Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-05-28
A Terrible Test of Faith.

The following letter has been re-
ceived by sister-in law of Mrs. Free
man, wife of the Pocassett Mass
murderer, since the latter went to jaii,
which shows that she believed as i'm
| plicit|y in Gods command for the sa-
crifice of the child as the father did:
BARNsTABLE. May 1O.-DEAR SIS
TERs: We have received your letters.
| have looked for one for long time.
[ never thought it would find us here.
Am glad to know you are we'll We
are in need of nothing, but We thank
you for our comfort. [ have no doubt
you suffer for US. I cannot tell you
how 1t all came to be. 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 up dress. the desire for money
and everything that was not pure ia
purpose. You would hardly have believ-
ed it was Charlie. He was never pro-
fame had not drank since | knew him.
and was one of the best of husbands
and fathers.
But now he commenced a life of
prayer and faith in God, and l with
him. He read his Bible every spare
moment, and his whole life was spent
in Christian, earnest work for good;
and his whole aim, not neglecting
other duties, vas to win souls 10
Christ and seek himself eternal life.
other, and God blessed US very much
the more we trusted him. By and by
there came a week and more of great
and new trials. Charlie did not sleep.
nor eat scarcely, for nearly two weeks.
During this time of pain and trial
he felt that God required him to have
the faith of Abraham. You know
what that was in regard to Isaac. He
could not get away from it. The mo,s
he tried, the more it came home to
him. At last he said to the Lord he
would be 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 help it.
Oh! God alone knows how / suffered;
but having such great faith in God to
believe he would stop him just as be
did, Abraham-that it was only trial
of faitb-knowing, as 1 did Charles
life and love, his fear to disobey God
and that be had Abraham's faith, I
could not hinder him. But neither of
US thought God would suffer ner to be
touched sny 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 1 found my
precious Edie gone, oh, Father, how [
felt! But comfort seemed to come
again. Abraham believed God would
raise Isaac, and so we felt it was
Gods plan to take her so as to
raise her from the dead and thus show
His mighty power and love. We did
believe He would do this in order TO
show the world that the God of Abra-
ham, of Isaac and Jacob still lives, and
so wake up the frozeo church of God
to its duties, the church so married to
the world that there is scarcely any diff.
ference between the two. We believed
this was to be and that Edie would
yet go with Charlie to preach the Cos
pei of the kingdom. What a power
she would be; what glory to His cause.
Elijah, Elisha, Christ aud the apostles
raised the dead, and why should not
God do it now as then? We believed
he would. Bnt the time has so far
passed and we are here.
God knows we are innocent of any
crime. Charlie still thinks God is go
ing to manifest His power and glory
and himself be justified in the eyes of
the world. God grant it may be so!
0, you cannot know my sorrow! It
almost breaks my heart. My dear,
dear Edie! Charlie is innocent, 0, he
is, Of any crime, but l am afraid it was
mist AIKEN faith in God. Dear Lord!
help US in our need. HATTIE.