The Fannie Bolton Story

W. C. White to Fannie Bolton, April 11, 1893

We are all much rejoiced to know that your general health is so much better than before your vacation, and we hope that it may continue to improve till you are fully restored. You will no doubt, have to be careful for some time and you will need to use much judgment about your work. This will be hard for you, because you are not accustomed to follow judgment, so much as feeling, and ambition. When you are well, you love to do anything that you are asked to do, and then when overworked and weary and discouraged, it will be natural to feel that others have treated you badly, by asking you to do so much, when in fact they had no idea as to how much work you had on hand, or how weary you were. You will find a blessing in cultivating the gift of moderation in work, and plainness in telling us when you have as much work as you can do. FBS 10.4

If you will think the matter over when you are well, I think you will believe me when I say that we do not desire to press you to do more than you are able to do. We know that mother’s work is apt to come in a heap, or avalanche, and that she feels intense haste to get it off, and therefore you can hardly ask her to regulate it so you shall not be hurried. The only way I can see, is for you to do each day, only what you can do well, without injury to yourself, and let the rest wait, and if it gets out in time for the mail, all right, and if not, let it be early for the next mail. FBS 11.1

I have been talking with her about the articles, and she has consented to send fewer to the Review for a month or two, and to drop the Instructor, and S. S. Worker, and other small papers. This will be best, for there is some work that you will be called upon to do outside of preparing articles for the papers. Such work as preparing matter for the Messenger, and for tracts, is very important, and then she has many Special Testimonies, some of which she will wish you to prepare. I see no light in assigning to you the work for the journals, and saying, “you do all of that, and nothing more.” Better do less for the journals and have time and strength and courage for these other important enterprises. FBS 11.2

I have written to Eld. Rousseau about arranging to have Jessie Israel copy for Marian, and for you also. Mother wishes you to have as much help in this line as you can get from the young folks who are learning to write on the machine. FBS 11.3

Please do not talk about going back to America, unless you want to go, for if you talk about it, mother may do the same, and if she talks about it, you will feel hurt. So please drop the thought, and all reference to it. FBS 11.4