The hours we spent together passed quickly,1 that small path behind the station where we saw the sun going down over the fields and the evening sky reflected in the ditches, and where those old moss-covered tree-trunks are standing, and the little mill in the distance – I’ll walk there again and think of you.
Herewith the photograph of ‘The Huguenot’;2 hang it up in your room. You know the story, how a young man, on the day before St Bartholomew’s Eve, was warned by his girl, who knew what would happen that night, how she wanted him to wear the sign by which Catholics were recognized, a white arm-band. He didn’t want to do it, though, his religious beliefs and his duty were dearer to him than his girl.3
Don’t know if I already sent you that poem by Longfellow which I herewith copy out,4 it has often held a strong attraction for me, and will perhaps for you, too.
Am glad that we saw Scheffer’s paintings5 together; that evening I went to see Mager, who lives with the lay reader of the Lutheran church in a truly old Dutch house.6 He has a nice room there, we sat together for a long time
1v:2 talking, he told me about Menton7 and about a Christmas he had spent there, and I told him about ‘The wide, wide world’,8 which is such a beautiful book.
Thanks for coming here yesterday, and do let’s carry on having as few secrets as possible.9 We’re brothers, after all.
Had rather a lot of work today, a great many trifling matters – but they’re my duty – if one had no sense of duty, who would be able to collect his thoughts at all, but a sense of duty sanctifies things and joins them together, and turns many small things into one large one.
Write soon about how you got home, and whether that walk and the journey didn’t exhaust you too much. Am longing for a letter from you, also to hear whether you’ll be going to Etten.
And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it.17 O Lord, join us intimately to one another and let our Love for Thee make that bond ever stronger.18
The devil is never so black that one cannot look him in the face.20
The same lips that spoke ‘be harmless as doves’ followed it immediately with ‘and wise as serpents’.21
Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of Me that I am meek and lowly in heart, for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.22 If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.23
If any man hate not, even his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.24
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut the door, pray to thy Father which seeth in secret.25 Anoint thine head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men, and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.26 We know not what we should pray, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered,27 that our faith may not fail when our soul greatly desires to be sifted as wheat.28 Because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying in us, Abba, Father.29 Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.30