He then told us that he had noticed that one brother, a poor fisherman, had been feeling that he was not as highly respected as he ought to be and that Brother Howland and others thought themselves above him. This was not true, but it seemed true to him; and for several weeks he had not attended the meetings. So Brother Howland went to his house and knelt before him, saying: “My brother, forgive me. What is it that I have done?” The man took him by the arm and tried to raise him to his feet. “No,” said Brother Howland, “what have you against me?” “I have nothing against you.” “But you must have,” said Brother Howland, “because once we could speak to one another, but now you do not speak to me at all, and I want to know what is the matter.” {9T 192.1}

Så fortalte han, at han havde lagt mærke til, at en bror, som var en fattig fisker, havde følelsen af, at han ikke blev højt respekteret, som han burde, at br. Howland og andre tænkte, at de stod højere end ham. Dette var ikke sandt, men det mente han og i adskillige uger kom han ikke til møderne. Så gik br. Howland til hans hjem og knælede foran ham og sagde: "Min broder, tilgiv mig. Hvad er det, jeg har gjort?" Manden tog ham i armen og prøvede på at rejse ham op. "Nej," sagde br. Howland, "hvad har du imod mig?" "Jeg har ikke noget imod dig." "Men det må du have", sagde hr. Howland, "for tidligere kunne vi tale sammen, men nu taler du ikke til mig mere og jeg ønsker at vide, hvad der er i vejen.”