CORRESPONDENCE 299
there would be an effort made, if our brethren in the States were to feel our wants as we daily feel them. Imagine your- self and family of children surrounded by heathen and daily under their influence, and at the same time Romanism uniting its influence with heathenism to bring into disrepute the sim- plicity of the gospel in a new and isolated republic rising on the western borders of America ; would you not plead for help ?
Our brethren will not forget to send us files of some of the religious periodicals as well as the annual reports of the Mis- sionary, and other benevolent societies. So far as these auxil- iaries are concerned, we famish in a dry and barren land. When I left the Western states I sold and gave away a large portion of the few books which composed my library because they were too heavy to transport across the Rocky Mountains, so that now when I would consult a commentary or some of the standard writers of the last and present century on the great truths of the Gospel, I seriously feel my need. My library consists principally of Mosheim's Church History, Home's Introduction, Buck's Theological Dictionary, Butter- worth's Concordance, a Greek Testament and Lexicon and Wayland's Moral Science. One of our ministering brethren on the Willamette has Fuller's Works and McKnight on the Epistles. As ministers we greatly need a few books, and could any valuable ones be sent, they would be thankfully received. De Aubin's History of the Reformation 116 would probably be an invaluable work here. We have consumed most of our available means, and find ourselves placed in the strait of in- volving ourselves in debt or providing with our hands the bare necessaries of life, not knowing how soon we shall get any communications from you- I have received a few presents from two of our brethren here and a few from some friend, amounting perhaps in all to thirty dollars.
We are living, and have lived ever since we came to the country, except for about five weeks, in a rude log cabin with- out a single pane of glass. Our furniture consists of three
u6Not De Aubin, but D'Aubigne (1794-1872).
