Mary Sabin Powell's Story ... continued

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In this place Father took a severe sick spell. He lay fever-tossed for weeks. The Company doctor came and prescribed medicine. Mother did not leave Father's side. Sister Huish took baby Lizzie and nursed her until Father was better.
As soon as Father was able to walk on crutches, he went to oversee the workers on his contract. He went to Dr. Steele and thanked him for his kind attention. The doctor replied, "You can give the credit to your wife and Mrs, Huish. I prescribed; they carried out my orders." (Dr. Steele was very honest.)

Mrs. Huish had some nice books in her home. The Bible, The Doctrine and Covenants, and The Book of Mormon.

Suddenly little Margaret was stricken with cholera. For a time she lost her eyesight. Her speech also became impaired. We were very glad when she grew better.

For a short time we lived in a place called "Stable Row", the stables being in straight rows. Father was not suited with this place and we soon moved away.

Mother was a faithful member of the Independent Methodist Church. Father did not belong to any church, but he always led the singing in Mother's church.

I was six years old when Father joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I can distinctly remember the event. It was Sunday. Some of my uncles and aunts and cousins had come from the Iron Works, a distance of nine miles, to pay us a visit. Just before tea (at four o'clock) Father asked to be excused to go and keep an appointment in the village. None of us knew the nature of his errand. He was not gone many minutes. When he came back, Mother said, "Why, John, your hair is wet."
He replied, "I have just been baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
The remark was like setting a lighted match to a room of fire-damp. Mother was shocked. "Why, John, would you join such a low degraded sect?"
Some of our relatives scolded, some cursed, some cried. There was quite a commotion in our house. It impressed me, child that I was, like a sudden earthquake.

The relatives went home shortly after tea. In bidding them goodbye, Father said kindly, "I'll try and talk to you when you come again sometime." After my aunts and uncles had gone, Mother had a quiet talk with Father in which she vainly tried to make him see the error of his ways. She wept and asked him to relinquish his membership of the Mormon Church.

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