There used to be Market Gardens at the corner of Dee Street and the Parade. Mother Aubert had been on friendly terms with the Chinese since she came to reside at the bay. They told her they had been allowed to gather flax (to tie their bundles of vegetables) on the Home [of Compassion's] property, by previous owners, and Mother gladly sanctioned their doing so still. By degrees she improved the acquaintance so begun.

The Chinese are exceedingly grateful people, and were most generous to hospitals and charitable institutions at any time. It may have been because one or two infants of their race had been cared for at the Home, or just from friendliness, that they offered Mother surplus vegetables, chiefly radishes, lettuce and spring onions at first, and also quantities of celery. They explained that they sold only prime quality vegetables, and often had more that they could dispose of quickly enough, for they would not send to the markets any that were past their prime.

Mother was delighted to send the novices and young sisters to aid in clearing any beds that needed it — it was no matter to her if the radishes were somewhat stringy — they could be boiled, like turnips. Spring onions that were too thick for sale would do for cooking & etc. So passers-by and passengers in the trams, could almost daily witness the spectacle of Sisters apparently weeding in the Chinese Gardens! The work was not exactly relished, but it was trifling compared to using up the celery. That was grown in such quantities, and it deteriorated so rapidly if the weather was unfavourable, that whole pram loads, two or three of which would fill a cart, had to be brought up to the Home several time a week. The whole place reeked of celery!

It was served at every meal — raw, cooked in cereal for breakfast, in soups and stews for dinner and tea, ad nauseam. This must have lasted the best part of two years.

Finally, one May, the Novices made a Novena to Our Lady to get rid of the celery. [a Novena is a ritual of prayers said on nine successive days, asking to obtain special graces - Ed]. Whether or not it was in answer to their prayers, the celery was smothered in silt from a flooded creek that flowed through the gardens. It has long since been drained and filled in, but then it often became a raging torrent in bad weather.

There was no more celery that year. They told Mother that they could not grow onions on it after a heavy flood, and they could not sell their Lettuces and radishes without spring onions. Mother was so sorry for the gardeners whose land was ruined for the coming spring crops that she gave them a lease for three years of what the memorandum (drawn up by herself in legal phraseology and typewritten by her Secretary) describes as “about one third of an acre”, but which was in reality three quarters of an acre. The rent was a nominal six shillings per annum, but the first twelve months free.

As a matter of fact, the “rent” was never collected. The other condition, that of keeping the fences in order and erecting a fence along the stream which “bounds part of the land” was carefully carried out. The “Memorandum of Agreement” was signed by Wong Chew  and by Mother Mary Joseph Aubert on the other, and duly witnessed too.

Mother’s object in this was the hope of winning the confidence of the Chinese neighbours, and so of possibly gaining one or more souls — if only at the moment of death. She succeeded in acquiring their confidence. They sent for her in their troubles, called her “Momma” and loaded her with gifts — even to the extent of bringing her fireworks for Guy Fawkes’ Day one year! They sent for her when a baby of the household was sick, on more than one occasion. Once she took a baby for them to the hospital on a Sunday when she had to walk with it in her aims all the way. She saw it would not live, and she baptised the child. She also baptized another of their infants in danger of death [a practice designed to ensure the child would go to heaven - Ed].  Perhaps, had she not gone to Europe so soon, she might have done more for the adult Chinese. She certainly thought them “the strangers within the gates” to whom Christians all owed the duty of charity in prayers and in deeds “to win their souls to God.”

Suzanne Aubert wanted a donkey and cart to ply between Island Bay and the Sister's base in Buckle Street, by the Basin Reserve, but Archbishop Redwood would not hear of this.  An Irish jaunting-car, [a  horse-drawn cart- Ed] proved of no use for the large loads Mother Aubert wanted transported.  

An Island Bay neighbour, Allan Orr, had helped with the building of the reservoir, along with his staff from his extensive carrying business.  Mr Orr’s stables were situated at the back of his house, almost adjoining the Home property.  His driver (his own son and son-in-law and others) suggested to him that as they generally returned from the city with empty lorries, they might as well bring Mother Aubert’s supplies home with them.  

