Bardstown, three miles distant from Nazareth Academy, in Nelson County, Ky., was occupied successively by the union and the Confederate armies. Some hostile engagements had taken place in the vicinity of the town and in the neighboring counties, and as a result the place was kept in a state of feverish5 anxiety. The victories and the defeats were attended with the usual result, killed and wounded men and sickness and suffering on all sides. Here again the peaceful aid of the Sisters came at an opportune6 time. Fully7 aware of the great need there was for experienced nurses, the Mother in charge of Nazareth sent a devoted8 band of Sisters to the Baptist Female College in Bardstown, which had been temporarily fitted up for hospital uses. On their arrival they found that they had to care for a large number 193 of disabled Confederate soldiers. They quickly began their humane9 work and carried it to a successful completion. The Confederates were on the march, and their wounds had to be bound up quickly or not at all. When they had withdrawn10 from the town, taking with them their convalescents, the union forces came in. Their sick and wounded were also nursed by another band of the same Sisters at St. Joseph’s College, which was conducted by the Jesuit fathers, but which, of course, at that time was not in educational use. Thus in the midst of civil strife11, with the bullets flying thick and fast, did the Sisters work under one flag—a flag that was respected by Northerner and Southerner alike—the flag of humanity.
Some of the episodes connected with the work of the Sisters was of an exciting and dramatic nature. Late one night in September, 1862, twelve Confederate soldiers in their gloomy gray uniforms marched into Nazareth, after a wearisome journey from Lexington, Ky. They were received, as all visitors are, with kindness and hospitality. They came to ask the Sisters to nurse their sick and wounded comrades. The request was granted at once.
“How many Sisters can you spare for the work?”
“Six now and more later, if necessary,” was the prompt reply.
“When will they be ready to return with us?”
“This very night, and at once,” was the incisive12 reply.
Such promptness was as surprising as it was pleasing to the couriers. That very night six Sisters, without anything beyond the familiar garb13 which they wore, their usual rosaries and a few books of devotion, started on their mission, ready, if need be, to offer up their lives in what they believed to be the service of God. They proceeded 194 on their long journey under the protection of a flag of truce. Resting in a farmhouse14 one night and in Frankfort, the capital of the State, the next, they finally reached Lexington in safety. In a few hours they were installed in one of the large halls in that city, which had been fitted up for hospital purposes, and without any preliminaries they began at once to minister to the sufferers who were collected there. Later in the same year another band of Sisters of Nazareth nursed the union soldiers in one of the colleges in another quarter of the city. As far as can be ascertained15 this was Transylvania University.
Events that took place about that time proved that the Sisters believed no material sacrifices were too great when made in the cause of suffering humanity. In the spring of 1862 General Smith, who was then in command of the union troops, nearly seven thousand strong, in Paducah, Southern Kentucky, asked the Nazareth Sisters to come to the assistance of the many sick and wounded soldiers scattered16 about that city. He had been advised to make the request by Dr. Hewit, who had the general superintendence of all the hospitals in that section of the country. Dr. Hewit was a man of great executive ability, who stood in the very forefront of his profession. He had great faith in the ability of the Sisters as nurses. He was a convert to the Catholic Church, and a brother of the saintly superior of the Paulist Fathers of New York city. As no communication could be had with the Mother of the house at Nazareth at this time, owing to the disturbed condition of affairs, the request caused the Sisters some perplexity. Only for a time, though. A conclusion was soon reached. Sister Martha Drury at that time was at the head of St. Mary’s Academy, probably the leading educational 195 institution in Paducah. She resolved to close the schools and go with all of her Sisters to the relief of the soldiers. They went first to the Marine17 Hospital and then moved to the Court House, which was known as the Central Hospital. Their experiences in this place were similar to those of the Sisters who were engaged in the hospitals at Louisville.
