soon as she learned to read, and was introduced into the world of romance and poetry, gave up her early aspirations for the conventual life.
Don Alfonso de Cepeda was a highly educated man, for the age in which he lived, and possessed a library of considerable size. When Theresa was but nine years old her father taught her to read. At that period it was not uncommon for a woman to grow up in a rich and noble Spanish family without even this amount of education. In later years, we find Theresa complaining of four novices from noble families, none of whom could read even their prayer-books. But Don Alfonso was a student, and himself taught his children. His library contained the works of the great Latin authors, of the Church Fathers, much religious poetry, and above all a great many romances. These latter books were forbidden fruit to the children; yet secretly, and without her father’s knowledge, the young Spanish maiden managed to read them. Like many a naughty modern girl of thirteen, she stole down to the library at night and returned bearing her treasured story-book,
