A Letter From Elder W. C. White

(“Review and Herald”, March 11.)

During the past few months Mother's general condition of health has been as favorable as could be expected of one of her age. She has stated that at no other period of her life has she been so free from physical pain. And while she has gradually become more feeble, yet she had not, prior to her recent accident, been obliged to spend a day in bed. She had been able to go up and down stairs without assistance, and in favorable weather, has taken pleasure in riding out once a day, and sometimes twice.SpM 451.7

Her cheerfulness has never diminished. When referring to her age and physical condition, she has often expressed gratitude to God for his care. Her abiding trust in him has never wavered. Always thoughtful of others, she has manifested recently still greater solicitude regarding the welfare of her friends and associates. She has found great joy in reading the reports of progress in the Review and in letters from her old friends. She has taken a deep interest in the work of preparing her manuscripts for publication.SpM 451.8

Wednesday morning, January 27, I returned home after an absence of sixteen weeks in the east and south. I found mother cheerful and interested to hear about the work in the places that I had visited. She seemed to be about as well as when I left home early in October.SpM 452.1

Friday afternoon, February 12, as I was leaving the office for a quick trip to St. Helena, mother came outdoors, and we spent ten minutes in walking about in the bright sunshine, and talking about the progress of the message in all the world.SpM 452.2

Sabbath morning, mother appeared to be as well as usual. About noon as she was entering her study from the hallway, she tripped and fell. Her nurse, May Walling, who was in the hall about twenty feet away, hastened to her assistance, and endeavored to help her onto her feet. When mother cried out with pain, May lifted her into a rocking chair, pulled the chair through the hall to Mother's bedroom, and got her to bed. Then May telephoned Dr. Klingerman at the sanitarium, and at once applied fomentations to the hip, where the pain seemed to be the greatest.SpM 452.3

When the doctor came, he said that [it] was either a bad sprain or a fracture, and advised an X-ray examination at the sanitarium. This examination showed an “intracapsular fracture of the left femur at the junction of the head and neck.” Mother bore very patiently all the painful experiences of being carried from her room to the sanitarium and back again.SpM 452.4

Sara McEnterfer, who was her traveling companion and secretary most of the time for thirty years, is with her; and so is May Walling, who was brought up in her home, and who has been her faithful nurse for about two years. Mrs. Hungerford, a trained nurse from the sanitarium, is also with her.SpM 452.5

Mother occupies her study, where for the last ten busy years she did most of her writing. Sometimes when half awake, she asks how long the journey will take, and when she will get home; and then, when fully awake, she says, “I am right here in my own room.”SpM 452.6

In our seasons of prayer mother unites with her usual fervor and clearness of thought, expressing complete confidence and entire resignation.SpM 452.7

Since her accident she has told me that she feels that her work is done, her battles ended, and that she is willing to lie down and sleep till the resurrection morning, unless there is yet some special work the Lord has for her to do.SpM 452.8

This is not a new thought, but is in perfect harmony with her frequent expressions during the past year. Regarding her constant faith and courage, brother C. C. Crisler wrote to me Dec. 23, 1914, as follows:—SpM 452.9

“Even when exceedingly brain-weary, your mother seems to find great comfort in the promises of the word, and often catches up a quotation and completes it when we begin quoting some familiar scripture. At such times she seems to me to be even more spiritual-minded than usual; that is, she dwells more at length on her personal experience and faith and hope, and recounts providences that cause her to renew her courage in God. At such times she also reaches out after spiritual comfort and help, and asks more frequently than at other times that we unite in prayer with her.SpM 453.1

“I do not find her discouraged over her own case, nor do I find her discouraged over the general outlook throughout the harvest field where her brethren are laboring. She seems to have strong faith in God's power to overrule, and to bring to pass his eternal purpose through the efforts of those whom he has called to act a part in his great work. She rises above petty criticism, above even the failures of those who have been reproved, and expressed the conviction, born, apparently, of an innate faith in the Church of the living God, that her brethren will remain faithful to the cause they have espoused, and that the Lord will continue with them to the end, and grant them complete victory over every device of the enemy.SpM 453.2

“Faith in God's power to sustain her through the many weaknesses attendant on old age; faith in the precious promises of God's word; faith in her brethren who bear the burden of the work; faith in the final triumph of the third Angel's message,—this is the full faith your mother seems to enjoy everyday and every hour. This is the faith that fills her heart with joy and peace, even when suffering great physical weakness, and unable to make progress in literary lines. A faith such as this would inspire anyone who could witness it.”SpM 453.3

W. C. White.