The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-03-20

into thres periods: one Of ulno~s az
tending over three years. during Whlon
she was incapable % much activity AID
which left her Confirmed invalid;
~scOnd period eighteen years in duration
m which she struggled toward the Sptr-
Itual perfection which ID was the object
% her life To attain. and "a third term
oi seven years. in which she laid tho out
ward visible foundations 20 that sanctity
4 without which Il would have been impossi-
bile for her 10 bs found The expert
sncss which caused her to be known
- Teresa the Mystic belong tn this poi
ton of her life. Shs lived in a super
natural world. She saw visions in which
Christ SEEMED to he cioss to her and To
speak to her and she snjoysd rapturous
revelations Of the Divine Humanity and
Love. Doubts interviewed. and she
dreamed Of he'll ~ well az heaven. being
uncertain at times a. 80 WHISTLER her costa
sizes might not bs due TO the machina-
tions oI Satan: but optimism triumPhed
and she came ultimately TO believe that
the communications which she had re-
oeivsd were directions from the Deity.
Religious hysteria is the explanation
which the modern mAteriAlist gives OF
1 AhAer RtiauAoatlH u ulAAlus beN NAA-hN
ever may DO the psychological verdict,
Teresa : visions led 70 surprising practical
results. She turned from Interrogation
To activity. The needed reform nearest
at hand was a restoration Of the prim-
tive rule-oT as NE may call IL. the con-
stitution-Of the Carmslits order Of friars
and nuns TO which she herself belonged.
The origin OF the Carmelites is in doubt;
tradition assigns il to the Prophet Elijah.
whose companions hid In a cave on Mount
Carmel. Their SUCCESSORS. a body Of
herm,ts. were scattered by the Moslem
rule in Syria. but in the year 1871 the order
was sufficiently organized TO he the recipi-
lent Of rule or constitution from Albert.
the Patriarch o. jerusalem IL was this
primitive rule which had been relaxed
aud neglected in Teresa's time that she
sought TO restore. She found Il difiiculi
" obtain the sanction Of the general OF
the order and the local authorities OF the
Church; but such WAS her enthusiasm,
zeal. energy and personal influence over
men that she succeeded in procuring their
consent TO the establishment oG the coH-
vent Of saint Josef az Avila-the first con-
vent Of the Disoalcsd Carmelite-. The
term discalced IL derived from the Latin
eciT. a shoe; although the nuns were no;
strictly barefOOted. hut their feet were
shod with the rough loose skin sandals
worn by the Spanish peasantry Of the time.
I To understand Teresa reform we must
picture the life at the Convent Of the In
caTnacion. where the primitive rule %
Albert Of Jerusalem had fallen into dis
use. The convent par,ors.- says Mrs.
Cunninghame Graham. were open TO all
corners and thronRed with visitors, great
ladies and shabby bsdtus. brought thither
by pleasure OF business. Nor wsas the
jinglinR of swords am .unfrequent sound
on the red brick floors % the Encarnacion.
the resort u the gay and idle young gal
lAnts % the town. who had nothing better
! 20 do on the long summer afternoons than
10 lOiter down TO the gray old convent in
the valley to visit sons sister W relative
who happened Ia be among At inmates,
The nuns themselves enjoyed an amount
Of liberty altogether at variance with
our modern IDEAS 81 the strictness and
repO-e OF monaStic life. They went and
came. and mingled freely and without
restriction among their visitoSp. with
whom they were closely connected either
I nv the ties OF relationship OF a lifelong
I intimacy II was a marvellous change
| for a lovely and fascinating woman
and all authorities agree that Teresa
possessed "A winning and charming per-
3 -onality-to grow out Of these influences
I into a life Of lofty A@riration in which
, she resolved to devote herself to the ser
I vice of God and the Church Ivy elevating
and purifying the religious order To which
she belonged. Her nature II uniformly
characterized IA generous and lowing.
aud there are traditions Of an ardent
attachment In her early life which made
the attainment of the virginia. ideal and
her adhesion 10 that ideal all the more
difficult
! A. We have said. Teresa : first founda-
ton 81 the reformed Carmelites was the
e-ta blishment u the Convent 81 Saint
Josef a, Avila Her reform spread rapidly
Saint Josef was succeeded by a second
convent at Medina derC ampo. now chiefly
known to travellers a. the junction sta
ti1n for Salamanca, Lamora. Nalladolid.
Ssgovia and the Escorial. the town IN
which Queen Isabella died and where
Cesar Borgia was once prisoner The
foundation was established on August
IS. 1881 Great was the amszement 81
the town Yesterday ruin. a cRretaker
and one blue he'd: to-day a nunnery. a
chapel few nuns az their prayers. their
leader. woman 81 81 In po"r health
hut full II energy and the gifts ~ the Holy
spirit Wonderment spread and crowds
assembled Ia stare at the convent The
convent exists to-day and Miss Colvill
describes it a. a real palace. in which she
saw some church embroidery worked
10y Teresa and the account books in which
her signature appears many times Many
other foundations 81 Carmelits converts
under the primitive rule followed. AZ
Malagon. at Nalladolid. at Toledo. at A Ina
and elsewhere Teresa's life during this
period was spent in lOurncying from place
Ia place on her mission ~ reform: in en-
countering priestly opposition to her
plans and overcoming IL: IN inspiring
weaker souls. men a. well a. women.
with her own uncOnquerable zeal and
enthusiasm in restoring a great religious
ORDER so lie original purity She died AT