"I imagine myself at Nazareth, in the house of the Holy Family.
If, for instance, I am served with salad, cold fish, wine, or
anything pungent in taste, I offer it to St. Joseph. To our
Blessed Lady I offer hot foods and ripe fruit, and to the Infant
Jesus our feast-day fare, especially rice and preserves. Lastly,
when I am served a wretched dinner I say cheerfully: 'To-day, my
little one, it is all for you!'"

Thus in many pretty ways she hid her mortifications. One fast-day,
however, when our Reverend Mother ordered her some special food, I
found her seasoning it with wormwood because it was too much to
her taste. On another occasion I saw her drinking very slowly a
most unpleasant medicine. "Make haste," I said, "drink it off at
once!" "Oh, no!" she answered; "must I not profit of these small
opportunities for penance since the greater ones are forbidden me?"

Toward the end of her life I learned that, during her noviciate,
one of our Sisters, when fastening the scapular for her, ran the
large pin through her shoulder, and for hours she bore the pain
with joy. On another occasion she gave me proof of her interior
mortification. I had received a most interesting letter which was
read aloud at recreation, during her absence. In the evening she
expressed the wish to read it, and I gave it to her. Later on,
when she returned it, I begged her to tell me what she thought of
one of the points of the letter which I knew ought to have charmed
her. She seemed rather confused, and after a pause she answered:
"God asked of me the sacrifice of this letter because of the
eagerness I displayed the other day . . . so I have not read it."

* * * * * *

When speaking to her of the mortifications of the Saints, she
remarked: "It was well that Our Lord warned us: 'In My Father's
House there are many mansions, otherwise I would have told
you.'[9] For, if every soul called to perfection were obliged to
perform these austerities in order to enter Heaven, He would have
told us, and we should have willingly undertaken them. But He has
declared that, 'there are many mansions in His House.' If there
are some for great souls, for the Fathers of the Desert and for
Martyrs of penance, there must also be one for little children.
And in that one a place is kept for us, if we but love Him dearly
together with Our Father and the Spirit of Love."

* * * * * *

"While in the world, I used, on waking, to think of all the
pl