The crowd gave way as Jesus came, silent and apparently oblivious of the multitude. But as he was passing Virginia and me, he paused and, in a tone that I am sure none heard but ourselves, asked us to come and see him tonight.

Then Jesus passed slowly through the multitude, the man who had cried out going with him, until, together, Jesus, the little girl, and the man passed down the street and out of our sight.

Slowly, the great crowd dissolved. It was noticeable how subdued men’s voices were, how deeply smitten they had been in heart and mind. Somehow I could not help asking myself whether the transactions in Wall Street that afternoon would be just the same as they had been through the years.

It has not been easy to describe what the effect was of his presence and his message. I have been able to convey to you only a hint of what the effect was.

We are anticipating with keenest interest our meeting with him tonight. No one in New York has known of his address. We gather from the address he gave us, it must be in the great East Side tenement district.

The scene this afternoon must be only the beginning of gigantic events to follow. All men seemed to feel the premonition of it. Hundreds of men in that gathering this afternoon must have been stirred to deepest anger, if not convicted, like this Clay Ross, of the deepest selfishness and heart sin.

And when once one begins to hate Jesus, history shows that to be as deep and relentless a passion as when love for him makes one ready to die for him. To what end will it all go? Money-loving New York will not endure even Jesus, if his teaching shall tend to the destruction of its old-time principles of money-getting.

But it may be, after all these years of Christianity, there is enough leaven in the lump, even here, to change and reconstruct financial society and rebuild it on the foundation of brotherhood. The most fundamental things will follow what Jesus may do within the next few days.

It seems incredible to think of our actually going to see Jesus in the flesh. Perhaps he will share them, but we speculate on his future plans. Only we know all things are in his hands, and the world he came to redeem so long ago will be redeemed by him; of that we feel certain.

We both send love to you, in Jesus’s blessed name.

Affectionately,

Richard Stanton.

The morning following the Stantons’ visit to Jesus, they both wrote again of their experiences. Virginia’s letter to Rachel will, perhaps even better than her husband’s, describe the remarkable evening they spent with Jesus in the East Side tenement.