WEDNESDAY, January 1, 1862.  At this time medicines were scarce and physicians in the army.  As a consequence of this the demands for Brother Kline’s professional services as a physician were largely increased.  The Diary for this year shows an almost incredible amount of labor performed by him in this line.  He was called to go twenty miles to see patients on Lost River.  He also treated patients in Pendleton and Shenandoah counties, and many in Brock’s Gap and in his own and adjoining neighborhoods.  He had no day of rest.  In connection with all this labor and responsibility, the Brotherhood looked to him for counsel and comfort on every hand.  At the same time he wrote many letters, not only to distant Brethren, but to men in civil and military place and power.

SATURDAY, February 15.  He wrote a letter to John Letcher, at the time Governor of Virginia; another to Secretary Benjamin, and one to Charles H. Lewis.  His leading object in all his correspondence with these and other men in high civil and military positions was to acquaint and as far as possible familiarize the minds of these men with the true idea as to who the Brethren are, what they have ever been, and how they have come to regard arms-bearing as they do.

The correspondence we are now considering may be regarded by some as having been a small thing.  Some may say:  “It is a small thing to write a letter to the President of the United States, or to a member of his Cabinet, or to a member of Congress, or to the Governor of one’s State.”  A small thing, no doubt; in itself quite as small as to write to any one else.  It may be said that the greatness of all such correspondence depends upon the magnitude of the subject involved.  Let us look at the subject involved here.  We see some thousands of the most devoted Christian people the world has ever known standing in jeopardy; not one of all their number seems to know what to do.  Their situation at this time reminds one of Israel camped on the mountain beside the valley of Elah, in hearing of the guttural defiance of the giant.  At this critical hour, when something must be done, when some special but heretofore untried effort must be put forth to avert the impending destruction, a MAN of the Brethren, unassuming in all respects, about five feet seven inches in height, heavy-set, with a large but symmetrical face, hair down to the neck beautifully parted from the forehead across the middle of the head, voluntarily sets to work in secret through the mails to see what can be done.  God only knows the full measure of Brother John Kline’s service and influence in this way.  It is a true saying that “to succeed is the best proof of success,” and subsequent events show that Brother Kline fully realized this proof.  As a humble observer of the movements of that day, and with a tolerably clear recollection of them, the Editor can only express his belief that Brother Kline’s correspondence, with his other influence, contributed