Miss Ellis's MissionSmith, Mary P. Wells (Mary Prudence Wells)
Religion
Miss Ellis's Mission
Smith, Mary P. Wells (Mary Prudence Wells)
Ellis, Sarah, 1835-1885; Home missions -- United States -- Unitarian Church
A young Englishman in Frankfort, Ky., wrote Mrs. Hunert, in answer to
her card of inquiry:
"I do take the 'Register,' 'Unity,' and 'Unitarian;' I am almost
entirely dependent upon what I read here, as I can hear no Liberal
preaching, and meet with very few who have sympathy with Liberal
religious views. I did get the memorial of Miss Ellis, and will
prize it much, as I was better acquainted with her than any one
connected with the church at Cincinnati, and looked upon her as one
of my best friends, and a very noble lady. The day on which I
received your postal, I met the chaplain of the penitentiary here,
and he told me how much the Unitarian literature that was sent from
the East was liked by him; that it was all distributed, and enjoyed
very much by the inmates of the prison. If I had another copy or
two of Miss Ellis's memorial, I would give one to the chaplain, and
another gentleman,--about the only Unitarian I know here."
The following correspondence is with a workingman in Northern Ohio,--a
young Englishman, whose letters tell his story. He once rose at four
o'clock to write Miss Ellis before going to his daily work. One of his
first letters to her said:--
MARCH 16, 1885.
Now, that you may know in what walk of life I move, I must tell you
that I am a laborer. When working by the month, my wages never
exceeded twelve dollars a month. From such small wages I have built
up a small library of 155 volumes; have also 156 pamphlets. I take
unceasing delight in reading, and now that I have others dependent
on me, am not able to procure all the books I need. By some I have
been encouraged to prepare for the ministry. Such also is my
aspiration. It may be years before I shall become a minister,
because my preparation is not to be accomplished very quickly. Oh,
how I wish that some one from their abundance would forward me some
of the books and pamphlets they have cast aside, having no further
use for! They would be of great use to me. What are the
qualifications necessary for the Unitarian ministry? Will you please
tell me? If possible for you to do so, please send me a few more
sermons by Rev. G. A. Thayer, and I shall be greatly obliged.
Miss Ellis forwarded this letter to Miss M. O. Rogers, Secretary of the
King's Chapel branch of the Women's Auxiliary Conference, Boston,
Mass., who had written, offering aid in her work. As a result, the
King's Chapel Women's Auxiliary Conference sent this young man many
Unitarian books of value, and the "Unitarian Review" regularly, for
which his gratitude was great. He loans and distributes all matter sent
him, and has procured many tracts from the American Unitarian
Association for distribution. A portion of Miss Ellis's reply to the
letter given above is as follows:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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