[Letter of 1869 February 5]

[Letter of 1869 February 5]

1869-02-05

Friendship

African American Christians (Disciples of Christ)

Wiley, Edward A. [recipient]

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Correspondence

This material is made available for private study, scholarship, and research use. For access to the original letter or high-resolution reproduction, please contact the Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection (blockson@temple.edu; 215-204-6632).

Temple University Libraries, Charles L. Blockson Afro-American Collection

William Still Collection

Blockson manuscripts

William Still Collection

Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Libraries

blockson@temple.edu

BMS010X0059

Phila. Feb. 5th /69./ Mr Wiley/ After so long a time the/ anxiously looked for arrived. True/ to my expectations yet contrary/ to custom, and the small amount/ of feeling allowed (by public opin=/ ion, to be exercised towards one in/ my state of mind by one in your/ frame of my mind) your letter/ was all that it could have been/ more indeed than was merited/ In it you have yielded to no weak/ =ness but acted as one once sin=/ cere, and not afraid nor [ashamed?]/ to acknowledge^ it though you have/ suffered acutely it [may?]. In this/ letter I see breathed forth the spirit/ and feelings of an aggrieved but/ ready to forgive man. Not on=/ ly forgive but bury in the re=/ turned love of the aggressor all/ sting of past injury if it be/ possible so to do. You know/ how I used to talk of the chil=/ dish manner in which as it seemed/ to me George Smith, and R. Winches/ ter courted (?). I feel even now that/ it was mere whimsical child's play/ with thieve. But our difference has/ been of a far more serious character. In the/ first place I give you more credit/ for true Christianly manhood/ than I gave George Smith_ he/ was foppish and if one should/ profess now love for him, and/ now not it was not to be thought/ strange of though he seemed to think/ hard of it for a little while! You/ on the other hand are not of that/ Hamp, and consequently none per=/ haps but the most heartless of the/ heartless would think of winning/ your affection and widely breaking/ it off. [x?] was indeed the least of my/ thoughts to cause even the heart pangs/ that I have caused but with a feel/ ing of discontent in my heart that/ there was not on my past that re-/ turn of affection which there should/ be, urged on by the feeling that I/ was acting more honorably than/ not to tell you so I took the stand/ that I did. I can now see well/ where in the trouble lay And that/ you can ask, much less receive/ me again into confidence I can con-/ ceive only as I believe you always/ sincere; weighing well the future so/ far as you could see it which/ I, alas! failed to do. Whilst I admired/ the soul that was within you I re=/ =garded too much the outer polish/ gloried too highly in intellectual/ and bodily show deluding my=/ self many a time that I gave/ ample scope to the value of/ good common sense. But how/ many many times have I felt/ the need of a friend just like/ yourself here with me. I think/ I know now what it is to re=/ turn affection such as you once/ bestowed. Pride is one of my great/ est faults I almost vowed some/ months back that I never would, [?] could think of making/ any advances to you. But you/ see it needed only the touching of/ the spring which perhaps un=/ consciously^ you did ^ touch by writing to me/ I hastily responded, and [ere?] a second/ letter came there was an outburst/ of my feelings an entire confession/ I will not conceal it you have/