The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-17
LOUISA M. ALCoTT's CREED.
Was Taught That "the Love of Goodness
Was the Love of God.n


In number of letters written at long
and short intervals from 1872 to 1856 by
Louisa NJ. Alcott to five little girls in AL
leghany county, Pa, the author of Little
Women" most charmingly and frankly
discloses her extraordinary nature, and
the missives, edited by Edward W. Box,
are given to the public in The Ladies'
Home Journal. In one of the tendcrest
of these lettersa invoked by the sad infor-
nation Of the death of one of the sisters,
Miss Alcott wrote her sorrowing CORE.
spondent:
will tell you my experience, and rs it
has stood the test of youth and age, health
and sickness, joy and sorrow, poverty and
wealth, feel that 1t is genuine and seem
to get more light, warmth and help as 1
go on learning more of 1t year by year.
My parents never bound us to any church,
but taught us that the love of goodness
was the love of God the cheerful doing of
duty made life happy, and that the love of
ones neighbor in its widest sense was the
best help for oneself. Their lives showed
us how lovely this simple faith was, how
much honor, gratitude and affection it
Drought them, and what a sweet memory.
they left behind, for, though father still
lives, his life Is over, as far as thought or
usefulness is possible.
Theodore Parker and Ralph Waldo EN-
erson did much to help me to sec that one
can shape life best by trying to build up a
strong and noble character through good
books, wise peoples society, an interest in
all reforms that help the world and "a
cheerful acceptance of whatever is inevita-
bic; seeing beautiful compensation in
what often seems great sacrifice, sorrow
or loss and believing always that q wise.
lpViDO an6 inct Eotbnr q.
our weakness and is near to help if wo
call. Have you read Emerson? Ho is
called pantheist, or believer in nature
instead OF God. He was truly Christian
and saw God in nature finding strength
anu comfort In tho same sweet influences
OF the great Mother as well as tho Fatber
OF all. l, too, believe this, and when tired
sad or tempted find my best comfort in tho
woods, the sky, the healing solitude that
lets my poor, weary soul find tho rest the
fresh hope or the patience which ONLY God
can give us.
People used to tell mo that when sorrow
came should find my faith faulty because
1t had no name, but they were wrong, for
when the heavy loss of my dear, gifted sis.
Ter found Inc too feeble to do anything but
suHer passiVoly still had the sustaining
sense OF love that never failed. even
when / could not see why this lovely life
should end when 1t was happiest. AS "A
poor, proud, struggling girl hold to shc
belief that if deserved success it would
surely come SO long as my ambition was
not for selfish ends, but for my dear fam
lily, and it did come, far moro fully than
ever hoped or dreamed, though youth
health and many hopes went TO earn it
Now, when I might enjoy rest, pieasur,
and travel, am still tied by now dutic.
to my baby and give up my Dreams sure
That something better will be given me il
time. Freedom was always my longing
but have never had 1t, so am still Try
ing to feel that this is the discipline
need, and when L am ready tho liberty
will come