L E T T E R S

690If Victor, struggling till now without me, has met with some misfortune,carrying the whole weight of the problems I placed on his shoulders, and hasbecome discouraged, humor him as best you can, and beg him for me to be patientduring the remaining time of my absence.Even of our material interests were to take a turn for the worst, I continueto hope in God that this will not destroy or even interrupt our spiritual works. Itmay even have a good result.I thank God very humbly and very fervently for your letter. I am verygrateful to you. You once thought that I never want to acknowledge my fault...God sees that I consider the reproach contained in your letter as still too tolerant.Especially in this respect, I would ask you to be completely open in the future! Iresisted you when, in view of the obvious and great difficulties, you seemed tocounsel that, in what refers to our common endeavor, we make an about-face,abdicate certain projects, etc. In this I am guided not only by considerations of thepresent, but primarily of the future. However, do not pay any more attention thanis proper to what I have just written. This is only a mention, which needs furtherexplanations.I have the most unwavering that we will come to an understanding, that wewill agree. You will not find me either stubborn in your regard or intractable.Quite the contrary. And we will love each other in a more perfect and enduringunity than heretofore. Yet without expecting anything of ourselves; expectingeverything from God, as a result of a most humble and most complete submissionto his holy will, teaching and inspirations.However, I should and I must resign myself to your plans to settle in thecountry.But where? I don’t know. Of two places indicated, Aligny seems to bebetter and more certain; especially since you already have the invitation and thesupport of the pastor. However, from my point of view, I would fervently desirethat it be in this region, in this department, or at least in Normandy; for the peopleare more devout, life is cheaper etc., and it conforms to some of the plans I have