Page:Life and life-work of Mother Theodore Guerin Foundress.djvu/39

Rh family, all devoted to the cause of royalty, misfortune induced only a greater estrangement from those who, by natural ties and by reason of more favorable circumstances, were in a position to render her grief less poignant. Added to the old sorrow of her child's burning to death, this new grief and the thought of being left alone in the world with two children caused her health to give way, and a severe illness followed.

Mademoiselle Guérin was now in her fifteenth year; her sister only in her ninth; on her, then, depended not only their happiness but even their means of subsistence. She had been a remarkably precocious child, evincing a strong determination united to great tenderness of affection, the cause of her childhood faults as well as of her later admirable virtues; these joined to a lively disposition and perfect docility to parental authority gave promise of a beautiful character, more beautiful indeed than one would have ventured to portray, and which was now revealing itself as a happy surprise to those who were interested in the family. Realizing that, besides the care of her sick mother, the charge of the home devolved upon her, she assumed the management of all the domestic affairs with characteristic energy and courage. The gravity of her mother's illness awakened great uneasiness; the care of her little sister was no inconsiderable task; yet she faced all as a matter of duty, taking the initiative wherever sacrifice was demanded and manifesting a remarkable prudence for one of such tender years. This courage of her youth was the heroism of her later life in embryo; formulated it might read thus: To meet resistance with resistance; for the spirit