"Yours Very Truly,
"J. B. MAIBEN."
Many are the acts of mercy and charity related of President Kimball and his family, especially his noble and unselfish partner, Vilate, during this time of sore distress. They kept an open house, and fed from twenty-five to one hundred poor people at their table, daily, besides making presents innumerable of bread, flour and other necessaries, which were then literally worth their weight in gold.[A]
[Footnote A: While thus feeding the poor on the best that her larder afforded, Vilate would send her own children into the fields to dig roots (artichokes) which she would cook for them. This, with coarse corn bread, while her guests were served with wheaten bread, potatoes and boiled beef, was the frequent diet of the Kimball family during the famine of "fifty-six.">[
It was Vilate's chief delight to sally forth with a basket on her arm, filled with nicely cooked edibles and little domestic comforts, and seek out some poor, obscure person, in need of help, though perhaps too proud or timid to make it known. She would often go to the houses of such persons, on finding that they were away from home, and provide for their needs in their absence, in order that they might meet a glad surprise on their return, without knowing the good angel who had visited them.
It is related that, during this famine, a brother, sorely in need of bread, came to President Kimball for counsel how to procure it.
"Go and marry a wife," was Heber's terse reply, after relieving the immediate wants of the applicant.
Thunderstruck at receiving such an answer at such a time, when he could hardly provide food for himself, the man went his way, dazed and bewildered, thinking that President Kimball must be out of his mind. But the more he thought of the prophetic character and calling of the one who had given him this strange advice, the less he felt like ignoring it. Finally he resolved to obey counsel, let the consequences be what they might. But where was the woman who would marry him? was the next problem. Bethinking himself of a widow with several children, who he thought might be induced to share her lot with him, he mustered up courage, proposed and was accepted.
In that widow's house was laid up a six months' store of provisions!
Meeting President Kimball shortly afterwards, the now prosperous man of family exclaimed:
"Well, Brother Heber, I followed your advice—"