crying, for the former things have passed away. The little girl was saved, and she has been sunshine to our hearts ever since, but little Gurden was laid beside his brother, until the voice of the archangel will awake the sleeping saints.

I did not enter a new field that winter, finding plenty to do in looking after the churches of Kasota, Eagle Lake, Mankato, Alden, Wells, Tenhassen, and Milford. The latter church was situated near Spirit Lake, in northwestern Iowa.

April 1881

The following April, in company with Elder Ellis, I visited the churches of Tenhassen and Milford. It was a time of high water. Streams were swollen, bridges and houses were swept away by the angry floods. As we got to Fairmont, Martin County, we found it impossible to get to Brother Knowlton's, who lived four miles in the country, by the wagon road. We followed the railroad track until we crossed the outlet of the lake. Then we took across the prairie, winding around the sloughs as best we could. We eventually reached Brother Knowlton's, tired and weary, glad to find a resting place. The next morning Brother Knowlton said the water was too high and cold to drive his team to Tenhassen, eight or nine miles distant. As we had an appointment for the next evening, I told Brother Ellis I would try to get through on foot. If I could not get through, I could come back again. I found I had a difficult journey to perform. The country was afloat with ice-cold water. Sloughs I could not get around I forded, and so made my way until I reached Mr. De Wolf's, opposite Tenhassen; but between rolled rods and rods of swift running water, and not a boat to be had. What was to be done next? So near to Tenhassen, and we must fail now?

"What do you think, Brother De Wolf; can you not take me to the bridge with your team?"

"Well, we might try. What do you say, Tom?" speaking to his hired man. "we were the last to venture across on the ice, suppose we be the first to try the water."

"I don't care," said Tom, so we started immediately. It was a risky piece of business.