LETTER OF
The GOSPEL TRUTH CHARLES G. FINNEY
1849
To Angelina Atkinson and Julia Finney
c. 13 December 1849
[MS in Finney Papers. Microfilm, Supplement # 23, filmed after letter of Potto Brown to Finney, 3 June 1849.]
This letter was written from Birmingham soon after the Finneys arrived there early in December 1849. The reference to writing to Helen and Charles "today" refers to the letter "home" dated 4 and 13 December 1849. Mrs. Finney's daughter, Angelina Atkinson, and Finney's daughter, Julia, were staying with Mrs. Finney's brother, Hobart Ford, in Brooklyn. The letter is endorsed at the top left of page 1, in Julia Monroe's handwriting, "Description of London".]
Dear Daughters Angelina & Julia.
Your Dear Mother intended to have written
to you by to days mail but she is not able to do so. She
has a severe cold & has been in bed yesterday & thus far
to day. She is better & I trust will be well in a day
or two. The steamer goes to morrow & the letter must be
mailed to day. I have not much time to write but must
say a few words. We are very anxious that you should
honor God in all your ways. We try to pray for you & hope
& trust that you pray for yourselves. Your dear Mother has
been greatly useful at Houghton & has done too much
for her strength. I trust she will be here. We had a letter
from Helen & Charles by the last steamer & write to them
again to day. We have not heard from Norton yet.
This country is a world of novelties to us. We often wish
our children could be with us & visit some of the wonderful
things which we see here. We spent a day, two weeks since, in
riding about London to visit its wonders. It is a world
of a city containing two millions, two hundred thousand
inhabitants. That you may have some little conception of
its extent consider that it is as long as from our house
to Cleveland & about as [8 or 10 miles] broad. as it is long. As to its
publick buildings there is no comparison of them in America
I presume its palaces & publick buildings alone would
cover more ground than the city of New York. I mean
of course to include its palace yards & the grounds
connected with its publick buildings. Those buildings are
[page 2]
magnificent & expensive beyond discription.
We hope soon to receive a good long letter from you.
We hope you will improve your opportunity to get a good hold
of your music this winter so as to be able to get on with your
other studies next year. You will we hope & trust do what
you can to lighten the cares of your Aunt Ford to & to
render both Aunt & Uncle very happy. They will love you
if you are good girls as we expect you to be.
My own health is pretty good. I preach a great deal but
it does not appear to injure me. Dear Mother is not
able to write but unites in a great deal of love to
our sweet daughters.
Your affectionate Father.
C. G. Finney.
Dear Br. & Sister Ford. As wife can not write to day she proposes
that I should enclose hers to Helen for your perusal & request
you when you have read it to forward it to her immediately
[endorsed at the side of the page in Julia Monroe's handwriting:]
London-England
1849(?
Footnote:
The Finneys were in London on November 27th, when Finney preached at Borough Road Chapel.