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263 ST. ELISABETH 263 soon after, on a Good Friday, she assumed the Franciscan habit which she wore until her death. At the same time Gnda, her faithful companion, adopted the dress of the Third Order. Elisabeth had to part with her children. Hermann, nearly seven years old, was taken to the castle of Crenzburg, to remain under good guardianship until old enough to hold the reins of govern- ment himself. This castle was ^so the home of her eldest daughter Sophia, already affianced to the young Duke of Brabant. The second girl, also called Sophia, returned to the abbey of Kitzingen, to the care of her grand*aunt, the abbess Matilda, and there she ulti- mately took the veil and passed the rest of her life. The youngest of all, B. Gertrude, now barely two years old, was taken to the Premonstratensian convent of Altenburg, near Wetzler, where she remained and became abbess. The sacrifice was complete, and Elisa- beth had separated herself from all those nearest and dearest to her. She arranged her mode of life in accordance with the wooden hut she had chosen for her dwelling ; she gave all her money to the poor and to charitable institutions, and set to work to earn her bread by spinning. She denied herself every luxury, and lived in the poorest possible manner. Her food was vegetables cooked in plain water without salt. She allowed no one to give her any title, but made all call her "Elisabeth." On her first arrival at Marburg she had built a hospital, dedicated in the name of St. Francis. This she visited every day, nursing the patients with tender care, even those afflicted with loathsome diseases. Her father, the King of Hungary, sent messengers begging her to resume her rank. Elisabeth refused, bidding them tell the king that she was happier in poverty than when surrounded by all the pomp of royalty. One would suppose that there was nothing left for her to do, in order to show her love for God and men, but Conrad of Marburg, still further to detach her soul from every earthly tie, treated her with great harshness, thwarting eveiy inclination, and denying every gratification, however virtuous. To test her obedience, he ordered her 'not to give so much in charity, nor to attend to the sick ; and when Elisabeth disobeyed, she was often punished with blows, until she learnt to yield a perfect, unanswering obedience to her stern director. He sent away her two faithful friends Tsentrude and Guda, lest their conversation might cause some feeling of regret for her past life to linger in the mind of the saint, and he replaced them by two disagreeable, ill-tempered women. One day Elisabeth saw in the hospital a boy terribly deformed. Bending over him, she asked where he came from, and how long he had been suffering. Being also deaf and dumb, the boy was unable to answer. Elisabeth did not know this, but thought he was possessed by an evil spirit ; so she said, " In the name of the Lord Jesus, I command you to answer me." Immediately, the boy was cured of his deformity and able to speak. The fame of this miracle spread abroad. Many people came to be cured of their diseases by the duchess, whose humility and piety increased with every proof given her of God's love. Two years had elapsed since Elisabeth had assumed the habit of St. Francis and renounced all worldly joys, and the time had come when her earthly life was to cease. A bright light appeared to her one night, and she heard a voice saying, "Come, Elisabeth, come with me into the tabernacle I have prepared for thee from all eternity." She hastened to say good-bye to the poor and the sick, and took a special farewell of Conrad of Marburg, who was then seriously ill. The fourth day after the vision, she felt the first symptoms of the malady which was to end with her death. For twelve or fourteen days she had a violent fever, but was always bright and gay, and prayed incessantly. Her director had recovered sufficiently to come to confess her, and fortify her with the last consola- tions of religion. At last, on the night of Nov. 19, 1231, she entered her eternal rest. As her spirit passed away a choir of celestial voices sang, " Regnum mundi contempsi, propter amorem Domini