w me, love and pity me; all the
rest enraged against me, and most of them on reports entirely false,
neither knowing me, nor why they so hated me. To swell the stream of
affliction yet more, my daughter fell sick and was likely to die; there
was but little hope of her recovery, when her mistress also fell ill.
My soul, leaving all to God, continued to rest in a quiet and peaceable
habitation. Oh, Principal and sole object of my love! Were there never
any other reward of what little services we do, or of the marks of
homage we render Thee, than this fixed state above the vicissitudes in
the world, is it not enough? The senses indeed are sometimes ready to
start aside, and to run off like truants; but every trouble flies
before the soul which is entirely subjected to God. By speaking of a
fixed state, I do not mean one which can never decline or fall, that
being only in Heaven. I call it fixed and permanent, compared with the
states which have preceded it, which were full of vicissitudes and
variations. I do not exclude a state of suffering in the senses, or
arising from superficial impurity, which remains to be done away, and
which one may compare to refined but tarnished gold. It has no more
need to be purified in the fire, having undergone that operation; but
needs only to be burnished. So it seemed to be with me at that time.

CHAPTER 10

My daughter had the smallpox. They sent for a physician from Geneva,
who gave her over. Father La Combe then came in to visit, and pray with
her. He gave her his blessing; soon after she wonderfully recovered.
The persecution of the New Catholics against me continued and
increased; yet, for all that, I did not fail to do them all the good in
my power. My daughter's mistress came often to converse with me, but
much imperfection appeared in her discourses, though they were on
religious subjects. Father La Combe regulated many things in regard to
my daughter, which vexed her mistress so much, that her former
friendship was turned into coldness. She had grace, but suffered nature
too frequently to prevail. I told her my thought on her faults, as I
was inwardly directed to do; but though, at that time, God enlightened
her to see the truth of what I said, and she has been more enlightened
since, yet the return of her coldness toward me ensued upon it. The
debates between her and my sister grew more tart and violent. My
daughter, who was only six years and a half old, by her little