family went to consult the Cure
d'Ars, whose reputation for holiness was well estab-
lished. The holy priest replied prophetically : ** No,
you will not have the Little Sisters of the Poor now.
Begin, all the same: they will come later." Then,
drawing out of his pocket a piece of five francs in
silver, he gave it to them, saying: "Here is an
alms for the time when the Little Sisters of the
Poor will come." Twenty years passed by. At

27

4i8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

last, on March 26, 1877, the Little Sisters arrived
and took possession of the little establishment, which
contained forty-one poor. The piece of five francs
had been religiously preserved. As one can imagine,
everything was not according to the simple customs
of the congregation, especially the chapel with its
stained-glass windows, its marble and decorated
objects; but the donors, placing the traditions of the
Little Sisters above their particular ideas, arranged
a wooden altar without delay, brass communion-
rails, and plain windows. When we see people of
the world suppressing all their objections, and im-
posing upon themselves onerous changes in order
to protect the poverty and simplicity of the Little
Sisters of the Poor, how could the latter do less or
allow their traditions to be altered?

The brother alms-gatherer of the Capuchin Fathers
was the promoter of the foundation at Carcassonne,
and no doubt he considered the two works related
in Saint Francis. He succeeded in collecting
together 13,000 francs, gaining over to the scheme
Mgr. Billard, who consented to be the depositary
of the sum, and to obtain civil authorization. On
November 14, 1879, the Little Sisters arrived at
Carcassonne, and Brother Theotime was waiting
for them at the house while preparing the meal.
This was not the usual scarcity; the good Brother,
authorized by his Superiors, had given himself
much trouble. There were eighteen iron beds with
mattresses filled with straw, twelve new mattresses,
thirty-six grey woollen blankets, eighteen pairs of
sheets, dusters, napkins, and two tablecloths; there

IN EUROPE

419

were two large tables with twelve drawers each,
eighty new large chairs, two small tables, a cup-
board, some utensils, some dishes, a quantity of
coal and potatoes, a kitchen stove; the chapel was
prepared with a simple altar in new wood, the
statues of the holy protectors, and six benches. On
November 21 a Vicar-General of the diocese came
to bless the humble chapel and to celebrate there
the first Mass; Brother Theotime had the joy of
serving his Mass.

The same year at Auch : ' ' When they were still in
the temporary chapel, a seminarist served the Mass of
the poor for a director of the great seminary. During
Mass he felt quite moved in his soul through the
prayers, singing, and sweet piety of the Little Sisters
who presented themselves for Communion, and the
poor old people who joined in, as well as they could,
in their acts of devotion. ' I should like,' said he in
going out, ' to be associated some day with the
religious service of this house.' " Having become
voluntary chaplain to the home, while doing his
work at the seminary and at the Archbishop's
house, he made more than one appeal in the Semaine
Religieuse of the diocese to help the enterprise. A
gallery having been erected in the first floor of the
home, he hastened to make this first amelioration in
the dwelling of the infirm known to his readers in
these compassionate terms : ' * These poor people who
have not gone out for several years have during
this winter been wheeled in their arm-chairs to the
gallery, and there they enjoy the least ray of sun
sent by the good God to their benumbed limbs.

420 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

What a joy for the poor infirm to be placed in the
open air, to inhale the first breezes of the spring, to
see the country and the town, the blue sky and the
mountains, to watch those who pass in the garden,
and address them with a word or a smile. It is like
new life for these poor people, formerly exiled in the
infirmaries."

Then it was the turn of the chapel. " There is,"
he wrote, " at the house of the Little Sisters of the
Poor, on the first floor, a special category of old
people — the infirm. These are the dearest children
of the family. The whitest beds and the softest
pillow-cases are conspicuous in their dormitory. The
best bits of the collection are for them, the first
strawberries in the garden — all the nicest things.
But still, our poor folks are very much to be pitied.
They do not enjoy any of the ceremonies at the
chapel. For some time past they have been so
troubled about it that they have put their great
protector. Saint Joseph, to build a chapel with a
gallery, so that their invalid chairs could be wheeled
into it. In the infirmary of the men and the women
the statue of Saint Joseph has its pedestal en-
cumbered with these two significant ornaments, until
a new order comes, a stone and a goblet full of sand.
Above this inscription is found : * Good Saint Joseph,
give us, if you please, a chapel, in order that we
may have Mass on Sunday.' " The chapel has
been made, as everything is done by the Little
Sisters, with offerings of various degrees and with
patient waiting.

One evening in November, 1885, a Vicar-General

IN EUROPE 42Z

of Paris, who in 1871 had been one of the hostages
of the Commune at the Roquette, presented himself
at the establishment in the avenue of Breteuil. " My
Little Sisters, I have just made my retreat, and I
have taken the resolution to be your chaplain. I
come to offer myself : will you have me?" He loved
this work, which reminded him of the Hotels-Dieu
of the Middle Ages, where religion placed its sweet-
ness and balm in all wounds, physical and moral,
without the Sisters being hindered by irreligious or
materialistic administrations, as it happens sometimes
in the large hospitals under pretext of neutrality.
Liberty for that which is good, is it not supremely
desirable, and does it not form part of the conscience
of Christian nations?

A true friendship was quickly established between
a similar chaplain and his little parish. There he
did everything for everybody : the Vicar-General
became Father Little (his name "Petit" means
"Little"), as he loved to hear himself called.
Cardinal Guibert, who favoured this work of sacer-
dotal zeal, having just died, the Rev. Petit arranged
that the old people who had come from the six
houses in Paris to be present at the funeral, entered
the court of honour by the side of deputies and
Senators, and then followed the hearse. The crowd,
seeing them pass, impressed with their worthy and
honest appearance, asked : * * Who are those fine
old people?" People heard the superintendent of
the funeral procession say: "Let the old people of
the Little Sisters of the Poor pass ; it is the adopted
family of the Cardinal!" The Vicar-General died

422 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

in his turn, and Cardinal Richard wrote to the
clergy of the diocese: "There is a work which in
the last years of his life seems to have been the
object of his predilection, that of the Little Sisters
of the Poor. He watched with a tender solicitude
over all their cares; it was good to see him in the
midst of old people; his sacerdotal charity over-
flowed towards them. He loved them and was loved
by them. Every morning he celebrated Holy Mass
there; he heard the confessions of the old people.
This was his sweetest and last rest."

It was the same at Rennes, where the Rev. Peter
Roche, the model of chaplains for aged poor by his
lively faith, compassionate kindness, and life, entirely
consecrated himself to this humble and consoling
ministry. No doubt he had generally to do with
simple old people who had led a peaceful life and
who had a foundation of religion easy to cultivate;
there were even a good number of these poor people
who showed their devotion by frequently approach-
ing the Sacraments and living united to God. But
it is not always thus, and several among the 300
old people who inhabit the home have passed an
existence more or less cosmopolitan. Besides, there
are troubles which are only told to the priest,
and which the Sisters themselves are powerless to
relieve; they are the crises of the soul and of
conscience which, for a long time restrained or
trodden down, end by breaking forth, and which
operate a moral transformation. He excelled in
calling them forth. One day, when his ministry
had called him to the infirmary of the men to a

IN EUROPE 423

dying man, another old man who had travelled the
world over and was gloomily ending his days
suddenly cried out to him: "I want to die like
a dog!" The good priest stopped, and replied
firmly and gently: "No one dies like that here.
I will make it my business to restore to you the
honour of which you want to deprive yourself, and
I hope that you will die like a Christian." Strangely
enough, these words effected a reconciliation on the
spot between the old man and the priest, who ex-
changed some good words and a shake of the hand.
As soon as he had recovered, he came down from
the in&rmary and went himself to the priest at the
presbytery; he confided his life to him, and the
chaplain joyfully placed the old man on the way
to heaven.

On July 3, 1889, Rev. Ernest Lelievre terminated
his providential mission in favour of the old people,
and died the death of the righteous at La Tour
Saint-Joseph after a devoted and indefatigable
ministry in the service of the Little Sisters of the
Poor. His works related in the course of this
history are his eulogy and his true monument. The
hospitaller family counted about thirty houses when he
associated himself to it; it counted 260 establish-
ments when he died. He had been the witness and
one of the principal instruments of this marvel.*

* The Rev. Lelievre and the Rev. Roche, who died on
May 16, 1893, united in life and in death, repose side by
side in the cemetery of La Tour Saint-Joseph.

CHAPTER XXXV

THE CONGREGATION

Change in the method of government — Plurality of novitiates
— Provincial establishments — Mission of auxiliary priests
terminated — General Chapter — The Directory.

The hospitaller family, constituted by the associa-
tion of some workwomen with the help of a young
priest at Saint-Servan, raised to the dignity of a
congregation through the approbation of the Bishop
of Rennes and of the Holy Apostolic See, received
with sympathy by the people as an invention in the
domain of charity and a social work, had sown
the world with homes for the aged poor. It counted
260 of them, and had existed for half a century,
when the Holy Apostolic See, the organ of provi-
dential designs, judged the time opportune to admit
the hospitaller congregation to the regime of the
common law, by assimilating its government in every-
thing to that of the great religious congregations.
It has been seen in the course of this history that
the hospitaller work of the Little Sisters of the Poor
had been recognized and approved by the civil
governments and by the Church as a congregation
with a Mother Superior-General and having its
autonomy. However, considering the important
part which he had taken in its foundation and
developments, the Rev. Le Pailleur had been main-

424

THE CONGREGATION 425

tained as promoter of the institute at the good
pleasure of the Holy See. On May 11, 1890, his
functions came to an end, either on account of the
general measure which attached all authority to the
Mother-General and her council, or on account of
his great age of seventy-eight years. " I consider
as terminated," he wrote on the date of June 11,
** the work which God had given me to accomplish,
and I have the assurance of doing His will in
devoting what it shall please Him to grant me of
life, to preparing myself in retreat and in prayer
for my death and for eternity." Five years later,
on December 20, 1895, he died in Rome, the chosen
place of his retreat, in a religious community con-
secrated to the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament,
having realized the programme traced in the pre-
ceding lines, after having appointed as testamentary
executor his friend and counsel, Mr. Dorange, lawyer
at Rennes, and having been fortified with the Sacra-
ments of the Church. He reposes in the Campo
Santo, in the vault of the Little Sisters of the
Poor.

Up to this time the congregation had had one
single house for novices, annexed to the mother-
house at La Tour Saint-Joseph in France. On
August 26, 1 89 1, the establishment of several houses
for novices was decreed in order to favour vocations,
diminish journeys, and give a more personal forma-
tion to the novices. Three new houses for novices
for the complete training of subjects were thus
established in Italy, Belgium, and Spain. After the

426 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

preparatory period they were definitely placed : the
first at Marino, near Rome, in May 1893; the second
in Antwerp in July, 1893; the third in Madrid in
February, 1897. Besides, a fifth novitiate had also
been commenced at Brooklyn in the United States
in October, 1892. This organization, which was
of the greatest importance for the future of the con-
gregation, took several years to instal, but was con-
ducted successfully. The formation is the same
there; the type of the Little Sisters of the Poor has
been preserved, and the young Sisters from these
novitiates easily amalgamate with those previously
established in the different houses for hospitaller
Sisters.

The division of the society into "Provinces'*
followed the establishment of the various novitiates.
Until this time the prodigious movement of founda-
tions in the five parts of the world, and the necessity
of constant removal, had absorbed the living forces
of the congregation; at last the time had come to
group the houses into a certain number of provinces,
to fix the provincial government, and assure the
regular visitation of these houses. Consequently it
was necessary to settle the hierarchy of authorities,
their mode of election, and their constitutional
attributes in all degrees. The organization, put to
trial in 1894, ended definitely in 1898, from which
time it takes its place in the constitutions.

From the results obtained, a guarantee of religious
stability was recognized in these arrangements, and
all idea of experiments progressively made room for
stability. Is the history of the constitutions of the

THE CONGREGATION 427

Little Sisters of the Poor, beginning from Saint-
Servan and from Rennes, anything but a continua-
tion of providential developments and so many stages
of the blessing of Heaven ?

Two personages — Cardinal Place, Archbishop of
Rennes, assisted by his Vicar-General, Rev. Dela-
fosse, from 1890 to 1892, and the Rev. Father
Desurmont, Redemptorist, from 1892, to 1896 —
successively had the direction of these important
measures as Apostolic delegates. This was a tem-
porary mission. Some time before his death, Cardinal
Place wrote: "The Institution of the Little Sisters
of the Poor, so marvellously blessed by God, of
whom it is visibly the work, is the honour of the
Church and of the Diocese of Rennes. Since my
arrival at Rennes, the Little Sisters have been,
and have not since then ceased to be, one of the
dearest and most constant objects of my interest
and my solicitude. I have followed my own bent
and fulfilled my duty in striving to give them,
especially after the Rev. Le Pailleur left, all the
marks of devotedness in my power." Presiding
on March 8, 1893, in the principal courtyard of
the novitiate at La Tour Saint-Joseph, at the in-
auguration of a statue of the Sacred Heart, a gift
of his most eminent predecessor, the Rev. Father
Desurmont explained the programme of his aposto-
late. We quote from his address :

* ' Why do we solemnly consecrate you and your
institution to the Heart of Jesus ? Because you must
have Divine love for the life of your life. Now, the

428 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Heart of Jesus is the sanctuary and the source of
this holy charity.

"Let us remark that all human societies have a
share of love which is proper to them. Families
have the mutual affection between parents and
children; native countries have the ordinary love
for all fellow-countrymen. All these kinds of love
are so many treasures. But there is a love which
surpasses all : it is Divine love, and that love is
called charity.

''All human souls, all human lawful associations,
are made to love God. But there are privileged
creatures who are specially called to this celestial
virtue. These are the religious. Where is the
place of the Little Sisters in this kingdom of charity ?
One can say, without any exaggeration, the Little
Sister is, by her position and vocation, a privileged
daughter of Divine charity. Enter the abode of
the Little Sisters, in that order so far from nature;
it appears to you to be a sacrifice which could
have no other principle than pure love for God
and His creatures. Thus the wish to live and
to die in this holy love has been, as it were, the
true spiritual dowry which you have brought to
religion. There, my Sisters, there is your vocation
such as God has made it, and such as you feel it
in your souls when you sound their depths, because
within the depths of your souls one word re-echoes :
God ! God for me and for my poor ! But if this
word makes heaven rejoice, where all is charity, it
makes hell tremble, where all is hatred. On one
side, the Holy Spirit has preserved for you an in-

THE CONGREGATION 429

destructible attraction for pure Divine love; but on
the other hand, the genius of evil will ever strive to
destroy in you true love or to corrupt it.

** What if this kind of devotion to the Sacred
Heart expands among you — what will the result be
for the Little Family, for your old people, and for
yourselves? The result will be that our Lord, pro-
foundly touched, will more and more decide to
choose you as the objects of His great mercy ; that,
thanks to the spirit of charity which will increase in
your souls, those of your old people will be, by the
very fact, more nourished by the good God; that
the number of holy daughters, women, and virtuous
religious will increase among you ; that Divine Provi-
dence will take all your interests more and more in
hand, spiritual above all; that at last (and this is
the essential), God and Jesus Christ, His Son, will
be contented in the midst of you as well as His
Holy Mother, and when God is pleased with us we
can desire nothing more."*

Two Sisters from "the small beginnings" were
at the head of the congregation, Marie and Eulalie
Jamet; the first as Superior-General, the second as
first Assistant-General. Both ended their lives in

* The Semaine Religetise at Rennes has thus mentioned
his death : " The Redemptorist Fathers have just had the
grief to lose their Superior-Provincial, the Very Rev. Father
Desurmont. During long years he occupied important
offices in the institution, and was honoured with the special
confidence of the Holy See. He preached numerous eccle-
siastical retreats with a success to which the clergy has
rendered unanimous homage. He died at Thiery-en-Valois,
on July 23, 1898, in his seventieth year."

430 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

directing the Little Sisters in providential ways,
under the direction of the holy Church. They both
died in the mother-house during the year 1893 in
deep sentiments of religion, the good Mother Mane
de la Conception on January 20, at the age of sixty-
eight, the good Mother Mane Augustine de la Com-
passion on September 19, at the age of seventy-
three. They rejoined their companions of the early
days in the humble and peaceful little cemetery of
La Tour Saint-Joseph; the five first Little Sisters
of the Poor, foundresses in common of the hospitaller
work, repose there in the same line, leaving to those
who follow beautiful examples of humility, devoted-
ness, moral force and absolute faith in Providence.
On account of the important part which she had
taken in the foundation and development of the
charitable institutions, the good Mother Marie
Augustine de la Compassion had been Superior of
the congregation for fifty years (1843-1893). The
good Mother Augustine de St. Andre succeeded
her with the title of Vicar-General (1893- 1899), and
assisted with all her power the action of the Holy
Apostolic See to maintain the institution in its
hospitaller way and to complete its legislation. In
her person, the Academy of Moral and Political
Sciences of Paris awarded to the Little Sisters of
the Poor on March 5, 1898, the prize AudifTred of
the value of 15,000 francs, marking by this official
act the interest which France has not ceased to
bear towards the work for the aged poor. On
February 5, 1899, Pope Leo XIII gave an audience
to the good Mother Augustine de Saint Andre to
bless the congregation and to express in a very

THE CONGREGATION 431

fatherly manner his satisfaction that the revision
of the constitutions (May 6, 1898) was an accom-
plished fact, on the basis of the common law.

In the course of this history it has been seen that
the hospitaller association had had several auxiliary
priests, as much for the benefit of the poor as for
that of the Sisters. In putting an end to their
mission the Holy See was pleased to render this
testimony : * * The few secular priests who have
agreed voluntarily to lend their assistance to your
congregation in its period of formation, with the
double assent of their diocesan Ordinary and of that
of the diocese where their ministry was exercised,
have given proof of a devotedness above all praise,
so generous was it, so constant, so disinterested,
so clear-sighted, and so conformable to the solid
maxims of the religious life. Now that the said
congregation through Divine mercy has happily
emerged from its lirst period, and has its complete
organization, and received a direction from the Holy
See as paternal as attentive, these worthy priests
have full liberty to resume in their respective dioceses
such ministries as their Ordinary shall judge it to
be his duty to confide to them, as better proportioned
to their forces, experience, and aptitude. — ROME,
August 19, 1896."

On September 8, 1899, the Chapter-General of the
congregation — which has for object: (i) the election
of the Superior-General, of the six Mothers-Assistant,
and of the Mothers-Provincial; (2) the regulation
of important affairs of the congregation — was held

432 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

at La Tour Saint-Joseph, Mother-House of the
institute, under the presidency of His Eminence
Cardinal Laboure,* Archbishop of Rennes, assisted
by the Very Rev. Durusselle, his Vicar-General, in
the name of the Holy Apostolic See.

