Josephine Butler to 'dear' [Miss Forsaith]

Photocopy of a letter. Written from [Wooler, Northumberland]

'The family sorrows and suspense continue on several sides' but the fact that there are so many signs of the 'revival fibre' in the world makes her better able to bear her personal worries.

She would mention three such signs:

1.In Spain the revival fire has started through the instrumentality of an old friend of hers, Fliedner, who, she thinks translated her 'Voice in the Desert' [published first in 1875 in French]

2.'In a great mining district of France there is a true 'Welsh Revival'. The fire there was last kindled by Prof. Paul Passy of Paris, son of an old friend of theirs [See also letter of 29 Jul 1902]

3. Her old cousin Mr Cornelius Lundie of Cardiff has written to her of Evan Roberts and the Revival ' in the spirit that you and I believe and feel' He is 90 and though a man of good life 'he has all his life been unawakened.'

Reports that her brother Charles [b.1825] has been at death's door but is now a little better.

Easter Monday [24 Apr 1905]

'An old friend of ours Fliedner who ... I think translated my 'Voice in the Desert' into Spanish 'Una Voz en el Deserto''

This consists of addresses delivered on the continent by Josephine during the winter of 1874-5 when 'she carried the standard of the Crusade through France, Italy and Switzerland'. It was written in French, was published in 1875 and rapidly translated into German and Italian and subsequently into Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Russian and Spanish. It was never issued in English during her lifetime, but in 1913 it was published under the title 'A voice crying in the wilderness'. It was translated by Osmond Airy with an introduction by James Stuart

(See the Shield Jan 1913 p 24)

'In a great mining district of France'

This was referred to first in a letter of Jul 29 1902 (JB to Miss Forsaith) where she describes the formation of the North Eastern France Society with the accompanying revivalist meetings for prayer and preaching

'My old cousin Cornelius Lundie of Cardiff'

He was the son of Mary Grey, a sister of JB's father John Grey, who married the Rev R Lundie, minister of Kelso. Some of JB's early letters were addressed to her aunt Mrs Mary Lundie

Biog: Fliedner; Mr Cornelius Lundie; Prof Passy; Charles Grey