"Roseland.

"Dear Mr. Penloe:

"I would very much have liked to have had an opportunity of meeting you, that I might tell you what I am about to write and very much more. Since I heard your address I so wanted to have a talk with you, as I have so many questions to ask you, and above all to tell you what your message has done for me.

"I am the wife of a lawyer, and at the age of twenty-two I graduated from college. A year afterwards I married Mr. Horton and have been married seven years. My tastes have always been intellectual with a strong desire to lead and to be above those around me. I had little sympathy for the poor and ignorant, and those I had little in common with I kept aloof from. My friends looked to me as an authority on most subjects, as I travelled in Europe two years after I was married. It will do me good now to confess to you and tell you, I was cold, vain, self-conceited and my purpose in reading and travelling was not to help those around me, but to add glory and fame to myself, and to be thought a very superior minded person. I carried my head very high and associated with but few. After seeing you and listening to your address, I can hardly describe the state of mind it left me in. But it was something like a lady might feel when she is dressed in her best and is very proud of her attire. While she is in that frame of mind she meets some one who has garments much superior to hers, and she sees that the clothes she is wearing are unbecoming and do not fit her, and that she has been under an illusion in thinking they were so rich and fine. For when the other garments are shown her, she feels she had been the most mistaken person in the world and longs to cast off the garments she is wearing, that she may put on these superior ones.

"Now that was my case exactly. I was the woman attached to what I thought were my fine clothes. You were the one with the elegant new gowns, and when you showed me so clearly that my own costume was nothing but filthy rags, I was ready to take the superior garments with which you presented me.

"When I think what a foolish, proud, vain woman I have been, I feel like covering my face with shame; like hiding my head somewhere. I intend that these feelings of remorse shall stimulate me towards manifesting the Divine, in love, in patience, in humility, and in meekness.

"I will go among the poor and ignorant and become one with them, in order to raise them to the realization of their Divine nature.

"May they see in me that love for them which I saw in you for all, and it will give me pleasure to tell those of my own circle how sweet the Divine life has become to me, and may I be a spiritual help to them.

"My husband was touched by your words, I am glad to say, and we are both trying to live the Divine life.

"When you come to Roseland, be sure and come to our home. We shall be very pleased to see you and have you stay with us as long as you can.

"Your friend,

"Carrie Horton."

"First National Bank.
"G. Holmes, President. R. Wells, Cashier.

"Roseland, Cal.

"Dear Brother Penloe:

"It gives me great pleasure to address you as such, though I am a perfect stranger to you; but after hearing your address I feel at liberty to call you brother. I felt your great heart of love throbbing through all you said in your lecture. Now I must tell you that a man entered the building to hear you speak just out of curiosity. He would have laughed if any one had told him that he might hear something that he had not heard before or might be impressed by the lecture, for he felt settled, sure and certain in his own mind concerning all subjects of interest to him. But when he heard your clear and forcible remarks, it knocked him off his feet, taking the last prop away he leaned on, and there was nothing left for him to do but to get on the same foundation that you are on. Bless God, I have done so, and now I am beginning to live as a new man, the Divine man.

"I used to walk the streets thinking I was a great man, the leading financier in Roseland, and the grand thought I had of myself was that I was a banker, being looked up to by those around me because of my financial standing. But those thoughts are now to me hay and stubble, and I have burned them.

"From this time forth my money and myself will be consecrated to the service of manifesting the Divine, and in helping others to do the same. As a proof of my sincerity I enclose a check for five thousand dollars for you to use as you think best in spreading the grand truth which you presented so clearly in your address. May you, my dear brother, always realize in the highest degree the presence of your Divine nature.

"Your brother,

"George Holmes."

"Tanglewood Ranch, Orangeville ...

"Mr. Penloe:

"Dear Sir:—O, I have so much to say and don't know where to begin. I don't get any time to write, have been waiting for a spell, but don't get any, for one thing after another keeps crowding me. I have just wiped the suds from my hands, having left the wash-tub for a few minutes, saying I would not put off writing to you any longer.

"Well, we went to your meeting and never heard any one talk like you did before.

"My husband and I have not much learning, but you made it so simple and plain that we could not help understanding what you meant. I want to say how glad we both are that we went, because our lot in life has been dark and hard. I married my husband when a girl of seventeen. I knew so little, was so green, but was full of hope and expectations. What a hard experience I have had, for I have been married ten years and have six small children; so much sickness, so much hard work. O, dear! my life has been so hard. I cannot write any more now, as I must finish getting my washing out.

"Well, my clothes are on the line and I am going to take a few minutes' rest and write a little more. Yes, life has been hard. How little a poor ignorant girl thinks or knows what is before her when she gets married. My husband has felt all discouraged, so many babies, so much hard work, such hard times to get a dollar, always in debt to doctors; it made us both grow cross and cranky and just as soon die as live. Our love for each other grew cold, and the attraction we had for each other died out. I told my husband he must take me out somewhere or else I would go crazy. Every day the same thing over again from morning to night, tending babies, standing over a cook-stove, then over a wash-tub, then churning, no end of dish-washing and washing babies' clothes. I am going to churn now, when I take a rest again I will write more.

"Well, the butter has come, I will rest and write you more.

"I was telling you how dark our married life has been. We heard there was going to be a big meeting in Roseland, and my husband said he would go and see what it was like. So we went and heard you talk. What you said made us look at the world and ourselves different to what we ever did before. We both liked your talk very much; we talked lots about what you said. When we got home that day after supper my husband said: 'If I am Divine, I don't need to chew tobacco, and I quit right now and will put what tobacco I have got in the stove.' I said, 'O, Charles, how glad I am.' 'Yes, Maud,' said Charles, 'I am going to live the Divine life. Will you help me?' I said, 'Yes, dear Charles, you know I will.' 'Well, Maud,' said he, 'we thought our life hard and bitter, but I see now it was through our not living the Divine life. Maud, I will try and make your life a little better than I have done,' and he kissed me. The children looked at us both with great surprise, for they had never seen my husband kiss me before. It seemed as if the same feelings had come back that we had in our courting days. He said, 'You have the hardest time of it, let me put the children to bed and you rest; for if I am Divine I must live a life of love and show my love in helping you all I can.' I cannot help it, sir, but hot tears are falling fast on this letter, for the light and love have entered our home, where before it was darkness and despair. How sweet it is trying to live the Divine life. I am doing my best to live that life. We are not going to worry any more. My husband now is so bright and hopeful, does all he can to cheer me up, and I am the same for it is catching like a fever.

"Well, my object in writing this to you is to tell you what your talk has done for us. My husband said, 'If ever a man had a heart full of love for all, he knows it is you, and your great heart has touched our hearts. How can I thank you for what you have done for us? May God bless you. I shall always pray that you may help others as you have us. My husband said, 'Tell him I am a changed man;' and I know he is, and I am a changed woman.

"Excuse this letter for having dirt marks on it. While I was tending the baby one of the children put its dirty fingers on the letter, but I am going to send it just as it is.

"Your friend,

Maud Neve."