Ellen G. White: The Later Elmshaven Years: 1905-1915 (vol. 6)

At Work Through 1912

But Ellen White's work was far from completed. A little later in the year, W. C. White reported, regarding his mother's continuing interest in day-to-day work: 6BIO 363.6

To those who are closely connected with Mother, it is very remarkable that in her age and feebleness she is able to give us such valuable counsel and direction regarding the book work. She does not mark the manuscripts very much, but here or there she puts in a word, a phrase, or a sentence to round out the thought or make it more emphatic, and every few days, when she is reading manuscript, she comes out to the office or calls Brother Crisler to her room and then she tells him the importance of searching for manuscripts making very clear and plain such and such features of the work. 6BIO 363.7

White explained: 6BIO 363.8

Oftentime when she calls attention to what she has written upon a certain subject, it is difficult at first for us to appreciate the bearing that this has upon the manuscripts already gathered, but Brother Crisler is faithful in making notes, and sometimes after Mother has called attention several times to some lesson she has written upon and emphasized its importance, Crisler makes another search in her manuscripts for material along the lines she has been pressing upon his attention, and in so doing, he finds choice matter which in the light of Mother's suggestions, he can use with the original manuscripts, making the subject much more complete.—WCW to AGD, August 26, 1912.

By mid-May, W. C. White could report: 6BIO 364.1

We are making excellent progress with the work on Mother's book.... We hope that the heaviest part of this work will be completed in July.—WCW to AGD, May 14, 1912.

But in August they were still at work on the manuscript. In fact, only seldom does an author or compiler reach the goal he sets for himself in literary production, but White expressed the hope that the book could be printed before the forthcoming General Conference session scheduled for the spring of 1913. But even in this they failed (WCW to AGD, August 15, 1912). 6BIO 364.2