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[The first four pages of this letter are missing.]
more to live for. She will marry again —
the man is coming along the road to meet her now, only you see I want to hurry
it up.
I went from my visit to your r Duncan Moorer Moorevery great down in his section. this as such a great misfortune".
As to forgiving our enemies, no sort of amity towards them. I have never been
able to get up the least feeling of loyalty or interest in the star-spangled
banner. On the contrary I would like to spit on it this minute. Now of course
this is not forgiveness. And yet I think myself a better While we were yet sinners Christ died". I really
do believe we ought to choke down, trample out,
scatter to the winds all our natural, & ("casually
speaking") justifiableresentments, & bitternesses, & force
ourselves to feel, look, speak kindly & forgivingly of these people. It
will cost a mortal pang to do it, but it ought to be done, I believe, by now. If we wait till time has dulled our
memories somewhat & worn off the keenness of the edge, we may begin to
say I forgive, when it is only that we are forgetting. I remember hearing a poor
paralytic woman, struck down in the flush of her worldliness, say, & she
seemed to take such credit to herself for her renunciation —
" I am done with the world now. I give it up freely". When the
fact was, the world had given her up. I think we are very apt to deceive
ourselves in this way. It seems to me that these hatreds, resentments, envies,
whatever we call them, are not to be suffered to die out, nor to be allowed to
live till certain conditions are complied with by the offenders; they must be
taken hold of in all their vigor & lustihood & pulled up root
& branch, tho' it be with a long pull, a strong pull, & a pull
altogether. I say all this with the deepest shame, that
My little
manage her so as to avoid a conflict — guide her, so to speak,
round the matter in question, so as she will not perceive it, but that is not
breaking her will, is it! I have a great notion of that breaking the will. I
want her to get into the habit of coming openly over
her will, into mine & doing it quietly & pleasantly too.
"I want this but Mama wants that, & I must yield to her
& I will do it". How am I to bring
s
Do you know anything of
I never received the letter you spoke of from
I think it is high time this letter should come to an end — bed time or
no. I wish you would do me just so. Love to the Dr
& all yours.