Rose Hawthorne Lathrop - Mother Alphonsa - American

 

Rose Hawthorne was an immensely cultured woman, part of the most cultured family tree in America -- the Peabodys and the Hawthornes. She and her husband, George Lathrop, were intimates of the leading literary figures of New England, London and Florence. Rose was herself an author, and had a number of pieces published...
In November of 1897, Alice Huber was stirred by a newspaper article written by Rose about caring for the cancerous poor. Soon after reading the article, Alice visited the tenement on Water Street. "A fair, bright-faced woman, who was bending over an old woman bandaging up her leg, rose from her work and came forward to meet me. I looked at her as she stood there, the only bright being in all that mass of ugliness and misery. As I looked at her, a great feeling of affection and pity came into my heart for her. So, at last I mustered up courage and offered to help her one afternoon of each week."
On March 24, 1898, Alice joined Rose in her work. After a few short days she realized "... the sacrifice of life Rose Hawthorne was leading. We had not time for reading. I could not write, not even think for a time, the change was so great, the noise and confusion unbearable. I became extremely homesick and shed so many tears ..."

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