Letters of Emilia Russell Gurney

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1902. Excerpt: ... I PART II 1870-1878 In January 1870 Mrs. Batten died, while paying a short visit at 8 Palace Gardens. E. R. G.'s account of Mrs. Batten's last days. On the 28th of December (1869) dearest mother came to us for her usual New Year's visit. She was particularly well. She would not come to us for Christmas Day, for she wished to remain at home, to make it pleasant for the servants: she read with them in the evening. On New Year's Eve, when it struck twelve, she came from her room to ours. She knelt with me, and read the prayer from Ephesians iii. 14-21. The intense earnestness and solemnity of her tones, which seemed to bear up our souls with hers, are never to be forgotten. "For this cause we bow our knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant us according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith, that we, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that we might be filled with all the fulness of God. "Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." 68 On New Year's morning Russell read the 90th Psalm, and we gave her a photograph of Giotto's fresco of the Ascension. On Sunday the 2nd we all three received the Communion at St. James's. That week was spent as so many other delightful weeks had been spent when she was with us. I hardly took account of the sunshine of he...