to
baptize their children, for in laying his hand upon the infant he was
also laying his hand upon their hearts, and this act was the genuine
blessing of a father-in-God, the shepherd calling his own by name.

There came to me the following letter from a parishioner whose first
child lived only a few hours:

The one thing I wanted to do was to receive the Holy Communion.
My husband called the Parish House and left word. We expected his
assistant or possibly the deaconess, and you can imagine how
honored and comforted we felt when Mr. Nelson came himself. It
was indeed comforting to know that such a busy person could take
time for one of the most humble of his church. We shall never
forget the talk we had with him in the hospital before receiving
the Holy Communion. He asked all about our little boy, and told
us always to speak of him by name and think of him alive with the
Father. Mr. Nelson told us of a baby sister of his who died, and
how he felt about her. He said he always visited that tiny grave
when he went home. He really stands in our hearts.

The strength of the Lord dwelt in his heart else he never could have
given himself so indefatigably to the demands of a great city parish.
There were no barriers of access to him. Until 1919 he did not have a
private secretary, preferring to answer personally all his mail in long
hand, and the only times he allowed himself to be out of reach of the
telephone were during Holy Week and possibly on Saturdays. Everyone who
came to the office was able to see him without any formality. I remember
showing him an article in a church paper on the misuse of the title
"Reverend," and suggesting that it might be well to print it in the
Sunday leaflet. He was amused and only said, "What does it matter what
we are called as long as they _call_ us." This intense desire to give of
himself lay back of his disappointment when friends and parishioners
failed to communicate with him because they hesitated to trouble so busy
a man. Former Mayor Russell Wilson remarked that "Frank Nelson was the
spiritual advisor to many men whom you would not think of as having
spiritual advisors." The downright sincerity of the man and his
"at-homeness" with human beings of all kinds made it natural for men to
talk with him.

There was, however, more in his personality than mere sociability and a
genial manner, because an indefinable power or strength went forth from
him. It was