The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-07-27
LETTER FROM
ADDISON A. KELLY
2e2s washInslon Arenue.

ST Louis. No.
July p. 1905
Editor Herald. Salem. w. Va.
MY Dear slr:-Throush the col
umns OF our excellent paper | wish
TO say some things.
To the Public In Salem.
am SURE you were not more sore
ly shocked than I am grieved at my
sudden departure from Salem. ana
the revealed cause. Ny sin may be
easily masnined, and l have no douhf
is, yet my blunder is horrible. I am
a ruined man and my anticipation.
for future years OF usefulness IN the
West Virginia ministry are blasted
have nobody to blame but myself
I am responsible. | can now see how
ropes were laid for my feet BY one
who In childhood had learned how.
yet !. as a religious teacher ana lead.
er. should certainly not have shown
such ~inexcusabIe weakness and should
have shown far more balance OF char
acter. The one TACT which crushcs
me every time | think OF II Is.
never saw an institution / so much
wanted to help as the West Virginia
Industrial Home for Girls and I never
tried harder to help anyone than the
poor creature through whom | STUN
bled into ruin. My great mistake WAS
In not putting the hen OF temptation
from me. | here wish to sny n hell
is a place OF worse suffering than +
have passed through. I mover. under
any Circumstances. want 10 20 there.
Men, II YOU would be clean aud On.
JOY tie strength and ~blessedness OF
conscious purity. stay away from
temptation It is a bad Thing to
play with are II you do not van 10
be burned.
! hope everybody Will take uoru-
Ing Of the bItte- consequences CT Gin
from my case. | am bearing an i'm.
mediate severe scourse for my miser.
able conduct. Sin Will bear It's awful
harvest TO everybody sometime. That
| should have to endure my lot rs it
has ONE to me I cannot understand.
know ! did not intend to do wrong.
I stroye against 1t and prayed many,
many hours to be saved from the
power Of temptation. yet It seems
that the worst that could come TO my
life and home has come. Death
would be many times better. am
p%aralyzed and In dense darkness.
Probably that overruline Providence
to whose DEGREES we all must bow. hns
given me as al awful warning By
walch others may be saved. II 80.
IN Try to submit; | must submit.
anyhow.
There Is nothing ! would rather do
than to return Il you people whom
SO much love, u whose c~onfdcnco
have so shamefuily abused and be.
trayed, and among you live and prove
by nnquestionable conduct that ! win
be all the future of my life as I uns
before rget into my present trouble
a man above reproach. / hnmbiy beg
pardon for the past and with resolu.
ton for good set my face toward the
future. Mrs. Kelly has written me OF
your great kindness to her and tho
children I left. which she says "a
greater than ! can imagine. We had
but little money and I felt sure that
In a short time we would have less.
and felt that / must seek employ
ment at once. l knew the people Of
Salem would care for them IN their
sorely unjust suffering. yet / did not
expect they would be given 80 much
money.
Good people. God win certalniy rich.
~ reward you I never saw a PEG
pie whose constant conduct I consid.
er more christIike. AS pass
through LIES rugged experiences.
mingled as | trust with a measu Of
Joy, The Remembrance of your kind
ness to me and my family win stir
up in me the utmost impulses Tor
good Of which l am capable. Lei no
one be shattered in faith because Of
my ruinous fall. The foundation OF
God standeth sure. The Christian
religion is genuine and Jesus Christ
is the worlds only hope.
Very truly yours.
H"