Now my dearest daughter, lovingly look upon all these little creatures as entrusted to you by God, who has given them to you; care for them, cherish them tenderly, and bring them up not in vanity, but faithfully in the fear of God. So doing, and trustfully leaving all these anxieties of yours to divine Providence, you will see how sweetly and tenderly it will provide for all, so that you will have good reason to bless and rely wholly upon it. Take my advice, dearest daughter, and cast yourself into these safe arms: serve God, cast aside vanity, live in perfect harmony with him whom God has given you, interest yourself in the good government of your household, be active and diligent in applying yourself to that work, and begin from this time forth to live after the manners and customs of a true mother. If I had not had the courage to do this from the beginning in my married life we should not have had the means of livelihood, for we had a smaller income than you have and were fifteen thousand crowns in debt. Be brave then, dearest daughter; employ your time and your mind not in worrying and being anxious about the future, but in serving God and your household, for such is the divine will. Act thus, and you will see how blessings will attend your undertakings. I feel that I am bound to speak thus fully and openly to you, and I hope that you will profit by what I say, for I say it with much love and with a great desire for your good; and that you will often read over this letter and put its contents in practice. May God grant you this grace, and may His Goodness pour abundantly upon you and your dear family His choicest blessings. I cordially salute them all. You know, dearest child, how you are my very own and most dear daughter, and that I am your very humble mother, most lovingly desirous of your true happiness. FOOTNOTE: [A] Madame de Toulonjon having learnt that her uncle, the Archbishop of Bourges, had made his will in favour of her brother, the Baron de Chantal, and left her out, was deeply wounded at this proceeding, and when writing to her holy Mother had justified herself for her anxieties by alleging the obligation to provide for the future of her children. LXI. _To Sister Anne Catherine de Sautereau, Mistress of Novices at Grenoble._ Vive [+] Jésus! ANNECY, 1626. MY DEAREST DAUGHTER, I will do as you desire and in God's presence will write what He in His Goodness inspires me to say. I am praying that I may do this. First, then, it seems to me, my daughter, that in your devotion you should strive to be generous, noble, frank and sincere, and build upon a groundwork of profound humility which engenders true obedience, sweet charity, and that artless simplicity that makes us amiable to every one alike, bearing with and excusing all. Try to instil this same spirit into your novices and into all the souls that God may at any time put under your care.