The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-23
A QUESTION OF FAITH.
A Letter of Robert CoIlyer Which Conveys
Some Valuable Lessons.

NEW YORK, Nov. ., 1888.
''Dear Jasper-T am ever so glad to hear from
you, even when you feel little under the weather
and have no scolding to do, because am not in
that fight. do not stake my soul or any fathom
of it on our Sect only our faith-beautiful.
reasonable and true-and not yours, or Elliott's,
or Spears, or that of my gentle Savage, ormy ever
dear Chadwick, or Clarke's, Channing's, or
mine, even, if it comes to that, but ours. ! see
this faith growing and ripening everywhere, and
so do not lose heart and should not lose heart
l think, if l didn't see it grow and ripen in my
time.
'.When was child 1 used to play under
young oak on bleak hillside, and roll my East
er egg down the slope from within its shadow
toward the sun. When [ saw it again, after
twenty five years, [ said Bless me, that tree
has grown smaller and said so to master Ward
who owns it. No said he, your eyes have
altered; it's bigger but you have got hold of
another standard: still. l think we might help it
so, for your sake will put on some manure"
He put on the manure, but this summer l still
said: You are that same old oak you do not
grow to suit me at all; you should be the king of
the forest, because | love you So And then
the oak said: That's the trouble, l shall
be the king if you will only wait half millen-
mum, and an oak with my future afford to
wait; it's only those fellows over there that have
no real sound heart in them that cannot afford
to wait, and that which is clasped about with
iron bands to keep it together; so don't bother
about my lcanness.'
Our faith in God, not in some dogma about
his word, or in any other blessed thing, but in
God and His truth. The large free, sweet and
sure gospel of it, about which we are all at one.
that's growing and acorns are"beIng shed from
1t and borne on the wings of all the wings, and
they hide themselves in the coverts, and sprout
and strike down roots, and shoot up slowly
toward the sun, and are trees Of Gods planting,
and that's the gospel truth. Putnams trouble
was and is this that he takes his faith for ours.
bless his dear heart, and So falls on that dolor l
am content mot to have sect by and by so
that God glorify His truth, as He has glorifed
it in my day and yOursG to have the old oak
sawn up into lumber, if those new saplings will
only thrive; just as when l was South one day,
| said All right when | saw the earthworks our
boys made all overgrown, because the need of
them had passed away.
ut is sad to hear about your old friend, al
ways sad to hear Of those who have to cry o
wretched man that am, who shall deliver
from the body of this DEATH but when death
comes. | believe they are delivered, poor souls,
for the truth is they are not so much sinners as
victims. And don't be troubled overmuch about
his loss in other ways tyours( l was reading
the otherday of a man to whom friend said You
have had lot of troubles True he answered
but the curious thing about it is nine out of ten
of them never happened. | was only afraid
they would / have got far enough along to
discount troubles, and say of the half of them,
you are mere phantoms: And about
when sign my name to this letter, but will
stay as long as the old body will let me, and
thank God for the years. Don't take any stock
in tiredness of life, or think there is reason
save clear duty for holding There's fennel
yet, and columbines, and there's rue for you
and here's some for me-we may call it herb
of grace O Sundays and there's a daisy; and
say they are not for the decking of our shrouds
when time has brought disillusion, but for
clarifying these dusty commons Of life we have
still to cross.
81 wish could come and see you and yours
all the way to the church in the woods; it would
be rare treat; meanwhile be assured Of my
steadfast love. And witness my hand
ROBERT CoLLYER.'