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Show 30 of dry goods and personal possessions and Ellis's Uncle Asa holding the reins of one team, they set off on a week-long journey in which they would average less than twenty miles per day. As Ellis held her baby through his "paroxysms of coughing," she felt that the discomfort and anxiety were greater than when as "a carefree, optimistic child," she crossed the plains. But with all I was comforted, for God had given me the fulfillment of His promise to hear and answer prayer. Great was my faith, frequent my prayers, and marvelous my blessing. The hard trip, instead of increasing the danger to my darling, had the opposite effect. The great outdoors with its salubrious atmosphere seemed to be the very best remedy and he grew better after the first 48 hours. Then every fear, discomfort, and heartrending foreboding vanished, leaving my heart humble and happy, my being o'er-flooding with humble thanksgiving and sacred joyJ^ She loved her husband more than ever and was "ready and willing to share any fate with him." As Milford kept himself absorbed with business, about which she "did not greatly concern" herself, Ellis developed the homemaking skills bequeathed her in "the early training of a beloved, efficient mother." During this new experience in Fillmore in the winter of 1868 I was greatly blessed with the sweet companionship of my precious little sister Anna Eliza. Her nature was so like that of our sainted Mother, gentle, kind and patient, and we were ever so happy together. With our precious baby boy beginning to prattle in childish fashion and learning to take his first steps, she and I whiled away what might have been lonely hours. We tried to be faithful to our church duties and we never idled our time. We were always busy with our knitting, sewing and household duties, and we had time, too, for reading books and to write letters to dear ones and play with our household treasure while his father made business trips back and forth to Salt Lake.20 As Milford's March 3rd birthday approached, Ellis completed a |