In December, 1896, the novices received, for the benefit of the
Foreign Missions, various trifles towards a Christmas tree, and at
the bottom of the box containing them was a _top_--a rare thing in
a Carmelite convent. My companions remarked: "What an ugly
thing!--of what use will it be?" But I, who knew the game, caught
hold of it, exclaiming: "Nay, what fun! it will spin a whole day
without stopping if it be well whipped"; and thereupon I spun it
around to their great surprise.

Soeur Thérèse was quietly watching us, and on Christmas night,
after midnight Mass, I found in our cell the famous top, with a
delightful letter addressed as follows:

_To My Beloved Little Spouse_

_Player of Ninepins on the Mountain of Carmel_

_Christmas Night, 1896._

MY BELOVED LITTLE SPOUSE,--I am well pleased with thee! All the
year round thou hast amused Me by playing at _ninepins._ I was so
overjoyed that the whole court of Angels was surprised and
charmed. Several little cherubs have asked me why I did not make
them children. Others wanted to know if the melody of their
instruments were not more pleasing to me than thy joyous laugh
when a ninepin fell at the stroke of thy love-ball. My answer to
them was, that they must not regret they are not children, since
one day they would play with thee in the meadows of Heaven. I told
them also that thy smiles were certainly more sweet to Me than