Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 15 (1900)

Lt 166, 1900

Haskell, Brother and Sister [S. N.]; Irwin, G. A.

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

April 25, 1900

Portions of this letter are published in FBS 96.

Dear Brother and Sister Haskell, and Brother Irwin:

Our American mail has been closed up today, and we feel relieved. You have little idea how heavy a burden I have carried for some time. Shall we leave this country, with its new fields constantly opening before us, and go to America? Will not the Lord give us special, clear evidence in regard to this matter which means so much to us? I am obliged to take my editors with me, if I go. I shall have the privilege of seeing through the press several books. 15LtMs, Lt 166, 1900, par. 1

If things were in a condition to have our visit delayed one year, it would accommodate us much better, for we could see the sanitarium up, and the church at Maitland erected, and several things, that appear rather shaky, established. I do not like the way Dr. Caro is handling himself. He is hiring the highest priced halls to give lectures upon the plague, and he makes it more a subject of ridicule than a judgment from God. He does not mingle with his work the spirit of the message, scarce a tinge of it. I have had decided testimonies for him, which may, if he will take time to study them, change the features of his work. But we shall do something in this matter at once. 15LtMs, Lt 166, 1900, par. 2

Something is being sent you in regard to Fannie Bolton. You need to say to all our people that she is not the Lord’s messenger, and she should in no way be encouraged. She would mingle the theatrical with her spiritual actions, that would not elevate, but degrade the cause of God. [She] is a farce. I have several copies of letters in her own handwriting, confessions, which I can not possibly get copied. They must not go out of my hands until they are copied. Caldwell took a testimony from her hands that related to them both, and burned it up, and then told her she need not worry any more about it, [neither] she nor Sister White would ever see it again. Then he was pressed by me for the testimony. 15LtMs, Lt 166, 1900, par. 3

Caldwell said he would bring it to me, and then said he could not find it. Then when I told him I knew what he had done with it, he said he must have burned it with some of his letters he did not care to keep; and then afterwards he confessed his falsehoods and said he burned it designedly. Well, I have quite a large amount of letters concerning this matter between Fannie and me. If it needs to be all exposed, before the people will be undeceived, I will send these letters after they are copied. But tell our people I do not want to expose Fannie, unless I am obliged to do this to save the cause of God from being corrupted. 15LtMs, Lt 166, 1900, par. 4

I want you to speak freely your minds, and tell me how it appears to you—the present state of things in Battle Creek. I am so sorry that A. T. Jones appears to be the one who has managed to get Brother Sisley off the board, saying it was through a testimony. I have copies of all my testimonies, and there is nothing in them that prompts to any such action, but it leaves him at liberty to come to us, for we need him here in sanitarium building. 15LtMs, Lt 166, 1900, par. 5