Cabins. Madame de la Pelterie, who led the party, could not meet a little Savage girl without embracing and kissing her, with marks of affection [26] so sweet and emphatic that these poor barbarians stood astonished and edified,—all the more that they themselves are cold in their greetings. All these good women did the same,- without heeding whether or not these little savage children were dirty, and without asking whether this were the custom of the country, the law of love and charity overcoming all human considerations.] The newly arrived Fathers were set to work; they were called upon to baptize some Savages. Madame de la Pelterie is already the godmother of several. She could not contain herself; she wished to be everywhere, whenever the Savages were in question. It happened, soon after she had landed, that, on going to receive communion, she observed at the holy Table only monsieur the Governor, and some Savages who were performing their devotions that day. She hastened into their midst, not without tears of consolation on seeing the simplicity and devotion of these good Neophytes. In fact, it is a sweet pleasure to see these good people approach Jesus Christ amidst our French. It must be confessed that God makes his influence felt in these meetings; his goodness desires that those who labor together for the salvation of the Savages should enjoy some little [27] share of the favors that he confers on these young plants of his Church. These visits being soon over, Altars were erected in the Chapels of their houses, holy Mass was said there, and these good women retired into their seclusion. Into the Hospital went the three Hospital Nuns sent by Monseigneur the Most Reverend Archbishop

qu'elle fait, ne pouuant mieux l'obliger qu'en obligeãt les pauures Sa[u]uages leur donant pour secours vn des plus pretieux thresors de fon Diocese; Car ces bõnes filles, outre qu'elles font tres-exactes en la difcipline & obferuance reguliere, font fans doute excellentes au foin & traitemet des malades, tant pour le temporel, que pour le spirituel. Les trois Vrfulines se retirerent dans vne maifon particuliere, apres s'eftre mutuellement embraffées les vnes & les autres. Bien-toft apres nous fifmes dõner fix filles fauuages à Madame de la Pelterie, ou aux Vrfulines; & quelques filles Frãçoises commencerent de les aller voir pour estre inftruittes: Si bien que les [28] voila defia dans l'exercice de leur institut, mais fi iamais elles ont vne maison biẽ capable, & bien dequoy nourrir les enfans fauuages, elles en auront peut-estre iufques à fe laffer; Dieu veuille que les grands frais ne retardent leur deffein, les defpences qu'on fait icy font fort grandes, mais Dieu l'est encore plus.

Pour l'Hospital, les Religieufes n'eftoient pas encore logées, leur bagage n'eftoit pas encore arriuée, qu'on leur amena des malades, il fallut prefter nos paillaffes & nos mattelats pour exercer cette premiere charité. O que i'ay fouuent fouhaitté que Madame la Ducheffe d'Aiguillon veist seulement pour trois iours ce qu'elle a commencé d'operer en ces contrées; les filles qu'elle nous a enuoyé ne fe pouuoient contenir d'aife, elles auoient des malades, & n'auoient pas dequoy leur donner, mais la charité de Monfieur noftre Gouuerneur eft rauiffante. Si fallut-il refuser de pauures Sauuages affligez, on ne peut pas tout du premier coup, nous efperõs que Madame la Ducheffe faifant croistre le fecours, fera croiftre la mifericorde

of Rouen, who-full of zeal for the salvation of souls and very anxious to show Madame d'Aiguillon how willing he was to contribute, to the best of his ability, to the good works she had undertaken - could not better oblige her than in obliging the poor Savages, by giving for their aid one of the most precious treasures of his Diocese. For these good women, besides being very strict in discipline and in regular observance, are, beyond a doubt, excellent in the care and treatment of the sick, both in temporal and in spiritual matters. The three Ursulines withdrew to a private house, after having mutually embraced the other nuns. Soon afterwards, we had six savage. girls given to Madame de la Pelterie or to the Ursulines; and some French girls began going to them for instruction; so that they [28] already perform the duties of their order. But if ever they have a house with sufficient accommodation, and the means to feed the savage children, they will perhaps have so many of these as to weary them. God grant that the heavy expenses may not thwart their designs; the outlay to be made here is very great, but God is still greater.

