408 John BacJiinan, 



to me the cherished scenes and memories of our 

 brief association in the South. Since the return of 

 2)eace, I have, times out of number, thought of writ- 

 ing to you. A letter in the ''Lutheran Visitor" has 

 touched my heart anew, and I cannot resist the im- 

 pulse to drop you a line before you depart where I 

 hope " we shall meet in the sweet b}^ and by." 



The uppermost feeling in writing, is to assure you 

 of my undiminished regard and of tenderest affec- 

 tion, which no change of circumstances or lapse of 

 time can or will disturb. Your kindness to me and 

 mine, will never be forgotten — you live in all our 

 memories. 



I do not know that I can write anything that will 

 be of special interest to you. 



If it will be any satisfaction to receive the hearty 

 assurance of our warmest affection, wdth the hope of 

 our meeting beyond the turmoils of life, you have 

 it ; at least it will be some little satisfaction to me to 

 convey to you the evidence of my devoted friend- 

 ship. 



It would be presumption for me to say anything 

 about your ''blessed hope'^ or '^the house of many man- 

 sions" 1 would be glad to learn something from 

 one who has so long walked '* by faith " and is now 

 so near " the rest tJiat remaineth" I can only say 

 " henceforth there is laid up a croivn of righteous- 

 ness" 



I will not dwell on the memories of the past — 

 either those which are briglit, or those which are 

 dark and sad. Our motto must be: "forgetting the 

 things which are behind^ I think of you only as my 

 venerated friend and father in Christ. 



We are all well, trying to do something for our 

 beloved Church. Mrs. B. still thinks and speaks of 

 you with a daughter's affection. God has been 

 gracious to us — we are eight, with parents, ten. If 



