1876

“©The Turned Lesson” — Patient work — Sympathy with E. C., going to India — Upton Bishop Vicarage — The brother’s organ and last singing — The last visit to Switzerland — ‘* Seulement pour Toi” — Bible reading to peasants — The Great St. Bernard — Champéry — Baroness Helga von Cramm — Alpine cards — Illness at Pension Wengen — Return home — ‘‘ My King” — Pruning.

“Was it not kinder the task to turn,
Than to let it pass,
As a lost, lost leaf that she did not learn?

Is it not often so, That we only learn in part, And the Master’s testing-time may show That it was not quite “by heart”? Then He gives, in His wise and patient grace, That lesson again With the mark still set in the self-same place.”

HERE were many “turned lessons” in my dear sister’s life to which. no clue can be given in these Memorials; but we may here refer to one testing-time. Very patiently had she prepared for press many sheets of manuscript music

* The Turned Lesson, in ‘‘ Under His Shadow,” page 113.

in connection with the Appendix to “Songs of Grace and Glory.” Well do I remember the day it was completed. We were at home, and she came down from her study with a large roll for post, and with holiday glee exclaimed, “There it is all done! and now I am free to write a book!” Only a week passed, when the post brought her the news: “Messrs. Henderson’s premises were burned down this morning about four o’clock. We fear the whole of the stereotypes of your musical edition are destroyed, as they were busy printing it. It will be many days before the débris will be sufficiently cooled to ascertain how the stereotype plates stand.”

Further news confirmed the loss: “Your musical edition, together with the paper sent for printing it, has been totally destroyed.” On the same sheet Frances wrote to her sisters in Worcestershire:

The signification hereof to me is that, instead of having finished my whole work, I have to begin again de nove, and I shall probably have at least six months of it. The greater part of the manuscript of my Appendix is simply gone, for I had kept no copy whatever, and have not even a list of the tunes! Every chord of my own will have to be reproduced; every chord of any one else re-examined and revised. All through my previous “Songs of Grace and Glory” work, and my own books, I had always taken the trouble to copy off every correction on to a duplicate proof; but, finding I never gained any practical benefit, I did not (as I considered) waste time in this case! Of most of the new work, which has cost me the winter’s labour, I have not even a memorandum left, having sent everything to the printers. However it is so clearly “Himself hath done it,” that I can only say “Zhy way not mine, O Lord.” I only tell you how the case stands, not as complaining of it, only because I want you to ask that I may do what seems drudgery quite patiently, and that I may have health enough for it, and that He may overrule it for good. It may be that He has more to teach me, before He sets me free to write the two books to which N — — alludes, and which I hoped to have begun directly. Perhaps they will be all the better because I cannot now write them for next season. Thus I am suddenly shut off from the bright stream of successful writing, and stopped in all my own plans for this spring, and bid work a few months longer in the shade at what is to me special exercise of quiet patience.... Ihave thanked Him for it more than I have prayed about it. It is just what He did with me last year, it is another ¢wrned lesson. I had mourned over not bearing pain in my first illness, and so He gave me another opportunity of learning the lesson by sending me another painful illness, at- Winterdyne, instead of giving me up as a hopeless pupil; and now I have been eager to get done with ‘‘ Songs of Grace and Glory” that I might hurry on to begin work of my own choosing and planning, and so He is giving me the opportunity over again of doing it more patiently, and of making it the “willing service” which I don’t think it was before. If I could not rejoice in letting Him do what He will with me, when He thus sends me such very marked and individual dealing, I should feel that my desire for sanctification, for His will to be done in me, had been merely nominal, or fancied and not real.

(Zo Miss E. J. Whately.)

One must be an infidel not to see God’s hand upon one, most distinctly, in such a matter as this. But it was very good of Him to give me the opportunity of learning the unlearnt lesson, and of offering, as more willing service, what had been wwilling. I must tell you, however, how overwhelmingly gracious He has been to me the last few days, quite startling me. I thought it had been such a useless spring, that I had not been allowed to be any service to any one. Then all at once, during three days, a number -of notes poured in upon me, quite astonishing me with telling ‘that I had been made such real use and blessing, in some cases quite unconsciously, in others where I thought my efforts had produced little or no effect.

Now, is not this enough to make one’s heart overflow with praise? It has been a most sweet lesson of trust, and of more simple and absolute dependence on Him.

(Zoj7 ot)
Pyrmont VILLA, March 21, 1876.
Dear FRIEND, —

Your letter, which I was providentially prevented from reading before breakfast, sent me straight away to my knees. I have been putting it all into my Saviour’s hands, pouring out to Him. I don’t feed cured, but I believe “SEARCH ME AND TRY ME.” 193

He has taken me into His hands afresh. No, it has not been all for Him of late; I don’t mean anything definite, but breaches in the enclosure, made not by any outward foe or even ‘‘the religious world,” but by self, which I wanted to be crushed out of me, that He ica take its place wholly. I think that has been the “some- thing between,” and it has dimmed not only the i inner brightness, but the free-hearted testimony. It is so utterly horrid not to have been all for Him. I do feel ready to say “sinners, of whom / am cf/zef,” and no expressions of self bemoaning are too strong for me. He has been so much to me, so very, very gracious; and yet, I have wandered, without knowing it except by finding that He withdrew the brightness of His shining, graciously so, because I felt the chill; and yet, at times, off and on, it has even of late oe very bright, very happy, only it has not been the steady and growing brightness. Thank you very much for telling me how it is with you; that helps, because I have to do with the. “same Jesus.” I want Him to prove me to the very depths, to “search and try” and cleanse entirely. I am glad He did not set me free to write. I distinctly believe it to be His holding me back from teaching before I am taught! Iam so grateful for your letter, it is so good of Him to put it into your heart to watch over me. Will you pray forme? I imagined I had thought much of the “keep,” as well as of the “‘ take,” but I have not “ved it somehow. I know you must feel disap-, ‘pointed with me; I have not “run well” as you hoped, but don’t give me up and throw me overboard altogether, pray for me, and “watch over me” still for the dear Master’s sake, for I know He has not thrown Ome overboard, and oh 7 do love Him. Thanks for the card; I thought it was ‘‘ none of self and a/7 of Thee.” I have immense temptations. I don’t mean that as any excuse, only it is so; temptations to self seeking and self complacency, etc.; and I am made too much of, looked up to by plenty who should rather look down on me, both here and by strangers; and I thought I was on my guard against it all; and yet I see it has insensibly undermined the “enclosure,” even though I have been having exceptionally great outward privileges. I wonder

