Miss Ellis's Mission Part 4

By that victorious hand despair was slain; With love she vanquished hate, and overcame Evil with good, in her Great Master's name.

Her glory is not of this shadowy state, Glory that with the fleeting season dies; But when she entered at the sapphire gate, What joy was radiant in celestial eyes!

How Heaven's bright depths with sounding welcomes rung, And flowers of Heaven by s.h.i.+ning hands were flung!

And He who, long before, Pain, scorn, and sorrow bore, The Mighty Sufferer, with aspect sweet, Smiled on the timid stranger from his seat; He who returning, glorious, from the grave, Dragged Death, disarmed, in chains, a crouching slave.

See, as I linger here, the sun grows low; Cool airs are murmuring that the night is near.

O gentle sleeper, from thy grave I go Consoled though sad, in hope and yet in fear.

Brief is the time, I know, The warfare scarce begun,-- Yet all may win the triumphs thou hast won.

Still flows the fount whose waters strengthened thee, The victors' names are yet too few to fill Heaven's mighty roll; the glorious armory, That ministered to thee, is open still.

On the pleasant slope of a lovely hillside in Spring Grove, where everything around breathes of Nature's peace and repose, among graves very dear to her, the worn body was laid to rest, while the gentle winter rain fell not unkindly into the open grave. Much seemed to have gone out of the world when the echoing clods covered that which was "Miss Ellis."

The Sunday after her death, as some of her friends were sadly trying to replace the tracts in the table drawer just as she would have liked them arranged, a white dove flew down and rested on the window-sill outside.

Only a coincidence, but one that touched us, nevertheless. If the spirits of the departed ever revisit earth, surely Miss Ellis would return to the church she loved so much; and possibly it is not wholly fancy that still feels her in her old-time seat under the pulpit.

As soon as possible after Miss Ellis's death the Women's Auxiliary Conference of Cincinnati prepared a four-page leaflet, containing a brief sketch of her life and death, and sent it to all her correspondents, many of whom were ignorant that she was even in ill health. The little memorial's first page reads:--

In Memoriam.

SALLIE ELLIS.

DECEMBER 27, 1885.

So many worlds, so much to do, So little done, such things to be, How know I what had need of thee, For thou wert strong as thou wert true.

TENNYSON.

It reprinted from "Unity," Jan. 9, 1886, this tender tribute from a personal friend and a member of the Women's Auxiliary:--

SALLIE ELLIS.

She only did what lay at hand,-- Work that her own hand found to do: With no thought of a "mission" grand, Yet, bit by bit, her mission grew.

She did--what others left undone; She gleaned behind the harvesters: The scattered ears of grain let stand By careless ones,--all these were hers.

Patient, unresting, still she wrought, Though life beat fainter and more faint: And only as her soul took flight, We saw--the aureole of the Saint.

ALICE WILLIAMS BROTHERTON.

CINCINNATI, OHIO.

The memorial closed as follows:--

"At the regular monthly meeting of the Women's Auxiliary Conference of Cincinnati, Jan. 12, 1886, the programme for this meeting was omitted, and the afternoon devoted to tender recollection of the dear friend and valued secretary so recently taken from us, to the reading of many letters from East and West containing loving tribute to her worth and sympathy for our loss, and to devising such plans for continuing our work in future as should be our friend's best commemoration, the tribute she would chiefly have desired. Mrs. George A. Thayer offered the following expression of the feeling of our Society, for entry on our records:--

"'It is fitting that we should place upon the records of this a.s.sociation some words of grateful remembrance of our late fellow-worker and Secretary, Sallie Ellis, who went up higher on Sunday, Dec. 27, 1885.

"'She was called to her office four years and a half ago, and took up its work from the beginning as one who felt its consecration, and saw the opportunity it offered of being a ministry of the highest things to many souls yearning for a word of religion both reasonable and spiritual.

"'Her long and loving study of Unitarian principles gave her a rare fitness for teaching others the _thought_ of our church. Her personal faith in the deep things of G.o.d enabled her to speak ever the needed word to inquirers of the _religion_ of our church. And her sacred sense of duty, not only ill.u.s.trated in every act of her life, but s.h.i.+ning always through her written words, made her an admirable exemplar of the _moral quality_ of our church. So she was all that we could ask as our missionary leader, for she not only taught the stranger from afar of the surpa.s.sing beauty and greatness of our Liberal Christianity, but she quickened in us at home new love for its truths, and a deeper sense of our privilege and obligations in being of its disciples.

"'In her life she guided and inspired us, and being dead she abides with us, ever a constant presence, to make us humble that we do so little for our great work, and to stir in us desire to be more faithful to our task in the Master's vineyard.'

"The following extract from a letter of directions left by Miss Ellis in the event of her death was then read:--

"'All the books in the loan library I bequeath to the use of the church, and when not so used, my family shall have the disposal of them.'

"This library comprises over one hundred and thirty religious books, chiefly by Unitarian authors. It was voted that this library 'shall always be known as The Sallie Ellis Loan Library.'

