Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 12 (1897)

Lt 189, 1897

White, W. C.

Sunnyside, Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

March 11, 1897

Portions of this letter are published in 4Bio 292-293, 324.

Dear Son Willie:

We are thankful to our heavenly Father that we are all in good health. Wednesday February twenty-four, a telegram came that Sister Hurd was released from quarantine. Brother Haskell had been with us over the Sabbath up to that time. There were excellent meetings held in early morning. A goodly number attended the meetings and good was accomplished. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 1

Last Sunday, March seven, Brother and Sister Haskell returned from Summer Hill. They were married in the Health Home without any parade at all. I am glad it is thus, for Brother Haskell needs a wife, and the woman he has married is a sensible, intelligent woman [who] can be a great blessing to him. I believe it is as the Lord would have it. He will be a help here, and if there was ever a place where help is needed, it is right here. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 2

Lawrence and his wife left for New Zealand last Wednesday. There was, for a time, a change in him, but as he did not follow the light, he lost all the good impressions he had received and is the same man he was. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 3

Last Sunday Brother Robert Lamplough was taken very sick with all the symptoms of typhoid fever. Sara visited him in company with your wife May, and they both worked over him faithfully, giving heroic treatment. The fever ran very high. We all thought the poor young man was in for a long siege, but they kept at it. They enlisted Brother Hanson. We provided the food he should eat, and he responded to the treatment and yesterday went out to ride. He is quite weak but feeling well. It was a violent attack, and he received the most thorough treatment. I thank the Lord for his recovery, for it would have been a great tax upon us to have treated a case of typhoid through its period. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 4

We were made very sad to hear of Herbert Lacey’s coming down very sick in Tasmania. He walked one day nine miles to visit his old home and to see where his mother was buried, and then, all in a heated condition, he sat on the doorstep of the house where we visited Brother Lacey and became chilled. He came down to his bed. Christine, Sister Lacey’s eldest daughter, took care of him. I directed a letter at once to Brother and Sister Wilson and told them to look after Herbert and see that everything was done for him that could be done and I would meet the expense. But a telegram came one week ago today on Friday, that he would be in Sydney that day. We hurried Lillian off to meet him. He got off at the same time his wife stepped from the train. He is, they say, in for typhoid fever. Brother Haskell was at the Health Home. Brother Semmens was not willing that he should see him. He said he was very weak, but he ought to have seen him. Brother Baker and Brothers Haskell and Semmens prayed for him. Lillian wrote he was very poor, nothing but skin and bones. He lost twenty pounds in one week in Tasmania. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 5

I think it was a very venturesome move for him to come from Tasmania to Melbourne, then take the excursion train for Sydney. All alone in that crowded car was enough to exhaust a well man. Lillian wrote to Father Lacey that Brother Semmens was using ice on his bowels. But in several cases light had been given me that the ice remedy was not as efficacious as the hot water. I was afraid. His vitality, I learned, was very low and to put ice on head and chest I knew was a mistake. It would tax his vitality. I asked Sara if she would go on that morning train. She refused promptly. I then sent a telegram, “Use no ice, but hot applications,” but I felt so sorry I could not help crying. I asked Sara if she would go. She at first refused, and then consented because I felt so bad in regard to the matter. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 6

While in Sydney, Brother _____ from Dora Creek was his [Brother Semmens’] patient. One day he gave him treatment, strong electricity, which injured him and frightened him terribly. One side of him was as if on fire, the other side was icy cold. He made a mistake here, I know, and there must be no risk run over Herbert’s case. I was not going to be so delicate in regard to the physician as to permit Herbert Lacey’s life to be put out. I will enclose that which I sent to Brother Semmens. Sara went down Wednesday afternoon. Today we shall have a report. I am very anxious. We are praying for the young man. God will hear us. He will answer our prayers. I do believe the Lord will restore him to health. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 7

When Sara advocated the ice treatment I told her it was no use. There might be cases where the ice applications would work well. But books with prescriptions that are followed to the letter in regard to ice applications should have further explanations, that persons with low vitality should use hot in the place of cold, but to go just as the book of Dr. Kellogg shall direct without considering the subject is simply wild. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 8

