CHAPTER XL
CAMP-MEETING AT LONG HILL, CONN., 1913
Most of the saints in the camp meeting at Los Angeles knew the sad and awful suffering endured by my dear husband. I started with two nurses to help care for him on the long journey from the Pacific to the Atlantic and away up to Long Hill, Conn., near Bridgeport. When we arrived there, my husband was almost dead; but I was much better. It was hard for me to travel with the best of care, but now our minds was on and for him, he could not rest, but a few minutes at a time, every move he made, moved me. I expected to go at once to Long Hill, where the manager of the meetings had promised to have everything ready for our entertainment, and everything ready for the meeting, and arrangements to sleep and feed the multitudes. But to my surprise, he placed us off with some mission people; who did not have any confidence in him, and would not help him in the least. We were left there about a week, and we won the love of them so they went to the meeting and helped me in many ways. I went out to the grounds, several miles from Bridgeport, hoping to find everything ready, but could not even find a place to board, and pay my board. The camp was quite a distance from the town, there was no boarding house, no place for the people to sleep. Finally a woman took me in, but had no room for my dear husband. And now the saints began to come from all parts, the first party of about five from Canada; they, confounded, said to me, “What will you do, you cannot stand this and have a meeting under these conditions?” I answered, saying, “The meeting is advertised all over the country, and people are coming from everywhere, expecting to meet me, for it is announced that I am to have full charge of the services.” “So I will stay right here till the saints gather in, and see what can be done then, we must have a meeting at Long Hill.” I said, “We must be brave, you must come to our help.” Soon a sister came from New York with a committee to have me go there next to hold a camp at some noted place, and I told them, Long Hill was all I could think of then, and wanted her to help in the
meeting there. She said the Lord had shown her I needed help.
258
