Letter to Henry from his pastor B. H. Hart November 12, 1907

Harrisburg, PA Nov. 12 1907

Parsonage

Fifth Street M. E. Church

419 Maclay Street

My Dear Henry: -

I saw your father yesterday afternoon and he said that a letter written to you last evening would be likely to reach you in a few days.  Unfortunately it was impossible for me to get at it last evening, and now I fear it will be some time before this reaches you, but I send if with the hope that it will still reach you at the time hoped for.

I was glad to learn from your father that you were getting along so nicely.  I suppose that life on a vessel is much like life anywhere else.  There are plenty of pleasant experiences and some that are not so pleasant, but that is just the way it is everywhere.  I know of no calling in this life where everything is just as one would like it.  Under such circumstances the only thing to do is to make the best of the unpleasant things, hoping for something better soon to turn up.  And there is one other lesson that every young man needs to learn sooner or later and the sooner it is learned the better it will be for him.  And that is that no man ever succeeds or gets the best out of life until he determines that there is some one thing in the world which he intends to do well, to work a little while at one thing and then a little while at another is simply frittering one’s life away and the sum total of his achievements is infinitely below what it would be had he stuck to some one thing.  About that one thing there will be plenty of unpleasant experiences but the thing is to stick regardless of the unpleasant things.

I presume you have now determined that your life work will be in the navy in which case the happy course for you will be to master every step before you take another and honorable promotion will come.  No doubt it is there as elsewhere – you will find associates whose principles will help you up and others that will drag you down.  It is needless for me to urge the importance of finding the former and in no instance becoming intimate with the latter.  I am very anxious that your life should be honorable and useful and there are multitudes of friends here who are anxious to hear only good of you.  I feel quite sure we will not be disappointed for one can scarce imagine how a boy with the home surroundings such as yours were, and with the kind of a father and mother such as yours, could ever do an unmanly act.  We are all praying that the Lord will tenderly watch over you and that your mind may be filled with the thoughts of the good and the true.  After all, these are the only things that pay. 

Have you yet become acquainted with the Chaplain of your vessel?  More than likely he will be a Catholic Priest for nearly all chaplains are, but that need make no difference.  You will find him a Christian and an educated gentleman and I would seek his society all you can.  Unconsciously such men have a good influence over us.

If you ever have a little time I would be very glad to receive a letter from you telling where you have been and where your duties are.

The church moves on in the usual way.  Will Watson has secured a position in Hollidaysburg and will leave us next week.  I dislike to see him go but perhaps it is all for the best.  Mabel Kennedy is married.

Sincerely your friend, B. H. Hart