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^[[Feb 22]]

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MILWAUKEE SCHOOL OF MUSIC.
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JOHN C. FILLMORE, DIRECTOR.

Milwaukee, Wis., ^[[Feb. 11th, 1894.]] 189
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My dear Miss Fletcher:---let me thank you for your most frien^[[d]]ly letter. I know very well that it is weakness and folly for me to "kick against the goads" as I have been doing for a long time past. And I am sure that the strong inward conviction that the Universe is ruled by an allwise and loving Father is the most inspiring as well as comforting of beliefs and therefore the most rational, the most likely to be true^[[.]] I hope I may sooner or later attain to this ^[[underlined]] belief [[/underlined]]; i.e. to such a fait^[[th]] as shall be really operative in my life, conduct and character. But I have wandered very far; not beyond the love of the Father, if there really is a Father;--if there isn't, the universe isn't worth "a twopenny damn", as the Duke of Wellington used to say. ^[[I]] trust, after all, that we are truly being led (or driven) in God's way; if so, it is all right and of no consequence whatever whether things run to suit our notions or not. I really begin to hope that may be the case. I have been reading Charles Kingsley, his letters and Memoirs and it has had a great effect, for the time being, at least, on my whole inward attitude. He was a MAN; and there is almost no limit to the inspiring influence of such^[[.]] What you wrote was exactly in the line of the influence he was exert[[strikethruohg]]ig[[/strikethrough]]ing on me and therefore came with double force. I do heartily wish I might have his faith, even if I do not share all his opinions. Those