Letter 394. To Father Gracian, Salamanca, Avila, December 1 1581

Payment of four crowns from Alonso Ruiz. Cold weather. JESUS!

RAY Ambrosio’ is taking you the four crowns given to me for your Reverence by Alonso Ruiz. I got two extra from him for valid reasons, but could do no more. I seem to have taken to begging, which is quite new for me and does not mortify me at all. The fact is that, as I am asking alms for members of the Order, I am not doing much. May our Lord make your Reverence a great saint as I ask of Him. Amen. Will you remember me very kindly to the Mother Prioress.? If the fathers at Salamanca suffer so bitterly from the cold, what must it be for the nuns!

®Tomasina Bautista (de Perea), then at Alba, who was to be prioress at Burgos.

Their faith will save them; but to tell the truth, I have not much faith as regards that house. To-day is December 1.

Let me know how your feet are: you must feel the cold very severely if you have chilblains already. However, they leave no bad effects behind them. I am fairly well, but tired. All the sisters beg for your prayers, especially Teresa, who ismuch pleased with her Diurnal, as the other nun is with her books.

The subject, servant, and daughter of your Reverence, Teresa de Jesus,

CCCCXIV Avila, December 4, 1581

FRAGMENT OF A LETTER TO FATHER GRACIAN, SALAMANCA

Difficulties about a house for the nuns at Salamanca. Efforts of the Saint's relatives to set aside Lorenzo's will,

... to put the money out at interest would not do, as they will be forced to buy a house soon, good or bad. I do not understand why they cannot manage to put up with Monroy’s: they seem likely to die where they are now. Our communities have to live where they can, and not where they choose,