Letters and Manuscripts — Volume 11 (1896)

Lt 167, 1896

Haskell, S. N.

“Sunnyside,” Cooranbong, New South Wales, Australia

June 1, 1896

Portions of this letter are published in 4Bio 388.

Dear Brother Haskell:

I send you a long communication, and had it just copied on the typewriter when your last letter was received, giving an account of the translation of Steps to Christ. I am pleased to have the book put into as many languages as possible. Glad you have succeeded as you have done. It is a good work, and the Lord will surely bless you in your labors. I know the Lord will sustain and strengthen you, and the less you walk in the shadow of the cross the better will it be for you. That cross is to us the pledge of life, everlasting life. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 1

You speak of the book Mount of Blessings, the book I do not wish to give to any one. I have written to the ones who published it a very decided disapproval. It is a shame to get out such pictures upon such a beautiful subject, such elevated themes. If I get a book that I can approve, you shall have a copy, but I would not insult my friends with such illustrations as are in that book. So you will excuse my not sending you a book. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 2

I am sure you will be often sad and meet with trials, but do not be discouraged. We are all making calculations for you to come to Australia, and we want to see you. We all respect and love you and should enjoy very much having you with us to attend our meetings. Our home shall be your headquarters. We will enjoy your being a guest in our home. We have a room for you. I shall not accept of any excuse or denial to comply with our request. I have three horses and three wagons, so you can ride whenever you please. You will be provided with a home with us. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 3

W. C. White has a home of his own. He is in a Catholic convent. He hired the convent. The Catholics could not keep it. The families are mostly poor, so they let the sisters go, I know not where, and rented the convent. His family number five. Their two boys will be three months old May 6. Ella May White has gained twenty-five pounds since she came to this country. Cooranbong is an excellent country. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 4

I spoke in the sawmill yesterday, Sunday, but it is a cruel place to assemble to worship God. Certainly there can be no special sacredness associated with the place. We had to put tent cloth up to make it passably comfortable, and then the cold air struck me and I and to move to another standing place. But we hope that means will come from some quarter so that we can build an humble house of worship. We had several unbelievers present. About seventy-five assembled last Sabbath. One family has embraced the truth at Dora Creek, from attending meetings and reading Great Controversy. Mr. Matthews and his wife attend meetings but they have so far to walk I fear they will not come often. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 5

We have a very comfortable home, plastered. We have an underground cistern holding eighty [?] thousand gallons of water. We have five tanks and each holds _____; besides this we have a creek of fresh water for animals. We have three cows and three carriage horses. Our family number thirteen. We are doing well; never had my family move so quietly and pleasantly as now. I have taken one boy, thirteen years old, and a girl twelve years old when I made her a member of my family; she is now fourteen. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 6

I will now stop. I have been at work since two a.m. Awakened at one a.m. Slept one-half hour at half past six. At six o’clock p.m. the shades of night are now gathering over us; I cannot see. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 7

I believe just what you write in regard to the communications having more influence since I came to Australia. Willie has one room for office till we can secure money from Echo office to put him up a cheap house. The weather has been good, with a few very hot days, but always followed by showers. We are not having to wade through goods and run around boxes and ransack for goods that are in boxes unopened. The opening of boxes has but just begun, and now amid all the clatter and confusion, we can not do much at writing; but I will send you some things and hope you will appreciate them. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 8

I send you manuscript of The Life of Christ. In the last discourses reported, Marian has had precious matter to insert, and this has necessitated her obtaining a new set of copies with the addition. Therefore I send you copies of several chapters. They are not to be published or go from your hands into other hands. Read them yourself. If you find things you would like to read in the meetings to our people you can do so. I know not if you have these articles. I will send them and venture it. There is so much that is precious; you can use them. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 9

We went with horses and carriage four and a half miles and back yesterday to meet Sister Burnham, who is now to work with me in getting out books which I am anxious to prepare. The book on temperance comes first, then Testimony No. 34, and then the parables which Sister Davis will get out in a small book; then close up second volume of Life of Christ; then the life of the apostles, then to finish the second book of Old Testament history. You see I have work to do. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 10

I am glad to say to you that some weeks since the conclusion was that Elder Haskell be requested to labor in this Australian field. There are to be camp meetings in several localities. As we see what these meetings accomplish in the convincing and conversion of souls to the truth, we decide the very best way to work in these fields is by camp meetings. We need the testimony you can give us at this important season when our camp meetings shall be held. Willie has been just as anxious as myself to have you attend these meetings and visit our churches who are much attached to you. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 11

One thing has been a drawback. We have very tender sympathy in Christ Jesus for you, and we have feared that you might misinterpret our words, attitude, or work, as you have done those of some other; and that whatever we might say you would turn it to mean we had lost confidence in you, when our hearts would be true and tender toward you. This, my dear brother, is the only reason W. C. White has not urged your coming to Australia. We want you ever to consider us your best friends and that we are not cold and stiff toward you. We never mean to be, and if you will only believe us to be your friends, and you our respected brother, it will make our hearts glad to know you do not misjudge us. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 12

We would rather be separated from you than to suppose, in conversing with you personally, that you would mistrust us. We could not consent to have you do this. We believe you will go in and out from our new house here as if it was your own and you enjoy it with us as your headquarters, always to abide with us while in this vicinity. There is nowhere else you could abide here in Cooranbong. I hope you will lay off all this jealousy and suspicion and be just one with us, free to speak or free to keep silent, just as a member of our family. If we are all looking unto Jesus, we shall catch the light of His countenance. 11LtMs, Lt 167, 1896, par. 13