Letter XXXIV. To Mother de Beaumont, Superioress at Paris

She is to have an entire trust in God, and to be a loving mother and nurse to her daughters.

MY VERY DEAR DAUGHTER — I wish you with all my heart a great humility within a great courage, that your courage may be altogether in God, who by his goodness holds you up, and in you holds up the sacred charge which obedience has imposed upon you. I hope this, my dear daughter, and that you will be like Anna of old, who before she was a mother often changed her countenance, as being touched with a diversity of thoughts and fears, but having become a mother, says the Sacred Scripture, her countenance was no more changed}* because, as I think, she was at rest in God, who had given her to know his love, his protection, and his care for her. For thus, my dear daughter, up to now the anxiety about direction and the apprehension of your future superiorship have agitated you a little, and have often made you vary in thoughts; now that you are mother of so many daughters, you should remain quiet, serene, and always equal, reposing upon divine Providence, which would never have placed all these daughters within your arms and in your bosom without having in some measure destined you an assistance, a help, a grace, most sufficient and abundant, for your upholding and support.

The Lord, said Anna,t killeth and maJceth, alive; * i Kings i. 18. * Ibid. ii.

LET. miv.] Later Letters to Visitation. 231 he bringeth down to hell and bringeth back again: the Lord maketh poor and maJceth rich, he humbleth and he exalteth. 0 let us say, my dear daughter, like another Anna: the Lord chargeth and dischargeth. 'Tis true; for when he imposes anything on one of his daughters, he so strengthens her that he bears the burden with her, and she is as it were discharged of it. Do you think that a Father so good as God is would make you nurse of his daughters without giving you an abundance of milk, of butter, and of honey? On this point there can be no doubt; only take notice of two or three words which my heart is going to say to yours.

Nothing makes the milk dry up like sadness, fretting, melancholy, bitterness, sourness. Live in holy joy amidst your children; show them a spiritual breast of kind looks and gracious welcome, that they may joyfully run thereto. It is this that the Canticles signify in the praise of the Beloved's breast: Thy breasts are better than wine, smelling sweet of the best ointments.* Milk, butter, and honey are under thy tongue.\

I do not say, my daughter, that you are to be a flatterer, a talker, or always laughing, but gentle, sweet, amiable, affable. In a word, love your daughters with a cordial, maternal love, a nurse's and a shepherd's love, and you will have done everything; you will be all to all, mother to each one and the refuge of all. It is the condition which alone suffices, and without it nothing suffices. My daughter, I trust that God who has chosen you for the good of many will give you the spirit, the strength, the courage, and the love for many. To him be honour, glory, and benediction for ever and ever. Amen.

• L i, a. t iv. ii.

I am unchangingly yours, and I trust that you in no way doubt it. Vive Jesus!