Henry van Dyke ALS reflecting on the death of his son

Offered is an orignal handwritten letter of Henry van Dyke to a friend and big supporter of his church in New York Charles McAlpin.  I bought this letter as part of collection of 40 letters that I bought from Brattle Bookstore in Boston owned by Ken Gloss of Roadshow fame.  I have sold all the rest and held this one for my personal collection.  It is my favorite because it shows a very personal grief at the loss of his little boy.

The letter is written on Swiftwater stationary and reads in full;

The Swiftwater, Swiftwater, Monre County, Penn’A.

My dear Mr. McAlpin

Your very kind letter of May 6^th has been forwarded to this place, and I must at once acknowledge the pleasure which it has given me.

Your father’s generous subscription of a thousand dollars to the fund for a new organ is characteristic, both in its generosity, and in the fact that the gift is influenced by his affection for his children.  It is a fine thing to see a family strongly and steadily bond together by love, as yours is.

Will you express my cordial thanks to your father for the “good lift” he has given me in this matter of the organ?  I shall go forward with new hope and courage to make up the $10,000.

I must add my personal thanks to you for your sympathy.  This has been a strange, sorrowful Springtide for us.  The waters have been very deep.  But the star of faith has not grown dim nor disappeared.  The little boy who is with us here, to complete his recovery is often lonely now without his brother.  Every fern and spring in this lovely vale seems to speak of the lad who was with us last year in our fishing.  But we are sure he is in a better country now, and we often talk of it.

I have felt your unspoken sympathy a great deal during these last weeks.  It has helped me through many difficult services.  The only real comfort is doing something for others.

Faithfully yours

Henry vanDyke

May 11^th 1897