sent it again beyond reach or even sight.

OF COURSE he was the same as other boys; OF COURSE he had the same
inclinations, the same promptings of the animal man; but with them
he had more daring, more force and energy of will to cooperate with
God's grace.

You always find it that way. The things the saints seem to do with
ease are terrifically hard things, huge battles, regular slugging
fights. The ease, if there be any, is not in the things they did,
but in the men who did them.

You have seen skilled pianists sit down at their instruments and run
off into brisk flowing music what looks like a hopeless jumble of
notes. You may have seen an artist sketch in, whilst chatting idly,
a swift, striking portrait. Well, all really good men are artists
too; artists in fighting. And Stanislaus was one of the cleverest
and strongest artists of the lot.

He began early, just as the musician Mozart did, just as the painter
Raffaele did; and he studied hard at his art, just as all great
artists have done. He began by saying his prayers well, not mere lip
prayers, but heart prayers. He began by getting on easy terms with
God, with our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, with our Blessed Lady.
He learned to talk with them as we learn to talk with our fathers
and mothers. He told them his troubles, his plans. He talked
everything over with them. And it no more made him queer or stiff
or unpleasant than talking things over with your comrades or your
parents makes you queer or stiff or unpleasant. If you believe in
God, it is the most natural thing in the world to try to take Him