arrived in the morning to see the patient, this poor woman accosted him, and thus addressed him with tears: “Father, let us go to the Chapel; I wish to be confessed.” Scarcely had she arrived there, when she threw herself on the ground, shedding many tears and exclaiming aloud, her words interrupted by sobs: “I am making my son die. My sins are taking away his life; I am killing him. I am guilty, and he is innocent. I deserve death, and he deserves to live. Would I could die in his stead; for he is good, and I am wicked. I have displeased him who made all things. What shall I do to conciliate him?” And, turning to the Father, she drew from her bosom a large porcelain collar, and said to him: “ That is to appease [177] him whom I have offended. Offer him this present through the poor. Pray for me, my Father, in order that my sins may not be imputed to my child, and the door of Heaven be closed against him. I was making him a fine beaverskin robe; I will bring it to thee, Father, and thou shalt hang it somewhere inside the Church. It will speak for me, and show to every one my sin and my repentance.

Finally, her poor little Estienne — for that was his name - died a holy death. The poor mother kissed him after his death, and said to him: “Forgive me, my son; it is I who made thee die by my sins. Forgive thy mother; she has perhaps defiled thy poor [178] soul by permitting those foolish and superstitious rites to be performed over thy little body. I fear that may prevent thy entrance into Paradise.” And, wishing to bury him herself, she joined his little hands as if in prayer to God, winding his Rosary about them and placing his little Crucifix

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rendit, & s'eftant fait Chreftien, il fit paroistre, que la charité eftoit vn bon Predicateur.

Mais pour dire encor deux mots de la pureté, qui s'eftablit dans quelques ames d'élite. Vne autre ieune veufue, paroist si retirée, depuis la mort de fon mary, que mefme, elle ne répond aucun mot aux hommes, qui feroient capables de luy parler de mariage. Le Pere, qui a soin de fon ame, en voulant sçauoir la raison: elle la rendit en ces termes. Il y a long-temps, que i'ay promis à Dieu, que iamais plus ie ne me marierois. C'est pour fon honneur, & non pour mon contentement, ce que i'en fay. C'est affez vefcu auec les [168] hommes, ay-je dit en moymefme: Ie fçay bien que je fuis encor ieune, & que ie fuis capable d'auoir des enfans, qui feroient mon foutien: ie me priue volontiers de cét appuy. n'importe que ie fois pauure: mais il importe que i'ayme Dieu. Ie n'ay qu'vne petite fille, c'est mon enfant vnique: i'ay dit fouuent à Noftre Seigneur, la voila: fi tu me la veux ofter, ie ne laifferay pas de t'aymer: ie ne souhaite sa vie que pour te feruir. Qu'on en die ce que l'on voudra, ce langage du cœur, eft eloquent deuant Dieu. Si quelques hommes ne le gouftent pas, quantité d'Anges y prennent plaifir.

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Voicy vne deuotion bien innocente. Quelques femmes Huronnes, font entrées dans vn combat, à qui rendroit plus d'honneur [169] à la fainte Vierge, & par leur bonne vie, & par les prieres qu'elles luy adreffoient, notamment en recitant fon Chapelet. Il y en a telle, qui s'endormant l'Aue Maria en la bouche, la continuë à son réueil, comme fi le fommeil ne l'auoit point interrompuë. Et afin que le nombre

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ness; and they are given nothing in return! They must [167] certainly hope for other blessings after this life." These thoughts melted that heart of

. iron, and it yielded; and, becoming a Christian, he made it evident that charity was a good Preacher.

But,- to say a word or two more regarding the purity that has been implanted in some elect souls, – another young widow has become so reticent since her husband's death, that she does not even answer those men who, perchance, might address her on the subject of marriage. When the Father who has the care of her soul wished to know the reason of this, she gave it to him as follows: “A long time ago I promised God that I would never marry again.

