ONE evening as they were telling her something which had been said at recreation, touching the responsibility of those who have the charge of souls, Sœur Thérèse de l'Enfant Jésus spoke these beautiful words: _"'To him that is little, mercy is granted.'_ [11] It is possible to remain _little_, even in the most important offices; and is it not written that at the end _the Lord will arise to save the meek and humble of the earth?_ [12] It says not to _judge_ but to _save_." HIST. D'UNE AME, CH. XII [11] Wisdom, vi, 7. [12] _Cf_. Ps., lxxv, 10. A NOVICE questioning as to whether our Lord were not dissatisfied with her on account of her many miseries, Sœur Thérèse made answer: "Set your mind at rest: He whom you have chosen as your Spouse possesses certainly every perfection that can be desired; but, if I may dare to say it, He has at the same time one great infirmity: _He is blind!_ And there is a science which He knows not, that of _calculation_. These two points which would be most lamentable deficiencies in an earthly spouse, render ours infinitely lovable. Were He to consider our sins and reckon with them, do you not think that in the face of all these sins He would cast us back into nothingness? But no, His love for us makes Him absolutely blind! "See for yourself: if the greatest sinner on earth, at the hour of death repent of his transgressions and expire in an act of love, immediately, without calculating on the one hand the numerous graces abused by this unhappy man, nor on the other, all his crimes, Jesus sees nothing, counts nothing, but the penitent's last prayer, and delays not to receive him into the arms of His Mercy. "But to render Him thus blind, to hinder Him from doing the least little bit of reckoning, we must know how to lay siege to His Heart; at that point He is defenceless. . ." COUNSELS AND REMINISCENCES TO another, who bitterly repented of a fault just committed, Sœur Thérèse said: "Take your Crucifix and kiss it." The novice kissed the feet. "Is that how a child embraces her Father? Put your arms round His Neck immediately and kiss His Face." She obeyed. "That is not all, He must return your caresses." And she had to hold the Crucifix to each cheek; then Thérèse said: "That is well, now all is forgiven!" COUNSELS AND REMINISCENCES HAVING caused her pain, a novice went to ask pardon of Sœur Thérèse, who replied with emotion: "If you only knew what I feel! Never have I so well understood with what love Jesus receives us, when, after a fault we beg Him to forgive us. If I, His poor little creature, feel such tenderness for you the moment you return to me, what must pass in the Heart of the good God when we return to Him? . . . Yes, surely, more swiftly yet than I have just done, will He forget all our iniquities, never again to remember them . . . He will do even more--He will love us still better than before our fault! . . . " COUNSELS AND REMINISCENCES SELF-ABANDONMENT