urgent, or my own, as your spiritual Father, if time. admits of that. When the enemy sees that you are conquering your temptation by submission to God's Will he will raise up every kind of hindrance, be sure.

As to other matters, let a holy simplicity and humility be your rule. Let your dress be simple, but consistent with what your position requires, so that you may rather attract than repulse other young ladies; let your words be simple, courteous, and gentle; your general intercourse with others neither constrained and reserved, nor lax and over-easy; in a word, let your whole conduct be influenced by the modesty and gentleness which ought to be the characteristics of one of God's own children. Ever yours, &c.

TO A LADY. CONCERNING HER CHILD'S

FREQUENT COMMUNION.

MADAME MA TRÈS CHÈRE SŒUR,

I am thankful for the confidence you put in me, while I am grieved not to be able to write to you as I should wish; but our Lord in His Love for you supplies what is lacking through the many means of help you have at hand.

I should advise that in prayer you should

persevere

yet awhile in a small beginning, preparing your mind by learning to arrange points of meditation, without exercising the imagination more than is necessary. I know very well that when we are so favoured as to find God, (in meditation,) it is good to pause in contemplation, and fix our minds on Him; but, my dear daughter, I do not think it is desirable for beginners to expect always to find Him thus, without preparation; we novices have more need to ponder over the marvels of the Crucifix one by one, than to indulge in a general and admiring contemplation. But if after having given the mind to such humble preparation, it still does not please God to give us any sweetness or consolation, then we ought patiently to go on eating our dry bread, content to do our duty without any present reward.

I am glad to hear that you go to the good Père Gentil for confession. I know him well by reputation, and what a good and active servant of our Lord he is. You will do well to continue going to him for confession, and to follow his kind advice, according to your needs.

I would not recommend you to urge your daughter to such frequent communion, unless she thoroughly enters into what it is. Holy Communion is a different matter from other ways of approaching the Blessed Sacrament; and there is a great (spiritual) difference "Les autres participations."

between frequent and rare communion. If the dear little soul is able to realise that in order to receive Holy Communion frequently great purity and fervour are required, and if she aims at these, and strives earnestly to attain them, then I should advise allowing her to come frequently, that is to say, every fortnight. But if she has only warm feelings at the time of Communion, and is not earnest in striving against the little faults incidental to childhood, I think it would be better for her to go to confession once a week, and to communicate once a month. My dear daughter, I believe Holy Communion to be the great means whereby to attain perfection, but then it must be received with the desire and effort to cleanse our hearts of whatever could displease Him Whom we desire to receive.

Persevere in striving to conquer yourself in the trifling daily vexations of which you complain; make this your principal study;-be sure it is what God specially requires of you at present. Do not amuse yourself with other matters, or try to sow other people's gardens, but cultivate your own diligently. Do not wish that you were not what you are, but rather wish to be perfect as you are ;-occupy your thoughts in attaining such perfection, and strive to carry every Cross, be it great or small, that is sent you, patiently. Believe me there is no greater truth in the Spiritual life, and none less understood than the saying, "Every one's desires

I

are according to his own likings, but few according to duty and our Lord's likings." What is the use of building castles in Spain, when we must live in France? 2 It is an old story, and you have often heard it; but tell me, my dear daughter, whether you follow it.

Let your religious duties be well regulated, and let them all have reference to the Will of your Head. Set at defiance the childish onslaughts with which the enemy tries to induce you to return to the world; treat them with contempt, as a mere impertinence ;-they deserve no answer save our Lord's own words, "Get thee behind me, Satan, tempt not the Lord thy God." My dear daughter, we are treading in the footsteps of the Saints; let us go on boldly, whatever difficulties we may meet.

I think I have answered all that you asked of me, and I have no greater pleasure than to help you faithfully. I should have been glad to see you, but it was not to be done. Perhaps God will so order things that we may meet, and if it be to His Glory I would fain have it so. May He ever reign in our hearts. I am, &c.

"Chacun aime selon son goût; peu de gens aiment selon leur devoir et le goût de notre Seigneur."

2

"Chateaux en Espagne"-the French equivalent for 66 castles in the air."

I SEE that you are always craving after a greater perfection, and I approve of this craving, for I am sure it does not keep you back ;-on the contrary, it kindles and urges you to victory.

You tell me that you are a prey to a thousand imperfections. No doubt it is true, my dear sister, but are you not incessantly striving to uproot them? Unquestionably, so long as we are cumbered by our mortal and corruptible bodies, we shall be deficient in many things.

Am I repeating myself? We must be patient with all the world-above all with ourselves, for we are more troublesome to ourselves than any one else can be, feeling as we must the difference between the old Adam and the new man, between the outward and the interior life.

You say that you can do nothing in meditation without the help of a book. Well, what does it matter? What does it signify whether you use a book at intervals, or not? When I said you were only to spend half an hour in meditation, it was because I feared that at first you might overstrain your imagination,