She added: "I am convinced of the uselessness of medicine for the purpose of curing me, but I have made a compact with the good God, that He is to allow some poor Missionaries to profit by it, who have neither time nor means to take care of themselves." HIST. D'UNE AME, CH. XII [8] Matt., xxv, 40. REMEMBERING that _Charity covereth a multitude of sins,_ [9] I draw from this fruitful mine opened to us by our Lord in His sacred Gospels. I search the depths of His adorable words and cry out with David: "_I have run in the way of Thy commandments when Thou didst enlarge my heart_." [10] And charity alone can enlarge my heart . . . O Jesus! since this sweet flame consumes it I run with delight in the way of Thy new Commandment, and therein will I run until the blessed day when with Thy Virgin train I shall follow Thee through Thy boundless Realm singing Thy _New Canticle_ which must surely be _the Canticle of LOVE_. HIST. D'UNE AME, CH. IX [9] Prov., x, 12. [10] Ps., cxviii, 32. FAITH WHAT helps me most when I picture to myself the interior of the Holy Family is to think of a quite ordinary life. The Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph knew well that Jesus was God, but wondrous things were nevertheless hidden from them and like us they lived by faith. Have you not noticed what is said in the sacred text: "_And they understood not the word that He spoke unto them_," [1] and these other words no less mysterious: "_His father and mother were wondering at those things which were spoken concerning Him_"? [2] Does not this imply that they heard of something new to them, for this wondering suggests a certain astonishment? COUNSELS AND REMINISCENCES [1] Luke, ii, 50. [2] Luke, ii, 33. DURING her temptations against faith she wrote: "I strive to work by faith though bereft of its consolations. I have made more acts of Faith in this last year than during all the rest of my life. "On each fresh occasion of combat, when the enemy desires to challenge me, I conduct myself valiantly: knowing that to fight a duel is an unworthy act, I turn my back upon the adversary without ever looking him in the face; then I run to my Jesus and tell Him I am ready to shed every drop of blood in testimony of my belief that there is a Heaven, I tell Him I am glad to be unable to contemplate, while on earth, with the eyes of the soul, the beautiful Heaven that awaits me so He will deign to open it for eternity to poor unbelievers." HIST. D'UNE AME, CH. IX