longer. It was dated "Island Vulanga, in the South
Seas, March, 18--,
"My dear Eleanor--
"I do not know what presumption moves me to address you again, and from
this far-away place. I say to myself that it is presumption; and yet I
yield to the impulse. Perhaps it is partly the wish to enjoy once at
least even this fancied communion with you, before some news comes
which may shut me off from it for ever. But I yield to the temptation.
I feel very far from you to-day; the tops of the bread-fruit trees that
I see from my window, the banana tree with its bunches of fruit and
broad bright leaves just before my door--this very hot north wind that
is blowing and making it so difficult to do anything and almost to
breathe--all remind me that I am in another land, and by the very force
of contrast, the fresh Welsh mountains, the green meadows, the cool
sweet air of Plassy--and your face--come before me. Your face, most of
all. My mind can think of nothing it would be so refreshing to see. I
will write what I please; for you will never read it if the reading
would be impertinent; and something tells me you _will_ read it.
"This is one of the hot months, when exertion is at times very
difficult. The heat is oppressive and takes away strength and
endurance. But it is for my Master. That thought cures all. To be weary
for Christ, is not to be weary; it is better than any delights without
him. So each day is a boon; and each day that I have been able to fill
up well with work for God, I rejoice and give thanks. There is no limit
here to the work to be done; it presses upon us at all points. We
cannot teach all that ask for teaching; we can hardly attend to the
calls of the sick; hundreds and hundreds stand stretching out their
hands to us with the prayer that we would come and tell them about
religion, and we cannot go! Our hands are already full; our hearts
break for the multitudes who want the truth, to whom we cannot give it.
We wish that every talent we have were multiplied. We wish that we
could work all night as well as all day. Above all _I_ want to be more
like my Lord. When I am all Christ's, _then_ I shall be to the praise
of his glory, who called me out of darkness into his marvellous light.
I want to be altogether holy; then I shall be quite happy and useful,
and there is no other way. Are you satisfied with less, Eleanor? If you
are, you are satisfied with less than satisfies Christ. Find out where
you stand. Re
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