scores and scores of them, which Mother wrote her. These letters reveal the unmistakable fact that while Mother, as we have reason to know, found comfort in all of her children, yet through the years, she sought and found comfort from one who was not her own daughter, but who was to give her a daughter’s love and affection. This is recorded to show how slow we often are to understand the sources of comfort even for those who are closest and dearest to us, and the love we owe to them as a family for their loyalty and devotion. When it comes to Homer, the next member of the family, every one knew from the beginning that he would never make a farmer. The best that could be hoped for him would be a glorified hired hand during the vacation period when he was home from college. When he actually decided to become a minister is not known—perhaps he does not know, but from the day this decision was made, it became the all controlling passion of his life. Homer, like Harlan, felt impelled before going out in to the world to make his way, to take his life’s partner from a nearby community. His bride was Mary Hannah Kitchen, a member of a prominent family of nearby Selma. Mary was another one of the daughters-in-law who was to have a blessed influence on the family, when the family needed outside bolstering. To get this s'tory, we will have to remember some facts which it should be strengthening to the faith of the family as a whole to recall. Soon after Homer began his ministry in his first charge at Bogota, New Jersey, he had a severe illness. He was advised by his physician to seek a warmer and drier climate. His congregation gave him an extended leave of absence to get well. He went to Los Angeles, California, where he was invited to serve Bethany Presbyterian Church, which he did for a year. Since the winters in Ohio were becoming too severe for Mother in her failing health, it was arranged for Father and Mother to spend the winter in California with Homer and Mary. Just what this meant for all of them in the intimate fellowship which they had together, they themselves only know. Father and Mother never ceased to praise Mary, who in those days was all that a daughter could have been to them, since she did double duty in caring for them as well as her own family. Through this experience and many others of a like nature, Mary won for herself a place in the family which probably could not have been won in any other way. 29
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