I844-54- HYMN FOR THE SICK ROOM. 257 



a verse I had been reading the moment before. To me the 

 prayer of the humblest Christian, however defective he may 

 be in other gifts and graces than those which God grants to 

 the weakest brethren, is always comforting and refreshing ; 

 and it brings you and me closer than railways could if we 

 can rejoice together, as having 'one faith, one Lord, one 

 baptism.' You please me much with what you say of the 

 hymn. It is not the expression of unfelt or put-on emotion, 

 nor does it pretend to be poetry. Before I die I hope to 

 gather together a set of hymns for the sick-room, and if I 

 don't live long enough to accomplish this, I can comfort 

 myself with the thought that there is abundance already. 



"And now I will trouble you no further. Your name- 

 sake, the prophet, was in a den of lions, and God shut their 

 mouths. Yours is a trial of an opposite kind, for the den 

 and the lions are in you. Their mouths can be shut by 

 God also, and I pray that they may. I never can cease 

 admiring that beautiful request of the Prayer-book, * A 

 happy issue out of all their affliction.' It is so humble, so 

 undictating to God, so moderate, yet so ample. God give 

 that to us both. Amen. In His way and time, and in this 

 world and in the next. . . . 



" To be well enough to work is the wish of my natural 

 heart ; but if that may not be, I know that ' they also serve 

 who only stand and wait.' God will not require healthy 

 men's labour from you or me ; and if we are poor in power 

 and opportunity to serve Him, our widow's mite will weigh 

 against the gold ingots of His chosen apostles. 



" I am sure we all pray too little, and trust God too 

 little ; but the topic is inexhaustible." 



We cannot be certain which hymn is spoken of in the 

 preceding letter. Not a few were " Songs in the Night," and 



