Letter (number unidentified). To Mother Mary of S. Joseph, "See letter of Feb. 9, 1580

Our Mother and I arrived here on the eve of Palm Sunday. Mother Brianda was so ill from excessive hemorrhage that they wished to give her Extreme Undétion. She is better now, though she still spits blood from time to time and is never without fever. She is able to get up occasionally. Fancy what it would have been had she gone to Malagon! It would have been fatal both to her and the house, or at least a heavy burden, considering their great need of money.

Our Mother has withdrawn two more nuns from there, and God grant that may suthce. Will your Reverence pray for that and for me (as I am in great want of it), also for the election of the General, that the choice may render God great

® See letter of the middle of February, 1580. St. Teresa had been accompanied to Villanueva by her relative Beatriz de Jesus and her infirmarian, Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew. The prioress was Maria de los Martires.

service. Father Gracian is here: he is well.

We spent about a hundred rea/es over the stove with nothing in return, for we had to have it pulled to pieces as it cost us more for wood than it was worth.”

Will you ask some one to call on my behalf on the Prior of las Cuevas with a very kind message, as my health prevents my writing to him. Your Reverence should be more careful than ever to send to him, lest it should seem that we forget him now he is out of office and cannot help us, which would look very bad..."