Mr Orr, who was not a Catholic, continued to do the daily carrying gratis for nearly five years until the Sisters obtained a van of their own but he continued to be a  good neighbour.

One day, in the spring of 1915 two sisters were walking along the beach towards Owhiro Bay.  They noticed quite a lot of firewood washed up and persuaded Sister Claver to let them have the 'farm man' with his horse and cart to bring some of the wood home.  Several other sisters joined the party, with a cross-cut saw and their lunch, and cut up the big logs small enough to be handled and loaded for home.

They overloaded the cart one day, and it sank in the sand to the axle.  There was no shifting it, so two sisters came up and appealed to Mr Tim Herlihy, another near neighbour and benefactor, to come to the rescue with his own team and carts.  Not only did he assist in extricating the dray and its load, but he arranged to come every day to help in the cutting and carting of the wood.   Allan Orr,  who was Secretary of the Carriers’ Union, got up a big working bee one Saturday, consisting of men and lorries, numbering  about 22, from Munt Cottrell’s, the Colonial Carrying Co., and other companies, and enough firewood was brought to the Home to last for a couple of years.  Residents of Island Bay, under the leadership of  a Major Wells [also noted by the nuns as not a Catholic -Ed], came Saturday after Saturday until the whole was cut up into convenient lengths.  

News of this working-bee was  sent to Mother Aubert, who was by then in Rome,  and she wrote  to thank Major Wells 

11 Via della Mercede, Rome, 2nd November, 1915.

Major Wells, Island Bay.

Dear Sir,

I have heard a few days ago from my Sisters of the exceeding great kindness which prompted you to organise a corps of National Reserve men to gather on the beach and to cart up a great quantity of firewood to the Home of Compassion, and not contented with that, that you have seen the said fire wood sawed and cut up for ready use.  I cannot express to you and to Dear Mrs Wells the depth of my gratitude for such a generous act of charity.  My gratitude heartily extends to all the willing workers who responded so kindly to your call.  Will you do me the favour to thank them most sincerely for me and to give to each of them a little commemorative Christmas Card, with my very best good wishes for themselves and families.

God save New Zealand and her gallant men at Home and abroad.

I have the honour to be, Sir, with renewed thanks,

Your humble and devoted servant,

Sr Mary Joseph Aubert.

P.S.  I am sending the Xmass Cards to the Sister in charge at the Home of Compassion.  She will have the pleasure to forward them to you.

Suzanne Aubert also maintained a correspondence with Allan Orr. In 1921 he wrote to Suzanne Aubert as follows:

Dear Mother,

Enclosed you will find a small cheque which you will please accept in connection with your great work, and accept at this time our great pleasure at your safe return to New Zealand from a journey the very thought of which at that time would have tested the courage of younger people.  Many years ago we can look back to and trace the name of Mother Mary Joseph as a household name, when you and your devoted Sisters used to push your three-wheeled prams through the streets, picking up ‘the crumbs’, as it were, ‘that fell from the tables’ of the more fortunate of our people.  How many would have done it?  Wet or fine you were always there that you might bring happiness into the lives of unfortunate humanity.  On one occasion when the workers rolled up in force to help you in your original work at the Bay, I shall never forget your pleasure at seeing sections of all creeds assisting you.  You remarked that ‘You could be a Catholic, Presbyterian, Wesleyan, or any other denomination, but unless you had charity in your heart you could never be a child of God!’  What a splendid doctrine, and what a lesson at a time like the present when the world is so full of religious and political unrest.  Your work and the Sisters of the Home of Compassion and Buckle Street will stand as a monument to all unbiased people as unequalled for self-sacrifice, devotion and love for the most unfortunate of our people.  May you be spared many more Christmases to be a guiding hand in your life’s work, that you love so much.

Wishing you all many happy returns of the day on behalf of myself and family.

Yours sincerely,

                                         [signed]  Allan Orr.

(The following article makes extensive use of material from the book Letters on the Go, the Correspondence of Suzanne Aubert, edited by Jessie Munroe, pp 565-569. 

