170 DEVOTEES AND NUNS. [1626-36. 



His appeal found a prompt and vehement response 

 from the breast of Madame de la Pel trie. Thence- 

 forth she thought of nothing but Canada. In the 

 midst of her zeal, a fever seized her. The physi- 

 cians despaired ; but, at the height of the disease, 

 the patient made a vow to St. Joseph, that, should 

 God restore her to health, she would build a house 

 in honor of Him in Canada, and give her life and 

 her wealth to the instruction of Indian girls. On 

 the following morning, say her biographers, the 

 fever had left her. 



Meanwhile her relatives, or those of her husband, 

 had confirmed her pious purposes by attempting to 

 thwart them. They pronounced her a romantic vis- 

 ionary, incompetent to the charge of her property. 

 Her father, too, whose fondness for her increased 

 with his advancing age, entreated her to remain 

 with him while he lived, and to defer the execution 

 of her plans till he should be laid in his grave. 

 From entreaties he passed to commands, and at 

 length threatened to disinherit her, if she persisted. 

 The virtue of obedience, for which she is extolled 

 by her clerical biographers, however abundantly 

 exhibited in respect to those who held charge of 

 her conscience, was singularly wanting towards the 

 parent who, in the way of Nature, had the best 

 claim to its exercise; and Madame de la Peltrie 

 was more than ever resolved to go to Canada. Her 

 father, on his part, was urgent that she should marry 

 again. On this she took counsel of a Jesuit,^ who, 



1 " Partagee ainsi entre ramour filial et la religion, en proie aux plus 

 poignautes angoisses, elle s'adressa a iin religieux de la Compagnie de 



