kessjournal4

The last year of my stay in Wisconsin I boarded with a family of old Connecticut Adventists while I was working with their son in the timber. They had raised their dead daughters child, who was now a likely and pious maiden and teaching school. Attending regular the spiritual meetings in the schoolhouse, which this girl also attended, I became convinced that she was a thru Christian in character and a faithful helper of her grandmother. I came to love dear Ida and although we did not make love to each other, those eyes reciprocated and spoke volumes. That wise grandmother took notice and anticipated by throwing cold water. I was determined to have a decision. Either my Ida or Germany. So I laid it before my Lord and having Ida decide. I said: "Ida, I have a puzzle and I want you to decide it for me. It you was me, would you now take your visit to Germany or would you take your money and go thru school with it?" But no matter how I urged and plead with her to give me a decision, she simply would not do it.

I had determined, should she say, go to school, it meant her mine, and if she said Germany it was out and I had lost.

She with her grandmother was to visit the old Connecticut home presently, so I took the occasion and went with them to their old home and from there to Plainville camp meeting and be baptised and to Germany.

I was baptised by Brother Grant. To show that I was not childs play wiht her, her uncle told me eight years afterward, when I made a visit to my brother-in-laws, that when her grandmother insisted on her marrying a man a while after I had gone that she said; "I loved once, I cannot love again".

I stayed thru camp meeting after saying a sad farewell to the one I hope to meet among my bloodwashed throng where pure love and Righteousness reign.

Coming to the beloved old home once more, I found mother alive and well, and a real genuine pair of lovers in my brother and his wife. They had two healthy boys and one daughter.

I stayed about four months, grandly enjoying my visit and my time for departure was set for January 20th.

One day at dinner, looking at my sister-in law, I said; "Barbara, I have a wish". She looked at me with those beaming eyes saying; "And what do you wish and what is your wish?" "I wish I had a wife just like you", was my answer. Her excited answer came impulsively; "This you can have." "How So?" I said. "How can this come about?" She said; "She is coming this evening after supper to ask you to see her in going with you to America. She has been working three years at the Presiding Elders and come daily to get the milk".

Now I had given myself away and how will I meet it!--She said there are two girls coming for the same purpose, the buxom one is the one just like me. And evening came and the two girls. Of course, I was all eyes and ears and I readily promised to do my best to protect and care for her on the way to America.

This was Saturday. The girl said, "Now I'll go home tomorrow and have my brother get the money to go with". She had given all her wages to her mother and the family. In the morning when I emerged from the bedroom, I was greeted with the question; "Well, Fred, what have you decided?" I said; "After the morning service and dinner, I will go across the woods to meet her and accompany her home to the city.

Her people lived about six miles away over a tickly wooded mountainridge. This is the way I did and this is the way the Lord made one acquainted with the partner he inteded for me, but alas, for too few years.