On April 21st we went to Indianapolis, the capital of Indiana (166 miles from Bloomington) a beautiful city on the western branch of the White River, surrounded by an extensive plain. There my husband preached at the Second and Third Presbyterian, the First Baptist, the Meridian Street Methodist, and the German Methodist Churches, and attended a meeting of pastors on the 26th, when he addressed many of his brethren in the ministry for an hour.
From Indianapolis, on April 28th we proceeded to Cincinnati, Ohio, where, during our visit of 10 days, he preached three times at the Vine Street Congregational Church, and twice at the Central Presbyterian Church; gave an address at the Friends' Meeting House, conducted three services in the city for the Germans (of whom there are many thousands in Cincinnati), addressed about 200 ministers at a pastors' meeting, and, on the evening of May 5th, preached in German at Immanuel Methodist Church, Covington, Kentucky, about five miles distant. Besides these services, on May 1st we visited Mr. Shipley's Home for Children, when he gave a short address to the young people.
Cincinnati is 861 miles from New York. It extends along the northern bank of the river Ohio, and has a population of between three and four hundred thousand.
From there, on May 8th we went to Dayton, Ohio, 56 miles from Cincinnati, where Mr. Müller preached the same evening at a German Church. During our stay, he held meetings also at the First Presbyterian and First Baptist Churches, and gave an address at the Hall of the Young Men's Christian Association.
On May 11th we visited the "Central National Soldiers' Home," three miles and a half from Dayton, which consists of a group of buildings more than 40 in number, where (up to that time) 4,245 men had been received, all of whom were soldiers disabled or invalided by wounds, received during the late war. The Brick Hall (which seats 3,000) is the largest dining hall in the United States. As numbers of these soldiers were either walking or sitting about in the beautiful grounds belonging to the Institution, we were able to distribute tracts amongst them. The average expenses of the Home are 400,000 dollars (or £80,000) per annum.
From Dayton, on May 12th, we went to Cleveland, Ohio, 190 miles distant, where, on that evening and the next, my husband preached at the United German Church.
On the 14th we left for Buffalo, and the following day continued our journey to Dansville, Livingstone County, New York (283 miles from Cleveland) where, at "Our Home on the Hill Side" (a Hygienic Institution) we spent eleven days, having received an invitation from Dr. Jackson, the Principal of the Establishment, to be his guests.
There, on Sunday morning (the 16th) Mr. Müller preached at "Liberty Hall" (the Chapel belonging to the Institution) to the patients, and the other inmates of the Home; and in the evening addressed a large, crowded audience, at the Methodist Episcopal Church, Dansville. During the week, he conducted morning family worship at "Our Home," gave one or two addresses at the prayer meetings; and on the following Sunday (May 23rd) preached at the English and German Lutheran Churches.
This Hygienic Institution consists of one large main building, and a number of smaller detached residences, which belong to it. Here, "all the natural agencies, such as air, water, food, sunlight, electricity, exercise, rest, and recreation are brought into use for the restoration of the sick, and obedience to the laws of nature is enjoined, as one of the first requisites for recovery."
On the morning of May 27th, Mr. Müller gave a farewell address to the inmates of "Our Home;" at half past 3 we left for Rochester, and in the evening went on to the Sanatorium, at Clifton Springs, 90 miles from Dansville. There he preached at the Chapel on the evening of the 28th, conducted family worship on the mornings of Saturday the 29th, and Sunday the 30th, and preached on the evening of the 30th at the Chapel to a large congregation. On Monday evening (May 31st) he preached again at the Chapel of the Sanatorium, gave a farewell address at the same place the following morning; and, at a little prayer meeting in the evening, we were both commended to the Lord for our approaching voyage to England.