Name/Title
AU Harris, Joseph Hastings - 1896-09-17 letter to Bertha Elizabeth LambertEntry/Object ID
1990.1.126Context
[Chillicothe, OH, to Miss Bertha E. Lambert, Box 344, Westerville, Ohio, “Franklin Co.”]
No 80 N. Mulberry St.
Chill(y)coffee, Ohio.
Sep. 17, 1896.
Miss Lambert,
Westerville, Ohio.
Darling Bertha: I wish I was near enough to you so there would be no need of writing, but it is difficult for us to understand the workings of Providence and I am thankful that I may have the privilege of telling you in this way that I still love you and am living on hope the fruit of faith.
Your message came today and as usual made me light-hearted. If I thought my letters did you as much good as yours do me I would feel that I ought to write every day. I think you do well to write as much as you do. That signature means whole volumes to me. It is too bad that I can not be with you. I hope you will not worry and I trust that you will forgive me for having thus used you {ie} that I have been away from you for so long and have been indefinite about when I could commence school, etc. I dislike to mention anything of this kind and I hope you will forget it quickly, but I expected fully to start to school with you until about that time I asked for a full statement from the Co. and while those who started in the work did well the majority have not started at all and the Co. allowed some to cancel the order so for the present it is not very profitable to me. It may turn out all right after a while but that does not suffice for the present. It gave me no time to consider other plans and so here I am. I confess it has worried me more than any one thing of that nature that ever came up, but I lean heavily on Ps. 37:5; Is. 41:10 etc. I may be able to enter school soon, and it may be some time yet.
I have given you this little explanation, no one else of course is interested and I dislike to bother you with anything of that kind but thought best to speak of it under the circumstances.
I expect to follow Christ come what may. Most all of my school work has been broken so this will be no exception.
I wish you might see me at W.— Sat. but I fear you will be again disappointed. However if it becomes evident that I will be out some time I shall visit you when I get farther up the line. I may not stay here long and expect to go to Circleville next where I will be within 42 miles of you.
I happened to get into rather a peculiar boarding place, but perhaps I can live through it.
I have had no mirror in my room until this morning when I asked for one and they gave me a 4 6 arrangement.
I hope this may find you the same happy little girl as usual. I think I shall stay here until perhaps Tuesday, so if you feel like spending an hr. with me Sunday I can get your message Mon.
I think my experience in this work will be of great value to me. I try to be a constant student of sociology etc as I plod along and I now see why the cause of Christ languishes as it does. Day by day I see more in Phil. 3:7–21.
I don't think I ought to blame you much if you should get another “point” since I am absent all the time, but perhaps we can make up for this later and our joy will only be the sweeter by being true to our trust.
Your Lover,
J. H. Harris
No 80 Mulberry St Chillicothe O.
