“More Love to Thee, O Christ,” and other of her writings.  In truth, my feelings about her, while I was at Monmouth Beach, were quite peculiar and excite my wonder still.  I scarcely know how to describe them.  They were at times very intense, and, I had almost said, awe-struck, seemed bathed in a sweet Sabbath stillness, and to belong rather to the other world than to this of time and sense.  How do you explain this?  Was my spirit, perhaps, touched in some mysterious way by the coming event?  Certainly, had I been warned that she was so soon to leave me, I could hardly have passed those days of absence in a mood better attuned to that in which I now think of her as forever at home with the Lord.

The following are two of her last letters: 

To Mrs. Condict, Kauinfels, July 22, 1878.

To begin with the most important part of your letter.  I reply that neither Mr. Prentiss or myself have ever had any sympathy with Second Adventists.  All the talk about it seems to us mere speculation and probable doom to disappointment.  I do not see that it is as powerful a stimulant to holiness as the uncertainty of life is.  Christ may come any day; but He may not come for ages; but we must and shall die in the merest fragment of an age, and see Him as He is.  It will be a day of unspeakable joy, when we meet Him here or there.  I shrink from unprofitable discussion of points that, after all, can only be tested by time and events.  I do not think our expecting Christ will bring Him a minute sooner, for the early church expected Him, yet He came not.  There has been so much wildness in theories on this subject that I am sore when I hear new ones advanced; none of these theories have proved to be correct, and I do not imagine any of them will.

I have been busy indoors, upholstering not only curtains and couches, but ever so many boxes, as our bureaus are shallow and our closets small.  I made one for A. large enough for her to get into, and she uses it as she would a room, suspending objects from the sides and keeping all her artistic implements in it.  I began my Bible-reading last Thursday, the hottest day we have had; but there was a good attendance.  My G. met with an accident from the circular saw which alarmed and distressed me so that his father had to hartshorn and fan me, while the girls did what they could for G. till the doctor could be got from Factory Point.  His eyebrow was cut open and his forehead gashed, but all healed wonderfully, and we have reason to be thankful that he did not lose an eye, as he was so near doing.  At any time when you must have change, let me know, as there are often gaps between guests, and sometimes those we expected, fail.  Mr. Prentiss is, apparently, benefited by hot weather, and is unusually well.  Thanks for the needles, which will be a great comfort.  Have you painted a horse-shoe?  I had one given me; black ground and blue forget-me-nots, and hung by a blue ribbon.  I am going to paint one for M. and Hatty.  I feel as if I had left out something I wanted to say.