Her Resourcefulness Revealed

When her husband suffered a “stroke” in 1865 she decided, after he had received months of medical care, that any real hope for his recovery depended on his gaining a new will to live by doing some useful, even though simple tasks. A small farm was purchased in the country some distance from Battle Creek. We will let her son William describe an incident that reveals her resourcefulness:EGWC 41.3

“Soon it was haying time. The grass was cut by Brother Maynard’s mowing machine. When ready to haul in, Father thought to ask that it be hauled in by Brother Maynard’s hired man who had done the mowing. To prevent this, Mother had urgently requested Brother Maynard to say that his own work was pressing and that it would not be convenient to send his man to haul in the hay. I was sent to neighbor Whitefield’s with a similar message. These kind neighbors very reluctantly consented to this request, when told what Mother’s reasons were for making it. When Father sent out requests for help with the hay, he was shocked at the answer. Then Mother said: ‘Let us show the neighbors that we can attend to the work ourselves. Willie and I will rake the hay and pitch it on the wagon, if you will load it and drive the team.’ To this Father was forced to consent. As we had no barn, the hay must be stacked near the cow shed. At Mother’s suggestion, Father pitched it off the wagon, while she built up the stack. Meanwhile I was raking up another load.EGWC 41.4

“While we were thus hard at work, some of the townspeople passed in their carriages, and gazed with much curiosity and surprise to see the woman who each week preached to a houseful of people, heroically engaged in treading down hay and building a stack. But she was not in the least embarrassed; she was intent upon the one object of securing her husband’s restoration to health, and was overjoyed to see that her efforts were succeeding.”—W. C. WHITE, “Sketches and Memories of James and Ellen White,” MS. in White Publications Document File, No. 626. ^{*A variant of the story, written by W. C. White at another time, gives this version of the request to the neighbors:
    “She [Mrs. White] knew that her husband purposed asking his friendly neighbors to help in getting it [the hay] into a stack. She forestalled this by visiting the neighbors first.
    “‘You are driven with your own work are you not?’ she asked.
    “‘Yes,’ was the reply.
    “‘Then, when Elder White sends for you asking for help with his hay, just tell him what you have told me.’”—W. C. WHITE, “Sketches and Memories of My Mother’s Life,” MS. in White Publications Document File, No. 573a.}EGWC 42.1