Their greatest difficulty was experienced in caring for those soldiers who were afflicted18 with contagious19 diseases. Typhoid and similar fevers held sway in their most virulent20 form. The havoc21 that war had made in the human frame was painfully evident in this particular hospital. After the close of the war the Sisters returned to their academy, which exists in the town to-day in a flourishing condition. It will ever remain as a monument to that brave little band of Sisters who gave up their peaceful pursuits to minister to the afflicted, and it will ever be pointed22 out as the house from which Sister Mary Lucy, the gentle little teacher, went forth23 to meet her martyrdom a martyrdom as blessed in the sight of heaven as any ever undergone by the saints of old.
The gentleness and devotion with which the Sisters nursed all of the wounded soldiers, no matter what the color of their uniform and regardless of rank, was not unappreciated by either “the boys in blue” or “the boys in gray.” Throughout the whole of the war, with but few exceptions, their institutions, mother houses and places of learning were exempt24 from the usual ravages25 of internecine26 strife. This is especially true of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. Being in close proximity27 to the contending armies and their camps, great apprehensions28 were felt at one time for the safety of Nazareth. This, too, in 196 spite of the fact that the daughters and other relatives of the general officers of both sides were still pupils in the school. At intervals29 during the war some of the generals called at Nazareth for the purpose of visiting their children. On these occasions they were always hospitably30 entertained. Although the Sisters felt comparatively safe, they desired some official assurance of that fact. As is usual in such cases, over-timid persons, generally friends of the pupils, now and then sounded alarms. The following letter, received by the Mother Superior from General Wood, the original of which is still in possession of the Sisters, reassured31 the community that it need not fear an intrusion of the military into the sacred precincts. General Wood was in command of the union troops:
“Headquarters U. S. Forces,
“Bardstown, Ky., January 20, 1862.
“To the Lady Superior and Sisters of the Convent of Nazareth: I have just had the pleasure to receive by the hands of your messenger the very polite and complimentary32 note of the Right Rev33. Bishop34 Spalding, and I hasten to apprise35 you that it is my earnest desire and intention to afford you perfect protection and the enjoyment36 of all your rights both as an institution and as ladies individually. It is my earnest wish and intention to secure you and your ancient institution (which has educated so many of the fair daughters of my own native State, Kentucky), from all molestation37 and intrusion, and to this end I pray you will not hesitate to make known to me any grievances38 you may have on account of any misconduct on the part of any officer or soldier under my command. I assure you it will be equally my duty and my pleasure to attend to any request you may have to make. I beg you to dismiss all apprehensions on account of the presence of the soldiery in your sacred neighborhood, and to continue your peaceful 197 and beneficent vocations39 as if the clangor of arms did not resound40 in our midst.
“I have the honor to be, ladies, your very obedient servant,
Th. J. Wood,
“Brigadier General Commanding.”
“Will you do me the favor to send the accompanying note to Bishop Spalding?”
Later on Nazareth must again have been in dread41 of military trespass42, for one of its patrons, Hon. James Guthrie, of Louisville, Secretary of State under a previous administration, applied43 to President Lincoln for protection for the institution. The President graciously issued the necessary orders, saying that the violation44 of such orders by any of the commanders would invoke45 his serious displeasure.
General Smith, Doctors Hewit, Fry, Kay, Austin and the officers of the union army surrounded the Sisters with every mark of respect and esteem46, and they in turn devoted all their energies to ameliorating the condition of the suffering soldiers.
In addition to the labors47 of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth already mentioned, they did very effective work in the neighborhood of Owensboro and Calhoun, Ky. At the last-named place the sick and wounded soldiers were quartered in the two Protestant churches of the town. The Sisters entered these places and attended the sufferers there with the same diligence and patience that characterized their work in every other locality. When Sisters had to be removed on account of their own illness, their places were promptly48 supplied by other Sisters. Reinforcements were on hand to fill every gap in the ranks. As before mentioned, the Sisters of Nazareth neither required 198 nor received compensation of any sort. The hundreds of brave souls that have passed away since the war have no doubt ere this received their reward in a better world. Dr. Foster, who was engaged in the Louisville hospitals while the Sisters were there, wrote eulogistic49 articles about them in the Louisville papers at that time, but unfortunately these papers were not preserved.
