In July, 1898 our oldest daughter, Ella May, was united in marriage to C. P. Nelson, son of N. P. Nelson, presdent of our conference, and, in the following November our second daughter, Nellie Elizabeth, was united in marriage to Prof. C. R. Kite.

In the summer of 1899, we pitched our tent at Cortland, Neb. Our tent company consisted of my son-in-law, C. R. Kite, and wife, W. J. Wilson, Miss May James, and myself. We had quite an experience in getting started. Our center pole proved to be too short, and we had to splice it. Then it rained, and made a low place under the tent very muddy, and we carried sods, and covered it nicely, making a beautiful carpet of green. Our first night Brother Kite and I were alone in our family tent, and the winds blew, the lightning flashed, the thunder pealed, and the rain descended and beat upon our frail cotton dwelling place. Some of the stakes pulled up by reason of the fierceness of the gale, and the tent was going flippity flop in the wind, and nothing else would do but to rush out into the storm with sledge and stakes, and pin the tent more firmly to the bosom of mother earth, and so prevent its taking its departure to parts unknown.

But such experiences are common to gospel tent workers on the prairies of the West. I have gone out in the dark and stormy night, and held on to the tent with all my strength to prevent its blowing away from the wife and babies who were taking shelter under it.

Brother Wilson and I occupied a tent at Cortland by ourselves. He slept in a fine steel hammock, of which he was quite proud, while I occupied a cot. One night I awoke with my nether extremities feeling very cold. I reached my hand down there, and found I was lying in a pool of water. I looked around for Brother Wilson, and found him sitting up in his hammock with bedclothes thrown over his head, doing his best to keep dry, and the rain was coming down through the tent to beat all. The only thing to do was to seek out the dryest spot and shield myself with the bedclothes the best I could until the storm was over.

In some storms the tent poles will snap, crack, and break into pieces; but the faithful toilers for Christ endure it all, and murmur not, remembering our loving Saviour, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb. 12: 2. We also have respect unto the recompense of the reward. Heb. 11: 26.