Therese worries about the expression,  “an innocent soul never loves God as much as a repentant one…” After her second Holy Communion, she is overcome by a sense of strict scruples, a martyrdom for her that lasts two years. She thought taking pleasure in a hair ribbon could be a sin and went to confession, for instance, when she was twelve. She also finds out that imitating others’ actions to gain attention doesn’t work, feeling like the donkey, in a fable, who wanted to be a dog and put his hoof on the table to be petted like the dog, only to be punished.

While she attended private instructions with a governess she overheard visitors commenting positively about her, and she reflects on how easy it is to lose your path to God when the world seems so attractive.