In the Chapter of the Order the following assisted
and voted: (i) the Mothers- Assistant, whose ofhce
was just expiring; (2) the Mothers-Provincial, also
retiring from office; (3) a Sister delegated from each
province and elected by the good Mothers of that
province. The convocations and the preparatory
prayers being terminated, the most eminent President
opened the Chapter and exhorted the " Capitulars"
to elect a Superior-General endowed with prudence
and firmness, having the fear of God, and capable
of rendering service to the congregation. The
Superior-General, according to the constitutions,
is endowed with the principal authority to govern
and administer the congregation conformably to the
rule and the constitutions of the Order. The duration
of her charge is six years.

The result of the votes being ascertained, Sister

* Previously being Bishop of Le Mans, Mgr. Labour^ had
sent in 1886 this benevolent attestation to Rome. " The
Little Sisters of the Poor were established at Le Mans in
1854, and since that time they have been the edification of
the clergy and faithful of the town and of the diocese by
their excellent religious spirit, and by the admirable devoted-
ness which they have shown in the relief of the poor old
people received in their homes. These old people of both
sexes have found by these Sisters, not only material and
corporal assistance, but what is more precious, the benefit
of a Christian life and almost always a holy death."

THE CONGREGATION 433

Therese de la Conception was declared elected
Superior-General. She was re-elected at the next
Chapter held at La Tour Saint-Joseph, August,
1905.

The Chapter proceeded afterwards to the choice
of six Assistants-General. The one who is elected
first has the title of First Assistant, and performs
the functions of Vicar-General and takes the place of
the Superior when the latter is absent ; the Second
Assistant is Vicar-Local of the good Mother-General,
and in this quality has the charge of the mother-
house; the third has the attributes of General
Stewardess; the three others are employed either
as secretaries or for the common good. The six
good Mothers-Assistant form the Council-General
of the congregation, under the presidency of the
Superior of the institute.

The central government being thus constituted,
and the names having been proclaimed, they pro-
ceeded to the election of the good Mothers-Provincial.
The provinces were eighteen in number, namely —
In France, Paris, Marseilles, Lyons, Bordeaux,
Lille, Rennes; in Belgium, Brussels; in Italy;
Rome; in Spain, Madrid, Barcelona, Seville; in
the British Empire, London, Dublin; in North
America, Brooklyn (New York), Chicago; in South
America, Valparaiso ; in Asia, Colombo ; in Oceania,
Sydney.

The elections having been ratified by the eccle-
siastical authority, the good Mothers-Assistant and
Provincials having been formally voted in the
Chapter proceeded to the deliberations which con-

28

434 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

cern the greater affairs of the institute. The hos-
pitaller congregation of the Little Sisters of the
Poor, every six years, thus obtains a regular govern-
ment; it is directly connected with the Holy See by
a Cardinal-Protector, designated by the Sovereign
Pontiff.

We have seen in the course of this history how
the Directory was being drawn up. The fruit of
the experience of half a century, proved under all
climates and amongst all people, codified and
written out by the Superiors according to the prin-
ciples of religious and hospitaller life, examined
and encouraged by the representatives of the Holy
Apostolic See as the indispensable complement of
the constitutions, was adopted and put into practice
in the year 1901, thanks to the practical zeal of the
good Mother-General, Therese de la Conception,
whose name will remain in the history of the Little
Sisters of the Poor attached to this important
measure. The Directory, at the same time that it
fixes the tradition and decides various details, is an
efficacious means of maintaining unity of action and
conformity of customs between the Little Sisters of
all houses of the congregation. In this respect it is
an important work, and one which does honour to
the Council-General of the institute.

CHAPTER XXXVI

THE TWO AMERICAS

In the United States, in Canada, Chili, and Colombia— The
Congress at Washington, and old negroes — The President
of the Chilian Republic — The Municipal Council of
Bogota — The aged and their benefactors.

We must now leave Europe and make the tour of
the world. In North and in South America we
find : another house at Brooklyn, Germantown, in
1880; Providence, second house at New York, in
1881 ; second house at Cincinnati, Evansville, Kansas
City, second house at Chicago, second house at
New Orleans, in 1882; Saint Paul in 1883; Grand
Rapids in 1884; Toledo and Alleghany in 1890;
third house at Chicago in 1890; second house at
Saint Louis, San Francisco, Mobile, New Haven,
Patterson, in 1901 ; second house at Philadelphia,
novitiate at Queens, in 1902; Wilmington, third
house at New York, Nashville, in 1903 ; Los Angeles,
in 1905 : all in the United States. Montreal, in
Canada, in 1887; Valparaiso in 1885; Santiago,
in Chili, in 1894; Concepcion in 1903; a second
house in Santiago in 1905; Bogota, in 1899; in
Colombia.

It is a characteristic of stories of travel to make

much of what is new and picturesque, and to leave

the rest in shadow. The hospitaller family, on

landing in the United States, had followed the usual

435

436 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

path of emigration; now it pushes its colonies
towards the North, the South, and the Far West,
where new cities were founded and the flood of
emigration turned. In their homes could be found
some of the aged who related what the country was
in former days. Thus at Evansville in 1882, when
the Sisters came and opened an asylum in a house
placed at their disposal by the widow (who was her-
self an emigrant) of a former secretary of a King of
England, a poor old fellow, eighty-eight years of
age, knocked at the door and begged for admission.
His history is contained in a few words : An emigrant
from Europe, he had wandered about, and had
advanced as far as the Ohio. He had been one of
the first to settle in that region, where he had hewn
from the forest a fine domain for himself, and in
time had formed a fertile farm. All went well, the
farm and the family alike were prospering, when the
cholera invaded the country, and took from him in
a single day his wife and four sons. So great was
his misery, that he himself was forced to dig the
grave and bury his dead on his own property. The
rest was but a history of ruin and of a daily struggle
for an existence, which he ended in the home, with-
out having kept a single halfpenny.

Saunderson had set out from Cleveland on the
banks of Lake Erie in 1820. He was the first white
man who settled on Lake Michigan, on the spot
where the important town of Milwaukee now stands.
He was thus its pioneer and first founder. Seized
with the gold-fever in 1849, he set out for California.
He made, lost, and remade a fortune, as it frequently

THE TWO AMERICAS 437

happens in that country. He returned, ruined, when
eighty years of age to Milwaukee, hoping there to
find the means to end his troubled life in peace.
But he was no longer known; besides, he was poor
and old, and that drives friends away. All that he
found was sufficient influence to obtain admission
to the home of the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Born at the beginning of the century, Vaillancourt
had accompanied Simpson, the Governor of Quebec,
in 1826, as a guide. On his return from a long
exploring journey in the Far West, the young and
daring Canadian stopped with a tribe of savages at
the sources of the Mississippi. He obtained from
them, in exchange for a few piastres and a few jugs
of spirits, a large extent of land, on which now
stand the towns of Saint Paul and Minneapolis,
and for some time he tried to improve his land.
Robbed one day, while he was drunk, of all that he
possessed, he was tied to a raft, and cast into the
current of the great river. Landing on a desert
shore, he found his way to Saint Louis. From
thence, after many adventures, he arrived in Algeria
with the French soldiers at the time of the conquest.
We find him in 1848 at Paris, firing from the
barricades. He came back to Canada, and returned
to Saint Paul to find his rights there lapsed, and
part of the land covered with houses. In his vexa-
tion, he traversed the world in search of fresh
adventures. About 1887, having again returned to
Saint Paul, broken down with misfortune, old, and
indigent, he begged refuge from the Little Sisters
of the Poor, whose establishment dominates the rich

438 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

valley of the Mississippi. There, seated paralyzed
in his arm-chair, he views what was formerly his
unstable property, and without regret for his lost
possessions, he says : ** After all, God has been good
to me, for He has preserved me through so many
adventures in order to bring me to hnish my days
in peace in the place where I began my career,
and in order that I may hope for more lasting
possessions."

At New Orleans there was an old man 102 years
of age, whose career was very extraordinary. Born
at sea under the English flag, of a German family,
in 1776, he had lost his parents without having
known them. He was brought up on the sea, and
passed the greater part of his life upon it. At the
age of eighteen, the ship which had seen his birth
and growth was wrecked, and all was lost. He was
saved upon a hen-coop. Having reached the shore,
he said to himself: *' Now they shall no longer call
me * cabin-boy ' " (for he had no name); " since this
coop has been my saviour, I will take its name Coop,
with James for my first name." He knew no more of
God, than he did of his parents. Becoming a cen-
tenarian, he bethought himself of the home for the
aged. When he presented himself at the asylum,
he felt an indescribable attraction towards it, and
great was his grief when they replied to him that at
present there was no room for him. "Well," said
James Coop, " the sea saw my birth — the river shall
receive me when I can no longer get bread." The
good Mother said to him: "My friend, you must
respect the white hair which God has given you."

THE TWO AMERICAS 439

These words impressed him; but when she con-
tinued : * * You tell me that you have never known
your mother. Be at peace; henceforth I will be your
mother, and you shall learn to know the good God."
At these words he said to the Sister : ' * Never has a
tear moistened my eyelids, and now I cannot keep
them back." When he had entered the asylum, he
collected the scattered memories of his long exist-
ence, and made up his mind to take a great step.
He declared that the religion of the Little Sisters
was the true religion, and obtained instruction. Soon
he said: " I am old; I may die; and I feel that I
have not Divine grace." Then the chaplain hesitated
no longer, but baptized him at his earnest desire.

These extraordinary stories of some of the old men
may be completed by stories as extraordinary of
some of the benefactors. Thus, whilst a legacy
from Mr. Drexel paid the debts of the house at
Philadelphia-Germantown, Mr. John Reitz, a German
by origin, built the house at Evansville, and Mr.
Patrick Branigan, an Irishman, erected the estab-
lishment at Providence. Andrew Smith, of New
Haven, left 40,000 dollars to open a home for the
aged, and the Little Sisters of the Poor reached
that town on the anniversary of his death, just in
time to assist at the Mass celebrated for the repose
of his soul. Fifty thousand dollars left by Rev.
Hugh Lane enabled the Little Sisters to purchase
a piece of ground for their second house in Phila-
delphia. At Chicago, the development of the work
followed the prodigious development of the city,
and three houses founded successively were filled

440 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

with poor old people, who live in them upon
voluntary contributions. A rich man, Mr. Ryerson,
died, leaving an income to several benevolent in-
stitutions, notably 1,200 dollars a year to each of
the two first houses of the Little Sisters of the
Poor. When this was announced to them they went
to the executors of the will, and refused to receive
it, at which the executors were greatly astonished.
Now the legacy was already registered, and the
Sisters were endowed without knowing it. It was
therefore necessary for them to make a legal Act
of renunciation, which is dated November 19, 1888,
and this clause is registered: ** Whereas the Rules
and Constitutions of the Little Sisters of the Poor
absolutely forbid the Corporation to have a per-
petual revenue of any kind. ..." Thus the Little
Sisters in America, as in Europe, remained true to
themselves, and preserved the distinctive character-
istic of their work, both in their private life and in
their public deeds.

The Congress of the United States took interest
in the enterprise as concerning the aged negroes.
We know that the coloured population is mixed with
the white in several States of the Union, and that
either from old-time prejudices or for valid reasons
the whites are not willing to live in common with
the blacks in the public establishments of beneficence.
Nevertheless, the Little Sisters of the Poor could
not be uninterested in the aged blacks. They began
in some towns to try an arrangement which per-
mitted them, while keeping the whites and the
blacks separate, to unite under the same roof of

THE TWO AMERICAS 441

charity their twofold indigence and their common
infirmities. In 1881 they began the work at Wash-
ington, consequently under the eyes of the repre-
sentatives of the nation, who approved of the idea
and even, in order to raise the negroes' part of the
building, passed a vote for a grant of money. The
grant was thus worded in the Acts of Congress :
" 1884. — For the construction of an addition to the
building known as being the Home of the Little
Sisters of the Poor in the city of Washington,
District of Columbia, 25,000 dollars. The half of
the said sum to be paid from the Treasury of the
United States, and the other half from the revenue
of the district of Columbia."

Hateful slavery had disappeared, but all the older
negroes had undergone it before the liberation; it
was a time of transition. At Evansville the Sisters
had taken care of an old negro, ninety years of age,
for four years. He had been a slave for sixty years
under a cruel and godless master, so that the slave
had learned nothing except to work and to receive
blows. After his liberation he still retained senti-
ments of hatred against his detestable master, and
could not make up his mind to receive instruction in
order to become a Christian. Since he had been at
the home he went to the chapel, was attentive to the
prayers, and listened with pleasure to the sermon.
** I could stay whole days listening to that priest,"
said he, ** if all that he explains is true. I should
much like to go where he says we shall all go, if we
do what he tells us to do." Every day one of his
companions read to him, and explained as well as he

442 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

could, by talking to him, the truths and the duties
of religion. The negro fell ill and constantly asked
for baptism. They allowed him to continue asking
for some time, in order to make sure of his con-
stancy. At last this grace was granted to him.
Some time after the old slave died, saying: "I
forgive those who have ill-treated me."

In another house an old man of colour was
received who had a fearfully diseased leg; the skin
of the foot was raised by the maggots which swarmed
in it. A Sister dressed the wound of this man, and
did her utmost to soften his savage temper. But the
old man had been brought up and lived amidst the
superstitions of his race, in which "fetiches" play
a great part, and one day, urged by pain and by
grace, he exclaimed: "You do not know me. I
have given myself to the devil; I have sold my soul
to him." The news spread in the house, and im-
pressed all the old people in the halls and infirmaries.
They set themselves to pray for the soul of the
poor wretch, and no doubt obtained for him deliver-
ance from his second slavery, for he died changed
and penitent.

At Louisville a widow lady, having come to pay
a visit in memory of her husband, who had left
a legacy to the establishment, the old people were
presented to her. In the infirmary for black women
what did she see? One of her old slaves, who had
been her nurse, and whom she believed to be dead.
She went to the poor old soul, took her in her arms,
and shedding tears, said: " Mame, Mame, is it
possible that you are here?" And the old negress

THE TWO AMERICAS 443

said : " O Lord, I thank Thee that Thou hast given
me the happiness of once more seeing my young
mistress."

With its departments for men and for women, for
whites and for blacks, the hospitaller home had
its own peculiarities. This charity, which had no
respect for social conditions, which gave to the aged
poor without distinction of race or nationality, or
even religion, and which begged alms from all the
world, and made all this serve for the development
of a work eminently humanitarian, did not fail to
make an impression upon the mind of the public.
In spite of prejudices the Catholic work was accepted,
and gained the sympathy of the public. Thus, to
serve the poor is to serve humanity.

Cardinal Gibbons bore this testimony in 1886:
** The extension, so rapid and so extraordinary, of
this institution, which has hardly half a century of
existence, and still more the spirit of the Gospel
which inspires it, which fills the heart and sustains
the self-devotion of its members, are in my eyes
evident signs of the approval of God. It is from the
very heart of God, who is Himself charity, that
the Little Sisters draw this practical, tender, and
heroic love for the poor, which touches and edifies
the cities of Baltimore and Washington in my
diocese. I consider that America is happy to have
thus before its eyes the example of Catholic charity,
always full of life and persuasiveness. Oh, how
powerful within the heart of our Protestant country-
men is this living service of the Little Sisters of the

444 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Poor ! What good it does to those who give ! Its
principal charm is its simphcity. This life of service
to God's poor fails, in the case of the Sisters, to recall
all that is implied therein of repugnance, sacrifice, of
self-effacement, and all this because love has actually
conquered all these."

It will not be without use to cite the testimony
of a Protestant, a member of the Town Council.
It was at Richmond in 1890, after a dinner given
to the old people of the asylum by many benefactors
and others who were invited. " I have not come
to make a speech," said this gentleman, "but I
cannot forbear giving my reflections. I have known
the Little Sisters of the Poor ever since they came
into the town. The first time they came to my
shop to ask for charity for their poor, I told them
that I could not give them much. The Sister
answered me : ' The little helps us, sir, and we
shall be very grateful to you.' Indeed, what has
struck me is that every time the Sisters come to
me, whether I give them little or much, they thank
me with the same good countenance. Why I love
their work, is because I recognize in it true charity.
They take care of Protestants as well as of Catholics.
Whenever I can render you a service, dear Sisters,
do not hesitate to come to me."

Let us be present at the arrival of the Little
Sisters of the Poor in Canada. A Redemptorist,
the parish priest of Saint Ann's at Montreal, wrote
to his Bishop : " My lord, J have many poor in
my parish. These poor are excluded from the
hospice of Saint Patrick, where they have always

THE TWO AMERICAS 445

been admitted gratuitously. Now, to pay twenty
shillings a head per month is impossible for me.
To construct a new hospice, to maintain the nuns
who would serve it, and to feed the poor besides,
is a second impossibility for me. I must, theerfore,
abandon these poor entirely, or be allowed to call
the Little Sisters to my aid." The Archbishop
desired to know the conditions, and began to discuss
them with a priest delegated by the congregation.
After successful negotiations, the Little Sisters of
the Poor formed the foundation at Montreal on
September 8, 1887, the date of their entrance into
Canada. In 1893 the Archbishop blessed the chapel,
and already 120 old people occupied a building
erected on a very convenient piece of land until
the establishment should be completed so as to
shelter 230 aged poor.

Now let us transport ourselves to South America,
to Chili, and quit the English language for Spanish.
The hospitaller colony arrives from Europe, dis-
embarks at the principal port of the Pacific, a town
of 100,000 inhabitants, in order there to apply its
system of aid. The ladies of Valparaiso receive
the new Sisters with demonstrations of joy, for it
is they who have paid the rent of the house of
foundation for three years, and who have furnished
it with what is necessary; and it is one of them.
Dona Juana Ross de Edwards, who has paid the
passage of the little foundresses. Having arrived on
September 6, 1885, the Little Sisters receive on the
14th their first aged poor.

A few months later the asylum counted forty-five

446 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

old people — some white, of Spanish extraction, others
of darker colour, either Indians or half-castes.
Dolorcita was an Indian of rather savage temper;
she passed her time in the garden, occupied with
the plants, of which she knew all the qualities. A
Chinese woman with her dolls came to join her,
and gravely said that she was five years old, while
she was really seventy. She became the joy of the
house. From the beginning love reigns amongst
the women, they call each other only by the sweet
name of ''Sister"; when a new arrival comes
each one makes a festival of it, and they say to
each other, "A new sister is coming — let us make
her welcome."

