["CASA CORAGGIO,", "CHRISTMAS-\nDAY,\n1883.", "MY DEAR MRS. FANSHAWE,", "FIRST OF ALL, DO NOT THINK ME UNKIND FOR WRITING TO YOU IN THIS\nMECHANICAL WAY: IT IS MUCH EASIER FOR ME, AND I HAVE TO MEET A FAR\nGREATER FATIGUE IN USING THE PEN.", "I THANK YOU HEARTILY AND LOVINGLY FOR YOUR KIND THOUGHTS OF US;\nI THANK YOU, THINKING OF GOD THE FATHER OF US, IN WHOM ONLY CAN WE\nMEET, AND IN WHOM ONE DAY WE MUST MEET. I THANK YOU TOO IN THE\nNAME OF HIM WHOSE BIRTHDAY WE KEEP THIS DAY, IN WHOM WAS BORN LIFE\nWHICH IS OUR LIGHT.", "I CANNOT OCCUPY MYSELF IN ANY EXPLANATION OF MY PRINCIPLES WITH\nREGARD TO RECEIVING MONEY; I WILL ONLY SAY THAT, IN MY POSITION OF\nA TEACHER, ESPECIALLY AS ONE, IN THE EYES OF MOST SELF-APPROVED, I\nFEEL I HAVE TO BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL. THEREFORE WHEN I PREACH IN\nENGLAND, IN CHAPELS HERE & THERE, I NEVER ACCEPT ANY FEE—AND HOPE\nNEVER TO DO SO. TO THE END, THESE PLACES OF RESORT, TO HEALTH-SEEKERS,\nWHERE OFTEN THE MOST INCAPABLE PERSONS COME, ARE JUST THOSE\nTO BE MOST MISREPRESENTED IN—AS I HAVE FOUND ALREADY; NOT THAT\nI CARE WHERE I HAVE NOT BEEN TO BLAME, BUT ONLY I MUST TRY\nTO BE WISE AS A SERPENT, YOU WILL SAY, \"THIS IS NOTHING TO THE MAT-\NTER BETWEEN YOU & ME, AS IT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO BE KNOWN.\" I DUE\nI CANNOT FOR A MOMENT DOUBT YOUR LOVING-KINDNESS IN THE MATTER; I\nONLY MEAN THAT THE MOMENT IT CAME TO BE TALKED OFF, BY WHATEVER IT", "ACCIDENT, THAT MOMENT IT BECAME IMPOSSIBLE, not that I am a hand of taking money; if I were I could not take it; neither do I wish the fact concealed that I have often accepted money with grateful and unending obligation; but I could not take it in circumstances which would make it look as if I had not taken it from others, or where the world around me were to misander, stand, and non-represent my objects and attitude as a teacher."]

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SAY OUGHT ALWAYS TO BE DONE: IT MAY BE DONE WITH YOU, OR WITH ANY ONE FIT TO BE CALLED A FRIEND, THOUGH WITH OTHER THAN SUCH, IT would be

ONLY THE BEGINNING OF THE LETTING OUT OF WATER; I MEAN - GO INTO AS BETWEEN OURSELVES.

THE WHOLE THING COME INTO, IN THIS CASE, I FEEL DRIVEN TO IT FOR THE SAKE OF THAT HONESTY WITHOUT WHICH WE CANNOT BE SAVED. I SHOULD NOT BE TRUE - SHOULD BE

HAVE BEEN HARDLY TRUE - FAR INDEED FROM TRUE, BUT I DID I LEAVE YOU TO THINK THAT MY WHOLE DIFFICULTY WAS THE FACT OF THE THING IAVING COME TO ASSUME A FORM WHICH DID NOT BELONG TO IT: I HAVE TO CONFESS THAT I SHOULD HAVE FOUND ANOTHER GREAT OBSTACLE IN THE WAY - THIS, THAT I COULD NOT HAVE BEEN SURE

THAT, AT SOMETIME BEFORE LONG, WHEN YOU WERE DISSATISFIED WITH SOMETHING I HAD DONE, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE SAID SOMETHING, IN STILL CONTINUING KINDNESS I WOULD NOT DOUBT, WHICH WOULD HAVE MADE ME SORRY THAT I HAD EVER BEEN LAID UNDER OBLIGATION

TO YOU. FOR AN OBLIGATION OUGHT TO BE A SWEET THING, LIKE A SCENT OF OLD ROSE-LEAVES,

TO BE CARRIED IN ONE'S SOUL TO ALL ETERNITY - A BOND OF EVER GROWING UNION - NOT A BURDEN WHICH ONE KEEPS EVER HITCHING ON THE OTHER SHOULDER BECAUSE HE CANNOT TO ALL ETERNITY GET RID OF IT.

IF YOU ASK ME HOW I COULD EVER THINK OR BE A THING OF YOU, I WILL TELL YOU. MIND, I BELIEVE ALL THE TIME IN YOUR LOVE - YES, IN THE DEEP UNCHANGEABLE TRUTH WHICH HE HAS GROWN IN YOU.

