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

AASAOISAANN3s AA1AAAO1A &As ACfVsss-
abbess or sister Of any MftigAtea or fax order
Ete Princess first resolved 30 enter the rctrea
at Gronelie but she thought that the guns
fred every time the King entered Paris won I'd
distract her mind. She at. last Axed ot the
.r.ary pcec and regular Community u az. Vepis
having ascertained that her father wonid have
no no repngnance to visit her in place SO neer
/ the graves of tue Kings Of France. The cob:
vent of st. Denis was at this time in great dis
trsss; the baker having refused to provide any
. moro bread. and the wood merchant having
the honsa To avert these evils, tho nuns were
engaged in nine days prayers to the Virgin,
when the news of the Prncess's determinatio
Able Berlin, reasoned much with the royal
lady, begging hey. to enter the Less austere
gtaer Of the Benedictines, or To help to educate
Sales The only favor the royal nun requested
as 81. Denis wac, that, as she had been aeeas-
toned to the easy stairs of palaces, she mi 9ht
have rope balustrades put to the conventstairs
and fall. II q
When the Princess crossed the convent thres1
hold, she said she felt rs if she had already set
fability and hdmility; and she cast herself at
their feet. Her servants we're astonishea when
she suddenly dismissed them at the gate, and
that evening her sisters received the FIRST inti-
nation of the step she had taken, and tainted
at the news.
She thenceforward became Sister Theresa of
Safnt Austin, End entered on all the humiliat-
ing and irksome duties of postulant. She
read and SERVED in the refractory; she was the
eafliest at all common exercises it was her
sds6y TO be the FIRST to open and shut the choir
mitories. She had, moreover, to scrape and
rub the floors, clean the eandlesticks, and wash
the dishes. In a rose colored silk bedgown,
black kitchen drudge The Jealous postu-
liant suffered much from the frequent fasts
quired by the order, but would accept no in
diligence. The princesses, her sisters, who
came to see her at supper, were horrified to see
Louise eating stewed potatoes and cold milk
with alacrity and appetite. The king, too,
came, and was Likewise shocked at her. simple
meals and hard beds. She refused to let an
artist take her portrait. At first the Princess
could not kneel long together without intense
pain but nine days prayers to st. Louis of
Convent life grew more and more delightful.
SAT Versailles" she used to say, "a had sump-
tuous bed, but slept i'll. Exquisite dainties
were set on my table, but had no appetite
Here, 1haye almost scruples at the pleasure
feel in eating beans and carrots and on my
straw bed l sleep miraculously WELL"
At five o'clock in the afternoon at Versailles
used to be summoned to the card room. Here,
l go to mental prayer. At nine o'clock the bell
calls ME to service; at Versailles it was the
hour for the comedy. Then, 1 used to waste
hours on my toilet here, am nottwo minutes
in dressing My bed is three boards and n
straw mattress; / nave no dress but serge and
wooden; have every day seven hours choir"
And yet the invalid Princess soon ceased to
spit blood, which she had been in the habit of
doing, and grew fat and ruddy.
The Princess took the full vows, and received
the black veil from the Countess of Provence
in 1771. Soon after her pnbic profession, the
Princess was chosen mistress of the novices in
right of her character for prudence, wisdom !
and sound Judgment. She often Sc
cretly executed the tasks of the other novices
When discovered, she would throw herself at
the nuns feet, kiss their hands, and pray them
to allow her to complete their task. One day
she found novice weeping in one of the little
garden oratories, and saying, always sweep
ing, always rubbing the floors shall never lie
able TO hold out" The Princess soothed her, |
and helped her to finish her service exclaim-
ing, Yes; always Notifying ourselves but
you and will hold out, and till death.D She |
underwent penance for those who were proud !
To her great modification, two years after pro-
fession the Princess was elected prioress of st,
Denis for three years. She grew more vigilant |
unselfish and Jealous. She nursod the sick and |
dressed wounds. She attended the dying, and
gave the last kiss of charity to the dead. |
Though prioress, she continued to sweep the !
stairs and wash the dishes; and if lay sister |
did not wake to call the nuns to mathis lat two
A. M the prioress herself would perform the |
service.
She was very cheerful, and on the DAYS of re-
creation allowed to the Carmelites, al ways di- |
rected the amusements, especially lottery in |
which the prizes were prayers to recte, min
ntes for meditation, and other works of super |
erogation. She especially forbade the Abbe |
beFtlh, the 1athef superior, to call her in his F.
letters madame" or to conclude with respect |
full humble servant" She exerted herself much !
TO obtain the qualification of Mother Ann of !
Jesus, a Theresan, who founded the Carmclite !
Order in France
Even in the convent, Madame Louisa was |
bcset by a Thousand solicitations. Deserters
wrote to her to obtain pardon, poor men of tai |
ny wrote to her for money. Disgraced cour- |
Tiers wrote to her to recover them their forfeit
ed rank.
The miserable voluptuary, her father, usually !
visited the convent once Il month, hut he for :
babe any kind of ceremonial at his reception,
ilt never brought any OF his attendants in
side the doors. Mass, vespers, or bcucdictiau-
u progress he attended in the outer choir, and (
when the host was elevated, wept aud pros !
tratcd himself on the pavement. During his I
as illness. the Princess Louisc sent him n |
erucifN which She had received from the Pope, !
and which secured iudulgeuccs even to persons !
N articuto norris by this act" said the |
King, truly know my daughter; pray re-
urn her my thanks ~ and he died holding it in |
mis- hands,
His nephew, Louis the Sixteenth, had great |
regard for the princess The queen, too, often |
visited the convent, and brought her ill-starred |
children with her.
The Empress Maria Theresa had also great !