At each visit the doctor expressed his admiration.  “If only you knew what she has to endure!  I have never seen any one suffer so intensely with such a look of supernatural joy. . . .  I shall not be able to cure her; she was not made for this earth.”  In view of her extreme weakness, he ordered some strengthening remedies.  Therese was at first distressed because of their cost, but she afterwards admitted:  “I am no longer troubled at having to take those expensive remedies, for I have read that when they were given to St. Gertrude, she was gladdened by the thought that it would redound to the good of our benefactors, since Our Lord Himself has said:  ’Whatever you do to the least of My little ones, you do unto Me.’"[10] “I am convinced that medicines are powerless to cure me,” she added, “but I have made a covenant with God that the poor missionaries who have neither time nor means to take care of themselves may profit thereby.”

She was much moved by the constant gifts of flowers made to her by her friends outside the Convent, and again by the visits of a sweet little redbreast that loved to play about her bed.  She saw in these things the Hand of God.  “Mother, I feel deeply the many touching proofs of God’s Love for me.  I am laden with them . . . nevertheless, I continue in the deepest gloom! . . .  I suffer much . . . very much! and yet my state is one of profound peace.  All my longings have been realised . . .  I am full of confidence.”

Shortly afterwards she told me this touching little incident:  “One evening, during the ‘Great Silence,’ the Infirmarian brought me a hot-water bottle for my feet, and put tincture of iodine on my chest.  I was in a burning fever, and parched with thirst, and, whilst submitting to these remedies, I could not help saying to Our Lord:  ’My Jesus, Thou seest I am already burning, and they have brought me more heat and fire.  Oh! if they had brought me even half a glass of water, what a comfort it would have been! . . .  My Jesus!  Thy little child is so thirsty.  But she is glad to have this opportunity of resembling Thee more closely, and thus helping Thee to save souls.’  The Infirmarian soon left me, and I did not expect to see her again until the following morning.  What was my surprise when she returned a few minutes later with a refreshing drink!  ‘It has just struck me that you may be thirsty,’ she said, ‘so I shall bring you something every evening.’  I looked at her astounded, and when I was once more alone, I melted into tears.  Oh! how good Jesus is! how tender and loving!  How easy it is to reach His Heart!”

. . . . . . .

On September 6, the little Spouse of Jesus received a touching proof of the loving thought of His Sacred Heart.  She had frequently expressed a wish to possess a relic of her special patron, the Venerable Theophane Venard, but as her desire was not realised, she said no more.  She was quite overcome, therefore, when Mother Prioress brought her the longed-for treasure—­received that very day.  She kissed it repeatedly, and would not consent to part with it.