The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-09-30
North ADAMS, Mass,

North ADAMS, Mass,
June 26, 1891.
My BELOVED GEORGE Your let
ter of May 9th, telling me of Bro.
Charles Foote'S death and burial, came
duly to hand. ] was glad to hear of
his last hours, and that he went away
peacefully and to the comfort Of his
wife and his children, and to you, his
most intimate and beloved friend, for
your love to him and to me and to all
whom you have known intimately
who have themselves been true to hu-
man rights, and to those who have suf-
fered from want Of enjoyment of their
rights to the full, you occupy high
ways loved you since we first clasped
hands. I have always honored, es-
teemed and greatly appreciated your
talents. your zeal, your faith, your pu-
rity of motive, your fidelity to the
right as it has been given to you to see
the right, and ] have placed you in
one Of the largest and most beautiful
chambers of my heart and carry you
there day by day in wealth of un-
speakable love. cannot tell you how
great that love is, for I am not 80 con-
ditioned as to be able to express 1t. I
can only say, George, dear, that 1t has
grown with my growth and strength
ened with my strength the fullness
of it will not be known to you until
we shall meet and sit down together In
the kingdom of Jesus our Lord and
Master, our glorious Saviour and our
King.
Harriet's departure has left me very
lonely. Her place is vacant; her
voice is still her smile is absent; her
gracious, loving look cannot have;
her seat at the table is unoccupied, or.
if 1t is occupied the occupant Is not
Harriet. So, now my steps have be-
gun to totter, and my physical
strength In many ways Is enfeebled, l
miss her presence and her power. In
the nature of things, however, 1t will
not be great while before I shall 60
from earth, and the places that have
known me will know me no more for
ever.
I am glad whenever I think of 1t
that I have lived, and that by the
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ! have
been able to live for Others. l have
not a consciousness In single In
stance Of having sought to live at the
expense of another person. 1t has al
ways given me more delight and
greater comfort to live for others than
to live for myself, and to give my
time and strength to others at my own
expense, rather than to save my
strength to others loss. Still under q
close review of my life of the way III
which have spent it and the results
which visibly have come from 1t,
were able to begin it over again with
the benefits of my past experience, l
would never live as I have lived. l
would start out on and after a plan
marked by very much greater SIM
plicity of personal habits and associa-
tons. I would make my body to hold
| a subjected relation to my spirit; l
would eat, drink, work, sleep after
such form and manner as would give
me freedom of action.
l would have time and place and OPP
portunity for communion with Jesus
Christ, and through him, and through
him alone, with God, and through
| him intermediately with his Saints in
Light, and through him communally
with my felloW-men. To do this l
might have to wear clothes as plain
and questionable as he wore and 1
might have to become wandering
evangelist, going about and proclaim
ing glad tidings; or might be loca-
ted in a house and very comfortably
situated; or might be like hermit
] in his cave or cell. How my conci-
tiens might be would have to be de-
termined by the effects which they
would he likely to have on my liberty
of person, and the influence upon my
growth in the divine life, for in my
present conceptions of life, life of bod
lily indulgence, of large worldly minded
ness, of intense personal selfishness,
is not worth the having. When one
has enjoyed it and it has passed, there
is no pleasure in its recollections nor
no comfort in it's memory. 1t is
cheat, falsity, q wretched dream. 1t
gives no satisfaction. Human expert
ence in this direction is uniform in its
testimony. So were I to begin life
over again, knowing what l know,
would start out to win my Gown on q
basis of endeavor originating in en-
tirely different conceptions of what
life to a human spirit ought to be,
might be, can be-.
am glad to be able to tell you that
L am living in very rich conceptions Of
heaven, of its blessedness, of the hap
piness of its people, and of Christ
their living Head.
(DR.) JAMES CALEB JACKSON.