ANCIEN MINISTRE

Professeur h l'L^iiiversit^ L.aval et l'nii «les nK'decins de PHôteNDien

A la cérémonie d'inauguration du monument de Jeanne Mance

(2 septembre 1909)

Your Excellency,

Your Honour,

Your Grâce, My Lords,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

BURING tlie first strenuous years of our Nation's existence there was little time to rest on the way and contemplale our heroes. Men were busy felling and planting, blasting quarries, bridging rivers and building cities. The unread pages of our history very often lay uncut. The glorious names of our great ones dwelt hidden in closed volumes. Our heroes awaited the dav when their labours

would have borne full fruilion, and their children in prosperity and joy would arise to call tliem « Blessed ».

Ladies and Gentlemen, the time bas corne. To-day, Canada, like a yoiing gianl. stands ont with glory on his brow, strength in his arm, and untold riches beneatb his feet. The eyes of the world. look longingly upon him. Ail nations throng to his shores. May we not at last wilh deepest pride open our history and pointing to him, say : Behold ! Is he not worthy of the valiant men and noble women Avho cradled his struggling infancy, of the warriors who fought, the saints who laboured, and the missionaries who bled for him ? Oiir history is one of religions enthusiasm, patriotism, chivalry and romance ; and perhaps its most brilliant page is the story of the foundalion of Montréal. Where is there such a noble group as that which first stood upon our shores : de Maisonneuve, DoUard, and the valiant women who, with fearless hearts, laboured by their sides, Marguerite Bourgeois and Jeanne Mance ? Where are there more honoured names than among those who in France formed the « Association of Montréal » for its colonization ? Such are Mr de la Dauversiere,the devoted friend and benefactor of Jeanne Mance, Mr Olier who not only advised the Association of Montréal, but also founded the Society of Saint-Sulpice which was destined to play an important part in the development of the new colony, and he who blessed them with his holy help — Lallemant, the Jesuit martyr ?

Never, perhaps, before in Ihe history of the world did a cily hâve such an idéal beginning. AU were inspired witli tlie same lofly motives. Religions enthusiasm led liiem on, and self-sacrifice was tlieir motto. Wilh dauntless courage they iaced the dangers of a Ihree monlhs' jonrney in small sail-boats, the rigours of a northern winter, Ihe awful loneliness of an uninhabiled country, and the merciless Indian foe. Their first deed upon our shores was to raise an altar, Iheir lirst Ihought was to kneel in prayer. Standing where we are now, at the portais of this great Hospital, and looking down upon the magnificent panorama beneath us, it is difïicult to imagine 250 years ago when this was ail a vast wilderness, to picture to ourselves the day when three young nuns alighted from a boat, climbed the rugged shores, and passed into the forest primeval. Suffering and privation awaited Ihem. Jn the comfortless poverty of a misérable hut they found their habitation, but never was king's palace graced by more gentle guests. Their présence glorifled it, and forever more it was to bear the gracions title of the « Hotel-Dieu », Fifteen years before, Jeanne Mance had faced the wilderness. !She was the first white woman to set foot upon the Jsland of Montréal. During ail thèse years she had toiled patiently at her weary task, preparing the way for the sisters who at last had come to her aid.

Ladies and Gentlemen, there was no lack of hospital work

in thosedays. No sooner had thefirst pioneers commenced to hew trees and erect houses than Ihe Iroquois with barbarous cruelly altacked them. Strife became incessant, blood flowed, and every moment was fiUed with péril. Our heroines never faltered. With wide open arms they received Ihe sick and wounded, red-man and white man aiike. We see them in the cold dreariness of a winter night raking up the embers of a dying flre to prépare a draught for parched lips ; smoothing the pillow of some poor wounded French boy, and bathing the wounds of a fierce Iroquois. And again in the gloom of an Autumn morning breaking the ice upon the pools with tlieir délicate hands to wash garments reeking with foulness, contagion and disease. Ladies and Gentlemen, thèse were delicately nurtured women, tiraid, too, we may suppose, as women generally are, yet, from the Windows of their poor abode, they could often see dusky forms crouching in the rank growth or prowling behind trees waiting for a victim to come within reach of their tomahawks. They were awakened in the dead of night by the savage yells of the wild men, often followed by a charge of musketry which bade the nuns arise, for they knew that the hour had come for Charity to perform her task.

Two centuries and a half hâve gone and the « Hôtel-Dieu » has passed through many a phase. From the poor little hnt which first sheltered the sick and wounded of Montréal, has

evolved Ihis magificent hospital, where is found ail that modem science and trained nursing can offer to relieve pain. One Ihing only, ladies and gentlemen, has remained unchanged. The spirit of Jeanne Mance has never died. Enter thèse portais and pass through the wards, you wili fînd llie same liigh aspirations, the same overwhelming charity, the same bright intelligence and tender solicitude that characterized the first founders.

To illustrate this, aliow me to recall an incident that occurred during the lifelime of the late beloved and much lamented Sir William Hingston, and which he used to delight in telling in his own incomparable way. Some years ago, one day, the Révérend Mother Superior received a letter ^^•hich caused her great anxiety. It was a reqaest from a colony of lepers for nuns to nurse the victims of this terrible disease. Now, she knew that the call of charity had never gone unanswered by the « Hôtel-Dieu », yet how could she ask any one of those under her charge to accept such a mission ? It was dooming tliem almost to a living dealh. For several days she pondered over it in silence, until at last she conceived a plan by which she could lind ont whether among them there was one heroic enough to olTer herself as a willing victim. One evening, when ail were assembled in the choir and the last prayers were said, she told Ihem of the call that had corne to them. With fearful accuracy she

explained to them the nature of the work ; she spared no détail ; she lightened no duty. In clear, forcible words she pictured to them the foulness of the disease, the horror of constant contact wilh the unfortunate victims, the possibihty of contagion and the complète isolation from the other Sisters and their friends. « No one can be asked m, she said, « to accept such a mission. No one is expected to do it, unless within her heart she feels a spécial call. To morrow, I wili place in the chapel, upon the altar-steps, a little box, and if there be such a one among you, let her write lier name upon a pièce of paper and slip it under the cover, but let her do it quietly and unperceived, that her example may not influence others ». The next day it was noticed that there was a great deal of commotion in the Gommunity ; the younger nuns moved around about their duties wilh unusual buoyancy,and theolderonesseemed to be trying to assume the sprightliness of youth. If possible, there was more dévotion and tenderness shown to their patients, more thoughtfulness to each other. At last the evening hour came. Once more they were ail united in the choir and the last prayers were said. Silently the Révérend Mother arose and held up the little box. Her face was pale and her head slightly trembled as she raised the lid. Did her tear bedimmed eyes deceive her ? It was almost full. She drew a slip of paper — and read. It was her own name ! Then, one by one, she unfolded the tiny scraps each telling its taie of

sublime renunciation and read aloud each name. They were ail there, not one was missing. Needless to add Ihat the lepers got thelr nurses ; and now, besides Ihe place Ihat is kept aparl for them,and which is to-day the lazaretto thatharbours ail the lepers found throughout this vast Dominion, there is a flourishing « Hôtel-Dieu » hospital in Tracadie.

Ladies and Gentlemen, before this magnificent monument which has just been unveiled no eulogy of the great and noble woman that it represents is needed. It tells its own story with the impressive simplicily of the truth. It does more, it conveys to us ail a message from the past. In éloquent silence, as the years go by, it will still whisper to our successors that true patriotism consists in fidelity to the ideals of the heroic founders of our country and of our beautiful City of Montréal.