than the community of Magdalen and Martha,' the disciples and friends of
Christ. The first represented religious congregations devoted to prayer
and contemplation in the cloister. While Martha was to be a model for
those who devote themselves to the service of their neighbor. But the
Blessed Virgin reserved to herself the duty of instruction. She was the
Mother and mistress of the rising Church, which she formed and trained
to the practise of virtue, by word and example. Not that she undertook
to preach the Gospel, which was the mission of the Apostles, but she
instructed the _little ones_ in the virtues of poverty and humility, of
which she herself made profession, knowing that the majority of the
followers of Christ would be the poor and lowly. Thus was she the true
model of a missionary congregation."

By such admirable sentiments as these did she excite her companions to
fervor in the discharge of their several duties. Yet her labors as a
member of the externs at Troyes did not satisfy her. She felt that God
required more from her, although He had not yet manifested his will, so
she again determined to seek admission into a religious house, applying
this time to the "Poor Clares." It is true she saw nothing in their
institute that corresponded to her ardent desire of consecrating herself
to the service of the Blessed Virgin, and of laboring for the salvation
of souls, but she felt she would be unfaithful to grace if she did not
make another effort to find out the will of God concerning her vocation.
She therefore consulted her director, who advised her to present herself
for admission, which she did, but as before, met with a humiliating
refusal, as it was not there _either_, that Almighty God intended to
make use of her for His glory, and He took this means of putting her
humility to the test, and proving and perfecting her virtue.

The first refusal of the Carmelites only served to animate her to