1888-1889
Gibraltar, Algeria, Malta, Egypt, India, Burma, Singapore, China, Japan, Korea, Russia
November 16th, 1888
Delhi, India
My Beloved Angee,
Your welcome letter to Agra this week is sent to me here this morning and the cheer and comfort to my heart in hearing from you every 7 days does not diminish, as the time goes on – also one from dear Emma and it is good to hear that they are so comfortable and Harry getting on so nicely with his work – the photo of dear little Hilda was not enclosed – also one from dear Arundel with enclosure from Mildred – one of her own composing in which she refers not only to her father's being poorly at Ilfracombe and not able to get "a wink of sleep", but seems to remember especially some medicine Dr Harper had given her which she says was "such knasty medicine" – the addition of the K seems to emphasise it.
Well I got away from Lahore on Monday evening as my last will have made known to you from a large military station called Umballa – Major Jacob returned to Lahore on Monday evening, so we passed each other in the train. I went in and had a cup of tea with dear Mrs Jacob and saw all their children and they are nice children indeed – the two eldest girls have just arrived from their schools at Malvern – the large thatched bungalow they live in is very comfortable and the compound and gardens surrounding it would make a man living in a street in England open his eyes at the extent of it all and just now the climate is simply perfection. I should have gone up to Simla but having had a little cold was rather fearful of the extremes of climate and I am anxious too to push on so as to reach Calcutta if possible by Xmas as P.F.&Co. planned – from Umballa I visited another military station called Meerut arriving one evening and leaving the next for Delhi – on reaching the bungalow about dinner time 7.30 pm there were two other gentlemen dining who I joined – one English the other Eurasian and this latter was very talkative and twice during the dinner he mentioned the Lord's name, but I did not like the ring of it exactly. I was tired and kept quiet to save time and then joined in their conversation – the door being open I feel for a word of truth and in a very little while the Eurasianic came out with Newton's[?] doctrine, that our Lord partook of our sinful nature as born of many. I read several scriptures, dwelling especially upon Luke II: "That Holy thing which shall be called The Son of God" – it really was as if Satan was unmasked in this person for the fearful spirit he displayed in refusing the truth that He the Lord was without sin – without spot or blemish. Feeling he was thoroughly beaten and exposed he then began to attack Plymouth Brethren and I replied that I thought he knew something about them. It appears he is a pianoforte tuner residing in a place called Mussoone[?] – well the best part of it was that during all this battle the other gentleman saw the point and expressed himself very decidedly that although he made no profession of Christianity yet he had not forgotten so much of his Bible as not to be able to see that this man's doctrine was all wrong and also that he was very glad to have been present for he had heard what he never knew before and I do trust it may be blessed to him. This person is called Cook and is the manager of the estates of a very wealthy Raja in the neighbourhood whose rents alone bring in some 6 or 7 lachs of Rupees a year (a lach is a hundred thousand).
After a good night's rest I rose much refreshed in every way in the morning and breakfasted with Mr Cook and during our meal his Raja came in to speak with him for a few minutes. Mr Cook afterward referred to the conversation the previous evening and again expressed thankfulness for what he had heard. The Lord prospered the work again at Meereut and I had time to call upon one soldier brother in the place who came down to the Dak and had some tea with me – the dear fellow was greatly refreshed and at 7 p.m. he accompanied me to the station and we arrived here soon after 10 – only a 3 hours stage – I wish there more of these and less of the 30 hour rides. My servant does his best poor fellow but he is not keen and knows very little of English and often the blunders he makes give me a lot of worry and trouble. I really dread going to a railway station for the trouble with the baggage is enough to drive me crazy – I assure you sometimes it is just as much as I can bear and I feel disposed to turn away from it all - apart from the actual experience of it no one can ever imagine what senseless creatures many of the natives are in everything except money and then their cleverness shines out in brightest lustre – I sometimes feel that I will abandon everything in the luggage way except what I can carry and manage by myself but must plod on with my burdens. It's a real comfort to my spirit to bow the knee and pour out all my troubles to God – how little we can bear - and then I get refreshed and strengthened for the battle again. Was expecting to reach Lucknow for Lord's day (now Friday) but fear the business will keep me here until Monday night or Tuesday – this is one of the most important markets in India except Bombay and Calcutta, so I must not run away and leave the business behind. When I look back and see all the ground I have been over since August 2 last I can hardly believe it to have been possible to get through it all in 11 weeks. How wonderfully God has in His great goodness sustained me in every way and He has my beloved ones at home for whom my heart goes out continually to Him that as a household taken up in sovereign mercy and saved by His grace we may each be kept true to Him and to one another in the relationships His own wisdom and love has formed – the husband to the wife the wife to the husband the children to the parents servants to their masters – The Lord continue His mercy and care over you and our beloved children and grandchildren and keep us holding fast His words and not denying His name and sticking to those who through grace do the same – His friends and our friends, soon to be manifested with Him and like Him when He appears in Glory, much love to all dear friends and a dear wife's peculiar portion for yourself believe me my beloved Angee.
Being very affectionate Husband