I have been better in health this winter than for many years,--for
a severe winter is all the better for me,--and have been able to
keep _very_ busy. Mr. Wendte has made me chairman of a Book and
Tract Table in the church, which has kept me very busy; and in
addition, the Unity Club made me Corresponding Secretary of their
Sunday Afternoon Lecture Committee, which involved distributing the
tickets (one thousand) and then collecting the money on them.... In
the mean time, too, I was agent here for the "Register," had that
to attend to, besides attending to sale of books, paying for them,
and sending new orders, also "Unity" subscribers coming in, and
hunting up members for the Women's Auxiliary Conference, and
receiving their money. Now, do you not think for one who has always
been more spiritually inclined, that I have taken quite _too_ much
to money matters?
Well, in distributing "Registers" through the State I have come
across a very interesting, appreciative young man of twenty-one, in
Ravenna, Ohio, and I have reason to think we have created quite a
stir in the little town. Mr. Woodruff, my correspondent, writes a
very good letter, and is quite enthusiastic on the subject of
Unitarianism, and is willing to do missionary work, distributing
widely the documents I send him, and has recommended a young man,
formerly a student of theology, an intelligent, thinking man, who
is much interested in our views. He now works on a farm and teaches
school, in order to gain an education. On Wednesday last we
organized our Women's Auxiliary Conference, at which I read Mr.
Woodruff's letters, and the ladies at once moved that we should
propose Meadville to our young friend, whose name is ----. I am to
write and ask whether he would like to go to the college at
Meadville, and in the mean time am to find out through you the
conditions on which he could be admitted. I should be only too
happy if I prove the means of assisting one young man to the
ministry, and shall feel that all these many years of interest in
the church have not been lost, if we only succeed in doing this
much good. Besides all this other work, I find the ladies are much
in favor of a Circulating Library in the church, so I am going to
found my library soon.
The journal, March 20, shows the indomitable will that ruled the feeble
body:--
Yesterday [Saturday] I was at the church all day to get the library
in order. Was taken with vertigo, and for over an hour and a half
couldn't walk straight. J---- S---- happened to be at the church at
choir-meeting, and brought me home. By bedtime could walk alone,
and to-day have been attending to duties at church. Succeeded in
getting the Library settled to my satisfaction, and was glad there
was no one there. Opened my library March 19. Mr. W----announced me
"Miss Sarah Ellis" in the papers.
_March 28._ Have felt quite encouraged this week by applications
for documents. Have just mailed to Rev. ----, "Statement of
Unitarian Belief in Bible Language." [This applicant is now in a
Unitarian pulpit.]
_April 3._ A beautiful sermon in "Register" to-day--"Life's
Shadows"--by Rev. J. Ll. Jones. [She copies two pages.]
_May 1._ Feel deeply interested in a correspondent we have in
Springfield, ... who confesses himself something of an atheist, and
I am hunting up all the convincing articles upon the subject of God
and Immortality that I can find, and came across a "Unitarian
Review," of June, 1876, which seems to have been written for his
very case.... Hope these will be convincing to the Springfield
Club, which was formed last Sunday, with ten members to begin with.
_June 2._ Am now quite interested in trying to manage it so as to
keep the church open two hours Sundays during the vacation, for
persons to come and read and take home books. Hope I may succeed.
_June 12._ Have felt tired to-day, but enjoyed the day, for Mr.
Wendte and mother dined here. He tells me I may "run the church"
during the vacation, which will make me very happy.
_June 29._ The hottest day of the month for ten years, and the
hottest of the season so far. Intense. One hundred in the shade at
noon. Have been reading W. R. Alger's "School of Life," from which
the following abstract....
Then follow three pages of the "abstract," in a close, minute
handwriting, ending this volume of the journal,--the last submitted to
the writer's inspection, because, as has been previously said, there
was almost no personal matter in the diaries of the remaining years.
Miss Ellis's ardent desire to keep the church open during the summer
vacation had to be abandoned, owing to the reluctance of her family to
have one so feeble at the church alone; and she went Saturday afternoons
instead, when the sexton was there.
