o him to have it in his power to
indulge his family in having what they desired and in living as they
pleased, and still to have something over to distribute to the
necessities of the indigent. To the Church of Christ he cheerfully
contributed to the extent of his ability, esteeming it one of his
highest privileges. Pursuing this course, his business meanwhile
widening, and constantly becoming more profitable, in the year 1837 or
'38, he decided to take a partner, and offered the situation to my
brother Henry, which was gladly accepted. After this, (I do not know
exactly how long), he purchased a valuable piece of ground in the city,
upon a part of which "the firm" determined to build an oil and lead
factory. This proved to be a very expensive and arduous undertaking;
and, although it promised, after being fairly established, to be a most
profitable investment, yet the capital of "the firm" was not sufficient
to complete and to carry it on successfully until it should reach a
self-sustaining point, without doing serious injury to "the store," by
depriving it of the necessary capital for its success.

During this state of things, which grew worse every day, my
husband discerned a portentous cloud in the sky of his commercial
prosperity, which resulted after days and nights of anxiety and
overtaxed strength of body and mind, in a low state of health and
spirits that almost unfitted him for his accumulated business, which,
nevertheless, he continued to prosecute with avidity. This was about
the year 1841. I do not recollect how long his ill health lasted, but
I well remember how his flesh went away--how pale he was--how he
perspired at night, from nervous prostration, and how his skin seemed
to cleave to his bones. He was still amiable and uncomplaining; but
his elasticity, his free-hearted joyousness was gone.

After pressing him for some time to tell me his troubles and
difficulties, and sympathizing with him because of them, until a far
deeper concern took possession of me on account of his health, and,
finding that moderate expostulations did not better things, I
determined to make an effort by trying a wife's skill in arousing him
from this state of despondency, which threatened such serious
consequences; for I might well feel that fortune would be nothing to me
without my husband--my husband as he ever had been. And "if the worst
came to the worst," if he only had sufficient means to pay his debts,
(which h