Three men entered the home — a Frenchman, an
Irishman, and a negro. They outvied each other in
working. The Irishman, an old sailor, took to the
washing, and took the negro for his companion;
together they wrung out the clothes, together they
subdued their tempers, which were rather undis-
ciplined, and together they got the better of their
old habit of drinking too much. The Frenchman
gave himself up to gardening, and put all his clever-
ness into it : ** People must be made to perceive that
it is a Frenchman who keeps it."

This pastoral condition lasted but one season.
Aged natives arrived in increasing numbers, and a
vast hospice was not long in being formed. Mrs.
Edwards was the benefactress of the establishment by
the gift of adjacent land and important constructions.
She ceded her rights by a deed dated March 5,
1889. The Rev. Casanova, who had made with her

THE TWO AMERICAS 447

the request for the foundation, had become Arch-
bishop of Santiago. He wished himself to bless the
house and the chapel, which he did on August 21,
1890, in the presence of several thousands of people.
That they were very sympathetic can be judged from
the following :

In Chili in 1891, civil war deluged the country
with blood. At last the insurgents were defeated.
The eight days which preceded the victory were very
painful, on account of the anxiety and general con-
sternation which prevailed at Valparaiso. There was
no communication by rail, boat, or post ; horses and
cattle were seized ; the shops were shut ; for two days
bread and meat were lacking. But Providence could
find the way to bring food to the asylum, for the
bakers admitted the Sisters by the back doors and
filled their sacks; there was no bread to sell, but there
was some to give away, and the poor old people were
not left without it. The night which followed the
battle was terrible ; it was a night of pillage, hre, and
murder, but two soldiers on horseback (it is not
known by whom they were posted) guarded the home
from nine o'clock in the evening till six o'clock in
the morning, and that for fifteen days. Twenty
wounded men, picked up on the field of battle in a
pitiable condition, were confided to the Sisters ; they
rendered this service to the cause of humanity and
of religion.

The year following, on March 7, 1892, Georges
Mondt, the President of the Republic, accompanied
by the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of
Public Works, paid a visit to the home. They were

448 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

cheered by the men and women, and the President,
passing down the ranks, shook hands with all of
them with the greatest benevolence. The authorities
visited the establishment in detail : the chapel, the
infirmaries, the dormitories, the linen-room, the
kitchen, the yard, and comparing this kind of assist-
ance with that of the public administrations, saw
in it quite another kind of charity in action. The
President, before leaving, expressed his desire that
a similar establishment for old people might be
founded at Santiago, the capital of Chili.

A year later, in March, 1894, the Little Sisters
opened the asylum at Santiago, and were received
with favour by the inhabitants. After a time of trial
and temporary arrangements, they were in a condi-
tion to carry out the definite plan of a house of the
Little Sisters. Who was it that brought 700 pesos
just at the time the resources were exhausted ? It
was a lady who would not give her name. She re-
appeared, entered the parlour, and deposited 5,000
pesos at the feet of the statue of Saint Joseph with
these words: "For the new house." She returned
a third and a fourth time, each time depositing a
rich offering, and simply saying, *' Saint Joseph is
my patron, he has sent me." On March 19, 1899,
Mgr. Casanova blessed the new home for the aged,
and recapitulating what had been done under his
eyes at Chili and elsewhere, he spoke of the per-
manent miracle of Providence.

The Chilian Government had already granted the
privilege of legal acknowledgement, registered as
follows :

THE TWO AMERICAS 449

" Santiago,

" April 27, 1897.
r " Republic of Chili.

" Foreign Affairs.

" His Excellency decrees this day, No. 435 :

" Regarding the Petition, No. 904, dated the 23rd
of this month, of the most illustrious and most
reverend Archbishop of Santiago :

* * It is decreed :

" That the establishment in Chili of the Religious
Congregation, entitled 'Little Sisters of the Poor,'
is authorized.

"Let it be noted, communicated, published, and
inserted in the Bulletin of the Laws and Decrees of
the Government.

' ' (Signed) Errazurig . ' '

In 1903 the Little Sisters were called to the town
of Concepcion by Mgr. Placiolo Labarca, who pro-
cured them a house and repaired it at his own
expense.

Mrs. Dolores Olaenta, who had so generously con-
tributed by her donations to the erection of the first
home in Santiago, granted them on February 9, 1905,
a piece of ground and a house to establish a second
home in that city.

During the course of the summer of 1899, ten of
the Little Sisters of the Poor went up the river Mag-
dalena, in Colombia; then, escorted by the President
of the conferences of Saint Vincent de Paul from the
capital, they climbed the Andes and arrived at Santa

29

450 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Fe de Bogota, where a numerous assembly of ladies
and gentlemen awaited them at the railway terminus.
The demonstration ended, they traversed the town.
" We thought that we had arrived at our destination,
and had but to alight to be at our house, but what
a surprise ! We were in front of a church, through
the large open doors we saw an altar splendidly
illuminated; the organ sounded joyously. Deeply
touched we were conducted to the choir, where seats
had been prepared for us. The vicar, vested with
his very beautiful cope, intoned a Te Deum, which
was superbly chanted before the Blessed Sacrament.
I think we all wept." The Municipal Council of the
capital had granted, for a term of thirty years, a
low but tolerably large house, together with three
hectares of land surrounding it, for the founding of
a home for the old people. It was opened in October.
The women's quarters received an old lady of ninety-
five, and the men's quarter boasted of an old man,
a hundred and hve years of age.

All the merit of the Little Sisters of the Poor is in
this their work, and in the radiation of charity which
it spreads abroad in the world. They are women
devoted to one single work — the assistance of the
aged. The field of their labours is immense.

CHAPTER XXXVII

IN ASIA

In the country of castes — Stories of the quete — Customs of
the old people — Little missionaries of charity — In Hindu-
stan, Ceylon, Burma, and China.

Let us take the road to Asia and visit the country
distinguished by its numerous castes. M. Asphar,
who had known the Little Sisters at Malta, and Mgr.
Goethals, who had known them in Belgium, agreed
together to establish the hospitaller work in the
capital of India : the merchant promised the passage
money of six Little Sisters, and the Archbishop a
piece of ground. '* If you really wish to set foot in
Asia," they wrote to the mother-house, "there are
few towns which would present the same advantages
as Calcutta. It is the seat of the English Govern-
ment, situated in the centre of Asia in constant com-
munication with the different parts of India, as
well as with Burma, Indo-China, the peninsula of
Malacca, Tibet, China, Japan, and Australia."

On November 30, 1882, the little colony landed at
Calcutta, under a beautiful sky. The town extended
along the banks of the Ganges. Conflicting senti-
ments filled the souls of the Little Sisters of the
Poor. They had to begin the work in a hired house,
to learn Bengali and Hindustani in order to speak
to the people, to observe the distinction of castes in
the care of the old people, and to acclimatize them-
45J:

452 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

selves under the torrid zone. At least the religious
service was secured through the Jesuit Fathers in
charge of the mission, and the European colony was
full of sympathy.

On September 7 the two first poor entered : a little
old woman, a native and a heathen, all doubled up,
walking with a stick, as thin as a skeleton, and
enveloped in a kind of sheet; then another woman,
equally poor and infirm, but a Christian. Not being
able to do better, they spoke to each other by signs,
and the two poor old women, to show their grati-
tude, hid their faces in their hands and bowed to
the ground. Happily the next day an East Indian
woman arrived, a former governess, who spoke
English, Bengali, and Hindustani, and who be-
came the interpreter. A European, blind, deaf,
infirm, and eighty-three years of age, was the first
old man. A guard was necessary to protect the
home : this was an Irishman, a former soldier and still
strong, who entered on December 21, and was the
first old man. An old East Indian sailor, seventy-
three years old, did not delay long in joining them.
The first group consisted altogether of four men and
ten women, of whom three were Europeans and one
an American.

Lord Ripon, who was then Viceroy, regularly gave
the broken food from his table; he even wrote his
name at the head of the begging Sister's subscription
book with a donation of 500 rupees. The Baring
family, who occupied an important situation, was
benevolent and generous. The Ralli brothers, who
conducted a great business between India and Mar-

IN ASIA 453

seilles, rendered good service, and made the work
known in their surroundings. The European town,
which is like an enclosed town within the immense
capital of the Hindus, presented resources, and
willingly supported a free institution maintained by
voluntary contributions. So the number of old people
mounted progressively to thirty and forty, in spite
of the inconstancy of the natives, always eager for
liberty, and living upon little.

An exhibition, which took place in 1883, brought
people of importance in India to Calcutta, and
naturally this circumstance was utilized to procure
resources for the definite establishment of the insti-
tution for the aged. Recommended by the English
officials, the begging Sisters obtained an audience
with the gorgeous Maharaja of Jaipur, who re-
ceived them as mothers of the poor, and granted
them 500 rupees. They also had an audience of the
Nizam of Hyderabad, who received them with all
the ceremony of his Court, granted them 200 rupees
from his treasury, and gave hopes of an offering on
his departure from Calcutta. After the audience,
they conducted the two Little Sisters to the treasury-
room, and in a moment they were surrounded by the
natives who guarded the treasure. The one who was
in charge of it counted out to them the promised
rupees ten at a time. When there were 180, he
stopped and said: "Look, here is your account."
On the remark which the Little Sisters made, he
declared that the 20 others had to be distributed
between the guardians of the treasure. The Little
Sister explained that the Nizam had granted 200

454 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

rupees, that it was money for the poor, and that
she could not yield any of it. The dispute became
warm, the natives approaching to hear and give their
opinions. The guard, shaken, opened the safe again,
and added lo rupees. The Little Sister calm and
firm, maintained the rights of the poor, and demanded
the 200 rupees; the guard, conquered, made a last
little heap of rupees, to the astonishment of his com-
panions, and the alms-gatherers, putting the precious
sum in the purse for the old people, went away
quite cheerfully. The Nizam did not forget the
Sisters of the poor old people ; before returning to his
province, he sent the generous offering of 1,200
rupees to the home.

In 1884, they counted eleven deceased and still had
forty-six old people. They made further progress.
A young girl, born in the colony, of English parents,
well acclimatized, and knowing the languages and
the ways of the people, entered as a postulant. Until
then, they had received collected food and alms, but
they had not begged in the market-place. On
October 21, one Little Sister and the postulant pre-
sented themselves in the market; she gave some ex-
planation on the work to several native merchants,
who were at once won over to the cause. Seeing
what they had taken, the two collectors went down
the rows of the market-place, and almost all the
market people, male and female, gave something for
the poor old people : some a handful of rice, fruit,
and vegetables; others some cotton, needles, and
other little things. The provision of rice was hence-
forth secure; it was sufficient to go into the market-

IN ASIA 455

place now and again. This was the prelude to
another success. They began in the same way to
make the collection in the quarter of the natives, and
to receive their little charities. This brought about
a charming episode.

The chief of the poorest caste, seeing that the
Little Sisters avoided his quarter, was deputed by
his people, and presented himself at the home, say-
ing: '* You visit and collect in the other streets, and
you do not come to us because we are too poor :
come." They chose a day for begging there. Having
reached that miserable quarter, the Little Sisters
saw the whole of the population, men, women, and
children, standing in a straight line all along the
road, gaily dressed, each holding a flower and a
coin in his hands. Led by the chief, the Little
Sisters received these simple offerings with emotion.
Then the chief said to them: "Sisters, you adore
the good God; we cannot pray to Him, we pray to
our gods to prevent them hurting us, but you pray
to God, that He may do us good." Truly charity
carrying on its works is an apostleship, which con-
tributes to make the Gospel known and to cause the
Christian name to be blessed.

It was not till October, 1887, that the Little Sisters
were able to quit their hired house, and to enter into
possession of a property large enough to lodge their
fifty inmates. The ladies of the colony, with Lady
Dufferin, wife of the Governor, at their head,
organized a bazaar successfully; the mother-house,
for its part, sent some assistance, so that in 1888 the
Little Sisters of Calcutta were able to pay the bills

456 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

falling due, including that for a piece of ground ad-
joining the property, and to establish a permanent
establishment in this place. We will now pass over
a period of ten years with a brief mention of a gift
of 10,000 rupees granted by the Maharaja of Dur-
bunga in 1898 to help on the buildings. We find
there a vast hospice filled with old people, of whose
customs we must now speak.

In Calcutta there are two classes entirely distinct,
the Europeans and the Hindus. The aged Euro-
peans had their own sitting-room and dormitory.
A great number had seen better days; thus, among
them were included four captains and many others,
who by their former position were no less worthy of
interest. This part of the home is similar to the
houses elsewhere.

The Hindus are divided into Eurasians and
natives, who, though not content to sleep in the
same dormitory, are satisfied to be together in the
sitting-room, provided their table and service be apart.
The beds, the tables, and the chairs of the Eurasians
are similar to those of the Europeans, so is the
costume with a few personal exceptions, as the redda,
the turban, and the bare feet. The ordinary food
is the curry of the natives, to which is added some
European dish.

The natives have a low bed ; some want only a mat
laid on the ground, others lay it on a light mattress
or on a folded blanket. They take their meals at a
low table, squatted on a mat or stool; some remain
at a distance from the table because, according to
their caste, they must eat apart.

IN ASIA 457

" Our Little Sisters," says an account, " have not
to trouble themselves to supply stockings and shoes,
because, according to the habit of the country, every-
one goes barefooted. Neither is the clothing too
complicated — white trousers and a white waistcoat
for men; a skirt and a white bodice for the women.
As for nourishment, it is rice and always rice; there
is nothing to do but to vary the sauce which is the
famous curry of the Indies. Men and women smoke ;
they have, besides, a way of rolling in the shape of
a cigarette the leaves of a certain plant. They fill
it with very peculiar roots, and then cover the whole
over with lime; they put that cigarette into their
mouth, and keep rolling it about all day long. This
mixture leaves a bright-red colour on the lips and
teeth of the Indians. Our good old folks have pre-
served their Indian ways, and every Saturday our
Little Sisters go and buy the leaves and lime which
will make the old people happy all the week."

Mgr. Bonjean wrote on November i8, 1887 : " We
declare that we heartily welcome the foundation at
Colombo by Mr. John Osphar of a house of the Little
Sisters of the Poor, and receive the Sisters as co-
operators in our apostolic works." Thus the estab-
lishment of Calcutta gave birth to that of Ceylon.
Colombo, in the island of Ceylon, is a naval port of
the first importance, therefore the European com-
panies of navigation have made it a seaport of call
for the vessels which carry the mails for India, China,
Oceania. The Sisters of this foundation landed there
on December 7, so that their first religious act was
the annual ceremony of the renewal of the vows,

458 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

appointed for December 8, in union with the Sisters
of the Order of all houses and climates. An old
converted Brahmin who knew English, Bengali, and
Tamil, was their first old man. The missionary
Oblates of Mary secured the religious services to the
home; they had also the consideration to offer the
asylum an equipage after the fashion of the country,
which consists of a cart drawn by a bullock.

The feast of Christmas did not pass by without
surprise, because the first old people wished to do
the things well. " Here," wrote the Superior, ** they
make great preparations for the feast of Christmas.
The main point is to whiten the house and to let off
fireworks. Our good folks have not been behind-
hand. They made us start in our beds in the middle
of the night because they set fire to whole packets
of fireworks to wish us a happy Christmas. At
breakfast, they threw flowers over us and sprinkled
us with scented water."

The development of the home was progressive
because it was necessary to make it known, to enlist
sympathy, to collect resources, and to organize a vast
establishment; it is the old, old story. In 1888 the
hospice counted twenty-seven old people, of whom
five were Buddhists and one a Protestant; in 1894
it counted eighty old persons, all Cingalese, with
the exception of two or three. Since then, the home
has exceeded a hundred, and is still growing. " The
Indians of Colombo, called Cingalese, are generally
gentler, more intelligent, and much less superstitious
than those of Calcutta. There, more even than in
Calcutta, they have kept their Indian customs; they

IN ASIA 459

have no European beds, but a mat placed on four
crossbars of wood, and covered with a blanket; they
are willing to sit on a chair. As for the spoon,
almost all eat their rice with their fingers, at which
they are very dexterous, and do not lose a grain."

Already, in 1892, a certain number of heathens had
become Christians. The first woman who entered
the home became the schoolmistress, and the god-
mother to almost all the converts. Every morning,
she called her companions to the verandah for prayers.
In the evening, the good women were gathered around
her bed, sitting on their heels, listening to, and re-
peating the prayers which the old godmother taught
them. " In Colombo our good old people do not
say their prayers, they sing them all, and as the
Indian language has several very different dialects,
they are united in groups according to their language,
and each sing their devotions in their turn."

A native gentleman gave them a meal such as
is usual in the country. Having assembled the old
people before the front door, he gave every old person
a straw plate, on which he put a portion of rice and
three cakes of very oily rice, fruit, tobacco, betel-nut,
and a small coin of threepence. There was also for
everyone a redda (which is a piece of stuff used for
trousers for men, and dress for the women). It was
touching to see with what respect that man gave his
alms to each poor person; he almost knelt down on
the ground, and the good people made the sign of
the cross on him, as if to give him their blessing.

One day an old man arrived at the home, he said
he was 100 years old, and that he had been walking

46o THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

for twenty days. He could go no farther, and said :
** I cannot walk any longer; I am going to remain
here until you put me under the earth. I want to be
a Christian." He had been by profession a devil-
dancer at the festivals of the heathens.

Colombo resembles India very much, and on certain
days the Sisters meet troops of heathens carrying their
idols in procession, and going to offer sacrifices to
their gods. The Little Sisters grieve over this false
worship : " Living in the midst of heathens, witness-
ing their idolatry, one can only pray, and ask for a
spark of the true light for them. In the evening,
when we recite our office, the noise of their music
gives us fervour; at least, in one small place, the
praises of the only true God are sung." Such were
the first experiences of Calcutta and Colombo; but
little by little the Little Sisters grew accustomed to
things, and were happy to be the missionaries of
charity.

