The Leavenworth weekly times., 1875-08-12
DoRCES ALLEN.
Letter Written by Her 20 :" slster Jeru-
sha," which Contains few D:sagreeable
Truths.

A Letter Written by Her 20 sister Jeru-
sha-p which Contains a few D;sagreeable
Truths.
LEAvESwoETH, August 9th, 1879.
SIsTER JERUsHA Il must say that
Abrams notions are very uncomfortable
to any one brought up within the pale OF
an orthodox church, as We have been. i
get 50 troubled that it does me good 10 write
to you, for know you will sympathize with
me; and if you, in your quiet country home,
can think of some passages Of Scripture to
answer him, / shall he very glad. You
know I've always been counted pretty good
in Bible knowledge, but the fact is he per-
pIexes Inc. 80, that half the time i don't
know what is the right doctrine. But you
have the writings OF Wesley and Watson 10
90 TO, and at a pinch, YOU can look in those
al Balvin and Jonathan Edwards. When
our faith is assailed, il will never do 10 be
particular about the partition walls OF Zion,
but the outer Notifications cannot be made
too strong against the encrOachments OF
modern innoyators.
Well, our conversation began in this wise
Melinda said, Dorcas, I've been thinking
all day, whether | better get cashmere or
drape, d, etc, for my dress but one. thing Is
sure, must have deep folds Of Grape, and
long Grape veil falling nearly to the
grounds and everything must be black. i
cannot show too Geep respect to the memory
OF 70 good man a. Father smith, Abb
ram looked up quickly, saying, EVERY
thing black can't show too much respect >
why, Melinda, what does that mean?"
"Why, mean TO go in deep mourning for
your father who Il in heaven now" and
she burst into tears. "Do you mourn be-
cause my father is in heaven, them "Oh,
Abiram, how green you are, said Melinda.
81 may be-" said Abiram, "but father lived
a long life, and the measure Of his years
was filled with usefulness, and now that he
has gone 10 his reward, no black for him;
no Tears We viii try" and here i thought
his voice irembled little "tO emulate his
example, and work for humanity, as he
did our lives will be the noblest monu-
ment we can rear, and the most fitting eyi-
dence Of respect We can pay to his memory
But" said Melinda, what will folks say?
Here I've gone and told everybody that
Father Smith was dead, and now, if ] go
on dressing Just as did before, everybody
will say We didn't care anything about him
at all" ''l'ye heard" said Abiram, "a
good deal in your church about
the liberty, wherewith Christ
made YOU free What does
that mean Melinda ?" "Why, free from the
bondage Of sin, Of course, everybody knows
that" Free from the bondage OF sin,
whatever that may mean," said Abiram,
''but not from the bondage OF fashiOn-of
public opinion-not from the dominion OF
self. j. that the liberty for which Christ |
died?' "To set you free from mythic |
something which exists only in peoples |
imaginations2 Or is il a liberty which |
enables you TO assert your own individual |
ity-the inalienable right OF every soul, to |
think and act according TO its own best |
judgment, 70 long a. il encroaches not on
the rights of others ?" "Oh, Abiram ~
Melinda cried, you grow worse and worse
every day; YOU hate the church, you know
you do; you despise the ministers, and |
you'd break down my faith ii you could,
with your new tangled notions. | DO hope
now Father Smiths in heaven, he'll see Just
what i suffer" "Father didn't trouble
himself about the private affairs of people,
while he lived, and don't think there is
anything in death. or heaven either, TO
make him a meddler, now he is dead but
10 say / despise ministers, and hate the
church, is to charge me with grave offense"
81 must confess Abiram went on, ..to a
strong interest in all have been able 10
learn in regard to Jesus the Christ. and if
when / compare in NV own mind that
homeless wanderer, a man OF many sor-
rows, who taught the multitude by the
and by ..the shores Of the sea,
satisfying their hunger by bread and fishes.
while ministerins also to their craving Tor
spiritual foad; that fearless expounder of
truth, who hesitafed not TO enter the oldest .
and most orthodox churches in Israel, and {:
'courge the money-chansers who were con- I
vertinS this temple into den Of thieves, /
IRVING them out; who could say to its rep :
ntable members, Woe unto YOU ScribeS.
Pharisees, hyPocrites. for We compass land G
md sea to make one proselyte and when ,
ne Is made We make him two-fold more The 4
hid Of hell than yourselves. Eli
Ye pay tithes of mint and aniSe and cum !
ain, and have omitted the weightier mat G
ers oil the law, Judgment, mercy and faith ;
when i see him turning away in fierce sor- y
row from these seli-satistied souls TO the +,
guilty woman Whose accuSers, so lately !.
ioi uef bloOu, ma louIl tilenl- 4,
elves not able 10 remain in that truthful :
presence Neither do | condemn thee. Go :
md sin no more When | hear his
OF the self-righteous,
md see his infinite pity for the |
inner, and compare him with the gentle Q
men who walk our streets in nice attire, !
md with full assumption OF clerical digni-
y, whose salaries lift them above all I
he hard necessities q life; and listen to n
heir carefully mOdulated voices, their well
urned sentences, and fail TO see any person. o
Il or spiritual resemblance between them. T.
who is 10 blame As TO the churches, ! C
ook upon them as good moral institutions, l
respectable plan for Sunday en- b
often influencing men TO better p
ives. j have too high n regard for Christ
md too grand a conception OF the work he c
designed for man, however. TO dignity them +,
y the term Christian, could not conscien- !,
iously do 20. | certainly wish no one To b
'elieve any less than they do,-a more In v
ahgcnt tdih might be desirable" And =
hen the conversation ended Now. Jeru- I,
ha, if you can make anything out of such
ak, wish Won wosld, and let us both to-
ether pray that Abiram may he led TO see
he error OF his ways,--no, | don't mean his
,ays for the world can't bring the first