Page:History vs. the Whitman saved Oregon story.djvu/23

Rh. . . He has for a companion Mr. Lovejoy, a respectable, intelligent man and a lawyer, but not a Christian, who expects to accompany him all the way to Boston, as his friends are in that region, and perhaps to Washington. . . . He goes with the advice and entire confidence of his brethren in the mission, and who value him not only as an associate, but as their physician, and feel as much as I do, that they know not how to spare him; but the interest of the cause demands the sacrifice on our part; and could you know all the circumstances in the case you would see more clearly how much our hearts are identified in the salvation of the Indians and the interests of the cause generally in this country." (Trans. Ore. Pioneer Assn., 1893, p. 165-9.)

March 11, 1843, she wrote to her sister Harriet, and descanting on the pain of being "so widely and for so long a time" separated from her husband, continued, "For what would you be willing to make such a sacrifice? Is there anything in this lower world that would tempt you to it? I presume not; at least I can see no earthly inducement sufficiently paramount to cause me voluntarily to take upon myself such a painful trial. Painful, I say? Yes, painful in the extreme to the natural heart. But there is one object, our blessed Saviour, for whose sake I trust both you as well as we are willing, if called to it, to suffer all things. It was for Him, for the advancement of His cause, that I could say to my beloved husband, 'Go; take all the time necessary (to accomplish His work; and the Lord go with and bless you.'" (Idem., 155.)

April 14, 1843, she wrote to her brother Jonas as follows: "Husband's presence is needed very much at this juncture. A great loss is sustained by his going to the States. I mean a present loss to the station and Indians, but hope and expect a greater good will be accomplished by it. There was no other way for us to do. WWe [sic] felt that we could not remain as we was without more help, and we are so far off that to send by letter and get returns was too slow a way for the present emergency." (Idem, p. 161.) May 18, 1843, she wrote to her husband a letter which followed him to Boston, and reaching there Sept. 6, 1843, when he was six days' journey west of Ft. Hall on his return trip, this letter (which was directed on the outside to Dr. Whitman or Rev. David Greene) was retained there, and is No. 106, of Vol. 138 of the Correspondence of the American Board. In it she wrote "wishing you, my dear husband, . as speedy a return to the bosom of your family as the business of the Lord upon which you have gone will admit of." So far as known these five letters are the only ones which Mrs. Whitman ever wrote which stated anything about the origin