reatures in Thee, for
they pass away, but Thou endurest for ever. If I care for this woman,
it is only because she is Thy handiwork. The angels themselves feel
pity for her. Is she not, O Lord, the breath of Thy mouth? Let her not
continue to sin with many citizens and strangers. There is great pity
for her in my heart. Her wickednesses are abominable, and but to think
of them makes my flesh creep. But the more wicked she is, the more do I
lament for her. I weep when I think that the devils will torment her to
all eternity."

As he was meditating in this way, he saw a little jackal lying at his
feet. He felt much surprised, for the door of his cell had been closed
since the morning. The animal seemed to read the Abbot's thoughts, and
wagged its tail like a dog. Paphnutius made the sign of the cross and
the beast vanished. He knew then that, for the first time, the devil had
entered his cell, and he uttered a short prayer; then he thought again
about Thais.

"With God's help," he said to himself, "I must save her." And he slept.

The next morning, when he had said his prayers, he went to see the
sainted Palemon, a holy hermit who lived some distance away. He found
him smiling quietly as he dug the ground, as was his custom. Palemon
was an old man, and cultivated a little garden; the wild beasts came and
licked his hands, and the devils never tormented him.

"May God be praised, brother Paphnutius," he said, as he leaned upon his
spade.

"God be praised!" replied Paphnutius. "And peace be unto my brother."

"The like peace be unto thee, brother Paphnutius," said Palemon; and he
wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve.

"Brother Palemon, all our discourse ought to be solely the praise of Him
who has promised to be wheresoever two or three are gathered together in
His Name. That is why I come to you concerning a design I have formed to
glorify the Lord."

"May the Lord bless thy design, Paphnutius, as He has blessed my
lettuces. Every morning He spreads His grace with the dew on my garden,
and His goodness causes me to glorify Him in the cucumbers and melons
which He gives me. Let us pray that He may keep us in His peace. For
nothing is more to be feared than those unruly passions which trouble
our hearts. When these passions disturb us we are like drunken men,
and we stagger from right to left unceasingly, and are like to fall
miserably. Sometimes these passions plunge us into a turbulent joy, and
he wh