Page:The part taken by women in American history.djvu/649

608 Ridgen joined the order and was chosen as Mother Teresa's successor. The mother house at Annecy had been suppressed during the French Revolution, and was not restored until 1822. The other houses in Europe were unwilling to send a copy of the constitutions to Georgetown, because this community had not been founded in the usual way by professed members of the order. The whole undertaking, in short, was looked upon as irregular, and it was believed that Rome would never approve of Bishop Neale's little community. Although schools were opened by Mrs. Seton in Baltimore and one at Emmitsburg Bishop Neale would not consent to abandon his scheme. A rich lady living in Baltimore, who had been educated with the Ursuline nuns in Ireland, heard of the embarrassments at Georgetown, and offered her means and influence to the Archbishop for the benefit of "The Pious Ladies," if they would consent to transform their house into an Ursuline convent. These plans were laid before Bishop Neale, who politely and respectfully thanked this generous and excellent lady for her liberality, but stated he would never consent to the proposed change. The Archbishop, seeing how invincible was Bishop Neale's purpose to continue on the lines he had already laid down, told the good Bishop that he would give him power to do what he could, but he must expect no help from him. One day in examining the books which they found in the little library purchased from the Poor Clares, they found on the title page of one of the books the name of St. Francis de Sales and the word "Visitation." This volume, on examination, proved to contain the rules of the Visitation Order, which they had sought so long and so ardently prayed for. This is believed to have been in about 1809 or 18 10, or perhaps a little later. And now, having the rules of the Order, they had but to decide upon their dress. Bishop Neale decided to let them wear the Teresian costume, and wrote to his brother Charles, at