Letters of Lydia Maria Child, with a biographical introduction by John G. Whittier and an appendix by Wendell Phillips.

LETTERS. 209
perfect equality and companionship of men and
women in all tlhe departments of life, that I long to
see it accomplished, for the order and well-being of
the world.
TO MISS LUCY OSGOOD.
1870.
You say you sometimes think we should " be
greatly strengthened if we could be sure of a real bond
fide' Thus saith the Lord.'" I don't think so. If it
had been good for us, Divine Providence would have
so ordered it. It is obviously a part of his plan that
we should work our own passage through in the darkness, or rather by the far-off gleam of a few guiding
stars, and it seems to me that in no other way could
we become educated for a higher plane of existence.
You are mainly anxious for this bond fide revelation
on account of the ignorant masses, which you think
"need to lean on authority." You need not be concerned on that score, my friend. Just so long as the
multitude need to believe that Jesus was God, they
will believe it. You and I could n't take that faith
from them while it was a necessity of their souls,
even if we wished to do it. Divine Providence takes
care that neither the old material nor spiritual skin
shall fall off till a new one has formed under it. All
that any of us have to do is to follow, fearlessly and
faithfully, the light within our own souls. In no
other way can the individual so help the race.
I doubtless have "more confidence in the common
mind" than you have. I think I have historical
ground for the confidence. Scientific progress begins
with the educated; spiritual progress always originates with the unlearned. Look at Jesus and his
fishermen; at Luther and his peasant followers. The
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