Southern Presbyterian Mission, 

 Kiangyin, China. 



Feb. 20, 1916. 



You have been much on our hearts and in 

 our prayers since word first came of Mrs. 

 Sprunt's illness. We could only ask that His 

 will be done, and though we feel deeply with 

 you in this the great sorrow of your life, we 

 know that you, too, accept His will as from 

 Him in love. There has been constant 

 prayer on the part of the Chinese friends for 

 you both for some days past. They have 

 never seen you face to face, but the bond of 

 sympathy and gratitude is none the less real, 

 and your names are often on their lips. 



An old Christian mother said to me some 

 while ago, when I was comforting her over the 

 loss of a son who was her main dependence, 

 ''He never plucks the fruit before it is ripe." 

 She was a poor, ignorant old soul in most 

 things, but what a wealth of comfort the Mas- 

 ter had given her In that thought that her 

 loved one was ripe for the joy of His pres- 

 ence! Some of us have yet to be ripened 

 more while we serve here, but with what joy 

 our loved ones who have gone before will 

 await and welcome our coming ! 



We well know that you have taken comfort 

 of Him who shares our every sorrow, but we 

 want you to know that we sorrow with you 

 and bear you daily to the throne of grace, that 

 the light of His presence with you may lighten 



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