[Letterhead:]

My dear Mac,

Your welcome letter duly read which is now being duly answered. I am ashamed of myself but you know corresponding propensities. And I too have been kept very busy fighting the devil but praise God he has so far given me the victory & I know He will complete the good work which He has begun in me. Well, my boy, I guess I'll give you a little Zion gossip first. Mrs. Chaney is getting along nicely, was home for a visit for 2 or 3 wks. I left on the day after you did went in boarding down Michigan Ave. at Cor. of 14^th St. This last two weeks Dr. D.[Dowie] has been away for a rest. The devil got after him on a/c of over work in that terrible hot weather and gave him a great big carbuncle. However, God gave him the victory and he's back at work again. My oldest sister has got a position in Zion as maid where she tends to stay until she gets the teaching thoroughly grounded into her. She is enjoying the work very well tho' it is somewhat of a change for her. My other sister who you will remember was so ill last winter had another attack of congestion of the lungs and sent request for prayer. She was raised up in one day and they two came over here together not 3 wks. ago and she is almost wholly recovered now thanks be to God Almighty. Miss Thompson has left and has gone back to her Chinese in Montreal where she will no doubt carry the good news and do good works. By the way Woolgate is rooming with me and I find him a great help to me tho' he is an incessant [?].

There have been a number of wonderful healings in Zion since you left and many going on gradually. Miss Dawn went home abt. 3 wks. ago very much strengthened in every way. I don't know what my movements will be tho' I don't expect to be in Chicago more than a couple of weeks longer. At present I do not see that I will be back at Varsity this fall, every thing points otherwise and I intend to obey. I don't think I could stand the deadening effect of close study at present. I may stay at home for the winter and devote my time to Bible study and spiritual advancement. Which is the one important thing to me now. I am glad to know you were getting along so well and I trust that you are still remaining steadfast and always advancing a little. The last two weeks have been to me the happiest part of my life. I have got a taste of the indwelling presence of the Spirit and of what a joy and comfort it is tho' my capacity is yet very small, still I have got a glimpse of the possibilities which are mine in Christ Jesus and I'm going to press forward to the mark-come what may!

Yesterday was to me the most blessed day I have ever experienced. It was Communion Sabbath at Zion and the Dr. spoke on the Kingdom of God, Matt 6:33, Rom 14:17. Oh it seemed to me I was closer to God than I had ever been and what a blessed joy it was. It seemed to me that I could realize what [John?] meant when he said "I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day."

For the past 2 or 3 weeks I have been attending and working on the Pacific Garden Mission which has been the source of great blessing to me, also God surely honors the word when preached in his name. I do not think that there has been a night that I have been here when there were fewer than a dozen at repentant bench seeking Christ. And most of them were of the lowest possible type of victims of liquor, gambling and every crime one could think of but Christ saves them when they put their trust in Him. My what thrilling testimonies some of them give, shewing all that God thro' Christ has delivered them from. Great Good is also done by the gospel waggons [sic] in connection with this and other missions. Men dug up out of the gutter go in new and tell the story of how Jesus Christ took them in and saved them when they [were] cast out by their friends, the World and even by the devil.

Really Mac it seems to me that that's the way the work is to be done now. The time for old fashioned Kirk is gone long ago. Let us be prepared by God so that we may be able to put our hand to the plough when he calls us. It seems to me I've lost all interest in matters of this world & my one aim and object is to be prepared by God's Spirit to do His work when He sees fit to send me when I'm ready. How clear it is to me now that to be of any use to God we must be totally separated from the world. They can't go hand and hand with each other as they have been striving for so many centuries. These are the Latter Days and it behoves us to be alive and to be "wise virgins."

Say Mac you'll find great blessing in studying and reading of Christ's Coming. It's an incentive to work to study to live for Him. The Bible Institute here has a little book containing a collection of short seminars on it by different well known preachers. It is very good and only costs 15c. I'd send it to you if I wasn't so greatly strapped. Also be sure to get and read "A Christian's Secret of a Happy Life," it will be exceedingly helpful. I am following Dr. D.'s suggestion and am still studying principally in the gospels. My, but I get so much more out of them than I used to. I wouldn't trade my summer here this year for all the rest of my life. I praise god all the day long for what He has done for me and what He is going to do. Bless His Holy Name. The 1^st five verses of the 103^rd Ps. grow dearer to me every time I say them which is pretty often. And so is the household Psalm, what glorious promises it contains!

Now Mac old boy, I guess I'll have to stop. Don't be so long in answering as I have been & I'll try to do better again. My prayer is that you may be kept steadfast and be led more fully into His glorious light, Num. 6:24,26. Let us continue to pray for each other for our God answers prayers. I know no better verse that I can give you in closing than Dr. D.'s benediction, 1Thes 5:22-24. Praise God from whom all Blessings Flow.

Ever yours sincerely in Christ.

H.W. Nelson

John 14:23, 15:7

P.S. The Lord has put a little spring of love into my heart which He's also developing. Glory to His name. H.W.N.

¹ Letterhead includes image of the Zion eight-story building at the corner of Michigan Ave. and 12^th St., Chicago, Illinois. Caption states "conducted by Rev. John Alex. Dowie and Mrs. Dowie."

Calvin attended "Zion" during July & August 1896, see W-MCP1-3b.016, W-MCP1-3b.009.