I It is in his honor, and not for my own pleasure, that I act thus. Enough of living with [168] men!' said I to myself. I am well aware that I am still young, and that I could have children who would be my dependence; but I voluntarily deny myself that support. Whether or not I be poor matters not; but it is of importance whether I love God or not. I have only a little daughter; she is my sole child. I have often said to Our Lord: “There she is: if it be thy will to take her from me, I shall not cease to love thee; I wish her to live only that she may serve thee.'” Say what you will, this language of the heart is eloquent before God. If there are men who do not appreciate it, there are many Angels who take pleasure in it.

The following is an instance of devotion of a very innocent kind. Some Huron women joined in a contest as to who should pay the greatest honor [169] to the blessed Virgin, both by exemplary living, and by addressing prayers to her,—and this especially by

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de fois qu'elles le difent, foit honorable à leur bonne Mere: elles mettent à chaque fois, vne de leurs perles, ou de leurs diamans à part; ce font leurs grains de porcelaine. Elles apportent tous les Dimanches, au Pere qui les conduit, le petit amas qu'elles ont fait pendant la semaine: afin de tirer de ce magafin, dequoy faire vne Couronne, & vne Echarpe, à la façon du pays, à l'image de la fainte Vierge. Le Pere a marqué dans vn papier, [170] qu'il s'eft trouué cinq mille de ces perles, depuis l'Affomption, iufques au quinziéme d'Octobre. Ie m'affure, que tous ceux qui font enrolez en la Confrairie du Rofaire, ne recitent pas fi fouuent leur Chapelet, que ces bonnes Neophytes.

Il faudroit maintenant parler de la Residence de faint Iofeph à Sillery. De la Residence des Trois Riuieres. De la Miffion de fainte Croix à Tadouffac. De la Miffion de S. Iean en la nation des Porcs-Epics. De la Miffion des Poiffons blancs. De la Miffion des Abnaquiois. Des peuples appellez les Nipifiriniens; les Piskitang: les Algonquins de la petite Nation, & autres, qu'on a commencé d'instruire en la foy: mais ie n'ay pas affez d'instruction pour parler en [171] détail de tous ces peuples & de toutes ces Nations. Ie rapporteray quelque petite chofe, de ce qui est venu entre mes mains.

Vne femme, nommée Geneuiefue, ayant vn fils malade, âgé d'enuiron huit à neuf ans, fit tout fon poffible, pour luy faire recouurer la fanté, ou pour le disposer à vne fainte mort, en cas que Dieu le voulut retirer de ce monde. Elle follicitoit les Religieufes Hospitalieres, & les Vrfulines, de prier inceffamment pour luy: Elle importunoit fouuent nos Peres, les

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reciting the Rosary. There are those among them who, falling asleep with the Ave Maria on their lips, continue it upon awaking, as if sleep had not interrupted it. And, in order that the frequency with which they repeat it may be to their good Mother's honor, they put aside, each time, one of their pearls or diamonds,— these are their porcelain beads. Every Sunday, they bring to the Father who directs them the little pile they have amassed during the week, in order to draw from this store the material for making a Crown, or Scarf, after the fashion of the country, for the image of the blessed Virgin. The Father has noted down on paper [170] that these pearls amounted to five thousand, from the day of the Assumption to the fifteenth of October. sure that not all those who are enrolled in the Confraternity of the Rosary recite their Chaplets as often as do these good Neophytes.

I ought now to speak of the Residence of saint Joseph at Sillery, the Residence of Three Rivers, the Mission of the holy Cross at Tadoussac, the Mission of St. Jean in the Porcupine nation, the Mission of the Poissons-blancs, the Mission of the Abnaquiois; of the people called the Nipisiriniens, of the Piskitangs, of the Algonquins of the petite Nation, and of others whose instruction in the faith has been begun. But I have not su

But I have not sufficient information to speak in [171] detail of all these peoples and all these Nations. I will relate a little circumstance, taken from what has come into my hands.

A woman named Geneviefve, who had a sick son about eight or nine years of age, did her utmost to make him recover his health, or to prepare him for a holy death, if God should will his removal from

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