WIFE, MOTHER AND WRITER.
On the 21st of March, 1869, my mother was taken with a serious
illness, which confined her to her bed for two years, and to her house
for five years. During the period of her convalescence, in which for
most of the time she was unable to walk a step, she kept her pen
employed; and always upon Christian themes. Having read the Bible with
great patience and care, she could glean from its inspired pages,
thoughts not unworthy a place in our best religious journals.
It was while she was thus afflicted, that the movement for the special
promotion of holiness assumed noticeable proportions. With this
movement she had no sympathy, and expressed unhesitatingly her
disapproval of any religious or political reform, lead in large
measure by women. She wrote a series of articles on "Sanctification,"
having direct bearing upon this movement. Her words have lost none of
their weight with the lapse of time, and experience of the Church.
She commenced her articles with expressing surprise and pain, that
Christians should talk about the _time when_ they were sanctified; and
should set apart times and hold special meetings for sanctification.
"Now," she says, "this argues to me that they do _not know Christ_; or
they doubt God's power to forgive sins fully, freely and clearly; or
they do not believe Christ when he says believe and be saved. 'He that
believeth on me though _he were dead_ yet shall he live' John. 11. 25.
Now, if Christ does not mean to save to the _uttermost_ why does he
invite all the ends of the earth to come and be saved? He does not say
repent and believe _now_, and after awhile I will come to wash,
cleanse, purify, sanctify you or set you apart; but he says repent and
believe _now_ and ye shall be saved _now_."
She maintained with the approval of her own conscience, the testimony
of her own experience, and abundant scripture reference, that we could
not be half in Christ and half-out, half-saved and half-lost, that
there was no concord between Christ and Belial, no partnership between
God and the devil.
Her words are "We cannot be half saved and half lost, there can be no
half-way measures with Christ, _we must come unto Him and be saved or
stay away and be lost_."
And then she says "Every part must be saved, not a hair of your head
shall perish." As God sanctified the entire Sabbath from its very dawn
to its close, so she argued does God sanctify the whole Christian
life. Her faith was to the effect that all Christians were sanctified
from conversion, and she called on all Christians to so regard
themselves and to so repose upon all the promises of God.
During this period of affliction she wrote the interesting paper found
further on in this book, entitled, "TWO YEARS ON THE BRINK OF JORDAN."
It was written with a view of reflecting her own experience. The cases
alluded to in it of persons crossing the river in Charon's boat, are
not ficticious, but solemn records of the death of some of her
acquaintances. She preferred to leave them un-named, and I would not
now trespass upon her preference; but I repeat, the reader may feel
assured, that in every departure of the boat he is looking upon a real
death-bed scene, and will understand that morning, noon, and evening,
as there used, refer to youth, middle age, and old age.
But it was in the home circle that Mother was best known and most
honored. To exhibit something of her knowledge of life, I give a few
of her letters addressed to her children. They are records of
suffering, of patience, of faith, and of love.
_January 9, 1875._
DEAR ALICE.--I have been kept at home again to-day by a fit of
cholic, which I am having every few days now, or whenever I eat
anything. It has not lasted as long to-day as usual, and was
not quite as bad. Last Sunday I went to Quarterly meeting in
the morning, thinking it would be sacrament service, but it was
put off till afternoon, so I have not had the sacrament since
August * * * You must not think because I said I had the cholic
that I am sick. I am going about, seeing to my work. We killed
hogs Monday, and I fixed all the dinner and I go visiting once
in awhile, and to day, although confined at home, I have been
picking some of the fruit off life's fair tree. I can't tell
you how much, but I have got pretty well filled; but I have not
got as much charity as I want. * * * * * * * * Your pigeon is
living and running with the chickens.
YOUR MOTHER.
The following letter was addressed to her daughter Alice and her
husband Rev. C. C. Filts, when he was very sick. It explains itself,
and although it contains matters of a private nature, yet I give it
entire to show the beauty and strength of her mind and heart.
_June 26, 1875._
MY DEAR CHILDREN.--I am deeply grieved that the dark hand of
affliction should fall on you so soon, and I can hardly realize
how hard it has been through all these weary weeks of
suffering; but, dear Alice, I hope you have done well your
duty, and Cethe I trust has born up with Christian patience.
I would gladly have been with you if it had been possible. I am
thankful to hear that Cethe is better and hope he will take
good care of himself and get quite well. We did not feel so
much disappointed at your not coming; we hardly looked for you,
although your father would not give it up until the last train
had come in. But do not worry to come home; tell Cethe I think
he has the _home sickness_ to contend with now, but he must be
patient as he promised.
My visit to New York was not much; I was so tired when I got
there, I could not do anything. Sunday I went to church and
Sunday School. Monday it rained, so I did not go out, and
Tuesday I came home; so you see I don't know much about
anything, only the beautiful ride up the bay from Long Branch,
which was amid the finest scenery I ever saw. Theoph's people
seem to think a great deal of him; but he is not very well.
Lizzie got down home all right and her brother is coming back
with her.
We are all well, but the weather is so hot we can hardly live;
the factory stopped yesterday for the heat. We are going to
harvest next week; we have the nicest corn.
We are having some great times about Bro. Faucett's money; we
have to pay up every week, but _I_ think he is nice, and he
gives us good preaching.
I know you will not mind bad writing this hot weather.
MOTHER.
In giving these two letters, I have desired to show my mother's
appreciation of the sacraments of the church, and of the gospel, and
her ability to give good counsel and comfort to her distressed
children. _She had not had the sacrament since August!_ She felt the
loss, and had through much affliction gone to church that she might
once more meet the assembly of the saints, at the table of the Lord,
and then had been disappointed! She put her own feelings on paper,
when, as against the clamor and complaints against the minister, she
wrote "_he gives us good preaching_." Little did she then know that
that minister, who gave the people, as she said, "good preaching,"
should one day be called upon to pronounce the last sad tribute to her
worth over her open coffin. I am glad that I can put on record the
testimony of Rebecca Steward, a woman learned in the Bible, and
experienced in the things of God, in favor of the preaching of any
minister. She calmly wrote that Brother Faucett gave the people good
preaching.
How she could comfort the distressed, the letters themselves say. A
few more paragraphs will show how she lived in the atmosphere of
Heaven, and how she looked upon Heaven as her near home.
The reader will pardon this anticipation and transposition of years.