whether one thing has been wrong! I have been, for some time, nearly every day giving half an hour to careful reading of Shakespeare; I felt as if I rather wanted a little intellectual bracing, as if something of contact with 7vfellect were necessary to prevent my getting into a weak and wishy-washy kind of thought and language. I like intellects to rub against, and have no present access to. books which would do it; so I bethought myself of seeing what Shakespeare would do for me, and I think my motive was really that I might polish my own instryments for the Master’s use. But there is so much that is entirely of the earth earthy, amid all the marvellous genius and even the sparkles of the highest truth which flash here and there, so much that jars upon one’s spirit, so much that is downward instead of upward; that it has crossed me whether I am not trusting an arm of flesh in seeking intellectual benefit thus. Yet, on the other hand, if one admits the principle, one would throw over all means as to study and mental culture, and it does really seem as a rule as if God endorsed those means, and uses culti-

’ vated powers, and only very exceptionally uses the un- ‘ cultured ones. Yours gratefully.

“IT COULD NOT DO WITHOUT Him.” 195

(Zo F A. S.)

LEAMINGTON, February 16, 1876.

I hope you have had a happy week, dear F — ~. Only you must not let the temptation come, to fancy that He cannot, or will not, be as much to you afterwards as He perhaps was to you during the special week; for, to begin with, “He faileth not,” “I change not.” He will be every day “this same Jesus”; and, to go on with, your whole Bible does not contain one word about His giving less grace, but always and only “more grace.” If He gave you blessing last week, it is only an earnest of MORE, if you “open your mouth,” etc. ‘ Azways more to follow.” Your loving aunt.

(70 fet)

Tue LeasowEs, April 9, 1876.

It seems to come natural to send you whatever odds and ends come out, so I enclose this last leaflet, “I could not do without Him.” I very seldom write at the suggestion of another, but a London worker said she so wanted an appeal to the outsiders based on my hymn “I could not do without Thee.” So I told her she must pray if she wanted it, and I forthwith forgot all about it. Three months after, a most strong and sudden sense came over me of “what can they, what zw// they, do without Jesus?” that I must write it; and it was not until afterwards I recollected that this was the very thing that had been asked. And, on sending it, I found it was just at the right time for her special wish to distribute it before one of Mr. Aitken’s mission weeks! It will be in Home Words for June, which means going straight to 300,000 homes, let alone leaflets and American copies. Somehow, I have felt able to ask great blessings on this leaflet, though it is such a poor little simple thing, without a spark of poetry about it.

Yours ever gratefully.

I got just a glimpse of the marvellous indwelling of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost last week; it was so sweet and glorious; I want to realize it always.

(Zo J. G. Kirchhoffer.)
Abril 9.
DEAREST JULIA, —

You deserve an immense long letter, and I have really only time for a few lines, as I am giving up my whole available time to work at the new edition of “Songs of Grace and Glory.” Though your letter-case looks too pretty to use, yet I immediately adopted it for upanswered letters, putting in yours to begin with. Yours must be indeed a pretty home. It is not just words, but both wish and prayer, that it may be a happy one to you, and that you may make many around you happy and happier. Of course I mean this in the very fullest and deepest sense. Ever since I knew you, I have specially wished and prayed that you might entirely live for Jesus, and shine very brightly for Him. And you have immense responsibilities.

Why not work out your “plan of education” as a little ballad? I think it would be a capital subject, and might be really useful. Send it to the Editor of Zhe Children’s Friend. (S. W. Partridge & Co.)

As to imperfect scanning, I must try to answer seriously,. for it is rather important to you. Never leave imperfect scanning, to save the trouble of making it perfect, never / Discipline yourself for the next few years most sternly.in this, and you will be thankful, later on, for the habit and facility which it will give you. But irregular scanning may be used with great artistic effect, where you purposely wish to suggest abrupt, broken, startling, rugged, spasmodic, etc., effects. A good critic will easily detect the difference between the devices of an artist and the negligence or clumsiness of a tyro in this matter.

I have an idea that metre answers to key in music, and that one may introduce modulation of metre exactly as one introduces modulation of key, and with similar mental effect. I have tried it in several recent longish poems, using different metres for different parts, and modulating from one into the other instead of passing directly. You will see what I mean in “The Sowers,” where, instead of jumping direct into the rather jubilant metre of the last part, I work up to it through “One by one no longer,” etc.

I must not scribble more. Yours lovingly.

(Zo the same.)

PyrMONT VILLA, Monday.

DEarR JULIA, —

How I a wish I had known! It would have been the most exquisite pleasure to have come to sing to you. I know that longing for music so well, though I do not think many know what it is. Sometimes I have thought that this very “music-thirst” is part of God’s gentle discipline, leaving us with that thirst instilled, just that we may turn afresh to that which stills all longings, the music of His name. I have had plenty of verses headed “F, R. H.,” but I am telling you the truth when I say that I never had any which touched me more, or gave me such a thrill of loving fellow-feeling towards the writer. Thank you very much for sending them to me.

Now I have a request. Will you give mea copy of your extremely good verses on the recovery of the Prince, of Wales.; s: «+s

(Zo the same.)

