New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-23
i MODERN VIEW or JoNA7HAY EDWlEDS
SLoeEbridnc Leller d Roslon Herad.

SfocELridoe Letter 10 Ros0a Herdd.
Mr. Edwards was 0sensibly Il missionary 10 the
Indians, but don't believe he auounteu 10 inuch
n, a missionary. | have been unable L" ma any
record OF any conversions of Indians he ever made
The fact Is he spent most OF MS tlme WINE III
stock brd0e with hIs lcgs twisted atO "a Knot under
that table waIlIng aloud about us own dePraVlty'
and N the intervals OF weeping, WIpIng or ucar
life about the Scheme at salvation" "oll'n
since | have lived III TINS town, he wrote 10 one OF
his former parshioners at tins time, nave Id9
very affecting views OF my own SIM Illness ana
veness, very frequently TO such a dcRrtc rs 10
hold me in "A kind OF loud weeping, sometimes lor
considerable time together, 80 that nave often 10
sbut myself mp" The narrow little aIlrJ tbat he
called his study was the place where he used 70
- shut himself up" TO cry and write. W hat was
such a man good for AS a missionary 10 the
Indians7 lie not man OF eXpeuiehts.
There was nothing practical about INN. lie was
awfully ia earnest. Hell seemed % HIM yawning to
swallow up every body and the only question which
was important to BIN was how a lew cOuld escape
it, In the light OF this VAST and a"iul pIobeih the
me-. TEMPORARY hunger of an Indian, or the con
duct of an Indian, or tie Ignorance oI barDlllS OF
an Indian, was OF very timing moment. lie KEPT
severely away from the Indians. ana nave mol INC
slightest Goubt That they were glad ol IT, lie
shufied his feet that one board IN hls study,
and showed his pen over that enc table; ana wePt
soft tO himself. Or NcclcfOdaly When ne lell llho
it-now IN terror lest his own soul should De lost,
now IN 10Y because he thought II would he saved,
while Mrs Edwards was patiently raising mort
ra,e and & even children out IN the Kitchen. ii
walls oOnld listen and Tccollect anu repeat. KNOW
| should hear sad voice stlil piping IN the ifcht
and all our Sakcs, s.o' crying and take care oi
these babies while hang out The clothes, set that
hon feed that good fOrnothng lnGn, bake the PIE,
mend riabs trousers, chop some wood ana churh
the butter.
lie must have heon rs uncomfortable person to
live with rs John Milton was. lie felt that lie had
"A mission to define the methods and motives Of
rcdemption-and hc neglected ever thnS else TO
fulfil it, " From my childhood up ne says IN one
OF his celebrated works my mind had been lull OF
objections against the doctrine of God sovereignty
in choosing whom lie would to eternal ME- and
rejecting who'll He pleased, leaving them ctcfnally
TO peI sh and be eveTlastngy tOTmented III he'll. 1t
used 10 appear like a horrible doctrine to ne. But
remember the time very we'll Wher seemed 10 be
convinced and fully satisfied as to tins sovereignty
of God. From that day to this. have scarcely
ever found SO much rs the rising ol an objection
against II. . These have often appeared to me as
sweet and gracious dOCIr mes They have been
much my delight" as missionary he vas Il
failure. His place was among ideas. not Indians
lie vas disqualified by his reserve, bi' cohten-
Native habits his love Tor abstract sptcu atlOll.
An Indian was OF 10 consequence to hum unless he
could he hit bed On to balance a syOgisfn.
lie was always dreamy and abslactcd. An Old
citizen tells me "a story of him which Is charactcriS
TIC. His only exerc!s" was horseback riling-Out
through the fields as there were roads tlen, and
ii there had been they w0uldn l have led anywhere.
rs all around was a wilderness. One day he rode
ont aud turned toward paIrOi bars, which a
uclghbor's boy took down p, let him pass. Good
morning, my little man. said the dominic, whose
boy are yon = Mr.. Sargcnts' said the boy, "a
little piqued that he was not recognized by one who
saw HIM so often Presently DR.. Edwards iode
back pOndering and dreaming ~ he cane. The
morning, my little MANI said the missionary
incoming along, " whose boy are yOu r. I'm thc
came mln's boy was ten minutes ago" bIOke out
the spirited youth, AMI the old man ce2sing ior Il
moment To soar after the ultmli alu ulFc aitcr
tue unlathomable east upon the urchin surprised
smile.