I wish to thank you especially for the loan of your book, "Day unto
Day." It was very kind in you, and I have found it to be a perfect
mine of beautiful gems of truth and wisdom, and "day unto day" it
can furnish comforting thought for all occasions.
I was very much interested in your statement of your work as a
member of the committee you mentioned. Certainly, such an amount of
such elevating literature distributed so extensively must result in
much good. The literature that I receive from you we endeavor to
make the very best use of,--by first "thoroly" reading in our own
family, and then lending to those among our neighbors and friends
who will be most likely to give their attention to it. On one or
two occasions we have invited in, on Sunday afternoons, some of our
neighbors, and made them occasions for reading to them an especially
good sermon or article, hoping to awaken sufficient interest to
perhaps have frequent readings and talks. In our village there are
two churches only,--the Disciples and Presbyterian.
The date of Miss Ellis's last letter to this correspondent shows it to
have been written less than a month before her death:--
November 30, 1885.
Your letter was very welcome, and I intended replying sooner; but
for the last three weeks have been very miserable, though up, out,
and at work all the time, accomplishing little, however. We were so
glad to hear you were occasionally having Sunday readings and doing
the good you can. To-day I have mailed to you "Songs of Faith, Hope,
and Charity," and the last Church Door Pulpit "Channing," selected
by Mr. Gannett, whose father, Ezra S. Gannett, was Dr. Channing's
colleague for many years. It is an admirable compilation, and I wish
it were in small book form, for it would make a very beautiful
little Christmas gift. Even in this form I shall use it for such a
purpose. There are three books I would call your and your friends'
attention to as little gifts of value at this season; namely, "Daily
Strength for Daily Needs;" "The Thought of God in Hymns and Poems,"
by Rev. F. L. Hosmer and Rev. William C. Gannett, just published;
then there is a pleasant story-book for boys or girls published last
year, "The Browns." ... All this may be quite contrary to your
feelings this year, and I presume you cannot enter into Thanksgiving
and Christmas with the real spirit of former days. But not as you
see the "golden lining" to all things can you give way to gloom.
There is always _something_ to be grateful for. How much worse
_might_ have happened to us. Then, too, we can feel thankful that we
had our treasures so long, and that they were such a pleasure to us.
Thanksgiving naturally makes us ask, "What have I to be thankful
for?" and makes us somewhat sad; but at Christmas we lay aside all
thought of self, and think of Him who was all unselfishness; and in
this thought we try to forget our sorrows in order to send gladness
thrilling through some other human soul, and thus forget our loss
for that day at least, though tears may come involuntarily. Hope the
Thanksgiving was as pleasant as it could be; that there was a
reunion of those of you who are still living, and that the spirit of
the dear one only drew you all together in stronger bonds of love.
We--father, mother, and myself--were invited to dine with my
brother----, there to meet my dear sister's husband and five
motherless children. It is the one pleasure to us to pass these
anniversaries together, and to feel all our dear ones are with us in
spirit, bidding us to be of "good cheer," for they are not dead, but
with their love for us would guide us on to better things than
_they_ ever knew or could accomplish. All is well with them now, and
they look down smilingly upon our feeblest efforts to do the right
and be cheery.