She has read in the newspapers that you are helping so many here in these hills, and she hopes you will not refuse." "As her brother is ill, both bodily and mentally," Benedetto answered, "does she not find deeds of charity to perform in her own house?
Will she arrive at a knowledge of God by becoming a bad sister?
Let her give up her works of charity and devote herself to her brother; let her attend to his bodily ills, and to his moral ills, with all the affection"-- he was going to say "which she bears him," but he corrected himself, that he might not thus clearly admit a knowledge of the person--"with all the affection of which she is capable; let her make herself precious to him; let her win him by degrees, without sermons, by her goodness alone.

It will do her much good also, this striving to incarnate in herself true goodness, active, untiring, patient, prudent goodness.

And she will win him, little by little, without words; she will persuade him that all she does is well done.

Then she can take up her works of charity again, take them up alone, and she will succeed better.

Now she performs them because she has been advised to do so, and perhaps she does not succeed very well.