Many thanks, not only for the enclosure, but for your most amusing note, —

N.B. — It is only fair to tell you that you and Ellen Lakshmi Goreh are the solitary ones, out of any number of dozen possible geniuses, whose “efforts” I have seen or had to do with, in whom I do believe. I have come across no others who, I honestly believe, may have a “future” in the literary part of the vineyard. This may show you I am not quite indiscriminate! and perhaps add weight to the encouragement which I want to give you, and the seriousness of the hope and aim before you.

My sister’s expectations were correct; but Miss Kirchhoffer’s early death left, as it were, only a prelude to what might have been a life of song.* (See Appendix, page 354.)

The following shows how faithfully she pointed out the inconsistency of some conversation.

* “Poems and Essays.” By Julia G, M. Kirchhoffer. Paisley: J. and R. Parlane.

Tuesday, 7 a.m.
My DEAR:

As I have already had one bad night, and several troubled wakings, all about you, I had better get it off my mind. I write to you as one who is really wanting to follow Jesus altogether, really wanting to live and speak EXACTLY according to His commands and His beautiful example; and when this is the standard, what seems a little thing, or nothing at all, to others, is seen to be szm, because it is disobeying His dear word and not “following fully.” “Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, do ye even so to them.”

Now, darling, be true to yourself, and to Him, as to these His ownwords. Would you like any one to retail, and dwell upon, little incidents which made you appear weak, tiresome, capricious, foolish? Vet, dear, everything which we say of another which we would not like them to say of us, (unless said with some right and pure object which Jesus Himself would approve,) is transgression of this distinct command of our dear Lord’s, and therefore stz, — sin which needs nothing less than His blood to cleanse, sin in which we indulge at our peril and to the certain detriment of our spiritual life. And Jesus hears every word, and sees, to the depth, the want of real conformity to His own loving spirit, from which they spring. Do not think I am condemning you without seeing my own failures. It is just because it is a spectal battle-field of my own that I am the more pained and quick to feel it, when others, who love Jesus, yield to the temptation or do not see it to be temptation. I know the temptation it is to allow oneself to say things which one would not say if the person were present, yes, and if Jesus were visibly present. And I have seen and felt how even a momentary indulgence in the mildest forms of “speaking evil,” which is so absolutely forbidden, injures one’s own soul, and totally prevents clear, unclouded communion with Jesus. So I want you to recognise and shun and resolutely and totally “‘ put away” this thing.

I should not write all this but that I long for your eyes to be opened to the srvinciple, for others’ sakes, for your own soul’s sake, and for Christ’s sake. I want you to pray over it, to search bravely to the bottom, and to put it all into the hands of Jesus, that He may not only forgive but cleanse, and so fill you with His love that it (and nothing else) may overflow into all your words, that He may “make you to increase and abound in love -... to the end He may establish your heart unblameable in holiness.” Oh, if you knew how I- pray for this for myself, you would not wonder at my anxiety about it for you and for others! So don’t be vexed with,

Yours ever lovingly.

(Zo £. C.)
1876.

... This seems a great and solemnstep. I could never lift up my finger against what looks so like a - call from God, though you would seem a long way off from us, and would be much mourned and missed from your Bewdley work. You know how I have always desired, with you, to lay out one’s life at the best interest for God; and, of course, if you can do ten per cent. ot work at Rome, and only five per cent. among the Severn fogs, that is to my mind a strong argument.... I send you “I will direct their work in truth,” and He wi7 direct. Have you thought of work in Syria?

(Zo the same.)

Although dear Miss Nott told me she thought you were thinking of Zenana work in India, I did not expect this! Whether Rome or India, I quite think you are one of those so situated that you are “free to serve,” and that the question may be wholly between you and God..

I am specially glad it is that Society; it is decidedly my favourite, and I have been interested in it for fifteen years. Dear Elizabeth, I feel so solemnly glad about all this; I myself seem, more and more, a “cumberer,” so I am the more glad when others are able for more

service than
Yours lovingly.

(Zo the same.)

-.. It often strikes meas one of the wonderful wheels of God’s providence that He lays different parts of His work on different hearts, brings one nearer to the focus of one worker’s vision and another to another, and thus all the different things gettaken up.... I had only thought of the disappointment it would be, if you were prevented going to India! I suppose, partly, because I do not feel separation so keenly as you would, and partly because all my life it has been a sort of “castle in the air” fo be a missionary, only that the door for me seemed always closed by the state of my health; and, even with my many ties, it would be nothing like the sacrifice to me that it will be to you. I shall long to hear that the Lord has made the way quite clear, and set before you an open door.

June 1876.. During a visit to her brother Frank, at Upton Bishop Vicarage, she was much interested in his schools and cottages. Every day she went about from house to house, reading the Bible and telling in simple words of God’s love in sending Jesus Christ to save sinners.

In one instance, at a garden party, my sister’s happy face attracted a young stranger, so that she sought conversation with her. Often have I been told: “F. R. H. looks so really happy, she must have something we have not.” (With the utmost skill, no artist or photograph gives a veal idea of her lighted up expression. Is it because soul cannot be represented any more than a sunbeam?) And my jen fails, too, in giving an idea to strangers of her sunny ways, merrily playing with children, and heartily enjoying all things. But her deep sympathy with others’ joys and sorrows, and her loyal longings that all should know the “joy unspeakable and full of glory,’ were the secret of her influence with others.

I may mention that her singing from Handel’s “Messiah,” accompanying herself on her brother’s organ, after service on her last Sunday evening at Upton Bishop, will long be remembered by all who heard. The old parish clerk remarked, “I never heard the like of that before.” Frances then became the first contributor to a fund for erecting a

—s

vestry. (Since her death it has been determined that this vestry shall be specially “in memory of F. R. H.” Her brother has also had her name cast in a new treble bell, thus completing the peal of six.)

