Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1911-08-30
CONTINUED from last week.

Continued from last week.
Upon returning from our trip to
the mountains, which we greatly en-
joyed, preparations were made for
our departure from what had been
one of the most delightful charges,
to our new field of labor.
At the Conference which was held
at Davenport that fall under the
presidency of Bishop w. L. Harris,
L was appointed to Nashua, where
we remained one year, making some
very pleasant acquaintances, among
whom was DR.. Troy and family, Sen
ator w. B. Perrin and that kind
hearted, genial newspaper man, Mr..
j. w. Grave, editor of the Post, for
whom / have always entertained +he
warmest friendship.
For several weeks during the WIN
ter of 1S79-S0, the town Of Nashua
&was sorely afflicted with a dreaded
scourge, diphtheria. The knowledge
advanced at that time as it is now,
and the physicians were for long
time unable TO arrest the progress
of the disease, which, in spite of
their best efforts carried off large
numbers of children. In some fam
lilies all the younger children died,
and in others, where life was saved,
the poor little things were smitten
with blindness, or were crippled for
life in one way or another. In one
family where | had been called to
bury child, another had died be-
fore we returned from the cemetery
From another home we carried away
two at one time and the next day
the third, the only one left died; and
SO it went on, day after day, until
nearly every house in the town
which had been happy in the posses
sion of little people, became a house
of mourning.
OF course no extended religious
services were held in any case; we
fastened the dead to the cemetery
as rapidly as we could, for the dis
ease was contagious, and parents
were very anxious. We had our
own little ones to think of and some
of our friends thought l was doing
wrong to expose them as / seemed
to be doing, but both mother and l
felt it to be our duty to bury the
dead, whether they belonged to
families in our church or not,
trusting in God and suffering moth
ing. My good friend DR.. Troy gave
us directions about sanitary meas
ures, which we tried to follow to
the letter. / wore a long overcoat
whenever | was called to the house
of stricken family, and upon re-
turning home, threw it upon the
clothes line outside. The doctor
kept the house thoroughly disinfect-
ed and we passed through the ordeal
without harm. None of our children
caught the infection and for this We
were profoundly and humbly CRATE
full
Before we left Nashua our fourth
son Robert was born, a dear little
fellow, whose years on earth were
few, but very fragrant of love.
CHAPTER XXII
The conference in the fall of 1889
was held at Usage under the presi-
dency of Bishop Andrews. whom
had learned TO esteem very highly for
his many excellent qualities of mind
and heart. Bishop Andrews had
spent a Sunday in our family al
Wyoming, preaching for me both
morning and evening. He had also
been with us one Sunday at Toledo
preaching for me on Children's Day
and had endeared himself to us all
i was greatly pleased, therefore
when learned that he was to pre-
side at the Conference that fall II
was at Usage / preached my first
sermon before the Conference.
had been appointed to preach the