ST. SOPHIE OF NEW ORLEANS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 641, 19 October 1909, Page 4

ST. SOPHIE OF NEW ORLEANS.

[i.ih'a'spe'oial article,- published in/the magazine i Eection of .the-Now York Journal, Dorothy: Dix-(Mrs.-Gjlmor), writes; as follows of "Hor, Town's,Best'Citiß!n"v-;, : ; : , ■;;.:'..;.'. -: : .'VMiM-SophiovWrißnt Tfas.bprn.with a disease CpJ tjic :hip~jpint it.h^.has' mado.hov a cripplo ' from.'h'ei': oradle." : She 'has never .taken , ' a step .thiit,.was:not,an agony.to.her.. She has nover a- , :hr'^ith I 'that"wae". free"ef pwnl ';.. Al-''th'oii'Bli':;sn'e:'ie-:.etill ■» young women in years.' *tv hit "she? has .suffered lined her. fwe -, and. made her:b»ir'»s?white »s drifted. snow. ■ Shi wan alnp a poor:sirl, : whose f»raily,cbuld barely '.putflier.r'threugii;.• school, :und ,as.,soon:m;she graduated "she.began.to teach. t«,.support.her-"-peelf. A-:S:o.-(':- : .f^;-:;.-,. ; V ;..•:.".; '; ■■': '':'; : :- •. Twehfer-flyeiyearj. ago-.the public echools. in the.South-were in a/crude:conditden and:there ~Weie.:'no njgh.t>schools lat-all.'-', At 'that time, one--night*' a.'yo'upij ffellbir,' an :'acrobat from a'atrandcdcircusj'came'to Uiss-Sophie Wright I,and.told her-,tliat if he,only knewTioir:to read 'and'wHte ! li9-' , -buld"get'.a good 'position, , and ''hVObegged. her'to 1 teach- him, although he hod hs.vraonoy"'with lrhich'to pey her. ■; .:': - : -.\. ■:. -'. ■ :;t.iMiss,. -Wright, "-a 'young : prl, strnggling to make: her-own 'living,-.poor, hard worked el;ready,..and suffering, tortures, from her.incur,. 'lablqV malady,-; .took the' boy -and began spend-' ing:.he'r■eypningß'tenching him. ■'■ Jie:brought anotlier. ;^ aiad :s6ll .another boy; and other pu-;:pili!'.crpw'ded.-:in';M soon as it became:known r .tßat'''tHer«'' r was :K ! ' : '6chool, free,'- where . boy« atnight,".".•. :■■' : .: : . : ,; .. ■■'■.' ■iJThus ;the School in -New' Orleans ■YPW'estkWished'.'without money orlontsido help; ■by-'the 'littleScripple.'jsFor twonty.fivc yoa.rs.it ■TiM.'.KroTm'and.flourislied.until now it has a 'nightly , attendance" bf.-neirly 2(100:' In it have been educated hundreds of men .who have at-; Jaihed to ■■zenith' and • prdminencß, : and thou-. "sands, of Mother men" whp.'have been made into; useful , and intelligent citizens. All day long [Miss'Wright'teaehes in a school'for:girls that she has-'.established and.' by, her living,. but: she gives her earnings to " her : bpys," whb'.xan ..give v hcr,. ,no compensation ex-"cept'-lbvei' ';■' "rv.-v.i^rv' , ,-":' , i , ';■■•''.-'''"i; "■ ; •■ -i : ' ; In addition, Miss Wright has built a home for".crippled^children,'-and has been thq:mainstsy., of '..thf^Heme,. and 'a {fi'uTj;dred iOupver worthyjehanties.r.' ■ .v'•'• -'."■:. :' ; Eevoral:; years ■,ae6 < *she"'receiyed ; th*. silver loving cup -that.. therPicaynne." annually preBsnts' to :.the .citir.en of New Orleans' who has dqn?jthe greatest- public good for .the. city, durinfet&o'/yM.iyin this cup wn! ; K check' for j22000 subscribed;'as a:tribute from :tho ( citizens;of New. Orleans to .cancel a :debt:; : she: hadiassumcd in, enlarging", her, night school to try: to make room for the pupils who wcro always clamouring for admission. ,'