ourselves wishing for what dazzles. In that hour let us in
all humility take our place among the imperfect, and look upon
ourselves as little souls who at every instant need to be upheld
by the goodness of God. From the moment He sees us fully convinced
of our nothingness, and hears us cry out: 'My foot stumbles, Lord,
but Thy Mercy is my strength,'[7] He reaches out His Hand to us.
But, should we attempt great things, even under pretext of zeal,
He deserts us. It suffices, therefore, to humble ourselves, to
bear with meekness our imperfections. Herein lies--for us--true
holiness."

* * * * * *

One day I was complaining of being more tired than my Sisters,
for, besides the ordinary duties, I had other work unknown to the
rest. Soeur Therese replied:

"I should like always to see you a brave soldier, never grumblng
at hardships, but considering the wounds of your companions as
most serious, and your own as mere scratches. You feel this
fatigue so much because no one is aware of it.

"Now the Blessed Margaret Mary, at the time she had two whitlows,
confessed that she really suffered from the hidden one only. The
other, which she was unable to hide, excited her Sisters' pity and
made her an object of compassion. This is indeed a very natural
feeling, the desire that people should know of our aches and
pains, but in giving way to it we play the coward."

* * * * * *

"When we are guilty of a fault we must never attribute it to some
physical cause, such as illness or the weather. We must ascribe it
to our own imperfections, without being discouraged thereby.
'Occasions do not make a man frail, but show what he is.'"[8]

* * * * * *

"God did not permit that our Mother should tell me to write my
poems as soon as I had composed them, and, fearful of committing a
sin against poverty, I would not ask leave. I had therefore to
wait for some free time, and at eight o'clock in the evening I
often found it extremely difficult to remember what I had composed
in the morning.

"True, these trifles are a species of martyrdom; but we must be
careful not to alleviate the pain of the martyrdom by permitting
ourselves, or securing permission for, a thousand and one things
which would tend to make the religious life both comfortable and
agreeable."

* * * * * *

One day, as I was in tears, Soeur Therese told me to avoid the
habit of allowing others to see the trifles that worried me,