Struggles with Poverty
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clothing that we very much needed, and then patched my husband’s
overcoat, even piecing the patches, making it difficult to tell the origi-
nal cloth in the sleeves. We had five dollars left to take us to Dorchester,
Massachusetts.
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, Connecticut. We were strangers in Middletown,
having never seen one of the brethren in Connecticut. Of our money
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
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near-by lumberyard, and we walked on in search of someone 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 20 Brother Belden sent his two-horse wagon to Middletown
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.
These 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, New York, in August. Brother Hiram Edson wrote to us