ternal rest of which the imprudent mother
(worse than a step-mother) had recklessly tried to deprive it. But
as God our Lord showed to these the gentleness of His great mercy,
so on others did He execute the rigor of His justice, chastising
them for their obstinacy and hardness; and others He terrified, so
that some day they might enjoy His mercy. One of Ours had asked a
certain man to receive baptism, following the advice of his father,
who was an Indian of high standing and governor of the village. He
made excuses, saying that he did not wish to receive the sacrament
until he had been married. But God our Lord did not allow him to
fulfil this desire, on account of which he deferred holy baptism
until he paid for the delay by an untimely death. Besides dying as
he did, in his heathenism, and very hastily, the character of his
death was violent and horrible; for he was carried away by a poison
which caused the flesh to fall from his body in pieces. Another
man was continually ill, and, fearing that any day he might die, he
asked me to baptize him. Upon summoning him one day for instruction,
he failed to appear, having abandoned his purpose. Soon afterward he
embarked for a neighboring island, where he died in his paganism. One
day, the children of a village came together to be baptized, but one
of the pagans refused to allow her child to receive the sacrament;
neither entreaties nor arguments availing to soften her. Accordingly,
we had to give her up--our Lord taking charge of this obdurate one,
as He did, suddenly deprived her one night of life."

But the event which caused among these Indians the greatest surprise
and terror, was the death of two of their most esteemed and respected
chiefs. The first was an Indian who in former days had married six
wives. He was so arrogant and cruel that whenever he made a journey
he sent Indians ahead of him to cut the branches of the trees, in
order that he might pass without bending his body; and if any of his
followers neglected to clear away a branch he paid for his carelessness
with his life. This chief became sick, and a father entreated him
with much earnestness to receive baptism. This he refused, and,
having no fear of death, said: "Father, as yet I have sufficient
strength in my eyes to see, in my hands to work, and in my feet to
walk. Leave me for the present, for, since thou art near by, I will
send one of my slaves for thee if I find that I am in distress." The
father