Her own words seem to describe passing events and visits better than others can, and therefore we again copy from them.

(Zo Margaret W.)

- - I came to Newport with the idea of not being responsible for any one’s soul at all! I enjoyed the first three days in a general sort of way, but no real gain to myself. I declined addressing the Y. W. C. A. meeting, but was present and was asked to sing. I sang my arrangement of Isaiah xii. After a few more words, and prayer from Mr. W:, I sang for them “When thou passest.”* After that I had to shake hands with many. It was all very nice, but not real work. I felt dissatisfied, notwithstanding the affectionate greetings and thanks for singing. Saturday I said I should like to go to work, and went with Mr. W to the Infirmary. In the women’s ward I read and prayed and sang, and then spoke to each alone. I saw there was sowing and reaping work wanted, and many entreated me to come again. When I went again God sent much blessing. One, very suffering, and who had a most distressed expression the day before, had found peace soon after I left her. She lay

* When thou Passest through the Waters.” Music by F. R. H. London: Hutchings and Romer.

looking so happy, saying, “I’ve left it all with Him now, and oh it’s so beautiful!” Another, a moping groping Christian, told me that the words God helped me to say to her lifted her straight up into the sunlight. Before I left the ward, I do think another was enabled by God’s Spirit to trust in the Lord Jesus. From that time, it pleased God to send such continuous blessing. But (I hardly know how it began, I think from my own couplet oe let me sing, Always, only, for my King,” in connection with that Thursday evening) somehow I felt that on both sides, singer and listeners, it was not really “only for Him,” but too much of F. R. H. That word “only” seemed to be pressed on my own heart. I saw it as I never saw it before, and that the “ail for Jesus” must be supplemented and sealed with “only for Jesus.” It was a great and humbling revelation to me of failure in full consecration, where I really did not see it before; and of course I dare not and would not hold back from accepting and following, at any cost, what I felt God’s Holy Spirit was teaching me. I felt I could not, and would not, sing again the next Thursday as before, and that I must pass on this “only” to the Y. W. C. A. Then I had copies printed of the Consecration Hymn, and had my name left out, and a blank line instead for the signature, which each might fill up alone and prayerfully.

At the meeting, Mr. W — — opened it and then went away. ‘Then I told them I had meant to sing them beautiful songs of Handel, but I cow/d not and dave not; that I could not, after what my King had shown me last week, sing even partly to please them, it must be “only for my King.” ‘Then I told them about this “only,” nat merely totality of surrender but exclusiveness of allegiance, and how I wanted every one there to take ¢i/s step with me that night, and to accept with me “onLy for Jesus,” as our life motto, henceforth. To keep my word as to singing, I just sang ‘‘ Precious Saviour, may I live only for Thee” * (to ““Onesimus”). After prayer, I resumed the subject and then distributed the Consecration Hymns (very systematically done in one minute without disturbance); and, after running through it, asked those and those only to sign their names who meant it. Oh, M, it was swch singing, one felt it was so real!

Then I gave an interval of silent prayer which I felt was a time of real consecration. I was sure of His presence, so sure that He was bowing the hearts before Him by the Holy Spirit’s power. Was it not strange that the first “‘ consecration meeting” I ever came in for should have been in my own hands?

After, I gave each at the door “Enough.” I hardly liked giving my own leaflets, but I really couldn’t think of anything else just suitable for what I wanted. One, whom I had spoken to after church on Sunday evening, stayed to tell me how bright her hope continued; but she needn’t have spoken, the change of expression was quite enough to tell. Well, dear M — — ,, I felt there had been real blessing.

As days went on, Mr. and Mrs, W saw numbers of those who were there, and who testified that they had really been helped and had gained a step onward by God’s grace.

Then, I could tell you much of some dear boys who

* Hymn 695 in ‘‘ Songs of Grace and Glory.”

had never unfurled their banners, or done any work for their King (I always thought I had no notion how to go to work with boys, and this has often hindered-me from trying; that idea is overboard now). With these young soldiers it was a sort of leap into “life more abundantly,” a going just headlong into life and love and work for Jesus. After a week of prayer, one has decided to give his whole life, instead of the chips and shavings of it, and become a medical missionary. Now they are praying for others; they have pitched upon the worst boy in the school, and asked me to join in special prayer for him. The most remarkable feature is the way they took to their Bibles, and, though holiday time, spent four or five hours a day with intensest enjoyment over them.... I never thought of asking a tenth part of all the blessing I received there since then. I shall have to lump my requests for praise at your next Y. W. C. A. meeting.

I must pass on to you what I have been rejoicing in all this week, Exodus xxi. 5, ‘‘I love my Master, I will not go out free”; and then connect the end of verse 6 with Revelation xxii. 3, ‘‘shall serve Him” for ever. I can’t imagine why I never exulted in that declaration before, ‘‘I love my Master!”

A few weeks after, Frances wrote the hymn “I love, I love my Master”; and, coincidently, her sister Ellen (Mrs. Shaw) also wrote a very similar one (published by Caswell).

Then came a visit to Ashley Moor, always so refreshing to herself; and, while enjoying breezy rides and drives and delightful friendships, she did not forget work for her King. She has left a Sunbeam track in many cottages in that neighbourhood.

Year after year, my dear sister had pressed me to take a long rest in Switzerland; and so, on July 6th, 1876, we left England, vz@ Dieppe, for Lausanne. That delightful journey! her sisterly care and unselfishness in revisiting well known places just to give me the pleasure! It was with difficulty I persuaded her to go to any new scenes for herself. From Montreux she went up to “Les wants” to visit her “delightful friend,” Miss E. J. Whately. From Vernayaz we went toa quiet pension at Fins Haut, ex route to Argentiere. Sunday came, and the sight of crowds of peasants passing by our door to early mass suggested the desire to try a Bible address for them in the afternoon. Valerie, the daughter of our host, had been so fascinated by my sister’s singing that, with the promise that Mdlle. would sing to the meeting, she threw herself heartily into the arrangement. Three o’clock was the time fixed, but an hour before several maidens assembled, so we set them to copy out a French hymn Frances had just written, thereby fixing its truths on their memory; and they then practised it as a choir. Frances shall tell the rest.

