Personal Experiences
279
“Mother,” I replied, “I will never allow that masterly brain to fail
entirely. I will work with God, and God will work with me, to save
my husband’s brain.”
In order to obtain means for our journey, I pulled up my rag carpets
and sold them With the money secured by the sale of the carpets, I
bought a covered wagon, and prepared for the journey, placing in the
wagon a mattress for Father to lie on. Accompanied by Willie, a mere
lad eleven years of age, we started for Wright, Michigan.
While on the journey, Willie tried to put the bits into the mouth of
one of the horses, but found that he could not. I said to my husband,
“Put your hand on my shoulder, and come and put the bits in.”
He said that he did not see how he could. “Yes, you can,” I replied.
“Get right up and come.” He did so, and succeeded in putting the bits
in. Then he knew that he would have to do it the next time, too.
Constantly I kept my husband working at such little things. I would
not allow him to remain quiet, but tried to keep him active. This is
the plan that physicians and helpers in our sanitariums should pursue.
Lead the patients along step by step, step by step, keeping their minds
so busily occupied that they have no time to brood over their own
condition.
[307]
Physical and Mental Activity Encouraged
Often brethren came to us for counsel. My husband wanted to see
no one. He much preferred to go into another room when company
came. But usually before he could realize that anyone had come, I
brought the visitor before him, and would say, “Husband, here is a
brother who has come to ask a question, and as you can answer it
much better than I can, I have brought him to you.” Of course he could
not help himself then. He had to remain in the room and answer the
question. In this way, and in many other ways, I made him exercise
his mind. If he had not been made to use his mind, in a little while it
would have completely failed.
Daily my husband went out for a walk. In the winter a terrible
snowstorm came, and Father thought he could not go out in the storm
and snow. I went to Brother Root and said, “Brother Root, have you a
spare pair of boots?”
“Yes,” he answered.