"Mrs. M. E. Hunert, 177 Betts Street, Cincinnati, was appointed Corresponding Secretary. All communications may hereafter be addressed to her. She will continue the free distribution of Unitarian papers, tracts, and sermons, to any names furnished her of persons desiring them. She will also receive subscriptions for Unitarian publications and sell books, when desired, and will loan the books of the Sallie Ellis Loan Library, the borrower paying the postage only. It is earnestly wished to continue Miss Ellis's work in her spirit, and it is hoped correspondents and friends will co-operate with us in this effort.

"Though saddened and greatly bereft, the Cincinnati Auxiliary would still strive to 'look forward and not back,' working on in the spirit of Whittier's poem,

OUR SAINTS.

From the eternal silence rounding All unsure and starlight here, Voices of our lost ones sounding, Bid us be of heart and cheer, Through the silence, down the s.p.a.ces, Falling on the inward ear.

Let us draw their mantles o'er us, Which have fallen in our way: Let us do the work before us Calmly, bravely, while we may, Ere the long night-silence cometh, And with us it is not day!"

The "In Memoriam" called out letters of deep regret--the regret of those who mourn a personal friend--from every correspondent. A few of these letters appear in the correspondence, selected from many of similar tenor.

CORRESPONDENCE.

The letters of Miss Ellis's correspondents here given are selected from an immense number of like purport and interest. She had kept all the significant letters neatly filed in bundles, each correspondent by himself. It has been a disappointment to receive so few, comparatively, of her own letters. Our busy age is not given to saving its letters. It is therefore all the more touching to know that so many of her correspondents have treasured even every postal card from her hand. Her letters given here, however, well ill.u.s.trate her spirit and ideas on many topics, also her method of work, and reveal something of the secret of her success.

Literary style and fine effects were the last things aimed at in her letters. Their characteristics are plainness, directness, intense earnestness to convince and impress, and a warm sympathy with people of all kinds and degrees. Strongly conservative in her own theology, she yet did not set up her views as a fixed standard for others, or a.s.sume to hold all truth. Some of her warmest friends were among our younger, more radical ministers, whose purity and sincerity of life and faith quite offset in her eyes their theological vagaries.

The letters first given are to fellow-workers who had asked about her methods, materials, etc. In an article which Mr. Gannett had asked her to write, and which appeared in "Unity," March 1, 1884, she wrote:--

"We keep a standing weekly advertis.e.m.e.nt in two of our chief daily papers,--those which have the widest circulation, one Sat.u.r.day morning, and the other Sunday, under the head of 'Religious Notices.' One of these papers advertises free for us.[4]

[Footnote 4: The advertis.e.m.e.nt read thus: "Unitarian papers, tracts, etc., sent free to any one addressing Miss Sallie Ellis, Auburn Ave."]

"On receiving an application we respond, being guided somewhat by the style and character of the application, by sending one or two tracts, with a copy of the 'Christian Register' or 'Unity.' [Many people of the church, after reading their religious papers, handed them to Miss Ellis for distribution.] After sending the papers and various tracts for several weeks, we write a postal of inquiry as to whether Unitarian literature is satisfactory; and if the person cares to subscribe to either of the papers, _which_ he or she prefers; which tracts have given the most satisfaction; and whether they care to borrow any books by mail, paying the postage on them.

Frequently we receive no reply [in which case the name was dropped], but mostly the answer is gratifying. If the person cannot subscribe for the papers, but enjoys them, we continue to send them.... In sending tracts, we begin with 'Unitarian Principles and Doctrines,' by Rev. C. A. Brigham, the 'New Hamps.h.i.+re Statement of Belief,' and 'What Do Unitarians Believe?' by Rev. C. W.

Wendte,--because we wish to show what our faith has grown from, and what it is now. These we think fairly represent the denomination; and we have found that they all give general satisfaction. Next, 'Why Am I a Unitarian?' by James F. Clarke, D.D., which is also well liked, and 'Discourse on Distinguis.h.i.+ng Opinions of Unitarians,' by William E. Channing, D.D., as creating a thirst for his 'Works.' Then we branch off from this into whatever we think best.... _Promptness_ in replying and _regularity_ in sending papers, etc., will do more towards showing our deep interest in the work, and bring the individual seeking into vital connection with the church sending the literature. A _little_ at a time frequently, to insure _careful_ and _thorough_ reading. Recommend books extensively.... We believe in loaning the books of the early ministers of our denomination as a good stepping-stone to the Unitarianism now taught in our pulpits."

In a letter to Miss F. L. Roberts, of Chicago, then Secretary of Western Women's Unitarian Conference, March 14, 1884, she wrote:--

"I agree with you that no _one_ tract or sermon will satisfy the questions of inquirers. They have to 'grow into the light,' as we all have done and still are doing. Did any one thing settle our doubts or questionings? I think not.

"'What is our _aim_ in the Post Office Mission Work?' It occurs to me it should be to give inquirers the fairest statement of our teachings, from Channing up to the present time. Not the thought of any one man or woman, but that of the greatest number of our best minds in the several eras of our denomination. In many cases ...

people have not the _slightest_ idea what Unitarianism is, farther than that we do not believe Christ was G.o.d. They not only do not know what we believe, but think us a kind of 'outcasts.' It almost seems like being in the Dark Ages of the world to hear of such ignorance as we _know_ exists with regard to our doctrines.

Therefore we are talking, as it were, to children. Let us then begin at first principles, and send fair, clear statements."