that our Dear Lord is helping you, inasmuch as day by day, step by step, you gain greater freedom from your former faults and failings. I doubt not that you will soon be altogether victorious, since you are so vigorous in resistance, and so full of hope and trust in our Good Lord's Grace..

I am glad to hear that you are more cheerful than you were. Assuredly, madame, your happiness will increase daily, as the sweetness of our Saviour's Love spreads itself more within your soul. I feel sure that your cheerfulness and content will specially make themselves felt in your social intercourse, and chiefly in your own family, where your first duty lies, and where your religion should be most exercised. If you really love religion, live so as to lead all around you to love and reverence it too; they will do so if they see its favourable results set forth in you.

In truth you have great means of doing good! You have every opportunity of making your house a very paradise of goodness, with a husband who is so well disposed to help you. You may indeed be most happy, if you take pains to suit your religious exercises to the convenience of your household, and to your husband's wishes. I know few married women who have better opportunities of being religious than you, madame, and consequently, you are bound to make great progress in holiness.

I heard that you were expecting your confinement, and I thank God, Who wills to add to the number of His children and yours. The trees of the earth bring forth fruit for the service of men; but it is given to women to bear children for God's Service; and therefore Holy Scripture reckons child-bearing as a blessing. Do you make a double use of your prospects ;— first, by offering your unborn child continually to God, as S. Augustine was offered by his mother; and next, by offering the inevitable discomfort and suffering of your condition to our Lord, blessing Him for that through your pain He wills to bring into the world. one who, thanks to His Grace, will praise Him with you through all Eternity. May God be glorified in all our troubles and joys.

You tell me that you have slackened your religious exercises since you went into the country; well, if so, string your bow afresh, and begin with greater pains; but another time do not let the green fields produce this effect upon you. Why should they? God is in the country as much as in town.

FOR the last month, my dear sister, I have been ill with fever, and unable to answer your letters. . I am not sure that I know what you mean, but I will try to answer what I think you wish to ask. You see, it often happens that just when we fancy we have quite overcome our old foes, they attack us anew from some unexpected quarter. Even the wise King Solomon, after all the marvels of his youth, was taken by surprise, and overcome by his enemy. From this we must learn two plain lessons ;-first, always to mistrust ourselves, to tread our path in holy fear, ever seeking God's Help with humble devotion; and next, that though our enemies may be repulsed they are not exterminated. They sometimes leave us alone awhile, in order to return more vigorously to the charge; but nevertheless, dear sister, you must not be disheartened, but quietly and bravely set to work to heal the breaches made within your soul, humbling yourself before the Lord, noways amazed to find yourself so weak. Indeed, the thing to astonish us would be the absence of such weakness and such onslaughts. All such little troubles, dearest sister, serve to remind us of our own weakness, and send us more earnestly to

our real Protector. S. Peter walked boldly upon the waves until the wind rose and he was about to sink. Then he cried out, "Lord, save me!" And Christ stretched forth His Hand, saying, "Oh, man of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt ?" It is chiefly amid the waves and storms of passion and temptation that we seek our Saviour's Help-and He only permits us to be alarmed in order to incite us the more to invoke His aid. In a word, then, do not be troubled because you have been troubled; do not be annoyed because of your past annoyance, or anxious because you have allowed these vexing thoughts to disturb you. Recall your heart, put it gently into your Saviour's Hands, imploring Him to heal it, while for your part you do what you can by the help of renewed resolutions, by the use of suitable books, and other appropriate means; by so doing your loss will be turned into gain, and you will be all the stronger for your moral sickness. My dearest child, if your condition makes lengthened mental prayer a difficulty to you, be content that your meditations be brief and hearty. Make up for this by continual aspirations of your heart to God; often read a few lines of some suitable spiritual book; let your thoughts when out of doors turn upon holy things; offer all your languor and oppression to our Crucified Lord; and then, by and bye, after your confinement, resume your former habits quietly.

CXLI.

TO A YOUNG LADY.

MY VERY DEAR CHILD IN JESUS CHRIST,

I have received your letter, in which you try to lay the state of your mind open to me. I am gratified by your confidence in my affection, which is as true and stedfast as you can wish: God be thanked in and for all things. But I must say a word or two concerning the subject of your letter.

First of all, I beg you to understand clearly that the notion that you can only receive God's Help through me is simply a temptation of the evil one, whose aim it is to make us dwell on the thought of distant help, so that we may while so doing neglect to make use

of that

when

which is at hand. It is a mere moral disease those who are suffering from bodily sickness set their heart on the assistance of some physician who be had, to the exclusion of those who are at cannot We must never persist in wanting what is mpossible, or reckon upon what is difficult and un

hand.

rtain.

le to

ther

Nor is it enough that we believe God to be us by any instrument; we must go

succour

and believe that He does not choose to make

se of th

'n He puts at a distance, and that