sons and daughters succeed fathers
and mothers. More than nineteen hundred children have passed through her
hands. With what pride she showed us the copy-books, and pointed out
some particularly good compositions. Hers was no perfunctory task; a
mother could not have displayed greater interest in her children. The
number of pupils varies from one hundred and ten to one hundred and
thirty, a little less than half of them being Catholics. All kinds of
primary instruction are given, including gymnastics, singing, and
marching. Bible stories hold an important place in this elementary
teaching, even those which are sometimes considered to be beyond the
reach of children; for there is nothing in any other book to take their
place. It is useless to add that not only lessons are given, but shoes,
aprons, and garments of all kinds, some of the little ones being clothed
from head to foot by the institution. Every day soup is distributed,
ostensibly to the poor and the ill-nourished, but practically partaken
of by all. Even during the siege of Paris the soup continued to appear.
It gradually became less substantial, it is true, but still it was soup.

From four to six o'clock the mothers and older sisters and brothers, or
perhaps some old lady who has been engaged to have the care of several
children, come to take the little ones home. The influence of these
children is felt beyond the school-room; it is a visible, constant
force. Such a little girl has persuaded her grandmother not to work on
Sundays. Another asks for a book that her father can read aloud to the
family. And similar instances could be multiplied; they are always to be
obtained where loving Christian hearts are interested in children, and
when they remember that fine saying of Jacqueline Pascal; "_Parler a
Dieu des petites ames plus qu' aux petites ames de Dieu._"[50]

There used formerly to be attached to this a "_Creche_," where a mother
could bring her babe when she went to work in the morning, and could
come for it at night. But the government has now started a day-home for
this district of the city, so this part of the work of the deaconesses
has been discontinued.

Passing by the vegetable garden, which is also a pleasure garden for the
sick and infirm, we come to the hospital. This was opened in September,
1873, and can accommodate sixty to seventy patients. There are two large
wards for women, one for children, a dormitory for aged women, and rooms
with