XVII. TO A NUN.

+ Pax Mont-Cesar, Louvain. II [uly 1906. My dear child, I should like to write you a long letter, but that is impossible at present, as I am overwhelmed with work. I have read your little autobiography with great interest, and quite understand your soul. I shall try to say in a few words what Our Lord inspires to write, reserving for my visit next month what remains to be said. It is evident that Our Lord has destined your soul to a very close union with Hirn; and that thus uni ted with Hirn, you were to have been His instrument for doing much for souls. There are in you excellent natural qualities, which, being elevated and supernaturalized by grace, would render you capable of very high sanctity. But you are a "child of impression"; and having taken the habit of allowing yourself to be guided and led by your impressions, there are in your life most astonishing contrasts. You must begin at the foundation of your soul, and try to accustom yourself to follow reason enlightened by faith, and no longer be the slave of your impressions. What distinguishes man from the animal is, that the animal, having no higher principle of action than sense, follows his impressions alone; whereas man has a spiritual principle which he should alone follow, using his senses, his impressions; but without being swept along by them. If you could once succeed in that, all that is good, and unselfish, and noble in you, would come into play; Jesus would become the absolute Master of your heart, and you would do great things for Hirn. There is a book I am most anxious you should read and study. It will help you greatly to follow the direction I am giving you. I enclose the name and editor. You must read and weigh every word, for it is profound; but very specially suited for you. It is a very great grace for you to have such a prudent and holy Superioress. I have very great confidence in her; and am delighted God gives you the grace to be so open and simple with her. As I said, I hope to see you on my way to [... ], or on my way back, following the circumstances. Till then, I shall pray for you with all my heart.
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Please give my respects to the Community, and believe me your truly devoted father in J.c. Dom Columba Marmion, O.S.B. P. S. You cannot have too much confidence in the holy sacraments. They are the triumph of the merits of Jesus, and of God's mercy. Both are infinite. Provided you receive them with a sincere intention to return to God, they always produce their effects, Le nom du livre est: La vie lnterieure simplifiee et ramenee son fondement, par le R. P. Tissot. Derniere edition, chez Amat, Paris, ou chez Brunet, 5, rue Saint-Aubert, Arras.

XVIII. TO A SUPERIORESS
FlVE LETTERS

1.

Pax Mont-Cesar, Louvain. 2 April 1906. My dear Rev. Mother, Let me first thank you again for your great kindness and extreme generosity. I have seidom been so happy as during the days I spent at [... ]. It was like being at home. I now daily place all your dear children, and your intentions, in my heart when going to choir and the altar. I saw His Grace, the Archbishop, yesterday. He begs me to treat a very delicate and confidential matter with you. He has always taken a great interest in poor F. Tyrrell, S.J.,1 and his large, loving
1 George Tyrrell (1861-1909), whose expulsion from the [esuits had occurred this year. An Irish Anglican convert to Catholicism in 1879, and a Stonyhurst Jesuit frorn 1880, he came to deny the validity of Revelation as "a direct communication from God to man" (Catholic Encyclopedia), and in general espoused Modernist principles. His attack on Leo XIII's decree Lamentabili and encyclical Pascendi Gregis in 1907 resulted in his "virtual excommunication," although rnany Catholics befriended hirn in charity, and "Cardinal Bourne courageously refused to condernn [hirn], as he considered he was suffering frorn disease" (Leslie, op, cit., p. 188); and, upon becorning suddenly fatally ill, he received the last sacrarnents frorn a Southwark priest and absolution frorn his dear friend Abbe Brernond. Concerning relations between Mercier and Tyrrell, see Thibaut, op, cit., pp. 286-90. (MEE)

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