December 27th, 1914.
Received by James Padgett.
Washington D.C.
I am here, your old partner and friend.
You are very kind to have me write to you again and I want to tell you of my present spiritual condition, which is somewhat changed from what it was when I last wrote you, as I have thought very much of what you then told me, and have seen some things that have made me think that there is something more in the teachings of Jesus and in prayer than I then believed.
You told me that while I was a man of considerable intellectual attainment that fact would never take me to the sphere where love and happiness existed in their greatest degree, and that the only way to obtain that love and happiness was through prayer to God, and faith in his power to give them to me.
I have thought of what you said very much and have tried to pray with all my heart, and have felt the result of that prayer and of your prayers which you made for me every night as you promised. I am not yet in a condition of faith that enables me to fully understand what this process of obtaining God's love is, or how that the mere fact of praying can cause me to get it, but as I see so many evidences of the result of prayer as shown in the wonderful change in the appearance and happiness of your wife and Prof. Salyards and your father, I cannot but believe that even though I do not understand the process by which these great changes are made, yet there must be some great power in operation which answers prayer, and why not God, as you all tell me.
I want you to pray for me with all your heart and faith when you pray, that I may have the faith that you tell me about. I must obtain this change in my condition as I feel that it is absolutely necessary to my future happiness, and if I can only get the faith, I feel that I may possibly receive this love that has apparently so transformed your wife and the others that I have mentioned.
I am comparatively happy and realize that I am a spirit wholly of the spirit world, and no longer a part of earth; but the realization does not satisfy my longings for something higher, as I look around and see that others enjoy what I have not, and they seem to be so very much happier than I.
You seem to be changed also since I first wrote to you, (only 11 days ago) and your mother tells me that it is because you have more of God's love in your heart and are trying to love Him more, so everywhere I look at those whom I knew on earth, except those who don't believe in the power of prayer, I see changes and progression, which cannot be accounted for in any other way than by the one you and the others tell me is the only way to this great happiness and transformation.
You are very dear to me as I have told you, and I have the greatest confidence in what you tell me, and believe that what you tell me is the truth, but I cannot understand it all, and hence my faith is not very strong. I understand what you say and I see that you are right, and I will try to do as you say. My mind is such that I have required proof of everything before I could believe; but now I see that there are some things which cannot or need not be proved in order for me to believe, and I must accept them as true by the mere exercise of faith; so I will now try, and pray God to give me this love and increase my faith. You must also pray for me. Yes, I know what you mean. He has told me that you are to do his work and you certainly are a favored man, for I cannot conceive of any mortal being given that great office, and having the love of God and of Jesus to such an extent as to make him worthy or qualified to do it. But rest assured if you need any help in any way, and I obtain that great possession for which I will strive, I will be with you and help you in every way possible. You are very close to Jesus as I am informed, and he certainly is a wonderful spirit - the brightest and most lovely that I have ever seen in the spirit world. He tells me of the way to the Father as he calls God and I listen to him and try to believe what he tells me, but somehow I have my doubts and he turns away as if in great pity and love. He will not let me alone very long, but keeps telling me of the wonderful love of God, and how willing God is to give me his love and blessings. But I do not understand as I have told you.
You seem to help me more, for you are somehow closer to me and more in accord with my condition of mind and thought. You are too much given to what I call right thinking about these spiritual matters to ever try to tell me what is not true.
Yes, that is what they all say, but until I do have this faith and love I cannot realize that he is a very great teacher. I mean that I cannot believe what he tells me so easily as what you tell me.
I am praying all the time, and now I will pray with more understanding, or rather belief that it is not necessary for me to understand the process of obtaining this love, but that it is mine if only I believe that it is.
Yes, I hope so, and if I am so blessed you will know just as soon as you give me the opportunity to write; and you will know in no uncertain terms, for when I am filled with this happiness that I see the others of the band have, you will hear me shout it out as you used to hear me shout in my speeches in court-only this will be entirely from the soul and not merely a matter of mind.
I see them (Wm. R. & Pert) quite frequently and they are still in a condition of spiritual darkness as I before told you - but I try to tell them what little I have learned from you and the others mentioned, and they do not seem to want to learn of spiritual things so I do not know what to do.
Your wife and mother talk to them also and tell them of the wonderful things that they may obtain if they will only give their thoughts to God and His love, but they do not seem to comprehend just what is meant, and think that they are still to some extent connected with earthly matters. They are not so very unhappy, but their happiness is not of the kind that I see your wife have, and I want them to obtain it, for they are very dear to me as you may know. Mrs. Riddle is not my soulmate but I love her very much and want her to become happy as she possibly can.
No, not set, but I am hoping to soon. I do not know why, but it is so. I will ask her when I next see her for she is a very beautiful and loving spirit. She certainly does love you and I wonder that she does to the extent that I see, for you are not so much interested in her as I think, for you are not a man that loves anyone very much, so you see you are a very blessed man in having the love of such a spirit.
Yes, I know you do and I was only jesting a little. You do love her as I know and you will be very happy when you come over and live with her.
Yes, I hear of her home as one of such beauty and it must be so for she is so beautiful that I couldn't imagine that her home is anything other than beautiful. Or, if I could only get into the sphere where she is I know that I would be very happy and I certainly would visit her and listen to her music and her beautiful thoughts, for she has beautiful thoughts which you cannot imagine she possesses. You will be the most surprised man in the world when you come over and meet her.
Yes, infinitely more beautiful. I did think her one of the most beautiful young women on earth when I lived, but her beauty then is as a mere faded shadow to what it is now.
Yes. I see the Professor quite often and he is progressing very wonderfully in his spiritual growth, for he is really a beautiful spirit and you know he was not so beautiful on earth. But now he is a spirit that shows that he possesses what he says is the love of God to a wonderful degree. He is still studying and writing, and says that he will soon write you some of his thoughts, if you will let him and I advise you to do so for they are wonderful even for this spiritual world. He is here now and says that he wants to thank you for your inquiry, and also wants you to know that he is thinking a great deal of you and will soon write you if you will only permit him to do so.
You are tired and I must stop.
I am as ever your own true friend and partner,
A. G. Riddle