Their institutions continue to extend. Two young
women of Burma, prevented from joining the con-
gregation, had gathered together some old poor in
Rangoon. This pious work had been going on for
ten years when Mgr. Cardot came to visit the mother-
house, and succeeded in obtaining the Little Sisters
of the Poor for Burma. They settled down in the
capital on November 21, 1898, and began to develop
the charitable undertaking, while the two promoters
sailed for Europe to enter the novitiate. The Rev.
Luce was pleased to offer the Sisters a pony and cart ;
he also assisted the Sisters in their spiritual needs.
The Bishop even condescended to be the chaplain

IN ASIA 461

of the home for three months. The old people,
though still keeping their customs, treat each
other with fraternal kindness; thus the natives of
Burma and of Madras help one another, the Chinese
lends his arm to the infirm Indian, the Indian woman
leads the lame Tamil, who still wears glass and metal
trinkets on the hands and feet. The building, like
those of the country is of brick, with ground-floor
and upper story, roofed with zinc. The home is
surrounded by a verandah. Charity is highly ap-
preciated among the Burmans. One day, when in-
habitants of every race, creed, colour, and dress were
assembled, the good Mother said : ** I do not think,
among all these people, there is a single person who
IS not in some way our benefactor." The home is
on the road leading to a celebrated pagoda, and
groups of twelve to fifteen persons sometimes stop
to visit it. They question the old folks, look at what
is going on, and leave a part of the offering which
they intended for Buddha. The King's sister her-
self kindly receives the begging Sisters every month,
and, not content with her own offering, she invites
the ladies in attendance to give something to the
"Little Sisters who came from France for the love
of the poor."

The foundation of Bangalore in Hindustan was
made at the request of Mgr. Kleiner, who also, with
paternal solicitude, provided for the religious service.
The Rev. Tabard, from the cathedral, made all pre-
parations with great care and kindness. On April
29, 1900, the Little Sisters of the Poor took possession
of a villa called Bretonville fas if to remind them of

462 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

the birthplace of their Order). In spite of the un-
avoidable distinction of castes, they succeeded in
making fifty old people comfortable. In order to
appreciate the touching piety of these poor people,
they must be seen in the chapel where they prostrate
themselves and advance to the altar on their knees,
with hands outstretched. The zealous missionaries
encourage this piety by their instructions given in
the different languages of the country. Let us add
the testimony of an eye-witness : *' A look of happi-
ness, not often seen, alas ! on the poor Indian faces,
prevails in the home of Bangalore, from good old
Chinaa-Ma, the first admitted, who puts all the new-
comers at home (especially those of her own caste),
down to poor Agnes, formerly a pagan, who cannot
speak without sobbing for her eight children who
died of the plague, but who yet smiles when she
adds : * The priest, who made me Agnes, brought
me here.' As a rule, all these black faces have the
contented look of the good old folks in Europe."

According to the desire expressed by Mgr. Vigano,
the Little Sisters of the Poor founded a home at
Hyderabad in Hindustan in 1903. Welcomed by the
English colony, they made their way through pagans
and Mohammedans, numerous in that district. The
Fathers of the Foreign Missions of Milan, and the
Fathers of the Foreign Missions of Paris at Banga-
lore and Rangoon, are very kind to the home of the
old people at Hyderabad.

At the request of the Jesuit Fathers who have
charge of the Kiang-Nan Mission, the Little Sisters
of the Poor entered China and began a foundation in

IN ASIA 463

Shanghai in the beginning of 1904. Shortly after,
the home sheltered seventy-two old women, all united
by Christian charity. With them the Sisters are
" Little Mothers," and they call each other by the
sweet name of "sister." On feast-days it is a
pleasure for the Chinese Catholics to send them a
dinner ready cooked.

These foundations in Asia, in the midst of new
races, new manners, new religions, constituted a
decisive experience for the congregation. The work
of charity has been acclimatized amongst them, and
has adapted itself to the new conditions by retain-
ing the same methods and spirit which had succeeded
hitherto in other countries. The institution kept its
original constitutions, though under a somewhat
different form, necessitated by the variety of climates
and of the different national customs of the old
people. But these differences are only superficial;
the substance remains the same.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

IN OCEANIA

In the Southern Hemisphere — The wooden house — The
stone house — The postulants — At the end of the world —
Success of the work In Australia, New Zealand, New
Caledonia.

Australia was rapidly colonized, and towns which
could compete in importance with the great cities of
England and the United States arose on this new
soil. The clergy displayed great zeal in following
the movement and in organizing the service of charity
in all its branches, and this zeal resulted in an appeal
being made to the Little Sisters of the Poor on behalf
of the aged.

On Wednesday, November 5, 1884, the Little
Sisters first saw the town of Melbourne as it stretched
out before them. There in the fifth continent they
were to implant the hospitaller family; the sight of
the city and the thought of their mission moved them
greatly. In the evening the ship entered the harbour ;
three priests received the Little Sisters of the Poor,
and conducted them without delay to the cathedral
to pay the first visit to our Lord; then, while the
bells of the cathedral were ringing merrily to an-
nounce the good news, they conducted them to the
Archbishop's house, and then to the house of the new
foundation, where all had been prepared to receive
them, and where, as a sign of festival, all the apart-
464

IN OCEANIA 465

ments were illuminated and decorated with flowers.
The next day the ladies welcomed the hospitaller
Sisters, and each one presented her offering to the
home which was now inaugurated. The first old
person received was a woman who had fallen from a
good position. She had known the work in Europe,
and in her poverty she earnestly prayed to God to
send the Little Sisters to Melbourne, so that she
might die in their arms. Her desire was granted.
She thought she had found Paradise in the home.
She found it in reality soon after, for she survived
but a short time.

They spent Christmas under the hot summer sun,
and decorated the crib with magnificent flowers. It
appeared very strange to our Little Sisters from
Europe to find summer when in the Northern Hemi-
sphere it was winter; but they were in the Southern
Hemisphere, in the Antipodes, and when the day
shone in Oceania, night cast her veil over Europe.

Soon they grew accustomed to and loved this new
fatherland. Their only trouble was that their house
was not large enough to lodge the poor old people
who presented themselves. Friends pressed them to
take more, and already they desired to see the Little
Sisters with 200 or 300 poor, as the town offered
enough resources to support them, and it was
necessary to assist the unfortunate poor promptly.
It is characteristic of the new towns of the colonies
that so many things are undertaken at the same time,
and success is largely an affair of speculation. The
Little Sisters began by securing a plot of land at
Northcote, a little way out of the town, situated on

30

466 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

a hill and with good air. But how were they to
instal themselves in the little farm in the midst of
the open country ? A gentleman began the founda-
tion in an original fashion : he said to the Little
Sisters that he would give them i^ioo for the installa-
tion at Northcote, on condition that they would hnd
someone who would give them a like sum. Some
days after the partner was found, and there was
;^200 in hand. A lady made an offer on the same
conditions, and another benefactor was again found.
Thus ;^400 was collected. A third person renewed
the proceeding with the same success. They thus
had ;6^6oo, to which a gift of £3S^ was added by
Archbishop Gould. With this sum and the gifts
from the collections, the new hospitallers resolved,
upon favourable advice of the mother-house, to erect
a provisional building of wood on the plot of land,
like those in use in the country, and to connect it
by a covered and enclosed gallery with the two farm-
houses. On November 26, 1885, the house was
blessed; the Little Sisters were installed with 100
old people and 6 postulants.

In the autumn of 1886 a colony of Little Sisters
of the Poor was at sea, going from Marseilles to
Sydney. During the long days of the passage the
Little Sisters were preoccupied. They feared lest,
on arriving, they should find a house ready furnished
to receive them, and they would not have the joy
of building up the foundation, for the Little Sisters
loved to begin with nothing and to draw all from
Providence. Now, twenty ladies were at the harbour
to receive them. Nevertheless, not knowing how the

IN OCEANIA 467

house was to be established, they did not think of
inquiring if the Little Sisters had shelter or food;
consequently they began in the midst of poverty,
and spent a night worthy of a foundation, since
they were absolutely destitute. This delighted the
Sisters, The next day everything changed : Provi-
dence sent beds, chairs, furniture, bread, meat, fruit,
and tea, and some poor people were admitted. First
of all, it was necessary to clean the house, the garden,
and the yard ; carefully to inspect the furniture which
the good ladies generously placed at the disposition
of the Little Sisters and poor old people ; to organize
the begging expeditions ; to make themselves known,
and to reply both to curious and friendly questions.
People soon knew the Little Sisters of the Poor in
the quarter of Leithhard, then in the town, then in
the district. During the first days poor people of
all ages presented themselves. Of course, they had
to be received by the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Explanations were given, and it was understood that
this was a home only for old people. The first in-
mates— two old men, one eighty-two and the other
eighty-five years, and five old women almost as old
— undertook to explain matters. This happened in
November. The following month the members of
the Conference of Saint Vincent de Paul, bringing a
beautiful horse, nicely harnessed, and a cart for the
collection, came to offer their congratulations and
their services to the Little Sisters; moreover, they
gave a grand dinner to the good old people of the
home.

At Sydney, at the time of foundation, a man

468 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

almost blind arrived from Woolhara, walking on
two crutches; it took him several days to make the
journey, usually one of a few hours. He came alone,
without any recommendation, having learned that
some Sisters had come from France to take care of
the aged. Everything about him proclaimed his
misery; he was covered with dust and vermin, his
eyes were half closed and inflamed through want of
care, his hair was matted, and his beard unkempt.
The Little Sisters received him with charity and
respect ; one of them obtained the favour of cleaning
him. He submissively accepted the services of the
Little Sister. When his clothes were changed and
his rags burned, when his feet had been washed, his
beard and hair cut, and his sore eyes attended to, the
poor man called the Little Sister, and opening a
little linen bag which he had carefully kept near
him, he drew out a little parcel of pennies and gave
them to her, saying: ** Here, this is for you. I did
not think to find such good people in the world ! ' '
The foundation had its trial. On Wednesday,
March 22, 1887, the good Mother, Alexandrine, died
from typhoid fever. The Archbishop himself gave
the General Absolution, and the Vicar-General ac-
companied the body to the cemetery. The Church
and the friends honoured, in the first Little Sister
of the Poor who died in Oceania, the devotedness
and sacrifices of the religious and the hospitaller life.
This sad circumstance hastened the acquisition of a
plot of land in a healthy position at Randwick, near
the sea. The Sisters cleared the ground, and erected
there a comfortable habitation of planks, as in Mel-

I

IN OCEANIA 469

bourne. In the spring of 1888, the Little Sisters in-
stalled themselves there finally with their fifty-six
old people and their postulants.

After a time the establishments at Melbourne and
Sydney renounced their wooden houses. The stone
house was now erected ; it developed gradually and
became a vast hospice, where hundreds of poor old
people will find shelter and finish their days. On
September 8, 1889, a considerable crowd, which may
be estimated at about 10,000 persons, were crammed
together in the enclosure at Melbourne. Archbishop
Carr blessed the first stone, and made a very appro-
priate discourse in favour of the institution, to which
Sir William Robinson, the Governor, replied in terms
of praise. Those present contributed on the spot
;^6oo for an establishment of which the public
authorities proclaimed the humane, religious, and
social utility. In 1898 Cardinal Moran, who had
been the promoter of the foundation in Sydney, laid
and blessed the first stone in the capital, and the
public made a collection of ;^500 during the ceremony
itself. In 1 90 1 a house for novices was erected in
Sydney, so that the hospitaller work is well im-
planted in Australia.

The Primate of Auckland, Bishop Luck, had met
two Sisters in the streets of Melbourne at the time of
their arrival in that town, and asked if they were the
Little Sisters of the Poor. On their reply in the
affirmative, he visited the home and prepared the
way for a foundation in New Zealand. On June
13, 1888, two Little Sisters landed at Auckland in
order to see how matters stood. In spite of the

470 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

burden of the Catholic Mission, the clergy and the
influential families gave them so hearty a welcome,
that they did not hesitate to rent a house and to
open the home, without waiting for the arrival of a
colony of Little Sisters who started immediately.
The mother-house came to their aid, and they
secured, four months afterwards, a plot of land of
five acres, with a house at the seaside. Even there
it was necessary to add a building of wood to lodge
the men; but this provisional state lasted but for a
time, and the material development of the home
followed the development of New Zealand. Thus, in
1905 a stone building was erected next to the wooden
one in Auckland, and another home was opened in
Dunedin, in the southern part of South Island.

One circumstance deserves to be noticed — the
Sisters in the first establishments in Oceania, though
belonging to nations of diverse origin, did not one
instant vary in their attachment to their centre of
unity, and made the deeds of property so as to bind
strongly every distant house to the mother-house.
Such were the constant sentiments, moreover, of all
the Little Sisters of the Poor in all places and in all
countries.

In the " History of the Catholic Church in
Australasia,"* by Cardinal Moran, we find this
important appreciation: ** There is one other com-
munity of which mention must not be omitted. This
is the Little Sisters of the Poor. They entered on
their work in Melbourne in 1884, and already they

* Pp. 994-996-

IN OCEANIA 471

have erected there a home for the aged poor worthy
of the ennobhng charity which they represent. They
have since then extended their ministrations of
charity to Sydney and Auckland, having opened in
both cities homes where with motherly care they
attend to the wants of the aged poor." To complete
his appreciation, the eminent author reproduced the
impressions of a visitor to Queensland in 1892 : ** The
visitor to Sydney should not in his travels forget to
visit the Little Sisters of the Poor in Randwick. Of
all the religious Orders in the Church, there is
perhaps none other which appeals so warmly to our
highest admiration for the noble sacrifice of its
members to the service of the poor. The only quali-
fication for admission into the houses of the poor is
that the applicant be entirely destitute. It matters
not what religion he professes." The great heart of
the city of Sydney quickly responded to the solicita-
tions of the Sisters, always on foot for their old
people, who are in their eyes the most precious object
of all earthly possessions. Beds, food, and clothing
arrived, not only from Catholics, but from non-
Catholics, and many — very many — of the latter are
counted amongst the best benefactors of the institu-
tion. In the men's quarters you will find some who
have seen better days, and, if you have a minute or
two to spare, they will charm you with their con-
versation. ** Nothing could exceed the tenderness
we receive here," says one old man from Cork;
"these Sisters are always ready to anticipate our
wants and our wishes." " At the end of the build-
ing is a smoking room for the old men, not too

472 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

luxuriantly fitted up, but snug and comfortable. It
was here I met a Welshman named Jones. Mr.
Jones was fond of Hebrew, and he was engaged in
reading the Psalms in Hebrew — not a small task for
an old man."

Another house was established in New Caledonia
at Noumea in February, 1897. The first colonists
were still alive and active, whilst the native popula-
tion, consisting of Kanakas, occupied a great part of
the soil; and a penitentiary settlement was placed
in some of the islands of the archipelago. The first
inmates consisted of old settlers who had not suc-
ceeded in acquiring the good things of this world,
and who unfortunately had forgotten the higher
spiritual goods. The Little Sisters opened a home
for this double misery — for body and soul. As the
town was still thinly peopled, it was necessary to
traverse the district in order to find resources. A
mining engineer and the Marist missionaries served
as protectors.

One or two episodes are given here: " The Little
Sisters have gone to the natives, who have two im-
portant tribes near Paita, half of which are already
Catholic, the other half still heathen. The Sisters
beg coffee from them. The blacks who remained in
the village told the Sisters that every Saturday the
chiefs gathered together for a council, and that they
would talk together about the coffee to be given to
the poor." The council took place. " The missionary
of Paita is one of us." Consequently about forty
of his tribes visited him, and spread out their gifts

IN OCEANIA 473

before him — cabbages, yams, coffee, chickens, etc.
** See, Father, this is for the Sisters who came the
other day;" and a native barque was loaded and sent
to the Sisters.

" We have for friend and benefactress Mary Vamy-
tan, the chief of the Kanaka tribe of Saint Louis.
She brought us to her home; it is one of the few
huts in which one can enter without stooping, and
there is an astonishing mixture of the most primi-
tive customs, together with traces of civihzation.
Near the plank, covered with a mat and used as a
bed, one is surprised to see an alarm clock and a
candlestick. She spends her life working on the land
like the other women of her tribe." In the same way
the Sisters made acquaintance with Queen Hortense,
who had exchanged her little kingdom of the Isle
of Pines for a pension, and who cultivated coffee,
bananas, vanilla, and the sugar-cane.

An establishment adapted to the customs of the
country and to the double aim of the Little Sisters'
charity in New Caledonia has been built on the
ground given by the mission. The discharged con-
victs, though admitted, have their apartments entirely
separated from those of the other people, but in the
chapel under the regard of the Divine Master no
distinction is made, for all are equally dear to His
tender mercy.

CHAPTER XXXIX

IN EUROPE

In Constantinople — The feasts of the old people — At Madeira
— Statistics of the hospitaller work and general con-
siderations.

Returning to the point of departure, let us men-
tion twenty-HDne foundations : one in England,
Hanley, 1890; five in France: Paris (Auteuil) in
1897, ^ fourth house in Lyons, Versailles, a third
house in Marseilles, Sedan, in 1901 ; two in Belgium :
Malines, 1890, a second house in Antwerp in 1893;
one in Switzerland, Lucerne, in 1900; one in Turkey,
Constantinople, in 1892; four in Italy: Padua, 1892,
Marino in 1893, Bologna, 1895, Genoa, 1900; three
in Spain: Gracia in 1890, a third house in Madrid,
Arenys-de-Mar in 1897; two in Portugal: Porto in
1895, Covilha in 1902; Funchal, in the island of
Madeira (Africa); one in Hungary, at Budapest, in
1905.

The foundation in Lucerne marks the return of
the Little Sisters of the Poor to Switzerland, and the
welcome which their work received there is the best
conclusion of the previous painful incident.* The
house was naturally put under the patronage of Our
Lady of Einsiedeln. The central position of Lucerne
and the attraction which it has for tourists tend to

* See Chapter XXIV.
474

IN EUROPE 475

make known the hospitaller institution throughout
the whole Alpine region. Once more the work is in
contact with the German language.

Constantinople attracts us through its Oriental
style. The Prefect Apostolic prepared the way. A
man of seventy offered his house, and thus stripped
of all his goods, entered, as one of its poor pensioners,
the home of the Little Sisters of the Poor. A banker,
a Greek by origin and religion, became the principal
benefactor. At Christmas, 1896, the establishment
was erected on a plot of land purchased; in 1900 it
sheltered 125 old people. There are Orthodox and
Catholic Christians of the Latin rite and of the
Oriental rite; they speak Turkish, Armenian, Greek,
Italian, and French. These diverse elements make
the population in the great cosmopolitan city very
fluctuating. The first appearance of the begging
Sisters in the market-place of Stamboul was marked
by an amusing adventure. The two Little Sisters
were returning with their horse, which, as is cus-
tomary in the country, was laden with two large
baskets. The market people had filled up these
baskets. As the Sisters crossed the old bridge of
Stamboul, the baskets began to slip, as the weight
was not equally balanced. The old driver stopped
the quiet old horse whilst the two Sisters endeavoured
to put things straight, and establish equilibrium
between the baskets and their contents. The curious
ran up and watched. Presently a Pasha passed over
the bridge with his retinue; he also looked and
stopped, but only to cry out in a loud voice without
dismounting : " You are donkeys. Help those mara-

476 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

bouts instead of watching them." This command
produced an instantaneous effect; the Turks pushed
the baskets vigorously, and their contents regained
equihbrium ; then the horse trotted on in safety with
his burden towards the home.