(To J. 7. W.)

About thirty or forty came; some remained in a room behind our folding doors, these came from curiosity and would not come inside, and there was laughing and talking, evidently led by the priest’s servant who was there for no good! First I sang to them, and then got the girls to join in the hymn they had copied out. Then I read some passages from Romans, and Maria spoke to them beautifully (in French) on Romans vi. 23, and afterwards prayed.

A few went away as soon as I began to read, there was evidently some opposition. Even those who seemed really to wish to hear were evidently hindered by the total novelty of the whole thing: an intensified form of the hindrance which I told you I felt existed when I first sang at N You will wonder what I sang! Well, I had been singing snatches of hymns to myself, and especially “Only for Thee,” and found this gave immense gratification in our little pension; so I thought God could as well give me French as English, if He would, and I set to and wrote “Seulement pour Toi /” (as they had liked the tune so much.) Only it is quite a different hymn, making prominent the other side, He and He onty is and does all for us. We come to the Father “only by Thee,” place our trust “onv/y in Thee”; retaining merely a few lines of the “only for Thee,” as it is useless to teach “only for Thee” till one has seen “only dy Thee.” I also wrote a free imitation of “Will ye not come?” and part. of another. I could write quite easily in French verse!

so it may be I shall have to do some more in this direction, a totally new opening!

Maria had had the priest himself strongly on her mind all the week; and, not having the smallest fear of man, actually went and called on him! with the excuse of borrowing a French Bible, and asking him to see if my verses were correct. Just imagine going to “M.le Curé” for a Bible, and for revision of Protestant hymns! He was very courteous, and Maria relieved her mind entirely; told him how happy she was in Christ, and what was the secret of peace and joy. He did not attempt controversy, and seemed interested, but only assented to all she said, so that she could not get him to open out.

As for taking readings myself, the prospect seems to recede. Even taking part in this little meeting seemed to throw me back. For years, Ihave always suffered from any work of the kind, and then been made unable for my own more special work, as I never produce a line when overdone. And I find more distinctly, here, that I have not anything like my former strength, and even three weeks (by which time other years I have got into tip-top training) have not brought me up to where I used to start from. All the old elasticity and physical strength are gone. I don’t feel the “atmospheric salvolatile,” and go out on the freshest of Swiss mornings feeling up to nothing instead of equal to anything! Yet it is thirteen months since I was really cured from my illness.

Leaving the Chamounix valley for the Great
St. Bernard Hospice, we took diligence from
Orsiére. The passengers sang some French songs
remarkably well. We listened and commended,

P and then asked if they would join us in a new tune, “Seulement pour Tot.’ Finding the driver took up the chorus in bass, Frances went outside that he might see the words, and most heartily was it sung by all. Sunday we rested at the hospice. The weather was fine, and the crowds of peasants who partook of that wonderful hospitality were sitting on the rocks in all directions, and of course many a seed was cast among them. My sister’s brilliant touch on the piano in the saloon attracted the good fathers, and they requested that, after dinner, she would sing for the assembled strangers. She asked me to pray that she might give the King’s message in song, and that it might reach some hearts. As there were different nationalities present, she very simply but gracefully said she was going to sing from the Holy Scriptures, repeating the words in German and Italian, and then sang Handel’s “Comfort ye,” “He shall feed His flock,’ and afterwards “Rest in the Lord.” An Italian professor of music with many others thanked her, and were expressing their admiration to me when Frances bade them “Good night,” saying to me, “You see, Marie, I gave my message, and so it is better to come away.” Returning from the hospice we diverged to Lac de Champé, thence to Martigny and Champery. There we met her Leamington

BARONESS HELGA V. CRAMM. art

friends, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers (of St. Paul’s); Mr. Rogers was, then, summer chaplain at Champery.

I could testify of much happy work here, in leading others to rejoice in God her Saviour: strangers, invalids, tourists, to all she was a shining light. And she was never satisfied with any one’s profession, without a corresponding “/ for Christ and work for Christ. I may give the testimony of one, as representing that of many others.

I feel sure that God led us to Champéry that we might meet your dear sister Frances. Oh, I cannot tell what a blessing she was to me there. I always looked for those fair curls; and the saloon seemed desolate if I could not hear her voice and often merry laugh. She was so happy and whole-hearted,and she spoke to me of the Lord Jesus, and the joy of being altogether and only His. Yes, it was on the balcony at Champeéry that a new life and love seemed lighted up in my soul. Even as she was speaking to me I felt that, with God’s grace, I must take the same step she had, and henceforth live “only for Jesus.” That was indeed turning over a perfectly new and bright page in my life.

Another Champéry friendship was with the Baroness Helga von Cramm. We were staying in the same pension; and a few words the first time we met her fesulted in many pleasant’ entwinings of work. I give my sister’s reference to the fact, in a letter to Mr. W — — .

One of my Champéry gains was the Baroness Helga v. Cramm; such an artiste, every picture is a poem, such a soul in all she paints; her two specialities are Alpine scenery with the weirdest effects of snow and clouds, and the marvellous beauty of the tiny Alpine flowers. Well now, of course, she wants to paint for Jesus somehow! So I suggested that we might do something together, and we would first ask Him to give me half-a-dozen nice little Easter verses (new ground to me!), and then that He would hold 4er hand, and make her do some exquisite flowers. So the verses all came tumbling in that evening!

Such was the origin of the varied series of lovely “Alpine cards,” subsequently published by Caswell.

