Excerpt from Life and Letters of John Howard Raymond It seems almost a violation of my father's nature, which was most unassuming, to offer the public the record of the life on which he himself see so modest an estimate; and I may, perhaps, confess to those who read this volume with what hesitation it is published. It has grown from a mere compilation of his private letters, intended for the eyes of family friends, into an extended memoir, as the circle of those manifestly interested in its progress has gradually widened. It was a natural and sacred impulse to gather together for preservation the letters which held so much of himself, that a treasure in which we had delighted might not be lost to our children. But it was only when persuaded that the number of those waiting to welcome it was large, among his former pupils, associates, and personal friends, that I consented to undertake a work in which I was totally inexperienced - the selection from a mass of correspondence and other material such portions as might most characteristically show his life and influence. The first decisive impulse which I received was from the words of one who had been in special sympathy with the plan, and who wrote, "I did revere and love and enjoy the man, and I think that some of the rich overflow of his life ought to be gathered up, as the moisture is drawn into the clouds, and sent forth to refresh the thirsty earth once more." It was an inspiring thought that the story of his life might still hold a blessing for those whom the life itself had blessed; or even more, that others, to whom it had been unknown, might glean from it some word of comfort or instruction. It is only with this hope that I send it from my hand. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.