preface — Deshon, Guide
Preface
IN the course of my work as a missionary priest, for many years past, I have been brought in contact with many thousands of all classes of the community.
Among them all, none have interested and encouraged me more than the girls who earn their living by their own hard labor.
I have often admired the beautiful examples of Christian virtue and character I have found among them; their heroic patience and contentment with their lot; the innocence and purity of their lives; their noble self-denial and disinterestedness, and the singleness of mind with which they look above this world and aspire to perfect themselves in the love of God.
This has led me to wish to do something for them; to contribute what little I could to lay a solid foundation in some, and to increase in others what has been already well begun, so that they may become beautiful and fragrant flowers in the garden of the Lord.
I feel that my work will not be in vain, for the hearts of these good girls are a good soil, which, as Scripture says, receives the seed of the Word with thankfulness, and produces abundant fruit.
My work has been a pleasant one, and I have striven to keep but one thing in view, and that is to do as much good as possible.
If the good girls for whom I have written it find pleasure and profit in it, my whole purpose will have been accomplished.
Preface to the Twenty-fifth Edition.
IT is now more than twenty years since this book has been published.
Its reception by the public for whom it was written has been very gratifying. It had a large sale in the beginning, and it still continues, so that more than twenty thousand copies have been sold.
Scarcely any effort has been made to make it known, but I have received many letters of warm approval from those who have read it. One of our most prominent Bishops told me that he had preached it from cover to cover in conferences to his Young Women’s Sodality.
It has also been translated and published in German in Europe. These tokens of approval have encouraged me to revise it carefully, to correct some portions, and add others to make it more widely useful. If those who read it find edification and pleasure in the perusal I hope they will not forget to pray for me.