While I was but a child, my parents removed from Gorham to Portland, Maine. Here, at the age of nine years, an accident happened to me which was to affect my whole life. In company with my twin sister and one of our schoolmates, I was crossing a common in the city of Portland, when a girl about thirteen years of age, becoming angry at some trifle, followed us, threatening to strike us. Our parents had taught us never to contend with anyone, but if we were in danger of being abused or injured, to hasten home at once. We were doing this with all speed, but the girl followed us as rapidly, with a stone in her hand. I turned my head to see how far she was behind me, and as I did so, she threw the stone, and it hit me on the nose. I was stunned by the blow and fell senseless to the ground. {1T 9.2}

Da jeg endnu var barn, flyttede mine forældre fra Gorham til Portland i Maine. Da jeg var ni år, skete der mig her en ulykke, som ville påvirke hele mit liv. Sammen med min tvillingsøster og en af vore skolekammerater var jeg ved at krydse en fælled i byen Portland, da en pige på omkring tretten år blev vred over en bagatel og fulgte efter os, idet hun truede med at slå os. Vore forældre havde lært os aldrig at strides med nogen, men at skynde os hjem med det samme, hvis vi var i fare for at blive mishandlet eller komme til skade. Dette gjorde vi med al hast, men pigen fulgte os lige så hurtigt med en sten i sin hånd. Jeg vendte mit hoved for at se, hvor langt hun var bag mig, og da jeg gjorde dette, kastede hun stenen, og den ramte mig på næsen. Slaget slog mig ud, og jeg faldt følelsesløs til jorden.