Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 20, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 November 1898 — Gone To Be A Deaconess. [ARTICLE]

Gone To Be A Deaconess.

Miss Lelia Middleton, daughter of Rev. H. M. Middleton, left Friday to enter upon a life of religious and philanthropic work. She goe3 to Washington City, to begin a two years course at Lucy Webb Hayes training school for nurses, and at the conclusion of which, she expects to devote herself to the regular work of the Deaconess’ order. Miss Middle ton, who is a graduate of the Classical department of DePauw university, had designed to devote herself to foreign missionary work, but at leaving college she found her health too delicate for the missionary field, but she has found in the work of the deaconesses an ample field for all her religious and philanthropic zeal. The order or society of Deaconesses is to a large measure, to the Methodist church, what the Sisters of Charity, and other similar orders, are to the Catholic church. They live in “homes” and devote themselves to charitable and religious work. They also have schools and hospitals. In the large cities the greater part of what is called pastoral work of the M. E. churches is now done by the deaconesses. Unlike the Catholic sisters the deaconesses are free to leave the life if they choose.