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Life Sketches of Ellen G. White
piecing the patches, making it difficult to tell the original cloth in the
sleeves. We had five dollars left to take us to Dorchester, Mass.
Our trunk contained nearly everything we possessed on earth; but
we enjoyed peace of mind and a clear conscience, and this we prized
above earthly comforts.
In Dorchester we called at the house of Brother Otis Nichols, and
as we left, Sister Nichols handed my husband five dollars, which paid
our fare to Middletown, Conn. We were strangers in Middletown,
having never seen one of the brethren in Connecticut. Of our money
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there was but fifty cents left. My husband did not dare to use that to
hire a carriage, so he threw our trunk upon a high pile of boards in a
near-by lumberyard, and we walked on in search of some one of like
faith. We soon found Brother Chamberlain, who took us to his home.
Conference at Rocky Hill
The conference at Rocky Hill was held in the large unfinished
chamber of Brother Albert Belden’s house. In a letter to Brother
Stockbridge Howland, my husband wrote of the meeting as follows:
“April 20th Brother Belden sent his two-horse wagon to Middle-
town for us and the scattered brethren in that city. We arrived at
this place about four in the afternoon, and in a few minutes in came
Brethren Bates and Gurney. We had a meeting that evening of about
fifteen. Friday morning the brethren came in until we numbered about
fifty. There were not all fully in the truth. Our meeting that day was
very interesting. Brother Bates presented the commandments in a clear
light, and their importance was urged home by powerful testimonies.
The word had effect to establish those already in the truth, and to
awaken those who were not fully decided.”
Earning Means to Visit Western New York
Two years before, I had been shown that at some future time we
should visit western New York. And now, shortly after the close of the
conference at Rocky Hill, we were invited to attend a general meeting
at Volney, N. Y., in August. Brother Hiram Edson wrote to us that the
brethren were generally poor, and that he could not promise that they
would do much toward defraying our expenses, but that he would do
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