After Miss Ellis's death, he wrote, Feb. 13, 1886:—
"... 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.
"The papers do come regularly, to my great joy. I assure you that the pleasure and spiritual strength I get from them, if you could realize it, would compensate you for the trouble an hundred-fold. My business, showing me so plainly the small foibles and weaknesses of human nature, and necessarily binding one's thoughts in large measure to 'band, gusset, and seam, seam, gusset, and band,' or their equivalents of flounces and gores, tends to a wearisome narrowing of the mind; a half-hour spent after work is done, with the 'Register,' opens a window, as it were, into heaven.
"I live alone. At times my isolation is hard to bear; but having seen better days, as the saying goes, to me my deprivations are but part of the discipline that God saw was needful for me. I am shut off, by reason of serving the public, from the society of my equals in education and breeding, and for that of my equals in station I have no taste. Pardonnez-moi these personal details; I give them that you may know how much good you are doing. Long may you be spared the power and the will to do such kindness to those who need. We may never meet on earth, but I trust we shall in heaven."
To Miss Ellis, Aug. 20, 1885, she wrote:—
"I receive the papers, and not only read and enjoy them, but give and send them to others. I am surprised to find 'unconscious' Unitarians wherever I go. I hope you may be well by this time. Do not tire yourself to write. Others need you more than I."