ANGELS OF THE BATTLEFIELD.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 40, 4 February 1898, Page 4

ANGELS OF THE BATTLEFIELD.

Many books have been written about the beneficial work of women during the war in hospitals and on battlefields. But these books, at least those we have seen of them, are strangely silent about the labours of the Catholic sisterhoods in the same good cause. Some years ago we called the attention of Mr George Farton of Philadelphia to this fact, and suggested that the work of the Sisters in field and post hospitals during the war would afford ample material for a most interesting and edifying book. He saw the matter in the same light we did, and set himself to the task. The result is the admirable book, Ancjds of the Battlefields, just issued by the Catholic Art Publishing Company of Philadelphia.

Four of the sisterhoods are known to have taken part in the work of mercy during the war. These are the Sisters of Charity, the Sisters of Mercy, the Sisters of St Joseph, and the Sisters of the Holy Cross. The labours of these Sisters are given in this charming book in detail, and in chronological order. Several touching incidents of Sisters who became martyrs to duty are told in an interesting manner. One of these is particularly pathetic. Sister Mary Lucy, member of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, richly endowed by nature, was the music teacher in St Mary's Academy. Paducah. Ky. When the exigencies of war compelled the temporary abandonment of this institution, Sinter Mary Lucy volunteered aone of the hospital nurses. She was assigned to some of the severest typhoid fever cases, and the manner in which she nursed these patients won for her the unqualified praise of the hospital doctors and attendants.

The post of honour in this instance became the post of danger. The Sister contracted the fever from one of her patients who was convalescent. This was in the latter part of December, during the first year of the war. Despite the best medical attention she rapidly grew worse until December 21), when she expired as calmly and heroically as she had lived. Her death cast a gloom over the entire hospital, and the soldiers of both armies were filled with admiration and awe at the martyrdom of this gentle soul. They determined that her obsequies should be of a character befitting her great merits.

Several files of soldiers marched with muffled drums and noiseless tread from the central hospital to the Ohio River, bearing the remains in their midst. There the coffin was placed on a gunboat in waiting, which had been especially designated for this service. Then the boat slowly steamed away, bearing its honoured burden under a flag of truce to Uniontown, Ky. On landing the remains were borne to St Vincent's Academy, some miles distant, where the Sisters own a considerable tract of land, and where they have a last resting place for their dead. Father Powers, at that time pastor of the Catholic Church at I'aducah, said Mass and accompanied the body to the grave and recited over it the last offices of the Church of which the deceased had been such an exemplary member. A guard of devoted solaiers watched by the coffin d.iy and night from the time it left the central hospital until the earth covered it from mortal view. At night the tender-hearted warriors kept their vigil around the coffin with blazing torches made of pine knots. Sister Mary Lucy was born in the vicinity of the spot wheie she wa.s buried. This is the short but brilliant life history of one heroic woman. The book is filled with many incidents of this kind — Boston Pilot.