THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3, 18 January 1900, Page 24

THE LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR.

We take the following from the Foresters" Miscellany, a magazine published in England by the Foresters' Friendly Society :—: — In that section of the Christian Church which we in England know as Roman Catholic, there is to be found an organisation designated ' The Little Sisters of the Poor.' These little Sisters devote their constant effort to collecting money for the purpose of helping poor aged persons, and their modus ojperandi is to secure a suitable building in which to house the ased people, irrespective of creed or profession. We personally had the pleasure of going over the St Elizabeth's Home, where were to be found nearly 100 aged people, who were fed, clothed, and housed entirely by the efforts of these devoted women. The place is scrupulously clean, and the inmates as contented as it was possible for them to be. Amongst the men were to be found members of the Ancient Order of Forester?, who, on receipt of their final allowance of reduced sick pay, finding themselves unable to do for themselves, here found an asylum in which no questions were asked as to their previous life or conduct, nor as to their religious belief ; the sole qualification being (>0 years of age and inability to work for their maintenance. Here were to be found aged women, some the wives of husbands who were also inmates, and some the widows of men who had formerly been prosperous tradesmen. Here at least was one lady, who, 20 years ago, was left a widow well provided for, whose children, still alive, had insisted upon sharing that which their father had left behind him, and who, when all had been eaten up, had refused to maintain their aged mother, and she, at 80 years of age, found asylum with these Little Sisters of the Poor.

In this retreat the inmates are not given monetary allowances, but are maintained through the services of these holy and devoted women, who, .day by day, year in and year out, acting upon the injunction, 'Ask and ye shall receive,' move about amongst their fellow citizens asking for the wherewithal to provide food and clothing for their numerous charge.

The good Mother, Sister Benedict, showed us round the building. We sat and chatted with the inmates, learned many of their life stories, heard their devout expression of thankfulness to the never-tiring Little Sisters, and came away with the conviction that the poor old folk were here as comfortable as ever they had been in their lives, and had, indeed, much to be thankful for.