WARSAW’S BLIND NUN

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 10194, 5 January 1926, Page 6

WARSAW’S BLIND NUN

FORAIER SOCIETY BEAUTY

“The most remarkable woman in Warsaw; you’d never guess she is totally blind.”

The young attache of the American Legation pointed to the slender black habited young man, who at that moment stepped from the sidewalk to cross—alone—the narrow, twisty street.

As arbitrarily as if the bands of the Fifth Avenue policeman bad uplifted, traffic came to a halt, while pedestrians paused, to give undisputed right of way to the little Sister. For whenever Sister Elizabeth, founder and first Superior of the Society for the Protection of Blind in Poland, appears in the streets of her native city the people mount guard over her, so to speak (states the National Catholic Welfare News Service). “Saint Elizabeth she is called,” murmured the young attache. “Her story is one of the miracles of the reconstruction of Poland—the miracles of the blind leading the blind. When the Polish soldiers began to return from the war, a-pitifully large number were sightless, said the attache. Tlie problem of bow to care for these helpless soldiers was one that the public officials could not solve.

Before the war Countess Czacka was the ornament of one of the noble houses of Poland. Her beauty, vivacity and keen intelligence made the young countess a leader in the social world of Warsaw.

Engaged to be married, she had set the nuptial day. One day, when riding, her horse bolted and the countess was thrown violently to the ground. When she regained consciousness she found her eyes tightly bandaged. Then a company of learned doctors pronounced her doom—total blindness.

To-day you see her gathering together the blind, collecting money to feed and clothe them, selling the beautiful baskets and other things which theyy make, managing the details of an establishment which is at once an asylum, a house of business and a 'school. Learning new trades in order to teach the blind, training teachers of the blind, and governing a religious community—all in all, one of the most capable business women in thn whole of Europe. And herself blind. Asked where she had found the inspiration -Tor her work among the blind;, in her sweet low voice she told how from her sick bed she had asked that an instructor of the blind be sent to her. To her surprise, bxit not her despair she learned that in her country there was not one capable of teaching the blind. “Then I knew,” she - said, very simply, “what my life work was to be.” ‘ She obtained lessons in raised writing. Haying taught herself to read, she gathered about her, in her father’s house other blind girls and taught them how to read. Soon the little colony of blind grew too large for her father’s home. Booms were procured outside and there the women met every day to study and work. Then she entered a religious order. Later, with the permission of the church, she established her hew order. Among the Sisters, one-tliird, like their founder, are totally blind.