Life and Life-Work of Mother Theodore Guerin, Foundress of the Sisters of Providence at St.-Mary-Of-The-Woods, Vigo County, Indiana

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER H. VOCATION. ?THE SECRET DISCOVERED. ? MADAME GUERIN'S OPPOSITION.?HER DAUGHTER'S INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR TRIALS.?MADAME GUERIN SUDDENLY WITHDRAWS HER OBJECTIONS.?THE CARMELITES.?THE SISTERS OF PROVIDENCE. Mademoiselle Guerin did not grow up in happy unconsciousness of her passing youth, nor was she indifferent to the fact. Ambition is the ruling passion of the heart. There is none so lowly born in whom this fire does not burn. It is an ember under the ashes and needs but a breath to fan it into flame. Natural principles developing simultaneously with bodily growth, individual preferences begin to manifest themselves even in the ten- derest years, as slight observation of juvenile ways attests; and, although the young mind looks forward as into a land of dreams, there is an object in the prospect that attracts its genius and shapes its plans. With the lapse of childhood the future becomes a question of greater seriousness; this was now the case with Mademoiselle Gue'rin, who felt that the one great idea of her childhood was materializing into a vocation the aims of which furnished subjects for her constant reflection. For upwards of four years her mother's feeble healthhad imposed duties that were clear and imperative. Mademoiselle Threse had willingly resigned herself during all this time to what was evidently God's holy will in her regard, and there was not the least suspicion of the longing that filled her soul. Finally the secret was practically discovered in rather a surprising manner. In company with several young girls of her own age the conversation turned upon the choice of a husband. Each in turn expressed her preferences and her ambitions. Mademoiselle Gurin alone kept a timid silence for some time; at last, when pressed to declare her choice, she ma...