Chapter XIV
IN the 29th of March, Frank’s father went to Princeton to spend the Sabbath, and hold meetings with the young men in the Presbyterian Church, with which denomination he was connected.
Frank, being naturally of a very cautious disposition, felt considerable anxiety beforehand, and was proportionably rejoiced when he found how deeply interested all the young men were in the meetings. He wrote to me concerning them from Princeton:
Dearest Mother:
*’ Father has had a wonderful series of meetings. There were about two hundred to hear him last night, disagreeable as the weather was; and at the meeting before breakfast, where I hardly expected to see any, there were about thirty; and, at half- past nine, where I told him there might be perhaps fifteen, there were sixty or seventy. The fellows appear deeply interested. Every one seems stirred up, and hopeful of a real revival.
“I had a lovely time at Trenton on Second-day. I think I will try to go down there oftener; it does me so much good.”
/Etat. 17.] THE RECORD OF A HAPPY LIFE. ‘J’J
To his friend C. H. he also wrote, speaking of these meetings and the blessing they had been to himself:
*’ Dearest Charlie:
“This was delayed, as father was here all day yesterday, having meetings. We really had a wonderful time. Father roused them all on the subject of holiness, and the fellows were deeply interested. I never heard it so plainly stated. — First, a heart purified from all things contrary to the will of God, by the cleansing blood of Christ; and, second, simple and momentary faith in His promises to keep and deliver. I do hope and pray it may result in many entering into this blessed, blessed life.
*’I have often thought of what you spoke of as being a good test question, — * Would Christ do this?’ and it has been very practical in showing me my duty.
‘* In letting myself be searched by God’s light, I have found many of my opinions have had to be changed. There is one thing, which please don’t mention, — it is in reference to becoming a minister. Yes, dear C, after a severe struggle of my will last night, I was helped to say, * Here am I, Lord, send me in any way Thou pleasest! ‘It will be a great trial to my flesh, and will go against all my plans for life, and all my prejudices; but if He calls me, He will give me strength to do His will.
*’I pray often for you, and for your Bible class
Sanctification is what every band of Christians neea.
Sinners will not read the Bible; but they will read
our lives.”
To his beloved ^’ Aunty LiU” he also wrote, concerning these meetings, on the ist of April:
“My Beloved Aunty:
‘’ Don’t think, because I write to-day, that I want to ‘April-fool ’ thee. I did not write before because I really had not time. Father has been here and had some meetings, and they were all very well attended. He spoke very plainly and practically on holiness, and I think they all thoroughly understood what he meant. Two of the fellows said afterwards that it was an experience they themselves had, but in which they had never before found any one to sympathize with them; another came up to me to-day, and said that what he had heard yesterday he had been enabled to put into practical use to-day: ‘And it does work,’ he said. Oh, I do so hope the result may be real, practical, and widespread through the whole College. All the tracts and books I have to give are in demand. Do pray that we may have a revival here.”
During the next week Frank’s father stopped at Princeton again, on his way home from Boston, and on the 7th of April Frank wrote:
“Father’s meeting this afternoon made a wonderful impression on all who were there. Two or three have told me it was the most solemn meeting they ever attended. One of the most able fellows here said it was the crisis of his life.
“Our own little private prayer-meeting on Sabbath morning was on the words * Thy will be done; ’ and after five or six had said how necessary consecration was, not only advisable but necessary, it seemed as if I ought to confess openly to my consecration. This I did, and then said it would be a wonderful comfort to me to hear how the others felt on the subject. It seemed to shut them right up, and only one spoke afterwards on consecration, and he only to confess that he was afraid he was not as fully consecrated as he ought to be. It is a little curious, though natural I suppose, that every one is willing to tell his neighbor, he ought to be consecrated, while he himself is not willing to do it.
)
On the 17th of April the “S. S. S.” had a meeting at Baltimore, their last on earth, and they passed a very happy, joyous week together. After Frank’s return, he wrote to his cousin M concerning it:
‘’I did have an elegant time in vacation, and at Baltimore. It never was so hard to come back to study. It seemed like coming from one of those wonderful places the opium-eaters describe, back to this dull practical world. I thought, as I came back in the cars, that it was good for us we did not have this much pleasure often, or we would grow blase. In fact, I hardly think we could have more fun than we do on some of our S. S. S. parties.
“I have been wondering, since I came back, whether it is the best thing in the world for me to have my mind filled with an indescribable, romantic, day-dreamish sort of a desire to do, and to be, something great. I mean, whether I had not better leave the romantic side of life, and deal simply with the practical. It is all very well to have high and noble l80 THE RECORD OF A HAPPY LIFE. [^tat. 17.
resolves, and to be able to think of them as reallynoble. But after all, who accomplish the most, — the dreamers, or those who quietly let go all ideas of doing anything grand, and simply throw themselves into the practical work around them?
