24 Sept. 1911
Dear Sir William:
I have read your letter to Pres. Remsen and trust that it will give the coup-de-grace to any further efforts to disrupt our medical school. I need not say that I felt deeply touched by your kind reference to the work done in our department. We have already held numerous meetings with you to bettering our service and making a fuller use of our opportunities.
I am back in camp recovered from my gallbladder-adhesion operation, free from pain and trying to work out my digestive problems.
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I think I wrote you soon after it was all over that the whole experience has been one of the most blessed things that has ever come to me in my life. It has taught me so many precious lessons.
I feel as though I had grown greatly in experience and knowledge as to what are the true values in life. If true knowledge is worth sacrifice and that is a sufficient answer to one good friend who condoled with me over the "inscrutable ways of Providence." It gave me a text for several letters to friends. [ . . . ] wrote me from Washington to be sure and let him know
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if I could explain or see any possible good in such an experience. I then wrote him fully all that it meant dwelling especially on the fact that "good deeds" (Everyman's) and self-righteousness utterly forsook me when I stood before the blackness of the eternal gates as I laid myself down on the operating table. It was good then first to rest in Christ's work & to put my hand in His.
Forgive me old man for talking so much of self and such an ordinary event. But you know my longing, which is ever the same, that all those I love should think alike with me as to Christ, that he is God's Son the Savior of the world, & especially
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[ . . . ] and my personal Savior. I cannot tell you how kind the [ . . . ] were. They are certainly not only doing the largest but the best surgery in the world and are surrounded by a big corps of about 70 enthusiastic scientific helpers. Their whole working is thoroughly scientific. I wish we had the same splendid spirit of hearty cooperation in Baltimore. The old spirit seems gone, we have drifted away from it somehow, and yet without it we cannot do great things. All kinds of new rules and gifts of money cannot make up the deficiency, & yet no one seems to appreciate this latent fact. Please give my affectionate regards to Lady Osler and my boy
Always affectionately yours
Howard A. Kelly