From your brother in Jesus, P. B. B.
Cole City, Ga., April 26, 1896.
Mrs. Wheaton.
Dear Mother: I take the pleasure of writing you a few lines.
I do hope that I can meet you and tell you the good you have done me. G.o.d is the one and the only one I look to. I want to go to Heaven and believe I will. I believe some day, if we do not meet on earth again, that we will meet in Heaven.
Poor and needy though I be, G.o.d, my maker, cares for me; Gives me clothing, shelter, food; He will hear me when I pray.
He is with me night and day, When I sleep and when I wake.
Keeps me safe for Jesus" sake, He who reigns above the sky, Once became as poor as I.
He whose blood for me was shed, Had not where to lay His head.
Though I labor here awhile, He will bless me with His smile.
And when this short life is past, I shall rest with Him at last.
I hope and pray that you will have power and strength to obey the Master"s will.
Good-bye, P. McM.
Boise City, Idaho, May 11, 1896.
Mrs. Wheaton.
My Dear Mother in Christ: I hope you are well and enjoying the love of the Lord. It is a great thing to be in a position to work for the Lord Jesus. We are having good services now every Sunday, and we have a good Bible cla.s.s of our own. The Lord has wonderfully blessed this place, and I hope to see many souls saved. Praise G.o.d! All the boys send love and wish to see you, and we all wish you success. G.o.d bless you in your good work.
W. B.
Waupun, Wis., Feb. 26, 1897.
Mrs. E. R. Wheaton and Mrs. Kelly,
Dear Friends: Enclosed please find P. O. order for $6.66, which is sent you with the best wishes of the inmates of this inst.i.tution, as a slight token of the appreciation which we have of your efforts toward the uplifting of fallen beings like ourselves, and the upbuilding of Christ"s Kingdom.
Although most of the contributions came from the C. E. members, yet they were not confined strictly to them.
It was a surprise to me, when in conversation with many of the boys, during our short time of liberty on Washington"s Birthday, to find among them such a general feeling of friendliness and respect toward you, even from those who usually scoff at everything religious, and who are thoroughly hardened in sin and crime.
I am sure it will be gratifying to you to know that G.o.d so blesses your efforts that even the most hardened ones can feel the influence of His Holy Spirit in your ministrations.
Rest a.s.sured that we shall always hold you in kindly remembrance, and shall never cease to pray that G.o.d"s richest blessing may crown your efforts.
While our contribution is very small, we know that you will receive it remembering only the motive which prompts its bestowal, which is the only method by which the value of a gift can be determined.
With renewed expression of our wishes and prayers for your success, we are,
Yours for Christ, WAUPUN PRISON C. E. SOCIETY.
A. I. W., COR. SEC.
P. S.--The enclosed order is sent in the chaplain"s name, W. G.
Bancroft.
Eddyville, Ky., April 18, 1897.
Mrs. E. R. Wheaton.
My Dear Christian Friend: It is with pleasure that I write you these few lines to let you know that your visit to Eddyville was not in vain. Many of my brothers here express their appreciation of your visit. We have some earnest workers for the salvation of men in this prison. We are praying for you that G.o.d will strengthen you for His work. We hope to see you again soon, and receive a message from Jesus, for we receive you as His messenger.
All my brothers send their thanks to you, for they say you seem like a mother to them. Some of us have not seen our mothers for thirteen or fourteen years, and only live in hope of seeing them in heaven, when we can lay down these stripes and greet them there.
O my dear Christian friend, when I think of a wasted life and how easy a poor frail being like myself is led off, it almost crushes my heart, but thank G.o.d that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin, and that is my only hope. I want to meet you in heaven and, by the grace of G.o.d, I"ll be there. We will not be in prison always. Jesus will come to claim his children soon. Those who oppress us now will all have to stand before that just Judge and give an account of what they have done to crush the hearts of their fellowmen. May G.o.d forgive them, is my prayer, for they know not what they do.
I hope to hear from you soon. May G.o.d bless you in His service.
Your friend in Christ, L. P.
Laramie, Wyo., May 31, 1897.
Dear Mother Wheaton:
I got your letter some time ago and also the papers. Was real glad to get them and to hear from you. I also get the paper regularly, and when we are through reading it I send it to a little boy in Montana that I used to know. We still continue our Bible cla.s.s and have several new members. We have changed the time from Thursday until Sunday, on account of some of the boys who work on the farm.
I got a good letter from a friend in Kansas not long ago. He tells me that my wife and little girls have joined the Christian Church. The happiest days of my life were spent with them, and if there is one of us four who has to be lost I hope it may be me. I want your prayers for our Bible cla.s.s and that G.o.d will make me a better man; and especially for my wife and children I want your prayers. It will be four years to-morrow since I have seen them.
Some of the boys often speak of you, and I can a.s.sure you of a welcome by us if you ever come this way again. May G.o.d bless you and sustain you in this world for many years to come, is my prayer. The text of the sermon we heard to-day was John 3:16.
W. J. T.
Luke 15:15.
Waupun, Wis., July 4, 1897.
Mrs. E. R. Wheaton.
Madam: The privilege of writing is accorded me by the rules of this inst.i.tution, and as I have no friends to whom I write, I will address this letter to you. I have not taken any great interest in your work, but have heard you speak before you visited this place last February, and under similar circ.u.mstances.