Interview/The Glendale Sanitarium
St. Helena, California
October 6, 1907
Previously unpublished.
(Report of an interview, Sunday morning, October 6, 1907, in office room of Mrs. E. G. White. Present: Mrs. E. G. White, Elders G. W. Reaser, J. A. Burden, W. C. White.) 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 1
J. A. Burden: One matter that we wanted to speak of is the case of Brother W. R. Simpson and his wife Dr. Winegar-Simpson. Brother Simpson has not satisfied the people with his management at the Glendale Sanitarium. He does not seem to make friends and win; he is a little overbearing, a little sharp, and makes enemies. The brethren have talked with him and have tried to help him. I think he has tried to right himself; and he feels a strong conviction that the Lord has called him to have some part in the management of a sanitarium. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 2
But after the brethren talked with him as to how the people felt about his work, and his influence on the patients and others, he finally resigned his position, the resignation to take effect as soon as we could pay him the money that he has in the institution. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 3
Since that time, Brother Simpson has been looking around for an opening. He doubtless has something in view—something in the nature of a private sanitarium, I should judge. Sister Simpson has not told us anything regarding what she would do, in case her husband should leave; but I suppose she would also resign and go with him. We have been awaiting developments a little, to know what he will do. As soon as we accept his resignation, he will go off, and, I suppose, she will go too. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 4
Sister White: I had considerable courage regarding his case, because I knew that the Lord was dealing with him through the illness of his child. Under the circumstances, I thought we ought to do all we could to help him work in harmony with God on right principles. His wife thought he had reformed, and I, too, hoped he had. I knew the angels of God were working upon the man’s mind, and I did hope that his own strong tendencies would not obtain the ascendency. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 5
J. A. Burden: We all think he has tried hard for a time to reform, but his natural propensities which he has encouraged by his importance have seemed to make it hard for him to change. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 6
Sister White: The last time I was in Glendale, I had a good, plain talk with him. He did not want to talk with me for a time, but he wanted his wife to talk with me; but she wanted that he should talk with me; so I encouraged him to arrange for an interview. I told him that the Lord had given him a good brain, and that it was his privilege to use it to the glory of God, and to cultivate the traits of character revealed in the Christ-life, to feel it his best work to unite with his wife to learn a physician’s duty to the sick under his wife’s instructions. I reminded him of the mercy of God in calling to him through the illness of his child. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 7
I showed Brother Simpson how the Lord had been seeking to bring him into harmony with the divine will and make him kind, patient, and tender-hearted. And it was my desire to co-operate with the Lord Jesus. I suggested that the Lord would be pleased to have him learn how to deal with the sick. Although a businessman, he would experience great blessing in learning how to give treatments to the sick. Men fill in appropriately in giving treatment to men under his wife’s direction. This would help him to learn lessons of kindness and brotherly sympathy. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 8
Tears came into his eyes, as he declared that he wanted to be a kind man. “Well,” said I, “you know that you are not always kind, thoughtful, and courteous; but if you take yourself in hand to be just the learner you should be, you will heed the words of Christ, ‘Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.’ [Matthew 11:29, 30.] 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 9
“Don’t you want to learn your lesson of Christ?” “Yes,” he acknowledged, “yes, I do.” “Now,” said I, “why cannot you and your wife learn to work together in caring for the sick? It will not be for your interest or her interest to be divided in your business relations. The Lord does not want you to be separated in your work; and you cannot very well be separated. Your wife has an intelligent knowledge of how to care for the sick. You can never blend with her until you take yourself in hand and become Christlike, by being daily under discipline to God; and you can learn from her, and then she can call upon you when in need of help.” 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 10
Well, he admitted that this would be an advantage to them both. She was not present. I did not want her present, but I had not said so. I told him plainly that it would be very difficult for them to work together, unless he would learn how to take hold, learn of her, and unite with her. “How much better it would be,” I said, “for you to be united together, as you would be if you could learn how to treat the sick!” He did not like the idea very much, but he acknowledged that he thought he could learn. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 11
We had a very pleasant talk. I told him to consider how the Lord had raised up his child, and that this was an experience that he should never lose sight of. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 12
J. A. Burden: If Brother and Sister Simpson still feel that Dr. Simpson cannot stay, unless we allow him to be manager, do you feel that we ought to keep on, without any change? Or ought we to let them take their course? 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 13
Sister White: Ask them what they are going to do. Do not lay anything out before them. Ask them what they are going to do; and when you find out what they are going to do, and they propose something, they can never afterward say that they were forced to do what they propose to do. Simply have them tell you what they are going to do. Let some one be present to take down what is said. Let them lay out before you what they are going to do; then the proposition will not come from you. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 14
G. W. Reaser: We thought it was not wise to separate them from the institution by our decision, but to lay before both of them the difficulties. A committee of four of us met with him to lay before him the situation—the way the people and the nurses and the patients feel about his work. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 15
Sister White: Was she not aware of it? 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 16
G. W. Reaser: It is pretty hard, of course, for her to admit it, as he is her husband. Many of our people feel as if it would be a relief to us, if he should decide not to remain. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 17
Sister White: Well, you see, he was unfortunate in the very matter in which he supposed he was fortunate—some business transactions. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 18
G. W. Reaser: You have no light that we would be making a mistake in letting him go? 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 19
Sister White: No, excepting this: if they attempt to carry, alone, the responsibilities of a sanitarium, it will be difficult for them, unaided, to give a right mold to the work. One thing is certain, that he has lost his consecration to God and has lost his tender, converted tone of gentleness and the meekness of Christ. Unless he is reconverted, it would be best to let them choose for themselves. It would be much better for the sanitarium if there were not so many of relationship in the business transactions. 22LtMs, Ms 107, 1907, par. 20