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Life Sketches of Ellen G. White
prosper, this or that. It will be found that many such poor souls will go
into the kingdom, while others, who are favored with all the blessings
of life, having good intellects and pleasant surroundings, giving them
all the advantages of improvement, will be left out. It will be seen
that these poor souls have lived up to the feeble light which they had,
and have improved by the limited means within their reach, and lived
much more acceptably than some others who have enjoyed full light,
and ample means for improvement.”
I then held up my hands, calloused as they were with long use of
the shears, and stated that I could but shrink at the thought of pursuing
this kind of labor.
The person again repeated: “Cut out the garments. Your release
has not yet come.”
With feelings of great weariness I arose to engage in the work.
Before me lay new, polished shears, which I commenced using. At
once my feelings of weariness and discouragement left me, the shears
seemed to cut with hardly an effort on my part, and I cut out garment
after garment with comparative ease.
Visiting Churches in Michigan
With the encouragement which this dream gave me, I at once de-
cided to accompany my husband and Brother Andrews to Gratiot, Sag-
[185]
inaw, and Tuscola counties, and trust in the Lord to give me strength
to labor. So, on the 7th of February, we left home, and rode fifty-five
miles to our appointment at Alma. Here I labored as usual, with a
good degree of freedom and strength. The friends in Gratiot County
seemed interested to hear.
At Tittabawassee we found a large house of worship recently built
by our people, well filled with Sabbath keepers. The brethren seemed
ready for our testimony, and we enjoyed freedom. The next day fifteen
were baptized.
At Vassar we held our meetings Sabbath and first day at the union
schoolhouse. This was a free place in which to speak, and we saw
good fruit of our labors. First day afternoon about thirty backsliders,
and children who had made no profession, came forward for prayers.