The course of events now recalls us to Portugal,
where the work completes its installation. The house,
established in the capital in 1884, had developed by
the acquisition of a plot of land. The deed of pur-
chase was signed on July 4, 1887, the Feast of Saint
Isabella, Queen of Portugal. The King, Don Luis,
contributed to the buildings by granting 1,440 cubic
metres of pine-wood from the forest of Leiria. In
1899 the establishment sheltered 180 old people.

In Lisbon the people of the town and of the Court
took pleasure in visiting the home for the old people
on festival days. The sight of their happiness, their
simple, contented expression, their respect for the
Little Sisters, their gratitude to the benefactors, in-
terested everybody. On these days the poor were
served like Princes by the first families of the country
for the sake of Jesus Christ, who said: "Amen I
say to you, as long as you did it to one of these My
least brethren, you did it to Me." After the clearing
of the tables and the distribution of cigars, there
was a song which made more impression than all
the music — a song by the old people with trembling
and quavering voices, sustained when necessary by
the younger voices of the Little Sisters.

There are, indeed, festivals at the home, with
Sunday clothes, feasts, songs, and recreation. As

IN EUROPE 477

the work forms a hospitaller family, the consequence
is that the Little Sisters associate their old people
with the feast of the congregation and of the house,
as well as with the great feasts of the Church. This
gives them pleasure, and breaks the monotony of
their existence. It gives them the feeling of being
at home, and attaches them to the house. These
little festivals form part of the hospitaller charity,
and are one of its pleasing manifestations. The old
people are very sensible to this attention, and become
attached to these red-letter days. The translation
given below will give an idea of these little songs :

" Benefactors, in the Gospel we read
That Jesus loved the humble and the little;
He was always ready to receive them,
And He inclined to good their hearts and minds.

"Man can be happy without riches —
Here we learn it. The source of happiness
Is in the peace of soul and the sweet joy
That virtue gives, which is a help to all.

" God always protects us by His providence :
He gives us daily the bread we need.
We feel in this house His faithful assistance.
And daily we bless Him in return.

" He founded for us the Little Family,
The protecting shelter of our old age ;
He gives us friends without number :
Their goodness of heart forms our happiness."

In Lisbon, after a walk and a little conversation,
came the religious service. The chapel, simply and
suitably ornamented, as is usual with the Little

478 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Sisters of the Poor, pleased everybody : people
thought better of the God of the poor in the absence
of gilding and brilliant decorations. One of the
elements of interest for strangers in the ceremonies
at the chapel is to hear the old people pray and sing.
Nothing can equal the impression which the bene-
factors feel when the old people sing in unison the
simple familiar hymns, which they sing with spirit.
While the institution of the Little Sisters accom-
plishes its works of benevolence, their charity is an
unequivocal witness which touches the heart, con-
vinces the intelligence, and wins men over to the
practice of virtue and the true faith. An anti-
Catholic journalist of the capital confirms this state-
ment. * * I had gone to the home of the Little Sisters, ' '
he confessed, "more through malice than curiosity,
seeking something to say against religious com-
munities. I asked leave to inspect the home. The
Sister who received me went to fetch a companion.
They showed me a large room filled with old women :
these were the healthiest of the inmates; they were
very old, but all looked contented. I felt touched
by the sight, and I put some questions to the Sisters
who accompanied me. Their bearing was modest,
their words discreet. When I tried to speak against
religion they cleverly turned the conversation. We
visited the infirmary; the infirm were sitting in arm-
chairs, all very clean and cheerful, and all appeared
very happy. I was more and more touched, and
did not know what was passing within me. Presently
I heard a bell. I then saw all those old people going
to the chapel, some leaning on the arm of a Sister,

IN EUROPE 479

others helping each other along ; the sight was touch-
ing. I had the curiosity to enter and to follow the
ceremony (for years I had not entered a church).
They began the rosary; all the old people began to
pray with devotion and piety. At first I listened, at
last I prayed. They sang the litanies. How sur-
prised I was to hear all those people sing ! Those
old people with white hair, blind, lame, paralyzed
even, all sang, all were happy. I, too, was happy,
for I had taken the resolution to return to God and
never to speak evil of religion."

The foundation at Porto took place on January 2,
1895, at the request of Mademoiselle de Miranda and
Madame de Samodaes, of Cardinal Americo Ferreira
dos Santos Silva, Bishop of the diocese, and of
General Sarmento, the Governor of the town. A
house capable of holding thirty-five old people was
lent by two good ladies. The Little Sisters met with
benevolence on every side; thus the first time they
appeared in the market-place, six policemen were
there to protect and accompany them. The society
of tramways gave them free tickets; the gas com-
pany gratuitously supplied gas to the home; a
friendly society offered medicines, coffms, etc. The
development of the home for old age began in
December, 1896, with the purchase of two hectares
of land for 60,000 francs, of which 30,000 were paid
down at once by the inhabitants. Madame Passanha
organized a snowball to help the building fund.
This means of benevolence consisted of asking for
fifty centimes from a person who engages to make
the same request to a third person. Fifty ladies

48o THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

consented to lead the work, and rivalled each other
in their devotedness; they organized charity boxes
in shops, hotels, etc. The snowball rolled through
all Portugal and as far as Brazil. The students gave
a feast in aid of it, which brought in ii"ioo; the
children emptied their money-boxes, and deprived
themselves of their toys; the workmen and work-
women made collections in the manufactories ; no one
refused a contribution. Thus the snowball brought
in more than 52,0(X) francs, and they had the joy on
November 5, 1897, ^^ laying the first stone of the
establishment.

The hospitaller work henceforth had a series of
posts along the Atlantic Ocean, from Ireland to the
Cape of Gibraltar. It established a new one, August
27, 1900, in the Island of Madeira, on the African
coast. The Bishop of Funchal thus announced the
work to the inhabitants of his diocese : " One of the
great aspirations of our soul was to see the hos-
pitaller institution of the Little Sisters of the Poor
established in our diocese. The hour has come,
and we have at Funchal a staff of Sisters and a house
of shelter for old, poor, and infirm people, who have
no relations nor the resources necessary to maintain
them to the end of their lives. This humble con-
gregation is devoted to the exercise of charity in its
sublimest and most devoted forms. We willingly
approve of this new institute, and we exhort the well-
beloved inhabitants of our diocese to help this work
of charity according to their power."

The year 1901 was marked in some countries by
certain restrictive measures affecting liberty of

IN EUROPE 481

religious Orders; but how are we to secure assist-
ance for human miseries in time of peace, war, and
epidemics without those who make a profession of
devotedness, and without those supernatural motives
which engender sacrifice? In Portugal, so far as
the hospitaller institution was concerned, the trial
was of short duration, and ended in a decree of the
Government, dated " Pa^o, October 18, 1901," signed
''Ernest Rodolph Hintze Ribeiro," in which it was
stated that "His Majesty the King, to whom the
statutes have been presented, according to which the
association of the Little Sisters of the Poor is carried
on, has deigned to grant them his approbation."
The three establishments of Lisbon, Porto, and Fun-
chal are specified in this decree.

In 1902 the Little Sisters arrived in Covilha.
Sixteen years before, two venerable priests had
offered them their own house to begin a home, but
the time fixed by Providence had not come, so the
Society of Saint Vincent de Paul had begun a charit-
able work for the aged; but at last they prevailed
upon the Little Sisters of the Poor to take it under
their care.

Other foundations are preparing, but we must
leave the future to God, and confine our account to
the work accomplished in the nineteenth century.
This is the way in which the houses of the Little
Sisters of the Poor are founded : they trust all to
Providence, and already Providence has replied to
their appeal 300 times. Thus every home has its
history, each full of the providence of God, and, at
the same time, of the power of sacrifi.ce. But, in

31

482 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

order to estimate the power of action of this organiza-
tion of charity, we must have recourse to figures. A
table of statistics drawn up by the central office of
the works of benevolence, and referring to the houses
of Paris for the period 1846 to 1896 — that is, fifty
years — will serve as a basis :

' * We willingly seek to ascertain all that the great
works have produced, and in what measure they
have been efficient in relieving poverty since their
foundation. Knowing how many beds each of the
houses of the department of the Seine contains, and
knowing for how many years it has been opened, it
is easy for us to calculate how many days of in-
dividual relief it ought to have supplied since its
foundation if it had always been full. The house
in the Rue Saint Jacques gives the following statistics,
2,978,400 days; that in the Avenue de Breteuil,
4>533>300; that in the Rue Picpus, 4,143,480; that
in the Rue Notre Dame-des-Champs, 4,316,025; that
in the Rue Philippe-de-Girard, 3,444,870; that in
Saint Denis, 786,940; that of Levallois, 410,625 —
which gives a total of 20,613,640 days of relief. But,
considering that since their inauguration the number
of their beds has been slightly augmented, that all
those beds may not have been constantly occupied,
we will reduce this sum by a quarter, which will
still give us a total of more than fifteen millions.

" If we make a similar calculation for all the houses
of France and the colonies, the sum which we shall
obtain will exceed 130 millions — 130 million days for
which, without cash furnished in advance, the Little
Sisters of the Poor have been obliged to provide in

IN EUROPE 483

haste every morning by going from door to door.
What daily trouble and fatigue ! What an incessant
prodigy of activity does the execution of such a
programme represent ! And, in order for the Little
Sisters to have been able to procure for themselves,
from hand to mouth, the means to lodge, feed, warm,
and clothe such a vast number of the unfortunate
poor, must they not have found a public benevolence,
a co-operation and a sympathy proportioned to their
admirable devotedness?"

If we continue these statistics, drawn up only for
France, and if we apply them to the other nations,
brmging them up to the commencement of the
twentieth century, and counting the 290 houses
existing at that date, we obtain an approximate total
of 3CX) million days of succour. Simply from the
human point of view this result gives the idea of a
work of high social solidarity; from the evangelical
point of view it gives the sentiment of the Father-
hood of God and the Brotherhood of Christ.

History must inquire whether the institution of
the Little Sisters of the Poor has remained faithful
to itself and to its law. Most decidedly it has freed
itself from secondary views and objects in order to
appear distinctly as a work for the aged, where all
is subordinated to this single object — the succour of
poor old age. The aspect is exteriorly modified; it
is no longer " the littie work ** in the feebleness and
humility of the * * small beginnings ' ' — small in
number, little known, insecurely established : time
and success have co-operated to make it a powerful

484 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

corporation having its constitutions, centre, provinces,
novitiates, and 300 hospitaller establishments.

It is upon these figures that the only criticism
which has been attempted against the institution
itself rests. One need not fear to face it, and see
what foundation it may have. If one numbers the
houses of the hospitaller work, in reality there is an
important capital engaged — a stock, if you like to
call it so. But let it be considered that no house
has an income, no bed is endowed, there is no re-
serve fund; that there is no pecuniary remunera-
tion, since the old people are the perpetual owners,
so to say, of this capital, and consequently it must
remain unproductive for the congregation. And,
further, the congregation is under the moral obliga-
tion to manage these foundations as the patrimony
of the aged poor, to supply the staff of service, to
provide for the maintenance and repairs of the
houses, to pay off the taxes and ordinary rates.
Also, to obviate any inconveniences which might
arise, the rule prescribes that ' * the buildings of the
congregation and their furniture shall be congenial
to the spirit of holy poverty," and that " it shall
be a point of honour to impress them with a seal
of simplicity which shall strike the beholder."
Besides, what good would it be to form a common
capital? Is it not better to leave to every country
and town their separate homes ? Is not the hos-
pitaller house fixed to the soil destined for the
abandoned old people of the place, and supported
by the spontaneous liberality of the inhabitants of
that region? This being the case, the right of

IN EUROPE 485

property of the congregation and the possessions
of the Little Sisters of the Poor are reduced in
practice to the bare possession of the property with
all its charges and a population of more than 42,000
old invalids to provide for.

It is to this organization that the hospitaller in-
stitution owes: (i) Its existence in all places as a
free corporation of benevolence, working by itself,
without budget and without money grants, without
administrators and without employees ; (2) its popular
work of private charity, subsisting on anonymous
donations, which surrounds itself with discretion,
flees from praise, and operates in silence, or otherwise
reserves itself; (3) the maintenance of the evange-
lical genius of charity by the adoption of old people,
by the social and family life led by the old people,
and by the absolute devotedness of the Sisters to
their charges, and by their filial confidence in Provi-
dence.

CHAPTER XL

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NOVITIATES

Sydney — Madrid— Antwerp— Rome— New York — The holy
habit — The ceremonies of clothing and profession — A
statement.

The commencement of the twentieth century saw
the installation of a novitiate at Sydney, in Australia,
and the completion of the establishment of the new
novitiates.* A family having effected the foundation
of a third house in Madrid with success, the trans-
fer of the novitiate of Spain was accomplished on
February 24, 1897, from Bilbao to the Barrio of
the Prosperidad at Madrid, where they only retained
a limited number of old people. It is a quiet spot,
at the entrance of the capital; the house is enclosed
in a garden. Large buildings of two stories, with
galleries, afford room for 100 novices and postulants.
Mgr. de Cos y Macho blessed the chapel on July 8,
1899, and made a charming comparison : ** Besides
the temple which I have just blessed, I have many
others before me, for, as Saint Paul says, ' Every
Christian is the temple of God.' The novices are
like new temples, which they must decorate with all
the virtues."

In Belgium the novitiate roughly installed in
the Rue de Hollande, Antwerp, was established on

* See Chapter XXXV.
486

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NOVITIATES 487

April 19, 1897, and at Kiel, on the other side of
the Scheldt, on a property given by two benefactors.
The building is in brick; there is a gallery in the
front of the house on the ground floor, and two
wings. This establishment provides accommodation
for 100 novices and postulants and a few old people.
The situation is peaceful, planted with trees, and
has a kitchen garden. In March, 1900, Cardinal
Goossens, Archbishop of Malines, presided at a
profession, and, after having testified his deep affec-
tion for the hospitaller work, represented the exist-
ence of the Little Sisters of the Poor as being a life
of prayer, sacrifice, and zeal.*

On July I, 1893, the congregation had acquired a
property of sixteen hectares with a dwelling house at
Marino, in the Castelli Romani. The site is very
beautiful with the view of woody mountains to the
east, and of Rome and the sea to the west. The
establishment is erected on a table-land planted with

* Already, in 1886, the Archbishop of Malines had rendered
this testimony : " The Little Sisters of the Poor answer in a
remarkable manner to the object of their institution. In
our diocese, to several hundreds of old people of both sexes,
they provide shelter, maintenance, and assistance. Their
principal aim is to procure for them a good and holy death.
The only resource of the Sisters for their own support and
that of their old people is charity, which they receive from
the rich and in the public market-places, and which, thank
God, has never failed them. They are kindly received by
everyone, and no one denies that they practise excellent
virtues, such as patience, humility, and charity, which
causes them to be everywhere the edification of Christian
people."

488 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

vines, and the steeple is in the shape of a dome,
surmounted with the statue of Saint Joseph, which
has given the property the name of Vigna San
Giuseppe. The building extends on both sides of the
chapel, it is made up of a ground floor, a first
story with galleries in the front, and of a first story
and attics on the two wings. There also is space
for 100 novices and postulants and a few old people.
An auxiliary priest,* acting in the name of the Little
Sisters, took an important part in this foundation,
and the Dominican Fathers, t who had favoured the
new aspect of the organization of the hospitaller
congregation, presided at the first ceremonies of
clothing and profession. On April 7, 1899, Mgr.
Serafino Vannutelli, first Cardinal Protector of the
congregation, honoured the Roman novitiate with a
visit. In reply to the address of the Sisters, he
expressed the sentiments of deep benevolence which
animated him, recalling the impression which he had
felt in his youth on hearing of the beautiful work of
the Little Sisters of the Poor. He spoke of the
place which it occupies in the Church, its character
of self-abnegation, the service which it renders to the
aged poor, and the promises made by Jesus Christ
to those who care for them : " The name you bear of
Little Sisters of the Poor is beautiful; it makes you
small in the eyes of the world, as you are the servants
of the poor. But God's views are different to men's

* Mgr. Julius Deltour.

t Mentioned on pp. 108 and 224. The rosary is a
devotion in honour among the Sisters and old people, as
it is specially suited for the sick and aged.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NOVITIATES 489

views ; what is small in the eyes of the world is great
in the eyes of God."

On March 25, 190 1, the first profession took place
in the novitiate of Brooklyn, United States. Eleven
novices were professed. Mgr. MacDonell said to
them: "A province is now founded on our dear
American soil, and you are the first fruits of this
novitiate of Brooklyn. I hope that this small grain
which has been planted here will become a great
tree, like that of France, and that the Little Sisters
who shall be formed in this novitiate will also have
the same strong virtues as the first Little Sisters.
Do not let yourselves be surpassed by your com-
panions, who have not been trained here; show that
in America we know how to practise virtue as
Christians practise it elsewhere." The attempt
having proved satisfactory, a building was erected
for that purpose at Queens, in the State of New
York, at some distance from the great city. The
blessing of the new novitiate took place on October
15, 1902, by the Bishop of Brooklyn, who congratu-
lated the Sisters on the good arrangement of the
establishment and the choice of a situation so favour-
able to religious training by its solitude and devout
atmosphere.

On September 17 the Cardinal Archbishop in-
augurated the novitiate of Sydney in an establish-
ment situated not far from the first house, which
had previously served the Sisters of Loretto for their
schools. Vested in cope and mitre, the Cardinal
solemnly blessed the two hundred and ninetieth
house of the institute, and said that he was happy

490 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

to open a novitiate of the Little Sisters of the Poor,
where he hoped that many Australian girls would
come to be trained in the practice of virtue. He
exalted the hospitaller vocation, which he compared
to the mission of our Saviour among the poor; he
praised the work of its conception and in its result,
and said how much it was appreciated by Protestants
as well as Catholics. Finally, he exhorted the postu-
lants, who formed the nucleus of the house, to walk
in the evangelic ways of humility, abnegation, and
sacrifice.

The postulants wear a habit not unlike the secular
dress : a plain dress, a black cape, a white goffered
bonnet, and for the offices in the chapel, a veil in
black tulle. They take the holy habit when they
become novices of the Order. This consists of a
black serge dress, held in at the waist by a woollen
cord, a black merino kerchief crossed over the chest,
a white neckerchief, and the head-band on the fore-
head,* shoes of common leather, and white bonnet
fastened under the chin. In this garb, with a calm
and serene face, a modest bearing, they go about
among the old people. In the chapel and out of
doors they wear the large black serge cloak which
covers them completely ; they raise the hood over the
head, and thus go forth modestly clothed like the
poor peasant women of France.

