The copper country evening news., 1898-01-11
lisa NJ. Alco1I,s CREED.
Wa Taught That "the Love of Goodness
Was the Love of God"

In a number of letters written at long
and short intervals from 1872 to 1886 by
Louisa NJ. Alcott TO five little girls in Al
leghany county, Pa, the author Of Little
Women" most oharmingly and frankly
discloses her extraordinary OK nature, aud
the missiyes, edited by Edward W. Bok,
are given TO the public In The Ladies
Home Journal. In one OF the tendorest
of these letters, invoSed By the sad iafor-
nation of the 6eaIa OF one Of the si'scF5,
Miss Alcott wrote her sorrowing CORE
spondvnt:
| will tell you my experience, and as It
has stood tie test OF youth and age, health
md sickness, joy and SORROW, poverty and
wealth. feel that Il is genuine ccd seem
TO get moro Light, warmth and help rs i
go en- learning more Of IL year by year
My parents never bound us to any church,
but taught US that tae love OF goodness
was tho love of God the cheerful doing or
duty made life happy, and that the love or
one nelghbor in its widest sense was the
best help for oneself Their lives showed
rs how lovely this simple faith was, how
much honor, gratitude and affection lt
brought 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 see that one
can shape life best by trying to build up
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
I,alf hat w
loving and just Father cares for us, sees
our weakness and is near to help if we
| call Have you read Emerson? He Is
| called pantheist, or believer in nature
| instead of God He was truly Christian
| and saw God in nature, finding strength
and comfort in the same sweet influences
| of the great Mother as well as the Father
| of all. |, too, believe this, and when tired,
sad or tempted find my best comfort in the
! woods the sky, the healing solitude that
| let's my poor, weary soul find the rest, the
fresh hope or the patience which only God
can give us.
| People used to tell me that when sorrow
| came should find nv faith faulty because
| it had no name, but they were wrong, fol
| when the heavy loss of my dear, gifted sis
| ter found me too feeble to do anything bu
| suffer passively l still had the sustaining
sense of love that never failed, ever
when / could not see why this lovely lif
should end when it was happiest. AS
poor, proud, struggling girl l held to tn
belief that if deserved success it woul'
surely come so long as my ambition wa
not for selfish ends, but for my dear fam
lily, and it did come far more fully than
ever hoped or dreamed, though youth
health and many hopes went to earn II
Now, when l might enjoy rest, pleasur
and travel, am still tied by new dutie
to my baby and give up my dreams, sur
that something better will be given me /
time Freedom was always my longing
but have never had it, SO am still try
ing to feel that this is the discipline
need, and when am ready the libert
! will come.