Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-05-28


Dear Sisters We have received your letter
have no doubt you suffer for us. | cannot tell
you how 1t all came to he You know how dearly
we both loved our precious little one. We have
tried for more than year to live entirely devoted
to God, and to the good OF others. We had given
NJ dress, the desire for money and everything
that was not pure in purpose You would hardly
have believed II was Charlie lie never was pro-
fame, had not drank since knew him, and was
one of the best of husbands and fathers; but now
he commenced q life of prayer and faith in God.
and with him. lie read his Bible every spare
moment and his whole life was spent in Chris
tian, earnest work for good, and his whole aim
mot neglecting other duties) was to win souls to
Christ, and seek himself eternal life One trial of
our faith came after another, and God blessed US
very much the more we trusted him. By-and-by
there came week and more of great and new
trials. Charlie did not sleep eat scarcely for
nearly two weeks. During this time of painful
trial he felt that God required him to have the
faith OF Abraham. You know what that was in
regard to Isaac. lie could not get away from it
the more he tried the more 1t came home to him
At last he said to the Lord he would he willing to
bear the test; he thought that would be all that
God would ask. That seemed to end it for the
day. That night it came TO him more powerfully
he could not help It, Oh, God alone knows how
suffered But having such great faith in God to
believe he would stop him just AS he did Abraham
that 1t was only a trial OF fath--knowing AS |
did, Charles life and love, his fear to disobey
God and that he had Abrtham's faith could
not hinder him But neither Of us thought God
would suffer her To be touched, any more than
| that the day would fail to come. We thought
God would see our faith and give us some token
| of acceptance. We believed God would thunder
| from Sinai before any harm should come to our
darling; but when found my precious Edie gone
. Father, how felt But comfort seemed to
come again. Abraham believed God would raise
Isaac, and so we felt that it was Gods plan to
take her, so rs to raise her from the dead, and
| thus show his mighty power and love. We did
| believe that he would do this, in order to show
| the world that the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and
| OF Jacob still lives, and wake up the frozen
| church of God to its duties-the church so mar
ried to the world that there is scarcely any diff
| ference between the two. We believed this was
to be, and that Edie would yet 90 with Charlie to
preach the gospel OF the kingdom. What a power
she would be- What glory to his cause? Elijah,
Elisha, Christ and the apostles raised the dead
and why should not God do it now as then We
believed he would But the time has so far
| passed and we are here. God knows we are ill.,
nocent of any crime Charlie still thinks God is
going To manifest his power and glory, and him
self be justified in the eyes of the world. God
grant it may be so. Oh, you cannot know my
sorrow 1t almost breaks my heart My dear,
| dear Edie! Charlie Is innocent, OH he Is, of any
crime but am afraid it was mistaken faith in
God. Dear Lord, help us in our need. HATTIE