The ordinary duration of the postulate and novi-
tiate is two complete years, which are devoted to

* The novices wear the head-band concealed to distinguish
them from those who are professed. This is the only ex-
terior difference in the habit.

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NOVITIATES 491

religious instruction, hospitaller formation, attentive
observance of the rule, practice of the common life,
training of the character, cultivation of habits of
order and self-restraint. All is done with gentle
firmness by means of progressive and intelligent
training, which has proved its efficacy and makes
true Little Sisters of the Poor.

The clothing and the profession are the notable
ceremonies of the novitiate. The postulants who
are to receive the ' * holy habit ' * advance to the altar
dressed in white ; a long veil of white muslin, thrown
back, covers their head, on which is placed a crown
of white roses. A dialogue, on the obligations of
the life of a Little Sister and the rewards promised
to fidelity, takes place between the Bishop or priest
who presides and the aspirants. The officiating
Bishop or priest blesses the holy habit, and gives to
each one the black dress, a symbol of detachment;
the head-band, a symbol of obedience; the leather
belt, a symbol of chastity; and the crucifix, a symbol
of sacrifice. A holy chant is heard whilst the new
novices retire and clothe themselves with the religious
habit. Soon they reappear in the habit of the Little
Sisters of the Poor; each, in turn, kneels before the
celebrant, who gives them, in place of their name
in the world, the name in religion by which they will
be known in future.

After a successful probation, the novices are
admitted to profession. They advance towards
the altar, clothed in the habit of the Order. The
dialogue is repeated between the priest or the Bishop
officiating and the novices; an address, as at the
clothing, is delivered to those present; then the new

492 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Sisters take their vows for the space of about three
years. The celebrant blesses and gives them the
scapular in black stuff, which recalls to the pro-
fessed that they carry the yoke of our Lord. He
hands them their office book, for the Little Sisters
are bound to recite daily the Little Office of the
Blessed Virgin. (The scapular, belt, and crucifix
are worn under the holy habit.) Then the newly
professed Sisters prostrate themselves on the ground,
the pall is spread over them, whilst the choir sings
the De Profundis. This ceremony, always impres-
sive, signifies that they are dead to the world, and
that they must lead a hidden life in God with Jesus
Christ. They rise, and the Te Deum, the hymn of
thanksgiving, is joyfully sung.

The ceremony of definite profession is made at
the mother-house. After a period of, at least, nine
years of temporary vows— more or less prolonged
according to the convenience of the different homes
and the distance of the countries — the Little Sisters
may be called to make a period of novitiate for about
six months, and to take the perpetual vows. It is
for them a joy and sweet consolation to come to
acquire renewed strength in spiritual life, and,
strengthened by experience, by the number and
quality of services rendered, to be admitted like
veterans of charity, to consecrate themselves to God
and to the poor for ever. Presiding at one of these
ceremonies, the Rev. Abbe Durusselle, Vicar-General,
said : ** After fifteen or twenty years of life spent in
the service of charity, time has marked its stamp
on your features; perhaps corporal strength has

THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NOVITIATES 493

diminished, but there is one thing which has not
aged, which is even better — that is your heart.
Selfishness alone shrinks it, passion dries it, but
charity expands it and purifies it. Under the empire
of religion, it moves and strengthens with time, and
in the pure and generous heart new tenderness and
devotedness enter."

Originally, the great majority of the Little Sisters
of the Poor were French, as the work originated in
France, and spread first there and in Beloium. As
time went on, the proportion diminished, and the
variety of nationalities will go on increasing in the
provinces and novitiates of the hospitaller congrega-
tion. Statistics drawn up in July, 1905, give a
precise account, which will remain as a historical
document :

French -----

-

3,289

British (English, 146; Irish, 422; Scotch,

61)

629

Spanish - - - - -

-

526

Belgians - - -

-

314

Americans - _ - -

-

262

Germans - . _ .

-

184

Italians -----

-

219

Australians - . _ -

-

87

Asiatics - - - - -

-

15

Various other nationalities

-

74

Postulants making their stay in the houses

of the Order before being admitted to the

novitiate . _ - _

-

212

Total - - 5,811

Number of Little Sisters of the Poor
deceased- - - . . 1,769

THE WORK

OF THE

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR-

* This is a reproduction of a study by the author, pub-
lished under this title in 1894, and translated into many
languages.

495

The Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor
has taken its definite place in society. It has suc-
ceeded in organizing the care of poor and infirm age
as other congregations have organized the charitable
care of childhood and youth. So well did it answer
to a social requirement and to a need of our times,
that the congregation has founded 302 homes for
old people in different countries of the globe. The
Catholic Church, which gave it birth and supported
it during its painful growth, points it out to the
nations which differ from her in belief as a marvellous
and beneficent fruit of Christian charity.

496

GENERAL SKETCH

OF THE WORK OF THE

LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

The Little Sisters of the Poor unite the life of hos-
pitality to the religious life. They form a congrega-
tion of nuns hospitallers, consecrated by vow to the
care of poor and infirm aged people. Such is their
mission, well defined in the Church, clearly marked
out amongst the various works of charity; it is a
work consecrated to the aged.

The Little Sisters of the Poor devote themselves
in the closest manner, by the vow of hospitality, to
the service of the aged and ailing poor. To this they
apply their intelligence and their strength, their
affection and their self-sacrifice. Their life upon
this earth has in future but one aim : the relief,
spiritual and temporal, of their poor old people.

As their name so well defines it, they are for life
the "Little Sisters of the Poor."

Two conditions, two requirements are needed, for
reception into their homes : old age and poverty.
With the Little Sisters of the Poor " old age " begins
at sixty; from this age upwards the needy are ad-
mitted. Beyond this the years run on indefinitely.
497 32

498 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

The homes contain inmates of eighty, of ninety,
here and there centenarians. A few years ago, in
the one home at Liverpool, might be seen a woman
aged 1 06, and her son aged 71 !

The Sisters receive old people of either sex. In
their homes, the section for men and that for women
have their separate sitting-rooms, yards, infirmaries,
and dormitories. They are received pretty much in
equal numbers; in one place a preponderance of
men, in another of women, but the general total
varies but slightly. At times an old couple — husband
and wife — enter the home together, and peacefully
close their existence amid kindly surroundings.

They receive the aged poor. In their homes no
annuitants, no privileged old people, are received,
but only the most desolate and the most infirm. All
are without the necessary means of livelihood, all
have the same dietary, all are adopted for sweet
charity. The home is the common harbour whither,
after chequered passages, tend the lives of many.
Each has its story, grave or gay, calm or tempest-
tossed. At New Orleans you might number old
people of eighteen nationalities, who had come to
America to make their fortune !

And it is thus that the inmates of the homes of
the Little Sisters of the Poor are recruited. Old
people succeed old people, and the inmates change,
but not the home itself.

In the midst of their old people the Little Sisters
give themselves up to the work of hospitality. With
them there are no servants, no paid employees. They
wait themselves on the inmates, and share amongst

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 499

themselves the work of the house. Everywhere the
Little Sister is to be seen at work. In the infirmary
in the midst of the sick, in the sitting-room amongst
those in good health, preparing their food in the
kitchen, preparing their clothes in the linen room;
you may find her in the gardens, in the laundry, in
the porter's lodge. As a matter of fact, the Little
Sisters of the Poor do all the work of the house,
assisted only by the goodwill and the feeble strength
of their old people.

Amongst themselves no distinction exists. There
is no choir, and no lay Sisters, but all are equally
the Little Sisters of the Poor, alike in title, alike in
rights, alike in duties.

Each house is directed by a Superior called Good
Mother, helped by a Sister Assistant and by a Sister
of Counsel. The Good Mother, aided by her Council,
receives the old people, and decides as to their
admission or rejection; she it is who manages the
resources of the home for the greater good of her
poor; she it is who is answerable for the good con-
duct of the house and the faithful exercise of hos-
pitality. Each house contains a certain number of
the Little Sisters, in proportion to the number of
old people that are received. A number of houses
constitutes a province, and each province is ad-
ministered by a Good Mother Provincial, aided by
her Council. The houses and the provinces are in
their turn dependent upon the mother-house, which
has at its head a Superior-General and six Assistants-
General, elected by the Chapter of the Order, which

500 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

is held every six years. A Superior is not elected
for life, but, as a rule, for six years.

Under such government, deeply imbued with the
charity of the Little Sisters of the Poor, homes con-
taining 100 to 200 old people are founded and carry
on their work ; several contain 250 to 300 old people ;
some even, as at Marseilles and Antwerp, reach a
total of nearly 400. The rules of the congregation
are sufficient for the maintenance of good order and
regularity; kindness does the rest. It is the reign
of Charity, at once strong and motherly.

But how are the Little Sisters of the Poor re-
cruited, and how are they trained ?

The Little Sisters of the Poor belong to every
social condition. Some come from the country,
where they led tranquil lives; others have left in-
dustrial life, business, the school; some were mis-
tresses of households, others, perchance, their ser-
vants. The method of recruiting is according to the
Gospel; no honest position of life is debarred, pro-
vided the candidate be worthy.

All are recognized by their devotedness, their
piety, the love of God and His poor. These are the
signs of vocation. The probation of the postulants
begins with the old people in one of the homes of
the congregation. They make themselves conver-
sant with the various duties of hospitality, and make
a trial of the Little Sisters' mode of life. If they
are contented and suited to this kind of life, they
enter the novitiate, put on the habit, and receive by
degrees both religious and professional training,

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 501

which leaves them thorough Little Sisters of the
Poor. The period of novitiate lasts for about two
years, and ends with the taking of the vows.

In the novitiates, nations are brought together and
languages mix. Charity binds together all these
generous souls, inspired with the purest devoted-
ness, and makes of them a religious family, having
but one heart and one soul. All have the one name,
the same habit, the same rule. All consecrate them-
selves to the service of the aged poor and infirm.

We may now examine in greater detail the organ-
ization of the work and the practices of charity
carried out in the homes.

THE HOSPITALLER FAMILY

The work of the Little Sisters has a constitution
apart. They form a community or "family" of
hospitallers.

The practice of hospitality, as we know, does
not consist in visiting the poor and carrying succour
to them in their own homes, but in receiving them
into our own and sheltering them. Once received,
the work of hospitality is continued by supporting
them, supplying them with clothes, food, all the
cares necessary to existence. If they fall sick, hospi-
tality assists them in their illness and succours them
in their infirmities ; if they die, it receives with piety
their last sigh and consigns them to the grave.

The Little Sisters thus exercise hospitality towards

502 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

their old people, but to it they add a manner which
makes hospitality perfect and is the essential charac-
teristic of their work, they add to it i/ie family spirit,
the esprit de famille.

In the Sisters' homes the old people are not as
strangers. In a hospital the poor are admitted for
a time; they pass through it, they remain awhile,
they leave it ; they are subject to administrative rule.
In the refuges of the Little Sisters of the Poor the
old folks find another set of rules. When the home
is opened to them they are welcomed with kindness,
they are at once adopted, and treated as fresh members
of the family. There it is that, surrounded by bene-
volence and charity, they will finish their life; they
consider themselves as at home, will attach them-
selves to this shelter as to their house, will take
interest in it, and live comfortable and content. This
mode of life offers them a real compensation for
separation from their own people.

Charity is a bond of union, and draws together
the Sisters and their poor. An instance will illus-
trate this statement. It occurred in the East of
France. A man advanced in years and reduced to
indigence had entered the home. His son, a plain
workman, had a stroke of luck, and won in the
lottery the "grand prize" of 100,000 francs. He
was a good son and fond of his father. Immediately
he runs to the home to bear the good news to him,
and to offer to share the fortune with him. The old
man, after a moment's thought, said: **No, I can
never leave this home, where I have found happiness,
and I am finding Heaven." The son insisted, and
desired at least that his father should become an

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 503

inmate of a paid institution. The old man was not
able to make up his mind to part with the delicate
attentions of true charity in exchange for those which
money procures. For a further tep years he lived
under this system, which he preferred to affluence.

It is easy to understand what Christian gentleness
exists under such a system. A happily conceived
name characterizes the work of the Little Sisters,
who, in speaking thereof, call it ** the Little Family."
It is a hospitable family, of which the Superiors are
entitled " Good Mothers," the Nuns " Little Sisters,"
and the poor *' the good old people." It is a " little "
family because it is a family of poor. For arms it
bears the initials " J.M.J. ," in memory of the Holy
Family, its model above all. Thus, in the Gospel,
God likes to assume the name of Father; men call
themselves the sons of God, and are brothers; the
Church is the home of the children of God.

On this family spirit of the Gospel is founded the
work of the Little Sisters of the Poor. What nature
works out in earthly families, charity reproduces in
this family of hospitallers. Therein you may find
the class of family life as found in honest, respect-
able, virtuous homes, but mutual relations take a
higher tone : they are founded upon charity, which is
the soul, the life, and the guarantee thereof. In
this world they are of Heaven.

A literary man was on a visit to the town of his
birth. An old friend of his, late soldier of the First
Empire, was with the Little Sisters. He found him
wrapped in a warm overcoat, with a step still smart.

504 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

in spite of his eighty years. " Well, are you happy
here ?" " Am I not ?" replied the old soldier. '* Why
should I not be ? Thanks to our good LitUe Sisters,
I am passing the most happy days of my life.
Nothing is wanting here, and if there is not riches,
there is kindness of heart." After a short inter-
change of conversation, the old man added: ** But
come and see the house; you shall judge for your-
self."

A two-story house, with galleries for the sick,
faced the south, with a frontage of eighty yards,
having in front spacious courtyards and a kitchen
garden. ** That's our house," said the old man to
his visitor. In the men's side one group discussed
politics or commerce while smoking a quiet pipe, an
old sailor related his travels to an old lawyer, literary
or business men added the charm of reading at their
leisure. In the workshops the various trades — shoe-
makers making old into new, tailors striving to make
garments wearable, joiners, painters, locksmiths,
working actively despite the feebleness of age. So,
too, in the side reserved for women — sewing,
knitting, household work proceed in the liveliest
manner. Amidst their old people the Sisters are
to be found at work, calm and serene at whatever
occupation. The literary man noticed the good
order, the cleanliness of the home, the happy and
contented faces. " Look," said the old soldier with
personal delight, "at our rooms, at our chapel, at
our courts! Look at our Little Sisters!" And the
old man spoke with grateful tenderness in speaking
of his benefactresses and of their devoted care.

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 505

"I understood then," said the journalist, "what
there is to admire in this institution, which gives the
old people not only everyday existence, but the love
of generous and devoted hearts. It is no longer the
law of red tape : it is a mode of life giving a large
share to the legitimate cravings of men's hearts.
Such is, truly, the aspect of the old people's home,
such is the trade-mark of the work of the Little
Sisters of the Poor; it is a family of hospitallers."

Here let us point out what is the day's round of a
Little Sister of the Poor. Nun hospitaller, bound by
vow alike to the service of God and to that of His
poor, she combines a life of religion and of self-
devotion. At morning, when her old people are still
wrapped in slumber, and at night, when they sleep
again, the conventual life reigns : silence in the
home. The Little Sisters enter into themselves and
give themselves up to prayer and praise, to the
recital of their office. At eventide, when night is
falling over the home, the passer-by may hear the
hymn of praise; it is as though a monastery were
near. In daytime, what a change ! All is anima-
tion, life, and activity; the hum of voices, the old
people come and go. In this activity the Sisters take
their full share and give themselves up to the un-
remitting exercise of charity. They have thus
arrived, by a felicitous apportionment of the daily
round, at uniting religious life with a life of self-
devotion and action with prayer, or, rather, they
give themselves up to a dual practice of love, dis-
played now to God and now to our neighbour.

5o6 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

HOW DOES THE FAMILY SUPPORT
ITSELF ?

L— Divine Providence.

The hospitable family of the Little Sisters is
founded upon Divine Providence; it has no other
basis. In like manner as men, in laying and main-
taining institutions, depend upon science, wealth,
influence, and income, so the Little Family, in order
to found and maintain its homes, leans and depends
upon the providence of God, the Father of the poor.

The Little Sisters of the Poor have neither incomes
secured upon freehold, nor endowed beds, nor fixed
revenues. The future is not assured, not even the
morrow. To live themselves, to provide for the
livelihood of a multitude of poor, they have God's
providence, always to be relied on, always required.
As the means of appealing for, and of gathering in,
the resources requisite to their work, they have the
asking of alms — that only, charity and ever charity.
Divine Providence and that almsgiving which is its
daily and ordinary channel — such are the "visible
means of subsistence" of this family. Thus do the
works of the great God mock at human means, and
ride rough-shod over them by methods manifestly
of Heaven.

A truly impressive spectacle, that of the Little
Sisters of the Poor founding 302 homes, in size like
hospitals, in the five quarters of the globe, having
already received 255,000 old people, and all this

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 507

without income, without resource, beyond Divine
Providence and almsgiving !

Daily is their humble cry to God, Our Father
who art in Heaven, give us this day our daily bread,
and day by day our heavenly Father gives bread —
gives what is needful. Nay, Providence has its
loving thoughtfulnesses, and, year by year, finds for
its poor some feast days. The work lives on, works
on, and grows, leaning ever on the manifest inter-
cession of Providence. For sixty-five years this
miracle of love has been renewed, this manna has
fallen from heaven, and now (1905), day by day,
44,000 human beings are being fed, as the 211,000
old people, who are now dead, were formerly
nourished.

On one occasion, at Orleans, a wealthy man,
touched by such a state of things and by the self-
devotion of the Little Sisters, offered the funds for
the foundation of a home where begging should be
•no longer requisite and where an assured income
would allow the Sisters to give themselves up to the
care of the old people. The Little Sisters declined.
They could not consent to modify their work thus.
'* We are," they said, " the daughters of Providence,
and such we cannot cease to be. We shall continue
to live by alms." Mgr. Dupanloup took occasion to
mention this fact from the rostrum of the Assemblee
Nationale, amidst the plaudits of the Members.

At Gibraltar, the will of a gentleman lately de-
ceased appointed the Little Sisters of the Poor his
heiresses, and ensured to them a considerable and
certain income. This was against their charter.

5o8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

They declined it, to the astonishment of the de-
ceased's family. But is not God's providence an
eternal inheritance? By accepting, we should cease
to become Little Sisters of the Poor !

