FROM THE CVT ARCHIVES, NOV. 15, 1979 — An open letter to Mrs. Jerusha Nichols, Russell County Medical Center

My Dear Jerusha,

We are rejoicing because of your return from Abingdon hospital to us.  Now we can spend more time with you.

All of us simply love our sweet Jerusha.  She’s one of the most precious ladies we have ever known.  “To know her is to love her,” and a great blessing to have the pleasure of visiting with her.

I really did enjoy my visit with you Sunday afternoon while working at the RCMC and it made me so very happy to find you looking well, feeling much better, and also in good spirits.

Even though you have been confined to the bed for several weeks, and for quite some time to come, with your great faith and courage, you will come through with flying colors!  Now, you just wait and see!  So, keep on keeping that chin up.  Every time we come to see you, that alone makes our day.

After leaving your room, I had a visit with another very dear friend of mine, Nannie Vencil of Castlewood, whom I have known for many, many years.  We laughed and shed tears as we reminisced the yesteryears, with both the joy and sorrow we have known.

Nannie is also a lady of tremendous faith, one who loves her Lord, therefore loves people.

These kind of people are a great blessing to all who have the pleasure of really knowing them, and they are those who make this world a better place to live.

There is no friend like an old friend who has shared our morning days; no greeting like her welcome; no homage like her praise.

We certainly did have a wonderful time at our youth rally on Sunday evening at Clinchfield Baptist.  Mr. Mike Wallish and his friends from Camp Bethel came over from Wise.  They presented a puppet show in joyful sound of music and the Bible.  Both young and old enjoyed them so very much.  Heaven only knows our appreciation for their coming all the way from Wise to join us, also the word involved.

Our very own young people blessed our hearts as they recited from memory an entire chapter of Ephesians, also special music.

A wonderful madness called laughter has saved many people in a crisis, so here goes:

Morbus Sabbaticus, or “Sunday Sickness,” is a disease peculiar to church members.  The attack comes on Sundays.  No symptoms are felt on Saturday night.  The patient sleeps well and awakes feeling well, eats a hearty breakfast but about church time the attack comes on and continues until services are over for the morning.  Then the patient feels easy and eats a hearty dinner. 

In the afternoon the patient feels so much better and is able to take a walk, automobile ride, go visiting, talk politics, and reads the paper.  He eats a hearty supper but about church time he has another attack and stays at home.  He retires early, sleeps well, and awakens on Monday morning refreshed and able to go to work.  He does not feel any of he symptoms until the next Sunday.

The peculiar feature is that it only attacks members of a church; it never makes its appearance except on Sundays.  The symptoms vary, but never interfere with appetite or sleep.  It never lasts more than 24 hours and it generally attacks the head of the family and spread until every member is affected.  No physician is ever called.  It always proves fatal in the end of the soul.  No remedy is known for it except repentance and prayer and real heart-felt salvation is the only antidote.

Have a nice day,

Missy