that
those who never talked on such subjects were only more discreet and
modest than herself, so she resolved to keep silence also, to be like
them.

Almost from her cradle she possessed the gift of distinguishing what
was good or evil, holy or profane, blessed or accursed, in material as
well as in spiritual things, thus resembling St. Sibyllina of Pavia,
Ida of Louvain, Ursula Benincasa, and some other holy souls. In her
earliest childhood she used to bring out of the fields useful herbs,
which no one had ever before discovered to be good for anything, and
plant them near her father's cottage, or in some spot where she was
accustomed to work and play; while on the other hand she would root up
all poisonous plants, and particularly those ever used for
superstitious practices or in dealings with the devil. Were she by
chance in a place where some great crime had been committed, she would
hastily run away, or begin to pray and do penance. She used also to
perceive by intuition when she was in a consecrated spot, return thanks
to God, and be filled with a sweet feeling of peace. When a priest
passed by with the Blessed Sacrament, even at a great distance from her
home or from the place where she was taking care of her flock, she
would feel a strong attraction in the direction whence he was coming,
run to meet him, and be kneeling in the road, adoring the Blessed
Sacrament, long before he could reach the spot.

She knew when any object was consecrated, and experienced a feeling
of disgust and repugnance when in the neighbourhood of old pagan
cemeteries, whereas she was attracted to the sacred remains of the
saints as steel by the magnet. When relics were shown to her, she knew
what saints they had belonged to, and could give not only accounts of
the minutest and hitherto unknown particulars of their lives, but also
histories of the relics themselves, and of the places where they had
been preserved. During her whole life she had continual intercourse
with the souls in purgatory; and all her actions and prayers were
offered for the relief of their sufferings. She was frequently called
upon to assist them, and even reminded in some miraculous manner, if
she chanced to forget them. Often, while yet very young, she used to be
awakened out of her sleep by bands of suffering souls, and to follow
them on cold winter's nights with bare feet, the whole length of the Way
of the Cross to Coesfeld, though the ground was covered wi