l as she said: 'Dost not feel as thou art leaving these sacred
walls that thou art passing from a retreat where the Blessed Virgin
ever guides thee?' 'I have felt her presence ever, said I. 'But 'tis
better to renounce the world and have strength to live in seclusion,'
she answered. I made bold and replied that I thought it required much
greater strength to go on the battlefield of the world and be good
than live within the impenetrable walls of a cloister where bin cannot
come. 'But, child, thou wilt see beautiful things made by the hand
of man that will fill thy heart leaving not room for the Divine
Presence.' 'Nay,' said I, 'I shall see God's work in every beauteous
thing and I shall trust Him for the gift of penetration to see through
filthy rags and distorted body the beauty of the soul.' 'Twas her wish
that I should write her once a year of my spiritual condition and to
think of her as being happy in her isolation. And with this strange
light about us, the farewell recurs to me and I wonder that human
beings could shut themselves from so beauteous a thing as Nature in
their fear of contamination by sin!"

"My Lambkin, 'they talk strongest who never felt temptation;' thou
art going into a world thou hast not seen, much less, felt its
power. Sister Phelia is right. We acknowledge the Divine Presence is
everywhere; she intimated thou wert leaving a place where sin was not,
to go where it abounded. There is one place, however, we may always be
sure of finding the divine atom whether we be in seclusion or abroad;
'tis in our own heart and called before the ages, 'Holy Ghost.' Many
of us fail to recognize it; others cry 'insolvency'; but the better
part draw on it with confidence. It honours our call and gives us
on demand, conscience, with which we can withstand all sin if we so
desire."

The second day upon the water Janet fell a victim to _mal-de-mer_, and
'twas Katherine who turned nurse; and after four or five days
Janet grew better and was half ashamed, veiling her confusion with
self-accusation: "'Tis good enough for me, 'twas wrong to be eating
pork, 'tis positively forbidden us. I lay it to that! I gave myself
over to eating to make up for a fast of nine long years. Thou hadst
not a qualm because thou hast been fed on wine and porridge and beef
gruel and whey. The clearness of thy body speaks for a pure stomach.
Let the awfulness of my condition warn thee. Thou must never grumble
when I take from thee weighti