1/19/43 Mr. Thomas B. Brown [Tim Brown]'s letter from Dayton,
Ohio:
Dear Edgar:
Have finished "There is a River" and am glad that I had the
privilege of reading it. Sugrue did a fine job. It is known
by all occultists, that every individual leading a life of
unselfish service for the benefit of humanity, has to go
through many trials and sufferings. Your life was no
exception to the rule and Sugrue brought out the tragedies in
your life very skillfully.
I do not know how the book could have been improved upon.
The author made an interesting and excellent portrayal of
your life. There were two statements made with relation to
reincarnation that were dramatically opposed to each other.
On page 248 quoting you knew the gospels well... There was
in fact no mention of reincarnation whatsoever... "If
reincarnation were a truth, why had Jesus not mentioned it?"
And on page 260 you quote the scriptures in which it was
shown that John the Baptist was a reincarnation of Elias.
You also quote other passages along the same vein. The time
in your life was within a few days of each other. This was,
the only thing that was not very clear to me, maybe I am
getting dense.
I always try to find out the causes underlying events and the
lessons to be learned and I still wonder what forces were
generated that caused the Hospital to be dissolved. When I
look back at the inception of the Hospital and we had the
first meeting to seek appropriations and donations, I felt,
intuitively, that something was wrong with the method of
organization and took this up with Morton. I thought it
wiser to start out with a smaller building and to raise all
the cost of same before starting to build so that it would be
free from any mortgage or lien. I did not think that it was
carrying out the spirit or sense of the the Association to
have it a one man organization (One man carrying practically
the whole financial burden) but that it would be more in
order for each member to contribute some proportion, if it
were only a dollar or so each month. I always had confidence
in Morton, and still have, but as my feelings were so strong
in the matter I held up the letting of the contract while I
tried to get Morton to accede to my views. Morton was too
enthusiastic. The readings said "Make a start" and finally
the contract was let and the building got under way.
One summer, after the hospital had been built, there was a
meeting at your house at which a young man wanted Morton,
Eddie and me to contribute $500.00 per month to help out in
the moving of a boys school to Virginia Beach. The next day
on our return to New York I told Morton that I did not want
anything to do with this and we had all we could do to
support the Hospital. Morton gave up the idea of this but
after the crash in 1929 he started the University. The
backing of this university was the contributing factor to
the dissolution of the Hospital. Could the Hospital have
survived through the depression years with so large a loan
upon it, had Morton not overextended himself, is not the
question. There were underlying factors and forces, not
apparent to me at this time, that brought about the
dissolution. These forces could have been set up in the
improper formation of the Association. Other forces not of
unselfish service, could have crept in. It could have been
the balancing of Karmic forces or many other forces released.
Surely the contributing force in its entirety could not be
laid to Morton, it could be buried deeply within the many of
us members of the Association. Morton was only the channel
of dissolution.
I mention this, not to bring up unpleasant memories, but to
try and visualize what we, as individuals, were to learn from
this one experience.
I am sure your book will bring a message of steadfastness of
purpose, calmness and true brotherhood to the many who will
read it,
With kindest regards,
Sincerely, [signed] Tim
1/25/43 EC's ltr. to T. Brown:
Dear Tim;-
Thanks for yours of the 19th - appreciate very much your
comment on the book - "There is a River." Yes, think Sugrue
did a fine job, just so he didn't over do it too much.
Think Tom meant to indicate, in the pages you quote from
the unfoldment of my mind during that period of turmoil on
the subject of whether reincarnation could be a fact or not,
or so I took it as read it at the reviewing of copy.
Thanks too for your comment on the happenings regards the
Hospital. To be sure have gone over every detail of the
happenings in my own mind many times for no one, not even I
can ever put into words what that meant to me but put it all
down as a very miserable failure on my part, and certainly
blame no one else but myself for it failure; am sure every
one might find fault with every one else looking at it from
their own view point.
But I know Morton and Eddie were sincere in what they did and
I certainly could never blame them for anything as happened.
Just Hope that I may some day call them my close friends
again, for I loved them as my own closest friends.
Hope all of us associated at the time have grown bigger and
better men in the service of God and our love for our fellow
man.
Thanking you again and again for your letter - believe the
trade edition of the book will be out in Mar. How will the
general public take such a book do you think?
With kindest regards
Ever the same
Edgar Cayce



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