The Cincinnati branch of the Women's Auxiliary Conference, on its
organization in March, 1881, looking about for work to do, remembered
occasional letters received by Mr. Wendte in response to the documents
sent out by him and Miss Ellis. These letters seemed to hint at a
possible opportunity awaiting this Unitarian church, standing so
isolated in the heart of the great rich West, where the multitude of
Ingersoll and Liberal clubs, and of intelligent people outside all
churches, seemed to indicate a want that the evangelical denominations
did not meet. It was therefore resolved to attempt extending the work
begun by Mr. Wendte, by advertising in the daily papers Unitarian
literature for free distribution,--an experiment never before tried.
Miss Ellis entered upon her duties as Corresponding Secretary "without
money and without price" (though later a small annual salary of one
hundred dollars was raised for her), but with an immense zeal. The
advertisement's line or two of fine print, almost lost, apparently, on
the broad side of the daily paper, inserted only once a week,
nevertheless soon began to bring Miss Ellis letters that equally
surprised and delighted us, showing that we had not over-estimated the
demand for Unitarian literature in the West.
Rev. J. Ll. Jones being in Cincinnati, the first bundle of letters was
read to him, and his opinion, as an experienced Western missionary,
anxiously awaited. It was given in these words:--
"I think you Cincinnati women have got hold of the _little end_ of
a _big thing_, and if Miss Ellis's health and your enthusiasm hold
out, something is bound to come of it. Go on, by all means." He
added, "I wish I knew that Miss Ellis had ten years more to live."
Four years and a half, however, was the short term of service allowed
her in her mission, found at last after years of longing and groping
towards it vainly. But now it was seen that all these years of suffering
had not been in vain. She who had endured so much was quick to
sympathize with others. The religious studies undertaken for her own
consolation enabled her wisely to direct the reading of her
correspondents. Even her deafness seemed specially to fit her for her
work. Shut apart from the din and bustle of modern life in a quiet world
of her own, from its peaceful communings she sent out light and strength
to others. The poor, denied life, like a plant severely pruned by the
careful gardener to insure a late, full bloom, now reached out and
touched many lives with a wonderful uplifting power.
Her records of this four and a half years' work show that she received
1,672 letters and postals, wrote 2,541, distributed at church and by
mail 22,042 tracts, papers, etc.; sold 286 books, loaned 258 books, and
obtained about sixty subscribers to religious papers.[3] Mere figures,
however, but poorly tell the story. Several young men have entered or
will enter the ministry, as one result of her efforts. Many souls
wrestling in utter loneliness with doubts they dared not confide to
their nearest friends, received, from her wise sympathy and counsel,
restoration to religious faith, and strength to bear heavy burdens with
renewed courage, animated by trust in a loving Father hitherto concealed
from them behind the outgrown phraseology of antiquated creeds,--creeds
which their reason rejected. Many, indeed most of these correspondents,
overjoyed with their new faith, hastened to share it with friends, and
many a little missionary centre began to grow in localities far from any
Unitarian church, fostered by people who had never heard a Unitarian
sermon. So the ground was being prepared for the State missionary. Her
work, too, opened the eyes of her denomination to its opportunities, and
did much to promote that missionary activity in which lies our brightest
hope for the future. She is the acknowledged pioneer of the Post Office
Mission.
[Footnote 3: Besides this, much reading matter was sent to the City
Workhouse, to the Old Men and Women's Home, and other institutions.]
