Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 20 (1905)

Lt 109, 1905

Walling, Addie; Walling, May

“Elmshaven,” St. Helena, California

April 11, 1905

This letter is published in entirety in 14MR 254-258.

Dear children Addie and May:—

I have just finished reading over the proofs of Ministry of Healing. We hope that this book will be out before General Conference. I will send you a copy as soon as I receive some from the Press. W. C. White is now at Mountain View, helping on Ministry. When he is not there, other things are allowed to come in, and the work on my book goes very slowly. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 1

Ella White is still at Reno, Nevada. Her school closes this week. One of the public schools there wants her to teach in its primary division for a few weeks. I think that she will. Mabel is now at Paradise Valley, San Diego. She left here last Thursday, and on her way to San Diego, she called at Mountain View and spent a few hours with her father. At Los Angeles, she spent a little time at the Glendale Sanitarium. I expect to receive a letter from her soon, saying that she reached San Diego safely. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 2

The sanitarium at Glendale is well filled with patients. The managers think that they will have to put up a building near the sanitarium, so as to provide more accommodations for patients. Many more are desirous of coming to the sanitarium, but there is no room for them. Those in charge of the sanitarium are perplexed to know how to take care of the patients already there. Brother J. A. Burden is manager of the institution. Sister Burden is the bookkeeper. Dr. Abbie Winegar-Simpson is lady physician. She has charge of the training class. Nora Lacey is head nurse, and she assists in the class work. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 3

A few days ago I received a letter from Brother Burden, saying that all is moving forward harmoniously and that more room is needed. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 4

Brother Burden writes that since rain has fallen in such abundance in Los Angeles County, the property for which they paid twelve thousand five hundred dollars could not be purchased for twenty thousand. Property has gone up one third higher than it was before the rain came. We are so glad that our brethren were able to purchase the Glendale Sanitarium for so low a price. It is an imposing building and is situated in a very pleasant location. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 5

The Paradise Valley Sanitarium is full of patients also, and those in charge will be obliged to provide more room for the accommodation of those who are coming in. Yesterday I had a letter from Brother E. S. Ballenger, the manager of the institution, in which he says that all the rooms in the building are filled, and that there are eight more persons who desire to come for treatment. As yet, no advertising at all has been done, and yet the patients continue to come. I meant to have had Brother Ballenger’s letter copied, so that I might send it to you; but it was sent on to Willie. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 6

Brother Ballenger is holding Bible studies and prayer meetings in the sanitarium, and he writes that the patients are showing much interest in these meetings. The day that he wrote the letter, twenty of the patients attended the morning service. At this service there is singing and then reading and prayer. Brother Ballenger said that all but one of the patients bowed in prayer. A deep impressing is being made by these meetings, and we hope that souls will be converted. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 7

The Paradise Valley Sanitarium cost the original owners twenty-five thousand dollars. Almost all the rooms are furnished with a marble washstand. Water is laid on all over the house. The rooms are beautifully arranged and are very airy. There are broad verandahs round two sides of the house. The building stands on a high rise of ground, and the lawns and gardens were once very beautiful. Many of the ornamental trees died during the long drought, but this year a good supply of rain has fallen, and all the lawns are green again. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 8

We purchased this building, with twenty acres of land, for five thousand dollars. Since then eight acres of land have been bought for eight hundred dollars. There is a piece of property adjoining, consisting of ten acres of orange orchard, a packing house, a dwelling house, and a large barn. This property was offered for three thousand five hundred dollars, and we may buy it if it can still be secured for this price. In order to do this, I should have to borrow money, but I do not think that the property ought to be allowed to pass into the hands of worldlings. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 9

I thank the Lord for these two sanitariums in Southern California, and I am sure that their influence for good can be made far reaching. San Diego is becoming more and more popular as a health resort. We went to considerable expense in digging a well on the sanitarium land. The diggers went down ninety feet and found an abundant supply of soft, pure water. This water is pumped into a large tank placed on the highest elevation of the property and from there carried all over the grounds. I was at the sanitarium when the well was being dug, and we were all intensely interested in the progress made by the diggers. One morning Brother Palmer came to my room to tell me that the water was coming into the well in a stream as big as his arm. The next morning he told me that there was fifteen feet of water in the well. So we knew that success was ours. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 10

Soon after this the rain began to fall, after a drought of five years, and it fell in abundance, refreshing the dry, thirsty country. We are indeed grateful to our heavenly Father for this great blessing. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 11

I wish that you could leave New York and make me a visit. We could find employment for you where you could be a decided help in the work and cause of God. I think the time has come when we should be where we could see each other now and then. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 12

A few weeks ago I lost my housekeeper Mrs. Nelson, who had been with me for nearly four years. She was faithful and true in her work and a real caretaker. I shall never find a housekeeper who will suit me better. But she desired to finish the nurses’ course, which she began in Battle Creek four years ago. Then, too, her husband, for whom she has been separated for six years, wishes to come back to her. Had I urged it, Mrs. Nelson might have stayed with me; but I could not have done this. It would not have been right. It would have been selfish for me to say, I cannot part with you. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 13

Well, children, this is just a little of my recent experience. I may not attend the General Conference. I have a large amount of work to do in selecting from the Signs and the Review articles written by my husband and myself many years ago, to be reprinted in book form, that our experiences in the third angel’s message may be kept fresh in the minds of our people. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 14

April 11. I wrote the forgoing pages yesterday. This morning I found a letter from Willie under my door, saying that he will leave Mountain View on Wednesday for Los Angeles, to attend important conference meetings at Fernando. After this, he will visit San Diego. There are important questions to be decided in regard to providing greater facilities for the accommodation of patients. This is most important medical missionary work to be done in our sanitariums. May the Lord help us and teach us and enable us to be a blessing to others. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 15

Elder Corliss will attend the meeting at Fernando. I think that he is improving in health. He can still do excellent work in evangelistic lines. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 16

I must now close this letter. But I want you to consider whether you would not be glad to engage in some line of work in direct connection with the cause of God. Do you not desire to aid in proclaiming the truth that all need to understand? 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 17

May the Lord bless you both and keep you and make you a blessing to others. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 18

With much love. 20LtMs, Lt 109, 1905, par. 19