PRACTICAL SYMPATHY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 31, 31 October 1907, Page 7

PRACTICAL SYMPATHY.

VICE-ROYALTY AT WORK, a BUILDING A RESERVOIR AT THE HOME OF COMPASSION. All Wellington know of tho trouble .the Rev. Motlier Mary Joseph Aubert has hpd in connection with, tho new Our Lady's Hoijie for Compassion at Island Bay, and there ape no right-thinking peoplo who do sympathise with 'lier. After strenuous o(Torts, lasting oyer a considerable. period of timo, the,,. Rev. . Mother, succeeded in, raising monoy enough to build a portion of a large, building that is to bo dovoted to theonnobl: mg charity of caring for incurably diseased . or afflicted children. After thiß building had boon erected at a co3t of over £12,500, it was .discovered to bo sadly defcctivo iu many essentials, so much so indeed that .repairs ' 'and''improvements costing over £3000: have been found to. be necossary beforr it isi rendered fit for tho purpose intendod. .Coming on top of a canvas, to whichVtVio public responded royally, tho good Mother, whoso work must stand out in lottors of '•gold ■ in ' tho -philanthropic history of the district;!'almost - despaired, - but'aided' by -ilie brightness of hor natural optimism and'hor, faith in. mankind, she is. workings with the -c-amb ; gracious enthusiasm that .characterises her-every actionj. and hopes to overcomethis last blow in God's good time., - A 4 '\- T!iolr Excsl!or,oli23 Sympathetic, ; - In the co.urso.of her peregrinations tho iter. Mothor ; called oil Lady Plunket recently,'and in the course of a chat explained 1 tho-posi-tion, and added that among the works corisijlcrsd necessary for . the economic confeni" encci' of, tho Home was - a concrete - reservoir , that'i would be orectod -on tho hill overlooking tho building. The Rov: Mother had ' enquired into tho cost; which'was about £600; but had ascertained that of- that amount somo £200 would go in carting the groat quantities of gravel and other requirements for tho reservoir up tho hill—a stiff pull evon . for horses., Thereupon sho decided i.to. tho stuff herself by, sbmo: moans ; or- otherl ;So it was' urranged! that tho .boys of Sti' Patrick's College, assisted by the Sisters'of tho Poor, would commenco tho work of shifting a mass of gravolthat had-already been deposited: near the ■ Home, ;to- the reservoir site up tho hill. When Lady Pluiiiot heard' of this .slip graciously volunteered ' to- assifck' The R-ev. Mother thought it was a joke, but a received- -later proved^that--Her Ej•oollency's word was laiv. The work about to begin at 3 o'clock yesterday Rafter? rioon/whon His Excellency the' Governtirj Lady Captains ■ ; Gathorne-Hardy, and Lyon,. A's.D.C. - arrived on tho scono prepared to get that gravel to tho top of tha i-hill' or : die "in 4 tho attompt. i' r. 1 -

;Tho- Dignity of Labour. V His Excellency dolled the conventional : fr'oclr coat,' and clad in a 'sbon'-'at work.. Rough. double-handled tioixea. • had been provided 1 for the' transference'" of ■ the gravel, ani the unique sight of the .Gov* orhor-'bf 'the' Dominion at one end and the ■-.Very, j Rev, , Fathor Kcogh • (Sector ofSt. Patrick's Colloge) at the, other,' struggling i up the hill with a load of gravel, was unique, ■tb say tho loast.-; Her Ladyship was provided with a'big coarse apron, arid the serviceable •bluedrill slceyeis'o'f the Sisters, and.^|ie,' ; Tyith ■ the (Rev.Mother,;'also' manned'one; of ,the boxes, and soj' with . the,' assistance': of the willing Aidos-de-Camp,' -and> a robust army •' of.. colleger boys, • the" 'gravol began 'to' move. His Excellency^Carrlc3 tho Sack. At ono stage the ladies had paused .10 rest, when thoy noticed a man struggling up hill burdened by a! bulging sack. It turned out to bo His Excellency,, who, with tho vigour he formerly . displayed as' one of tho Trinity College (Dublin) eight, had seized a sack of gravol that, with others, had been fille^; -ready 'for/ removal. ' With - such i>ay did? thework proceed, that in an hour and n oustrter about 8J tons of gravel— .all „that.,was .there—had been shiftei' to the reservoir site m readiness for the work there, Spcil-Ol ' . Killed with the joy of something accomplished,' something done, the party then, adjourned u> the buuuing,' wlierd afternoon teai #as sorved, during which Lady Plunket was presented by the Rev Mother with a little silver model; of .one of tho gravol boxes, ton ; 6ne sido of which was engraved—"Her Bx> celloncy Lady '• Plunket, Wollingtori, • Now Zealand, .Octobor,. 1907," arid oil the'other side, "In loving and grateful romombrarica of her reservoir -labour, Home of Compassion." After tho utterance of mutual thanlcs, the .Vice-Regal party drovo away with tho cheers of the collego hoys ringing 'in' their ears. . Practical Sympathy. : ' Such; an example of practical sympathy 011 tho part of. the King's representative, ,Lady Plunkot, and tho members of tho .'staff, is commendable in tho highest-degree, -arid if the public'will; respond the sanib hearty spirit, tho good Mothor will not'need to worry tiiuliily over the heavy burden "rccent event's' have' placed' upon her 'sh'biildersV' : "Of your charity—give 1"

; . REMEDY)NG THE DEFECTS; " nro at present employed remedying tho defects in construction of tlio Rev. Mother Mary Joaoph Aubert's Homo at Island . ' Bay, • whicfe .it is .thought liiay ;;ba "ready; ;tb!'rcceivo 'Ilia "full niimbe'r, of-its ilimat'es by Olifistmoa. Additional.- supports' (ten iron and:two jarrah) are being'put in to hold up the: ceilings of the various wards;; and tho.roof 'is being altered wli(»ro. thei covering ,'of; Neu'chatel anphalt .loft' an ■ ihtei'val,,At tliocdgos, through which the rain trickled down tho walls. The position has been a vory awkward one for tho Rev. Mother Maly Joseph Aubcrt, who sold her fvrrner Home at Jerusalem," on the Wangaps: ■ River; 7 pnd moved' tho, children ; out to allow tho 'p'liiv chasers: to tako possession, in tlio -oxpcctation ithat the new' building would -be- roadv to rcceivo, them .mouths ago. Now the girls of her institution are finding shelter in l tho Homft for Incurables: in Buckle Streot, which Has no adequate accommodation for. theitf, and the boys arc housed under great lKCottvoniences in a portion of the new building, with workmen still engaged all round them. Applications to the 1 Rev. : Mother to roccive incurabld children have been received from all parts of New Zealand in sufficient-.. imm. bors.to fill .tho now .building when it can receive them.