278
Selected Messages Book 2
by my child, watching every breath, with one hand over his heart,
and with the other feeling his pulse. He turned to us and said, “The
crisis has passed. He has seen his worst night. He will now come
up speedily, for he has not the injurious influence of drugs to recover
from. Nature has nobly done her work to rid the system of impurities.”
I related to him my worn-out condition, my pressure for breath, and
the relief obtained by opening the door.
Said he, “That which gave you relief, will also relieve your child.
He needs air. You have kept him too warm. The heated air coming
from a stove is injurious, and were it not for the air coming in at the
crevices of the windows, would be poisonous and destroy life. Stove
heat destroys the vitality of the air, and weakens the lungs. The child’s
lungs have been weakened by the room being kept too warm. Sick
persons are debilitated by disease, and need all the invigorating air that
they can bear to strengthen the vital organs to resist disease. And yet
in most cases air and light are excluded from the sickroom at the very
time when most needed, as though dangerous enemies.”
This dream and my husband’s experience was a consolation to
us both. We found in the morning that our boy had passed a restless
night. He seemed to be in a high fever until noon. Then the fever left
him, and he appeared quite well, except weak. He had eaten but one
small cracker through his five-days’ sickness. He came up rapidly, and
[306]
has had better health than he has had for several years before. This
experience is valuable to us.—
Spiritual Gifts 4a:151-153
, (1864), (first
section).
The Restoration of James White
[
Statement made April 13, 1902, at a council meeting at Elmshaven,
St. Helena, California
.]
Many years ago [1865], while my husband was bearing heavy
responsibilities in Battle Creek, the strain began to tell on him. His
health failed rapidly. Finally he broke down in mind and body, and
was unable to do anything. My friends said to me, “Mrs. White, your
husband cannot live.” I determined to remove him to a place more
favorable for his recovery. His mother said, “Ellen, you must remain
and take care of your family.”