“Whenever I get too enthusiastic over my future prospects, I always throw a damper on myself by remembering that every one who is young and strong, and in good health, starts in life with a wonderful determination to do everything. But when he comes to fight the battle, he finds that he fails. Now, why should thee, or B., or 1, be any more likely to succeed than the thousands of others who have been just as ambitious and just as talented?
“But vale, vale! Sadly, because the S. S. S. is over, perhaps the last; joyfully, because life and next summer are ahead!”
On his return to Princeton at this time, Frank joined with a Junior in taking some very pleasant rooms, consisting of a common parlor, with a private bed-room for each, opening into it. And he greatly enjoyed the change in many ways. The Christian fellowship of his room-mate was very delightful to him, and they seemed to be a mutual help and strength to each other. This room-mate, in writing to us, since our boy’s death, says:
“He was a most genial, pteasant room-mate, and we had a great deal of enjoyment, in the short time we were together. I have often said that I did not think I could have found a pleasanter companion.
“We were in the habit of having * family worship ’ it at. r;.] THE RECORD OF A HAPPY LIFE. l8l
together in our parlor every night before we retired to our own rooms, and were thus wonderfully drawn together in our religious life. One evening I would read a passage in the Bible, and he would lead in prayer, and the next he would read, and I would pray. We were reading through Acts. We often had long talks on our religious views, which I enjoyed very much. And although we might not agree exactly, yet we always separated with a greater respect for each other’s opinions, and there were very few points on which we differed.”
On the 28th, he wrote to his little sister Mary:
“Dear Little Sister:
‘’ It is ever so good in thee to write to me. Maybe, when thee goes to College, and I get little again, I will write to thee. How are thy poor measles? Has thee let them go away yet? I should think they would get tired of staying with thee so long.
‘’ Did n’t thee tell me one morning, when we were having a frolic together, that thee sometimes sees ghosts? Well, I went down to the graveyard last night, all in the dark, to look for a ghost, and what does thee think I saw? Nothing at all but a few grave-stones! I guess there are no ghosts, and thee only thinks thee sees something.
“I am so glad, my precious sister, that papa is able to tell me thee is a real Christian, trying to be good. It makes me love thee more and more. Wiite a letter to thy bubba, who loves thee ever so much.
“Frank.”
r82 THE RECORD OF A HAPPY LIFE. [^tat. 17.
On the same day, he wrote to me:
‘’ Dearest Mother:
*’ All safe back here, and delightfully fixed in my new quarters. But it has seemed harder to come back this session than it ever has before. I don’t know why it should; but in order to conquer it, I have plunged deeply into work. I am not homesick; but guess I had too good a time in vacation with the
“I forgot to bring any books or tracts of yours on Holiness back with me, and two or three have asked for them. Thee had better send me a small package by express. One fellow told me he wrote to his mother about this Higher Life, not knowing but she would disapprove of it. She wrote back a long letter, saying it was just what she had believed for a long while, but that she had never seen any book on it except Boardman’s. He wants some of ours to send to her. I think there are several hre who have entered into the experience, but who do not seem to want to tell it. I expect thee would say I am one. Perhaps I am, but I have told it once or twice, and met with but little response, and it seems to have shut me up. Not right, I suppose.
*’ Don’t thee think a cultivated intellectual life is likely to kill the spiritual? How are you to reconcile the two? Drop the intellectual? I do not mean, of course, to say that my intellect is very cultivated, but I can see that when I get particularly zealous to improve it, I seem to grow lukewarm spiritually. Now 11 seems to be right and necessary for me, here at Co-’ lege at least, to cultivate my mind; and yet I do not want to kill my spiritual life in doing it. Do tell me where the medium is to be found. It is a question I have been puzzling over for a good while.
“Thee cannot imagine how intense a desire has been slowly begetting itself in me for a long time to cultivate my mind, and I must now settle the question. If I should have to give up all means of mental improvement, and become an uneducated preacher for instance, thee cannot tell what a trial it would be to me. This is a sticking -point with me, I think, though I never defined it before.
“It does seem to me sometimes that my lot in life is almost too happy to be true. I have so many things to be thankful for. Just suppose I could never write in this way to thee or father, like some boys I know, who never write more than two pages home, simply because they get no sympathy. If the older we grow the more enjoyment we have, I do not know where I will end, I am so happy now.”
