"Imagine how I felt when I came to your letter, and read the sad
news of Miss Ellis's death. I feared the worst when I did not hear
from her, for a friend had written me of her decline; but Miss
Ellis herself never referred to her illness but once to me. She
certainly must have been a patient and uncomplaining invalid, and
I, with many others no doubt, feel as if I had lost a dear friend,
and would be pleased to receive one of the memorials as a
keepsake.... I can assure you that I do all I can towards building
up a religion that all could conscientiously embrace. ... All the
reading matter sent to me I distribute to the best of my ability,
and hope that as it goes on its mission good seed will be sown.
There are numbers of Liberal people here who do not belong to any
church; and then I find a number of Liberals belonging to Orthodox
churches. I will subscribe for Mr. Savage's sermons, for I like his
sermons best of all."
Miss Ellis numbered several physicians among her correspondents. One
living in Alabama writes:--
"Your Conference speaks truly when it says, 'Many of Miss Ellis's
correspondents had come to regard her as a dear friend, though
never having seen her face.' I feel that I too may have the
privilege and the honor of being enrolled among the number of her
unseen friends. I hope some of the good seed she sowed has fallen
in good ground, even at this distance from the kind hand that
scattered them, and that their fruit may not
'Appear in weeds that mar the land,
But in a healthful store.'
I am a regular subscriber to the 'Christian Register' and the
'Unitarian,' all through the influence of Miss Ellis."
A man on a remote plantation in Georgia, who has been most zealous in
spreading the new light around him, writes:--
"Please accept thanks for papers and memorial of Miss Sallie Ellis.
She has been a good and a kind friend to me, has supplied me for
over two years with the best of literature, something new, so
different from what we are used to, something that lifts me above
myself and gives me new views of heaven and immortality, makes me a
better man to wife, family, neighbors, stock, and fills my heart
with that new love, the divine brotherhood of all mankind. I deeply
lament her loss. I do wish she could have lived a little while
longer, for my sake. I do feel so thankful for the papers, and
Channing, from Mrs. ----, God bless her!... Any books or papers
sent me will be used to the good of the community. The Post Office
Mission is doing a good work."
A young German in Tennessee to whom she sent much reading matter wrote
her:--
"I am a German by birth, and received my education at German
universities. I devoted many years to the study of the chief
philosophical systems, and had in consequence of the results
derived from the latter for a long time little or no connection
with any church whatever. But during the last four or five years I
became more and more convinced that no school of thought possesses
so glorious a light as is emanating from the life and lessons of
Jesus Christ. So when I became acquainted with Channing's Works,
seeing that it is possible to reconcile with every scientific
discovery and with every logical conclusion all that is special in
Christianity, I knew I had found what I want and wherein to rest.
From my own standpoint, and remembering the religious
indifferentism which is now general in my native country and in
France, I regard Unitarianism as the principle which is to save the
Christian Church from ruin, and which will be an indestructible
bulwark against Nihilism and materialism. I still believe there is
a great future before the Unitarian Church."