SOME TIME AGO, (FROM SOME DISSATISFACTION WITH ME IN REGARD TO SPEAKING, I NOT SPEAKING IN THE CHURCH, I SUPPOSE), YOU CALLED ME, IN THE HEARING OF A FEW, IF NOT OF MORE THAN A FEW - A SHUFFLER. THROUGH THE WORD IS A DREADFUL ONE, I DO NOT THINK OF YOU USING IT, FOR IT MIGHT BE BUT A MOMENT'S LIFETIME OR A MONTH'S PERHAPNESS. SINCE THEN,

AFTER KNOWING OF IT, I HAVE KISSED YOU - AND HEARTILY MEANT IT; BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE MATTER OF TAKING A GIFT OF MONEY FROM YOU,

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I FEEL I MUST BEWARE: — I DO NOT KNOW YOU WELL ENOUGH, TO DO THAT, and FOR YOU DO NOT KNOW ME WELL ENOUGH, TO JUSTIFY IT. IF YOU SAY, right in the epithet I used, "I WAS JUSTIFIED IN THAT" FOR SO I REGARD YOUR LINE OF CONDUCT,"

I answer, that confirms my objection: can I accept THEN I SAY THERE IS THEN STILL MORE REASON WHY I SHOULD ACCEPT NOT anything

NOTHING OF ANY EARTHLY WORTH FROM SUCH ONE WHO IS SO JUDGES ME Would it not be a mean thing, and confirm such a judgment? RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY? I SAY EARTHLY WORTH, BECAUSE YET I MUST

NOT BUT TAKE WHATEVER HEAVENLY GIFT YOU HAD TO GIVE ME—OF WHICH, OF COURSE, WHAT LOVE YOU COULD GIVE WOULD BE THE FIRST. IF YOU SAY, "THE HEAVENLY GIVEN, & ACCEPTED, WHY REFUSE THE EARTHLY? I SHOULD ANSWER, "THERE IS NOT YET QUITE ENOUGH OF THE HEAVENLY

TO EMBALM THE EARTHLY, not to say REDEEM, but into an altogether better

HEAVENLY. I CAN QUITE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU SAID THE WORD WITHOUT MEANING ANYTHING VERY HOSTILE BY IT; BUT TILL WE CAN READ SUCH WORDS, MAKE GREAT DIFFICULTIES RIGHT INTO EACH OTHER'S HEARTS, SUCH THINGS

IN HUMAN RELATIONS; & CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN TO GREAT DISCOMFORT, HAD YOUR LOVING SCHEME FOR MY GOOD BEEN ALLOWED TO MATURE

I WONDER WHETHER I HAVE MADE MY POSITION PLAIN. YOU SEE I AM NOT ATTEMPTING TO SHOW THAT YOUR JUDGMENT OF ME WAS WRONG; I CAN WAIT FOR A REVERSION OR CONFIRMATION OF THAT JUDGMENT—EITHER WOULD DO, AS, IN THE ONE CASE, YOU WOULD SAY," I AM SORRY;" AND, IN THE OTHER, I SHOULD HAVE TO SAY, "I WAS QUITE WRONG;" EITHER OF WHICH WOULD MAKE THE NEEDFUL PEACE. I AM ONLY SHOWING HOW, WHILE SUCH JUDGMENT WAS, I COULD NOT FEEL FREE TO ACCEPT WHAT I SHOULD HAVE ACCEPTED WITHOUT THE LEAST DIFFICULTY BEFORE. BUT I DARESAY YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN ALL ABOUT IT; & I AM QUITE WILLING TO LET IT GO IF YOU BEAR

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NO SUCH CHARGE AGAINST ME IN YOUR HEART.

BUT, WHATEVER COME OF THIS, LITTLE MATTER, I LOOK UP, & SEE THE
FIELDS OF ETERNITY STRETCHING AWAY & AWAY IN THE SUNLIGHT OF THE
ETERNAL FATHER'S PRESENCE; & IN THOSE FIELDS WE SHALL ALL ONE DAY
I see us
playing like
God's
BE AGAINST BLESSED LITTLE BOYS & GIRLS OF THE KINGDOM, SHALL WE
LOOK BACK
SOMETIMES WITH A WONDERING SMILE THAT WE COULD HAVE CARED
SO MUCH DOWN HERE ABOUT THIS, THAT I AM A PROFOUND BELIEVER IN
IN A DESTINY FROM WHICH WE CANNOT ESCAPE—& THAT DESTINY IS OBEDIENCE & BLISS. I SHALL REACH IT ONE DAY, THROUGH THE ETERNAL PRESENT HELP OF MY LORD & MY GOD; & EVERY TIME I LEARN TO BE MORE FAIR, OR TO LOVE ONE BETTER, I COME ONE LITTLE STEP NEARER TO THAT BLISS. THE ONLY THING WORTH BEING FOR—TO BE ONE WITH GOD OUR FATHER IN EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO THE CREATED—THAT IS TO THE SONS & DAUGHTERS OF THE MOST HIGH, WHOM JESUS HIMSELF CALLS GODS. THIS OF ALL DAYS IS THE ONE TO REMEMBER THE UNITY. SO I TELL YOU HERE, & SAY IT FOR MY WIFE, WHO WILL READ THIS BEFORE I SEND IT, THAT I LOVE YOU, & MEAN TO LOVE YOU, & HOPE NOTHING I HAVE BEEN DRIVEN TO SAY WILL HURT YOU MORE THAN IT MUST HURT YOU, FOR I KNOW WHETHER TRUE OR NOT THAT IT MUST HURT YOU. THIS IS NOT BY MY WILL OR CHOICE.

SO NOW THERE IS THE WHOLE AFFAIR!—NOT VERY MUCH AFTER ALL, ONLY
IT COMES IN THE WAY.

MY LOVE & BEST WISHES TO YOU BOTH FOR, IF NOT A MERRY CHRISTMAS—
THAT IS A PHRASE I TRY TO AVOID, NOT FEELING IT QUITE SUITABLE—
YET FOR A DIVINELY HAPPY ONE. IN THIS MY WIFE JOINS ME HEARTILY.

VERILY YOUR FRIEND,
—AND HERE I SIGN WITH THE PEN,