5 OCTOBER 1907, Page 13

THE BLIND SISTERS OF ST. PAUL.

The Blind Sisters of St. Paul. By Maurice de la Sizeranne. Authorised Translation by L. M. Leggett. (Kegan Paul, Trench, and Co. 7s. 6d.)—This attractive book should interest a large circle of readers beyond those to whom its subject is recommenda- tion enough. It is some years since M. de in Sizeranne's book, "Les Aveugles, par un Aveugle," was reviewed in the Spectator. Since then be has published more than one volume of notes dealing with the work which he has made his own in so special a sense. The present book, very well translated, is a study of deep and pathetic interest. Beginning with a few chapters, full of curious and striking facts, on " the psychology of Blind Women," M. de la Sizeranne goes on to tell the story of a singular community founded by Mlle. Bergunion in 1853. She, under the name of Sister Saint-Paul, was the first Superior. She was not herself blind ; the Superior never is ; but a certain number of the Sisters are blind, and they are trained to bring up blind girls, to whom the community gives a religions home and an education in any special trade for which they show capacity. At present having received "authorisation" from the French Government, the Blind Sisters are still to be found at their convent in the Rue Denfert-Rochereau, Paris—originally the house of Chateaubriand, where he wrote part of the " Memoires d'Outre-tombe "—and those who may visit them there will become acquainted with one of the most useful and most touching of the many charitable works of Paris.