t length attain its end. It is a wonderful privilege to
be able to state all one's wishes and hopes for others in prayer--to
know that there can be there no possibility of misunderstanding--to
tell to God the incomprehensible depth of one's love, and to feel that
He knows what it means, because He Himself is love. It is glorious to
be made in His image, and to be sure that all one's highest yearnings
are a reflection--however broken, partial, and unsightly--of His own
marvellous life. We have indeed cause to be grateful for our
'creation.' I often look at the poor dumb creatures, and thank God
that He has given me such full powers of love, which they cannot
understand: for I would rather have the pains of love than any other
pleasure.

_To F. S. H., a chaplain in the Navy._

Cambridge: November 4, 1900.

I ought to have written before this. The fact that I did not answer at
once is partly accounted for by my having a good deal of work to do,
and partly by physical weakness. I have not been very well this term.
It is cruel of you to suspect me of having forgotten all about you. I
am not that sort. I owe too much to you in the past ever to forget
you. {133} I don't think that you really suspected me of inconstancy.
I am so sorry that you are sometimes lonely and very miserable. I feel
at times weak, physically weak. I think that at such times one can
lean back, as it were, on the Divine arms. He understands our weakness
and weariness. He knows what loneliness and sadness mean. And He is
not extreme to mark what we do amiss. He knows that we are but flesh.
And He 'dwells not in the light alone, but in the darkness and the
light.' Even when the darkness hides Him and we cannot find where He
is, we can, as it were, reach out our hands to Him, and we are safe.
God has much to teach us while we are teaching others. And life is not
exactly the same as we thought at the beginning. He teaches us by
unexpected experiences. But the comfort is that He never changes; we
may be weary, but He never slumbers nor sleeps. Sometimes we feel very
fit and capable. Then is the time to pray and to rise to the heights.
Later, when we are incapable, although it is hard to rise, we need not
fall. When the mist clears we can go on again, and it may be that we
shall find that even in the mist we had gone further than we thought.
The deep snow and the long dark rainy days are necessary for the
perfecting of the fruit, as