Maud Trowbridge.
To Mrs. Blanche Norton,
New Haven, Conn.
To a Friend on a Sudden Reverse of Fortune.
Louisville, Ky., June 5, 189-.
My Dear Friend:
Hackneyed phrases of condolence never yet comforted a man in the hour of trouble, and I am not going to try their effect in your case. And yet let me say, in heartfelt earnest, that I was deeply pained to hear of your sudden and unexpected reverse of fortune. Misfortune is very hard to bear, when it falls upon one, like a flash of lightning from a clear sky, without any warning. But do not be discouraged. When Senator Benton saw the work of many years consumed in ten minutes, he took the matter coolly, went to work again, and lived long enough to repair the damage. So I hope will you. There is no motto like "try again," for those whom fate has stricken down. Besides, there are better things than wealth even in this world, to say nothing of the next, where we shall neither buy nor sell.
If I can be of any assistance to you, let me know it, and I will help you as far as I am able.
In the meantime, cheer up, and believe me as ever,
Yours sincerely,
James Sterling.