Exeter, February, 1932.
“Dear Doctor,
“A small thank offering to the Lord Jesus, and I know you will thank Him with me for what He has done for me and my family. When I saw you the other night giving away the prizes to our Sunday School, and when I saw so many small children go up for prizes, my thoughts went back 69 years, when I was a boy of three years old. My mother was very fond of singing. I well remember one hymn was―
‘I am but a stranger here:
Heaven is my home;
Earth is a desert drear,
Heaven is my home.
Dangers and sorrows stand
Round us on every hand;
Heaven is my fatherland,
Heaven is my home.
“As she sang I wondered in myself why she was singing about a home in heaven. I thought to myself that the house we lived in was our home. My mother had a large book, which was called ‘The Life of Christ and His Apostles.’ In it were many pictures. One of the first was the birth of Christ; another was where He was taking the children in His arms and blessing them — there were many others we saw. All at once we came to one of Christ’s pictures. I used to love for her to tell me about them. In this picture of Christ He was looking so sad, and He had on His head a crown of thorns. I remember putting my little hand on the picture and said, ‘Oh, Mammie, I don’t like that.’ She said, He is a nice Man, He came down from heaven to save us from our sips, but wicked men took Him, and nailed Him to a cross of wood to die.’ The next picture was where He was on the cross. She said, ‘He rose again from the dead, and has gone to heaven, and if we believe in Him, He will take us to heaven in His home when we die.’ ‘Oh, Mammie,’ I cried, ‘I will believe in Him, and He will take me to heaven too.’ ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘He will.’ Then there was such joy came over me that I cannot express it, and I shall never forget it; and as a boy growing up I always loved the Lord Jesus, but it was your preaching at the Royal Public Rooms (Exeter) that showed me what Christ had done for me. Those happy meetings were soon over, and we went to the Victoria Hall. As my wife was not saved we took it in turns to go to the meetings, she one Sunday and me the next.
“We had a little boy of four years old, very delicate. We used to teach him little hymns, and he loved to sing, in his little way,
There is a happy land—
Far, far away.
“He was taken ill, and as we watched him, expecting the end, he looked up into his mother’s face and said, ‘Don’t cry, Mammie, but you come too.’ She answered, ‘Yes, my dear, I will.’ Then with a smile he turned his head and said, ‘Look, Mammie, someone in white,’ and with the same he breathed his last.
“After his death we both went to the meetings. My wife was soon converted. Our next son I took to the Sunday School before he was three years old, and I am thankful to say he is still there after 48 years. Our next son his mother carried to the meetings when he was very young until he was able to go to the Sunday School, and he was there for many years, but we lost him over in France in the war. We had a daughter aged four months. She was taken ill with a bad cold, and the blessed Lord took her to be with Himself — so we were all at the meetings for a great many years and saw much of the Lord’s blessing until sickness came on, and I was laid up for a long time, and so my wife could not venture out much. We missed the meetings very much — above all, the Lord’s Table after nearly fifty years — but many of the Lord’s people used to come and see us; one dear brother came to see us, and we had a nice time together. On the Sunday morning after the Breaking of Bread I was told he was speaking a few words from the 14th of John, ‘Let not your heart be troubled,’ but before he finished speaking the Lord took him home.
“My dear wife was still getting weaker, but she was very happy in the Lord Jesus, her Saviour, and on the 18th of January, 1931, a brother, after taking the evening meeting, he and his wife and daughter, came up to see us, and she went to be with the Lord while they were in the house. She passed away so peacefully. I miss her very much after 54 years’ happiness together; but I thank the Lord Jesus that He has given me strength to walk a little better and to be able to come to the Lord’s, Table to remember Him in His death, which is the happiest place this side the glory: being rather deaf, I cannot hear much, but knowing the Lord is there, our prayers and praises go to Him as one. We pray that you and Mrs. Wreford may be spared to carry on the work for the Lord Jesus, Whom We know you love.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life, and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. — C. M.”