God has granted popular appreciation to their
work. It meets with the sympathy of the multitude,
in France as in Belgium; as in England, so too in
America — wherever it settles. The authorities are
kind to it; commercial and industrial circles are
willing to help it. Worn-out workmen, aged em-
ployees, and aged relatives are entrusted to it, and
the alms follow liberally. How shall we fittingly
speak of an institution which lays up no riches, the
outcome of which is charity and naught but charity,
which, without cessation, is devoted to the tender
succouring of a multitude of poor old human beings
of any and every social position, of no matter what
religion ? There is a social side to this work that all
nations view with appreciation.

Founded thus upon Divine Providence, of which
it is a marvellous exemplar, and upon popular good-
will, the work of the Little Sisters finds yet another
element of success in the self-devotion of the good
nuns themselves. All that good order, econorny,
disinterestedness, self-sacrifice, can produce and offer
for the service of one's neighbour, that they produce
and give freely. The Little Sisters share the life
of their poor; they live, as these do, from what is
sent by Divine Providence, and accept cheerfully
the barest necessities. They go out themselves to
beg and gather in the alms; they themselves do the

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 509

work of the house; they undertake personally the
care of the old people; with their own hands they
see to the good order of the dormitories and of the
living-rooms. In true and real earnest they them-
selves carry out the hospitality of the homes.

An educated man, conversant with four languages,
and acquainted with many things — religion always
excepted — entered the home. He studied in his
usual observant manner the institution which gave
him a home in his old age of poverty. Being a
Protestant, he fancied that the work was supported
by an assured income, and was like the com-
munities with which he was acquainted, in which
the Superior is a Matron and the "Sisters" are
employees of the institution. Here he was greatly
surprised to see them working, and that without
sparing themselves. He inquired further. The work-
ing of the institution was explained to him, as also
the spirit of Catholic self-devotion. He at once took
up his role with determination. He placed himself
in his turn at the service of the Sisters and the old
people, and passed the remainder of his life no
longer in study but in the active exercise of charity
and religion.

Nor do the good old people fail devotedly to
co-operate with them. Many of these have trades,
which they are still proud to carry on. Alas ! their
strength is often but feeble, the hand is unsteady,
the eye uncertain. Old age has come to them all,
with its infirmities and weaknesses. In the measure
of their powers, and inspired by goodwill they help
their Little Sisters, and co-operate towards the com-

5IO THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

fort of the home. Some work in the garden and
till in various ways; others mend the footgear and
see to the patching; many are cabinet makers, lock-
smiths, painters, or masons, and attend to the repairs
of the house. Men and women tidy their respective
dormitories, under the eye of the Little Sisters, who
work also, and give the finishing touches. In the
workrooms, the linen-pantry, the clothes-room, the
women with training, formerly tailoresses, ironers,
milliners, inspect linen and clothes, mend, clean,
sew, and, finally, give some shape and appearance
to the odds and ends obtained by begging, or
brought in by benefactors.

The Little Sisters have an acknowledged ingenuity
in making use of anything and everything, that
nothing can balk. They thus draw full value, with
the help of their old people, from the gifts of God,
the produce of alms. This amuses the old people,
keeps them busy, makes them proud to be useful,
and gives them the impression of the times gone by,
when they excelled in their callings. The home is a
busy hive, in which, however, the queen bees work
like the others, and bring forth the honey of Divine
charity.

The old people go further : they take a personal
interest in the house, and contribute from their tiny
means towards its comfort. How many of them,
when dying, make the good Mother their residuary
legatee ! Small amounts, of course — a couple of
francs, perhaps five, sometimes twenty. The mite of
the widow in the Gospel, who gave of her necessity.

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 511

II.— -The Collection of Alms.

The Little Sister is by duty as well as necessity
essentially a beggar. "Ask, and you shall receive;
seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be
opened unto you." This might be her motto, for
these words and these promises of the Gospel per-
vade her whole life. Everywhere, in all countries,
you may meet the Little begging Sisters, walking
modestly two and two, and asking charity for their
old people. While some approach the rich, entering
wealthy houses, or knock at the doors of working
people, others go to the markets and enter shops
and hotels. Be the alms in cash or in kind, nothing
that can be of service is refused. They make their
request in all simplicity, without persistence, but
bravely. When their request is granted, they bless
Divine Providence and are thankful; when they are
refused they withdraw without anxiety, knowing
that Divine Providence is on the watch and works
always in one manner or another.

In English-speaking countries there is a touching
custom. Saturday is the working man's pay-day.
On that day you may see, in the large industrial
towns, the Little Sisters going out two by two and
seeking the populous neighbourhoods. They go from
door to door, and from these humble homes receive
the traditional penny. The collection lasts the
whole afternoon, and they bring back to the home a
harvest of coppers and a few silver pieces, the out-
come of the charity of the working people, mainly
Irish — a nation that is always open-handed for
Catholic objects. This is the almsgiving by the poor.

512 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

whom the Little Sisters thus enable to practise charity
and have some part in their good work.

In the markets the Little Sisters are again to be
found, and the small stall-keeper gives a little fruit,
some vegetables, a little assortment of thread, wool,
needles, etc. ; in the shops the more important
dealers give provisions, linen, clothes, sundry goods.
The Sisters make their way into the barracks; on
the men-of-war, when the officers are charitably dis-
posed; into the restaurants and boarding-houses,
when the owners are kind; and they carry away the
refuse of the table, old clothes, money. All this is
brought day by day into the home. At the very
door of the home a collecting-box is to be seen with
the following inscription: ''Blessed by Jesus and
Mary be the hand which places herein a halfpenny
for the poor."

A talented amateur artist of London has depicted
the Little Sisters at the moment of their return from
alms-seeking, as they show to the good Mother and
the old people the produce of their collection.
Nothing could well be more suggestive than this
picture. One may imagine it : shoes, hats, vests,
linen, shawls, dresses, all sorts of articles of clothing,
a bag of bread, another of rice, a basket of meat,
one of vegetables, a sugar-loaf, wine, beer, etc. Any-
thing and everything goes into the Little Sisters'
cart.

The cart itself is a charitable gift. Lately a
Spanish grandee gave up his leisure to build with his
own hands, assisted by his servants, the "begging-

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 513

cart" for Toledo. At Alleghany it was quite
another matter. The money was scarce and the cart
was old, so old, indeed, that it broke down. So
they started to beg a conveyance. One kind friend
undertook to make a couple of wheels, and gave the
address of another kind gentleman, who accepted the
task of making the other two wheels, of similar
materials and size. A third undertook the making
of the body, on condition of being supplied with the
materials. They begged the wood, the iron, the
canvas, the leather. And one fine day a " begging-
cart," new and shining, made its appearance in the
yard of the Little Sisters. What quantities of the
fruits of charity it has earned since then !

The horse that drags this cart is also a charitable
gift. A General, placed on the retired list, had one
great anxiety — What should he do with the noble
charger that bore him at the head of the army and
presented such a fine appearance on review days?
*' My dear General," said his friend the Bishop, " he
must be put in the asylum for the old." In the
streets of Le Mans, in the shafts of the Little Sisters'
cart, might be seen the war-charger, turned into the
servant of Divine charity.

Of less exalted origin, the horses used by the
homes are often the result of a charitable inspiration.
Sometimes the Little Sisters' vehicle is more modest
still : a little donkey, harnessed to a tiny cart and led
by an old man, suffices for their requirements. The
ass meets with a full measure of appreciation from
the Little Sisters. He is patient, inured to fatigue,
a little obstinate perhaps, but economical.

33

514 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Who shall tell of all the acts of charity of these
shopkeepers, these traders, these workmen, these
lodging-house keepers? Who shall make out an
inventory of such almsgiving? In constant contact
with these good deeds the Little begging Sister
knows them well; at times she is deeply moved by
them; they are often her consolation, and her life,
hard in appearance, becomes beautiful to her. Heaven
speed you, little apostle of charity, in your work
of making almsgiving popular, and drawing down
God's blessing upon those who practise it !

There are times when the gifts must take larger
proportions — for instance, when it is a question of
erecting a home. Sometimes a benefactor will under-
take the expense of the men's side or the women's,
a manufacturer erects a gallery for the infirm, a pious
lady builds the chapel. Oftener still recourse is had
to public charity, and a subscription is started. At
Cleveland the original house was small, and they
were obliged to refuse admittance to the poor can-
didates. ** Don't you mean to build?" asked a
merchant who heard of the difficulty. "I have a
quarry, and will send you the stone." A subscrip-
tion list was opened. Offerings were made of lime,
doors, and windows, locks, nails, paint, and work-
men's time. Charity, thus once started, did the rest.
Even the Mayor paid the house the honour of a visit,
shook hands with the old men, and left a gift of lOO
dollars in the name of the city. A complete home for
old people was thus erected; not, indeed, without
numberless journeys on the part of the good Sisters
and many kind offices on the part of their friends.
But the poor people have got their home.

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 515

The form of the collection varies according to
the customs and resources of the country, but it is
everywhere the great resource of the hospitaller family
and the constant means of supply to its homes.
Many benefactors, touched by so much self-devotion
and so great need, take their share in the work, and
take pleasure in giving a regular subscription ; others,
at their death, leave a legacy to the home.

The benefactors play an important part in the
keepmg up of the work. They form, as it were, an
extension of the Little Family, to which they unite
themselves by the bonds of charity and by all manner
of kindly offices. In return the Little Sisters receive
their old proteges, pray for the benefactors, who are
for them the means of sharing those holy joys that
good works bring, and give them the strengthening
example of abnegation and self-sacrifice. It is an
exchange in full accord with religion and charity.
Father Ernest pointed out the reward: "For the
past twenty-five years you have been sowing. Sow
yet for another twenty- five; in patience and in faith
await the tardy but superabundant fruit of this field
of charity; that fruit will one day be so great, that
you will be astonished to find in the heavenly store-
houses what return will be given for the seed now
sown."

These are the resources of the work. Reckon what
it must cost to keep up homes containing 100, 200,
300 old people, and then conceive what incessant
calls have to be made on popular charity, and what
a heavy task has been undertaken by the Little
Sisters of the Poor !

5i6 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

III.— The Holy Protector.

Providence carries out its work, in whatever shape
and by whatever means. At times Providence tarries
a little and tries the faith of the Little Sisters.
Debts are increasing, and the times for payment are
approaching. How are these to be met ? Then our
Little Sisters have recourse to prayer. In these
cases of difficulty the Little Sisters have recourse to
their great Protector, always in request, but always
also responsive to their call; to whom but to Saint
Joseph, the good Saint Joseph?

Saint Joseph is a great instrument of Divine
Providence towards the Little Sisters of the Poor. He
works on the benefactors, and even upon strangers,
by ways known to himself. How many have thus
been the messengers of Saint Joseph, arriving at the
exact day with the precise sum necessary to supply
the needs of the house ! These striking and provi-
dential interventions enliven the faith of the Little
Sisters, and prove to them the watchfulness of God
over their work and their dear poor.

In one home the cash-box was empty; naturally
prayers were being offered to Saint Joseph. One
of the Sisters was encouraging her companions.
Towards the evening a ring came at the door. A
gentleman wrapped in a cloak asked for one of
the Sisters — the very one who had prayed so fer-
vently. He handed her a roll of money, and with-
drew without giving his name; the roll, when opened,
proved to contain i,ooo francs.

At Tunis the home ran short of milk. The old

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 517

folks' breakfast was but a poor one in such a hot
country. A novena was commenced, and every
evening, gathered together in the courtyard before
the statue of the saint, they lifted up their hands to
him, and begged Saint Joseph to help them. An old
man who kept goats on the mountain, and who
gained his livelihood by leading them into the town
and selling their milk in the streets, came to the
home and asked to be taken in and his goats with
him. The milk was beginning to come in. And
simultaneously a benefactor sent a capital milch cow
to the home.

These little examples, so simple and full of gentle-
ness, appeal to both mind and heart. In one form
or another they are to be heard of in every house.
They represent the well-being — even the living — of a
multitude of poor people.

At Troy (America) building was going on. The
winter and its frosts came on. A huge mound of
earth threatened, by falling, to ruin everything.
"This will cost you 1,000 dollars to take away,"
said the architect. The Sisters prayed: "Kind
Saint Joseph, come to our help !" Shortly, a gentle-
man offered at his own expense to take away all
superfluous earth, and left the ground clean and
clear. But this site was much higher than the water
storage of the town. Impossible to get the water up
there. ** You'll have no water as high as this," said
the masons and the visitors. " Saint Joseph will
find us some," replied the Sisters. And behold ! the
workmen, in digging, found at a depth of five feet an

5i8 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

abundant and clear spring, and, while making the
cellars, a tiny thread of flowing water coming from
deep in the mountain, and seeming to say, '* Here I
am!" The source was called the ** water of Saint
Joseph."

The Little Sisters have great confidence in Saint
Joseph; they look upon him as one of the family,
and treat him as a faithful friend. His statue has a
place of honour in their homes, and often a little
lamp, a burning symbol of their gratitude and their
affection, is left burning at the foot of his statue. A
little statue of Saint Joseph may be found in every
department — in the sitting-room, where are the old
people; in the linen-room, amidst linen and clothes;
in the cellar, amongst the provisions; watching over
all, entrusted with the providing for all. Is any-
thing deficient ? A " sample " of what is required is
placed at the feet of the saint — a tiny piece of
flannel, a few pieces of straw, a tiny lump of coal, a
few coffee-beans, a model of a barrel. The faithful
provider sees to the matter. Was he not himself an
old man and the head of the Holy Family? How
could he forget Jesus still suffering and in want in
the person of his poor? He does not forget them,
and the Little Sisters know it well.

When the Feast of Saint Joseph comes round, a
time-honoured custom brings together in the homes
both benefactors and old people. On that day, the
Little Sisters superintend and the benefactors wait
on their proteges.

In 1875, Cardinal Guibert and M. Vallon, Minister

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 519

of State, came to wait on the old people in the Rue
Saint-Jacques at Paris. The friends of the home
gathered round them. The ladies pinned on white
servants' aprons over their elegant toilettes. Their
children handed round plates and fruit. Never was
Prince's table better waited on. On that day the
poor were the masters, and they were treated with
the respect shown them by Jesus Himself. Had not
Bossuet, in the same great city, proclaimed t/ie
eminent dignity of the poor in the Church! " Sister,"
said M. Vallon to the good Mother, who was thank-
ing him, " the name of minister means servant
{minis tr are), and I cannot better prove it than by
waiting on your poor." But every day is not a
feast.

Such are the resources of the Little Sisters of the
Poor. Such are the means of support of their homes.
From the standpoint of mere reason, the means are
out of all proportion to the results obtained; from
that of faith all is readily accounted for — the finger
of God is there.

THE EFFECTS OF THE HOSPITALLERS'
CHARITY

Whence come the old people gathered in by the
Little Sisters of the Poor? What has been their
social standing before arriving at the home ? It has
been as varied as is human life itself.

There are some who have lived and shone in
elegant circles. Some have drawn pay from the
States, and filled various posts in Universities, the

520 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Civil Service, the army. Some there are whom an
ill-chosen trade or business, sudden reverse in com-
merce, have brought down to want. Others have
been helpless poor beings, who have failed in the
struggle for life. There are to be found in the homes
poor widows without support, fathers and mothers
stricken in years, who have given up their little
property to their children, and whom these children
have ill-treated, and obliged to ask for the charity
of strangers. All these varied elements live in
harmony, sharing the common lot, and are " the
good old people" of the Little Sisters of the Poor.
A slow, but none the less thorough, transforma-
tion takes place in the old people that they receive.
For them life has been unkind, the future was gloomy,
and old age had arrived with its usual concomitants
of weakness and infirmities. For them life and its
future hopes smile no longer; want is there, and
existence crumbles away before approaching death !
But see, the door of the Little Sisters' home opens
before them, and secures to them a peaceful old age,
sheltered from want. There they meet a new family,
and soon feel that they are loved, and that every-
thing is done to make them happy. The influence
of the charitable and devoted Sisters, contact with
the other cheerful and contented old people, the
return to the practices of religion which tells them
of hope and Christian resignation — all these have
their effect. Shortly, their faces take a more open
expression; sadness fades away; cheerfulness re-
appears; the old people begin to live afresh, and
take for the remainder of their lives that ideal aim —
Heaven.

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 521

The good discipline of the home gives stability to
improvement; regularity is acquired; politeness and
correctness of attitude, both in talk and in manners.
Visit the home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, you
will find there a type of calm and cheerful old people.

At the burial of Cardinal Guibert, the old people
of the six Paris houses assembled under the guidance
of the Vicar-General, who had voluntarily under-
taken the post of their chaplain. The crowd seeing
them pass, impressed by their air of honest dignity,
asked, " Who are these fine old men?" The master
of the ceremonies replied : ' * Room for the old people
belonging to the Little Sisters of the Poor. It is
the Cardinal's adopted family!"

Moreover, religion takes them once more into its
care, and appears to them under the beneficent form
of Christian charity. This alone it is which explains
the self-devotion of the Little Sisters and the love
of the poor. These aged Christians find in religion
an unquenchable source of consolation, of love, of
immortal hope.

At Seville, an old man who had for many years
neglected religion, being brought back to God by
the influence of this charity, said: "I had never
seen a charity of the kind where poor old people
that the world despises were surrounded with care
and attention such as we never had in our own
families." Continuing to feel the improving effect of
the home, he became a model of excellent conduct.

In another town, an old gentleman, a freethinker

(and also a most popular dentist), who had shown

^ his wit both in rhyme and in prose against religious

522 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Orders in the various fashionable magazines, became
a victim of one of those humiliating infirmities which
compel men to be treated as children. Incapable
of self-movement or of rendering himself the ordinary-
services, abandoned by his pleasure-loving and irre-
ligious friends, he saw day by day the Little Sisters
of the infirmary cleansing his wounds, arranging his
hair, washing his face, and caring for his miserable
personality — always gentle, calm, patient, never
weary. Such a sight moved the old freethinker.
He brought to a Little Sister who was taking care
of him, and afterwards gave to the priest who
received his confession, his collection of lectures and
poetry all directed against religion. These were
burnt, and he died embracing the crucifix.

Little Sisters hnd ineffable joy in such instances
of return to God.

In 1885, Mgr. di Rende, Apostolic Nuncio, was
administering the Sacrament of Confirmation to
thirty-five old people of both sexes belonging to the
Paris houses. He applied to them the parable of
the workmen employed at the eleventh hour. How
many are there who thus go back to the service of
our heavenly Father in the evening of life, and thanks
to this great charity ! This group of thirty-five old
people approaching the altar for confirmation formed
a never-to-be-forgotten spectacle. One of these had
just made his first communion; many had renewed
it after sixty years of abstention; one woman had
reached the age of ninety years. Some in the enjoy-
ment of a green old age came forward by themselves ;
those more infirm walked with the aid of a stick,

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 523

or were wheeled out on chairs. Some were" blind or
deaf. Thus they advanced in festal garments, held
up or led by their Little Sisters, towards the Prelate
who was to confirm them. Such a scene brought back
Gospel pages.

