xxiv INTRODUCTION

The vision, then-granted not to Ruskin, but to another¹-was doomed to fade; he had heard something from the spirit world of fulfilled Love, but he sought not to peer further beyond the veil. He turned back, here on earth, to “Duty loved of Love.” Yet much remained to him from these experiences and thoughts at Broadlands. The conviction and the hope, there borne in upon him, strengthened the religious development which we traced during his sojourn at Assisi,² and faith in the very real presence of ministering spirits coloured much of his later writing. The practical bent of his mind, the good sense in which he interpreted that faith, are shown in a beautiful letter to a girl-friend:³-

“AYLESBURY, 17th August, '76.-I am so very thankful for all, but chiefly for the last part of your letter, in which you speak of feeling the angels nearer you.

“It is strange that this letter of yours should come to me and be read this morning in the room in which I received the tidings of her death, a year and a half ago. If anything is true of what all good and noble Christians have believed, it is true that we not only may, but should pray to the saints, as simply as we should ask them to do anything for us while they were alive. Do but Feel that they ARE alive and love us still, and that they have powers of influencing us by their love and wisdom, and what else can we do? I should like you to think of Rose as a perfectly pure and innocent friend, who could, and only besought to be permitted to, teach you and inspire you in all things relating to feelings about which you have had no other adviser.

“One of your greatest charms to me was your tender hearing of her and your belief in the vision of her. I think it is very likely she may speak to you, when she will not to me-or cannot. I cannot tell you why I think this, but I do, very earnestly.

“Do not permit yourself to be disturbed by the so often repeated foolish saying that we should never go to any one but God. Of course such a principle would take living friends from you more swiftly than dead ones, being less pure. It is the greater sanctity and power of the ‘Cloud of Witnesses’ which makes simple people fancy they are idolatrous in addressing them instead of Christ. But they are all as the Angel who talked with John-but when he would have worshipped him, said, ‘See thou do it not.’⁴

¹ See, again, a letter to Professor Norton of February 1, 1876.

² See Vol. XXIII. pp. xlvi.-xlvii.

³ Miss Sara Anderson, a frequent visitor at Brantwood, where she helped Ruskin in secretarial duties.

⁴ Revelation xix. 10.

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