f an intimate
knowledge of the souls of children. I gained it in this way.
During the illness of a poor woman, I interested myself in her two
little girls, the elder of whom was not yet six. It was a real
pleasure to see how simply they believed all that I told them.
Baptism does indeed plant deeply in our souls the theological
virtues, since from early childhood the hope of heavenly reward is
strong enough to make us practise self-denial. When I wanted my
two little girls to be specially kind to one another, instead of
promising them toys and sweets, I talked to them about the eternal
recompense the Holy Child Jesus would give to good children. The
elder one, who was coming to the use of reason, used to look quite
pleased and asked me charming questions about the little Jesus and
His beautiful Heaven. She promised me faithfully always to give in
to her little sister, adding that all through her life she would
never forget what I had taught her. I used to compare these
innocent souls to soft wax, ready to receive any impression--evil,
alas! as well as good, and I understood the words of Our Lord: "It
were better to be thrown into the sea than to scandalise one of
these little ones."[12]

How many souls might attain to great sanctity if only they were
directed aright from the first! I know God has not need of anyone
to help Him in His work of sanctification, but as He allows a
clever gardener to cultivate rare and delicate plants, giving him
the skill to accomplish it, while reserving to Himself the right
of making them grow, so does He wish to be helped in the
cultivation of souls. What would happen if an ignorant gardener
did not graft his trees in the right way? if he did not understand
the nature of each, and wished, for instance, to make roses grow
on peach trees?

This reminds me that I used to have among my birds a canary which
sang beautifully, and also a little linnet taken from the nest, of
which I was very fond. This poor little prisoner, deprived of the
teaching it should have received from its parents, and hearing the
joyous trills of the canary from morning to night, tried hard to
imitate them. A difficult task indeed for a linnet! It was
delightful to follow the efforts of the poor little thing; his
sweet voice found great difficulty in accommodating itself to the
vibrant notes of his master, but he succeeded in time, and, to my
great surprise, his song became exactly like the song of the
canary.

O