After hearing of Miss Ellis's death, she wrote:
"Received your postal. Have also received Unitarian papers, and
Miss Ellis's memorial, which last I will store among my treasured
mementos. How beautiful her life was! Though never having seen her,
she will be treasured in my memory as a dear friend. She has sent
me almost all the pamphlets, I suppose, that have been written for
the purpose of distributing. Having a large family, they have been
read and reread, and handed to neighbors and friends. One has no
idea how many they will reach, or how much they influence; and yet
there is so much prejudice against Unitarians among Orthodox
Christians, some would take it as an insult to offer them one of
the pamphlets. In our little village the 'United Brethren' have
been holding meetings day and night for three weeks, and oh! how
they do preach hell, and pray publicly for 'that lady that is
leading her daughters down to hell,' simply because she does not
believe as they do. I have more tolerance for them than they have
for me. I think there are some people they will reach and do good,
as I presume the Rev. Sam Jones is doing in Cincinnati."
The following letter to Miss Ellis from a poor old woman to whom she
wrote, sent papers and other aid, for several years, is given
_verbatim_, to illustrate the range of her sympathies. This letter was
also written after Miss Ellis's death:--
"I wish I could come and see you, but I cannot afford to go up and
down on the Trains. I have to send by someone, now Miss Ellis you
have been a sending me good Papers to read and now you must not
think I mean to beg but you sent me a New years Card it was a Rose
now I would not take anything for it I am as Foolish as Littel
Children is about Pictures the Rose I have is in my Album and if
you got any one by you to part With Will you send it to me for this
New year I feel more than thankful for the Papers you have sent
me.... Well I will close Write to me soon I am alone day and night
So goodbye from a Dear Friend to one I Love."
A young man in a State Normal School in Indiana long corresponded with
Miss Ellis. He has been an enthusiastic distributor of our literature,
and instrumental in procuring Unitarian preaching in his city. Extracts
from his letters are here given.
"The papers received are read by myself and others. There are few
here who know anything of what Unitarians believe."