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Life Sketches of Ellen G. White
“The Present Truth”
One day in July, my husband brought home from Middletown a
thousand copies of the first number of his paper. Several times, while
the matter was being set, he had walked to Middletown, eight miles,
and back, but this day he had borrowed Brother Belden’s horse and
buggy with which to bring home the papers.
The precious printed sheets were brought into the house and laid
upon the floor, and then a little group of interested ones were gathered
in, and we knelt around the papers, and with humble hearts and many
tears besought the Lord to let His blessing rest upon these printed
messengers of truth.
When we had folded the papers, and my husband had wrapped and
addressed copies to all those who he thought would read them, he put
them into a carpetbag, and carried them on foot to the Middletown
post office.
During July, August, and September, four numbers of the paper
were printed at Middletown. Each number contained eight pages. [
The
size of the pages was about six by nine and one half inches.
] Always
before the papers were mailed, they were spread before the Lord,
and earnest prayers, mingled with tears, were offered to God that His
blessing would attend the silent messengers. Soon after the sending
out of the first number, we received letters bringing means with which
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to continue publishing the paper, and also the good news of many souls
embracing the truth.
With the beginning of this work of publishing, we did not cease
our labors in preaching the truth, but traveled from place to place,
proclaiming the doctrines which had brought so great light and joy to
us, encouraging the believers, correcting errors, and setting things in
order in the church. In order to carry forward the publishing enterprise,
and at the same time continue our labors in different parts of the field,
the paper was from time to time moved to different places.
Visit to Maine
July 28, 1849, my second child, James Edson White, was born.
When he was six weeks old we went to Maine. September 14 we
attended a meeting at Paris. Brethren Bates, Chamberlain, and Ralph