The famous convent school from which these Sisters came forth to do their great work is worthy50 of more than passing notice. The organization known as the “Sisters of Charity of Nazareth” was founded by Right Rev. John B. David, D. D., who was consecrated51 the first Bishop of Bardstown (now the Diocese of Louisville) in 1810. Henry Clay, who knew this good man well, pronounced him “the best representative of royalty52 off the throne.” The Bishop, with the Right Rev. B. J. Flaget, built the little log cabin near Bardstown which was to be the birthplace of the new order. It was a success from the start. This was largely due to the piety53 and administrative54 capacity of the mothers in charge. They were sketched55 in an article in the “Catholic World” a few years ago. The first of these was Catherine Spalding, a member of the eminent56 Kentucky family of that name. She held the position of Superior for more than a quarter of a century, and by her great intellect and modesty57 won the affection and admiration58 of all with whom she came in contact. On her death, in 1858, she was attended by another distinguished member of her family, Right Rev. Martin J. Spalding. After her came Mother Frances Gardiner, who proved a worthy successor to a worthy Superior. 199
The last of this notable trio was Mother Columba Carroll, in the world Margaret Carroll. For thirty-five years she was directress of studies and teacher of the first and second classes. In 1862, when the Civil War was beginning to rage fiercely, she was elected Superioress, and for ten years held that position with credit to herself and the convent-school.
While Mother Columba took no active part in caring for wounded soldiers, she was nevertheless the presiding genius of the establishment at that time, and directed the movements of the Sisters with extraordinary tact59 and good judgment60. She held many interviews with persons in power, and thus warded61 off petty annoyances62 and troubles. The occasion of Mother Columba’s golden jubilee63 was celebrated64 with great fervor65 by the community on February 22, 1877. A drama, written by Sister Seraphia, entitled “Religion’s Tribute to Our Mother on Her Golden Jubilee,” was performed by the pupils, and was one of the most successful features of an elaborate programme. One of the touching66 incidents of the celebration was a poem inspired by the venerable Sister Martha, one of the original five that started at “Old Nazareth,” and addressed to Mother Columba. Mother Columba was one of the first pupils under the care of Sister Martha. The following lines from this graceful67 offering are worthy of a place here:
There are many to-day, dear mother,
Who are crowning your head with gold,
And writing fine things of the record
Your fifty long years have told.
And, I too, should come with the others,
My offering before you to cast;
But I am old, and my thoughts, dear mother,
Somehow will fain run on the past.
200 On the days when our Naz’reth, dear Naz’reth,
Was not like what Naz’reth is now;
Our dear Lord only knew how.
Then we spun68, and we wove, and we labored69
Like men in the fields, and our fare
Was scanty70 enough, and our garments
Were coarse, and our feet often bare.
When we lived like the ravens71 and sparrows,
In the following year Mother Columba’s earthly career closed, but the force of her example still lives in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to be her pupils and associates. Mothers Catherine, Frances and Columba made a truly wonderful trio. They helped to give Nazareth the reputation it enjoys to-day, and while the school exists their memory will endure. The Sisters of Charity of Nazareth are particularly known in Kentucky, and they are to be found wherever suffering humanity calls.
The ancient house at Nazareth is the mother from which have sprung forty-seven branch houses in various parts of the country—schools, orphan72 asylums73 and hospitals. Perhaps the most conspicuous74 of the latter is the “Mary and Elizabeth Hospital,” in Louisville, founded by William Shakespeare Caldwell as a memorial to his wife and a tribute to the Sisters who educated her. The mother house is located a few miles south of Bardstown, which is forty miles from Louisville. The buildings are extensive and imposing75. There is a presbytery, a convent and academy, a chapel76 and the commencement hall. In the old-fashioned hall are full-length portraits of Bishops77 Flaget and David and Father Chambige. The library contains five thousand volumes, and in the corner is an excellent bust78 of the late Archbishop Spalding. Mother 201 Helena is the present Superior, and in the administration of her office she has clung to the best traditions of the past.
