BLACKWELL FAMILY    From Johnston, J.
ELIZABETH BLACKWELLVilla "Maris [?]inh[?]"
Chemin s. Minolas
Cannes
[Dec?]12
Dear Dr Blackwell,
Thanks for your letter
read this morning.  You can be
[?] at the Alsace Lorraine, quite
near this house at S. Tremin [?]
I hope am East or West [?]
but [?] and not quite promises
not North. 
   The last rooms in
this most comfortable house is
first yellow on I shd  have tempted
you to come here.  I hope you will
come & sit with me in our South
[?] which [?] is with this
[] from 10 to 11 in the morning.
   I do not wonder that yourheart and mind are full of
that subject.  I am certain
that thousands of young
men grow up and are
married perfectly [?]
& undefended, and because
their parents were, probably,
Mr. Smith, & the other
[?]! 
     I am glad you recognize
the truth of my list of illustrations.  
Could I but make
clear to you that which
unfortunately can only be
known by intrinsic experience
You wd go when you return
to Hastings [?] straight to my

Reverend Jefferson, who has done
the very thing that you long
to institute: he has a society
nor confined to his own Parish
any one may seek admission
to the Guild of S. Leonard
and it is not of course a
society for the cultivation of
only one virtue, for that
wd be just like treating
the human body for only one
disease while it was sick
of several: -- it is a society
of the cultivation of holiness
& purity of life -- and I think
I once told you that in the
special matter wh you haveat heart he is blest with
the most marked success.
They have festivals, they have
not exactly a band, but a
banner, and they are all
pledged to [?] others by all
means into the way of
purity & peace.
I have not not one of the
Manuals here, I lent mine
to some one who never returned
it, & I cannot remember
who it was, but I wd write
for one if you wd like to
see it, & at my [?] [?]
& I have the devotional
books read by its members
and, I shall gladly show

2
them [xx] when you come,
in fact I have been turning
down leaves yearly to show you.
And he makes use of
Women teachers & counsellors,
the girls are all promised
under [their?] mistresses, and
altho' no one but a bearer
of our Lord's Commission
to [remit?] & retain [sin?] can
administer the Sacrament
of Penance it is, most
usual, when a new female penitent
is under preparation, for
very Reverend  Father to commend
her to one of his old & tried
women friends for guidance
in such preparation. Andwhat it is when its come to be 
known experimentally!
    I dare say you are well
aware that our Confession is
most solemnly addressed to
"Go the Father, God the Son,
& God the Holy Ghost, before
the whole company of heaven"
and (last & least) "to thee
my Father" it is masked
in every possible way that
the Priest is nothing but a
Commissioner, and if we
ever doubted of it what are
the words of correction &
of counsel which one hears
from his lips?  he perhaps
the common place man who sits

there.  I spare you that he 
speaks words most certainly
not his own:  words which
penetrate the [?], depths of
one's nature, & with adaptation
to one's life's history
in a way of which he
himself knowns little [?]!
    One is struck with an
astonishment which brings out
in letters of light "the word
of God is guide & powerful
& sharper than any two
[?] swords &c &c... & is a
discerner of the thoughts &
intents of the heart.
    You shd have known
my husband, & my Sister
in the days of their [?]& fortified Protestantism, &
you shd have seen the
Day break to their souls
& all that is brought to 
them!  My Sister wd not
a bit mind speaking of it:
She often says with the 
deepest thanksgiving; "how
marvellous that light shd
have been granted to me
thro' such masses of
prejudice!"
    So dear friend you
see I am little likely to
think any thing short
of the Sacramental Means
provided by our Lord
Himself will prove a
panacia for this ill; but 

3
this does, and I shd rejoice
indeed if you ever came to
know it.  It is to me very
remarkable that the innocent
people are in  [?eal] [??arm??]
as to their soul's deliverance
and those of others.
From corruption they begin
groping towards the re-discovery
of the Church's best things.
Your mind is clearly on the
track wd followed straight
head to the confessional,
the Arch Deceiver will twist
yr course if he can, any
thing, anything but that,
for he knows it is his worst
[enemy?] so he will [recommend?]
some private patents whichwill be as much less efficacious
than if as he can induce you to 
accept.  And he will assure
you that I am quite a 
fanatic, & a [?]!
I am afraid you must by 
this time almost regret starting
me on this subject!
One of the [Pawley?] Evangelists
is here at this very time, who are
trained in the area of souls, I 
believe, better than any other Priests in 
the Eng & Ch.  I am sure he will converse
with you if you wished to see him.
I am very truly yours
J. Johnstons
I cannot make out whether [you would?]
"go to Cannes" - "by the morning train
between ten & Eleven" [???] leaves
Nice at that time or reach Cannes
at that time.  If I can make out the
Sonn Railway bill I will try to meet you.