The Lord spared our dear babe to us, when to all appearance he was already in death’s cold embrace. O how grateful we felt to God for his mercy to us. I felt very solemn as I heard in the still evening the cry, “Child lost!” and then the description of some mother’s little one, whose fate was in uncertainty. I clasped my little Willie to my heart, and thought how near we came to losing our dear boy. (2SG 208.1) MC VC

But we were yet to pass through another severe trial. At the conference a very solemn vision was given me. I saw that some of those present would be food for worms, some subjects for the seven last plagues, and some would be translated to heaven at the second coming of Christ, without seeing death. Sr. Bonfoey remarked to a sister as we left the meeting-house, “I feel impressed that I am one that will soon be food for worms.” The conference closed Monday. Thursday Sr. B. sat at the table with us apparently well. She then went to the Office as usual, to help get off the paper. In about two hours I was sent for. Sr. B. had been suddenly taken very ill. My health had been very poor, yet I hastened to suffering Clara. In a few hours she seemed some better. The next morning we had her brought home in a large chair, and she was laid upon her own bed from which she was never to rise. Her symptoms became alarming, and we had fears that a tumor, which had troubled her for nearly ten years, had broken inwardly. It was so, and mortification was doing its work. (2SG 208.2) MC VC