he ardent desires his discourses had aroused in her heart for
the missions of America in particular. Mother Barat was delighted, but
insisted that she must school herself to patience, until some
providential opening should offer. For this she waited twelve long
years, but with what burning desires, what tears and prayers! It would
take too long to relate the circumstances which led to the visit of Mgr.
Louis Valentin Dubourg, the newly consecrated Bishop of Louisiana, and
describe the touching scene, when Mother Barat, in presence of the
humble yet ardent entreaties of her strong-souled daughter, recognized
the will of God, and gave the consent she implored, to let her have a
share in the missionary labors of the zealous prelate in the far-off
region of Louisiana.

In the hearts of God's saints, joy and sorrow are in close alliance.
Mother Duchesne was overwhelmed with joy on seeing the realization of
her ardent and long-cherished desires; but a midnight blackness settled
upon her soul, when she found herself about to sail away from the shores
of sunny France, leaving behind her all that her loving heart held so
dear, and with the conviction that the parting was final, as far as this
life was concerned. But her strong spirit did not flinch for an instant,
and the world would never have known how keenly she felt the sacrifice,
were it not for a few lines in one of her letters to Mother Barat. Her
companions were Madame Octavie Berthold, a fervent convert, whose father
had been secretary to Voltaire; Madame Eugenie Aude, a young lady whose
grace and elegance had been admired at the court of Savoy, and two lay
sisters of tried virtue. After a tedious voyage of ten weeks in a small
sailing vessel, they reached New Orleans on the Feast of the Sacred
Heart, May 29, 1818, and as soon as it was possible, they set out for
St. Louis in one of the primitive steamboats of the time, a trip of six
weeks, with numberless inconveniences and a very rough set of
fellow-passengers.

CHAPTER II

FIRST SCHOOLS IN THE NEW WORLD

Mgr. Dubourg cordially welcomed them to his Episcopal city, but the best
he could do for them was to assign to them a log-house, which he had
leased for their use at St. Charles, a village on the Missouri River, at
a distance of thirty miles from St. Louis. Here they opened a boarding
school which at first was only very scantily attended. They also opened
a school for poor children, which immediately gathered