1888-1889
Gibraltar, Algeria, Malta, Egypt, India, Burma, Singapore, China, Japan, Korea, Russia
October 26th, 1888
Mooltan, India (Friday)
My Beloved Angee,
My last letter was from Quetta where we left at 7.30 last Tuesday morning, glad enough to have all the warmest clothing my trunk would yield and a good thick winter overcoat I had provided before leaving Karachi – by the first evening – after travelling 12 or 13 hours we had gone from the cold of an English Christmas to the heat of August – we stopped 2 or 3 hours at a place called Sibi in the desert of Sind and finding there was a Government Telegraph Office near I sent my usual weekly cable to P.F.&Co. with the word "Agra" – my address for this week's London mail. I expect both P.F.&Co. and yourself will wonder what quarter of the globe "Sibi" was in. We travelled two day[sic] and two nights to reach this place arriving at Mooltan about 5.30 in the morning and when Rana came to my carriage the lamp had gone out and the day light had not yet come, so had to dress hastily while my bed was being packed up and all my baggage removed from the carriage. We found a garry at the station and after piling up our baggage more like gipsies than anything else drove to the dark bungalow, but only to find the place full – not very pleasant tidings at that early hour. We were told there was a hotel about a mile away so we drove and found room. Rana soon unpacked my bed and glad indeed I was to lay down for a couple of hours more without even taking off any of my clothes. You must be in such circumstances to know the sweetness of rest. I am glad to have visited Quetta as it led to a good business – three of the merchants gave me orders on Saturday and another followed on Monday thus making four. I hear at Karachi of a very devoted servant of the Lord residing there (not with us) called Major Hunt in the Commissariat Dept. so called at his bungalow leaving a card as he was out and he called the following day when I was out, so I then called at his office and found him with another officer under him in the same room to whom I was introduced – well I talked freely of the Lord's word to Major Hunt and of His love and care and interest in us down here while He Himself was in all the peace and glory and blessedness of the Father's house above. After this Major Hunt called at my lodging and we had a nice time together and he referred to the conversation at this office in the morning and what a surprise it seemed to be to his friend who said he never heard anything like it in his life.
We should have left here again last evening for night train to Lahore but the merchant I called to see would not be home until this morning and I was not sorry to have one night on the stumps instead of on the rollers. D.V. we go on by tonight's train and hope to reach Lahore soon after 9 in the morning where I shall be glad to meet a few of the Lord's gathered ones and also expect my English letters which will have been re-posted from Karachi.
"How good is the God we adore" – I know He gives you to prove it at home my dear Angee and I assure you He does give my heart to prove it more and more in His wonderful care over me – spirit, soul and body. I have been much dwelling upon the sufferings of that dear Saviour, whom God made Him to be sin for us – He Himself the sinless one – I feel for myself how lightly our hearts carry the sense of what it cost Him to save us and to bring us to God. I have been confessing it to God and praying that I might ever have a remembrance that we have not been redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. I pray too that the Gospel may work in our hearts more, so that it may bring forth fruit to God in life and conversation. Oh what need of carefulness - keeping the heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life – issues which either glorify Him or bring dishonour upon the precious name our Father and God has made to rest upon us. Oh what boundless sovereign mercy and grace that our mouths, by nature once full of cursing and bitterness should now as born again be allowed the privilege of confessing the Lord Jesus Christ to God and to man. Trust you are keeping in good health and all the dear ones at Barnstaple and now London – for each and all of you I pray continually and am thankful to have your prayers for myself. D.V. I shall close this after arrival at Lahore.
Lahore, Lord's day Oct 28th
Arrived here safely yesterday morning but rather wearied in body but was greatly cheered in spirit on calling at the Post Office to find a good batch of home letters from your dear self, Arundel, Harry and Henry – these had been redirected from Karachi. Thank the Lord for all His goodness and care over you all. Dear Harry's was specially welcome as I had not heard from him for a few weeks. Called on all the merchants here and had a kind reception from them and there is good ground for encouragement as far as the business is concerned for which I am very thankful. This morning with one dear brother residing here from England we have remembered the Lord in eating His supper – You talk of 8 at Ilfracombe – how thankful we have been here this morning to find each other making 2 and a very blessed moment the Lord gave us together in remembering Himself and thus meeting the expressed desire of His heart so graciously made known to us.