I think I have told you of my father's words spoken during his last illness: 'If I had a thousand lives, I would give them all—all to the ministry.' You will not regret your decision. If angels could envy, how they would envy us our splendid chance—to be able, in a world where everything unseen must be taken on sheer faith, in a world where the contest between the flesh and the spirit is being decided for the universe, not only to win the battle ourselves but also to win it for others! To help a brother up the mountain while you yourself are only just able to keep your foothold, to struggle through the mist together—that surely is better than to stand at the summit and beckon. You will have a hard time of it, I know; and I would like to make it smoother and to 'let you down' easier; but I am sure that God, who loves you even more than I do, and has absolute wisdom, will not tax you beyond your strength.… I'll pray for you, like the widow in the parable, and I have immense belief in prayer.… You remember what was said of Maurice, 'He always impressed me as a man who was naturally weak in his will; but an iron will seemed to work through him.' That Will can work through you and transform you, but for God's sake don't trust to your own will.…
If you are ordained it will be because there is one who in St. Paul's words—ho aphorisas me ek koilias metros mou—was separating you from birth and educating you with a view to the Gospel of Christ.…
Tasks in hours of insight willed
Can be through hours of gloom fulfilled.[1]
[1] Matthew Arnold, Morality.
[Transcriber's note: The Greek phrases in the above paragraph were transliterated as follows: ho—(rough breathing mark) omicron; aphorisas—alpha, phi, omicron, rho, iota, sigma, alpha, final sigma; me—mu, epsilon; ek—epsilon, kappa; koilias—kappa, omicron, iota, lambda, iota, alpha, final sigma; metros—mu, eta, tau, rho, omicron, final sigma; mou—mu, omicron, upsilon]
To his mother.
Estcourt, Natal; August 18, 1899.
General Gordon came to Kokstad on his way to Basutoland. When he arrived he went to the Royal Hotel, ordered a room, threw open the window, and spent two hours in prayer and meditation. The next day was Sunday. He asked Mr. Adkin what was being done for 1,000 Cape Mounted Infantry then stationed there, and when he learnt that nothing was being done for their spiritual food, he burst into tears. On Monday morning the first telegram which he sent off to the Cape Government was a request that a chaplain should be appointed. Mr. Adkin was appointed and remained chaplain until the force was disbanded. General Gordon went on to Basutoland, and had wonderful power over the natives. He told them that no force would be brought against them; he himself was without weapons. He was settling the country, when news came to him that the Cape Government was, contrary to stipulation, sending an armed force against them; so he left the country in twenty-four hours.
Cecil Rhodes was once at Kokstad. When he was near the place, he lay down on the hillside and exclaimed: 'Oh, how I wish they would let me alone—let me stay here!' However, he had to go down to be fêted. He was listless, and bored by the banquet, until the present mayor began to attack him violently in his speech, and to complain about the Cape Government, and to express a desire that Natal would take them over. Then Rhodes woke up with a vengeance and gave them a great speech. Ixopo is where Rhodes started out in South Africa. His name still figures on the magistrates' books—fined 10l., for selling a gun to a native.
To his cousin, J. C. H; on the occasion of the death of his brother.