where she could hear them talk about the things of God and the life
eternal. The woman was so impressed by what she heard that, fleeing
from her husband and abandoning her home and child, she came to our
house and asked to be instructed for baptism; her request was granted,
and by this means the husband was also converted. His conversion is
a valuable one, since it is very difficult to incline the people of
his nation toward the truths of our holy faith.

Some Indian women, during a pest of locusts, erected in their sowed
field a cross containing some relics; and our Lord was pleased to
honor the emblem of His death, as well as the faith of these, His
new faithful ones, for the locusts passed on without causing them
any loss. The owner of the land gave, in gratitude, all its harvest
as alms--which he was able to do, as he possessed some wealth.

Although these incidents, and many others which are not here related,
show that our Lord is desirous of drawing these peoples to Himself
by the bonds of Adam, namely, by love and mercy, He also chooses
to show them that He is a God of justice. This He made evident in
the dreadful fate of a man and wife who swore to be faithful to each
other during his absence, and, supplemented their oaths with terrible
curses which are in use among them. Yet the woman, overcome by the
devil, was false to her compact and promise of fidelity; and while
the unhappy adulterers were thus sinfully engaged, both were struck
dead, and were found thus by persons who told it to the father. By
his orders the matter was suppressed, as much as was possible in so
frightful an event.