self a temple
consecrated to Him, both for time and for eternity. I said within
myself, (speaking both of the one and the other) "May this temple never
be profaned; may the praises of God be sung therein forever!" It seemed
to me at that time as if my prayer was granted. But soon all this was
taken from me, and not so much as any remembrance left to console me.

When I was at this country house, which was only a little place of
retreat before the chapel was built, I retired for prayer to woods and
caverns. How many times, here, has God preserved me from dangerous and
venomous beasts! Sometimes, unawares, I kneeled upon serpents, which
were there in great plenty; they fled away without doing me any harm.
Once I happened to be alone in a little wood wherein was a mad bull;
but he betook himself to flight. If I could recount all the providences
of God in my favor, it would appear wonderful. They were indeed so
frequent and continual, that I could not but be astonished at them. God
everlastingly gives to such as have nothing to repay Him. If there
appears in the creature any fidelity or patience, it is He alone who
gives it. If He ceases for an instant to support, if He seems to leave
me to myself, I cease to be strong, and find myself weaker than any
other creature. If my miseries show what I am, His favors show what He
is, and the extreme necessity I am under of ever depending on Him.

After twelve years and four months of marriage, crosses as great as
possible, except poverty which I never knew, though I had much desired
it, God drew me out of that state to give me still stronger crosses of
such a nature as I had never met with before. For if you give
attention, sir, to the life which you have ordered me to write, you
will remark that my crosses have been increasing till the present time,
one removed to give place to another to succeed it, still heavier than
the former. Amid the troubles imposed upon me, when they said, I "was
in a mortal sin," I had nobody in the world to speak to. I could have
wished to have had somebody for a witness of my conduct; but I had
none. I had no support, no confessor, no director, no friend, no
councillor. I had lost all. And after God had taken from me one after
another, He withdrew also Himself. I remained without any creature; and
to complete my distress, I seemed to be left without God, who alone
could support me in such a deeply distressing state.

My husband's illness grew every day