On May ist I replied to Frank’s question in this letter, as follows:
“As to thy question about intellectual cultivation, that is thy present duty; therefore it need not, and ought not, to hinder thy spiritual life. I do not think there is anything in intellectual pursuits that is necessarily deadening, any more than there is in any other pursuit. Religion is made .o fit into our human life here, with all its needs and all its capabilities; and it only needs for us, whatever we do, even if it be eating and di inking, to do it to the glory of God, and all will adjust itself in harmony with His will. I believe it is the duty of every one to obtain the best education possible; and if thee only looks at thy studies as being thy duty, and as being really pleasing to God, and then asks His blessing continually on thy efforts, I think thee will not find them deadening. It is a great disadvantage to a preacher to be uneducated j but, if he finds himself so, he must do the best he can with it. If, however, he has an opportunity to remedy it, it is his-bounden duty to do so. Commit this matter to the Lord, dear boy, and trust Him to keep thee fresh and bright in thy spiritual life, and it will all be right.”
In Frank’s reply to this letter, he wrote:
“I did not mean exactly that kind of intellectual cultivation thee referred too; of course, it is my duty to get the best education I can, while you are keeping me here but what I meant was more in respect to reading books of literature, — well written standard works by infidel or sceptical writers, or by authors who were not in the least degree Christians. Thee knows there are a great many of that kind, who have printed books which are beautifully written, and which every cultivated man should know about. What shall I do about these? Thee has only partially settled my perplexities.
‘^ Do suggest some method of carrying on our little morning meeting, so as to make it lively and interesting.”
I replied to this on the 14th of May:
As to thy questions about reading, I woulJ say, emphatically, No! to any reading for amusement which would have a tendency to draw off thy mind from the truth as it is in Jesus. ‘K’^d.^xw for information is another thing, as all information is valuable in one’s Christian work; but as it is impossible to read everything, or to pursue all branches of literature, we ought, I think, to choose those which will help, and not hinder, our Christian life; and a man is far more intelligent who thoroughly masters one branch, than if he has a smattering of a great many. Read all the books that will really strengthen thy mind and do thee good; and then, if thee has any time left, thee can consider about reading other things. I think the Holy Spirit is the best guide, however; if He makes us feel uneasy with any reading, then we must give it up. My darling boy, let nothing stand in the way of entire abandonment to the Lord. Indeed, this is the only happy way to live, and it will not cut thee off from any pleasure which is really worth having, or which could make thy life brighter in any true sense.
*’ I cannot tell thee what a comfort and a joy thee is to me, nor how tenderly I love thee. My confidence in thee is perfect, my boy.’
About the same time his father also wrote to him in reference to these subjects:
Louisville, May 4, 1872.
*’ My Darling Boy:
“Weighing one hundred and fifty pounds, and being stronger than I am, leaves thee still my ‘boy.’ l86 THE RECORD OF A HAPPY LIFE. [^tat. 17.
Thy letter is most welcome. I have been deeply impressed, in reading John Wesley’s Life, by what he accomplished through definiteness of purpose, and steady, unwavering persistence in work. He was at his work, — always at it, — hard at it; and his life-work has, through God, told on the history of the human race. Could his life but convey this lesson to our * boy,* whose life-long habits are now being formed, what might we not expect from his early start in the good path!
*’And it is so sweet to know that, while we yield ourselves as ‘instruments of righteousness,’ we do not have to furnish the power for work. Our Heavenly Father does this; we only * do not frustrate ‘His purposes, but just lei Him work in us to will and to do. The effort is not that of ‘doing,’ but of allowing Him to do, unhindered by ourselves.
‘’ Has thee noticed that the greatest instruments in God’s hand have been educated men? — Moses, Daniel, Paul! What a motive for intense effort to grasp all thy privileges in this respect. Many of the most deeply spiritual men of our day have the highest education; and while thee forever gives up ambition in thy studies, the love of God should be the motive with thee, as selfish ambition is with others. Surely, this should be more all-controlling than ambition to a child of God. Ignorant Christians are not, therefore, spiritual, nor is it the tendency of ignorance to make them so. There are probably a hundred ignorant Christians to one educated one; but I question if the proportion of sluggish Christians is not far greater in the ranks of the ignorant. Of the stewardship of his natural faculties my son has to give an account, and his responsibility now is for a liberal cultivation and enlargement of them; — not for self, but for God.
*’The unusual mercies which surround thee may waft thee on to untold blessings! God grant that they may not be used for self, or cause indolence, so that severe sorrow may become needful to prepare thee to receive real blessings!
If some around thee are not in earnest, I trust that there is at least one who is taking Christ in His promises, and leading a quiet but * real life hid with Christ in God ‘j and, from this Rest, boldly witnessing * where his sanctified judgment shows it is best ’ for the Lord Jesus.
“Do not feel that I am criticising, — I greatly joy in my boy; so much that I want to see him a holy, outspoken witness for his Lord. Thy loving father,
Robert Pearsall Smith.’*