a considerable size and gave me the most acute pain for over fifteen
years, has gone."

L. G. (Cauderan, Gironde.)

"I cannot leave France without letting you know how grateful I feel for
the immense service you have rendered me and mine. I only wish I had
met you years ago. Practically throughout my career my curse has been
a lack of continuous self-control.

I have been accused of being almost brilliant at times, only to be
followed by periodic relapses into a condition of semi-imbecility and
self-indulgence.

I have done my best to ruin a magnificent constitution, and have wasted
the abilities bestowed upon me. In a few short days you have made
me--and I feel permanently--master of myself. How can I thank you
sufficiently?

The rapidity of my complete cure may have been due to what at the time
I regarded as an unfortunate accident. Slipping on the snow-covered
steps of the train when alighting, I sprained my right knee badly. At
the breakfast table, before paying you my first visit, a fellow-guest
said to me: 'Tell Monsieur Coue about it. He will put it all right.'

I laughed and said 'Umph!' to myself, and more for the fun of the thing
than anything else did tell you. I remember you remarking 'That's
nothing,' and passing on to the more serious part of our conversation,
preliminary to commencing your lecture to the assembled patients.

I became more than interested, and when at the conclusion you suddenly
turned round and asked me: 'How's your knee?' (not having alluded to
knees in particular), and I discovered there _wasn't_ a knee, I laughed
again, as did those who saw me hobble into your room; but I laughed
this time from a sense of bewildered surprise and dawning belief. This
belief you very soon firmly implanted in me."

G. H. (London.)
11 _January_, 1922.

[1] This letter, together with the two quoted on page 34, is reprinted
from the _Bulletin de la Societe Lorraine de Psychologie Appliquee_ of
April, 1921. They were received by Coue during the preceding three
months. The other letters were communicated to me privately by Coue
and bear their original dates.

CHAPTER III

THE CHILDREN'S CLINIC

In different parts of France a little band of workers, recruited almost
exclusively from the ranks of former patients, is propagating the ideas
of Emile Coue with a success which almost rivals that of their master.
Among these helpers none is more devoted or more eminently su