LETTER OF
The GOSPEL TRUTH CHARLES G. FINNEY
1864
To Edwin Lamson
5 January 1864
[MS in Finney Papers, 2/2/1]
Oberlin 5th Jan. 1864
My Dear Br. Lamson.
Your favor of the 1st inst is recd,
I thank you my Dear Brother for
writing me in my loneliness. I say
loneliness, because no earthly surrou
ndings can compensate for the
loss of the society of a wife. I was
so shocked with the death of my
former wife that I have ever since
thought I could not survive the loss
of another. For the last few years my
nervous sensibility has so increased
that I shuddered at the thought of
my wife being taken from [me]. To look
forward to the prospect almost overcame
me, at times. I did not rebel, nor think
of objecting to the will of God. Yet I
was so nervous that a kind of fear
fulness that the shock would overcome
me
Ÿwould take possession of me. Yet
I felt at times, & indeed generally
[page 2]
that whichever of us might be called
first the other would have sustaining
grace equal to our necessities. My
Dear wife was called first, & in
circumstances & with a suddenness
that I should have thought would
have overcome me. But grace has thus
far triumphed. God had evidently
so arranged for me that with his
help I should be able to abide
the shock. I am devoutly thankful that
the Lord has taken her. Her brain had
become so much inflamed that this
world was too rough for her. She was
so sensitive that the least thing gave
her unutterable pain, & no one who
had not known by experience what
her disease was could at all under
stand her case, or appreciate her
feelings. Sometimes her distress would be
so great that she would lose her
discretion in the use of remedies & in
her distraction would if they were at
[page 3]
ha[n]d, use remedies that were dangerous.
The precious woman was a wonderful
sufferer. No one could appreciate it
except those who knew what effects
are produced by congestion of the
brain. The disease was of long stan
ding, but increased steadily the
last year or two years, of her life.
O, how she loved you dear Mary,
& your children. She was full of love.
The affection as a wife was wonderful.
She was very demonstrative & used to
express her love to me & to her children
daily & hourly. She was unhappy if
our love was not expressed to her in
words & acts continually. If we failed
to do it she feared she had done
something to cool our affection for
her. That she had been too much
trouble to us. But I must not tell
you more at this time. She was
a precious Christian woman. I fear
such women are rare in this world.
[page 4]
I know My Dear Br. that you have gotten
one of the best of women & I trust you
appreciate her. May God spare her to
you for a long time. Do ask her
not to neglect to write me now my
Dear wife has gone. I need to hear
from you both more than ever.
I can preach once on sabbath & two
or three time during the week. But
whether I could endure labor enough
to promote a revival in Boston I know
not. They need a course of sermons on christian
experience, in the churches, at present, more
than any other. The revivals have been filling
the churches with converts who need strengthening
such
I find shuchŸsermons greatly useful here.
If the way was open & my health as good
as now, I should like to preach again in
Boston. But I fear that unanimity there is
out of the question. I do not want to stru
ggle again against such a jarring influence
as that which distracted the people when I
was last there. If only Old Park street were
united something good might be done. C. G. Finney
[in the left hand margin of page 1]
Of course I send love to Mary & the children. I have replied to Br. Stones consolatory letter.
C.G.F.
Footnote:
D. L. Leonard, in his "Notes upon Talks with Pres. Fairchild" Vol. 2, 1 Jul 1897, p. 19, wrote about Mrs Finney: "Gt on exper. Had queer spells wd shut hers. up & was thot by some th she "took something". Died off E. in such a spell, in hotel."