Leaving Champéry, we went to the Bernese ‘Oberland. Our longest sojourn was in the Pen-. sion Wengen, above Lauterbrunnen, just opposite Mirren, with the full range of the Jungfrau and Silberhorn in view. Getting wet through in a thunderstorm was followed by a chill, and my dear sister was seriously ill for a month. The Lauerners were most kind, and we were happy in having the pension to ourselves and being favoured with brilliant weather.

Two or three pages from my notebook recall
“NUNC DIMITTIS.” 213

our often pleasant talks, and the two following letters are about the same date.

September 3oth, a.m. I found Frances with her Bible after a wakeful night: ‘‘O Marie, I’ve just had such a find! I hope you’ve not stumbled on it.” You remember I was speaking of that delightful verse in 2 Chronicles xxxil. 8, ‘the people rested themselves upon the words of the King’; now I have found ‘ the word of my Lord the King shall now be for rest’ (margin 2 Samuel xiv. 17): is it not lovely? it will do for one of my night pillows;

it’s a down pillow, and no rucks in it! Of course it’s a /o#.

woman who said it; all the women in Scripture do say excessively pretty things.”

Then she went on telling me that she thought her next volume of poetry would be her “Nunc Dimittis” (see Preface to “Under His Shadow”). On October 8 she had many weary hours of pain. She was so patient in all her suffering, and very thankful for some remedies a lady kindly brought us from Interlaken. One afternoon, after trying a new remedy, I begged her to shut her eyes and try to sleep. When I returned she gave me the lines, “I take this pain, Lord Jesus.” ‘“You see, Marie, I know something of the sweetness of taking pain direct from His hand. I had just been saying all this to the Lord, and then it came to me in this hymn; it wants no correction; I always think God gives me verse when it comes so, and it is worth any suffering if what I write will comfort some one at some time!” The next day she told me: ‘ While I was in such pain, the very lines I’ve been waiting for came to me. ‘Three years ago I began some on the Queen of Sheba, and Bel se eg ha a brought the unfinished sheet here. Very often, strangers write and tell me that my lines comfort or help them, even when I know there is not a spark of poetry in them. Now / cannot tell what will comfort others, so I ask God to let me write what will do so.”

Another day she told me she hoped to write a paper on ‘‘ Men see not the bright light that is in the clouds.” “Dear Anne M suggested it to me long ago. Many bright young Christians have never been down in the depths of the waves (as I have), and they wait for some great cloud to come, instead of seeing His light in the Z#¢/e, daily, home clouds! Marie dear, some may think it is presumptuous, my writing

‘For Thee my heart has never
A trustless Nay.!’

But it really is so, I could not look up in His face and say, ‘Nay, my Lord, I do not trust Thee in every- (Zo Miss E.-J. Whately.)

PENSION WENGEN, October 1876.

... Iam just waiting for strength to go home; I have been ill again, and am only arrived at the stage of a few minutes’ walk, on my sister’s arm. I was splendidly better till the end of August, and meant to have settled down to a delicious month or so of leisurely writing out here, and then gone home to dear mamma, and begun almost a new era of life. However, God has chosen otherwise for me; Iam just where I was this time last year, and any book writing is indefinitely postponed. -. + How glad I am that our work is not measured by quantity, and that its results depend neither on quantity nor quality, but only on the sovereignty of His blessing.... It was just a bit tantalizing to see you and yet to see so little of you, there were so many things I wanted to talk to you about.

One never does have anything but sips and glimpses here! No fear of satiety anyhow; we don’t have a chance of that misfortune! Yet the sips and glimpses are so pleasant and so varied that, perhaps, each has just that proportion which makes our lives the most really enjoyable. Over and above the intense delight of the coming perfect and leisurely intercourse above, I think we shall almost revel in perfect power of expresston. Do we ever feel that we have, either by word or pen, expressed our whole thought, still less our whole Jeeling? And is there not a peculiar pleasure in finding oneself able to make even the partial expression of it a little more complete than usual? Why is it that such pleasure seems attached to our finding power of proportionate expression (of any kind) of what is surging within? Is it a hint of the wonderful delight it will be to have the totally new power of clothing, unerringly and inViriably, the infinitely expanded thoughts and intensified feelings in absolutely perfect expression, perfect vehicle of word and song? And, then, this delight will be met and completed by perfect understanding and reciprocation. There must be this last, because the One Spirit will dwell so fully and so equally in both speaker and hearer.

Talking of sips, what icepnerict delicious little sips one gets, sometimes, when one is really too tired for a whole draught from His word! Yesterday I was so tired, just on the edge of fainting more than once from mere weakness. I turned over the leaves for a sip, and came upon “the word of my Lord the King shall now be for rest” (margin). I need not tell you how it rested me! I am extremely fond of the typical scraps in the history of David, but I never saw this one before.,

(Zo Mrs. R.)

I must send you the last texts I have been dwelling on; the force, beauty, and sweetness of the combination of the King and yet the Father, the kingdom and yet the home, have struck me so much. And it is, in almost every case, first the Father and home, then the kingdom (Matt. xiii. 43; Luke xii. 32). And this royal home of this kingly Father is yours and mine! I suppose you and I are fully half way to it, and the view is clearer and nearer, and will be clearer and nearer yet!

As soon as strength was given we returned to
England, in October.

I well remember when Frances first thought of writing “My King.” We were returning from Switzerland. Her illness there had quite hindered any writing, and she seemed to regret having no book ready for Christmas. It was October 21st, we had passed Oxford station, on our way to Winterdyne, and I thought she was dozing, when she exclaimed, with that herald flash in her eye, “Marie! I see it all, I can write a little book, ‘My King,” and rapidly went through divisions “MY KING.” 217

for thirty-one chapters. The setting sun shone on her face; and, even then, it seemed to me she could not be far distant from the land of the - King. Illness came on again, accompanied by severe suffering, yet the book was quickly written and published. We may regard the pages in “My King” as the fruit of her patiently taking back “the turned lesson,” which prevented her writing for so many months. The following letters of this period speak for themselves.

aey
LEAMINGTON.