Sisters of Compassion have been engaged in work for the benefit of public health for nearly thirty years in Wellington City. The work at the Home of Compassion is divided into four groups, as follows·.

1. Infant & Child Welfare; 

2. Nursing and Care of Congenital Defectives 

3. Nursing and Care of Chronic Diseases in Adults & Children;

4. Nursing and Care of Operation cases i.e. Surgical Work.

Babies are admitted at 4 weeks, and are usually kept for two years and over, with few exceptions. Average admissions are 20 to 25 per annum. Accommodation for 25 in Nursery Annexe. Babies admitted are of foundling type, badly nourished and giving evidence of pre-natal interference. The normal baby being the exception. 

They are reared on modified humanised milk, made from new milk, separated cream etc. (milk obtained from herd on the premises). Milk and cream are graded to suit each individual child. Where a baby shows intolerance for the proper proportion of cream, cod liver oil is substituted. Constipation is treated with carrot or orange juice, paraffin oil, raw apple, spinach puree, according to age and individual idiosyncrasy.

Dried bread crusts are given freely, but no sweets or sweetened biscuits or raw sugar. Porridge has a little sugar cooked into it, and is served with a little butter. Milk is given to drink after porridge is eaten. All sloppy diet is carefully avoided. This is done with a view to teach children to masticate.

Temporary cases, especially young children, are admitted during illness or incapacity of parents.

Children develop well and grow sturdy, and are mentally bright - with some exceptions due to poor family history. Medical men remark [on] the sound strong teeth of the children. A small percentage show tendency to syphilitic ulceration - anus usually attacked. Some have been sent to Out Patients Department, Wellington Hospital, others have been treated in the Institution. 

Infantile Paralysis Cases, transferred from Hospitals, make periodical visits to Orthopaedic Specialist, Wellington Hospital, and show steady progress in developed muscular activity (co-ordination).

Epidemic Diseases not infrequently occur among the children, particularly scarlet fever, diphtheria, measles, chicken pox. Some of them are sent to Infectious Diseases Hospital and some are treated within the institution.

An obstinate case of Infant Rumination was successfully treated, and is now a normal, healthy child. He was admitted at a month old, weighed 81/4 lbs: made slow progress up to age of 9 months and from that time he persistently ruminated his food, and at 12 months only weighed 101/2 lbs. 

By observation it was found the child would bring up food and ruminate it at any hour of the night. His arms were put in splints to keep his hands out of his mouth. The diet for a child of his age was slightly modified, and by keeping him interested in all his waking hours the child was cured at 18 months. From that time, he developed steadily, and walked at the age of 1 year and 10 months -weight and mentality, normal.

A fair proportion of these are due to head injury at birth, others are: amyotonia, hydrocephalus, microcephalus, chronic cerebrospinal meningitis with marked head retractions, and cretinism. 

Some congenital defectives that have been sent in as hopeless have learned to speak and walk, and have been able to attend school, and have left the institution with a possibility of earning a livelihood. 

The Sisters have had no special theoretical knowledge of right treatment and education of such cases, but experience and observation have led to a general mental and physical improvement of even hopeless cases.

Patients' surroundings are made as bright as possible: wards have a cheerful aspect. Usual cases are those that usually gravitate to Chronic Wards & Hospitals: viz., Rheumatoid Arthritis; Locomotor Ataxia; Chronic Spinal Affections, some with trophic ulceration of bladder; Paralysis of limbs, partial and complete; Parkinson's Disease; Diabetes; Malignant tumours, etc. 

Particular stress is laid on prevention of bed sores, cleanliness, nourishing diet, fresh air and sunshine.

Male & Female wards containing 17 beds in all. Operation Block, comprising theatre, scrub-up room, anaesthetic room, sterilizing room. All fully equipped. Good lighting and good heating apparatus. Operations of any kind, both major and minor are undertaken. Specialists and Surgeons give their services free.

All branches of the work are gratuitous. Patients are admitted without regard to creed or colour, the sole object of the work being to benefit the poor. And the Sisters are trained solely for the efficiency of the work within the limits of the Institution.