LETTER OF
The GOSPEL TRUTH CHARLES G. FINNEY
1865
To Rebecca Rayl
4 October 1865
[MS in possession of Dr. Richard Rayle of Miami University, Oxford, Ohio]
Oberlin Wed. P.M.
4th Oct. 1865.
My Precious One,
Yours of last night & this
morning is recd. Many thanks to
you for your sweet love & your
sweet lines. O how precious & sacred
to me is the thought that I may
so soon call you my wife & really
possess you in that sacred relation.
I do not know why you did not get
a letter last night. I have duly mailed
& duly directed a letter to you every
day. Miss Ladd called on me
yesterday. She was expecting to go
out on monday but the Omnibus failed
to call for her. She was quite well.
Said she had written you. In your
letter of to day you say "I may make
any change I please in the day of
our marriage". Did I not fear to inconvenience
Sara I should prefer monday for the
reason that tuesday is election day,
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& both Oberlin & Norwalk will
be full of the crowd & of excitement.
It may not be easy to get through
without that kind of notoriety
that I dislike. We will therefore,
God willing, come out on monday
instead of tuesday. Br. Morgan
may return this week, if so, & he
is able he will come with us if
there is time to get his license put on
record. Please Darling, to ask Br.
Patten to meet us, & secure a license,
& a carriage, on monday, instead
of tuesday, if it will suit your
convenience, as I somewhat dislike
to be married, & have a wedding party
about on election day. If it will
not suit you as well please write
& say so, that I may be sure to get it
on saturday. If I do not get a
letter prefering tuesday we shall
D.V. come on monday. I must finish
this tomorrow, with God's Blessing.
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Another reason for prefering monday
have
is the wish to ^ you & Charles & Ange
become as much acquainted as
possible, & I do not know how soon
after monday they may be summoned
to take the Boat at Cleveland.
Thursday morning 5th Oct.
Dear Darling, I am almost shocked
manner
at the confident ^ in which you speak
of your health. I suppose you do it
for my comfort, but you speak as if
your health was so secure that I
can not help fearing that you feel
so little dependence on God, for health
that he will be obliged to take it
away to teach you how dependent
you are. I rejoice that you are
longing for the fullness of the Holy
Spirit. This, I trust, you will soon have.
You will greatly need it in the
new position you are about to take.
I suppose Miss Ladd has gone to Warren.
She told me that she intended to
go yesterday, if she did not hear
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from you that you needed her.
I find that Charles thinks monday
& not election day should be the day,
if convenient for you & Sara.
Did you ever see a time when both
the days & nights seemed to grow longer?
Is it not the case just now.
Now dont read what I have just said
to Sara, for she will say see, he is
already beginning to worship you. He is
already getting into his dotage. Now
if my feeling so is proof of dotage what
will she say of you if just now the both
days & nights seem to grow longer.
But I think Sara has given us both
up as hopelessly committed to eachother,
at any rate. She told Mrs Henderson that
she was sorry that you loved me so much.
Mrs Dascomb told Miss Ladd that you
are like one in a first love. That you
having lived so short a time with a husband
are capable of loving like a maiden.
If Mrs. D. had been a widow she would
have learned that a widow can love more
deeply than a maiden. Do you not think
so? It were a sad commentary on marriage, if our
marriage chilled, instead of cultivating the
affections. You & I know better. Love to Bro. & sister
& as much for yourself as you please.
C. G. F.