llo, to secure the marriage of certain other women, in which
matter he lent assistance not only with his authority but with his
money. Upon one occasion he charitably bestowed a dowry of six hundred
pesos upon a woman of noble parentage who, for various reasons, had
gone from Madrid to sojourn in that country. The brethren of La Santa
Misericordia of Manila also lend assistance in these matters with
great solicitude and charity, conformably to their profession and the
aims of the Confraternity. The members are among the most noble and
distinguished people in that community, and are most useful therein,
to the great glory and service of God our Lord.

Our fathers devote themselves at all hours to consoling and confessing
the sick and afflicted, for these always have us summoned, even though
far away. In this connection I shall relate a special instance. A
sick man, having abandoned hope of life (for the physician had
declared him past recovery), seeing that human remedies were of
no avail, had recourse to the divine; and he sought aid from the
mother of God, to whom he made a vow to betake himself for nine
days to her chapel called Ermita de Guia, which, as I have said,
lies without the city walls. Having made the vow, he arose at once,
just as he was, to fulfil it. A marvel of God! as the days went by,
his health continually improved; and at the end of the nine days,
he was entirely well. This meant health of body, but the two days
following his recovery brought him life for both body and soul.

An honorable woman lived in great suffering through the cruel
treatment to which her husband subjected her; and she determined to
free herself from this pain and anguish by putting an end to her life,
which was passing in such bitterness. For this purpose, she placed a
noose around her neck, the demon aiding her, and hanged herself. The
noise which she made while in the pains of death was heard by one of
her neighbors, who hastened to her, and, encountering this horrible
sight, promptly cut the rope. The woman, when she came to herself,
repented of her wicked act, and had recourse to one of Ours for
counsel; and, through the mercy of the Lord, she now lives in peace
and contentment. Another married woman, likewise disheartened by the
abuse and bad temper of her husband, resolved to leap into the sea
and drown herself. Collecting some of her goods, with tears and great
sorrow she bade her daughter farewell, and set out to accomp