usly in
the service of God. By these holy means we set aright many important
affairs which concerned enmities and sinful lives. As an instance of
this, certain legal proceedings were instituted for the separation
of a married pair; these had made considerable progress, but were
abandoned, and the husband and wife were reconciled, and again
lived together in peace. Efforts were also made to break up illicit
relations, and separate those who lived therein; and the result was
that, through the mercy of God, those persons have not relapsed into
evil ways. Although among these were some cases of special interest,
I will confine myself to other matters which occur to me, which are
cleaner and more agreeable. The first concerns an infidel Indian woman
whose conversion was a difficult matter, on account of her marriage
with a Chinese or Sangley who was also an infidel; for her husband
kept her, as is the custom among the Chinese, under close confinement
and guard. One of our fathers was desirous to gain this woman for
Christ; and, finding no other means, placed some Christian Indians
where she could hear them talk about the things of God and the life
eternal. The woman was so impressed by what she heard that, fleeing
from her husband and abandoning her home and child, she came to our
house and asked to be instructed for baptism; her request was granted,
and by this means the husband was also converted. His conversion is
a valuable one, since it is very difficult to incline the people of
his nation toward the truths of our holy faith.

Some Indian women, during a pest of locusts, erected in their sowed
field a cross containing some relics; and our Lord was pleased to
honor the emblem of His death, as well as the faith of these, His
new faithful ones, for the locusts passed on without causing them
any loss. The owner of the land gave, in gratitude, all its harvest
as alms--which he was able to do, as he possessed some wealth.

Although these incidents, and many others which are not here related,
show that our Lord is desirous of drawing these peoples to Himself
by the bonds of Adam, namely, by love and mercy, He also chooses
to show them that He is a God of justice. This He made evident in
the dreadful fate of a man and wife who swore to be faithful to each
other during his absence, and, supplemented their oaths with terrible
curses which are in use among them. Yet the woman, overcome by the
devil, was false to her compact and