Hot fomentations in fever will kill the inflammation in nine cases out of ten where ice applications will, according to the light given me, tax the vitality unsafely. Here is where the danger comes in of not using judgment and reason in regard to the subject under treatment. But enough of this. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 9

Your two boys are doing well. We have secured several hundred pounds of Isabella grapes from Whitehead, for two and half penny a pound. They make the richest kind of wine. We had just weighed out my one hundred pounds, and a large pan of them was put on the floor to prepare a place for them and lo, Henry spied them. Sara called me to see the picnic. He had crawled with the greatest speed, and there he was, on his knees, picking the grapes from the clusters and putting them in his mouth, but very particular to put his finger in his mouth and take out the skins and put them back in the tub. He worked at this until he was satisfied. They seem to know fruit as soon as they catch sight of it. I purchased a box of rich yellow peaches of Brother Parcells. These I have kept for the babies, for it is the last we shall have. They will each eat one and a half at a time. I went in yesterday morning and Herbert was eating a peach from his mother’s hand. When I came in he made his arms fly up and down to express his great pleasure. The boys are doing well. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 10

Ella and Mabel are in much better health than when they came to Sunnyside. Both are doing well. May says she feels so much better since she has been here and it is such a relief to have no boarders. The children are good-natured and seldom cry and make trouble. In three weeks they will be one year old. Both are very spry at creeping, something you, their father, never did do. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 11

I have last night obtained the figures for a house plan as you suggested and marked out, but Brother Haskell suggested some improvements. May will tell you about this better than I can. The complete work done on the house, including painting, a bricked-up cellar of ten by twelve, will come to two hundred fifty pounds. I can get the lumber at our mill but, closely inquiring, Brother Haskell says the lumber is figured too high. Brother Hare says he can get a bill of lumber for five shillings per hundred. Someone has offered him a bill of lumber at these figures. He asks seven shillings and then the bill of drawing swells the sum. Last evening Lamplough and Haskell and May and I took all into consideration that if the building we decided [on] could be brought within two hundred pounds we would complete the building. Brother Haskell is looking carefully over these things. Now [that] the bill of building is given in, we can know something of how to do. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 12

We cannot call off the workers on the school building; we do not desire to do this. But the cellar can be dug and the foundation laid and everything like lumber brought on the ground, and then we can have everything preparatory to making a quick job and get your family into the building after it is plastered. Brother Hare advises so, also Elder Haskell, to give the job into Lamplough’s hands for him to employ the workmen, the day laborers. This matter is one that must have attention. Your family cannot, with my consent, remain in the small compass where they are any longer than is positively necessary. In the figuring, we cut ten pounds on roofing. The roof will, if made as this on my house is, save ten pounds, and money is too scare to be used up merely for fancy. May is with me in every move. We consult her in everything. We shall have a piazza eight feet wide on two sides of the house, and I think the house will suit you. We shall have a complete plan by middle of the next week. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 13

Now this is the judgment of the men whose judgment I value of any worth. So we shall go straight ahead, when we can have the workers. Worsnop is working on your land, clearing, cutting down the trees you specified to Connell you wished done. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 14

We shall send your mail by this Vancouver boat next Monday. The boat by way of San Francisco will carry something more, but let Edson see the letters I send you, and then I will not be to the expense of paying postage. I have just seen May. She says the children slept all night, excellently well. I read her these two pages thus far. I will write you again soon, to go out next Monday. Marian is in good spirits in regard to the book on the life of Christ. I am now writing on the foot washing ordinance and on the Lord’s Supper. Will send you the matter. I have decided from henceforth no letters go from me only of such a character as Bible subjects so that if I wish to use them in books I can do so. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 15

We all miss you. We have pitched our large family tent and floored it and fitted it up for Brother and Sister Haskell. They live and sleep in the tent. It is carpeted, and they enjoy it. They have also that room you used as an office. Can sleep in it whenever they choose. They seem sensible and seem to enjoy their home. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 16

In much love, 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 17

Mother.

Will send letter to Edson next mail. 12LtMs, Lt 189, 1897, par. 18