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
"... With this I send you the whole of her correspondence to me,
hoping that you may find something that will be of use to you. I
cheerfully send you the letter and postals, knowing that my
treasures will be in safe keeping. Since Miss Ellis's death they
are doubly precious to me; I prize them very highly, because she
who wrote them proved herself to be a very dear friend to me,--a
laborer longing for more light. Whilst I live I shall never forget
how much I owe to her who labored so much in my behalf. It was the
one wish of my heart to have met Miss Ellis, and to have thanked
her for all that she had done for me; but it was to be otherwise.
When I meet her in the country of 'many mansions,' I shall have the
opportunity to do so. I believe I shall meet and know her there.
Your offer of help is very kind; my greatest drawback is lack of
books by Unitarian writers. I buy when I can, but being out of
work--that is, steady work--since last September makes it very hard
work to get a book very often. If you can help me in this way I
shall be very thankful, and if you cannot, I shall be just the
same, because I feel that you would if you could. I have much
opposition to overcome, standing alone in my belief in the truth of
Unitarianism. I have great need of more books. My preparation for
the ministry must necessarily be slow, because I can never attend
Meadville Theological College. But I am reminded that your time is
precious, and so I will close. Mrs. ----, will you at the next
meeting of the Women's Auxiliary Conference thank all the dear
friends who have done so much for me? If I ever amount to much in
life I shall owe it all to the Cincinnati branch of the Women's
Auxiliary Conference. Hoping that you will not forget me when
sending out literature, I remain, etc."
In another letter he wrote:--
"My object in fitting myself for the ministry is to be able to
carry the message of Unitarianism to my brother-laborers, because I
believe it will make better men--and women too--of them.... I began
to work when I was but a little more than eleven years old, and
since that time I have been my own teacher."
A lady in Ohio sends her "Register" regularly (the arrangement being
made through Miss Ellis) to the correspondent who wrote her this letter
of thanks:--
"I have long postponed the note of thanks I have meant to send you.
But when I tell you that I am a dressmaker, you will pardon me, I
am sure. This is my harvest season, and I am extremely busy. Being
one of the class of work-women who put _themselves_ into what they
do, I am exhausted at night, and forced to make Sunday a day of
rest indeed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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