You Were A Real Up-To-Date Nurse, Keeping Your Patient Active!

I kept my husband working at such little things. I tried to keep him active. Often brethren came to us for counsel. My husband wanted to see no one. But before he could realize that anyone had come, I brought the visitor before him, and would say, “Husband, here is a brother who has come to ask a question, and as you can answer it much better than I can, I have brought him to you.” He had to remain in the room and answer the question.LASW 47.5

Daily my husband went out for a walk. In the winter a terrible snowstorm came, and father thought he would not go out in the storm and snow. I went to Brother Root and said, “Brother Root, have you a spare pair of boots?”LASW 48.1

“Yes,” he answered.LASW 48.2

“I should be glad to borrow them this morning,” I said. Putting on the boots and starting out, I tracked a quarter of a mile in the deep snow. On my return, I asked my husband to take a walk. He said he could not go out in such weather. “Oh, yes, you can,” I replied. “Surely you can step in my tracks.” When he saw my tracks, he thought that if a woman could walk in that snow, he could. That morning he took his walk.LASW 48.3

In the spring there were fruit trees to be set out and garden to be made. “Willie,” I said, “please buy three hoes and three rakes. Be sure to buy three of each.” When he brought them to me, I told him to take one of the hoes, and father another. Father objected, but took one. Taking one myself, I began work; and although I blistered my hands, I led them in the hoeing. Father could not do much, but he went through the motions.LASW 48.4

I always took my husband with me when I went out driving. And I took him with me when I went to preach at any place. After many months I said to him, “Now, my husband, you are going into the desk today.” He did not want to go. I took him up into the desk with me. That day he spoke to the people. My heart was overflowing with joy.LASW 48.5

After eighteen months I took him home again. Presenting him to his parents, I said, “Father, mother, here is your son.”LASW 49.1

“Ellen,” said his mother, “you have no one but God and yourself to thank for this.” My husband lived for a number of years, during which time he did the best work of his life. ^{15Selected Messages 2:306-308.}LASW 49.2