which he promised to wear always as a souvenir of his visit to our Abbey. We took care, also, to give him as many apples and pears as he could put into his pockets. The number of people seeking shelter for the night in the convent increased constantly. Already, some thirty persons had come; some bringing their own mattresses, the others depending on our charity. We gave all that we had. In the end, no fewer than fifty-seven persons came for a night’s lodging. Numberless poor came also during the day for food, for they could not find anything to eat in the town; bakers, butchers, grocers--all had fled to save their lives. We were in the greatest necessity ourselves, but still gave to all who asked. We experienced the truth of our Lord’s words, ‘Give, and you shall receive,’ when, a few days later, we were in the streets--without a house, without food, without money. It was then, indeed, that we received a hundredfold the charity we showed towards those who applied to us in their distress. On the Wednesday morning, Our Lord gave us a little surprise. Our chaplain had been obliged to leave Ypres the evening before, to place the nuns who lived in his college in safety. But the Divine Master watched over us, and instead of the one Mass which we had lost, He sent us two French military priests to offer up the Holy Sacrifice for us. Reverend Mother presented her excuses for the poor breakfast they received--for we had nothing to give them but the bread which we had made ourselves out of meal, and some pears--asking their opinion of the situation. They strongly advised us to leave while there was yet time and enquired where we thought of going. Mother Prioress told them that the Lady Abbess of Oulton Abbey in England had offered, from the very outset of the War, to take the whole community, but the great question was how to get so far. They said that we ought to apply to the British Command for help, expressing the opinion that the English ambulance, established at the college of which our chaplain was the President, would surely come to our assistance. They then left, saying how delightful it had been to have found such a peaceful spot in which to say Mass, after the noise and horrors to which they had been so long accustomed.