find traces of that course, before you have done, in yourself
and in others for good or for evil. It is a good thing to think that
nothing good is ever 'over'--that whatever we do is done for eternity, is
part of ourselves and of others--that we live on in others, live on a
nobler life than we lived in ourselves. When we _influence_ another, our
life _flows into_ another: we live our life over again in him. The day
will come when we shall see more clearly into what we have been doing.
As yet we are like children playing with knives: they little know how
near they are to killing themselves at times. So we are playing with big
issues: we call them small and secular, we treat them as such--yet every
speck of dust is big with infinity. Would that we could see the Infinite
Being at every turn, then we should begin to live. You will get wrong in
all your plans unless you see them in Him, and Him in them, and correct
them as you see them thus--correct your thoughts to fit in with His
thoughts, not His thoughts to fit in with your thoughts.

But you'll learn it is true. You'll understand later on why I am always
talking about a Person; why to know that Personal Being is life.
Meanwhile, thank you very, _very_ much for what you have taught me. I
feel I am down in the bottom class of that school, but I am glad that I
have got into the school at all. Later on I may reach a higher standard,
and know the Teacher better. In that school the lesson each of us is set
to learn is love, and the name we are all trying to spell out is the name
of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Some of us,
perhaps, have learnt to spell one part of the name, {76} some of us
another. But none of us have properly learnt to love one single person
as we ought; and few of us have learnt to see the Father's love in all,
the Son's grace in all, and the Spirit's fellowship in all. But patience
must have her perfect work: and if we work hard at our lessons, we shall
know more, love more, think in a simple way, and _do_ more. But we must
not be learning merely from each other; the pupils must look away to the
Master of all in the centre, and as we all learn from Him and love Him,
we shall be more modest, there will be no competition--save who can love
most and sacrifice most--and do most for Him who has done all for us.

This letter is hurried. Forgive it. Write again. Accept the will for
the deed. Think, think, think!

_To T.