Letter 129. To a Lady

ON THE RESTRAINT OF NATURAL QUICKNESS.

• • • • You tell me that you have meditated but little, because you cannot control the quickness and activity of your mind. But you must learn to control it, and gradually to quiet its rapid movements, so that it may set to work in all things gently and calmly. Do not imagine that such quietness and gentleness hinder a prompt and vigorous action; on the contrary, they rather tend to promote and confirm it You must try this in some such way as the following; — ^For instance, you must eat while in this life; well then, sit down quietly, and take the food needful to the restoration of your body composedly. When you go to bed, undress quietly; when you get up, do it calmly, without huny and scuffle, without putting those who wait upon you to any undue inconvenience; and so in all ordinary matters strive to overcome your natural temperament, and little by little, bring it into subjection to a holy moderation and composure. To one of a naturally slow, indolent temperament, I should say, ‘‘Make haste, time is precious; " but to you I say, “ Do not be in a hurrj’;

peace, calm, and rest of mind are precious, and the time you spend in quietness will be time well spent”

As to the subject of a former temptation, I say most emphatically you must submit wholly to God's Will and Providence, and accept it as His Good Pleasure that you are in the position in which you find yourself. One must make up one's mind to remain in the ship where we are, for the voyage between this life and the next, and moreover to do so willingly and cheerfully, because, even though sometimes we may have been placed therein by the hand of man rather than God, once there it is God's Will, and as such to be accepted meekly and gladly.

.... How better can we prove our love to Him Who bore so much for us than amid what is disagreeable, repugnant, contrary to our will? We must let the thorns of difficulty pierce our brow, and the spear of contradiction penetrate our heart; we must drink the gall and swallow the vinegar; we must eat wormwood and bitter herbs, since it is His Will In short, dear child, as once you admitted and encouraged temptation, so now you must heartily and sincerely foster this spirit of submission. If any real difficulty arises through the fault of N.... do nothing till you have faced the matter under the light of Eternity, in a calm spirit, and with the guidance of some worthy minister of God, if the question be urgent, or my own, as your spiritual Father, if time admits of that When the enemy sees that you are conquering your temptation by submission to God^s Will he will raise up every kind of hindrance, be sure.

As to other matters, let a holy simplicity and humility be your rule. Let your dress be simple, but consistent with what your position requires, so that you may rather attract than repulse other young ladies; let your words be simple, courteous, and gentle; your general intercourse with others neither constrained and reserved, nor lax and over-easy; in a word, let your whole conduct be influenced by the modesty and gentleness which ought to be the characteristics of one of God's own children. Ever yoiurs, &a