Louise de Marillac

"I had not yet learned of the situation at the house [hospital] of the poor. But my God, my dear Sister, who is going to live there and what will happen to the work of the Ladies of Charity, if their patients are obliged to go to the hospital? You will see that the...

"Our sister serving the galley slaves came to me in tears yesterday because she cannot get any more bread for her poor men, since she owes so much to the baker and bread is so expensive. She borrows and begs for them everywhere with great difficulty. To add to her...

"Mademoiselle Le Gras questioned whether it’s advisable for our Sisters in the towns and country­side who teach school to take both boys and girls and, in the event that they do take boys, to what age they will keep them. There are many reasons in favor of that....

"[Madame de Lamoignon told me that,] although we try to employ good women, the majority of them are forced to leave because of bad conduct rather than on account of the necessities of the times. Moreover, these women, who have been gathered from allover and who are of...