"My darlings, bless your dear compassionate hearts. I must plead guilty of the very same sin. Without ever letting any one know it, since my childhood I have prayed that the cruel driver might have mercy on his poor horse; that the starving animals might be helped in some way. I prayed that a mercy stroke might be given the dying horses on the battlefield; that the God of Compassion would have pity on the thousands of sheep and cattle who perish miserably on the unsheltered plains. Oh, surely our prayers are not lost! Many saints were renowned for their love of the brute creation; dear St. Francis of Assisi called them his little brothers and sisters. So let us hope our dear Lord will not be offended for what we have done in a spirit of pity and love for His dumb creatures."