As her work began to attract attention, many letters came from those
desiring to undertake like work, both East and West, asking advice, full
and explicit accounts of her methods, etc.; and many long letters were
written in reply. A Unitarian Club formed among the soldiers in the
Columbus barracks was one of her interests, until its dissolution by the
ordering of its members to other posts. She supplied much reading matter
to, and corresponded occasionally with, soldiers at the Dayton Soldiers'
Home. A soldier in Wyoming Territory was for a long time a most grateful
recipient of reading from her, which he shared with his company. Small
clubs in several localities were supplied by her with matter for
discussion and study during their existence. Wherever she had two or
three correspondents, she always urged the formation of reading or Unity
clubs. For some months she had an interesting correspondence with a
young man of more than usual intelligence in our City Workhouse, loaning
him such books as Channing's "Life and Works," Dewey's "Human Nature,"
and Merriam's "Way of Life." She never heard from him after he left the
workhouse, but always had faith that he was somewhere living up to, or
towards, the good resolves so often expressed to her. Through him, and
Mr. Beach, of Joliet, Ill., our attention was called to the need of
supplying prisoners with good reading matter, both religious and
secular. Correspondence was opened with the warden and chaplain at the
State Penitentiary, Frankfort, Ky., which led to the sending of their
"Registers" there regularly by two Boston ladies, and eventually to the
sending of many barrels of reading matter both to Joliet and Kentucky by
the Women's Auxiliary Conference of Boston.
A great pleasure of her last years was attending the Western Conference
at Chicago in May, 1883. Published accounts of her work had made her
well known in the denomination; so that, as the Cincinnati party
reported on their return home, "Miss Ellis was decidedly the belle of
the Conference." Every one wanted to see and talk with her, ask her
advice, etc. It was an immense satisfaction to her to meet personally,
to see and hear (for she almost seemed to hear through the eager eyes),
men and women whose fame and writings were so familiar to her. Every
session of the Conference saw Miss Ellis seated in the front pew,
audiphone in hand, eagerly intent on the exercises. Social beguilements
might make other people late at the morning devotions, but never Miss
Ellis, who took her conferences, like all else, conscientiously.
In May, 1885, she again attended the Western Conference at St. Louis,
though in great feebleness of body. Rev. W. C. Gannett, in "Unity," thus
speaks of her:--
"A last summer's letter from the little mother of the Post Office
Mission, who has just died in Cincinnati, will be of interest now.
Some who were present at the last May Conference in St. Louis may
remember the pathos of the quiet figure sitting in the front pews
and trying on her echo-fan to catch the patter of the words said
round her. The wee, sick, deafened body in which she did her work
so strong-heartedly makes that work all the more an example and an
inspiration. Strange enough should it prove that this bit of a
lady, almost caged from the world by cripplings, had opened the
most effective channel yet made for carrying our liberal faith to
the world. Perhaps it _takes_ a thorn in the flesh to make a
missionary. She certainly has done more than many a stout _son_ of
the Gospel to keep her name remembered in our Western churches.
This letter hints her pluck and her joy in the work, and the
struggle of it. She had been urged to go into the country for a
short rest, but replied:--
The country is not the place for me to stay in any time. The
morning and evening air keep my head roaring so, and increase
catarrh. I have learned that to stay home during the summer, make
no special effort, and work on slowly, is the better plan. If I go
away, there is constantly an effort over something. I return tired,
work has accumulated. I have to work doubly hard, and soon use up
the little gained. I am too weak in summer to wish to come in
contact with people to whom I have to be agreeable. Another
difficulty,--the country is too _quiet_ for me. I am inclined to be
a "hermit," and when I do go out, which I do daily, even now I am
so sick, I need the stir, bustle, commotion, and the stores to
change the thoughts. I loved the country before I was so deaf,--now
city life is better for me; but I love to refresh myself by a ride
into the country in the street cars, where I can study _human_
nature on the way.... I work on principle, and for the real love of
working. I am not happy unless at work, and can't bear to tear
myself away from my little congregation, my papers, books, etc.
_They_ suffer for it. The family do not wish me to keep so busy,
but I am better for it, and my physician is on my side. "Keep up!"
[The next few sentences have already been given, in reference to
Mr. Noyes.] Don't give me undue credit for my appearance at the St.
Louis Conference. I tried to kill three birds with one stone (I
don't wear bird's wings in my hat, however),--to attend the
Conference, visit a brother, and gain strength. The last I failed
in.... I have written this long letter in two sittings. I have
improved decidedly within the past few days, and with pleasant
rides and good food and care shall soon be better. Most sincerely
and cordially your friend, SALLIE ELLIS.