I am sure I will be pardoned for digressing sufficiently79 from the main subject of this volume to mention a few of the distinguished patrons and graduates of this institution. The patrons included Henry Clay, who sent his daughter, granddaughter and great-granddaughter there; Judge Benjamin Winchester, John J. Crittenden, Judge John Rowan, Zachary Taylor, Jefferson Davis, James Guthrie, George D. Prentice and Charles Wickliffe. The graduates include Sarah Knox Taylor, daughter of President Zachary Taylor; Madame Henrietta Spalding, now Superior of the Sacred Heart Convent, in Chicago; the first wife of Jefferson Davis; Mary Eliza, daughter of James Breckinridge, of Kentucky; Mary Gwendoline Caldwell, the original benefactress of the Washington University; the wife of United States Senator Vance, of North Carolina; the four nieces of Jefferson Davis, all converts; Mary Anderson, whose professional career is as much a matter of pride to the good Sisters as her private virtues80, and Miss Taney, the author of the State poem, “The Pioneer Women of Kentucky,” written for the World’s Fair. Such is the institution that furnished so many nurses for the camps and the hospitals.
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1
truce
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courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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sketch
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| n.草图；梗概；素描；v.素描；概述 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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feverish
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| adj.发烧的，狂热的，兴奋的 | |
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opportune
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| adj.合适的，适当的 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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humane
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| adj.人道的，富有同情心的 | |
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withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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incisive
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| adj.敏锐的，机敏的，锋利的，切入的 | |
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garb
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| n.服装，装束 | |
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farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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ascertained
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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marine
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| adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵 | |
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afflicted
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| 使受痛苦，折磨( afflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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contagious
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| adj.传染性的，有感染力的 | |
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virulent
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| adj.有毒的，有恶意的，充满敌意的 | |
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havoc
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| n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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exempt
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| adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者 | |
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ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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internecine
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| adj.两败俱伤的 | |
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proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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apprehensions
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| 疑惧 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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hospitably
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| 亲切地，招待周到地，善于款待地 | |
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reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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complimentary
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| adj.赠送的，免费的，赞美的，恭维的 | |
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rev
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| v.发动机旋转，加快速度 | |
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bishop
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| n.主教，（国际象棋）象 | |
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apprise
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| vt.通知，告知 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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molestation
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| n.骚扰，干扰，调戏；折磨 | |
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grievances
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| n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚 | |
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vocations
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| n.（认为特别适合自己的）职业( vocation的名词复数 )；使命；神召；（认为某种工作或生活方式特别适合自己的）信心 | |
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resound
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| v.回响 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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trespass
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| n./v.侵犯，闯入私人领地 | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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violation
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| n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯 | |
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invoke
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| v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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labors
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| v.努力争取(for)( labor的第三人称单数 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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48
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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eulogistic
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| adj.颂扬的，颂词的 | |
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50
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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51
consecrated
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| adj.神圣的，被视为神圣的v.把…奉为神圣，给…祝圣( consecrate的过去式和过去分词 )；奉献 | |
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52
royalty
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| n.皇家，皇族 | |
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53
piety
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| n.虔诚，虔敬 | |
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54
administrative
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| adj.行政的，管理的 | |
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sketched
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| v.草拟（sketch的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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56
eminent
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| adj.显赫的，杰出的，有名的，优良的 | |
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57
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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58
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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59
tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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60
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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61
warded
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| 有锁孔的，有钥匙榫槽的 | |
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62
annoyances
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| n.恼怒( annoyance的名词复数 )；烦恼；打扰；使人烦恼的事 | |
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jubilee
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| n.周年纪念；欢乐 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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fervor
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| n.热诚；热心；炽热 | |
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66
touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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67
graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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68
spun
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| v.纺，杜撰，急转身 | |
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labored
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| adj.吃力的，谨慎的v.努力争取(for)( labor的过去式和过去分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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71
ravens
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| n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 ) | |
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72
orphan
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| n.孤儿；adj.无父母的 | |
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73
asylums
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| n.避难所( asylum的名词复数 )；庇护；政治避难；精神病院 | |
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conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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75
imposing
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| adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的 | |
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76
chapel
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| n.小教堂，殡仪馆 | |
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77
bishops
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| （基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象 | |
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78
bust
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| vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部 | |
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79
sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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80
virtues
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| 美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处 | |
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