Much stress was laid on the _sainte scapulaire_, or, holy
scapulary. This is a small band of cloth or silk, formed and wrought in
a peculiar manner, to be tied around the neck by two strings, fastened
to the ends. I have made many of them, having been sometimes set to make
them in the Convent. On one side is worked a kind of double cross,
(thus, XX) and on the other I. II. S., the meaning of which I do not
exactly know. Such a band is called a scapulary, and many miracles are
attributed to its power. Children on first receiving the communion are
often presented with scapularies, which they are taught to regard with
great reverence. We were told of the wonders effected by their means, in
the addresses made to us, by priests at catechism or lectures. I will
repeat one or two of the stories which occur to me.

A Roman Catholic servant woman, who had concealed some of her sins at
confession, acted so hypocritical a part as to make her mistress believe
her a _decote_, or a strict observer of her duty. She even imposed
upon her confessor, to such a degree, that he gave her a scapulary.
After he had given it, however, one of the saints in heaven informed him
in a vision, that the holy scapulary must not remain on the neck of so
great a sinner; and that it must be restored to the church. She lay down
that night with the scapulary round her throat, but in the morning was
found dead, with her head cut off, and the scapulary was discovered in
the church. The belief was, that the devil could not endure to have so
holy a thing on one of his servants, and had pulled so hard to get it
off, as to draw the silken thread with which it was tied, through her
neck; after which, by some divine power it was restored to the church.

Another story was as follows. A poor Roman Catholic was once taken
prisoner by the heretics. He had a _sainte scapulaire_ on his neck,
when God seeing him in the midst of his foes, took it from his neck by a