DECEMBER 21ST, 1936
DECEMBER 21ST, 1936
Mr. James Taylor. Jr.
My Dear Jim, — Your letter of November 9th was a great cheer and we thanked God for what you could report ... .
But I have had nothing more from New York and in a letter from Mr. Allbut received at Honolulu he says the last word he had before sailing expressed doubt that ———’s withdrawals [p. 59] and confessions had been acceptable. This causes fresh anxiety, but we await news at Vancouver.
I heard that ——— was at Council Bluffs — that he had been invited to take joint lead with J.D. I regretted this, but the Council Bluffs brethren would hardly understand the position at Westfield, besides many of them look on him as an honoured ‘father’ and would attach but little importance to the serious course he has pursued.
——— wrote me in October, to tell me of his unfailing love and interest in us; but I prefer to see evidence of love for the truth and there has been none of this that I have seen in connection with the sorrows we have been through. I have not felt free to reply and shall not do so until I hear something as to whether Westfield has done anything to clear itself of its wrong doing.
The Lord greatly helped the brethren in New York enabling them to send the letters of withdrawal to Westfield and Knoxville. He will honour — if not immediately, in time — those who were true to Him and His truth in the protracted deliberations gone through.
We thought of you at Council Bluffs, assuming you attended the meetings there as you intended. We hope you found Consie and the girls well and that you are safe in Brooklyn again under God’s good hand.
I cabled as to the final meetings in New Zealand — they were most cheering, but I shall leave details until we reach New York, as God orders our way. The brethren at Vancouver and Los Angeles have written most heartily, looking to see us in each place, and I am assured the Lord will help at both places. We may spend a night at Chicago, but we should like to be in New York by January 9th. The voyage has been on the whole good and we are both well, thank God. On account of the strike the ship is full, but we are most comfortable.
Affectionately,
Father.
PS — Your letter of the middle of September only reached me just before sailing — it was washed ashore on the south coast of England — from the plane Boadicea which, I think, was lost. The Post Office forwarded it to me. It was the fifth of mine salvaged from lost or damaged aeroplanes — a bad record!