The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1870-03-27

rH1NeSi" 90 T, , ~ ! - -. 10
~ - '57sa r.s4 ,7stt4st e.}l K. f,ss gsstS stis
:, .. .. - r. II
4 estsem and affection for tho foysI4sdy, sent
hcf' her own picture h the Theresan Goa
Princssss sacSisee Nisbeas a sh Louis
sss a ss esa sssi s-iys e r
Louis ffle Sixtesnth fdlf he'd tho scored s1gage-
4 merit. Among the 0rusmsnts Of tho new hufch
seassd ~ the f sa's: The rl sna
great expense, Sbtsinsd Tor thp ccnvsst Vhs
bodies of several saints. She pattfbularly In
shssa sng .f PC sssS anayg g sa
| spent much time in opPosipg tho pew ylhiIcso%
g6y OF those days, and In tryingto slSk che
i Of the press She particdlasly kesistsd
| in Paris fourteen holy days had bScs ~ rob
ed without the police enforcing tte q btcr
observance Of other festivals !; ths shop in
Ears rn,,,h Sssng open even on the d.y Of the
caTmeiits Sister Eoshss May q III sssr ma
MIRA sae + Thee ss5 q s
Medtei, and nov by the Emptesa NJ grred;
though several authentic miracles Mfdsfea1t by.
Mother Ann were aokpowlsdgsd ~ e6s sans
tious PontiE. To all safcring nuhA ths Princess
held ont y hand When the Carmeaites of
B Bra and Austrian Flandsss were turned
leave from Logfs the Sixteenth TO give them.
home and shelter. All ste asled In ret4fn was.
to have ths bodies Of two Catn,elits lnts
Mother Ann of Jesus, and Mother Anu GadnE
Bartholomew: Many Of these fleml 1Nn&
bad to pass through their natjye VIII NJ
their way to France Two he6dr$d 50 81.
the feet Of their hsnes actsass, jSS al IN
acceptance of the only tfeasufe they p0sseestd
"a bone of st. Colette, their fbundress. But
the Princess refused to deprive them of this
Day 5y day the Princess grew more and more
weary OF the amusements and occupations of
ever she could, and declined all visits that
could be declined. Nevertheless, the Emperor
Joseph the Second, the Archdnke Prince
visited her simple cell, to wonder at her straw
bed, wooden spoon and earthen pitcher. To
such visitors the nun would boast of her
hna thsy
return to Versailles, bless Divine Providence
for not being obliged to follow them. In this
convent years pass like days. They say that
there are souls who go straight to paradise
without passing through purgatory: despair
ever to be of that number, for am too happy
a CarmeIite lite. y, Even the dust of our convent
AS old age crept nearer, she loaded herself
with greater austerities When unable to as
sist at the choir, she lay on the threshold at
the door. She refused all titles of honor. In
the seventeen years of her monastic life the
Princess wore, in all, only three gowns. Her
zhifts were of serge, her stockings of cloth,
her slippers of Packthread. She wore patched
wells. Her cell was narrow and poor, contain
ing only the celebrated straw bed, straw
ch'.ir, a wooden srucitix, table, and three
PAPER pletuf SS fd Inc convent was damp and
part of the monastery. SO frugal was she.
that she never allowed the purveyor to spend
moro than seven shillings u day for fish for
sixty nuns. So careless was she about her food,
that it became n saying among the novices,
if the cook had been more than usually care
Tess, Why, Mother Theresa of st. Austin her
self could not eat itn' For seven years she
went on eating eggs, cooked in particular
manner repugnant to her, without mentioning
her antipathy. She one day, without COM
planning, partook of a decaycd artchoke,
which had been served at table by mistake.
At another time she ate egg which had
broken and fallen into a wash-tub. I4being
her skin bleed, she said: ~ wish to expiate,
as Theresan, the folly showed formerly in
wearing the livery and bracelets of hell"
When the king died, and the Carmelites had
to recite the office for the dead, every one but
the Princess (then prioress) burst into tears
but she continued singing the psalms in ali
thing so much as in decorating affairs taking
care of the sacred vestments, sweeping and
cleaning the oratories. When Pope Clement
the Fourteenth suppressed the Jesuits, she
mourncd in silence.
The night before any great Church festival
she generally passed at the foot of the altar.
She went to confession twice week. She had
a great belief in holy water, which, she said,
" acquired by the exorcisms of the Church q |
great virtue against the Powers of Darkness"
At night she always kept her crucifx in her
bed, to speak to till she fell asleep. She was |
now considered the special glory of the There
san Order, and the protectress of the nuns all |
over France. At court on her fve-and. twenti-
eth birthday, the Bishop of Langres had pre-
dictcd she would die at fifty: she had always
believed in this prediction and it proved true.
In 1857, some democratic changes effected in
the Church, are supposed to have brought on
her last illness. She refused to have altar
erected in the infirmary. where her bed was,
because that was court-custom when any of
the royal family were ill.
" You proposed to a "rry ll-hrcoming dis
tiHetian. Living or dying, will be simple
Carmcitc."
On her death bed she meek and gentle,
repeatedly asking pardon of her attendants
for giving them much trouble. She still re-
fused to BEE her-physician at the onter
gate of the monastery. She begged one of her
sisters, who waited on her, to infOCm her when
she approaching her end. She then re-
ceived the viaticun, called the INNS around
her, and reproved those about her bed for COB
bing and groaning. immediately after re-
ceiving the viattcum the ruling spirit of the
prioress came over her, and she said to one of
the attendant nuns, Sister, your veil does not
hang low enough" She declined further