One may well imagine what humility and self-
abnegation on the part of the Little Sisters are
called for by such a life. Nevertheless, they are very
cheerful, most devoted to their vocation, and never
look back. Has not such a sacrifice its own savour
and its own attraction ? They know that they have
chosen the better part, and this morsel of Divine
grace flows for their self-devotion. Is not their life
useful, beneficent, full of kindliness to the poor, full
of merit ?

Moreover, they are sustained by the light of faith.
The rule of the Little Sisters tells them that * ' It is
our Lord Jesus Christ Himself who is received and
taken care of by them in the person of the poor."
This rule speaks the language of faith, and thus
gives them the highest motive for hospitality. To
be good to the poor from compassion, from humane
motives, this is well and full of praise, but this is
only part of Christian charity. Let us hear the
definitive pronouncement of Jesus Christ as regards
hospitality: "Verily, verily, what ye shall do to
one of these little ones, to one of these poor, who
are Mine, it is to Me ye shall do it." These words
are pregnant and full of revelation.

One of the poor is more than what one sees out-
wardly. Under his appearance there is a suffering

524 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

member of our Lord. ^ Worldly people without faith
see nothing in the poor but their indigence and
misery, their wounds; but the true Christian listens
to the words of the Gospel, and under such appear-
ances sees clearly the Divine figure of the suffering
Christ. " He it is," truly says the rule, " whom the
Little Sisters receive and take care of in the person
of the poor. He is there, but He is hidden for a
trial to both their faith and their love. He it is
who is consoled in the person of His poor." Oh,
Divine beauty of religion, elevating all that it
touches, and penetrating it with the rays of Divine
life ! From these instances one may understand
the respect that the Little Sisters have from their
old people, the devotion with which they surround
them, the kindness that they display in the discipline
of their homes. To their kindness is added modesty
and respect; their respect is filled with Christian
love and faith. The love for poor and infirm old
people is the most remarkable trait in the Little
Sisters of the Poor.

THE WORK OF THE "GOOD DEATH" .

He who has not visited the infirmaries knows
nothing of the work of the Little Sisters of the Poor.
There ends the life of the old people, and there the
hospitallers' work is concluded.

The custom is to bring all the infirm people
together in a room which opens on to an outside
gallery, where they may take the air, see the sky,
and warm themselves in the sun. Out of the in-

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 525

firmary opens the church gallery, where they can
assist at the holy offices. On another side are the
dormitories, with their white beds and the usual
appliances for the sick. Amongst them are the
blind, the paralytic, sufferers from chest disease;
some of them are old people worn out with age, some
of them in second childhood, under the incessant
surveillance of a Sister; all human infirmities are
represented there some time or another. Some of the
old people can no longer leave their beds ; they must
be taken care of, amused, their sufferings alleviated ;
and in this the Sisters succeed.

Upon a day of high festival a sick man is leaving
the chapel, leaning on the arm of the good Mother.
His story was a somewhat peculiar one. In conse-
quence of Heaven knows what, the poor little old
man had fallen into a most profound melancholy
and shut himself up in an attic, receiving air, light,
and even food, only by a little window. He had
remained in this condition for five or six years,
when, at a loss what to do, his friends had recourse
to the Little Sisters. The poor old creature had
lost the use of speech, his hair had grown for six
years, his nails were almost the length of his fingers.
With some difficulty he was induced to go out and
proceed to the home. By degrees the Little Sisters
got him to speak, but a much longer time was
required to induce him to smile. One day a Little
Sister told him some harmless pleasantry, and he
burst out laughing. At once they ran to the good
Mother. " He has laughed, he has laughed ! " This
was quite an event. Speech and intelligence were

526 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

returning, the heart was moved; now to touch the
conscience. They accustomed him to go to chapel,
to prayers, and a retreat occurred just about this
time and met with success. After his communion,
the good Mother came to lead him back. " My
friend, are you pleased?" she said. "Oh, truly,"
he said, and tears fell from his eyes. The trans-
formation was complete.

At times one of the old people discovers in himself
a great aptitude for infirmary work, and helps the
Little Sisters. A Frenchman, lately an employee of
the Exchequer, who had been ruined by somewhat
extravagant living, and who had not been able to
make his fortune again in America, entered one of
the Little Sisters' homes. Full of gratitude and
self-devotion he helped the Little Sisters for ten years
in the men's infirmary, and died in such exercise of
Christian charity. In the women's infirmary there
is always some new instance of self-devotion. It is
by no means rare that the doctor who attends the
home does so gratis and simply as a benefactor.
Often the chemists of the city rival each other in
friendly generosity, and supply medicaments gratis.
In other cases these must be paid for, but a large
and charitable deduction is made. In many cases
the chaplains become the friends of the poor old
people, and unite this humble and consoling ministry
with important functions carried on in the college,
the chapter, or the bishopric.

What can be more touching than this rule, which
provides that every day, from early morning, the

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 527

Little Sisters proceed to the rooms of the poor infirm
old people, and endeavour to console them and cheer
them up, helping them to rise, combing their hair,
and even washing them if it is necessary, makmg
their beds, and, in fact, carrying out the thousand
acts of charity according as they are required, watch-
ing over their cleanliness and that of their dormitories,
refusing to see the rudeness of many, but seeing in
all the person of our Lord ? Is it not touching to
see the Little Sisters, after their own modest repast,
thronging the rooms and infirmaries, attending to
the repast of the good old people, and taking their
short recreation in their midst, which requires kind-
ness, attention and serviceableness ? The Little
Sisters are equal to all emergencies.

The importance of the work is as evident from
the point of view of salvation and of assistance in
spiritual matters.

As a matter of fact Christian hospitality applies
not only to the physical but to the mental part of
man. The soul is, of course, the most noble part,
and that reserved to the highest destiny. While the
body is falling into decay under the stress of years
and the slow action of nature, the soul, an immortal
spirit, tends ever to throw off its terrestrial shape
and to return to God, its first principle and its end.
It is a question, therefore, of taking care of the body
so as to get at the soul and save it. Here Christian
charity has a great aim. It desires to help the
neighbour towards the possession of God and the
attainment of eternal happiness and supreme good.

528 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Charity does not rest until this has been assured,
without, however, interfering with personal liberty.
From this point of view the work of the Little Sisters
would appear as a remarkable organization, and
becomes for these old people, tottering to the end
of life, the means of a " good death."

At Detroit one of the old men, a Protestant, was
anxious to become a Catholic. He was asked the
reason. **Well," he said, "I have always been
anxious to serve God, but I did not know how to do
it. I came to this home. I watched the Sisters
and their mode of life, and said to myself, * They, at
any rate, ought to be on the right road.' Yes, it is
quite evident that their religion is a good one; the
Little Sisters will go to heaven, and I am anxious to
go with them."

At Pittsburg a poor old woman, suffering from
paralysis, was obliged to leave the hospital of the
town because her son, who was only an ordinary
workman, could no longer pay the fees. In the
wretched hovel where she was lying her condition
became much worse. The Little Sisters were seen
tending lovingly this poor, useless body, covered with
wounds, full of desolation, and abandoned by all.
Under the influence of their kindly charity the heart
of the poor old creature opened itself again. " There
is something extraordinary heje," she cried. Think-
ing and looking back to first causes during her long
hours of rest or of suffering, she felt her prejudice
against Catholics fading away. She began to
question those around her as to purgatory — she who
was suffering so much — as to hell, as to heaven, as

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 529

to the Blessed Virgin, the Pope, confession, etc. A
friend whom she had soon made in the home brought
her books and read to her — the poor, as ever, helping
the poor. Light came to her at last. " Hasten,
hasten!" she said to the priest; " I am old, and I
wish to die a Catholic." On the day of her baptism
she was inundated with spiritual joy. " Now," she
said, " I belong to God, and I am on the road which
leads to heaven." And, taking the hands of the
Sisters in hers, she exclaimed, " It is here that I have
found this great happiness."

Old age IS, therefore, a life which drags to its
close, and in the homes of the Little Sisters this
happens under the sweet influences of Christian
charity and of religion. In the homes the inmates
succeed each other rapidly. About every five years,
on the average, a new generation succeeds the old
one. Death is continually busy in the ranks of the
old people, and eternity opens before them. From
8,000 to 9,000 end their life in the arms of the Little
Sisters each year. Since this family of hospitallers
began, about 255,000 have died m the homes. Never-
theless, some live to a great age with the Little
Sisters. Many are more than eighty years, and have
been in the home for the past ten or twenty years,
but the average is pretty much the same.

It is not out of place to mention here that the
grace peculiar to the Little Family is the grace of
the ' ' Good Death ' ' ; and this grace appears to follow
&ome of the old folks for a long time before their

34

530 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

death. Many of them would seem to have been
called to the home of the Little Sisters because God
had special views of mercy and pardon and of salva-
tion in their regard, and some of the instances are
most striking.

A poor old man, who had lost his fortune and
was suffering from a cruel disease, abandoned by all,
without food, without hre, and without money, fell
into despair, and, while a prey to these feelings,
resolved to put an end to the whole thing. He had
already prepared a rope, and was just about to put
it round his neck, when a violent gust of wind seemed
to shake his room. Full of surprise the old man
opened the door and went down the stairs to see
who was there. He went out into the street; all
was deserted. Looking down he saw a paper, blown
about by the wintry wind, and thrown at his feet.
He picked it up, and, by the light of the street lamp,
he saw a picture of our Lord, with the words :
"Suffer ye with Me!" He returned to his room
and wept bitterly. The sight of our Lord stirred
his inmost soul and brought back hope. The next
day he knocked at the Little Sisters' door and told
his story. He was at once admitted, and, joining
his sufferings with those of Christ, died a holy
death.

How many old people owe their salvation to the
charity of the Little Sisters ! How many would
have been lost without them ! It is a struggle some-
times. Some old creature hardens his heart, remains
for months, for years, without turning to God, and

GENERAL SKETCH OF THE WORK 531

is on the point of death. In such grave cases the
resort is to prayer, to sacrifice, to the Blessed Virgin.
Is she not the Mother of Mercy and the "Good
Mother " of Heaven ?

One man, known in the town as a sturdy free-
mason, becoming old and infirm, went into the home.
He accepted with gratitude the care of the Sisters,
but would listen to no word of religion. He fell ill,
without hope of cure. Can he be left to die in this
state? They speak to him of God, of eternity, of
salvation ; nothing to be got from him. His daughter,
a pious, modest girl, joined her efforts to those of
the Sisters, and he was induced to wear the scapular
of the Blessed Virgin. This dear soul was placed in
the hands of the Mother of Mercy. From that
moment the old man softened, and, looking at death
from a new point of view, called in the Priest and
died fortified by the Sacraments.

In such manner the Little Family ensures the
grace of a holy death to the old people it adopts.
After having found them a shelter and a family in
which peacefully to end their days, it assures for
them the better life. How sweet for the Sisters,
when death puts an end to their self-devotion on
earth, to meet these good old people, saved by their
charity and that of their benefactors, as they advance
and present them to God ! Then comes the time of
reward.

The work of the Little Sisters winds up thus in
eternity.* Lazarus, once so poor, now rests in the

* In 1899 an Association of Prayer, approved by the
Pope, Leo XIII, was established among the old people of

532 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

bosom of Abraham. The time of indigence has
gone past; the worthy poor are with God in the
heavenly inheritance. In them, the Little Family
has protectors and devoted friends before God's
throne.

the Little Sisters of the Poor throughout the extent of the
congregation. They repeat every day for each other the
following invocations to the Holy Family : " Jesus, Mary,
Joseph, bless our old age; grant it may be peaceful.
Christian, and acceptable to God; Jesus, Mary, Joseph,
protect the closing days of our life ; grant that they may be
filled with consolation, sanctified by the Sacraments, and
crowned by the grace of a happy death. Jesus, Mary,
Joseph, assist us when at the judgement-seat of God ; deliver
our souls from purgatory, and bring us safely to heaven.
Amen."

LIST OF HOUSES IN 1925

LIST OF HOUSES IN 1925

Mother-House at La Tour Saint-Joseph (Saint-
Pern, lUe-et-Vilaine, France).

I.— EUROPE

England.

Birkenhead.

Birmingham.

Brighton.

Bristol.

Carlisle.

Hanley.

Leeds.

Liverpool : Belmont Grove ;
Aigburth Road.

London : Portobello Road,
North Kensington, W. ;
Meadow Road, South Lam-
beth, S.W. ; Manor Road,
Stoke Newington, N.

Manchester: Plymouth
Grove, W. ; Newton Heath.

Newcastle-on-Tyne.

Plymouth.

Preston.

Sheffield.

Sunderland.

Scotland.
Dundee.
Edinburgh.
Glasgow.
Greenock.

Ireland.
Cork.
Dublin.
Waterford.

The Colonies.

Gibraltar.

Jersey.

Malta.

France.
Agen.
Aix.

Alen^on.

Amiens.

Angers.

Annonay.

Armenti^res.

Auch.

Autun.

Besangon.

B^ziers.

Biarritz.

Blois.

Bolbec.

Bordeaux.

Boulogne-sur-Mer.

Bourges.

Brest.

Caen.

Calais.

Cambrai.

Cannes.

Carcassonne.

Chantenay

Chartres.

Chateauroux.

535

536 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Cherbourg.

Clermont-Ferrand.

Colmar.

Dieppe.

Dijon.

Dinan.

Douai.

Draguignan.

Dunkerque.

Elbeuf.

Evreux.

Flers.

FoLirmes.

Granville.

Grasse.

Grenoble.

La Rochelle.

Laval.

Le Havre.

Le Mans.

Les Sables d'OIonne.

Lcvaliois-Perret.

Lille (two houses).

Limoges.

Lisieux.

Lons-le-SauInier.

Lorient,

Lyons (four houses).

Marseilles (three houses).

Maubeuge.

Metz.

Montpellier.

Nancy.

Nantes.

Nevers.

Nice.

Nimes.

Niort.

Orleans.

Paris (sii houses).

Fail.

P^rigueux.

Perpignan.

Poitiers.

Reims.

Rennes.

Rive-de-Gier

Roanne.

Rochefort.

Roubaix.

Rouen.

Saint-Denis. ^

Saint-Dizier. - '

Saint-Etienne.

Saint-Omer.

Saint-Quentin.

Saint-Servan.

Saintes.

Sedan.

Strasbourg.

Tarare.

Toulon.

Toulouse.

Tourcoing.

Tours.

Troyes.

Valence.

Valenciennes.

Vannes.

Versailles.

Vic-en-Bigorre.

Vienne.

Villefranche.

Belgium.

Antwerp (two houses).

Bruges.

1 Brussels (two houses).

Charleroi.

Gand.

Liege.

Malines.

Mons.

Namur.

Ostende.

Verviers.

Switzerland.

Lucerne.

Hungary.

Budapest.

LIST OF HOUSES LV 1925

537

Turkey.

Granada.
Huesca.

Constantinople.

Jaen.

Le Ferrol

Italy.

Lerida.

Andria.

Lorca.

Aosta.

Madrid (four houses).

Bologna.

Malaga.

Cuneo.

Manresa.

Florence.

Mataro.

Genoa.

Medina-Sidonia.

Lucca.

Murcia.

Marino.

Osuna.

Milano.

Pampelona.

Naples.

Plasencia.

No a.

Puerto Santa-Maria.

Padua.

Reus.

Perugia.

Ronda.

Rome.

Salamanca.

Santa-Maria.

San Lucar.

Turin.

San Sebastian.
Segovia.

Sicily.

Sevilla.

Acireale.

Talavera de la Reina

Catania.

Tarragona.

Messina.

Toledo.

Modica.

Tortosa.
Ubeda.

Spain.

Valladolid.

Alicante.

Vails.

Antequera

Vich.

Arenys de Mar.

Vittoria.

Baeza.

Xeres.

Barcelona

(three houses).

Zamora.

Bilbao.

Caceres.

Balearic Isles

Cadiz.

Cartagena

Palma of Majorca.

Ciudad-Real.

Ecija.

Portugal.

Gerona.

Porto.

538 THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR

Algiers.
Bizerte.
Bona.

II.— AFRICA

Oran.
Tunis.

III.— AMERICA

United States.

Albany.

Baltimore.

Boston.

Brooklyn : Bushwick and
Dekalb Avenue; 8th
Avenue and i6th Street.

Chicago : Harrisson and
Throop Streets ; Fullerton
and Sheffield Avenue ;
5148, Prairie Avenue.

Cincinnati : Florence Avenue ;
Riddle Road, Clifton
Heights.

Cleveland.

Denver.

Detroit.

Evansville.

Germ an town.

Grand Rapids.

Indianapolis,

Kansas City.

Los Angeles.

Louisville.

Milwaukee,

Minneapolis.

Mobile.

Nashville.

Newark.

New Haven.

New Orleans : La Harpe
and Johnson Streets ; Pry-
tania Street, Cor Foucher
Avenue.

New York : 213 East 70th
Street ; io6th Street, be-
tween 9th and loth
Avenues ; third house.

Oakland.

Patterson.

Philadelphia : i8th Street,

North, above Jefferson ;

42nd Street, South, and

Baltimore Avenue 500.
Pittsburg (two houses).
Providence.
Queens L. J.
Richmond,
Saint Louis : Florissant and

Hebert Streets; 3431, Gra-

vois Avenue,
Saint Paul.
San Francisco.
Savannah.
Scranton.
Somerville.
Toledo.
Troy,

Washington.
Wilmington.

Canada.

Montreal.

Columbia.
Bogota.
Medellin.
Tunja.
Zipaquira,

Chili and Argentina.

Concepcion.

La Plata.

San Isidro.

Santiago (two houses).

Valparaiso.

LIST OF HOUSES IN 1925

539

IV.— ASIA

Bangalore.
Calcutta.
Canton.
Colombo.

Hong Kong.
Rangoon.
Secunderabad.
Shanghai.

v.— OCEANIA

Australia.

Adelaide.

Melbourne.

Perth.

Sydney : Avoca Street, Rand-
wick ; Stanley Street,
Randwick.

New Zealand.

Auckland.
Dunedin.

New Caledonia.
Noumea.

J

LE ROY, Alexandre.

History of the Little Sisters
of the Poor.

BOX
7971

,F6U

BOOK DOES NOT
DE^SENSmZE

(Jatedon Bait, UHt.