As for the Hospital, the Nuns were not yet lodged, and their baggage had not yet arrived, when sick people were brought to them. We had to lend our straw beds and mattresses that they might perform this first act of charity. Oh, how often I have wished that Madame the Duchess d'Aiguillon might see, even for three days, what she has commenced to effect in these countries! The nuns whom she has sent us could not contain themselves for gladness. They had sick persons to nurse and had nothing to give them; but the charity of Monsieur our Governor is delightful. Even if it is necessary to refuse some

enuers les pauures malades de fa maison, difons plutoft de la maifon de Dieu. Si les Sauuages font [29] capables d'eftonnement, c'eft icy qu'ils le prennent; car parmy eux on ne tient conte des malades, notamment fi on les iuge malades à la mort, on les regarde defia comme des gens de l'autre monde, auec qui on n'a, ny commerce, ny paroles. Or comme ils voyent les careffes & les foins qu'on a de leurs Compatriotes, cela leur fait conceuoir vne grande estime de celuy pour lequel on leur prefte ces grands fecours, qui eft IESVS-CHRIST nostre Sauueur.

Mais voyons, s'il vous plaist, les deffeins qu'a eu Madame d'Aiguillon en la fondation de cette maison. Voicy comme elle en parle dans la lettre qu'elle refcriuit à la Mere Superieure des Hofpitalieres qui sõt icy paffées: Ma bonne Mere, ie louë Dieu de la refolution que vous auez prife de paffer en la Nouuelle France, dont ie vous fuis extrememet obligée, & aux deux bonnes fœurs qui vous y accompagnent. I'ay auffi beaucoup de ioye de ce que Noftre Seigneur vous a choisie pour cela, ayant vne tres-particuliere estime de vostre merite, i'efpere que cela reparera tous les mãquements qu'il y a de ma part, & que Dieu par fa bonté aura plus d'égard à vos vertus, [30] qu'à mes defauts. Ie vous veux dire le deffein que i'ay eu faisant cette fondation, c'est de dedier cet Hospital au Sang du Fils de Dieu, refpandu pour faire misericorde à tous les hommes, & pour luy demander qu'il l'applique fur nos Ames, & fur celles de ce pauure peuple barbare. Ie vous fais part de mes intentiõs, afin que vous les offriez à noftre Seigneur, & qu'allant faire la fondation, vous luy dediez felon cela, &

poor afflicted Savages, one cannot do everything at the first stroke. We hope that Madame the Duchess, by increasing the aid, will cause increased pity toward the sick people of her house, let us rather say, of the house of God. If the Savages are [29] capable of astonishment, they will experience it here; for among them no heed is paid to the sick, especially if they are considered sick unto death; they are looked upon as beings of another world, with whom is held no intercourse, no conversation. Now, when they

witness the tender care and attention that is given to their Countrymen, it causes them to entertain a high esteem for the person for whose sake this great help is given them, who is JESUS CHRIST, our Savior.

But, if it please you, let us consider what designs Madame d'Aiguillon had in founding this institution. Observe how she speaks of it in the letter that she wrote to the Mother Superior of the Hospital Sisters who have come hither: "My good Mother, I give praise to God for the resolution you have taken to go over to New France, for which I am deeply obliged to you and to the two good sisters who accompany you. I also greatly rejoice that Our Lord has chosen you for this, as I have a very special esteem for your merit. I hope that this will compensate for all failings on my part and that God, in his kindness, will be more regardful of your virtues [30] than of my imperfections. I wish to tell you of the object that I have had in founding this institution. It is to dedicate this Hospital to the Blood of the Son of God, that was shed in order that mercy might be granted to all men - and to ask him to apply it to our Souls, and to those of these poor barbarous people. I inform you of my intentions so that you may offer them