Another incident, that left its mark upon this year, was the sudden and dangerous illness of her husband.  His life was barely saved by an immediate surgical operation.  He convalesced very slowly and it was many months before she recovered from the shock.

To a Christian Friend, Jan. 25, 1874.

I do not perfectly understand what you say about prayer, but it reminds me of Mrs.——­’s expressing surprise at my praying.  She said she did not, because Christ was all round her.  But it is no less a fact that Christ Himself spent hours in prayer, using language when He did so.  That does not prove, however, that He did not hold silent, mystical communion with the Father.  It seems to me that communion is one thing, and intercessory prayer another; my own prayers are chiefly of the latter class; the sweet sense of communion of which I have had so much, has been greatly wanting; I dare not ask for it; I must pray as the Spirit gives me utterance.  No doubt your experience is beyond mine; I can conceive of a silence that unites, not separates, as existing between Christ and the soul.  As to her of whom we sadly spoke, I am so absolutely lost in confusion of thought that I feel as if chart and compass had gone overboard.  I believe there can be falls from the highest state of grace, and that sometimes a fall is the best thing that can happen to one; but it is an appalling thought.  How wary all this should make you and me!...  Though I have felt the greatest respect for Miss ——­, I have often wondered why I did not love her more.  Well, we have a new reason for fleeing to Christ in this perplexity and disappointment.  I had let her be in many things my oracle, and perhaps no human being ought to be that.  Shall we ever learn to put no confidence in the flesh?  My husband thinks Miss ——­ insane.

To a young Friend, Jan 27, 1874.

The comfort I have had as the fruit of close acquaintance with a sick-room!  I see more and more how wise God was, as well as how good, in hiding me away during all the years that might have been very tempting, had I had my freedom.  My publishing this book [10] was a sort of miracle; I never meant to do it, but my will was taken away and it was done in one short month.  I should not expect a girl as young as yourself to respond to much of it, but I am glad you found anything to which you could....  When I received my own great blessing thirty-five years ago, I was younger than you are now, and hadn’t half the light you have, nor did I know exactly what to aim at, but blundered and suffered not a little....  It seems to me that it is eminently fitting that we should go to the throne of grace together, and expect, in so doing, a different kind of blessing from that sought alone, in the closet.  I never feel any embarrassment in praying with those older and better than myself; the better they are, the less disposed they will be to look down upon me.  The truth