I send you a prayer which I heard yesterday, and which has been arising from my heart ever since. “Lord, take my lips and speak through them, take my mind and think through it, take my heart and set it on fire!” Quite possible for Him to do, though it seems so much to ask. I am asking it; you ask it too. Christ’s words, Christ’s thoughts, Christ’s love, not our own any more! How He does love you, how His very chastening proves it! He has not let you alone, and “blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest.” So, the very sense of the reality of chastening proves the reality that you are “blessed,” and “JT wot that he whom Thou blessest zs blessed.” Only think that you are to “come forth as gold.” I wonder what He will do with His gold when He does bring it forth! We shall see. He never would thus deal with you, if He had not some very special ends to reach. Trust on; He is worthy of all trust, isn’t He?

LEAMINGTON.

I was rejoicingly thankful that you have tasted the delight of real spiritual work for Jesus. Perhaps He is training you, by all this stopping of your own wishes and aims, for something much better, for very much and very happy work for Himself. I have no doubt about it; it seemed such very marked individual dealing with you, that, as He also so graciously made you willing to let Him teach you in His own way, I had not a shadow of a doubt that He meant it to work out real and great blessings to you. Every other aim has to be thwarted and crossed; our soul’s health needs it. Even if seémingly right and reasonable, He will not Ler one whom He really takes in hand, to make ‘‘a vessel unto honour and meet for the Master’s use,” rest in any aim short of Himself and His glory. He knows that our real happiness lies here, and He loves us so much that He sees to it that we shall not go on “feeding on ashes,” if we are feeding on them instead of on Himself.... You know He must be right, and most certainly has something better to give instead of whatever He takes away. But I am so glad you see it, and can trust Him. It would be too bad not to trust Him, wouldn’t it? He will not, cannot change, even if your trust should be weak and flickering (2 Tim. ii. 13; Jas. 1. 3, 4).

(Jorja Liv) LVovember 1876. This has been a slight edition of my previous illness, but it will be some weeks before I am really as strong as usual. That long illness in 1874 has so weakened me, besides seeming to have left a curious liability to fever, which has returned so many times. But I am not troubled about the “fallow,” and your words, ‘‘ The Lord is right, you can trust Him I know,” have not done

chiming yet! Just before this last attack I was in my

sister’s conservatory watching the gardener cut off every bunch he could find upon a splendid vine. He has been training it for twelve years, never let it bear even one bunch of fruit for two years, and now it is 200 feet long in the main stem alone, and 400 feet with the principal branches. He has pruned off a thousand bunches this spring. ‘And what do you expect it to bear, by and by?” ‘Four hundredweight of grapes! and, please God I live to manage it, it will be the finest, vine in the county.” He was having long patience for Jourteen years with this choice vine, and I suppose my Husbandman’s waiting with me won’t be as many months, so that is not a very long trial of trust. ‘“My faithful Saviour!” That seemed my one thought while awake last night. I was delighted one day on noticing the Greek of Jude 24, draiorovs “without stumbling,” let alone without falling!...

No, I am not “basking in the sunshine”; it is not bright and vivid. I seem too tired, somehow, for brightness; but it is not dark either. I know He is faithful, and I am learning and resting. I think I miss outward helps and privileges, and having no direct work for Christ; I know this is all right too, so I am not fidgeting about it. I was able before this attack to go twice to church, a short afternoon service; but the preacher’s chief lesson, from Luke xxiv., was that Jesus couldn’t be always with us, and that we must expect Him to speedily vanish out of our sight whenever we did get one of the rare glimpses of His presence! So it wasn’t very enlivening, but I was glad indeed that I knew better! Oh, I am so glad that “alway” (Matt. xxvili. 20) means always, and that “never” (Heb. xiii. 5) means ot ever and not “only sometimes,” which is really about as much as I used practically to take the words for! But the “alway” and the ‘‘never” are always mow for us, and I believe them now just as they stand. And so, whether the day is dull or bright, and whether my eyes are heavy or clear, I know Jesus is with me. What a difference it does make, doesn’t it?... I think “The Thoughts of God,” printed in Zhe Sunday Magazine, is the very’ best poem I ever wrote; but I have not heard one word about its doing anybody any real good. It’s generally something that I don’t think worth copying out or getting printed (like “I did this for thee,” and ‘Take my life”), that God sees fit to use.

Do you remember my telling you my difficulty about saving any of my literary earnings for a rainy day? Well, after a deal of puzzle and prayer, I gave it all up to the Lord in Switzerland (1874), and intended to give ai I ever earned straight away to Him. While in London I had an unexpected cheque from Hutchings and Romer, and was arranging how to give it, when down came this fever upon me, and mere doctors and nurses made a clean sweep of this cheque and all my available resources. Was this an indication the other way? and should I be acting rightly towards my relatives, if, when next I receive a cheque, I should give all away without making some provision for future illness? Of course some one must pay doctors, and if I had nothing in hand it would fall on them. So it seems robbing Peter to pay Paul!

And yet He knows I would LIKE to give all into His treasury, direct and at once.

You spoke in a former letter of rejoicing over good news of your converts. I have been thinking over verse 4 of St. John’s Third Epistle, and it seems to me that we too have “zo greater joy.” One is very glad when souls come to Christ, but I do think it is a “greater” joy when the work has been tested, and one finds them growing and working and -shining for Jesus. On the other hand, it does so pain and depress me when I see that those who do profess to be His, often Christians of long standing, are cool and lukewarm, and taking little or no interest in His cause. Is it wrong that what I feel on such matters often amounts to real suffering, and brings more tears than I ever shed for any personal trouble? Yours ever in Him,

(Zo the same.);
LVovember 1876.

