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Show 54 they were already members of the church, they were eager to listen to the American missionary explain the gospel and the meaning of the scriptures. Also, as Ellis indicated in her diary, they cared for Milford through a serious illness. When they were coming to America, Milford improvised games to play on shipboard to keep the children occupied, while Lizzie sang character songs for everyone's amusement. At one point when a little sister was sick, Milford took her in his arms and sat for several hours on deck with her, speaking words of comfort, and offering her bits of food. On his mission, Milford had been captivated by Lizzie, referred to in one instance as a "little English girl with her vivacious laughing spirit" and in another as "the beautiful young singer, Lizzie Hillstead." The ebullience of her nature was in contrast to the "more sedate atmosphere surrounding the two older wives" and evidently he felt she would make a fine contribution to the family. We do hope he did not have the bad taste to point up the contrast to these "sedate" women who had been struggling for their very existence and caring for his children while he was gone. Lizzie's youthful good nature probably was galling to Ellis and Maggie at first. But later they would prize her cheerful outlook on life and cherish her for her considerable contributions. Bardella said that with Milford's other wives, Lizzie was "able to laugh off her mistakes." and that she "readily changed her English accent for western Yanky [sic] dialect." The calendar year ends with Ellis characteristically full of a lively awareness of her shortcomings and quick to implore her |