"A beautiful death crowns all the life."-Petrarca.
As, so there are Christian graces which shed their glorious luster upon the sufferings of this present life. Some of these were brightly visible in the brief and beautiful earthly experience of the subject of the present short sketch. Her sweet contentment in want, her peaceful smile in suffering, her patient endurance of persecution made her character stand out in admirable beauty to all who could see and appreciate such true moral loveliness.
She became a Christian very early in life, having received that saving knowledge of the Holy Scriptures which made her wise unto salvation through her faith in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 3:1515And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:15)).
Teresa's mother died when she was ten years old, and as she was the only child, a heavy burden of care was put upon her early life. Her father had a very humble occupation, rendered all the more precarious by his being the only Protestant Christian in the little town in which religious bigotry ran very high. He was a pious, devout man, and deeply devoted to his worthy daughter, who on her part made his happiness her daily care. Hers was doubtless a lonely life, but the routine of her little home duties never became monotonous, for she had learned the secret of a happy life: “Whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord." She cultivated the holy habit of private, daily reading of God's Word with prayer, and no hour of the day was enjoyed by her so much as that.
Thus Teresa's youthful days passed by, shut out from the world and shut in with God in that humble little home. Her father's financial condition became poorer, and she began to show symptoms of physical weakness. She was ordered special rest and nourishment, but the needs and means of her home did not permit her to enjoy these, and she gradually grew weaker. As a last resource her father took her to the local hospital. That same evening she was visited by the head sister, who informed her that Father Agostino would confess her on the morrow.
Teresa meekly replied to the madre that she would not require his services as she confessed to God. The nun at first conversed calmly with the patient, assuring her that though she was a Protestant, it would make no difference to Father Agostino; but as Teresa begged to be left free in her conscience before God, the nun grew angry, and the poor patient passed her first night in the hospital much disturbed.
On the morrow she was visited by Father Agostino, who approaching her bed side saluted her: “Teresa, I think."
Teresa: “Yes, padre, that is my name."
Friar: “I hope you have passed a good night." Teresa: “Thank you, not very good."
Friar: “I am sorry to hear this, for you require rest. Perhaps the change of abode has caused your sleeplessness."
Teresa: “No, padre I know you have come to confess me, and I desire to confess to you sincerely the reason of the troubled night I have passed."
Friar: “Please do."
Teresa: “I am, thank God, a Christian, and I know that Christ is my Savior and Lord. I desire to live for Him, and if I die I know I shall go to be with Him. I confess to Him my sins and my failures, and I know that His blood has cleansed me from them all. The madre is angry with me because I informed her that I should not require your services, and this has caused me to pass the sleepless night."
Friar: “You ought to know that the madre exhorted you for your good, and so do I now. I ask you to confess."
Teresa: " I have never confessed to anyone on earth save to my dear parents. From a child I kept my heart open to them, telling them all my wrong-doings, and since I became a child of God by faith in Christ Jesus, I have made it my daily exercise to confess to Him my sins, known and unknown, for who can tell how many are our sins of ignorance? I can assure you, padre, that my happiest moments are those I spend alone in prayer."
Friar: “I see you are too wearied to reason with me now. I shall come and see you to-morrow."
The madre was informed of Teresa's steadfast refusal to confess to the friar, and spread the report among the other nuns. Teresa soon became the object of their hatred, and began to realize that she would not enjoy the rest, care and nourishment she so needed.
Her father visited her twice a week, and one day he found her more preoccupied than usual, and asked her whether anything was troubling her. After a pause she opened her heart and told her father what she had passed, and was passing through, in the hospital, because of her faith, adding: " Father, do take me home. There I enjoy such peace even in our poverty."
Her father lost no time, and the next day, in great weakness, Teresa returned to her poor but peaceful home.
An evangelist was then traveling in that part of Italy. He had heard of Teresa's father, and of his solitary and faithful Christian testimony in that very town which he had to pass one night. It was a long journey, and the coach reached the town square a few minutes after midnight. An hour's stop was made: the horses were changed, and refreshments were provided for the travelers at the little inn. Outside all was silence broken only by the old town clock, which struck every quarter. The evangelist passed the moments in quiet meditation, and his thoughts gradually centered in the testimony of the only Christian known to him there, Teresa's father. As the Lord's servant thought of his lonely brother, a feeling came over him with rapid and almost overpowering force, and a voice seemed to say: " Go at once to him: he needs you."
Regarding it simply as a strong sentiment of brotherly sympathy the evangelist endeavored to satisfy it by offering a silent prayer for his dear, solitary brother in that town; but the prayer would not rise, and that inner voice again seemed to say: “Do not pray for him, but go to him."
The evangelist now felt it difficult to conquer his feeling, whatever it was, and looking at his watch he sought peace of mind as he exclaimed to himself: “Twenty minutes past twelve! How can I go at this hour? “But his reasoning thus gave him no rest, and he passed some sorrowful minutes as that “something” said to him again and again: “Go."
The coach arrived at its destination at six o'clock that morning, and was to return again at nine. The evangelist's feelings so disturbed him that he decided to break his journey and return with the same coach to that town where his solitary brother might be needing his fellowship, and that afternoon he found himself there again. He at once inquired for his Christian brother's house, which happily was well known. In a narrow alley the evangelist found several women gesticulating as they talked excitedly before the humble door. Having asked one of them whether his friend was at home, the sorrowful and unexpected reply came: “You have come, sir, for the funeral of Teresa? Her father has gone to make arrangements for the interment to-morrow morning."
“What?" exclaimed the evangelist. " When did she die? "
“Shortly after midnight," replied the sympathetic neighbor.
The evangelist then remembered the strange experience he had passed through at that very time, and was losing himself in deep reflection when the woman said: “Come, sir, and see the body."
She led the way to the humble room. It was dark, but a candle was burning at the head of the corpse. Teresa's visage seemed white and pure as marble, and angelic in its expression. On her pillow lay her Bible open at 1 Thessalonians, chapter 4.; verses 14-18 were underlined with ink: " If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them who are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words."
Half-a-dozen female neighbors had gathered by the bedside, with their heads reverently covered with black handkerchiefs. The silence was broken by the woman who had conducted the evangelist to the room. Pointing to the passage underlined in the open Bible, she said to him: “That is the verse Teresa recited before she died, and her father marked it, and placed the Bible here."
The evangelist then spoke to those sympathetic friends from that very Scripture. They were pious Roman Catholics, and listened very attentively to the Word. “I never knew Teresa," said God's servant, " and only know her father through mutual Christian friends. This passage of Holy Scripture which comforted Teresa in her dying hour, expresses the hope of every true believer in Christ. It says: If we believe that Jesus died and rose again ' Do we believe that? It is a fact accomplished once forever. Then this same passage of God's Word goes on to say that them also who sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him ' when He comes, soon again, for His own. And when He comes, Teresa with all His will meet Him. Friends, will you be there? "
The silent mourners heaved a sigh and exclaimed speriamo! (let us hope). Presently Teresa's father returned from his sad errand, and found a stranger —no, a brother, waiting to comfort him. And it proved indeed the comfort of the God of all consolation. Amid the religious darkness that surrounded Teresa's grave, there shone that faith and hope in Christ which this world's persecution only fans into a brighter flame.
“A little while—'twill soon be past!
Why should we shun the shame and cross?
Oh, let us in His footsteps haste,
Counting for Him all else but loss.
Oh, how will recompense His smile,
The suffering of this little while."
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