Isn’t it odd I should be hors de combat just now? And yet it is stranger still not to feel even the least temptation to say “how excessively provoking!” as I should have been saying three years ago; so everything only proves how real the peace of God is. I have not a’ fear or a flutter, not a care or anxiety, for time or eternity; and I know this is not nature, for the xafural thing to me would be to fidget as to both present and prospective health, neither being very cheering! But the Lord is right, as you wrote me; only, I have not the vivid joy of December 1873, and I am very much inclined to say “‘ Where is the blessedness I knew?” But then I have deeper experience in several respects, and anyhow I have made trial of His love,.

(Zo #. A. S.)
LVovember 17.

Just a loving line for your birthday, dear F — — , and fondest wishes for every blessing; yes, “ad, spiritual blessings” (see Eph. 1. 3).

I feel so inclined to send you, instead of a proper “birthday text,” a word which I never noticed till lately, and which has struck me very much in connection with your saying you had not thought before of “do ye even so to them” as an absolutecommand. It is 1 Chronicles xxvill. 8, “Keep, and seek for, all the commandments,” etc. (ook at it!) You see we are not merely to keep what we know of, and what lie on the surface of His law, but to “seek for all.” And verily this is no hard lines, for more and more I see that “in keeping of them there is great reward” even in this life. Don’t you think this would be a good and helpful aim for the year? I mean, God helping me, to take it as such for myself; and as it was new to me, it may be so for you too. Don’t shrink from finding hitherto unrecognised commands; He only “commands for our good”; let us shrink rather from living in unknown disobedience to any. ‘Blessed are they that do His commandments”; may that blessedness be really yours and mine.

(Zo J. T. W,)

I see clearly now about the “satisfaction,” ze, that I am so satisfied with the Lord Jesus that it is ‘“Yea, let any Ziba take all, forasmuch as my Lord the King has come to His own house in peace” (‘whose house are we,” Heb. iil. 6), Ziba is entirely welcome to all my other property, so that I may but be “with the

King.” If that isn’t being satisfied with my King I don’t exactly see what is! So I have said and sung the last verse of my hymn “Enough” again and again.

“But now Thy perfect love is perfect filling! Lord Jesus Christ, my Lord, my God; Thou, Thou art enough for me!”

All the same, I see I can’t be satisfied till I get to »heaven, in the other sense; I shall always be wanting “more and more” of His gifts, and His gracious words and manifestations of Aimse/f. I got perfectly clear about it in writing “Full Satisfaction” (“My King,” page 30); only, I am anything but satisfied with that same chapter, and I am afraid you are expecting a great deal too much from my poor little book. But, it is for ‘my King.” Iamso happy. That’s all!

(Zo Miss Marston.)

My DEAR LITTLE KITTIE, —

The sad, sad news has reached me, and I know a little bit of what you are bearing now, for I lost my dear mamma when I was about as old as you, and my dear papa died, almost suddenly, not so very long ago. And Jesus knows: knows exactly all you feel, has watched every tear, and listened, oh so lovingly, to every little cry. I think you must be in His very special care now, and He will give you, and zs giving you, even more than all the care and love that your dear papa could give you. Now this very minute, Kittie dear, He does so love you and feel for you; and I think your dear papa knows how much Jesus loves you, better than he ever knew before; and so he can be quite, quite happy, even though you are left behind. He is in Christ’s safe keeping, and only think that, this very minute, he is seeing the King in His beauty, really seeing Jesus! Can you not be almost glad that he is seeing Him now? And he has really heard Jesus say to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.” Think how wonderfully happy it must have made him to hear his own dear Master’s voice saying that to him!

I have two little texts for you, which must come true now, because the very time is come: “He shall gather the lambs with His arm” (Isa. xl. 11); and you perhaps think “Yes, I should like Jesus to keep that promise, but when will He do it?” Look at the margin of Psalm xxvil. ro, and you will see, “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will gather me.” So it is mow that He will gather you in His arms. But He has left you your dear mamma. Will you give her my deepest sympathy! You need not think that you must answer this, it was only I felt so sorry for you and your - dear mamma that I could not help writing.

Yours very lovingly.

A few gleanings from letters to her friend Mary F embody some miscellaneous thoughts, and may fitly close this chapter.

Psalm Ix. 4: “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee.” Then He has given it to you. Don’t keep it furled. What is its device? what is its motto?

See if you come ‘to the same conclusion I have. And may we not take “the Truth” personally? (John xiv. 6.) It must be the breeze of the Spirit which waves its often drooping folds. Pray that it may be displayed faithfully and bravely by yourself and your friend.

Jeremiah xxxi. 14: “My people shall be satisfied with My goodness.” Do this and similar promises refer to this life? do they not group themselves with “I shall be satisfied when I awake with Thy likeness”? Look at John iv. 14 in Greek: “shall never thirst”; does not that rather imply futurity? Yet I should like to know whether any, except such as are already in the land of Beulah, can say that. Still, present or future, there it stands and cannot pass away, being His word, His own word, ‘‘ My people shall be satisfied.”

“Thy will be done.” In applying this to sorrow, trial, and disappointment, do we not forget the brighter pendants to this tear-dropped jewel? “Zyzs is the will of God, even your sanctification.” “Father, I qw¢/7 that they, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am.” Also Ephesians i. 5, Galatians i. 4, and many other instances..

“When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee.” Really and truly w7¢h you, even if the rushing of the waters seems to deafen and blind you for the moment, so that you cannot see or hear Him.

Hebrews xii. 11: ‘Afterward 7 yieldeth,” singular not plural, and therefore definite and applying to each separate trial; “it yieldeth.” So one need only wonder what afterward, not wonder whether /

“Hitherto,” “henceforth.” The Christian’s whole course in two words.