<TITLE>26. Par 98-101</TITLE>L-98  And finally when the rivers dropped enough that I could get a boat across, I rushed across. And I said, "Maybe they went to Charlestown..." They told me the boat--the boat got through--I mean, the train got through. And I went to a great big place at Charlestown where they was keeping all the refugees. And I went in there; they knowed nothing about nobody named Branham in there. And I walked out under a tree and met old Colonel Hay, a very good friend of mine, he said, "Billy," he said, "that train went through here. I don't think it even stopped, was ran on through the dispatcher's office."
He went down there and said, "Yes," said, "the engineer of the train will be in just in a few moments that drove that train through." Said, "It was a cattle car." Her father was a brotherhood organizer on the Pennsylvania, drives the south route through now. And there it was going out on a cattle car. And the sleet and rain upon them. I knowed they couldn't live like that, and I had... [Blank.spot.on.tape--Ed.]

L-99  Two sick children... And so how could I get to Columbus, I was cut off. And there, walking down the street, crying, wringing my hands, don't know what would take place, I... Someone wal--run up to me, said, "Billy, you're looking for Hope, aren't you?"
And I said, "Yes." That was my wife's name. They used to call her Hope, me Faith, and little baby, little Billy Charity.
So they said, "You looking for her?" And I said... Said, "My girlfriend is at Columbus, Indiana, and your wife is laying by her side dying with...?... tuberculosis."
I said, "No, it can't be."
Said, "Yes, she is."
I said, "Can you get me there?"
Said, "Yes, if you can walk a ways."
I said, "I can walk anywhere."

L-100  We got up and got in the car, and I went to Columbus. I went up there and I thought, "Where's she at?" I run into that... They had her in a--in a Baptist church, down on the basketball court, gymnasium. And I started down through there, hollering... There's cots everywhere, and people was stretched all like this, and every sickness and everything. I started screaming top of my voice, "Hope, oh, Hope, where are you, honey? Where are you?" I loved her. I love her yet. She's in her grave out there, but God knows she was a good God saved woman.
And I looked and I was crying, screaming, "Oh, where are you, Hope?" I looked over there, and I seen an old poor, bony hand go up in the air. It was her. I'll never forget how I felt. My heart begin to drop. And I run over to her, and fell down, and grabbed her hand. She did weigh about a hundred and thirty pounds; she probably weighed sixty or seventy then.

L-101  I was crying. I said, "Where Billy? Where's Sharon?" She said, "They're in a home somewhere." Said, "I'm going... I, aren't I Bill."
And I said, "No, honey, you look all right. You're going to be all right." I said, "Oh, God, have mercy. Please, dear Jesus," I said, "will You have mercy. Let my wife get well."
And I was praying; somebody was patting me on the back. It was the doctor, said, "You Reverend Branham?" And I said... Said, "Come aside a minute."
I went over; I said, "Yes, doctor?"
Said, "Isn't Sam Adair your doctor at home?"
And I said, "Yes, sir."
He said, "Well, I'm going to tell you," said, "you better get ready for this." Said, "Your wife is going to die," said, "she's got TB."
And I said, "That's galloping consumption."
And said, "She won't last for just a little while."
I said, "Doctor, no, she can't go." I said, "You looked at my babies?"
Said, "Yes, they both been sick, but they're getting better."
And I said, "Oh, look, I'm going to take her home."
And he said, "You can't do that." Said, "You just stay right here." Well, after finally, when I did get her down home, she just kept getting worse, worse, and worse all the time.


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