EXTRACTS FROM CORRESPONDENCE
I HAVE had poor health for many years, and have been a slave to patent medicines; but after learning it was wrong to use them, I desired to leave them off; and after hearing of Sister Henry’s wonderful experience of healing, I thought that I might also be healed. She wrote me a very kind letter. Time moved on for nearly a year, during which I had my hopes and fears, but was not healed. But for three months I have taken no drugs, have wanted none, and have gained in flesh. I have no pains nor aches in my body, and am doing the work for myself and husband. Some say it is a wonder. I praise the Lord for what He has done for me. I hope these lines may reach the eye of some poor soul like myself, and that they may encourage him to wait and trust in the Lord. The help I get from the short sketches of practical experience in this department is more than words can tell. I am now living among French people. There are only six English-speaking Protestant families here, and we can not speak French, so it is rather lonely; but Jesus is with us. My husband and I teach a Sunday-school of about seventeen pupils, and enjoy it much. I am trying to get acquainted with the French, with the view of putting some of our literature into their hands. We have not been here long, but we love God’s precious truth, and mean to do what we can to advance it. I well remember when I was led to this precious truth—for I went to it, instead of its coming to me. I picked up a tract, entitled “Sunday Not the Sabbath.” I was then doing housework in an Eastern city, a stranger in a strange land. I received the light on Wednesday, and kept the next Sabbath. I praise the Lord that I immediately found fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters; and ever since, my controlling desire has been to scatter the precious truth so that others will see it. It was in 1885 when I found the truth, and I remained with those of like faith for about six months, when I returned to my native land, bringing a quantity of our publications with me, and an outfit for canvassing. This was an entirely new experience for me. I had taught school in several country settlements, and I determined to revisit them, and circulate the truth. Accordingly, after the home greetings, I started on a journey of thirty miles, passing through wilderness places, clearings, and settlements. I took supplies of tracts, but was strongly impressed that I should sell “Great Controversy.” I had good success, and the Lord was with me. I often hung up the prophetic chart, and gave a Bible talk, and the people were much interested. My health was not very good, but the Lord gave me strength for each day. Once I had to go nine miles through a timbered district, and when about half-way through, I had an interesting experience with some persons who were getting hay from an old farm. They gave me a lunch, and I gave them some tracts. I had a glorious experience in the Lord on this trip, and sold about thirty dollars’ worth of books. I write this sketch of my experience to encourage the young women, and especially the girls, who often feel that they can not go out and give the truth to the people as men can. But I know that God has a work for women and girls. We must not sit down at ease, or the blood of souls will be required at our hands. There are few of us indeed who do not have some spare time in which we can visit a neighbor, or scatter literature. I am doing nearly all the work, including part of the sewing and knitting, as well as nearly all the housework, for a family of five; and I find time to help a poor sick neighbor, or in some other way to spread the truth, and in return I receive great showers of blessing. May the Lord help us all to awake out of sleep, and work as never before, “for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”