Among the Churches in Northern California

During the closing months of 1877, James and Ellen White, traveling by carriage, continued to minister to the churches in northern California. The back page of the Signs carried notices of appointments, and its columns yielded reports of their work. Ellen's letters to Willie and Mary in Battle Creek filled in the more intimate details. On October 26 she wrote from Healdsburg:3BIO 75.1

Today we visited the redwoods. Brother Cook accompanied us. Father kept the lines over the highest ascent and down. He seems to feel assurance in driving our gentle and perfectly manageable team. I think ...the best thing Father can do at present is to be out all that he can riding. He walks considerably too....3BIO 75.2

I get up at four o'clock and do my best at writing and every spare moment I snatch up my pencil and write what I can. The Lord is blessing me with good health, cheerful spirits, and with His grace, which I prize above everything else.—Letter 29, 1877.3BIO 75.3

Some trips had to be cut short when her husband's health took a turn for the worse. This was so on an extended trip that was to take them to Healdsburg, circle through St. Helena and Napa, and then back to Oakland—but they had to turn back at Healdsburg.3BIO 75.4

In a letter to Mary White in Battle Creek, she called for her dress patterns; in the next few letters she repeated the request for patterns and materials. She wanted to get on with her sewing.3BIO 75.5