Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-17
,roRns oF CONSOLATION.
sol. IngersoIrs Letter to San Francisco
Mother and Her Reply.

a., VoQersoIl's Letter to San ArahelsSO
Mother and Her Reply.
FROM the Chicago Tribune.
Mt long ago lady OF San FrRncico
80. saddenly overwhelmed by great
..,sbfng affection, that, coming like
mppderbolt upon her, for time threat
.1sd her life. Her son, and only chllo'
,'s zone on short business journey, e1-
'.,..i,g soon TO return. sudden and fatal
fEss overlook him, and brief telegram
..,unced the dreadful tidings to his
@1,rt.broken mother. The terrors OF the
',.Ivipistlc creed. IN which she had been
S.o,,.,bt no. and according to which, as
ebo we'll knew, there was no hope OF iu-
.1ra happiness for the unconyerted young
mum added greatly TO her agonlzing &rlei
n,er his death, until her 1rlends reared
49, nor reason, il not her life, would be
I,l.1I,,rayed. a lady friend, who had sy M
@+siz,d deeply with and Vainly sought to
l,s,I her. informed Col. IngarsOA, and
c,gld MIN. if possible, to write some
nc which might at least relieve, IN
'n.as,lre. the terrible apprehension as to
, fata of her son under which she was
''TIi Se GLOWING is his letter, which, as
,rfll he seen by the suDjoined grateful re-
riy was in a good measure elective. IL
aes only upon the representation that,
GrpCol. lngersOll's widely published re-
marks at the funeral Of his brother In
WsshingtOn some years ago, these words
olso might "cOmfort other hearts which
no,rn.V that San Francisco reporter
succeeded In Obtaing copy for publica-
ian with the condition that the name OF
tne recipient should not be mentioned:
uWS- DEAF MADAME Mrs. c. has
IA me the sad story Of your almost in
foite ,oroW. ] am not foolish enough to
snnnose that l can say or do anything to
lessen your great grief, your anguish for
hi, loss: but maybe can say something to
iriya from your Door heart the tiend of fear
--fear for Him. Ifthere is God, let us be-
B4ye that lie is gOod and if He is good,
he good have nothing to fear. | have
neon told that your son was kind and gen.
erous. that be was filled with charity and
sympathy. Now, we know that in this
world like begets like, Kindness produces
kindness. and all good bears the fruit Of
1y. belief is nothing-deeds are every
ming. aud if your son was kind, he will
naturally find kindness wherever he may
be. You would not infiict endless pain
mon YOUR worst enemy. ls God worse
t6an youY You could not bear to see a
yiDer suffer forever. Is /, possible that
God viii doom a kind and generous boy
10 Everlasting pain? Nothing can be
more m0nstrOuSly absurd and cruel. The
truth is that no human being knows any
hing Of what is beyond the grave. IL
nothing is known, then it is not honest
for any Ony to pretend that he does know.
r nothing is known, then we can hope
only for the good. If there be a God your
hos is no more in His power now than he
was before his death-nO more than you
are al this moment. Why should we fear
Gad more after death than before? Does
thefeeling of God toward His children
change the moment they die? While we
are alive they say God loves us; when
will He cease to love us? True love
never changes. l beg Of you to throw
sway all fear. Take counsel OF your own
heart II God exists your heart is the
best revelation OF Him, and your heart
could never send your boy to endless pain.
After all, no one knows. The ministers
know nothing. All the churches in the
%orld know no more on the subject than
the ants on the anthills. Creeds are good
Tor nothing except to break the hearts OF
be loving. Let us have courage. Under
me seven-hued arch of hope let the dead
sleep. do not pretend to know, but do
know that others do not know. Listen to
your heart, believe what it says, and
wait with patience and without fear for
what the future has for all. IL we can
get 10 comfort from what people know,
let us avoid being driven to despair by
what thew do not know. | wish | could
say something that would put a star in
your night OF grief-a little flower in your
lonely path-and if an unbeliever has
such wish, surely an infinitely good being
has never made soul to be the food of
pain through countless years. Sincerely
yours, r. q. INGERsoLL."
DEAR Col. INGERsoLL-I found your
letter inclOsed with one from --- at my
door on my way to this hotel to see a
friend. l broke the seal here, and,
through binding tears-letting it fall
rom my hands between each sentence to
SOD my heart Out-read it. The first peace
nave known, real peace, since the terri
Ole blow, has come TO me now. While l
viii not doubt the existence Of a God.
leel that l can rest my grief-stricken
heart on His goodness and mercy; and
you have helped me to do this. Why, you
have helped me to believe in an all-meroi-
i4l ana loving Creator, who has gathered
u VIII try to belieVe) my poor little boy
my kind, kind. large-hearted child-into
lbs tender and sheltered arms. There is
genuine ring in your words that lifts me
ln' your belief, So clear and logical, so
ahe0 with common sense. corresponds, so
a back az | can remember, with my own
lalter-oi-fact IDEAS; and 1 was the child
good and praying parents, and my
Fe5b wondering ewes, questioning sl-
emily when they talked TO me, my strange
. "Sys, while ! tried TO be good, caused
.1eA often great anxiety and many a
oshs--God forgive mel ] am writing,
Nlle people are talking all about me,
,es, line to thank you, from the bottom
ny heart, for the comfort you have
gwen me to-day. You great, good man,
see sle traces of tears ali over your let
% and ] could clasp your hand and bless
] aLA u- This com fnrf Vnu haVA given NV